Chapter 3: Hell Hath No Fury (8 AM)
The hall was riddled with people that loved, supported and fought for the one that had been under the scalpel almost 4 hours now. Amongst them was someone torn between two different directions, despite her sister being at one end of that path. But the Director was silently thanking everyone here with not only her eyes but her looks of appreciation.
What she hadn't expected was Nia, and even more was she grateful for this person's presence. Something told Alex fully, that this was someone she could trust with not only Kara's secret but her life too. Now, this same woman was motioning her to follow her to an empty patient room.
Alex followed her lead and the two walked away and into more private quarters. When the Director saw her shut the door partially her brown eyes considered what this talk was about but Nia somewhat held up a hand to stop any words Alex was planning on saying.
"She isn't as poisoned as you think Alex. She's been protected from that kryptonite leaking into her system." Nia explained and now….the DEO boss was utterly confused. Brown met brown intensely. "What does Kara have on her that can shield her, give her more push when it comes to being shoved?" Danvers looked away her brain going on puzzle mode considering Nia's careful words. "What was able to keep her from surviving that first blast Alex.." Alex's head shot forward her eyes locking back on Nia's.
"Mon-El's ring!" Nia nodded. "H….how?"
"You have the tool Alex. Use it." The Director didn't need to be told twice bolting out of the room slamming open the door running out and down the hall passed everyone rushing to the OR.
"What…" Lena was about to ask but when Nia walked out of the room both her and Alex were in and she started to ponder what was said. Now isn't the time to discuss it Lena. Another time, but not now. Emerald eyes widened at the invasive yet calm voice in her head. She looked in her employee's steady firm orbs. Nia nodded and Lena did the same.
"Nia Nal...Nal…" Alura approached Nia and Lena slowly her thoughts wandering as she tapped her chin with her fingers. "Nal….from the planet Naltor?" Nia tensed. Now was not the time to discuss this. "How are you here?"
"The less that is known the greater there is of no rifts encountered." Nia was warning the kryptonian the only way she could. Alura gave her an apologetic look and backed off the topic turning then back to Lena.
"I understand your laws, your principles…" Kara's mother began, "...this is a justice I must give my daughter. Where are they?" Lena was about to respond when they saw Alex running back over. "Alex?"
"They were able to flush the gold kryptonite. Mon-El's ring protected her from it." Alex explained and the relief on everyone's faces was immediate. "They still had to flush the green that had gotten in her blood from her body using solar lamp tubes. I was hoping we wouldn't have to use those yet."
"Wait wait wait...you have what?" Now Lena was stunned. Alex nodded smiling. "How?"
"Something I'd started working on after the whole World Killer scenario. I knew we already had the lamps and solar charges thanks to Winn's work we used with the Mars situation, so yeah I started to try and figure out a way we could create that radiation through IV lines and tubes for procedures. Turns out NOW was the perfect opportunity." Relief was all over both Lena's and Alura's features until they saw the frown on the Director's face. "We do have to figure out another suit though, after that bitch…that stab wound…"
"I can calculate her suit's design into my own prototype Alex. Whatever we need to do, whatever I can do I will do it. Why block her from the air?" Lena saw her teeth clench. "They exposed her lungs to something that...if they use anymore kryptonite on her…"
"We can't take that risk. That ring can only protect her so much. I don't want to take anymore risks if I can help it. Do you need my help with your design?"
"That would be appreciated. We can work in that room yes?" Alex nodded walking towards it noticing the foot scuff on the door where she kicked it. "Gotta leave your foot in the door huh?"
"Shut up Luthor…." Lena chuckled at that with both women leaving the other's line of sight.
"Alura.." Nia begun to catch the woman's attention. "She's gonna be alright."
"I trust that, as I do you. Thank you." They both really smiled for the first time since they'd appeared on site..
A jeep pulled up to the media center as the bike beside it parked by the passenger's side. Men exited the vehicle as the one on the bike removed his helmet whistling in surprise.
