REIGN
By FAH3
California, inside the danger zone
The air was thick was black smoke and blinding ash, while everything within the dark mass was in complete ruin and disarray. Freeway ramps and interstates had been knocked over and obliterated into piles of ruble. Cars and trucks were now twisted shards of unrecognizable pieces of burnt shrapnel. Anything and everything looked more like it was a scene from the movie Terminator 2, with hardly any evidence of what it once was. Of course, the expression was hardly. For hours upon hours, everything was still and as quiet as the grave. Until several pieces of gravel and concrete began to move and shift from beneath it. Soon, more and more chunks of gravel began to move and fall away on their own until a lone hand punched it way through the massive mound of debris. Soon, out of the slimmest of chances, three people emerged.
The first to emerge from what was once their refuge was slightly overweight, balding man in his early forties. His white shirt was stained with dirt and sweat, and his sleeves rolled up, as he forced his way through the make-shift hole he had created. He had been on his way to work and running late when he had encountered traffic. He wouldn't have been late if he hadn't stopped by the home of his mistress, his brother's young wife, for a quick romp in the hay. He was going through the tunnel when everything went crazy as it felt like the mother of all earthquakes hit. He had tried to get out with several other, but parts of the tunnel collapsed in on them while they had been fleeing for safety. It had taken hours, and many people had died, but now he was free.
The second to emerge was a man in a blue flannel shirt, jeans, and a red Cardinals cap. He was an out of state truck driver, hauling a load to Coast City. He had just delivered his load and was on his way back home when the tunnel collapsed. The last person to emerge was a young blonde woman in a short skirt and a now worthless designer shirt. A young college student who decided to ditch her classes and go to the beach with her friends. She hadn't gotten very far when she became trapped with the other. Many of them had their own theories on what had happened. The Big One finally hitting and breaking off California from the rest of the United States. Or it was another terrorist attack, similar to 9/11 but on a much grander scale. The businessman thought the Russians had finally done it and hit the button to start World War III. Having a grandfather and father that were so anti-Communist they would have made Castro felt ashamed of himself, he still was suspicious of anyone from Russia.
But now as they saw what kind of hell they had stepped into, none of them knew what to think or believe. Everything around them was hideous, a disaster in itself. Nothing was recognizable anymore, making it almost impossible for them to tell where they were. None of them knew what to say or what to do. It looked like they had stepped out of one nightmare and into a living hell on Earth. What they were seeing in front of them just didn't seem possible.
"What happened?" was all the truck driver could ask.
"I told them. I told them for over twenty damn years that the cold war wasn't over." The businessman said.
"I-I can't get a signal." The young girl said as she once again tried her cell phone once more.
"You're not going to get a signal. Not in this mess." The business man said.
"At least she's trying instead of spouting some old bullshit from when Regan was president!" the trucker said.
"Why you redneck mother,"
"WOULD YOU BOTH JUST SHUT UP?" the young girl screamed, causing them both to stop their argument and turned toward her. "We're in the middle of disaster, and both of you are acting like you're having a stupid pissing contest! I can't reach my friends or my family! WHAT IF THEY'RE ALL DEAD?" she screamed as she fell to her knees and began to cry, paying no attention to how the gravel and stones scrapped her knees as she did so.
"Damn, don't I feel like a heel." The trucker said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe we should try and find some way of calling for help." He said.
"We might not have to. Look! Up in the sky!" the businessman said as he looked skyward.
At first, there was still nothing but ash and smoke all around them. They couldn't even tell if the sun was out, or if it was even night or day. All they could see was nothing. But then, there was something. It wasn't clear at first what it was above them. A bird? A plane, maybe? But then they heard the sound, the sound of whatever it was getting closer. As it did, they could clearly see that the shape was a person! As it landed, they all wondered what, or who, could it be that found them. They would soon have their answer as they heard the person walking toward them. As it got closer, all they could see was a dark shape. But then they could see their uniform was blue, and with a flowing red cape behind them. When they saw the pentagon shield with the stylized S inside of it, the knew they were saved.
"Are you all right?" the person called out.
"Thank God." The girl said to herself as the truck driver and businessman waved their hands to get the heroine's attention.
"WE'RE HERE! WE'RE OKAY!" the businessman shouted as loud as he could.
"Thank God for you, Superwoman. What happened here?" the truck driver asked.
"It was the Russians, wasn't it?" the businessman asked.
"No. An alien invasion, lead by one of the four Superwomen." The heroine said.
"Oh my God." The young girl said in horror.
"Son of a bitch. Which one?" the businessman asked.
"I don't have time to explain. I was tracking her when I found you. She could be – SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" the heroine screamed as she pointed to something in the distance, causing all three to turn away and look.
"W-where? I can't anything!" the young girl said.
