Kara raced through the air like a bullet, her cape billowing behind her along with her blonde hair, the wind whipping past her face as she tracked the sounds of the crime in progress. She made a detour to her apartment to quickly change into her costume, a task that took her less than five seconds, before flying over the city towards the docks. Her super hearing monitored the rapid relay of information and instructions between the security and the police officers they were calling as her vison zoomed in and found the flashing blue lights of police vehicles surrounding a power station.
The dark building was illuminated by an explosion that drove several armed personal scattering in the opposite direction as a large truck came barrelling through the smoke to stop beside the entrance. Several masked men leapt out and stormed into the building, assault rifles in their hands as they shot the security guards attempting to stop them. Outside another beam of heat vision cut through a police cruiser, the frame melting as the officers jumped for cover crying out in pain. Hank Henshaw shut off the beam from his cybernetic eye, scanning the police forces ready for their next attack.
Instead he heard the sound of something breaking the sound barrier, drawing his gaze up in time to see a red and blue blur come rocketing towards him like a meteor. His reactions were a split second too slow as Supergirl collided with the Cyborg superman smashing him into the concrete, the pair of them propelled down into the sublevel of the facility where Hank landed in a crater with rubble raining down on him as Supergirl pinned him down.
"I was wondering how long it'd take you to show up, Supergirl" Hank growled, but Kara immediately responded with a powerful right hook across the jaw. The blow made a thundering boom as it smashed against Henshaw's face, the floor cracking beneath them. He hissed in anger, retaliating by thrusting his left palm up to hit her across the cheek. She grunted but ignored it, pummelling the man with her fists until he was able to throw his weight up lifting them into the air where he then pushed her back against the wall stunning her.
He hit her a few times with his fists, each blow echoing along the walls making the facility shake, before Kara blocked his next flurry and kicked him back. Before he could regain his balance she planted her foot on the wall behind her and sprung forward like a spear, both fists striking his chest sending him flying through the opposing wall into a storage room. He tumbled along the ground crashing through shelves and barrels of salvage and waste before coming to a stop in the next wall.
The man growled as he lifted his gaze, pulling himself from the wall staring at the kryptonian glaring back with glowing red eyes partially floating in the air. "You look mad Supergirl" he observed, flexing his cybernetic muscles brushing dust from his dark skin. "Didn't that Martian teach you not to fight someone angry? It clouds the judgement."
"shut…up!" she said, unleashing her heat vision in a powerful blast that connected with Hank pushing him through the wall he'd climbed out of. Heat engulfed the rooms as she floated after him, holding it for several seconds before blinking, stopping the beam abruptly.
The glow faded and Hanks was revealed braced in a corridor, his clothes in tatters revealing the cybernetic body fused with human skin. He tensed his legs as he fixed his good eye on her, the other glowing hot with rage. "It's not me you're angry at, is it?" he muttered. "Shame I can't say the same for me" he roared, jumping through the wreckage to launch himself at the hero. She barrelled forward to intercept him, the two titans clashing in a thunderous shockwave that shook the whole district.
Hank was right however. Kara wasn't angry at him right now. She was angry at herself, and at Jake. All she could think about while she was fighting Cyborg Superman was that damn ring on his finger. An engagement ring! How did she not notice that before? She was a journalist, a reporter, she's supposed to have a nose for trouble. She's meant to be able to tell when people are lying. But Jake had a fiancé and not only didn't he mention it she didn't realise it. Alex was right, she jumped into this date too fast. What was she thinking?
But what infuriated her was his reaction to being caught. "I don't want to talk about it?" he said, as if she had been the one in the wrong. The audacity! This man was set to cheat on his fiancé and he doesn't want to discuss it? Kara had no intention of becoming the other woman, not ever. She was lucky to have figured it out before anything happened.
So why does it all bother her so much?
Kara was too confused and angry to thinking about it right now, venting her rage on Hank who more than deserved it after everything he'd done. The two of them traded blows, smashing through walls of the basement crashing into machines, steam bursting from pipes or igniting into flames when they bent under their weight. Hanks gave Kara as good as he got, blocking her attacks and pummelling her with his fists throwing her across the rooms. But Kara's rage brought her a new level of ferocity, her blows landing harder not caring if they hurt or killed him. He took take all of her rage, launching him through the ceiling with an uppercut before diving into the following chamber and smashing both fists down upon his back.
This room was larger than the rest, a massive reactor sitting in the centre of the open space with piping and wires connecting it to generators and pistons and computer banks leading to separate observation booths. The inside of this cylindrical reactor glowed as several of Hank's men swarmed around it like bees, ripping up components and materials while more cut access into the reactor itself with protective gear.
Kara ignored all of them, her tunnel vision focused on Hank who was climbing out of the hole Kara punched him into. He looked up and found her rocketing down toward him, but he used a broken scaffold to bat her away across the room. She took the impact, blocking it with her arms as she was knocked a few feet away, ready for him to leap back at her swinging the scaffold. She clapped her hands together with all of her strength, the thunderclap deafening everyone in the room and knocking Hank back to the ground shattering the scaffold. She followed up with another heat blast, the beams cutting through the machines chasing Hank as he dodged and weaved through the room before throwing a large generator at her. She didn't manage to melt it before it collided with her, pinning her in the corner under its immense weight.
