Kara was rushed to L-Corp as fast as possible. Lena was ready for them when she was wheeled in, a lab prepped with red solar lamps so she could extract the bullets. She dug one out of her leg and the main one from her gut, both radioactive metals humming as she dropped them into a lead container. She thanked the stint of medical training she took as she switched the red lamps for yellow sun rays, stitching the wounds lightly leaving the rest to the kryptonian's healing factor. She stayed by her side the rest of the night to monitor her. The others were advised to go home, but they refused to leave until she woke up.
Fortunately it only took Kara a few hours to open her eyes. Her pale skin steadily returned to normal as colour returned, the veins under her skin fading out from the sickly green infection. She exhaled uncomfortably when she shifted her aching muscles, the bandages around her stomach and shoulder very tight and restrictive. She found all her friends and family around her waiting for her to wake up; Lena hovering over her to check her eyes and vitals, Alex at her bedside, Eliza and J'onn standing a few feet back, Brainy sitting on the bed next to hers and Nia standing in her costume beside him. Kara almost asked after Olsen before remembering why he couldn't be here. "How long this time?" she asked with a groan.
"Not long. The sun has started to rise" Lena told her, checking her watch confirming it was morning. She was satisfied with her recovery progress, noting "if it helps, I think your tolerance is improving with every exposure."
Supergirl wasn't in the mood for her jokes. "I'm really getting sick of all this kryptonite" she complained. Lena tried not to blame herself for the fact the blueprints are out there, but she averted her gaze nonetheless. Kara turned her head to look at Alex, asking her "where's Bloodsport?"
"He's in custody" she replied happily. "NCPD arrested him immediately. He's been remanded to Iron Heights. He isn't getting out." She stepped forward and took Kara's hand. "I'm glad you're okay. I was worried."
"I was too" she confessed. "I didn't see it coming."
"None of us did. Well, almost none of us" she said, looking up to Dreamer who was uncomfortably quiet. She was back in her original costume, a few scrapes on her face from her fight with DuBois. "She warned us about DuBois. I tried to call, but…"
"I remember" Kara nodding, pushing herself up on the bed wave Nia over. She stepped forward hesitantly, taking Kara's hand as she thanked her. "I wouldn't have survived if you hadn't been there. I have to ask though…I might've been hallucinating but were you flying?"
Nia broke into a chuckle as she glanced over her shoulder to her boyfriend. "Brainy leant me his ring. It was the only way I could get to you in time."
"We all tried to help" J'onn said apologetically, feeling sorry for himself being too injured to help.
Kara nodding. She appreciated the concern. "It was really cool" she told Dreamer. "And the new suit looked great" she added. "What was that? Something Lena made for you?"
Nia paused uncomfortably as she glanced around the room. The others all hesitated as they looked between each other. Eliza was the only one out of the loop as they cleared their throats. "Um…" Nia stammered until Lena interrupted "sure. I was…tinkering with the design. Brainy helped, having helped design the original. I just built upon it."
Brainy nodded, following along flawlessly. "Yes, we were able to improve the energy stabilisation and interject kinetic weaving into the fabric, combining elements from numerous source to craft something light, dynamic and efficient."
Kara's expression indicated she was struggling to follow most of what he was saying, nodding along blankly. "Wow, that's…awesome" she shrugged. "Whatever you did, it worked amazingly."
They nodded in agreement. But Nia couldn't do it. She couldn't allow the lie. "No, it's…I'm sorry" she said, looking at them both silently thanking them and apologising to them. "They didn't make the suit for me" she told her mentor, hesitantly pausing before explaining "the Blacksmith did. Jake came to see me, to warn me about Robert DuBois coming after you. He gave me the suit."
Kara's expression froze as she looked at Nia. For a moment she hoped she was joking. But when she realised she wasn't she pulled her hand away, backing up against the pillows. "Jake? Why…why would he do that?" she asked, her voice quieter and alarmed.
Nia shrugged, cautiously explaining "he said he and Bloodsport were…they weren't on the same page. He didn't want you to be killed, or not yet…I don't know. We figured he couldn't stop him himself so he came to us. Lena checked the suit and there was nothing wrong with it. I didn't want to us it but…I couldn't let anything happen to you." Nia stopped, seeing Kara's expression change to shock and confusion as her gaze seemed to drift from her to somewhere in the distance. "Are you mad?" she asked nervously.
Kara wasn't sure what she was feeling. She wasn't thinking great right now either. Maybe it was the aftershock of the kryptonite, but her head was spinning. Why would Jake risk helping her friends to save me? There has to be a reason? Is this part of his plan? She looked to the others, noting they were all avoiding her gaze. "You knew about this?"
"Dreamer called us" J'onn told her calmly. "She was worried, we all were."
"We weren't sure if we should believe him" Alex said.
"But in the end we concluded the risk was too great" Brainy answered. "If the threat was real, action needed to be taken. We didn't anticipate an attack so soon."
Kara shook her head, her thoughts struggling to keep up. "Why? Why would Jake do this?"