"I said," the heroine said as her arm shifted and changed. "she's right behind you." She growled as a large beam of energy erupted from her arm at the three.
The beam engulfed all three within moments, burning away their flesh, muscles, and organs within seconds before burning their bones to sickening charcoal black. Not even their screams of agonized pain had time to escape as their hideously burned and smoking remains fell to the ground where they once stood.
"White House to Superwoman. White House to Superwoman, did you find anything? Were there any survivors?"
"Negative, White House. Just some wounded animals. I put them out of their misery." The machine said as her mechanical eye began to glow a bright blood red.
The Fortress of Solitude
"Galatea, come in! Galatea, can you hear me?" Kal asked as he tried to patch into communication device he had given her before she had left for California. Ever since they intercepted the broadcasts about an attack on Coast City, Kal had been trying to franticly contact her to confirm what was being reported. But still, there was nothing but static from her. Kal couldn't help but feel that there was something terribly wrong. "Galatea, if you can hear me, please answer!"
"There's no point in that, Kal-El." Ronald said as he tried to gather information on another computer terminal. "If that blast is as massive as the reports say it is, then"
"Then what?" Kal demanded as he turned to face Ronald. "Are you saying I should just give up? ARE YOU TELLING ME SHE'S DEAD?" Kal-El shouted.
"No, Kal. I'm saying that the blast probably destroyed her comm system." Ron said as he looked up from the terminal he was at and saw the anguish in the young Kryptonian's eyes. It wasn't that long ago that Ron looked even worse than Kal did right now. Ron had done his best to keep as much of his emotions in check since he started down the path to be Batman, but he couldn't help but feel sympathy for Kal-El right now.
"How can you be sure she lived? Even if they lived on Earth all their life like Kara, Kryptonians still have their limits. I doubt – I-I don't want to think about it." Kal-El said as he did his best to fight the urge to break down and cry.
"Look at KP, Kal. She was beaten to death by a monster everyone said was unstoppable, and she still came back. And I know for a fact that part of Kim is in Galatea. So if she survived the blast, then she's probably doing her best to find a way to contact you." Ron said to him.
"Thanks, Ronald." Kal said as he went back to scanning and recording various news broadcasts.
"That was a nice thing you just did." Kim said as she came and sat beside Ron, handing him a crystal mug filled with hot chocolate.
"I was speaking from experience. I know all too well what he's feeling." Ron said as he saw Kim smirk a little and lay her head on his shoulder. Part of him doubted what was happening and what he was feeling was real, but it wasn't a dream. He could feel her, smell her, see her. Kim was really back, and he never wanted to loose her again.
"What are you trying to do?" she asked him.
"I'm trying establish al link with Watchtower. I'm hoping they may be able to shed some light on what happened." Ron said.
"Why don't you try to contact J'onn?" Kim asked him.
"He was the first one I tried to contact. But something is wrong. I can't hear him in my head." Ron said.
"Try an emergency channel. Someone might be monitoring one of them." Kim suggested.
For several minutes, Ron used several of the emergency channels to send his ID to the League. He kept hoping that someone would recognize him and answer. They had no clue what was happening and they needed answers right now. But deep down in his gut, he knew that whatever happened in Coast City was probably bigger than they realized. In an emergency situation like this, the League would contact any and all members to be on high alert. And with Ron being a founding member, he would have been asked to come to Watchtower immediately. But no contact from the League, him not being able to contact J'onn through telepathy or any of the channels? Then that meant something or someone had been planning this. Which meant Watchtower had been hacked.
"Hello? Ro can you hea e?" a faint transmission said from Ron's terminal.
"J'onn, is that you?" Ron asked, hoping whoever it was could hear him.
"Hol on. I'm switch frequ" The transmission said. For several agonizing seconds that seemed to last for almost hours, there was nothing but the sound of static. This was the first contact they had from the League they had been able to receive since the attack on the West Coast, they couldn't loose it now. Seconds more passed as Ron kept his eyes glued to the console, hoping and praying to hear J'onn's voice again.
"Ronald, can you hear me?"
"I read you loud and clear, J'onn. Are we secured?" Ron asked him.
"Affirmative. No one else can read us."
"J'onn what's happened? Why didn't the League respond to the disaster?"
"Something activated Watchtower's lockdown protocols. All communications and transports were offline."
"What about your telepathy?"
"Something is blocking it, Ronald. At first, it was just the West Coast, but it's spread since then. We're receiving reports that the alien craft responsible may have been destroyed."
"I doubt it. If you can't reach us with your mind, then they're still here. Have you heard anything about one of the four Superwomen? We know the one with the visor was in Coast City during the attack."
"The United States also sent in the cyborg Superwoman, but they won't release any further information. Ron, where are you?" J'onn asked him.
