Chapter Text
The DEO is quiet as Kara glances up from peering over Winn's shoulder at the demo of a new supersuit fabric. Their discussion of it finished, her attention is again caught by the big screen above them showing an image of the mysterious ship that has been hovering over Earth for the past three days. No one knows why it's here and it hasn't shown any inclination to give up its secrets. Diplomatic communications from a coalition of governments have been sent out to make contact and all agencies with a role in planetary defense have been put on stand-by - and also on notice to stay out of things for now.
She and Winn have been keeping vigil around his cube in the DEO since the ship appeared, with occasional visits by J'onn, Alex, and a few other agents checking in on the situation. Winn has been sleeping in the barracks and Supergirl is suited-up and present every minute Kara Danvers isn't desperately needed or can't be suspiciously absent at CatCo.
Kara gets up from her chair and shuffles her boots, antsy to do something as concrete dust puffs around her ankles. Winn has been trying to distract her all day, but his efforts have been largely in vain. She's had a bad feeling about this since satellites picked up an incoming object, and it's been getting progressively worse with each silent hour. It's starting to wear on her.
Winn, well-attuned to her at this point, gives distraction another shot. He leans away from his monitor to ask, "Any plans for the weekend?"
Kara sends him a puzzled look. "You mean other than eating my way through the DEO snack machines with you? No. And I call all the Skittles."
"Really?" Winn rubs his face. "You know, maybe you should get out of here if nothing is going on. It's getting pretty tedious." He keeps his voice low, "Why don't you take your girlfriend on a date?"
Mention of Lena draws a smile from Kara, even as she shakes her head. "I don't think so. She knows I'm busy with this. And I'm sure she has things to occupy her time. I would be surprised if she's not pulling as many sources of data and running as many calculations as you are in her limited L Corp downtime, trying to discover every scrap of information she can about our visitor."
Winn groans. "What's up with the workaholics? Where has the fun gone? From what you've been telling me during our treasured days together this week, I think you two dated more when you weren't dating. You should end that trend."
"What do you mean?" Kara's voice rises an octave over the course of the question before she clamps a hand over her mouth at how loud it got.
"It's true," Winn insists. "You've been together now, how long, a month? How many times did you see her every week, when you weren't, you know," his hands come up for air quotes, "dating? Cause that wasn't at all what you were doing before." He may indulge in a covert eye roll with that last sentence.
"You're right," Kara yields the point, ignoring the final tease. "We did see each other more often. But it's only been six weeks compared to years before that. And they've been busy weeks. I don't think it's our new normal; we'll eventually get breaks from the chaos just like before."
She continues with a tilt of her head, more reflective, "And it hasn't even been a year since the revelation of my double life and stopping the Worldkillers, and all of the fallout from those. We agreed to take things slowly, see how each day goes. We want to do this right. We're not focusing on frequency."
"That makes some sense." Winn's smile back at his friend turns mischievous. "I mean, given you two got the whole being in love thing over long before you started dating. You don't need all of that time together to build up feelings."
"Yeah, we did." Kara doesn't even respond to Winn's playful needling as she goes all gooey inside about Lena. "But you're right, I should take her on a date this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion, my pal Winn." She ruffles his hair.
He tries to jerk his head away from fast hands, failing completely as he whines, "Stop that."
---
Lena sets down her phone after finishing her reply to Kara, Yes, I'd love to go to dinner tomorrow. It's been days since she's seen her. She still revels in the warm feeling she gets from connecting with Kara in any way, the feeling that's been there for years; she wonders if it will ever grow old.
Thinking briefly of an appropriate dinner spot - their relationship status isn't known yet beyond their own small circles meaning discretion when dining out - she pockets the small prototype for a new surgical laser she'd finished tweaking and the even smaller screwdriver lying on her desk to return them to the R&D lab. With a small sigh granted by the invitation, she moves to pull her hair out of the complicated up-do it's in while she turns to a spectral analysis of the orbiting ship.
As her fingers touch the first pin, and before she has even flipped past the cover page with her other hand, a shadow crosses her desk and she turns, just in time to see an object hurtling towards the bulletproof glass.
