Alex paced in the brightly lit corridor where dozens of men and women in suits walked back and forth to endless meetings. She was never comfortable in this building, too many suits and bureaucrats for her liking, so her being here was important. The Federal office was where she would find the Interim Secretary of the United States Department of Alien Affairs, better known as Colonel Lauren Haley, the DEO's point of contact to the white house. And the woman who sent Alex the email that made her jump in her car and drive several hundred miles to talk to her face to face.
She was waiting in the corridor for almost an hour when one of the ornate doors finally opened and a flood of people came pouring out. Amongst them was the Colonel, who caught sight of the Director waiting for her and sighed. "I thought I made my response clear Director Danvers" she said, walking down the corridor carrying a heavy briefcase already late to her next appointment.
"You're denying the extradition of a terrorist and threat to the DEO" she said marching after her, keeping pace as they strode through the hallways across the marble floors.
"I've read the report and what you have is a suspect" she rebuffed. "And a flimsy one at that. All your evidence is circumstantial."
"Circumstantial? He as good as confessed!"
"To Supergirl, who is no longer a registered asset to the Department of Extra-terrestrial Operations and thus not a reliable witness."
"She's reliable. You know she is!" she snapped.
"Watch your tone Director" Haley barked, looking over her shoulder sharply. Alex reigned in her outburst and took a breath. "Was anyone else there to hear this conversation?" she asked.
Alex bristled as she admitted "not the conversation itself. But I was there for the call right before it…"
"Then you can't confirm or validate what the conversation was about" she interrupted. And just to prove she wasn't up to date on the report Alex sent her she added "nor can you confirm it was indeed him who set up the bomb in his apartment."
"Who else would?"
"Who would plant a bomb in their own home?" she asked. When Alex hesitated she explained "any lawyer good or bad would ask that and no jury would buy it as anything but the act of a lunatic. Are you saying Jake White is a lunatic?"
Alex wanted to proclaim yes but his actions demonstrated the exact opposite. "What about the rest of the evidence?" she asked desperately.
"What evidence?"
"He was the lead engineer at TITAN who designed the suit that the Reckoning is using" she pointed out. "And he was at AXIS Environmental before the heist of the Metallo robots. He has the skill and knowledge to…"
"Two companies that have since either been closed down or under investigation" she rebuffed. "You worked and one and interviewed for the other. It doesn't prove anything."
"He made the suit!"
"He designed it, maybe. Except there are no solid records of his involvement. And if there were all you've done is link one of a hundred engineers to a project that was never built by TITAN. Now do you have any evidence that proves for absolute certainty Jake White was involved."
Alex frustration got the better of her and she jumped into Haley's path to block her path. "We know it's him! It's enough to at least question him. His place got blown up for crying out loud. Call Scotland Yard and…"
"The British authorities and been advised of the situation and they were conduct the interviews" she told her, standing over the redhead calmly with a distinct air of authority. She stared Alex down as she remained in her path, starting to lose her own temper. "I understand your disappointment but we can't extradite a British national on a whim, not even on the say so of a treasured vigilante."
"She's not a…" Alex started before stopping herself. She hoped to keep her job at the end of this conversation after all. "We're talking about a man who orchestrated a series of terrorist acts, including breaking into the DEO and collaborating with Hank Henshaw."
"And if you can prove that, then I'll happily put you on a plane to drag him back yourself" she promised. "But now you need to understand something" she said, pulling Alex to the side so they may talk more privately. "While I understand your desire to bring this man, should he be guilty, to justice, relations with governments outside the US have become strained."
Alex narrowed her brow. "Strained how?"
"For one, having seventy percent of their satellites get disabled or knocked out of orbit by an electromagnetic pulse created by Supergirl didn't help matters" she whispered. "Phone lines, internet, intelligence networks across the world offline, making us all vulnerable. And while Supergirl isn't officially an asset to the American government, other countries still regard her, as they regard Superman, as an American hero. So you can imagine their concern when our beloved hero creates such a calamity." Alex grimaced, imaging it going as well as the earful she got from the secretary of state on behalf of the president. "It's taking much to assure the world leaders, such as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, that this was only a hiccup. But I can't warrant pushing our luck unless we have solid proof." She looked at the young woman sternly. "Can you give me irrefutable proof that Jake White is our terrorist?" she asked.
Alex reluctantly lowered her gaze in silent admission.
Haley nodded, advising "when you do, then we'll talk." She stepped away and resumed her walk through the corridor. But before she did, she paused and looked back warning Alex "after the last few months a lot of eyes are on the DEO Director Danvers. I know you want justice, but you might be best served getting your house in order first."
"How do you mean?" she asked.
Haley didn't give details, only replying "if you want to keep the investigation open and find that proof, first make sure you're up for leading it."
Alex wasn't completely sure what that meant as she watched Haley disappear back into the crowds of people. All she could focus on right now was the gut punch she received leaving her deflated. If Jake wasn't going too dragged back here through official channels then she needed to make them change their mind. For that she needed to get back to the DEO, racing through the exit to leap back into her car.