Ron was about to respond before he turned and looked at Kim, still sitting beside his side. He thought for a moment or two before looking back at the console and giving J'onn an answer. "I'm at a safe location and keeping an eye on things. I'll let you know if I discover anything."
"Understood. I'll monitor this line in case you contact us. Watchtower, out." J'onn said as the transmission ended.
Ronald quickly reached for his belt and withdrew a small rectangular device from one of the pouches. Kim only glanced at it briefly before Ronald pressed a button within the center of it before smashing it against the console he had been sitting at, destroying it completely.
"What was that?" Kim asked him.
"It puts the cave on lock down. It also tells Dick and Hannah to go to a safe house no one else knows about. Not even you." Ron said.
"Why?" Kal asked him.
"Think about it, Kal. If those aliens could shut down the Watchtower and block J'onn's telepathy, then there's a good chance they might be monitoring every signal on Earth." Ron said to him.
"How does he think up this stuff?" Kal asked Kim.
"When he's not in the suit, he can get a little paranoid." Kim said to him.
The Watchtower
Everyone with even the slightest knowledge of computer and technical expertise were going over every secret, microchip, and line of data in every computer system on board the orbiting space station. No one knew how they had been hacked and locked down, but they sure as hell wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. At that moment, every single person on the space station felt like they should kicking themselves as hard as they could right now. They had built this place in order to keep an eye on Earth and respond to emergencies faster. And when Coast City needed them the most, they looked like a bunch of kids playing pretend. It was a rare moment, but it was safe assumption that every person that called themselves a hero inside the Watchtower was asking themselves only one question at that very moment. How could they let this happen?
"Report, Blue Beetle?" J'onn asked as he walked up behind the man in the uniform with his hood pulled back.
"Everything checks out, J'onn. All the firewalls are still untouched. Everything is still the highest level of encryption that you designed. And I doubt anyone else can translate the Martian language in order to access our restricted files." He said as he wiped several strands of his sweat soaked brown hair out of his eyes.
"But they were still able to override our systems." J'onn said.
"Look, J'onn. I know you don't want to think this, but it's possible that these aliens are more technologically advanced. And if that's the case,"
"Then our firewalls would be like flies trying to attack a modern day battleship. I'm aware of that fact, Blue Beetle." J'onn said as his look of frustration began to grow.
"How about we drop the formalities for now? The name is Ted. Ted Cord." Blue Beetle said as he stood and held out his right hand.
"I know, Ted." J'onn said and shook the man's hand. "I just don't want us to be defenseless in case these invaders try to launch another attack."
"Do we have any idea who they are, or why they did this?" Ted asked.
"None. Which is highly odd."
"It is?"
"Even when the White Martians tried to overthrow everything, they made their intentions clear. But we've heard or see nothing since the attack. And even this cyborg Superwoman can't find them. And it's been confirmed that her machine half is Kryptonian technology." J'onn said as he looked at Earth through the large windows again.
"Could they be more advanced the Kryptonian tech?" Ted asked him.
"I doubt it. When Dax-Ur came to Mars, even the simplest tools he had with him were some of the most highly advanced machines I had ever seen. And that ship didn't even compare to half of that." J'onn said.
"So why is the cyborg Superwoman having trouble finding them?" Ted asked.
"That is the real question." J'onn said as he began to think.
"J'ONN!" Mr. Terrific called from his station above. "J'onn, we've got a priority one message coming in from Oa!"
"Oa?" Ted asked.
"The home base of the Green Lanterns. Put it on the main viewer." J'onn said as a large holographic display of a small blue skinned alien male with white hair replaced the large windows that allowed a view of Earth and open space. "Greetings, Ganthet. I'm afraid you've chosen a bad time to contact us." J'onn said.
"I'm afraid I must drop the formalities, J'onzz. One of our sectors is currently under attack, and we need help."
"You need our help?" J'onn asked.
"The sector we speak of is small. Only a few inhabited worlds that no other beings have ever shown any interest in. Several hours ago, a group of invaders entered the system and killed the Green Lantern that guards that sector. We have already dispatched several Lanterns, but we fear that they will be too late by the time they arrive. And with Du, Stewart, and Gardner off on other assignments, we need reinforcements to get there as soon as possible. Your Justice League is the closest, and may be this system's only hope." Ganthet said to him.
"I'm not sure, Ganthet. We have a situation of our own at the moment."
"J'onzz, people are dying as we speak! This system needs help!" Ganthet protested.
"I'll volunteer." Captain Marvel said, stepping forward and stood beside J'onn.
"So will I." The Ray said as he stood up.
"As will I." Doctor Fate said.
"Me too." Wonder Woman said.
"There's one problem. Our Javelin's are only capable of short range flight, not deep space travel." J'onn said.