"We don't know" Alex said. "But we'll figure it out. Maggie is going to talk to DuBois first thing. If he and Jake are at odds like he claims, he might be inclined to talk to us. Especially if he finds out he gave us the heads up."
"It's a longshot, but if DuBois talks it'll build a strong case against Jake and connect him to the Reckoning" J'onn agreed.
Eliza seemed to light up at that thought. "Good. And with the confession Kara acquired we can put him behind bars and get James out of prison" she smiled.
The others all suddenly stopped and turned to look at her. Particularly Alex who also turned to Kara. "What confession?" she asked.
Eliza's eyes narrowed, looking at Kara. She had assumed she'd talked to her about it by now. Kara's eye widened, having completely forgotten about it. Her hands reach for the pocket to her skirt, until she realised she wasn't wearing her costumed any longer and was in a hospital gown. Her head spun looking for her suit, stammering wildly "the tape! My costume!"
The others stared at her in confusion while Lena turned and hurriedly collected her red and blue costume from the side when she'd placed it. She brought it over and watched Kara scramble through the fabric searching for the pocket she was looking for. "What tape?" Alex asked while she was searching.
"Kara got a recording of her conversation with Jake earlier today" Eliza explained, which didn't make her daughter any less curious.
"What? When did you talk to him?"
"It just happened" Kara said, digging through the costume so frantically she almost tore it apart.
"She got him to confess to framing Olsen" Eliza continued. "Among other things, including working with the Blacksmith."
"You heard this tape?" J'onn asked her. She nodded.
Alex spun around to stare at her sister. "Why didn't you say anything?" she screamed. It was damning evidence.
Or rather was as Kara finally found what remained of it. Her heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she yanked the tape out of her pocket, the pieces falling across the bedsheets as the tape itself was tangled and torn. She held it up in her hands and released a hollow whimper, slumping back onto the bed. It must've been destroyed when she fell onto the ground during DuBois's ambush. "It doesn't matter now" she muttered.
Everyone stared at the remains in shock, followed by disappointment. Nia took the tape and asked Brainy if they could fix it. He took a single glance and shook his head, telling her any information on it would've been corrupted if not destroyed. Eliza came over and put a comforting hand on Kara's shoulder. "I'm sorry dear" she whispered.
"I should've done what you said and brought it to Alex" she said, thinking about Olsen and how she had failed him now. She looked at Alex, quietly explaining how the tape would've proved his innocence but also revealed all their identities and secrets in the process.
Alex sighed, patting her sister's hand telling her "we'll figure something out. We've still got DuBois. So there's still hope." everyone nodded. Hope was all they had now.
DuBois was just as intimidating in handcuffs as he was with a gun. His suit had been confiscated along with his weapons. He was transferred to Iron Heights pending his indictment. He was charged with over a dozen counts of murder, attempted murder and criminal conspiracy and was forecast to be sent all the way to Belle Reve for many lifetimes. Before he would leave however, Maggie Sawyer was determined to get as much as she could from the black man while he was in custody.
She made the appointment for first thing in the morning, driving down to the prison meeting the Warden. She got an update from Alex along the way, receiving the details about Jake's visit to Dreamer tipping the hero off to Bloodsport's activities. She was optimistic he might change his mind about cooperating. She had questioned him last night before he was remanded into custody, but he refused to talk. Stubbornly so. So she arrived early and set up in visitors room with a dozen armed security guards at the tall mercenary was led in to see her.
DuBois towered over the Latina woman for a moment before he was prompted to take a seat by his two escorts. They were all aware neither of them would be strong enough to force the man to do anything but he sat nonetheless. He allowed them to handcuff him to the table, staring coldly at the police captain the whole time. She held his gaze firmly until the guards stepped away, opening her file and pulling out a photograph. "I know you're the strong silent type" she said to him, jumping straight to the chase. She didn't know how long she'd get before the FBI or Interpol would interrupt, so she wanted to be quick. "You're looking at five life sentences for you crimes in this city alone and I don't have any authority or interest in making your prison sentence more comfortable. Today, all I'm interested in is him" she said, placing the photograph of the Reckoning from a security camera on the table in front of him."
DuBois barely glanced at it before shrugging. "Last I heard you caught that guy" he replied.
Maggie leaned in closer. "We both know James Olsen was set up. We also know he hired you to get Henry Irons out of the country. But that was before he turned around and killed Irons instead after you failed."
"I got paid. It happens" he shrugged.
"Does it? How often do your clients also set you up to fall?" she asked. He didn't give anything away as she explained "your client, associate, whatever you call him, he's the reason you were caught today. You gave you up to protect his interests. So are you sure there isn't a part of you that is a little insulted by that? Why protect a man who might try and kill you next? He's not worth your loyalty."
DuBois leaned over the table, his face drifting closer to Maggie's. "What exactly are you trying to offer?"
She glanced at the guards around her before shuffling closer, lowering her voice. "I want him. I want the Reckoning, the real Reckoning. I want his name. I want everything you have, on record. I'm offering you the chance to pay him back for putting you in here. I want him off the streets permanently."
