"I really don't like this" Alex repeated anxiously as she paced the dark viewing room monitoring Jake's interrogation. Kara was also nervous as she stood beside her, mentally and emotionally preparing herself to enter the room with him. "It would be against protocol to let you go in alone" Alex told her, looking for anything that'll convince her against talking to him by herself.
"I have to" Kara said, not sure if she was convincing her sister or herself. "He might lower his guard with me. Or make a mistake."
"Or he could tell the camera who you really are" J'onn said, standing just behind her putting a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to do this" he told her.
Except Kara did. She needed to talk to him at some point. They needed to face each other. Maybe this isn't the best environment to have a frank discussion, but if she could face him now she could confront him later. She took a deep breath and looked around the room. All her friends were here ready to support her. It was comforting to know they had her back. With a determined nod Brainy led her to the door that would lead into the interview room. She only hesitated for a moment before steeling herself and signalling for him to open the door.
Jake looked up from the table expectantly when the door opened, lifting his head from his palm. But then he found Supergirl standing in the doorway his expression turned to surprise. Kara's eyes met his and she could tell he wasn't expecting her. She saw the glimmer of recognition but he didn't say anything as he watched her slowly walk up to the table and take a seat, the door clicking shut behind her.
Behind the mirror everyone watched with nervous anticipation as the two of them sat down together. A few of them couldn't keep still as they waited anxiously. Neither of them had said anything yet, just staring at each other. To Kara's credit she was composed, projected confidence, hid her anxiety perfectly. But her friends could see her tremor in her foot as she sat down, the tension in her fingers as they clasped in front of her, a small gulp she swallowed as she waited for him to say something. J'onn could sense the turbulent unease in the room he was standing in, her sister fidgeting with concern, Nia keeping faith, Lena watching Jake intently, Olsen a comforting presence, and Brainy compartmentalising his emotions to remain professional. It was a tense wait.
After a minute of silence Kara decided to break the suffocating silence between the two of them by simply saying "hi."
"Hi" Jake replied quietly, surprise still in his face. He glanced to the door she came through, asking "what happened to Director Danvers?"
Kara resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder and kept her gaze on him. "She's outside, checking your alibi" she lied. Jake nodded. He seemed to believe her and relaxed. "I'm sorry about your fiancé" she said, hoping she could jump to the chase so she didn't have to stay in this room any longer than she needed to.
She wasn't sure how she would feel once she sat down. She felt angry, that he lied and tried to kill her friends. She felt scared, knowing how dangerous he was now. But she also felt…sad? She understood losing someone you love can make someone vengeful, lash out and hurt others. She also felt guilty for the role she played in Sarah Kelly's death. But to her surprise, the main emotion she felt was upset. Betrayed. She really liked this man, more than she expected. To learn it was all a lie hurt. And the worst part is she stilled liked him on some level, maybe even loved him. But when she looked at him now, the man she loved and the man who set off that explosive trying to kill her and her sister were two different people. She couldn't reconcile them, her heart wouldn't accept it even after learning how he used her as an alibi for Maxwell's death, used Lena to get the kryptonite formula, a part of her still loved him. She didn't want to stay in this room for too long because she didn't what her to get any more confused than she felt.
Jake looked at her, his expression twitching as she mentioned his fiancé. "Sarah. Her name was Sarah" he said, lowering his gaze.
Kara watched the downcast look in his eyes as he crossed his arms, his face giving away how much he missed her. It looked genuine to her. Could that be the first honest thing he's given me? She wondered. "She died in the hospital five years ago" she continued, watching him carefully even when her voice startled to tremble. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save her" she said.
Jake lifted his gaze to her in surprise, his eyes staring at her intently. Kara held his gaze, her heart racing in her chest as she inhaled a sharp breath. Behind the mirror the others stiffened, wondering if this would get a reaction. He leant forward on the table, a hand reaching out, fingers curling out towards her. Kara forced herself to remain still, ready for whatever he might do. But she wasn't prepared for his glare suddenly softening as he placed that hand onto hers. "It's not your fault" he whispered.
