"You know, when you said you had a job for me tonight, this is not what I pictured," Cassie says, deflecting bullets off her cuffs.
"And what did you picture?" Barbara responds in her ear.
"I don't know, something a little more … challenging?" In one quick motion she takes the guns of both robbers and hits them hard enough they both fall unconscious. "Bank robberies are too easy. Leave it to Kid Flash or Beast Boy."
"You were the only one available, Cass. Besides that too you like two minutes. The cops are on their way- hang on, I'm getting another call."
Cassie sighs and flies away as she sees cop cars and sirens arrive on scene. The last big battle she was a part of was when Kryptonians in the Phantom Zone tried to attack the planet. That was the last time she got her hands dirty, and she didn't even do that much. That's the downside of being part of the Outsiders, when there is a big fight, the Justice League are the ones who get called.
"Cass, I need you to head to Gotham, everyone on the Team is on their way," Barbara says in her ear.
"You mean the Outsiders or the Team?"
"The Team. Try to stay hidden."
So this was serious then. "Tell Dick I'll be there in ten."
She arrives to see… something. There's two girls flying over the city. That's when she remembers Babs's warning to stay hidden. Cassie immediately lands on the ground. "What the-"
"Wonder Girl," someone whispers. She turns to see Dick and Artemis in an alley.
"What's going on?"
"You saw Mary?" Dick asks.
"Mary? Mary Bromfield? Is that who's flying around up there?"
He nods. "Artemis and I are tailing her, trying to figure out who she's with. We don't know what they want."
The last Cassie heard of Mary she had had a falling out with Zatanna and left. No one had any clue where. She just… disappeared.
"Oracle said the rest of the team was on their way. Forgive me if I'm wrong but couldn't you just ask Mary what she's doing back?"
"She and Zatanna didn't exactly leave off on the best of terms," Artemis starts. "We need to be tactical about how we approach her."
"Especially if her little friend is less than nice," Dick adds. They move through the shadows.
"So why tail them? Why not just monitor them on a satellite. And why call the entire team? And why aren't they here yet?"
"They all had their own assignments," Dick begins. He narrows his eyes. "Zatanna thinks Mary's intentions might be less than good. She wants power, respect. And there heading in the direction of S.T.A.R. Labs."
"What's in S.T.A.R. Labs?"
"It's where the Mother Box used to be," Artemis answers. "Victor has it now, but Mary doesn't know that. If that's what they're after, we're going to need the whole team."
A voice suddenly appears in Cassie's head. Can everyone hear me?
There are a bunch of telepathic 'yeses' then M'gann begins speaking.
Zatanna, Beast Boy, Kid Flash, and I are all at S.T.A.R. Labs. No sign of Mary or her friend yet.
Did anyone get a good look at her blonde friend? Jaime asks. Another Lady Shazam?
Not possible, Zatanna replies.
Definitely not a Martian, M'gann confirms.
Or an Amazon, Cassie adds.
The guessing game is pointless, Dick cuts in. There are a million reasons why that girl could fly. Right now we need to find out why they're heading to S.T.A.R. Labs and if they can be reasoned with. Who else is on their way?
Beetle and Robin, and I are on our way right now, Conner says.
Good. I'm almost there with Artemis and Cassie.
Ten against two, Garfield exclaims, I like our odds if things go south.
Let's hope it doesn't come to that, says Zatanna.
The next five minutes happen in a blur. Everyone arrives at S.T.A.R. Labs, but before Zatanna gets the chance to approach Mary, a security guard is thrown across a room by her blonde friend and before she knows it, a full blown fight breaks out.
"Mary!" Zatanna calls. "Please, just talk to me."
"I have nothing to say to you," Mary says angrily. I hear her say quietly, "We have to go."
"The Mother Box-" the blonde one says.
"It's not here! This was a waste. We have to leave now!" Mary shoots a blast of lightning at Zatanna who shouts, "Tcerider!" and watches the lightning bounce back at Mary.
"You're not going anywhere," Dick announces. He goes for the blonde one and that's when he notices what she's wearing. Her outfit is mostly black, she's wearing long sleeves, a skirt, and a red cape, but on her chest is the same symbol Superman and Conner wear. The symbol of the House of El.
"Crap," Dick says before getting punched across the room. This girl isn't a Martian, Amazon, or Shazam. She's a Kryptonian.
Soon enough, everyone is giving it their all, going after the Kryptonian. She quickly takes Artemis and Tim out of the equation, skilled as they are, being thrust into a wall at lightning speed is enough to knock out any human.
Kid Flash is running circles around her, she reaches out and grabs his throat. Before she can start squeezing though, she collapses on the ground, screaming. I realize M'gann is trying to get inside her head.