"There is one way. Maxima."
"That loose cannon?" Blue Beetle asked, having pulled his hood back on.
"The ship she used to come to Earth is still in the hanger. We can use it to travel."
"But the energy cells are almost depleted. You'll need a large energy source to get the hyper drive working again. And the only ones I know of that can do the job are the Green Lanterns." Ted said.
"There's another way. Computer, contact the Justice Society. I need to talk to Alan Scott and his daughter, Jade."
"The original Green Lantern." J'onn said under his breath.
"There is one more detail. Before he was killed, the Green Lantern reported of a psychic attack that had disabled several beings. It almost disabled him." Ganthet said.
"That means you're coming with us, J'onn." Wonder Woman said.
"I can't, Diana. I have too much I need to do here." J'onn said.
"J'onn, you heard him. If there is a strong telepath, we'll need the edge. No one is as strong as you." Diana said.
"J'onzz, please. There isn't that much time left."
J'onn closed his eyes and let a deep defeated sigh escape before looking back at the hologram of Ganthet again. "We'll be underway within the hour."
The image was crystal clear as it displayed the unbelievable horror to everyone that was watching. An image of the visored Superwoman, Galatea, was laying waste to anyone and anything in her path that tried to stop her. All around, massive metal globes rained down upon the city and leveled anything they came into contact with. Smashing through the tall buildings and skyscrapers, plowing through pavement and asphalt and creating craters, or completely flattening anything in it's path. Including innocent bystanders that were fleeing from the chaos, screaming in fear while they tried to escape the horrible chaos around them. The image then seemed to rush toward Galatea at unbelievable speed as a metal fist crashed against the side of her face. As a flesh and bone fist tried to land another blow, Galatea blocked it with her forearm as the open hand of her other arm emitted a blast and blinded the image for a few moments. As Galatea came back into view, a massive explosion erupted from the center of the city and created a plume of fire. The wall of fire began coming toward Galatea at an incredible speed as she turned toward the camera and smiled before the concessive force of the shock wave sent the camera tumbling end over end and up into the air before everything was consumed by a massive fireball.
"I won't show you the rest." The cyborg Superwoman said as her face filled the screen. In the lower left hand corner, a smaller image of Cat Grant in the WGBS news room showed her reaction of shock and horror from the image that was just shown. "By the time my systems came back on-line, it was already too late. Coast City and everything that was here is now nothing more than a massive crater in the Earth."
"Am – am I to understand that you have refused to let the military help you in anyway, Superwoman?" Cat asked her.
"For the moment. As of right now, I can't find the vessel. The debris field and smoke from the resulting Forrest fires the blast have caused has reduced my visibility. For all I know, the ship may be hiding in the debris clouds, or even cloaked for that matter. I'm not willing to risk anyone's life until I'm sure these invaders are no longer a threat."
"What about the Justice League? Can't they assist you?"
"They could, but their assistance is needed with those around the disaster area. Also, I imagine they are trying to make sure their systems are secure. If the invaders can hack into their computers, there's no telling how much data they can steal to use against the people of Earth." The cyborg said.
"Well, thank you for this interview."
"My pleasure, Miss Grant."
"You saw it here on WGBS, ladies and gentlemen. Coast City is gone while others are killed and injured by the resulting devastation. Until further notice, the United States military is evacuating people within a one-hundred mile radius of the massive debris cloud. Everyone else within the area are told to remain within their homes until further notice. We'll report more updates as soon as we receive them. I'm Cat Grant for WGBS News."
As the broadcast ended, the lady cyborg smiled as her one red ruby eye began to glow brightly. Various wires and cables detached from the side of her metal face plate and retracted into the ceiling above as thousands of images from all over the word were broadcasting all at once on the giant monitor in front of her. Behind her, Mongul stood as still as a statue and looked completely bored out of his mind as the cyborg woman in front of her seemed to enjoy the havoc and confusion they had caused all over the world.
"Was it so wise to do this, Master? Won't this just strengthen the humans need to investigate further?" Mongul asked her.
"You forget that while one person may be intelligent, a gathered mass of them will be a dumb and dimwitted as a flock of sheep. They believe Superwoman is here to protect them and to make sure that they are kept safe. Luring them into a false sense of safety is the perfect weapon. As long as they believe I'm the dead Kryptonian, they'll believe just about any lie I give them." The cyborg said as she turned and headed to the main control room, with Mongul following behind her.
"The human reporter did raise a interesting question. What of this Justice League that she spoke of?" Mongul asked her.
"They're nothing more than a collaboration of mutants that think themselves more powerful than other terrenes."
"But this debris field will not last. And if this Martian you spoke of is with them, we won't be able to block his telepathic abilities for much longer." The large yellow alien said.