Kara got the wind knocked out of her when the generator struck her, her body stuck under the metal and gears as electricity sparked around her. She blinked a few times, gathering her bearings listening to the loud noises of the power station, drowning out the machines to keep track of Hank who she heard huffing in fury. He barked an order to his men to continue work, the sounds of their cutting tools breaking through the seals of the reactor prying open the hatch. She then heard Hank's laboured breathing getting closer, guessing he was hovering directly over her. She felt the heat from his eye radiating hotter looking to melt through the generator and kill her.
She waited until the last possible moment, her palms and heels pressed against the generator on top of her before launching it up and off of her. Hank's eye widened as the machine was flung at him, knocking him across the room until his laser eye sliced it in half. But Kara was already moving, jumping into the air and through the dissected generator to beat the man back to the ground. He caught her arm and dragged her up through the ceiling, concrete raining down around them until they broke the surface back at street level. At which point Kara twisted in Hank's grip, wrapping her legs around his neck and flipping him around to send him plummeting to the ground. She redirected her momentum to follow, both her heels connecting against his spine as he impacted the concrete. The force was enough to make the ground shake. It was also enough to knock any fight out of Hank leaving him wheezing and panting for breath.
Kara landed out of the air a few feet away, walking towards the man with a cold glare. Strands of her blonde hair stuck to her face, caked in dust and sweat falling over one of her eyes. She brushed it aside so she could fix both her blue eyes on him before they glowed red. "Where's Metallo?" she asked advancing on him. "Where's the robot army you stole from Axis Environmental?"
Hank sluggishly dragged himself up from the cracked floor to turn and look at her. "I don't know who messed you up so bad" he said, "But I don't think I've ever seen you punch that hard before. What happened? Bad break up?"
She didn't have time for this, stomping her boot into his stomach pinning him to the ground as she stood over him. "Where are they?" she asked again, her fists clenched as her eyes burned hotter.
Hanks stared up at her. He didn't scare easily, but even he had to acknowledge this was the most intimidating Supergirl had ever been in her whole career. Even when she tried to act tough and menacing there used to be something lacking; that edge of unpredictability that made you wonder if she'd have the stomach to follow through with her threats. But here, Hanks felt it. She might just rip his cybernetic implants out if he didn't give her what she wanted. But he had no intention of talking. "Go to hell" he growled, calling her bluff.
Fortunately for him, and possibly for her, Kara didn't get the chance to make good on any threat as their confrontation was interrupted by the snap of a discharge the moment an electrical cable whipped around Supergirl's torso trapping her arms to her sides as electricity arced through her body. The heroine cried out in alarm as her muscles tensed up, the shock sending her stumbling off Hank's broad chest freeing him from her intense interrogation. Before she could register what had happened her senses picked up something standing a couple of feet away, their boots planted firmly as they levelled a three pronged trident at her shooting a pulse of energy at her striking her chest, the blast sending her tumbling to the ground stunned.
Hank pushed himself up to his feet as the figure dressed in black and red body amour walked across the cracked loading bay towards him, lowering his left arm where he'd steadied his trident, energy dissipating from around the reinforced steel prongs. The figure was covered head to toe, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or woman beneath the smooth faceplate whose reflections mimicked a skull, two glowing red eyes peering through the reflective surface. Their helmet had two extensions that liked like horns coming out of the forehead above the brow. Their arms had thick shoulder plates and gauntlets that hid several examples of advanced weaponry and systems. Their gloves were black with blood red knuckles, spikes rising and retracting whenever they clenched their fist. Their boots matched the gauntlets, heavy and thick crushing against the rubble. Around their waist was a utility belt, pouches lining the hips and below the spine, the buckle glowing red just like the chinks in their breastplate. Their retractable trident was made from a metal nobody had ever seen before with just as much hidden surprises for those on the receiving end.
"I told your employer I didn't require his assistance" Hank growled as he climbed to his feet, glaring at the enforcer pointedly.
"If you want us to hold up our end of the bargain, make sure you and your men hold up yours" the figure said, their voice distorted into an ethereal growl. Hanks was intimidated by the warning, but he did back down when the faceplate turned to look at him and he saw the red eyes peering back from a horrific skull. Cyborg superman reluctantly turned away to help his militia get what they came for.
Supergirl was oblivious to this conversation as she struggled to her feet, fighting against the restraints electrocuting her drawing on her willpower to snap the cables with her muscles. They fell around her feet as she regained her breath, looking up at the newcomer with a furious glare. She got her first look at the red armour and scary faceplate and wasn't fazed at all, standing up straight squaring up to them. "Who are you?" she demanded.
