A new day dawned over National City, giving everyone what felt like a breath of relief. After the terrifying events the day before citizens looked forward to a period of relative peace. However, there were still lingering issues that needed to resolve themselves.
James Olsen walked down the stairs of his home and found his sister already up and pouring herself a cup of coffee as she stood by the toaster. "When did you get in last night?" she asked him.
He groaned, rubbing his forehead as she slumped into a chair accepting the drink she offered him. "Late" he admitted. He wasn't hungover, none of them drunk enough for that last night. But the buzz still lingered and he felt the exhaustion. If he hadn't needed to go into work he wouldn't have gotten out of bed this early. "I didn't wake you did I?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "I was out the moment my head hit the pillow" she told him.
He looked at her over the rim of his cup as she buttered her toast. "You could've come with me last night" he told her.
She wavered briefly in her breakfast preparation before releasing an exhale and shaking her head. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet" she muttered, sitting down next to him. He didn't press her further. They both knew who she was avoiding. No doubt Alex was avoiding her too. She changed the subject by turning in her seat to face him. "So are we going to talk about it?" she asked.
"Talk about what?" he asked her. He didn't turn his head to look at her, able to feel her narrow eyes boring into his skull. Now it was his turn to hesitate. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that conversation. "There's nothing to talk about" he said.
"I beg to differ" Kelly replied. They had started the conversation yesterday when she revealed she knew, but Olsen was still cagey with her. She knew he was holding something back. "Look…I get it. You doing this, I understand why. But James, I can't pretend I'm okay with all of this. I hate the idea of you putting yourself in harm's way…"
"I know" he interrupted, closing his eyes and sighing. "I never wanted any of you to worry" he told her, turning in his chair to look at his little sister. "But I can't not go out there if I can help people."
She nodded. She knew her brother too well. "You don't need a suit of armour or costume to help people" she repeated, the same thing she told him yesterday. They worked well together helping those protestors and they didn't need to wear a mask.
"Maybe not" he agreed. "But have the costume kept you all safe" he explained. But then his expression soured as he turned back to his coffee. "Or at least it did" he muttered.
Kelly leaned in, seeing his demeanour change asking "what's wrong?"
James exhaled heavily. He knew he shouldn't, but Kelly deserved to be warned. "Someone knows" he told her. "A guy I got to know, I thought I knew. It turned out he was after Supergirl, has a personal vendetta. We found out he knows about her, and her friends. He knows who she is, who they are…who I am. He may even know about you and our family" he said, looking at her worried.
To her credit, Kelly managed to stay composed despite being informed she was very much at risk now. "Is he dangerous?" she asked. He nodded. She took a slow breath, thinking about it. "That's why you didn't want me visiting right now" she guessed.
"I thought if I kept you away, stayed away from the family, I could keep his attention from you" he said. "It's not us he's interested in, but all the same I didn't want to take chances." He turned back to look at Kelly in the eyes. "I am always glad to see you, and you know how much I'd love to have you here. But right now, I have to at least ask you to go back home. I'll let you know when it's safe and Alex can get a security team to watch you and the family until this is over."
"And what am I supposed to tell them?" she asked, concern etched across her face. "That you can't come home because you're in danger? I can't just leave you here hoping it'll be alright!"
"What other option is there?" he asked her.
She turned away, controlling her breathing, predicting his answer before giving him her suggestion. "You could come back with me. If the danger is here then you don't need to be here."
He stared at her alarmed and resistant, exactly as she predicted. "I can't just leave them" he said quietly.
"They can take care of themselves" she told him. "I know you don't want to consider it, but consider it anyway. What if this person you mentioned does decided to come after you because of your connection to Supergirl? I'm sorry if I'm being selfish, but if it's a question of leaving you in danger or keeping you safe then I'd rather be the bad guy and bring you home. I don't want to lose another member of my family" she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
James didn't know what to say, or think. He couldn't just abandon Kara right now. But if they had the option he knew they'd insist he take Kelly up on her offer for his safety. He could manage Cacto from home, take a leave of absence, it was possible. But could he live with himself if he did. "I don't know" he said, conflicted as he stared into his coffee cup for answers.
Kelly wiped her eyes and returned to her breakfast. "I came here to be with you James" she said after a silent pause. "So if you're staying, I'm staying. And that's all there is too it" she told him.
He released a sigh. He expected nothing less from his sister. Which meant he had to at least consider her proposal.