Lena braces against the desk, but both she and it are blown back by the force of the window being ruptured by a human-like form at speed. She's thrown against the opposite wall, and as she slides down it, everything goes dark.
---
Kara is walking back from the observation deck where she had wandered to get away from the increasingly unsettling unknown on the screen and to text Lena when a subtle yet significant shift in the agency atmosphere happens.
Winn straightens abruptly in his chair, muttering quickly and unintelligibly to himself. Kara, reaching him, shifts between looking at his monitor and the larger screen with the ship and asks, "What's going on?"
"An object just appeared over National City. Some sort of small craft. It wasn't there and then it was. Almost like our surveillance was disabled or circumvented somehow so we wouldn't see it arriving." He's still staring intently at his computer with narrowed eyes as he puts in his earpiece to hear the chatter among his various colleagues. "And it just took off. It's gone. With that movement, that's not one of ours."
Kara understands immediately what he means by 'ours'. "Where was it?"
Coordinates stream across Winn's monitor. He turns to her with a grim look before his eyes shift to something behind her. J'onn is suddenly next to them and his hand lightly encircles Kara's forearm.
"Mr. Schott, transfer all visuals of the area that craft was in and of the orbiting ship to the main screens in the command center and join us there."
"Yes, sir."
J'onn adjusts the comms in his ear, leading Kara to the command center as her dread and confusion grow.
"What is it, J'onn?"
In her peripheral vision she can see Alex making a fast approach, also with an earpiece in, and she puts it all together with her sudden realization about the numbers on Winn's screen. She stops just short of their destination, fear and stress responses kicking up to the next level.
"That thing was by L Corp," she exclaims, glaring at J'onn. "You need to let me go."
J'onn's grip has only tightened as she speaks, causing her to forget Alex until her sister's hand is on her other arm and her voice is in her ear, "We don't know exactly what happened yet, Kara. Yes, there's a report of an attack at L Corp. Agents are on their way and the NCPD has officers on-site already. We don't know where that small craft came from or where it went. You need to stay calm and stay here while we figure it out."
Kara can feel any chance of staying calm disappearing rapidly, the ongoing presence of that bad feeling now clearly being for a reason. Her internal turmoil is reflected in the harshness of her tone, "We know exactly where it came from and where it returned to. What about Lena?"
J'onn moves in front of her, pulling Kara's attention back to him while never letting go of her, and answers, "The report was brief. Damage from an apparent attack and what appears to be Ms. Luthor's disappearance. Not dead, not injured, missing. And, regardless of where you think she may have gone, we have no evidence to support such a conclusion. Not yet. The President's staff is being notified, but as of now we are operating with no change to her orders; we are not to engage that ship. We need to confirm what happened. Let us do that first."
His words do little to settle Kara's roiling emotions and the physical pain that is trying to settle in her head, but, lowering her eyes to the floor, she makes her brain wrestle through his logic. He's right, they need more information before she just takes off. She can't waste time chasing red herrings when Lena needs her, when she needs her focus, when she needs her to find her.
She looks up at J'onn, then over at Alex, and nods. "You're right. I'll wait to hear more."
---
Lena regains consciousness and immediately registers how sore she is. She's restrained in a seat of some kind, wrists and calves clamped in, and her rib cage aches. Remembering her last experience in her office she can only assume that her ribs, and possibly her spinal column, are bruised, though hopefully nothing is fractured. Her neck to her shoulders also aches, likely from the awkward angle she was in while unconscious, and there are small stinging sensations on her hands, ankles, neck, and cheeks that suggest some slivers from the blown-out window caught her. She's still in the black pants, black silk blouse, and dark green blazer that shielded her from further cuts, but her feet are bare.
She raises her head to look around and has to fight back panic as she realizes she has woken up, for the second time in her life, on an alien ship. Unlike last time though, she's not in someone's quarters. Instead, she appears to be on a bridge, a viewscreen to her side looking down on Earth and what look like control and read-out panels on walls or platforms. Also, unlike last time, this was not an abduction of convenience; someone had targeted her and she needs to find out why.
A careful pivot of her head just to the left and an answer starts to form. What appears to be a female humanoid with close-cropped dark hair stands about ten feet away from her, dressed in grey shirt, pants, and boots with what appears to be armor over the upper body. Embossed on that armor is a sigil that Lena knows, and the fight against panic intensifies.
