National City, 2300 hours.
They were surprised at the sudden appearance of the blue hued vortex in the middle of the DEO after the man that had kidnapped Alex Danvers, Rick Malverne, was taken away. Malverne, once Kara and Alex's classmate in Midvale high, kidnapped Alex to force her sister, Kara 'Supergirl' Danvers, to free his father from jail. Just as any story with good against evil, Malverne lost. And now, not only was his father back in jail, Malverne himself was being taken away so that his mind would be getting his mind wiped by Jon to protect Kara's secret identity. After he was taken away, Alex and her girlfriend, Maggie Sawyer, hugged each other tightly while Kara and the others looked on.
It was during the hug after the man had been taken away, that everyone in the central complex heard a rumbling sound. Kara turned around and stepped back, as did everyone else when a portal opened over the central table. The DEO personnel took out their weapons and aimed at the breach opening. At the same time, Kara, Mon-El, Jon, Maggie, and Alex prepared themselves for anything that could come through the portal.
"What the hell is that thing?" shrieked Maggie as she was handed a weapon by Alex, a weapon that had been taken from one of the other personnel in the chamber.
"A breach to another world," Alex said as she aimed her weapon, borrowed from another DEO agent, at the breach and waited for whoever it was to come through. While Maggie stared at Alex in surprise for an explanation of what she meant by ' a breach to another world', Mon-El was staring worriedly at the breach hoping that it wasn't the Music Meister once again.
And as if Kara read Mon-El's mind, she whispered, "Don't tell me it's that whole Music Meister thing again," as she stood in her civilian clothes. She then zoomed away and returned in her Supergirl uniform, her cape fluttering slightly after she came to a stop, and waited with bated breath for anything. She was aware it could be the Music Meister, Barry, Cisco, or… or anyone else from any other Earth could come through.
However, ever since the first time Kara and the DEO encountered Barry, ever since Kara discovered the existence of other realities in the Multiverse, the DEO was preparing itself for an invasion.
And with the DEO itself being under the threat of invasion from another Earth from within its very headquarters in the heart of National City, Jon ordered the activation of the 'Cross-Over protocols'. One of the agents was about to call in for reinforcements just as Iris and another woman Kara, Jon, Mon-El, and Winn hadn't met before stepped through and landed on the top of the table.
And then, just as it appeared, the breach was gone while a surprised Iris looked at Kara and the other woman looked around at her surroundings in stunned silence.
"Iris?" said a surprised Kara as the second blonde, Tracy, turned and looked back at Kara with a tilted head.
"Oh wow, this was what Cisco was talking about?" asked Tracy as she looked at Iris, who in turn was staring back at Kara. Tracy could see the knowing look of relief on Iris' face and suspected that they were among friends, 'of course we're among friends, where else would Cisco have sent us. He told me about his powers, but still… wow… I'm on another Earth!'
'Cisco sent us to Kara's Earth,' Iris thought as she closed her eyes and fought back the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. She was silently relaying a thought to Barry, which she knew that he would never receive, and signalled to him that she was sent to be with one powerful enough to hold back Savitar. 'And thank Cisco, Barry. I know you can't get this, but thank Cisco for me.'
"Kara," Iris said again as Win helped the still stunned Tracy to the floor before she took a few steps away from Winn and then spun around in silence while pointing at the various monitors spewing off data. As for Iris, she was helped down by Kara before they hugged each other. Iris then whispered in her ear, "I'm so glad Cisco sent us to you."
"Another Earth, an alternate reality, this is an alternate Earth," said an excited Tracy as she poked Winn in the shoulder, and then stared at Iris and Kara in her uniform, and then at the other DEO personnel, and then back to Iris before whispering, "wow."
"While we are glad to see you," said Jon as he stepped forward towards Iris. He saw the look of relief on Iris's face but purposely didn't read her mind, or the mind of the other blonde woman who arrived with her. Instead, he asked her, "why are you here?"