Nia stood in front of her wardrobe staring at the blue and silver costume hanging up on the door. She had been staring at it for almost an hour now after tossing and turning all night. She had barely slept, which was a novel concept for the narcoleptic young woman. She couldn't explain why she was restless. Maybe it was PTSD from her fight with the Children of Liberty. Or maybe it was the revelation that she wasn't just a sidekick for Supergirl anymore. She was growing out of her mentor's shadow, evolving into her own. That thought seemed to terrify her. In her hand she held the glistening pin Olsen gave her, once belonged to Dorian. The Octurian had confessed to her Dreamer inspired them to be bolder and change the world. She was an inspiration to many people now. It was overwhelming. She'd only become a superhero a few years ago. How could she have become so inspiring in all that time?
"Trouble sleeping?" her boyfriend deduced as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled, nodding to him as she leant against his slim but toned body. He was dressed in his uniform, which was more than she could say as she stood in her pyjamas. "Anything I can help with?"
"I don't think so" she said sadly. Whatever was bothering her she needed to sort out herself? But she did turn and ask the twenty-fifth century superhero "how big an impact did I make in your future?"
"Big enough to make the history books" she answered plainly and vaguely. He knew better than to divulge too much information about her future, and usually she was smart enough not to ask him. But her question made him curious. "Is this about Dorian?"
"And yesterday" she said, looking at the pin. "Everyone keeps telling me how much Dreamer means to this city, to its people. You told me I was meant for…amazing things. But it doesn't feel like I deserve it. It doesn't sound like me. Does that make sense?"
"Completely" he nodded, stepping around to look at her directly, measuring his words carefully. "Your future…it is written about in my time. But there is little that talks about who our heroes are as people. When we met, I didn't know any more about other than your name, who you were and what you would become. I didn't know your favourite ice-cream, how you dealt with being born the way you were, how you became a reporter, what type of movies you liked or how much it hurt you to see people suffer the way you have all your life. I came to realise, while you are discovering more about your future I'm also discovering more about your past. And every day, I am…delightfully surprised" he told her. "Because you defy everything I thought I knew and learnt from those history books."
"Are you trying to say my future isn't set, or something?"
"I'm saying, just because we think we know how our future will go, it doesn't mean we know what path the journey will take us" he told her. "You think this future doesn't belong to you because you don't feel ready? I submit that very few of us are ever ready to understand the scope of what we are capable of, or how far our influence will travel. But I do know that you are an inspiration to many of us, just be being who you are."
"And who is that? Dreamer, the icon of hope?" she asked sarcastically.
Brainy smiled, taking the pin gently from her grasp. "Nia Nal, the Dreamer" he answered, taking the pin to her costume and attaching it to the stitching. Nia looked at it, place right above where her heart would be, the silver D catching the rising sunlight through the window. It seemed appropriate. "You inspire others, and they inspire us" Brainy muttered, looking to her for approval.
She smiled. It looked good. Now Dorian's memory would be with her always. She looked over at Brainy asking if he was going to work. "I thought I'd get an early start" he nodded, walking though the apartment gathering his stuff. He paused halfway to look back at Nia who was watching him silently. "Unless you wish for me to stay" he said.
"No, that okay" she said, a yawn escaping her lips. "I think I'll call in sick and go back to bed" she smirked. Brainy nodded, resuming his preparations. She walked up to him, catching him before he moved for the exit. "Thank you for asking" she said, kissing him on the lips. He nodded, giving her an affectionate kiss before reluctantly leaving her apartment to go to work. She watched him leave, stifling another yawn before turning around and walking back to her bedroom now that sleep had caught up with her.
Alex got into the hospital ward just as visiting hours opened up, knocking on the door to Maggie Sawyer's room finding the young woman in bed with a male nurse picking up her half eaten breakfast. She nodded politely to the friendly young man as he left them too it, holding up a folder she'd picked up from the precinct. "I was told you requested these from your station" she said as she passed them to the woman.
"Yes, I did" she nodded, eagerly opening the folder and rifling through the casework. She smiled at Alex. "Thanks for bringing them Director."
"I was on my way anyway" she smiled, leaning against the foot of the bed as she scanned the young woman with her eyes. She seemed to be recovering quickly now she was out of her coma. "Miranda Oakridge has been charged, conspiracy to murder and inciting violent acts of terror" she reported. "She'll get a bail hearing by the end of the week but nobody's holding their breath. The last of her little mob has been rounded up. Most of them are taking plea deals against her. Everyone except Samuel, her driver. He refuses to cooperate. He's getting the murder charge."