"I already have the matter well in hand." A holographic image of the Guardian Ganthet said. The same holographic image that was used to contact J'onn moments earlier. "The only ones who are a threat to me are either off world or dead." The cyborg said. "How goes construction?" the cyborg asked while her mechanical arm opened, and various pieces and electronics connected themselves into three consoles in front of her.
"Over eighty-five percent has already been completed, Master. Within two days time, we shall be ready to bring the main power core online." Mongul said.
"Good. What about our little 'gift' for the city of Metropolis?" the cyborg asked as she accessed several systems all at once.
"Construction has just begun on it. Because of unforeseen delays, it won't be ready until a week from now." Mongul reported, and froze slightly as he saw the cyborg turn and her ruby red eye blaze with energy.
"I don't like hearing bad news, Mongul." She growled as the area around Mongul began to shift and change. "You know what happens when I hear bad news." She said as several blasts of energy struck Mongul all at once, causing him to scream as he felt the most intense pain imaginable flow through every nerve in his body. What was only seconds for everyone, it seemed almost an eternity for the large conquer. Soon, the energy stopped and Mongul collapsed to the ground in a smoking heap.
"The next time you carry bad news, remember who holds your leash, dog." The cyborg growled as Mongul tried to stand to his feet.
"Y-yes m-my Master." Mongul said as he pulled himself to his knees.
"Before we can destroy Metropolis, there is one other loose end I need to take care of. It's time to set a trap for the arrogant brat known as Supergirl."
"This doesn't make sense." Ron said as he replayed the WGBS interview with the cyborg Superwoman. Time and time again he replayed the footage of the cyborg's POV battle with Galatea and kept examining it closely. But every time Ron replayed the footage, the harder Kal was grinding his teeth together. An action that didn't go unnoticed by Kim.
"How are you holding up?" she asked her cousin.
"She wouldn't do that, Kara. That - thing - is lying." Kal said to her.
"Kal,"
"Don't start with me. You keep trying to tell me that I don't know her like you do. Well, you've got it wrong for once. You don't know her! I've spent the past six months here with her. You're not the one that fixed the chromosomal damage of her DNA. You're not the one that's been staying up day after day, trying to find a way for her to see normally again. You don't know that her favorite food is a Mr. Goodbar, or that her favorite movie is Starman! Or when she giggles when she drinks a Soder Cola because the bubbles tickle her nose! You,"
"KAL!" Kim shouted, stopping Kal in the middle of his rant. "I'm sorry. I know you love her, and I wasn't going to try and tell you otherwise. I was just worried about you." Kim said.
"I'm sorry, too. I'm just worried about her. And I know for a fact that she wouldn't do this!" Kal said as he pointed to the video footage.
"He's right." Ron said as he stood from his seat.
"He is?" Kim asked.
"I've gone over everything in the fortress computer. If she was in league with these aliens, how did she contact them? Only the Fortress has the equipment to make off world contact into space, and there are no records of any communications into space since Brainiac freed Zod from the Phantom Zone. And there's a strong chance the footage is fake."
"How can you tell?" Kim asked her fiancé.
"This cyborg took on ten terrorists that attacked the White House. They were armed with the latest weapons, and she was able to take all of them down without a scratch. And everything the computer recorded about Galatea indicates that even at full strength and with that solar suit, she wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with a Kryptonian cybrog."
"And the footage shows her overpowering the cyborg as if she was nothing." Kim said.
"And every record I have about Galatea indicates she was only interested in a chance to show off her abilities."
"You have records on Galatea?" Kal asked him.
"I like to keep tabs on everyone. I'm not the slacker I used to be." Ron said. "But conquest and power have never been any interest to her. If they were, why not just try and take over after Zod was defeated?"
"But we're going to need more than our opinions to convince everyone else that the footage is faked. Can the computer in the bat cave prove it?" Kim asked.
"The computer has every software update known to man. Even software that hasn't been released yet. But the cave is on lockdown. It'll be another week before we can have access to it again." Ron said and saw Kim and Kal both curse under their breath. "But the cave under the mansion isn't our only option." Ron said.
"You have another bat cave?" Kim asked and saw the small smirk form on Ron's face. "Where?"
Gough Tower
Sherri sat in her chair and gazed at the vast and outstretched city of Metropolis in front of her. Several things were going through her mind all at once. At the forefront of it was her urge and want to pick up a bottle of hard liquor and drain it as fast as she could. Who knew being sober would be such a pain in the ass? The other thoughts in her mind were revolving around the phone call she had just received from Washington D.C.. The head of the of Homeland Defense had told her that the cyborg Superwoman in California wanted help. And not just any help, but help from her Supergirl. She was told that if Supergirl was indeed a clone of Superwoman, then two Superwomen would have a better chance at finding the aliens that destroyed Coast City. Sherri had agreed and told Supergirl to be here as soon as possible. While she waited for the young girl to arrive, she couldn't help but wonder at this strong of apprehension she was feeling right now. She had come to care for the girl, and was worried about what was waiting for her out there in that hell. Would she be safe? Would be she all right? She wondered if this was how a parent felt when their child was about be sent off to fight in a God forsaken war.