DuBois sat back, staring at the captain as she waited expectantly. She made a good point. He owed the man nothing. But he didn't gave away how much it stung to know he was betrayed, but he wasn't surprised. They sat in silence for an agonising minute until the Warden interrupted, informing the captain "the FBI are here. They want to talk to you."
She cursed under her breath, looking to DuBois hoping he'd made his decision. He appeared to have done so as he turned up his nose at her. She gathered up her file and stood up to join the Warden, walking past him briskly preparing to argue with the FBI about jurisdiction and procedure.
DuBois watched her leave with a smug smile and followed his guard's prompts to stand up and walk back the way they came. He was led into the cell block where a hundred inmates cheered and shouted at him. Some hollered trying to intimidate him. Most knew who he was and nodded in respect. He followed his captives orders back to his cell in a secluded corner, a tiny window opposite the bars too small for him to climb through. He waited at the gate as the guards called for the door to slide open, stepping inside and letting it close behind him before putting his hands through the bars. They un-cuffed him, told him to get comfortable and left the man to get acquainted with his room.
He was alone for now, but the second bunk indicated that wouldn't be for long. Maximum security was packed tight right now, but he knew there was no easy way out. So he circled the cramped cubic space and familiarised himself with the layout, the tiny toilet and sink and thin mattress and chair. Outside prisoners chattered or rattled the bars, some arguing with each other. He'd been in worse prisons in his life, so this would do until they transferred him.
Before he could sit down and relax he sensed movement out the corner of his eye. A man in a guard's uniform stepped into few with his cap pulled low over his eyes scanning the cell block. DuBois regarded the man until he turned around to look at him. A familiar face greeted him. "Nice jumpsuit" the fake guard remarked, noting the orange and large numbers across his chest.
DuBois glowered as he stepped up to the bars of the cell. Jake White didn't flinch as the tall black man glared at him. "Dangerous place to be right now" he replied. He glanced around the cell, noting the security cameras which all conveniently seemed to be looking in other directions rendering his cell a blind spot. "How'd you get in here?" he asked curiously.
Jake shrugged, glancing around making sure they weren't going to be overheard. "It's not difficult if you do the leg work. I once took a stroll through a police station to recover so of Henry's old equipment from their evidence lock-up. People don't seem to check for IDs if you have the right attitude I found."
"So what are you doing here?" he asked with a growl. "Come to gloat?"
He shook his head. "Came to ask you a question" he replied. "Why didn't you turn me in? I was half expecting you to drop my name the moment Captain Sawyer sat down at that table."
DuBois didn't question how he got eyes on that interview. He turned away and saw on the bunk bed. "Risky play, turning to the vigilantes like that" he remarked, having deduced who had given Dreamer her new costume which he remembered seeing the Blacksmith tinkering with. "I'm surprised they believed you. Even more surprised you'd hand over something that improved their odds."
"Yeah, well, the old man would've wanted her to have it" he sighed. "You didn't leave me much choice. But you didn't answer my question. Why not turn me in?"
DuBois shrugged. "Professional curtesy I suppose" he grumbled. "I don't make a habit of giving up the names of my associates, whatever my feelings to them." Jake nodded. He had hoped as much. "Is that why you were here? To make sure I don't talk?" he asked, examining his outfit looking for weapons, wondering if the kid intended to kill him.
Jake flashed him a smirk. The thought had occurred to him. It would be the smart play. "I never wanted to fight you DuBois" he told him, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small object half the size of his palm. He glanced around before placing it on the bars of the cell, keeping it out of sight of everyone around them.
DuBois rose up to his feet, stepping forward examining the object. It was a square of clay with a microchip and dial, a detonator attached to plastic explosive in a metal umbrella. Enough to cause some structural damage. "What's this?" he asked.
"Professional curtesy" Jake replied. He pointed to the concrete wall on his left, advising "wait five minutes, plant it then press the button. The charge is five seconds. The casing will direct the blast into the wall, if done correctly."
DuBois scanned the wall. It wasn't the one with the window. "Why not that one?" he asked.
"That leads outside to a five storey drop. That wall leads to a service staircase that goes down to the basement. Plenty of ways out from the basement."
DuBois looked at the young man suspiciously, examining the explosive in his palm. "Risky plan" he remarked. "What's to stop me from coming after you myself? Or finishing the job with Supergirl?"
"Nothing" he admitted. "I'm hoping you chose to leave town, if only for a month or two. My business should be concluded by then." He stepped away from the cell and tipped his hat. "Five minutes DuBois" he echoed, walking down the cell block casually and calmly. DuBois watched him disappear, mulling over his options and wondering if he could trust the young man after all of this.
Jake walked through the prison, using his stolen ID card to walk through the security gates towards the lobby. He spied Captain Sawyer arguing with the FBI and Interpol as he crossed the room, keeping his head down counting in his head. It seemed DuBois was half a minute early as the prison was suddenly rocked by an explosion triggering a series of alarms. Maggie and her fellow investigators sprinted after the Warden deeper into the prison as shouts and screams rang through the corridors, the building falling into chaos as smoke billowed from the cell block. While guards ran to contain the prisoners, Jake slipped out in the confusion with a smile on his face.