"Thank god" Maggie sighed in relief. "That means we can put this whole thing to bed and focus on other priorities" she grinned, spreading out the reports and documents she requested.
Alex had a quick scan at the papers before she brought them in. the cases revolved around the Blacksmith, which was still at large, and the weapons being distributed. Neither Miranda nor her lackeys had anything helpful in regards to his whereabouts, only a few locations they did business. The DEO, FBI and NCPD were already chasing leads, but none of them were optimistic. Alex had hoped nailing the Sentinel of Liberty would bring that weapon smith gift-wrapped, which would help them in their other priority case. Which was the other thing Maggie had reports on, and why Alex had come to talk with her first thing. She checked outside the room before closing the door and turning the lock. Maggie looked up hearing the door click shut and watched Alex's nervous expression as she returned to the bed. "I wondered if we could talk, now that you're awake" she said.
Maggie put her papers down and sat back against the headrest. She knew this conversation was coming sooner or later. "I get why you didn't say anything" she started with, explaining she understood the need for secrecy. In their line of work, secrets were par for the course. But when she saw the wall in Jake White's apartment and realised just what secrets her one time ex and on and off co-worker was keeping, she understood the extent Alex had gone to keep her family safe. For a moment she was disappointed she hadn't been let in herself, their relationship not reaching that extent, but she understood. She couldn't be sure she'd have handled it any differently if she was in her shoes. "I understand why you didn't feel the need to tell me" she told the redhead.
Alex sighed. It occurred to her how long she'd been lying to this woman, their entire working and personal relationship. "I didn't want to keep you in the dark, but…"
"Its fine, I get it. We were never going to work even if I knew or not" she chuckled. "But I do want to assure you I won't tell anyone" she told her. "I already handed in my report of the bombing and left out the details of the evidence that was destroyed. As far as the brass or my team were concerned, we never saw what was on the wall."
"What about your team?" Alex asked, the thought occurring to her she wasn't the only one to see the evidence.
"I already talked with them. Those who survived have foggy memories. I got lucky and ordered them out before they even considered looking at the wall. I'm the only one who knows, and I'll never tell" she promised.
Alex let out a breath of relief. "Thank you" she said.
But Maggie wasn't so relieved. "I have to warn you though…I'm not about to break the law over this. Sooner or later there will be a conflict of interest. If I have to choose between upholding the law and keeping your secrets…I can't guarantee which way it'll go" she warned.
Alex nodded in understanding. "I promise you, it'll never come to that" she replied.
Maggie nodded, a smile rising on her face. They shifted awkwardly now that difficult conversation was over. "Okay then, what say we put our heads together and you tell me how we're going to catch the son of a bitch who blew me up" Maggie suggested. Alex was happy to oblige, filling her in on the investigation to date.
Nia climbed back into bed, her eyelids becoming heavy the deeper into her covers she crawled. The moment her head hit the pillow she drifted into the welcome slumber. After the chaos of the last few weeks and the terror she fought to purge the city of once and for all, the human/Naltorian hybrid deserved a few hours of dreamless, uninterrupted sleep.
Unfortunately the young woman woke up under an hour later to the smell of smoke and the sound of Kara weeping as the red devil's laugh echoed in her ears for the first time in weeks.
Brainy did his rounds checking in the security of the DEO systems when he got a notification on his screen. He opened it and read the report. What he informed he took him by surprise. "Has this been verified?" he asked his fellow analysts, who each got the notification and nodded affirmative. He leapt out of his chair and double checked the report and it's validate. It didn't make sense, it was illogical, but nonetheless it was there. "Inform Director Danvers" he ordered, rushing to investigate the lead while his phone buzzed on his desk. Nia's number rang him and went unanswered, the Coluan too preoccupied to answer her call as she followed up with a series of frantic texts informing him of the nightmare she just had.
Alex's phone vibrated, interrupting her talk with Captain Sawyer abruptly. She apologised to the woman and stood up to answer it. "This is Director Danvers" she said acknowledging the caller. Her expression narrowed almost instantly, drawing Maggie's attention as it grew taunt. "When?" Alex asked, her pulse quickening as she became agitated. "Where?" she demanded.
