A/N: Hey y'all! Last chapter was super small, and I'm sorry about that! But if I didn't stop there, the chapter would have ended at like 20K words. This chapter is going to be longer and going to include a lot of Oliver and Kara in it. I always thought it was an interesting dynamic between two people that I believe don't have a romantic bond but one of just friendship. Especially since they are so different. I wanted to explore it, and so we will have the two groups of people separated for a little bit, but after that we will have a little time for Kara and Barry. Next chapter will have more of how our other group will be handling the situation. I had someone ask me if I was going to have Mon-El come back sometime, and all I can say to that is that I have something in mind. A lot of what you guys ask me I already have thought about and plan to do in the future. So, I have an idea for Mon-El in the future, don't worry. I had another person want me to show more overprotective Barry, and I plan to incorporate some of those scenes. This story has been really fast and to the point, but there will be some time to cool down and develop characters, I promise. But now to get back to the story! I hope y'all enjoy! Please comment because I really enjoy listening to what you have to say, and I truly do try to incorporate some of your ideas into the story.
Chapter 11
"Oliver, I swear if you keep complaining I will throw you there and then you can finally stop grumbling because you'll be dead," Kara threatened, tired of Oliver's constant suggestions and quips.
"I'm not complaining, Kara. I'm just not a fan of being carried almost one thousand feet in the air at high speeds," Oliver explained, trying to keep himself from throwing up.
"We will be there in a second! You insisted on me going slower than usual, so it will take us a little longer to reach Star City. Tony dropped us off right outside Central City, and since you practically ordered me to your Arrow Cave or whatever, we couldn't stop to say hi to Joe or Wally and get a van."
Oliver sighed. "Fine."
Kara's eyes softened. "Are you at least glad to be back on your earth?"
"Yes. I'm glad to be back on my earth, Kara."
"Barry told me you're the Mayor of Star City. How are there not search parties set up to find you?"
"I've taken personal time. My deputy mayor has assumed my duties while I'm gone"
Kara nodded. "Okayy." The two landed behind Oliver's previous campaigning office and walked through the doors. Kara examined the room as Oliver hurried over to access the hidden elevator. Gasping as it opened up, Kara rushed over to him, smiling.
"This is so cool," she whispered as the doors closed and it shifted downwards.
Less than two seconds later, the doors reopened, and Kara jerked away as a fist slowly made its way to her face. She stumbled backwards a little bit before slowly lighting her eyes up in response to the sudden attack. Oliver pressed his arm against her chest to keep her from incinerating the man in front of them while the other was held out to stop the man from advancing any further.
"Hey! Hey! Kara, calm down! It's just Dig!" Oliver yelled at her.
Her eyes immediately dimmed to their regular bright blue color and she squinted her face in embarrassment. "Dig? Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!"
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "It's alright, Kara. I guess we both scared each other a little bit."
Kara saw Felicity walking up behind him and moved to give her a hug as well. "Kara? I didn't expect to see you here so soon! I mean, weren't you just tortured and shot?" Her eyes widened as she realized what she just said. "Oh! I didn't mean it like that. Well, you did get shot and tortured, but you heal fast! Except when there's Kryptonite. Which there's not any here so you don't have to worry." She grimaced and pressed her palm to her forehead. Turning on her heels she mumbled to herself and went back to the computers.
Kara grinned at Oliver. "Glad to see Felicity is still the same."
"Kara!" Both turned to see Thea Queen walking towards them, embracing Kara and then her older brother. "I was so worried about you, Kara! I thought you were dead!" Her eyebrows furrowed as her brain raced through the various things she had heard. "Wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be on your earth? You know, recovering?" she asked Kara.
"Yeah. Should be. Except we had a psycho who plopped us here and vanished."
Oliver nodded. "I've been thinking a lot about it, and I think that we've thought about this all wrong."
"What do you mean?" Thea asked, very confused about what both of them were talking about.
The five of them sat down while Oliver and Kara brought them up to speed on everything that had happened so far. Team Arrow, minus Dinah, Rene, and Curtis, were amazed at what they missed in such a short period of time.
"So what were you saying, Ollie? About thinking about things all wrong?" Thea asked, remembering her brother's interjection.