"Gotta say Jeremiah, this thing's got juice." James told him. "Far faster than my other one."
"We had it rigged with more than just speed. It has four forcefield shields programed into the main dock. That thing can withstand bullets, deflect most weapons even hand to hand, and protect you from heavier blasts...including heat vision." James whistled again making him smile. "Now...it seems that we have a few agents in the building. We will have to be quick with the charges." Jeremiah told both his chosen captain and the other men. "She wants the devices at these six quadrants." He unrolled the specs on the jeep's hood pointing to the areas on the blueprint of the building. "These have to be precise to scramble any and all communication devices. Then you need to hack into their servers with the delay the scrambler gives you. Once we flick them on we have under two minutes tops to break into their devices and send our trojan in."
"Once we are in, I can walk up there?" James asked but he saw the shake of head. "When?"
"We will send an alert on the computer screens after we've hacked the agent's devices. It will alert anyone up there it's safe to pick up the lines and we will give the code the DEO uses as an all clear. Once they are all picking up something that rings we've got them."
"Then we hack into the media servers and unleash the record?" Both men smirked nodding. "Then no one will be on that filthy alien's side."
"Let's start this party shall we?" Jeremiah watched as his two best computer geniuses went to work preparing and the rest of their team including the other jeep that had pulled up, went to different areas of the garage under CATCO with ladders and drills to break into the ducts inside the building at each set of doors. He put a hand on James' shoulder. "Patience James."
"It's not the patience that's nagging at me. I want them to pay, I want her to pay for ruining the city's Guardian. It's her fault I never got the recognition I deserve. Her and all alien kind need to pay."
"First, the animal of Krypton. Then, we can cage the rest of them…"
J'onn walked up to the agents guarding the hall and when he didn't see the Director or the Luthor his eyes landed on an oh so familiar face.
"Alura?"
"J'onn J'onzz...so good to see you again." They shook hands. "She's with my daughter in the other room. They just wheeled her back in from surgery." The Manhunter cringed but nodded walking toward the door looking back at the kryptonian. "Go ahead."
He didn't need to be told twice as he turned the knob and opened the door walking in seeing the sun lamps glow from the doorway. His eyes landed on both women standing as if guards protecting their fallen warrior. J'onn walked over and the sight alone made both worry and relief flood his features.
"Her system is clear again, but….the lengthy exposure took its toll on her body." Alex spoke quietly. "Her cells are absorbing some of the sun lamps but not much and not as quickly as we had hoped. We had to use Lena's prototype on her, after that bitch had pierced her armor."
"Is this...indefinite?"
"We don't know, but it's not a risk we wanna take J'onn. Her system isn't strong enough to withstand another attack like that." Lena's voice filled his ears and he didn't need to read hers or Alex's minds to know how much their thoughts and bodies were shaking with fear. "They haven't found them an…d..." The three of them heard the door slammed open as an agent rushed in.
"Director Danvers...we have a huge problem! " Alex saw Aaron run up with a tablet in hand that he quickly held out to her. "Don't turn on the sound, I have this on mute and subtitles."
"Alex.." Nia came running in as well along with Alura. "I felt it...something's happened at CATCO…" The Director looked down and her eyes widened at what she saw. All the agents she'd kept at the media building to protect the workers were handing over their guns to another set of men putting coms in their ears to follow orders that weren't her own. Remzi pointed to the corner of the screen where the time showed. This had happened two hours ago and none of them knew. But then it got worse and James appeared and held up a sign with two hands in front of the camera with a smug sick grin on his face. The sign read:
We hold the cards. Drop yours and give up the alien or we release our gift to National City. You have two hours to unlock your doors and surrender or all bets are off. Clock is ticking. Two hours to lay yours down or the games begin..
"Director?" Aaron wasn't sure what they could do and by the look on his boss' face she wasn't sure either. "We can't send any agents there, it will be a trap."
"I know! Dammit…" Alex looked away considering her options. She sent anyone there they'd be taken. If she opened the doors all of the DEO would be done for.