Cassie, Bart, and Garfield charge at the Kryptonian, attempting to restrain her while M'gann puts her to sleep. Mary is too busy fighting Zatanna to help her.
"Her mind is … strong," M'gann shouts. The Kryptonian opens her eyes and lasers shoot out of them directly towards M'gann. She phases through them, but it becomes clear she's no longer in the Kryptonian's mind. Before M'gann can attempt to fight back, the Kryptonian lights a fire around her.
"Martian," the Kryptonian mutters. She quickly throws Cassie, Garfield, and Bart off of her.
"How the hell are we supposed to fight someone stronger and faster than us?" Cassie shouts.
"Where the hell is a kryptonite bullet when you need one?" Jaime says. His scarab is in control. A giant blast of energy rains down on the Kryptonian from Jaime's suit, but the only thing it manages is slightly damaging her clothing.
Beetle, Wonder Girl, go high, Dick announces in their minds. Flash, Beast Boy, come from either side. Superboy, feel free to jump in at any point.
Dick's plan does nothing. She ripped Jaime's blasters from his suit, broke Bart's leg, and launched Garfield through seven walls.
Before she can do anymore damage, she lays eyes on Conner for the first time. On his chest. If she was angry before, she's livid now. In the blink of an eye, she races across the room and grabs Conner by the hem of his shirt. She shoots up into the sky and punches him so hard the soundwave shakes the building.
This distracts Mary from Zatanna. "Crap." She shoots up into the sky. "Kara!" she calls.
After getting a few good punches in, the Kryptonian - Kara, Cassie assumes - finally speaks.
"Who are you? Why do you wear that symbol?" she demands.
"I could ask you the same thing," Conner says. Cassie flies up there. Conner might have a chance if they were on the ground. Or if he could fly.
Kara punches him harder, then catches him and slams him into the street. A giant crater is now engraved in the middle of the road. "You will answer me!"
Her foot is stomped firmly on his throat and her eyes are glowing red. Finally, Conner speaks.
"I'm Kon-El," he says. "Half Kryptonian, half human."
This angers Kara. "Impossible. There was no Kon-El in the House of El." She picks him up by the neck, and for the first time, Cassie sees Conner bleed. "There was Zor-El." One punch. "Jor-El." Two punches. "Nim-El." Three punches. "And Kal-El." Heat vision. Conner coughs up blood.
"You know Kal-El?" Conner asks, fighting for breath.
"Kal-El is dead. Everyone in the House of El is dead. All except me. You have no business wearing that symbol on your chest."
Cassie launches herself into Kara. "Hands off, blondie."
Mary lands beside Kara. "Now is the time to leave."
"Der thgilnus!" Zatanna shouts as red sunlight shoots from her hand. The Kryptonian dodges this, however. Her hand soon wrapped around Zatanna's throat so she can't speak. Kara turns to face Conner. "Kryptonians are dead. You will soon join them." Her eyes begin to glow before Conner says, "Kal-El is alive."
This leads Kara to let go of Zatanna. All her attention is on Conner now. "I can take you to him. Just stop fighting us."
"They're lying, Kara. We have to leave now," Mary says. "The Mother Box isn't here. We are supposed to be on Vidan. We can still go and make sure everything is going as planned before Barda finds out we came to Earth."
Kara doesn't move.
"Kara! You said you were loyal!" Mary is screaming now. "Prove it! Right now. Let's go to Vidan. Don't let them be right about you."
Kara looks at Mary then back at Conner. She takes a fistful of his shirt then rips it off his chest. She's holding the fabric with the 'S' in her hand. Finally, she walks to Mary. The two shoot up into the sky and disappear.
"Goddammit!" Cassie shouts as the needle pokes through her skin. "I swear to God when I see either of those girls again-"
"They took down all of us," Garfield says. "How the hell did she manage that? Conner isn't that strong. No offense." Conner is silent, holding M'gann's hand while she sleeps, still recovering from the flames.
"Conner's half human," Dick answers.
"Yeah, but Superman-"
"Holds back a lot. She didn't. Plus it's clear she's been trained. She knows how to use her powers"
"Kara," Cassie says.
"What?" asks Gar.
"The Kryptonian. Mary said her name is Kara."
"I don't care what her name is. The next time I see her-"
"Kara…" Conner interrupts.
"What, she says she's part of your family and now you're ready to hug and make up? Did you see what she did to M'gann?"
"When I was in the Phantom Zone, Zod said Zor-El had a daughter. She said Zor-El was part of the House of El."
"You think Kara is Zor-El's daughter?" Dick asks.
"Great," Artemis joins in. "Now time to let Superman know he has a crazy murderous family member on the loose trying to steal a Mother Box."
Conner stands up. "I need to talk to my brother."