"I think that Woodward wasn't actually brought back to life. He and Simmons are doppelgangers of the same people on this earth"
Kara tilted her head at the man. "You're right. He said that it was 'good to be back on his earth again'. Well that means they obviously have a breacher on their team."
Oliver nodded. "And they aren't stupid. They know Cisco can jump dimensions so either they got rid of any evidence that we were thrown here, or they are blocking them from rescuing us. Either way we have to assume that they aren't going to open a breach to bring us back there." He turned to Dig and Felicity.
"Have you heard from Wally? Is he fast enough to open a breach?"
They shook their heads. "Last I heard, he wasn't even able to phase until a couple months ago. I doubt he can hop dimensions. I think Cisco was developing a Tachyon device to place in his suit like Barry, but he's on Earth-38 right now, so he can't help us," Felicity responded, worry creasing in her face.
"Who is on this earth?" Kara asked. "I mean, a lot of people crossed over to help me, so who's actually here?"
"Flash's team has Wally, Wells, Tracy, and Joe. We have Rene, Dinah, Curtis, and I'm sure we can count on Nyssa. The Legends have Mick, Nate, and Amaya," Dig listed off.
Oliver pressed his hand to his chin, thinking about the long conversations that he and Bruce had while Kara recovered. Their attack against the Dominators showed the potential they had when they worked together, all teams combining into one superpower. It was an amazing accomplishment to rid the earth of the aliens that wanted to destroy it, and Oliver knew there was no way one individual team could have pulled it off and won. It required all of them. Oliver had talked with Barry and they had made plans to transform the airplane hangar into a massive headquarters for superheroes around the world. Cisco had developed a form of interdimensional communication and travel for Kara and was certain he could create something of a greater magnitude for both HQs. Oliver had started out his mission alone, but he realized it was a fool's errand. There was no way he could have made a significant difference without the help of Felicity and Diggle. The time for pride and separate teams would have to pass. The only real way to compete against their new foe was to do it together.
"I need to make a few calls. Dig, can you take Kara and talk to Wells. I want to know if he has any ideas how to get off this earth."
Dig nodded and both people exited from the room leaving Felicity and Thea alone with Oliver. He was already punching numbers into his phone, calling everyone he knew to pitch the idea to them. Felicity stood and slipped her arm around his waist as he slammed his phone on the table.
"Oliver! Calm down! We will figure this out and get Kara back to her earth."
"It's not just that, Felicity. I can't help but feel as though something is heading our way. Compared to Earth-38, we are severely underhanded. Nate, Wally, and Amaya aren't as experienced in the field as I am or even as Kara and Barry are. I can't count on them to have my back because I don't know how they operate. I trust my team, and I trust Kara. Something is coming our way and we don't have Barry, Cisco, or even Kara's cousin. We don't have a lot of superhuman help, and we don't have the geniuses we've counted on before."
"You're selling us short, Ollie." Thea stood and walked in front of her brother, her arms crossed. "We have a good team. I don't know much about this Wally West, but from what I've heard, he's almost as fast as Barry."
"But he's cocky," Oliver countered. "He doesn't have the hard experience. He's a kid. It took Barry a year before he finally started casing the scenes and checking his environment. We need to move quickly. Get everyone on the same page before we're caught off guard."
Felicity nodded, sensing the urgency in his words. She couldn't help but feel as though he was being a little paranoid, but she trusted him and his judgement. She was aware she hadn't been there for everything that had happened and knew that there were things she probably missed. Everyone was in danger from a threat greater than they had faced before, she had picked up on that. Bigger than Darhk, Savitar, and the Dominators. They had to be ready or else someone was going to die.
"While Dig and Kara talk to Team Flash, we should see what we can do with the hangar. I'm sure I can get some state of the art tech to place in it. We can modify it and get it ready for whatever you envision, Oliver."
Thea squinted. "What would you call it?"
Oliver shrugged. "I don't know. It's some kind of team to help keep watch."
"That's a terrible name, Oliver," Felicity said bluntly. "How about the Arrow Legends of SuperFlash?"
Thea laughed. "If those are the two choices, I choose Ollie's. Come on. We need a serious name."
"Are you really concerned about a name right now?" Oliver asked.
"Shush. Thea's on to something. I don't think we should use the word team. If we are combining Team Arrow, Legends, Flash, and Supergirl, it shouldn't be just a team. It's bigger than that."