Nia sat alone in a secluded room deep in the DEO headquarters, the dimly lit room seemingly closing in around her as she stared at the mask placed in front of her on the floor. She was in her costume, the mask removed by her feet staring up at her as she sat on the floor with her knees pulled up. She had her mobile in her hand pressed to her ear, the dial tone ringing out before being replaced by the tired old answering machine instead. She didn't expect anyone to pick up, but she had hoped to at least hear their voice. "Hey dad" she said once the beep sounded, trying not to let her voice giveaway how much it was trembling. "I guess you were busy. I just wanted to check in and say hi. Hopefully I'll come visit soon when…" she broke, tears derailing her train of thought as she quickly finished saying "I love you" and hanging up. She slammed her head against the wall, wishing she could explain what was going on. She wished even more her mother was still alive to hold her.
Her solitude was interrupted when the door beside her creaked open and she stiffened in surprise. "It's only me" Jimmy said poking his head in, finding Nia on the floor with her mask off. He closed the door behind him and sat down besides her, picking up her mask to admire it. "I never got round to complimenting you on your costume" he said.
"Brainy made it for me" she replied, taking the mask from him and examining it. "I never appreciated what this gave me" she said quietly, staring at the moulded leather designed perfectly for her face. "The anonymity. I'm just realising how much I took it for granted. I was so excited about being a superhero and helping people, I never realised how important having a secret identity was. It didn't matter to me, because everyone I wanted to know already knew. Well, almost everyone" she muttered as an afterthought.
Jimmy nodded. "I felt the same about becoming Guardian. There are still people who don't know about my other job. I like to think I'm protecting them by keeping them in the dark. Sometimes I wonder if that's actually true."
"But that's it. It never occurred to me that I was protecting people when I put this on" she said. "To me, this costume was just a costume. It allowed me to be who I was meant to be. But this mask… I took it for granted. When Kara told us that Jake knows who we are, it hit me how much I've put my family at risk. They know who I am. But now so just this…person who also knows where they live. They know who I am, who they are…what if he goes after them?" she asked, panic tightening her chest. "What if he tells someone else, who sells it to the world? Every bad guy I've helped put away would know who they are and they won't be safe. I should never have this stupid costume on!" she cried, panting in distress until Jimmy put his arms around her hugging her against his chest.
"I get it" he said comfortingly, holding the fearful girl close. "I understand what you're feeling. We've all gone through it. Everyone. Including Kara. Including Superman. We all understand the fear of losing those we're trying to protect. But you need to listen to me now" he said, holding her shoulders wiping her cheeks. "When you put this costume on, when you put this mask on, you weren't thinking about your safety. You were thinking about everyone's and how you can help protect them. You were right, this costume let you protect your home. It's also a beacon of hope to all those who you inspire to do the right thing. Don't let the fear you're feeling right now take away all the good you've brought to those people."
She sniffled back a breath as she looked up at the calm presence next to her, asking him "how can you stay so calm? He knows your identity too."
Jimmy took a deep breath solemnly answering "believe me, I'm not calm. I'm feeling a lot of things, but calm isn't one of them."
"But how?" she asked again, expecting him to be as much of a nervous wreck as she is.
He sat back and thought about the answer a moment. Why was he so calm? "I guess because I'm used to worrying about my family already?" he supposed. "My sister used to be in the army. We used to have to deal with a lot of concerned afternoons. And being friends with Superman tends to make you look over your shoulder." he looked at the confused Nia and smiled. "I guess that's part of the reason I became Guardian in the first place. Not just to help protect the city but to also be able to protect my family too."
Nia nodded, slumping down in her seat. "Mauve and I haven't really talked since she found out I'd inherited our family's gift" she said. "The way we left things…I'd give anything to go back and try it differently."
"Are you saying you wouldn't tell her about your powers?"
"No, she deserved to know" she corrected. "I just…I wish I had my sister back." she looked at the mask in her hands, which seemed completely redundant now her secret was out. "My own sister hates me more than anything and I'm still trying to protect her. How sad is that?"
James smiled. "Sounds like family to me" he laughed. He waited until she cracked the hint of a smile before assuring her "don't worry. Your family will be safe. You're not alone. We'll help you protect them. You don't have to be afraid."
Nia smiled, appreciating the words of confidence. But then Brainy's voice cut in agreeing with the man. "That is true. We will do whatever we can to ensure their safety" he said.
Nia looked up at him standing in the doorway surprised. "How long have you been there?" she asked.
"I arrived moments ago, but I didn't want to interrupt you" he said apologetically, walking over and kneeling in front of the girl. "But I meant what I said. We will protect your family. In fact I've already assigned a detail to your home to watch over your father and your sister" he said. "They should remain out of sight, but if Jake does indeed take action with your identity they will be taken immediately to a safe house. That is a promise."
Nia felt a weight lift from her chest as she threw her arms around her boyfriend tightly. "Thank you" she whispered in relief.
Brainy accepted the gratitude, happy to see her relief also. He looked over at Jimmy, confirming "I've also assigned a protection detail to your home also."