The figure stared at her silently, their hand tightening around the weapon in their hand as they glared at her. She tried to use her x-ray vision to see who was behind the mask but the suit was lined with lead filaments preventing it. She tried listening for a heartbeat, anything to give her an indication about who this was, but all she could hear was a high pitched whine that cut though her skull. She huffed in irritation, storming forward not even bothering to use her super speed. She didn't think this would take long, even thinking they could answer the questions Hank refused to. She moved into a sprint and leapt at the figure swinging a right punch directly for his faceplate.
The figure moved faster than she was expecting, twirling the trident in his hands deflecting her arm and sidestepping her before countering with a haymaker with his left hand down onto her temple. Kara felt it connect and gasped in surprise as she collapsed to her knees. She landed on her hands blinking, her vision momentarily fuzzy as her brain shook in her skull, her temple throbbing. That punch hurt!
It took Kara a few seconds to come out of her daze, during which time the figure stalked around her like a predator, watching her carefully. She watched their footsteps as they circled her, its trident pointing to the ground, waiting. She pushed the disorientation away and took a deep breath, springing up to her feet to attack again.
But this time she felt it and realised she was in trouble. She wasn't moving as fast as before. Her attacks didn't have the strength she was expecting. And when the figure blocked and countered, her body wasn't as tough as it should be. If the pain in her gut when the figure kicked her stomach didn't convince her, the absence of her heat vision of frost breath would've sealed it. She didn't have her powers all of a sudden. Even her hearing, despite the low whine she was sure was from the concussion now, was hampered along with her vision. She was powerless. And left her at a disadvantage as the figure demonstrate they knew how to fight as they dodged and spun around her like a ballerina, their trident sweeping her legs from under her above following up with a crack across the back of her skull.
Kara landed on her front gasping for breath, her body aching in pain she wasn't used to feeling. Her ribs hurt and her muscled ached, her skull was pounding and she couldn't seem to breathe. She pulled herself to her knees and wiped her nose, looking at her hand finding blood across the back of her hand. How is this possible? The figure stood over her calmly, their weapon twirling in their palm waiting for her to attack again.
Across the loading bay Hanks and his men were finished loading the truck with everything they could carry. The last thing to be loaded was a large container glowing the same colour as the reactor inside. Kara glanced over to the truck as the engine started up, anger flashing through her body again as she kicked herself. She was so distracted by Jake and his lies that she focused on Hank too much and she'd forgotten his men were robbing the power station whilst they were fighting. She lifted her gaze as the figure in red stepped in front of her vision, looking down at her as if in challenge.
She wiped the blood from her nose and sucked in a painful breath, her hand curling into a fist as she stood up again. The figure waited, waited for her to strike first. She stood uneasily on her feet glaring at him, her eyes fixed on the glowing eyes underneath the faceplate wondering who this person was. She grit her teeth ad lunged, releasing a furious battle cry as she jabbed and kicked at the figure.
But they easily blocked and deflected her attacks, weaving under her defences flipping her over their hip and back onto the ground. She hurried to regain her stance but this time the figure wrapped a powerful arm around her neck, trapping her in her headlock as she struggled to break the grapple. Her fingers clawed at his armour as his arm squeezed around her throat, his strength overpowering her lack of it as her feet kicked and scraped against the ground. Her fighting became more desperate as her breathing became difficult, her fists pounding his arms as she was forced to watch Hank climb aboard the truck with his men and escape before the DEO to reach them. The figure stayed behind, slowly crushing Kara's windpipe as Supergirl struggled in his grasp.
For the first time in five years Kara felt scared of dying. She could feel the life draining from her, her muscles growing heavy, her lungs burning, black spots dancing in her vision. She was losing this fight. She couldn't explain how but without her powers she was more vulnerable than ever. She was weak and getting weaker. "Why…are you…doing…this…" she squeaked, her voice barely audible over the ringing and whining filling her ears, the same thing she heard when at the memorial, the recollection of her fight with the warlord that destroyed the hospital. It was deafening now, the only thing she could hear. But she didn't think the figure replied with anything other than a tighter squeeze of her throat. It told her everything.
This person wanted to kill her.
But then suddenly, they released her and Supergirl was thrown forward to inhale desperate gulpfuls of air. She fell to her hands and knees wheezing and gasping, her only focus getting as much oxygen back into her lungs as she could. After a few minutes she felt the shock wear off and she felt her heart pounding against her bruised ribcage. Her discomfort didn't last long though as she realised her body was healing, her hearing picking out the sirens of emergency vehicles several blocks away. The high pitched ringing was gone, along with the pain. Her checked her vision and strength and was relieved to find her powers were back. She sighed thanking Rao, tears falling down her cheeks as she praised the gods for sparing her.
When she came to her senses and realised why she was alive, her head whipped around only to find the loading bay was empty. The figure in red armour was gone. She quickly scanned the area but couldn't find any trace, nor could she locate Hank and his militia who were long gone. She slumped to the ground in defeat, relieved to have just survived the ordeal. Later she would have dozens of questions, but right now she just sat by herself and took a deep thankful breath.