"You're right. I guess it should some sort of a…league I guess," Thea said.
Oliver grabbed their arms. "League? Really?" He arched his eyebrow at her. "Sure and we can go out for pizza and ice cream after each game. You two can discuss it later. We need to get to the hangar."
S.T.A.R. Labs
John Diggle turned around, sprinting to the nearest trashcan. Sticking his face practically in it, he threw up everything that had used to occupy his stomach. Kara grimaced from the side, vowing to take a car or truck next time they needed to go somewhere.
"You okay, Dig?" She asked hesitantly.
"I'm fine! I'm not used to it, that's all." Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he straightened and walked into S.T.A.R. labs, Kara trailing behind him.
A single gunshot rang out and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Kara saw the bullets in the air, streaking towards her and Diggle, and she gasped. Moving quickly, she reached out her hand, grabbing the bullets out of the air before they could connect with anything. She turned to look at the offender, seeing a sheepish Joe lowering his gun.
"Rao! What is it with you guys! Do you look before shooting and punching?" she accused as Diggle spun around, trying to understand what just happened.
"Kara? I'm so sorry! I'm not used to seeing you without the suit. Where's Barry?" he asked, looking around, expecting to see him pop around the corner.
"Funny story. We need to talk. Who's here?"
"Harry, Wally, Iris and Tracy," he answered.
Kara's faced paled. "Iris?" she repeated.
Barry and her had spent many nights talking. Discussing their lives and their previous relationships, both knowing that they really only had one steady. Their run in with the infamous Music Meister had shown them how important it was to love, but they were with different people then. Kara admitted she felt a little jealous competing against the woman who was previously Barry's fiancée no matter how much Barry tried to convince her otherwise. Their love lives had been messy and dramatic, but they both knew that what they felt between each other was stronger than anything they had felt for anyone else before. They knew exactly how the other one felt.
The 'other one' most definitely not being Iris West. Kara trusted Barry and how he felt, but throwing his ex-fiancée in the mix without having Barry by her side was a situation she thought she could avoid forever. They lived on separate earths. It was a cruel punishment for her to have to undergo the obviously painful conversation that the two were bound to have in the next few days. She wished she could have popped back to Earth-38 as fast as she had come, but it was a relief that Iris didn't know Barry and her were dating.
Plastering a fake smile on her face, she strode into the familiar room, making eye contact with each person. Her face fell on Iris and saw the surprised look that graced her before she could compose her features. The group circled around Dig and Kara, waiting for the long explanation that was about to happen.
Team Flash wished they could have been surprised by what the two told them, but the past few years had proven that the impossible wasn't really impossible. It was only fitting that after three years of psychotic villains, another one would enter more powerful than all the ones before. They listened as Kara recounted everything that had happened, wanting to slam their faced on the computers in front of them. They wished for the old days, catching metahumans and imprisoning them. They didn't want the serial killers and intelligent masterminds that thought a billion steps ahead. It was almost as if Star City and Central City had combined to make an altogether new type of villain.
"I'm sorry, Kara," Wally offered, feeling unrealistically guilty at not being able to get her back to her earth. Wally had begun to catch a glimpse at the motivation behind Barry's constant need to get faster. Being fast was a miracle and allowed him to do so many things, but he was still baffled that despite these amazing powers, he was still helpless to do certain things.
"It's alright, Wally. We'll find another way."
"Besides," Dig started, "I doubt they don't have things in place that would block you from Earth-38. They've been five steps ahead of us at each turn."
Kara turned to Harry. "Is that possible to block breachers?"
Harry stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, breaches are opened by tapping into a certain frequency and vibrational pattern. It's how we were able to stop people from a different earth because the people match that vibration. You, Ms. Danvers, vibrate at a different frequency than everyone in this room. Some vibrations are easier to reach than others, so in theory, you could create a device that moves fast enough to scramble the vibrational pattern, making it harder to access and impossible to create a breach without the correct frequency. It uses the same mechanics of how Allen was able to phase a train through a solid object."
"So all the guys have to do is destroy the device and then they are able to take Kara back?" Dig summarized, his head whirling from the new information.
Harry nodded. "In theory."