"Appreciate it" he replied, clasping the man's shoulder in acknowledgement.
Now that everyone in the room was smiling they were greeted by a nervous rap on the door as Kara suddenly poked her head in. "hi, I hope I'm not interrupting" she said but all three of them leapt to their feet to embrace her. Nia was the hugger as she pulled Kara into her arms, doing what she wanted to do when she last saw her. She looked at Jimmy and Brainy and Nia apologising for flying off. "I shouldn't have dropped that bombshell and just left like that. Nia, Jimmy, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay" Jimmy said.
"It's not, but it will be" Nia confessed. She examined Kara closely and saw the familiar redness around her eyes from a lot of crying. "Are you okay?" she asked her.
Kara opened her mouth to say she was fine but found the lie catching in her throat. She sighed feeling another tear leak out of her eye confessing "not really." she looked at the others, informing them "I didn't find him. I went to look but… I stopped. Brainy and Alex were right. I couldn't just grab him and…like J'onn said, I don't know what I would've done if I had. So I went to the fortress instead." They all nodding, needing no further explanation. Kara stepped up to James and, like Nia had, sought out his calming presence. "How are you handling it? I should've asked before…"
"Its fine" he told her, stroking her shoulder as he reluctantly told her "I'm getting through it."
"I don't understand how" she muttered. "Ever since the explosion I've just felt…"
"Confused? Betrayed? Angry? Like everything you thought you knew was wrong and now you're second guessing every instinct you have? Looking back on your time together searching for those warning signs you overlooked?" Kara looked up at James who released a pent up sigh of emotions. "Like I told Nia, I'm not calm. Believe me, I want to get my hands on that guy as much as you do. You want to know the really ironic and twisting thing that keeps me up though?" he asked them. The all looked at him expectantly. "He really was a bloody good mechanic. My bike hasn't ran so smoothly in years. I almost considered driving it into the river, knowing he was the man who fixed it."
Kara couldn't help but k into a sad chuckle as she hung her head. Yeah, he was very talented she thought, knowing those memories they shared were now tainted and poison. But she couldn't switch everything she felt off, not yet. She looked around at her friends, the people now in danger from him because of her. "We will get him, right?" she asked.
"Of course we will" brainy assured her, and Nia and James. "Once he's extradited we'll…"
Their conversation was interrupted when Alex found them. "There you all are" she huffed. "Christ. Next time you want a secret meeting could you do it closer to the main entrance?"
"Sorry" Nia blushed awkwardly, though in her defence she didn't intend this to become a meeting spot. But it did give the five of them privacy to talk.
"I was just assuring everyone that once Jake is extradited we can bring our case and put him away forever" Brainy explained.
Alex scowled awkwardly starting with "about that…"
They caught on immediately, bringing waves of frustrated sighs. "They won't do it?" James voiced.
"Lauren Haley says there isn't enough evidence to warrant extradition at this time" she relayed begrudgingly.
The other swore as Kara objected "not enough evidence? But what about the suit? The phone call! The confession?"
"Circumstantial and hearsay" she explained. "That and the fact your solar flare a week ago caused quite and international incident" she added, not to throw blame but to state how things stood.
"That outcome does complicate things" Brainy muttered to himself.
Kara turned back to her sister. "So what do we do?"
She stepped forward and grasped her sister. "We prove it" she said with determination. "We know for a fact Jake is the Reckoning. So we knuckle down and prove it. They want hard evidence? We've give them everything we can dig up. Brainy, how's the background check coming?" she asked her lieutenant.
"Still ongoing but should be ready soon" he reported.
"Good. Meantime we know all the players he's been working with. So we work backwards. One of them should have the goods we need."
"Don't be too sure" James warned. "Maxwell is dead, and he could've proven Jake made the suit."
"And I'm afraid Hank Henshaw is still presently out of commission after Supergirl's last conflict" Brainy reported. What he didn't say was Kara dealt him such a blow that the cyborg is inactive and comatose.
"Even if he was awake he wouldn't talk" Kara huffed. "And neither will his men."
"But there's one man we know directly tied to Jake who we don't have yet" Alex reminded them.
Nia's eyes widened. "The Blacksmith."
"We find him, he leads us to Jake" she nodded. "And take off a dangerous black market weapon smith while we're at it."
The others nodded enthusiastically until Kara suddenly thought "wait, if he is that knowledgeable about Jake, then he may also know what he knows about us." she looked at Jimmy and Nia, concern in her expression as she told them "Jake's after me. I don't believe he'd target any of you. But I don't want to risk…"
"I know what you're going to say" James interrupted her, standing tall proudly. "And it doesn't matter. We do this together. If the Blacksmith knows who the Guardian is, then he knows. It's not going to stop me helping you."
"Me neither" Nia concurred, putting her mask back on as a show of defiance as she smiled at Kara. "We're with you. Whatever happens?"
Kara never felt more empowered then being surrounded by her friends ready to fight by her side. She took a deep breath feeling more powerful by the second, nodding to Alex. "Okay then. Where do we start?"