The alien turns, alerted by Lena's movement, and leaves the panel she was working at. Her expression is clinical as she approaches, and she circles the chair, observing her prisoner with amber eyes.
Lena tracks her path back to a position directly in front of her and puts on her most defiant stare before spitting out, "Why are you here, and why am I here?"
The answer lacks emotion, "There's a Kryptonian down there who vanquished my brethren. I'm here for her. And to finish the job the others started on this world. That is my duty as their sister and a Worldkiller." She presses closer to Lena with each word.
Lena unconsciously flinches away from the sigil looming directly in front of her face.
The alien pulls back slightly, sneering. "You cower. Soon all will. You're a pathetic species, so weak."
Lena struggles to soften her gaze and keep her voice steady. Maybe this one isn't different even if she seems to have no connection to Earth, maybe she can be reached. "I'm reacting to a symbol that brought a lot of pain to many I care about. It brought the most pain to the ones who wore it."
The strike is completely unexpected, and Lena can't see clearly for several seconds. The taste of metal is in her mouth and both a lip and a cheek throb. As she recovers, snarled words come at her, "No Worldkiller is hindered by pain! And don't speak of those that tried to interfere!"
The alien stalks back to the controls to punch at them. "I've seen enough now to know how to engage the Kryptonian," she says, recovering her flat delivery. "So predictable in her unearned superiority. Her planet deserved its end and now I will eliminate the last of its inhabitants and thus its legacy."
She glances at Lena, and then back to the panel. "You're here because your presence helps me. And you will say nothing and make no move, otherwise…" A black-gloved hand is raised and a button pushed on what looks like a transmitter.
A strong shock jolts through Lena and she can't stop the cry that breaks from her. It originated from just below where her neck and collarbone meet, explaining the discomfort there. The Worldkiller must have implanted a receiver while she was unconscious.
Still shaking she looks up to meet uncaring eyes that almost immediately flick away to the view of the planet below. "I think it's time I introduce myself to Earth."
---
Standing in a circle of agents, Kara listens to a full report on the attack. She's growing increasingly impatient as details are relayed about Lena's office being breached, that she was likely specifically targeted and is now missing with nothing else touched, and that it appears she was transported by someone to the craft hovering outside it. But what is most frustrating to Kara is they have evidence that the craft docked on the ship in orbit; she just wants to scream "I told you so." And they still won't let her go because the international coalition wants no interference until they decide on a response.
Behind them, Winn stands abruptly, sending his wheeled chair crashing against Kara's legs, and yells. "You all need to see this."
Every screen in the command center shows a form that resembles a human female standing on what looks like the bridge of a ship, waiting. It's as if the alien knows better than to immediately launch into speech, instead waiting for people's attention to focus, evidence the planet's residents have been under close observation these past few days. The DEO personnel sort themselves so all are facing the screen.
Kara's heartrate accelerates and she can hear Alex fighting to keep her breathing even beside her, a muted "No" slipping out. They've both seen the skull-like symbol on the chest covering and she knows that her impulsiveness might have gotten her killed today if it weren't for J'onn and Alex's intercession. At the same time, she takes back any angry gloating that she was engaging in earlier about being right, because if this is what has Lena….
Winn's voice cuts across her thoughts, "This is being widely broadcast. Every agency I'm in contact with is already shutting it down to limit reception."
He only gets that much out before the figure on the screens starts to talk. The voice is cold and steady.
"This message is for the Kryptonian, Supergirl. Supergirl, you may call me Power. You vanquished Reign, Pestilence, Purity. I'm here to exact retribution for that. And, at the end of that retribution, this planet you call home, that has sheltered you, will be at my mercy." She pauses.
The shot pans out and Kara's tenses when she sees Lena restrained and not even a dozen feet away. Her skin has a number of small nicks visible, likely from the window of her office. But there is discoloration around her mouth and her lip is bleeding from a fresher injury.