Kara's mind thought over what Harry had told her, something a little off. Many people had underestimated her skill set, assuming that she was merely the muscle on the team. It had been a fine assumption that she never bothered to correct because she was constantly surrounded by geniuses that got the job done, but she couldn't settle for playing dumb anymore. They were up against someone they didn't know and who was smarter in almost every way. The truth was, Kryptonians were an advanced civilization hundreds and hundreds of years ahead of all the earths she had visited. They were naturally smarter than humans, and it was a fact she had tried to suppress, not wanting to embarrass any of her friends. She still didn't, but she wasn't satisfied with letting them take their time anymore. She needed to step up.
"I agree with you, Harry, but that would mean that Cisco would still be able to travel to Earth-1. There has to be another device on this earth that is masking the vibrations here too. We may not be able to get to my earth, but we can try and pave the way for them to come here. A device with that much power to mask a whole earth would require a big power source. Barry told me you had taken a power source form the Dominators for a gun Cisco created. Is it possible they might have something similar because for a device of that magnitude it would need a power source that can handle interdimensional strains. We could probably pinpoint its location by scanning for slight breaches that would have to be opening and closing to create a tension and release for the device's vibrational masking. There would also be leftover electrical and tachyonic residue to track. The device would need to be near the equator to have the best chance at spreading across the globe, so we should start looking there for electrical disturbances."
The silence in the room made her shift as she squirmed where she was standing. The group stared at her through new eyes, and she was reminded why she had hidden her intellect in the first place.
From their first encounter with her against the Dominators, they had seen her take a back seat to Barry and Oliver when leading the charge. She was content following orders from the people she trusted. It was disconcerting hearing her speak up and think past the ingrained hit first think later attitude that she had seemed to adopt during their first big fight. They were aware she wasn't stupid, but they were caught off guard by the sudden brilliance that she had just displayed. Harry was the first one to respond, grabbing a pad and pen to scribble down numbers. He looked up at her, astonished.
"You're absolutely right, Ms. Danvers." He pointed to Tracy whose eyes had not strayed from the blonde's. She was impressed by this new beautiful woman who she had never met before. She had caught a few phrases here and there about this mystery woman, and judging by the warm greeting she received, Tracy assumed she was well liked, but it was the bright smile and kind eyes that had made her immediately like her.
"Tracy, can you create an algorithm that scans the area near the west of Africa for electrical bursts or drains from the main city?" She nodded and scurried out of the room to a private computer where she could work in silence.
"Wow, Kara. I didn't know that you knew all of that," Iris said, taken aback and slightly jealous.
This woman had blown her away since the first moment she saw her fly. It was astounding listening to Barry name each and every power that the mysterious alien had. Now to add another layer of brilliance made Iris green with envy. She and Barry had mutually broken off the engagement, and she was confused on why she was felt so defensive against the blonde. No matter, she hadn't visited Kara's earth and it was slightly comforting for her, even if a little petty, knowing that Barry hadn't moved on, especially with this perfect woman. Kara was at least with Mon-El.
Kara looked down, smiling sheepishly and waving off the compliment. "Yeah. A lot of people don't know. I prefer being out in the field."
Harry raised his eyebrow at her. "Of course, but you really are quite brilliant."
"Thank you, Harry. By what Barry tells me, that's quite the compliment coming from you."
Dig coughed, trying to draw everyone's attention back to the problem. "Okay, so once Tracy gets a lock on their location we will destroy the device and let Cisco take you back home, right?"
"Yeah," Wally started, "How would we destroy something that big?"
"I don't know about you, but I plan to start with punching," Kara responded, itching to get off this earth and as far away as she could from Iris. She took a deep breath, realizing she was being immature in this situation. Iris hadn't been rude, and she wouldn't either.
Harry held up a hand. "As much as that works in your world, Ms. Danvers, I think we should think through this a little more."
"He's right," Dig agreed. "They could have security measure in place. It's possible that they have a trigger that could self-destruct the place if hit."
"Okay," Kara said, understanding the logic. "Once we figure out where they are we should have Felicity hack their servers and see if she can get the blueprints or a general layout of what the place is like."
"Yeah. We don't know how long it will take Tracy to create an algorithm and then for it to search the area, so do you have a place to stay for a while?" Joe asked.
"No, but I figured I would stay with Thea or Felicity if I needed to."
"Hey, you could stay at Barry's place," Iris offered.