"Director? The clock on the feed changed!" Remzi called tapping on the screen that showed 9 AM and Danvers' eyes widened shaking as another sign was held up making her heart slam to a halt. "It's live!"
Change of mind. Director Danvers will come to CATCO alone. She will be unarmed and surrender. You do this we will let everyone go here including your own people. You have one hour to give up Alex Danvers or two to give up the alien. Your choice, the director will not be allowed to make the choice. Your HUMAN choice.
The feed went dead with Alex giving back the tablet and walking over to her phone unable to stop shaking. J'onn approached her not liking the thoughts running through his Earth daughter's mind.
"Alex…"
"Stay out of there for a moment J'onn. I need to do this." Alex told him tapping the side of head twice to get her point across scrolling her contacts and hitting the call button. She put the phone to her ear hearing the sinister snicker in the man's voice. "I come, they go. Do we ha...ve…"
"Alexandra Danvers, go get your favorite gun from your things if it isn't on you and aim it at the alien that destroyed yours and your father's lives. If it is not in the room with you go get it and tell the monster she will pay for ruining your life and shoo…" The Martian sensed the shift in the woman's thoughts and quickly grabbed the phone from Alex whose body started to sway and breathing grew so very shallow. "Alex?!"
"Shit...Alex!" Lena ran up to the woman hauled back and slapped the Director hard. Alex' head was slammed to the side and she stumbled against the table behind her. "Alex?"
"Why...you hit….m….m...mmme.." Everything went dark her body heavy and she barely heard the screams of her name when silence and unconsciousness took hold of her..
"Secure the rest of the building." James ordered of his men hoping it wouldn't come to shooting any of his employees. So far no one had broken free of his love's hold. His phone buzzed in his pocket retrieving it seeing a picture of him and his beautiful wife on the screen. James answered smiling. "Hi baby."
"I hope you aren't flashing that name around our men my handsome Guardian." He chuckled. "I want you to adjust the time for the Director. She's currently passed out and I'm not sure her status. They might have restrained her given her change of heart. Don't move forward until either the DEO calls and informs you to come in or...Alex walks in that door."
"Need me to send some men in there to get her?" James offered.
"As tempting as that is, not at the moment. Send a text to her phone and tell her times have changed. Put on the message that either she is delivered or two of her agents come there with the key cards for DEO access. They come, run the cards through the scanner. Same rules apply. The alien in two hours or the Director at the door there. The moment the message is received and you see it has been, start the clock."
"You got it...babe." They both chuckled at that. "Everything going alright at base?"
"Just some last minute training exercises and adjustments to the casings. Keep me updated and give me over to Jeremiah." James whistled to the man whom walked over after going over an article with one of the CATCO employees.
"She wants to talk to you. I'm going to prep the sports column and see if my team is still up three points." Jeremiah took the phone as Olsen walked away. He strode away himself to go to office and slowly close the door.
"Everything alright?"
"You have the case with you?"
"I do. I have three of your serums in it, locked with my scan print."
"They might have caged your daughter by my call." Jeremiah's eyes lit up with anger. "Cool your jets, they didn't beat her or anything."
"That wasn't the plan Kayla."
"I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to your daughter. I am keeping that agreement as long as you keep yours. If she walks in the door you will have her detained no matter how you do it, do you understand me?"
"Yes."
"Good boy. No more of your outbursts do you understand me Jeremiah?"
"Yes." He spoke his entire body calm now.
"That's good. Now, your daughter walks in and tries to fight...you will load the vial into the gun I gave you and shoot her with it. I can't have her escaping. She must be pliable whether by force or willing. I won't have you fucking this up. She needs to be on page for our cause Jeremiah."
"She will be. I'll make sure of it."
"Good. Now, have my Guardian roll up his sleeve and take another injection. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Keep him by your side in ALL measures." Jeremiah nodded as the line went dead as he sat down the man's phone on the table. He reached up pulling the silver pen from one of his black vest pockets clicking the top of it three times to stir up the contents.
"Time to give Guardian his medicine…"