The airport was bustling this morning as passengers disembarked the early morning flights from all over. Tourists and business men rushed back and forth towards customs, their voices carrying over the clean and organised facility as more leisurely fliers waited for their groups or friends to catch up. At the customs desk the young woman greeted everyone with a welcoming smile. She was just starting her shift and had been at the airport for five months and never lost her enthusiasm. She had bleached curly blonde hair, her uniform snugly wrapping around her plump figure and she wore plenty of makeup. She checked passenger's passports, welcomed them to the United States and helped them on their way. Until now she never met a situation that made her nervous.
She looked up from her desk and watched her next customer approach with his suitcase wheeled behind him, the bag the right size for the overhead luggage. "Welcome to National City" she said as he stepped up to the desk, slinging the separate satchel over his shoulder as he pulled out his passport from his inside jacket pocket. The young man met her smile his as he helpfully passed his documents to her. "You here for business of pleasure?" the attendant asked, flashing a friendly glance at him as she scanned his ID. If she had one flaw at this job, it'd be the occasional flirtation she adopted whenever a good looking man crossed her desk.
"Business mainly" the man replied before flashing her a charming smile. "But I hope to get a little pleasure out of this trip" he whispered to her.
She blushed behind the glass as she double checked the right data on her computer. Her face froze when her screen suddenly flashed an alert next to the man's name. she recalled this procedure during training; if a document was flagged like this it meant the ID was subject to a watch list and she was to give no indications to the passenger that may alert them while she alerted security and awaited a response either through her headpiece or until guards could escort the passenger away. She had never had to conduct this exercise before so for a brief moment the woman panicked.
"Is everything okay?" the young man asked, snapping her gaze to him. He looked polite, noting her concern. He seemed to want to help.
She gave him a professional smile, replying calmly "nothing to worry about. The computers just a little slow today" she lied, sneaking her hand out of sight to press the button under her desk that would alert security. The man waited patiently, adjusting his jacket as he scanned the airport while she kept her eyes on him, wondering why this man had an alert placed on his documents. After a minute she got a buzz through her headpiece, keeping her expression neutral as she listened to her instructions. They told her to give the passport back to him and wave him through. She silently nodded and gathered up his documents, giving him another smile saying "I hope you enjoy your stay" through nervous rattling teeth.
The young man didn't notice as he took the passport and paperwork, thanking her as the barrier opened and he walked past her desk into the lobby. She released a nervous breath when he was gone, looking up to see the security guards tracking him silently as he walked through the airport. She pushed the tension through her mind, returning to her duties with a little less enthusiasm.
Security monitored their visitor as he walked straight to the conveyer belt to grab his luggage. They stayed on the edge of the crowds, watching through the cameras as more surveyed him on the ground. The man periodically scanned the airport, admiring the engraving and pictures decorating the walls while he waited for his bags to arrive. The security seemed to go unnoticed all this time. If he did see them, he didn't think anything off it. He picked up his bags and pulled them on their small wheels towards the main exit, picking up a brochure on his way examining it while he walked, weaving easily between the thinning crowds. Security followed at a safe distance. They were under orders to wait for the FBI to get into position. Their only job was to keep him in the airport. The man made it easier by pausing in the middle of the terminal, reading the leaflet for restaurants while he looked around the large space. After a few minutes he folded the leaflet away and picked up his bags, moving towards the door.
The front doors suddenly flung open as a squad of heavily armed officers stormed into the terminal, their weapons raised pointed at the young man. "GET ON THE GROUND! HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!" they shouted, barking orders for the civilians to either scatter or get down. Around the terminal more officers sprinted in from the exits and corridors, joined by security guards backing them up with their sidearm. People screamed in panic as police and security swarmed the airport in a hurry, surrounding the young man they'd been monitoring who dropped his bags and raised his hands, dropping to his knees obeying the officers orders. They continued to bark at him even as they advanced, ordering him to interlock his fingers and not to move. The swat team took his bags cautiously as they aimed their rifles and handguns, the leader whipping around his back to grab his wrists and handcuff the man.
The man didn't say a word as he was handcuffed, his gazed fixed on the ground until he saw a pair of boots storm towards him through the swat team. He looked up and observed the red haired woman marching towards him with her sidearm poised and pointing at his head, her finger hovering over the trigger as if daring him to make her shoot. He said nothing as Alex Danvers fixed her cold glare on him and hissed in a confident sneer "Jake White, you are under arrest!"