"Really?" Kara questioned, surprised that Iris would be the one to suggest Barry's apartment.
"Of course. I've been living with dad until I could find my own place, but I'm sure Barry wouldn't mind you staying there," Iris explained.
"Thank you," Kara responded, her mind drifting to Barry.
She was furious that after all she had been through she couldn't catch a break to just stay with Barry. They had spent nearly every moment together after the kiss, and she felt like she was finally getting everything she wanted. It was a dangerous place to be. Kara remembered the feeling and what had happened afterwards. She got what she wanted and then something came along to tear it all away from her. She desperately wanted to be able to have everything: the perfect family, boyfriend, job, and being able to save people at the same time, but it was a reality that she caught a glimpse of before it disintegrated into pieces the first time.
She sighed. She couldn't get off this earth fast enough.
S.T.A.R. Labs Hall
"Wow, Ollie. This place is filthy!" Thea stepped over a pile of boxes from the side and leaned down. She wiped her finger across the pole on top of it, her finger coming away with a coat of dust. She shook her hand out, shaking the dust off and was thrown into a coughing fit.
"Really. What-uh-what happened after we used this thing?" Felicity asked, tapping the monitors. "At least we still have these. I forgot to take them back after little team-up."
"We left. Our teams had people to worry about, and we didn't have time to clean or fix it up," Oliver said, admitting to himself that this place was less than suitable as a base of operations.
Thea crouched near a box and opened it up. "Wow. Felicity come here."
Felicity abandoned the computers and strode over to where Thea was. She whistled, staring at the contents of the box. Thea opened another one, containing similar equipment.
"There's some serious computer power here," Felicity exclaimed. "It must be the stuff that was in here before it turned into a wasteland. Wells must have not have had the time to clear all of this out. Probably too busy trying to kill Barry, I guess. It's not new by S.T.A.R labs standards but it is ahead of anything you can buy at a store. We can do some serious work with these things."
"Hey, there's some microscopes and lab stuff in this box!" Thea called.
"We need to get this place up and running as soon as we can. We can set up the main area as a mission briefing section. There's plenty of empty offices and desks set up that we can use. Bruce had a conference room for the main members of the team. I want something similar. Once Cisco gets back he can create a bigger version of the interdimensional—"
"—extrapolator," Felicity finished.
"And we can establish a form of travel between both earths. Felicity, you designed our last—"
"—Arrow Cave," Thea added.
Oliver closed his eyes and sighed. "Do you think you could create a layout of how this place should be built?"
"Well, I guess I could. I had Cisco's help last time, but I can ask Curtis to help instead. We already have most of the equipment we would want here, so we shouldn't have to use much money. Which is great since pretty much all of us don't have a job."
Thea smiled and bit her lip. "About that. I actually have a job now."
Oliver quickly turned to look at her, pleasantly surprised that she was able to find work after the fiasco of being his Chief of Staff. "Really?"
"Yeah. Merlyn Global Group reached out to me years ago about the inheritance of the company. Apparently Malcolm had changed his will to give me his company after he faked his death. I didn't want anything to do with the company at the time so I appointed someone over it and told them to take my personal profits and give it back to the company. After Malcolm died on the island, I realized that I could do so much good with his company. I could make it how I wanted it to be without all of the horrible things that Malcolm had used it for. I found a way to atone for my actions as Chief of Staff, so I relieved the acting C.E.O of her job, and I have been working there for the past couple of months. The profits the company has pulled in is amazing."
The two of them stared at the short haired brunette in front of them, surprised and proud of her.
"Wow, Thea. That's amazing!" Felicity exclaimed, pulling her friend into a hug.
"Thank you, Felicity. I'm going to rename the company Queen Industries. I thought it would be poetic to come full circle."
Oliver smiled. "Not Queen Consolidated?"
"Nope. I didn't it want to be the same. I want it to be a little different. Dad and Malcolm did a lot of horrible things with both of their companies. I don't need to have that brandished on the side of the building. I'm going to run this differently with more integrity."
Oliver stepped to his sister and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm proud of you, Speedy. You're going to do better than Dad and I ever did."
Thea smiled and turned to Felicity. "I also have something to propose to you."
"Me?" she asked, pointing to herself skeptically.