Kara narrowed her eyes in surprise, glancing at the hand which wasn't gripping her but gently squeezing her. Just like how he would then they were together, a show of support, of comfort. She instinctively wanted to pull it away but she grit her teeth, looking back at the man opposite her asking "isn't it? I failed to save her?"
"It wasn't your fault" he said. "You couldn't save all of them. But you stopped that monster and saved everyone else. Sarah would've understood. She looked up to you." he smiled sadly. "She wouldn't have wanted me to hold a grudge. So if it helps…I forgive you."
Kara blinked in shock. You forgive me? She hadn't expected any of this. Was he telling the truth, or is this just another lie? I don't know what to believe she thought as she stared at the young man, looking at her with nothing but…compassion? She let out an exhale and sat back, gently pulling her hand away to compose herself. She glanced at the mirror, sensing the others just as bewildered behind the glass. She turned back to Jake. "I…don't know if I deserve it" she said honestly.
He released a breath and nodded. "I know the feeling. I blamed myself for five years" he explained, rubbing the engagement ring on his finger. Kara looked at it and recalled the first argument she and Jake had over that thing. "I kept thinking, if I was only a few seconds faster, a bit stronger, I might've been able to get to her, to pull her out of that rubble in time. But I couldn't. Five years grieving her. Five years running from what happened. And then I met someone" he said, leaning against the table choosing not to look at Supergirl. "Someone who for a moment I thought might fill the void. But I couldn't let go, couldn't let go of her" he said staring at his ring finger. "It was good, what we had, until I messed it all up" he muttered. "Now I don't know what I'm going to do."
Kara looked at the sullen young man and realised it was she he was talking about. Their relationship, the first one he'd been in since his fiancé died. She thought back to the first time they met, the first date, the first kiss…it was good, wasn't it she thought sadly.
Jake finally sighed, putting his hands down and lifting his gaze back to the room he was in. his eyes settled back onto her. "Why are you here Supergirl?" he asked at last, narrowing her eyes in confusion.
Kara blinked, snapping back to the task at hand. "I'll helping Al…Director Danvers with her investigation" she told him.
"You've got to believe me, I didn't do it" he said to her. "I don't know why they think I had anything to do with all of this. The things they say I'm supposed to be guilty of… please, you have to find out who is behind it all?" he begged, pleading with her.
Kara stared at his expression. It was so convincing. Too convincing. It had her second guessing herself, what she believed, what she knew. "I…I'm trying" she stammered, doubt slipping into her thoughts as she listened to his heartbeat, trying to figure out if he was lying. It was steady, thudding in her ears as she stared into those eyes, those eyes that once made her smile so warmly…
She jumped at the sound of rapping at the window, jostling in her seat to look back, using her x-ray vision to see Alex signalling for her to leave immediately. She took a breath and composed herself. "I have to go" she said, standing up from her chair rather abruptly. Jake didn't say anything as she moved quickly to the door and opened it, his eyes following her as she stepped outside slamming the door shut behind her. She leant against the frame and exhaled, her chest loosening all the tension she didn't realise she was holding.
The group filed out of the neighbouring room to check on her. All except Alex who was following Brainy a few steps away into the lobby. "Are you okay?" Olsen asked Kara quietly. She nodded wordlessly, walking forward to put as much distance between her and the interview room and her fresh doubts.
She managed to reach the war table before a voice cut through the room turning her attention to Colonel Haley strode purposely towards her. Alex and Brainy moved to intercept her but she stopped them with a stern glare. "In case nobody informed you, it's against protocol for any civilian parties to interview suspects in our custody without a supervisor present in the room" she said, coming up to address the blonde woman. "I don't care if said civilian parties wear costumes, those are the rules."