"What's up, Sherri? What's wrong?" the girl asked as she flew in through the automatic window Sherri had installed for her. "I was about to beat the high score in Modern Warfare 2 and . . . is everything all right?" the girl asked as she removed a small strand of her from her eyes.
"Washington just called." Sherri said as she turned in her chair, and couldn't help but notice how much the girl really did look like Kim.
"That's impressive. Especially since he's been dead for several hundred years." the girl said.
"I'm serious." Sherri said and saw the girl gulp down a large a large lump of air. "Do you watch the news?"
"Not really. It's usually boring most of the time, and everyone just talks about is Coast City."
"That's what this is about. The ash and smoke have gotten so bad that it's almost blocking out the sun in Denver." Sherri said as she stood and leaned against the large plexi-glass window. As she looked at the young woman in front of her, she couldn't help but think of her as a small child playing pretend. But the only difference was that she wasn't trying to play pretend, was she? "Superwoman, the machine one, wants you to help her find and arrest the rogue Superwoman." Sherri said as she bit her lower lip.
"She does?" the girl asked as her eyes grew wide. "Why? I mean – I know I'm Superwoman's clone and all, but me?"
"I was as shocked as you are." Sherri said and took a deep breath. "They want you to fly out there immediately. You'll meet up with Superwoman in Los Angeles, along with a news crew from WGBS. After a few formalities, all of you will fly into the disaster area."
"They do?" the girl asked. "Wow. Cool!"
"Not cool. You're going up against a very real, and very deadly, threat out there. The weapons they have are more advanced than ours, and there's a good chance they can kill you!" Sherri said as she stood to her full height as her gaze hardened.
"I'm sorry, Sherri. I just – I just didn't think someone would have this much confidence in me." Supergirl said as she thought back to the destruction of the Daily Planet helicopter, and the fight Batgirl had picked with her. Both times had proven how inexperienced and stubborn she was, and not the best indicator for her going up against something as huge as this.
"I'm just telling you that this isn't one of your video games. This is going to be dangerous, and I want you to be careful. I know you've had some bumps along the way, but I know you can do this. Just – just come back in one piece." Sherri said while doing her damndest to keep a straight face.
"Sherri, I'm going to be fine. With two Superwomen on their slimy green butts, those aliens aren't going to stand a chance." The girl said as she slipped on a pair of sunglasses and flew out the window and towards the West Coast.
"I hope you're right." Sherri said as she watched her disappear into the distance.
Gotham City
"Arkham Asylum?" Kim demanded as the bat plane began to lower itself from out of the sky. It had been several hours with barley a word spoken between them. Every time Kim asked about the alternate cave's location, Ron would only say that it was somewhere safe or hidden. She wished Ron would had said something along the way back, but both of their minds were occupied about what was happening on the other side on the United States. Kim was having to wear a solar suit herself since her powers were still extremely weak. But unlike Galatea's suit, hers was a full black bodysuit with the house of El in highly polished silver. Unless someone looked closely at her, they would think she was wearing a pair of tights. But on closer inception, the suit was actually several pieces that had been joined together and creating a unique design.
"Of all the places to have an alternate headquarters, you pick the one place that houses some of the worst criminals in the Eastern United States?" Kim said as the plane went into stealth mode and hovered above the Intensive Care building.
"It's the last place on Earth anyone would think to look for me." Batman said.
"You forget that several people think you're just as crazy as the Arkham inmates." Kim said.
"Point taken." Batman said.
The restraints immediately became unbuckled and retracted as the floorboards open and the sleets straightened. Soon, Kim and Batman fell from the plane and down into the small gardens beside the intensive care ward. Batman's activated the memory cloth in his cape, allowing it to harden and become a glider while Kim was doing her best to control her decent in the pale moon light. Batman landed feet first and slid a few feet as the glider became a cape once more while Kim landed, and immediately stumbled and fell.
"Are you all right?" Batman asked as he rushed to her side and helped Kim back onto her feet.
"My powers are weaker than I thought. I could barley reduce the speed I was falling." She said as she tried to dust the dirt and few pieces of dead leaves off of her. "So where to now?"
"Follow me." Batman said as he walked to a steep cliff face behind the building and pushed the long and full branches of a large bush aside. Behind the large plant was a large cave opening.