The reveal complete, the Wordkiller continues, "I want you to come to my ship. You alone. I understand you may be reluctant to do so. So, here is how it will go. She," Power gestures to Lena, "is not innocent in this. She's credited with helping you against my sisters. If you don't come, I'll start with her. Leave her broken body displayed on her own building. And then I'll come for you."
Lena has been completely still and quiet, but her voice suddenly cuts through the air as Power finishes, "Stay away, Supergirl!"
Power turns and the hand at her side flexes on a small rectangular object. The device's purpose is immediately clear from the way Lena's body contracts and the pained wince that crosses her face.
"I told you to stay quiet."
Kara stifles her own cry, her balled fists tightening further.
Lena straightens up from the transmitted assault and glares at the Worldkiller.
Kara knows that look. "Don't provoke her, Lena," she mutters under her breath.
The Worldkiller faces them again. "You decide. If I don't hear from you within an Earth day, look for the corpse. And then look for me."
The broadcast cuts off.
---
Power walks over to Lena and bends so their faces are level.
"You resist. But you're still weak," she taunts. She puts a finger near the juncture of Lena's neck and collarbone and presses on the wounded area. Lena gasps and tries to wrench away but the pressure holds her in place. The act ends quickly, but its message is clear.
Power draws back and lifts the chair and Lena in one effortless movement. She walks off the bridge and down a corridor, carrying her prisoner.
"She'll come, regardless of your words. As I said, predictable. And then I'll have both of you."
A door slides open to a small room that resembles a windowless holding cell on Earth. Lena's chair is dropped unceremoniously to the ground, jarring every bone and joint.
"Now, we wait."
The door closes with a sealing sound; as it does, the restraints open and Lena almost falls out of the chair with the loss of support.
Everything hurts more than it did before, but Lena doesn't allow herself to dwell on it. She doesn't have time. She starts to slowly stretch out limbs and torso to get her body moving again. She has to help defeat this being in any way she can.
---
After the transmission ended, an upset and motivated Kara visited Alura's hologram on what she knew was likely to be a fruitless quest for information, leaving Winn and another agent to pull Thomas Colville's files on Krypton and the Worldkillers. Maybe there were mentions they hadn't noticed last time when they were focused on Earth-centric threats and events. A third agent was dispatched to retrieve the Kryptonian database to mine that directly for intelligence if necessary.
Footage from the Worldkiller's broadcast, from the satellites focused on the ship, and also from the recently procured L Corp security camera feeds are now playing on a computer Kara is in front of, and she searches for any insight into how to proceed. Alex, while conferring with other agents, hovers at an inconspicuous distance, trying to simultaneously give Kara space and be available to talk her down if needed. The two of them are both smarting from a short but heated exchange in a conference room where Alex pulled her as she headed away from the command center:
"Kara, that Worldkiller's been up there for days, gathering information. She's concluded that Lena has some value to you, though I don't think she knows how much, and she's taken Lena to get you to come to her on her terms. It's a classic strategy, manipulating the situation to one's own advantage!"
"So you think I'm going to do nothing, that I'm going to leave Lena there! Not going to happen, Alex."
"That's not what I'm saying."
But some of the tension building in Kara over the past three days finally ripped out of her and she stormed off. She's been pointedly ignoring Alex ever since.
She's now working on settling herself down and getting into the team mindset they all know from experience will be needed against this type of opponent. And trying to find any clue that could help them, both so she can contribute and because she knows that's what Lena is doing.
Paused at the end of Power's speech, Kara is taking a few seconds to mentally run through every visual and audio detail when she hears a DEO agent approach J'onn on the deck above her to tell him he has a call.
"If it's not one of my superiors on my direct line, I'm not interested," J'onn responds irritably.
"Sir, you may want to take this one," is the reply. Kara re-focuses on her task as J'onn's footsteps recede.
A few minutes later, J'onn is back. When he addresses her, Kara projects impatience in every movement she has to make to turn and face him. "Whatever it is, it can wait. I'm busy."
J'onn stares her down, fists on hips and retorts, "I just got off the phone with the warden at Stryker's Island. Lex Luthor wants to talk to you."
Her mind seems to have hit its breaking point for the day. It draws a complete blank on a possible reason for this turn of events, leaving her to ask, "Why?"
"Because he wants to help you save his sister."