"It was my idea Colonel" Alex said, stepping in between Supergirl and Haley to explain "given the clear hostility we believe Mr White has towards Supergirl, I thought it would prove a strategic test to throw him off and maybe make a mistake."
Haley turned her gaze to the redhead coldly. "It's still against protocol" she said. Alex nodded, understanding the break in procedure. The large woman grumbled, turning back to Kara. "Did you say anything to you at least? Did he make a confession?"
Kara begrudgingly shook her head. "No, he didn't. He still claims he's innocent" she replied.
"Well that's fortunate" she sighed. "Because any confession given to a civilian without supervision would've been rendered inadmissible in court, or so my legal department tells me when I requested a duty lawyer."
"A lawyer? For…for him?" Alex squeaked. "Why would you…"
"Because, director, he asked for one" she snapped, turning her attention to Alex. "I've been monitoring your interrogation and have noted at least three occasions when he requested a legal representative. But I'm more concerned with the fact his requests have been silently and dutifully ignored" she snarled, leaning closer to her director. Alex lowered her gaze, realising she knew she lied. "A duty lawyer has been requested and is on his way. Until then, I'm ordering that nobody should be allowed to talk to the suspect."
Alex's eyes widened as she pleaded "but Ma'am, if we can't talk to the suspect how we can…"
"You've had hours to talk to him Director" Haley snapped. "And in that time have you any evidence to back up the accusations we've put to him? Can you prove he murdered Maxwell Davies? Can you prove he set off the bomb that injured Captain Sawyer? Can you even prove he is the individual calling himself the Reckoning?" she asked.
Alex looked at the group, at Brainy, but in the end she had to reluctantly lower her head.
Haley sighed. "No more interviews" she said, turning on her heel to march away leaving Alex to grumble.
In her place, Eliza Danvers arrived to check on her family. She arrived in time to see the crestfallen expression on her eldest's face and the shaken look in her adopted daughter's eyes. "What's happened?" she asked approaching them.
Alex turned and saw Eliza was here, instantly pulling her aside asking "mom, what are you doing here?"
"I heard you arrested the man you were looking for" she explained plainly. She looked her daughter in the eyes asking "what's wrong?"
"Nothing, we're just…you shouldn't be here" she said.
Eliza scoffed firmly. "I go where my children need me."
Alex shook her head, looking at the hallway Jake was waiting in. she was fuming on the inside, angry at herself and at him. "I'm fine, I don't need you right now" she said, pushing past her mother to get some time to herself.
Eliza watched her stubborn daughter storm off, sighing heavily before turning to look at the others either huddled around Kara or climbing into a computer chair to look for the evidence Colonel Haley requested. She walked up to her youngest and gave her a concerned look. Kara didn't need to say anything, simply pulled away from her friends embrace to take Eliza by the hands. She could see clearly the Girl of Steel wanted to talk.
"It was so bizarre" Kara explained, leaning against the balcony overlooking the city with Eliza standing beside her. "Even knowing everything he'd done, knowing who he is and how much he'd lied to me, a part of me wanted to believe him. How messed up is that?"
Eliza sighed sadly, leaning against the marble banister telling her "it's not that hard to believe. Love is a complicated thing."
"What? No, this isn't…" Kara objected, until she caught Eliza's look. Her objection crumbled as she hesitantly admitted "I don't know what we had. But that's over. It was a lie. It…"
"It still happened" Eliza said. "You still liked him and he broke your heart." She watched Kara groan, feeling such a pang of sadness for her. "Sometimes what our heads tell us and our hearts want don't align, and it can be difficult to know what to do."
"He tried to kill Alex" Kara said. "He killed so many people, hurt so many…I don't want him to hurt anyone else."
"And he won't" she promised. "Nobody at the DEO will let that happen now he's here."