"I realize you don't have a job right now. How would you like to be the Head of the Applied Science Division? The salary is great. It's about 63,000 a year. You would oversee the projects, drugs being developed, manage the people, and even get some hands on work on some of the projects if you'd like. Also if you could ask Curtis, you could tell him I have a position as the office manager for him? It pays 56,000 a year. His job is similar to yours, but he reports to you. He's just in charge of the projects mostly. He decides who works on what and is responsible for making sure they get done. I thought you two could work on replicating the bio stimulant in your back. We could perfect the technology and start getting them into the hands of the people in a couple years."
Oliver and Felicity exchanged a look. Thea had definitely found her way. She had veered off into a dangerous place as a politician, and they were both glad she had quit that job. They knew that she had thrived managing Verdant and felt as though she was going back to her roots. She had a talent for running businesses, making much more money than Oliver ever did running the nightclub. For him it was just a front, but for Thea she had shown she enjoyed the work. Quitting Team Arrow was a wise choice for her, and they both saw that she couldn't go out nights to beat up criminals and then run a successful company at the same time.
Felicity's mouth closed, and she rushed to give Thea another hug. "Of course I accept the job! Thank you, Thea!"
Thea smiled. "Anything for a friend. So with the profits I make with the company, I'm sure I can use some money to help fix this place up."
"You're going to use the company's money to fix a S.T.A.R Labs facility? I'm not sure the board will be pleased with that," Oliver said.
"No, Oliver. I forgot to mention, but I make a lot of money now. I'll use some of my money to help you guys out. Consider it a loan to the poor."
Oliver threw his arm around his sister. "Thanks, Speedy." He turned to Felicity. "With Thea's money and Curtis's help, how long do you think it will take to get his place ready?"
Felicity pursed her lips. "I don't know. If we can get Wally's help, then I'd say two weeks."
Oliver nodded. "I'll talk to him and see if I can get him to help. We need this ready before they hit us again."
Thea pulled away and grinned at Felicity. "They. We need a good name for this group of terrorizing villains too."
"Yeah. Cisco doesn't have to name everything," Felicity reasoned.
One of the monitors Felicity had turned on popped up a video of a case that was streamed throughout the nation. A company was responsible for a missing test pilot that had been employed by them, but the pilot crashed and was almost killed. The company under the co-management of a Conrad Bloch was denying responsibility for the crash, blaming the pilot's skills. The case had been taken to court by the other founder's daughter who was friends with the pilot. She was ordering that the company be shut down despite her father having a stake in it. The pilot was recently found alive, and the defense attorney was skirting any punishment the company might otherwise get by throwing that fact in the prosecutor's face. The trial was starting to lean towards the defense, and the group was disgusted.
Felicity stalked over towards the keyboard and shut off the monitor. "That is just awful. I can't believe people like that actually make it out of the court without having to pay for their actions."
Thea nodded. "Yeah. It's a gross miscarriage of justice in the court system."
"That's why we do what we do. To make sure people like that don't escape justice," Oliver stated, feeling sick to his stomach at the people who were in charge of the aircraft company.
Thea and Felicity locked eyes and smiled. "Oliver, that's it!"
"What?"
"League of Justice! We should be the League of Justice," Thea yelled, practically jumping.
He shook his head. "You amaze me. We'll talk about it later. For now, let's get this place ready."
Earth-38, Metropolis
Lex Luthor sat in front of his mother, his fingers interlocked and his elbows resting on the table between them. He had a plan in mind, executing it perfectly, and his mother was the one to screw it up. It was frustrating, and he didn't have time for mistakes or half-done jobs. His employer was serious, supplying them with advanced tech to help complete their jobs. It was baffling how they even managed to screw up in the first place.
The plan was simple. Get the blood. Complete the experiment. Get rid of Supergirl and take out the others slowly. He had people on the other side taking care of the Earth-1 heroes, but they misjudged and now the superheroes were combined. They were taking a page out of their book and forming a strong team full of every superhero the world had ever seen.