Kim followed the masked crusader into the cave that soon began to ascend upward. After traveling a few feet inside, the duo came into a large cave that had an opening to the outside that had an almost picturesque view of Gotham City. Batman walked to the opening and stood there for a brief moment as he looked at the city he had sworn to protect years ago.
"I keep forgetting how big Gotham really is. From here, from this view, I almost wish I was back in Middleton." He said, allowing his voice to slip into its normal tone.
"It is a wonderful sight sometimes." Kim said as she stood by his side and firmly held his hand in hers. "Does this place have a name?"
"Dead Man's Point. This is a popular spot where some of the prisoners like to come to commit suicide." Ron said.
"That's – somewhat depressing." Kim said.
"When I first became Batman, I stopped a riot of escaped prisoners. This was before the Joker and the rest made themselves known. After the riot, I stumbled upon Dr. one of Jonas Arkham's journals. In it, he described how he had brought his wife here, when it was still just Arkham Island. It was here that he proposed to her." he said as he turned and looked at Kim. "When I thought you were gone, I almost lost myself. I almost crossed that line I swore I wouldn't cross. When I brought the Joker back here, after I rescued Robin, I came here. I stood here until the sun rose, and I thought about walking off this cliff and not looking back." He said as their hands tightened.
"No matter what happens, Ron; you won't loose me again." Kim said to him.
"Hold onto me to tight." He said as he brought Kim close to himself, his voice slipping back into that of the Batman. Kim wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he took a few steps forward and grasped the edges of his cape. "Do you trust me?"
"I always have." Kim said.
With those words, Batman leapt off the cliff and dove into the dark and choppy waters below them. The cold night air blew at them hard, almost feeling like the north wind itself was blowing at them and them alone. More and more of the cliff face passed by them in a rushing blur before Batman spread his arms, and activated the glider in his cape once more. There speed immediately decreased as they glided on the back of the wind as Batman maneuvered them around the cliff. Soon, Kim saw where Batman was trying to fly to. A large cave opening that would be impossible to see unless you truly looked for it, no bigger than a doorframe for a pair of large double doors. Angling his body to the right, Batman glided the both of them toward the cave entrance before raising himself upward and collapsing the cape.
Batman tightly gripped Kim as he landed inside the cave and lowered himself to his knees as they slid to a complete stop. It wasn't what Kim was used to, but she was glad to feel the wind beneath her once more. Kim released her grip on Batman as she balanced herself for a brief moment. As she turned into the cave entrance, she saw nothing more but a wall of solid rock.
"Are you sure where in the right spot?" Kim asked.
"Positive." Batman said as he walked toward the wall. Within a foot from the wall, three scanners activated and scanned Batman from the head down before stopping at his eyes.
"Identity confirmed. Welcome, Batman." The computerized voice said. The large stone wall of the cave started to rumble before it began to descend downward, allowing both Batman and Kimberly access to a large stone passageway. With Batman entering first, the duo walked several feet down the passage as the secret entrance sealed itself closed. After several moments in darkness, large spotlights suspended high above them illuminated the large cavern they were standing in. A series of steel beams attached to the walls and suspension cables firmly held a series of steel catwalks and platforms inside a massive cave with the bottom so far below them that it was completely shrouded in shadow. A bat shaped plane, smaller than the one they had traveled in, was covered in a dust covered tarp as it sat on one platform, several feet above them.
Kim followed Ron along one of the suspended catwalks until they came to the center and largest platform where a large computer system with several various monitors sat, surrounded by several crates that had the logo to Stoppable Industries painted on them. From the amount of dust on the small plane and on the crates, it was obvious Ron hadn't been here for quite some time.
"Systems on." Ron said as he pulled his cowl back and took his seat in the large chair in front of the monitors. The computer immediatley came to life as a large symbol of a bat appeared on the monitors before changing to its normal display.
"Incoming transmission."
"Open a channel." Ron said.
"Ron, it's Dick. What's going on with the cave?"
"A precaution. Is Hannah with you?"
"Yeah. We're at a safe house in Gotham."
"I need both of you to suit up and head directly for the alternate cave."
"Your on Arkham Island? Are you nuts? I thought that placec was just for emergencies!"
"I'll explain later, Dick. But I need both of you here as soon as possible." Ron said.
"All right. We're on our way." Dick said as the transmission cut out.
"Can they get in the way we did?" Kim asked him.
"There's an alternate route through Arkham's sewer system. The only disadvantage is that it goes by an abandoned sewer that the Asylum keeps Killer Croc contained in. But I was able to seal that section off." Ron said as he removed a flash drive from his utility belt and inserted it into one of the computer ports. "Computer, access flash drive data. Analyze video footage labeled Galatea One."
"Accessing and analyzing data. Process will take twenty minsutes." The computer said.
"Twenty minutes?" Kim asked.