"That's the thing, why is he here?" Kara asked, turning around to look at her. "After seeing how much planning he's taken into learning who I am, how to hurt me and working with all these villains, setting up alibis to everything he's done, why would he come back like this? He booked a flight with his own name, landed at an airport he could be identified at. When Alex went to arrest him he didn't give any resistance. It's like he let himself get arrested."
"You think this is a scheme?" Eliza asked. "Why would he let himself be detained here?" she considered it and saw Kara's reasoning. "If he's as resourceful and clever as we think he is, why would he want to be here?"
"I don't know" she shrugged. "I don't know much of anything anymore. Maybe he just made a mistake? Or maybe I'm overanalysing" she said, wiping her face feeling tired. Jake's been making her second guess everything since he got here. He hasn't given away anything that suggests he's plotting something. But he's also too calm, too prepared, running circles around them. "We don't have enough to hold him" she said. "I'm worried they'll have to let him go."
"They won't" she said, confident in telling her "I know my daughter, and I know J'onn. If anyone can make sure Jake White pays for his crimes, they will."
Kara looked at her determined face and smiled. Brainy was currently working on proving he stole the kryptonite from Lena's office. He's confident that they can charge him with theft, which will take him off the streets and prevent him from doing any more harm to her or their friends. But she couldn't shake the feeling there was a reason he chose now to come back. "I should go check on the others" she said, pushing away from the banister to walk back into the lobby.
Eliza watched Supergirl walk away, hiding the worried look on her face as she considered the same question. Why now? Was it because he had plans? Or was it because of what she tried to do? Eliza looked out over the city and swallowed whatever doubt or element of shame for trying to kill him to protect her family.
While Kara and Eliza were talking on the balcony, Alex was sitting in her office with her head in her hands. She was thinking, of everything the Reckoning had done to her sister, to their friends and to her. She was thinking about Jake and how she never trusted him to begin with. She was thinking about the investigation falling apart around her. James was right, he was convincing. Worse, he had the evidence to back it up. Nothing directly tied Jake to the Reckoning, she couldn't place him at any of her crime scenes, couldn't prove a fucking thing! She felt the fury rise in her chest and lashed out at the desk ornaments, the computer and pencil holder thrown from her desk clattering against the floor as she stood up angrily.
"He tasks me" her old English teacher read, a memory of the time he read Moby Dick to the class for an assignment. "He tasks me; he heaps me; I see him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principal, I will wreak that hate upon him."
Jake was taunting them. Taunting her, she was sure of it. That's why he let himself be arrested; because he knew they didn't have enough to charge him and make it stick. He tasks me! Alex pictured his smug face across that interview table, the sneering smile. Maybe he didn't show it, but he was. He was smiling at her, laughing behind that mask he wears. He knew sooner or later he would be free, free to seek revenge against her sister, her family, and her friends. He's taunting her, playing with her, playing the legal system and their protocols to get away with it all. He tasks me!
He tasks me, and I shall have him!
Alex stormed out of her office and crossed the upper level, her eyes fixed forward not addressing any of her agents as she marched by. She tracked a path to a set of stairs and dropped down to the lower level.
I'll chase him around the moons of Nibis and around the Antaren Maelstrom and around Perdition's flames before I give him up!
She walked down the corridor and found a young man stationed outside the interview room, as protocol demanded. The man saw the Director coming and straighten his posture offering a salute. "You're dismissed" she said, standing in front of the young man guarding the door. When the man attempted to argue she barked more aggressively "You are dismissed!" The man, fear in his eyes, backed away and retreated down the hall obeying the order.
He tasks me! He tasks me and I shall have him.
Alex fixed a cold glare on the door, drawing a sharp breath before stepping forward and into the interview room.
Jake turned to see Director Danvers entering alone, the young man briefly stretching his legs in the far corner. "More questions?" he asked, looking at Alex's cold glare prompting him to return to the table. "I've got nothing more to say without my lawyer" he told her, slumping back into the chair while she silently turned around and shut the door.
"I will wreck that hate upon him" she mumbled under her breath before locking the door.