The contingencies were in place for a reason, and by a miracle, Lex was still able to control the situation. He had Woodward separate them into two groups and block their dimension traveling. They needed to strike quickly, but the stupid scientists were working too slow. They hadn't finished the experiment that was supposed to get rid of Supergirl, and it was delaying their efforts. He wasn't worried about Superman. The man fought predictably. He wasn't willing to make sacrifices. He was selfish, and that was a weakness they could exploit. Supergirl on the other hand was willing to make the hard decisions when it was between her happiness and the worlds. It's what made her dangerous. They couldn't beat her. She was stronger than Superman, their battle in national city proved that. Her knowledge of Kryptonian sciences and fighting techniques made her a formidable foe. It was a challenge, and Lex never strayed from a challenge. He had been bested by Superman before, but he was stronger now. Strong enough to take on Supergirl. His new employer had seen to it to make him and Max stronger, better than they were before.
Now, sitting in front of his mother he had choices to make. She had failed him, and it was unacceptable. He had been cleaning up her messes since the beginning of this endeavor. It was a time sensitive mission, and the consequences of failing were dire.
"Lex, are you just going to stare at me?" Lillian questioned, slightly unnerved at how their relationship had shifted.
"You have failed your job and your nanobots were a complete and utter embarrassment. I trusted you when you said Maxwell Lord knew what he was doing, but now I feel as though I should not have. You could not even manage to kill her. Not to mention she is almost perfectly fine, and her team is quickly organizing. If they finish their efforts, we might not stand a chance and you know it will not be pleased. We have a lot riding on the success of this mission. I need you to recruit Lena into this. She will be most helpful in the success of the experiments.
Lillian shook her head violently, fearing for her daughter. She had attempted to trick Lena into joining some of her nefarious exploits, but Lena could not take part in this. It was far too dangerous. Lillian was finding she no longer wanted to take part.
"No, Lex. We are on Experiment 11. It will be done in two weeks. We're getting closer each day. We do not need to bring Lena into this. The experiment will be finished, and it will take care of Supergirl. The rest will be easy to eradicate. Superman will not be a problem. He is reckless and rushes in head first. We have equipment made especially for the Flash and his friends. It will be an easy takedown. Trust me, Lex."
Lex slammed his hands on the desk in front of him, making the contents jump. "I have trusted you! You have done nothing correctly!"
Lillian flinched and straightened. "I think you have forgotten who is in charge. I am your mother and you—"
"No! I am in charge! You will listen and you will get the job done!" Lex yelled.
He pressed a button on the side of his computer. A few seconds later a man was shoved through the door, landing on his knees. He was bound by his hands and feet. The man fell to his side and squirmed trying to get upright again. He screams were muffled by the rope tied around his mouth as his eyes tracked Lex Luthor approaching him, a nine millimeter glock in his right hand.
Lillian turned in her chair, looking at her son as he pressed the gun to the man's forehead.
"Do you remember who this is, Lillian?" Lex asked, wrapping his finger around the trigger.
"Yes, of course. That man is the head of the experiment," she answered, barely hiding her nervousness.
"Good," Lex stated. His finger squeezed the trigger. The man yelped before falling to the ground, red pooling around his head. Lillian flinched at the noise and turned away from the crimson red that was quickly staining the ground.
Lex Luthor grabbed the handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the blood from his hand, returning to his seat in front of his mother. He leaned forward, his forearms resting on the desk. His eyes were calm and connected, showing no fear.
"He was in charge of the project and failed. He paid for it with his life. You are my mother, but that does not mean you will not be punished. Remember this as you continue. Now you need a new head for the project. Get Lena. I want her to lead it," Lex commanded.
Lillian swallowed her pride, feeling a deep fear for the first time in a long time. She stood and walked to the door, her hand on the handle.
"And, Lillian?" She turned. "Remind your workers of what happened today. I suggest you use your resources to best benefit you. Volcana, Livewire, Scarecrow, Reactron, Scudder, Mardon, and Girder. They were freed and are at your disposal. Unfortunately, Joker has refused to work with us, so afterwards you need to dispose of him as well."
Lillian nodded and left the room. She didn't know what to do or who to go to. She wanted out, and she wanted to leave with her daughter. It was one thing to be in charge of just Cadmus and then another to be bossed around by her own son. The tables had switched on her, and she didn't like how it felt. Lines would be drawn, and she wasn't sure which side she wanted to be on. Her interests and the employers had aligned, but the more time she spent with them, the more she felt like she was preparing her for her own funeral. She hated to drag Lena into this mess with the employer, but she didn't have a choice. It was this or death. She knew exactly how to get Lena to work with her. She needed to do this. For the family.