Chapter 15 – Shoots and ladders
Dreamscape. The turquoise realm.
James Olsen can hear voices, but he is too weak to open his eyes. His chest is tight with pain and his limbs heavy as if asleep. He still hasn't figured out were he is, but he is certain of one thing, CJ Marlowe is near. He smiles at the memory of her and hopes that his beloved is nowhere near the strange prison he finds himself in.
"Why did you have to do this without me?" Cynthia Marlowe says pacing around the alter. Her sister sits catatonic in a chair near by. "We can't send him back to his time line like this - he's dangerous! Why do you always have to be so reckless?" Cynthia roars. CJ chuckles and mumbles "Because you're so selfish."
Cynthia shakes her head. "Since you clearly haven't learned your lesson I think some time between realms is needed." CJ's eyes widen with horror. "You wouldn't!" Cynthia flashes her eyes. "Catch." Cynthia throws a pink and blue orb at CJ, it hits her in the chest, and she falls backward disappearing.
Cynthia, now turning her attention to James, whispers "I can't send you home but I can put you on the path. Remember that true friendship will cure what ails you." She places a copper bangle on his left wrist and a sword of the same hue across his chest. "To the air." She says and three pink and blue orbs appear above James's body. "Send him to a place were friends are born in battle, and love on the shores of death."
Cynthia blows the dust of crushed pink and blue orbs into the air. The dust particles dance in the air before finally blanketing James's body. James, now covered in orb dust, begins to convulse. Cynthia blows on the copper bracelet and slowly James's body disappears.
Present day. Kara's apartment
Kara intended to wait until Cat was back to return to work, but decided to brave the whispers alone. She nervously dresses, then packs herself a lunch. Taking her cane and her lunch bag she exits her apartment. Walking still causes a lot of physical pain, so Kara makes sure no one is in the hallway when she floats into the elevator.
Alex is waiting for her when the elevator doors open. Alex smiles when she sees Kara. "So how are your sea legs today?" Kara laughs in spite of the pain. "I don't think I'll be able to keep my weight on them for any length of time, but I seem to be good for 20 minute intervals." Alex nods. "Well the cane is infused with a double dose of the treatment - you took your pills this morning?" "Yes Alex" Kara says rolling her eyes. Alex helps Kara into her SUV and makes the brief trip to the CatCo building.
"Nervous?" Alex asks as they step into Cat's private elevator. "A little, but I'm kind of glad Cat isn't around. I feel like it would be harder with her here." The doors open and Kara is greeted by balloons and people clapping. She hobbles slowly out of the elevator. "Welcome back Kara" Eve Teschmacher says giving her a gentle hug. Kara has tears in her eyes "Aww you guys! Thanks so much!"
An hour earlier. The D.E.O
Winn is trying to figure out how the clay coffin is keeping J'onn alive. Winn receives a text from Lena: "I think I know what's going on with J'onn. I'm getting off the plane now. Winn replies "Ok. Meet me at the D.E.O in the atrium."
20 minutes later Lena is explaining to Winn what the coffin is. "So basically it's a Martian incubator?" Winn says. Lena nods, and replies "Basically." "So we just leave him in there and he comes out brand new?" Lena shrugs her shoulders. "I guess...Anyways where's Kara?" Winn, still looking at the coffin perplexed, says absently "At CatCo- it's her first day back..."
4 days ago. Spa in the Swiss Alps
Cat sits in a pool of warm salt water. For the past 48 hours she has tried to let go of the tension that is slowly choking her to death. Touching her collar bone Cat finds the scar the pink haired man left. Struck with a novel idea Cat thinks to herself what if the tension has to let go of me, just like the suit... Cat gets out of the water and goes back to her room. Laying down on the bed she quiets her breathing and waits.
Cat is surprised to see Cynthia smiling at her when she closes her eyes. Cynthia wordlessly leads her to a chamber containing 4 doors. Each door is a different color. The first door is blue, the exact color of Kara's eyes. The second pink, like the hair of the snout faced man. The third a warm yellowish gold, ah my dear Cynthia, Cat thinks to herself. And the final door is an off white, similar to the Coat of Arms. Cat, having walked up to the door, grasps the knob with a shaky hand and walks through it.
For the next two hours Cat experiences the deaths, the passions and the valiant victories of each initiant. The last experience is her own. It appears as a garden with a menacing shadow. The shadow moves toward Cat eclipsing all light. Cat can feel the darkness enveloping her, squeezing her. Cat realizes that shadow has her face and is looking for a fight. As the shadow squeezes her mind fills of jealousy, fear, anxiety, and insecurity. Cat lets the tide of emotion flow naturally, released from the need to control and direct it, she feels the warmth of the shadow.
Moments later Cat finds herself on soft grass with her shadow sitting next to her. Looking at her shadow she can see the millions of specks of light looking back. She realizes that her shadow is the universe and that it mirrors what it sees. "So all this time I was afraid of my own shadow!" Cat laughs.