"The computer is going to test every single piece of data on that footage." Ron said to her. "Do you really think your clone would be able to do such a thing?" Ron asked her.
"I'm not sure anymore. The last time I saw her was when we fought Zod. And before that,"
"And before that, she wanted to take over your life. Except that was when we were still in High School, KP. People change."
"I know. Just – I've seen the worst in people for so long that I just assume – when did you get smarter than me, anyway?" she asked him, making Ron crack a small smile.
"Batman, it's Batgirl. Can you hear me?" Hanna's voice said.
"I'm here, Batgirl. Are you and Robin en route?"
"We just headed out. But I wanted to give you the heads up that there's another news broadcast coming from California. It's about the cyber bitch."
"Thanks for the heads up. Batman out." Ron said as he began to access the news feeds on the internet.
"She's got a mouth on her, doesn't she?" Kim asked.
"She took your death really hard."
"She did? I didn't know Batgirl looked up to me." Kim said.
"I forgot, you don't know who Batgirl is under the mask." Ron said. "You'll find out soon enough." Ron said as he brought up the news feed from WGBS. It was a live video interview with the Cyborg Superwoman and the young clone at a small military base that was several miles from the smoke and debris field of the Coast City disaster area.
". . . hard evidence Coast City was destroyed by the visored being that dared call herself Superwoman. Rest assured, my clone and I will bring this rogue to justice!" the cyborg said.
"Supergirl,"
"That's Super-WOMAN."
"My apologies. But does this mean you think the cyborg is the real Superwoman?"
"Well . . . maybe. Yeah. That gets a definite maybe." The clone said.
"My God. She really does look like me." Kim said as she looked at the young super being in wide-eyed astonishment.
"Except she's a little paler than you were." Ron said.
"I still strongly advise against you following us into the blast area. You have no idea how dangerous it is inside there." The cyborg said.
"The White House has already given us the green light, Superwoman. There's a lot of people out there that need to know how bad it is." The reporter said.
"Then you'll all die in there, gentlemen. I guarantee it."
"Hey, can the gloom-n-doom. They'll have the two of us looking after things in there. They'll be covered." The young girl said.
"You really think so? I have to say that I wish I had that much confidence in my powers when I was your age." The cyborg said as they both took to the air.
"Once we're in the air, we'll begin to broadcast again. Back to Snapper Carr at our Metropolis studios."
"I'm worried, Ron. I don't trust that cyborg." Kim said.
"Neither do I, KP. Neither do I." Ron said.
Daily Planet, Metropolis
"I have to say that I wish I had that much confidence in my powers when I was your age."
"Do what?" Lois said as she looked up from the article she had been working on. Knowing there was a delay with different news networks, Lois rushed to the other side of the City Room just in time to hear the cyborg repeat what she had just said.
"that much confidence in my powers when I was your age."
"Son of a bitch!" Lois said as she turned on her heals and ran as fast as she could into Perry White's office.
"Lois, I'm on the phone right now." Perry said as Lois grabbed the phone right out of Perry's hand.
"He'll call you back." Lois said before slamming the phone back into it's cradle. "Have you been watching the news?"
"Lane, that was my wife on the other end!"
"I'll send her a fruit basket with an apology note. Now answer my question! Have you seen the news?"
"Of course I have! Why?"
"Because that tin plated freak isn't Superwoman!" Lois said.
"Not this again. Lois, you said the same thing when she dropped Toyman like he was a bad habit."
"And that was my first clue! Now she's really slipped up."
"What do you mean?"
"She just wished she had as much conifencee in her powers as Supergirl does in hers. Chief, Superwoman was my friend. And I know for a damn fact that her powers developed slowly. When she was that kid's age, the only things she could do was run faster than a speeding bullet and lift a eighteen wheeler over her head like it was nothing." Lois said.
"I remember those interviews, Lois. But think for a minute. Didn't you say she was raised on Earth as a baby? She was raised like one of us, probably scared of her abilities. Don't you think she could have meant more confidence in the powers she had at the time?" Perry asked her.
"Chief,"
"Lois, listen to me. You're a damn good reporter. One of the best I've got. You say she isn't Superwoman, then I believe you. But it's not me you have to convince. You have to convince everyone out there ion the world, and you need hard facts to do it. And right now, science says she's the real deal."
"But Perry,"
"You also reported that, supposedly, the cyborg has amnesia from her apparent rebirth. So it's also possible that she doesn't remember her powers developing slowly. Hard facts, Lane. You want to convince the world she's a fake, then find the facts that will prove it." Perry said to her.
"Fine. You want hard facts? I'll find them. Even if I have to go all the way to Coast City to get them!" Lois said as she stormed out.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to get more blood pressure medication?" Perry asked himself.