They buried Roy with full military honours, people lined the streets to see one of their King's men buried. A speech was given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, another by the Prime Minister- whose days were numbered- and by Oliver Queen. Jonathan sat at her side throughout all of this, his face expressionless, his eyes dry, his hand in hers. His shoulders rigid. He had not said a word of anything to anyone about the death of one of his oldest and closest friends. He went about his business as King with no complaint. Caitlin was worried, deeply worried. She had cried when she'd heard Roy had died, she'd known him since they were five, they'd grown up together and now he was gone. He'd died defending her, which made everything so much more painful. Frost had nearly taken over, but she'd fought her down, she couldn't let her get loose, not now.
Jonathan had called a meeting of his advisors, both powered and political a week and a half after Roy's funeral, and so they were all sat in the painted room of the palace, paintings of past Kings and Queens hung on the walls, and Caitlin wondered what would be said. She suspected that it would be about what Black Siren had said before she'd attacked Roy. The woman had escaped, as had the speedster, though footage had shown him dressed in yellow, like the man who had killed Barry Allen's mother. She looked at Jonathan as he spoke. "These criminals came to London looking for something. Footage shows Laurel Lance speaking of a life equation." Here Jonathan looked at her. "She said that you had this life equation. What is it?"
Caitlin took a breath, thinking of the moment the equation had come into being and how it had made her hear something. She thought of how best to explain it to them, and decided to stick with the truth. "The life equation is a force of energy, created through the mixing of different particles of energy that when unleashed gives the ability to heal, to give one the ability to understand the most complex things within life and the universes, and the ability to stand through time."
"What do you mean stand through time?" Jonathan asked.
"When I touched the source in Star Labs, I went out of time for a long time, it felt like a very long time, though only a few moments had passed. When I was there I heard a voice. Someone saying something about finding a Kryptonian. Then I came back and found myself back in Star Labs with people celebrating." Caitlin answered.
Superman spoke then his tone direct. "The voice you heard, what did it sound like?" Caitlin noticed that he had exchanged a look with Mr Queen and wondered at that.
"It sounded like a man, but not quite a man. Like a machine, something that was intent on achieving something." Caitlin responded.
Superman looked at Mr Queen and together they both said. "Brainiac."
"The being from Krypton who came and tried to attack Earth for Darkseid when you were younger?" Jonathan asked.
Caitlin watched as Superman shook his head. "No, this Brainiac is much more powerful than that. He is a being who helped destroy Krypton from within and without. He comes from the planet Colu and is thirsty for knowledge. If you heard him then he knows who you are and where you come from. He will be coming here for you. Or if not him, then his minions, the criminals that were fought in these streets will be coming for you again."
Jonathan took her hand then and asked. "Why? What is so special about this life equation? There's the Anti-life equation, why is he not going for that?"
Caitlin answered then. "Because he needs the life equation to add to his collection. He will either want it transferred into a vassal for his later usage, or he will want me taken so that he can examine how my body has responded to it."
"I won't let him get to you. Or any of his servants. I'll kill them if I have to." Jonathan snarled, though his hand shook in hers, and she suspected that the events of last year were still badly affecting him.
"You will need to be protected Caitlin. You cannot go back to your mother, I am afraid." Superman said. "But you can go to Star City if you so wish?" Superman added raising an eyebrow at Mr Queen.
"Of course, the Arrow Cave is protected and nobody knows where it is but myself and Chloe." Mr Queen said.
Caitlin was tempted to accept the offer, perhaps a bit of time would do her some good, but then she saw Jonathan, and she thought about her own concerns and she shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but my place is here. I can do better here than hiding somewhere. At least here I know what I can do."
Superman nodded. "Very well. I shall have to let the League know that this is happening. We shall increase the guard around the palace. And the royal residences."
"Might I suggest informing the President as well." The Prime Minister said.
Everyone looked at the woman as if she'd grown a second head. "No. We shall not be informing that man of anything." Superman said in a tone that brooked no argument. With that he walked out of the room, alongside Mr Queen whilst Jonathan dismissed the others.
It was just the two of them left then. He looked at her and sighed. "I am sorry for how I have been behaving. I know it's not right or fair to you. Roy was your friend just as much as he was mine." Her boyfriend took a moment then asked. "How are you doing? Truthfully?"
She was more concerned with how Jonathan was doing, but she knew that getting to that point straight away would not get her anywhere. So, instead she answered. "I'm okay, I miss Roy, but I know he died fighting for what he believed in. I also know that I can control my powers now."
"That's good." Jonathan said. "Maybe this war between my father and Bruce can end, now that we know a greater threat is coming."
Caitlin doubted that, but she wouldn't say so, she knew that Jonathan wanted the war to stop, for people to heal. Instead she asked. "Do you trust Sinestro?" She knew that Superman had allowed the man some reign over decisions that he made, but she also knew that Jonathan had gotten the Green Lantern Corps, or half of them anyway to swear allegiance to Superman.
"I don't know. I think he is planning something, but what it is I do not know. And I need to find that out, before something goes horribly wrong." Jonathan replied. Caitlin nodded, then listened as Jonathan continued. "And…I…I miss Roy, I don't know who to name as the Chief of The Security Detail. Jaime says he could take it, but he's been busy trying to get his family over here, and he's also got other things he needs to handle. The Prime Minister suggests someone from her party, but I don't trust them. In all honesty, there are days when I wish I could just leave everything and go away somewhere far from here." Jonathan took her other hand and looked at her. "What do you say? When this is all over, do you want to go somewhere and just relax for a bit, get to enjoy actually being royalty?"
"Are you proposing to me?" Caitlin joked, Jonathan laughed but then he straightened out and she replied seriously. "I would love to." Jonathan smiled, and though he'd not spoken about how he felt, Caitlin felt they'd made a breakthrough.