"Oh," Iris shook her head while Tracy walked towards her and Kara, "this is Tracy Brand; she.. she's important. And as for why we're here?" Iris looked at Jon and then at Kara. She then looked at the other agents, and back to Kara once again, before asking if they could go somewhere private to talk.
"This way," said Jon signalling everyone to follow him before ordering the agents to get back to work, and to deactivate the protocols. It was while they were walking off that Kara introduced Iris to Alex and Maggie and then Winn, just as another breach opened above the table.
"Oh God," Iris whispered while Tracy held on to her as they stepped back. Kara and Alex noticed the fear on their faces, and then looked at each other wordlessly asking what could Iris have to fear. "He's not supposed to find us," Iris whispered, and then Kara looked back at her just as a metal case flew through the portal… which then closed once again as the case fell with a 'clang' on the floor.
"It's my research," exclaimed Tracy as she ran to the case and opened it to reveal papers filled with calculations, drawings, and the damaged disk-like prototype she created. Upon closing the case and then grabbing it by the handle, Tracy remembered that in her hurry to get back to the Cortex after Cisco's call through the P.A system back at STAR Labs, she forgot to bring it with her.
She breathed a sigh of relief looking back at Iris who herself was relieved that it wasn't Savitar that came through. And it was that knowledge that eased her mind somewhat; that Savitar didn't know where she was... that heading over to Kara's Earth didn't happen in Savitar's timeline. Tracy carried the case in her hand and rushed to Iris' side while Jon, Kara, Maggie, and Alex watched them questioningly.
"We.. we need to talk," Iris said turning around and noticing the quizzical looks she was getting, "something's happened and… and it's something we haven't told you when Jon, Kara, and Mon-El came to our Earth."
"So… other Earths," Maggie whispered at Alex as they continued their walk down a hallway while Winn offered to help Tracy with the case. Tracy then thanked him before handing the case over for him to carry while Alex and Maggie were in the rear as Kara was talking to Iris. "You learn a lot of new things, huh?"
"Yep," Alex replied while wondering why Iris and Tracy were so fearful.
"So… you've been to this other Earth?" whispered Maggie.
"I was left in charge of the DEO while Jon and Mon-El travelled to Earth-One," Kara replied while Kara was asking about Barry and why he didn't come along with them. Iris glanced over at Kara and wondered how she would take the news that a future version of her friend and superhero was trying to murder the love of his life. Iris wordlessly looked away before whispering that it was Barry they had come to her Earth to talk about. It was that answer that received questioning stares from Mon-El, Jon, and Kara while Winn was asking Tracy about the contents of the case. Tracy insisted that everything would be revealed once they had explained why they had to arrive on their Earth.
In the meantime, Alex finished explaining about the Flash, Earth One, Kara being trapped in a song and dance nightmare, and the fact that she hadn't met the Flash yet. After hearing everything, all Maggie could do as she tried to get her whole mind around the fact that there was a multiverse of alternate Earths was shake her head. She then placed a hand on Alex's shoulder.
"Should I go?" asked Maggie towards her girlfriend. "I mean, I can wait for you in the main chamber and…"
"I want you here," Alex replied softly as she placed her arm on Maggie's shoulder. They smiled at each other while walking through another hallway, and then another hallway to the right. The group then walked towards a door that Jon opened, and then walked into the large room where there was a circular table with chairs and a projection system hanging from the ceiling pointed at a wall.
"Iris?" questioned Kara as she took a seat next to Iris while the door slid shut; the entire room now soundproof with technology that prevented any recordings from being taken inside the room, "what's going on? Why were you so scared just now when the second breach opened? I mean both you and Tracy were terrified. And where's Barry, why isn't he here with you?"
Iris and Tracy looked at each other before turned back to Kara and the others. Iris then took a deep breath before she started to tell them about Savitar and how Barry while trying to throw the Philosopher's Stone into the Speed Force was flung to the future.
"I know he went to the past and changed some things. I know about Flashpoint and the rest of the timeline," Kara said while Jon looked at her in surprise. It was something that was new to him, but he held his tongue before turning back to Winn who was just as surprised as him. Jon recalled his people outlawing the research of any technology that dealt with time travel, and here he was having just heard about someone who travelled in time and changed the past.
'The changes to the timeline must have been catastrophic, and…' thought Jon to himself before standing stunned once again when Iris revealed that Barry travelled to the future twice.
"Twice?" asked Kara.
"Barry didn't want to tell you, Kara, because he didn't want to pull you away from your world," Iris explained, "you see; he's fighting against another speedster called Savitar."
"The Hindu god of motion," Winn said as Iris nodded her head.
"Yea," Iris whispered while the others stayed silent and listened, "he's fast. Faster than Barry, faster than anyone we've ever fought. And when Barry travelled to the future, he saw Savitar kill me."
"Excuse me?" asked a stunned Mon-El as he raised his hand as if to ask a question, "Barry saw this Savitar god thing kill you? Then it should be easy to prevent it, right? That's why you're here?"
"It's more complicated than that," Tracy said shaking her head while Maggie and Alex stared at each other. They were now talking about the future, specifically changing the future. Alex then asked Iris if they knew any of Savitar's weaknesses. Tracy then explained how her device was supposed to work; that it would use Savitar's own power against him by creating a permanent stasis field that would imprison him for all time in the Speed Force, "but the power source I used wasn't strong enough. Barry stuck the device to Savitar's armour, but it completely fizzled out before the field could be formed."
"I guess that's why Cisco sent us here," Iris said, "Barry said you work with alien technology, so maybe..."
"Wait, alien?" squeaked a surprised Tracy as Kara and Mon-Ell looked at each other and then at Jon who shook his head, "what do you mean alien? You mean like from outer space?"
"Yes," Jon said before asking Iris to continue. It was then that Winn jumped in to say that he could use the dimensional jumper that Cisco created to send Kara to Earth One to help with Savitar.
"I mean this is Supergirl, and…"
"You can't send her," Iris said with a forlorn look on her face, "none of you can help Barry right now. None of you can head to Central City on Earth One."
"Iris," Kara said, "Jon, Mon-El, and I should be good enough, with Barry, to stop Savitar. And with Cisco and Caitlin…"
"Caitlin's Killer Frost," said Iris much to Kara, Jon, and Mon-El's surprise. "she's helping Savitar, and…"
"Why?" Kara asked shaking her head in disbelief.
"We'll find out once we get to Earth One, and…."
"You can't," Iris whispered, interrupting Jon, as she got off her seat and leaned on the table. Her eyes then started to tear up before admitting the truth to not just the DEO, but herself, "if you go, the Savitar will know where we are. And we need to finish the device before…"
"We can help, Iris," Alex gently said while Iris closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face as Tracy looked nervously down at the table.
"Iris," asked Jon who could see that Iris was struggling to continue, "what are you not telling us?"
"Savitar is a future version of Barry," Iris's voice cracked. She finally admitted it out loud, and it broke her heart. Once she mentioned Barry's name, Kara's eyes widened as she stepped back in shock. The shock was shared among everyone in the room as they stared at each other and then at Iris, "Savitar is a future version of Barry." Iris then covered her mouth as Kara rushed around the table and hugged her tight while the former started to sob in Kara's arms.
And that left Tracy to finish what Iris was going to say, "if any of you go to our Earth, then Barry will know where we are. And if Barry knows…"
"Then so does Savitar," Jon nodded his head in disbelief as he looked away before whispering, "when? When is Iris supposed to…"
"We have just under twenty-one hours and thirty minutes," Tracy said.
"Then I say we have work to do," Alex said nodding her head watching Kara look back at her while holding onto Iris.
"Mr. Schott," said Jon as Winn looked up from the calculations that Tracy had been showing him, "I want you to work with Miss Brand. Find a way to power the device."
TBC.