Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Seeing Red

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 05: Kara and Oliver’s Complicated Past

The night of the Undertaking

Supergirl watched Oliver Queen kneeling over a man who had been pierced by a steel rod in a partially collapsed building. Kara had known who the Hood was before this took place. She expected Bruce had as well. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Oliver Queen returned from the island after five years, covered in scars that were not self-inflicted, tattoos including a Bratva one indicating he was a Captain. Within days of his return a hooded vigilante began harassing the elite of the city, assaulting, murdering, torturing, all in a bid to make them change their ways or turn them into corpses. Bruce wanted to take him in. Kara refused to let him.

As far as she was concerned, he was not going after innocents. He was going after scum and in her mind, it simply wasn’t her business. She did the same. Every alien she found that wanted to hurt her or had hurt others was simply something to be destroyed. He may have gone after a different class of criminal but his methods and hers weren’t that different.

Oliver had his hood back, and even through the black face paint, she could tell he was crying. She listened from the back in the shadows, not wanting to intrude. She could tell with her X ray vision that the man would not live. He was bleeding internally, ironically the rod being the only thing keeping him alive this long.

She heard the man named Tommy ask if Oliver had killed his father. Oliver told him he hadn’t and Tommy died.

Kara walked up slowly behind him. Oliver heard her and turned, ready to fight until he saw the blue and red.

“What are you doing here?” the shaken man asked.

“I began flying as soon as your mother told the world that she has been part of a scheme with Malcolm Merlyn to level the city. I am sorry about your friend.”

Oliver said nothing, looking back at the man he considered his brother.

“He is Tommy Merlyn, right?”

Oliver still said nothing.

“Where is his father?” Kara asked, quietly.

Oliver took a breath, trying to keep from breaking down. All the work, the List, the crusade, everything they had done had been for nothing. Malcolm had gotten what he wanted.

“I killed him.” the vigilante told her.

Kara wondered if he was telling the truth. She could usually discern if someone was telling a lie, having quite a bit of experience lying herself. Oliver Queen was a master at it, she was sure. He had gotten away with being the Hood despite the evidence stacked against him for nearly a year.

“You just told your friend that you hadn’t. Tell me where he is and I will take him in. If you don’t and I find him on my own, I will kill him.”

“I killed him! I lied to Tommy okay?! What do you want me to say? While my city was falling apart I fought him, almost lost and killed him. I stuck an arrow into his heart, through my shoulder. He is dead!”

Kara looked at him closely, seeing through his shirt and did note there was a hole in his shoulder that went through and through.

“I am sorry for your loss. You should go. Police will be all over what is left of the Glades soon. I will make sure he is taken care of.”

The Arrow looked at her closely. Even in the dark, he could tell she was heartbroken over what had occurred. He could see she wished she had gotten here sooner. But it wasn’t her responsibility. Saving this city had been his and he had failed. Taking one last look at Tommy, he stood up and left.

Oliver never saw the next 24 hours. He had gone home, checked on Thea, broke the news to Laurel, who had already known and was practically catatonic and checked on Diggle and Felicity. He never saw Kara Danvers flying over the Glades, spotting bodies in the rubble from above and working with rescue workers to save the trapped and recover the dead. He never saw her face, emotionless on the outside and dying on the inside.

Kara had worked disasters before but the idea that this was caused by a man and one she could not make pay was making it hard for her to focus. She had also never seen so many dead, crushed and unrecognizable. Kara saw a girl, and while she could not make out her face due to the trauma, saw that she had dark hair, nearly identical to Alex’s when she was a young teenager.

The severity of the Earthquake also shocked her. Earthquakes caused deaths but this had to be a 9.0, unheard of in recent times. People had tried evacuating, many had gotten free but many had not.

It was a day neither Kara or Oliver would ever forget and she had never wanted to kill someone as badly as she wanted to kill Malcolm Merlyn, not since Non.

The Siege

It was over. Oliver had Slade defeated. His ruse had worked, Felicity did what he knew she could do.

The man was tied, wrapped around a pole and all Oliver had to do was strike. One arrow, into his eye, maybe his heart and it would be over for good.

This man had killed his mother. He had kidnapped Thea, set lose an army of Mirakuru soldiers on the streets of Starling City, murdering whoever they came across.

But his promise to himself, in memory of Tommy, kept him from delivering the fatal blow.

On the streets below, ARGUS agents and Starling City Police Department, Nyssa and the League members she had brought with her, Sara Lance, and Roy Harper continued to battle the unnaturally strong soldiers who were attacking citizens at random. People were caught, caught in the crossfire and caught in the path of these maniacs that had sprung from nowhere.

The violence down below had to end. Everyone not a Mirakuru soldier relaxed, when one masked individual was struck in the chest with twin beams of energy and fell to the ground. No one, police included, had to guess who was there but everyone looked up regardless.

A flash of red and blue swooped down and landed in the street. She began to move as soon as her feet hit the ground, only appearing as a blur, arms swinging, taking down the madmen in one shot, ripping tendons with her fingers, cracking skulls and burning kneecaps.

Supergirl heard a man yell and a woman scream for Ray. Kara looked over and saw a man she guessed was Ray on the ground. His leg had obviously been broken and the woman was being held by one of the masked soldiers by the throat. Kara heard him scream for Anna.

The soldier squeezed, or tried to at least, hoping to snap her neck. Instead all five of his fingers were bent back and broken in less than a second by Supergirl who was moving at breakneck speed. The woman collapsed on the ground and Kara swung at the soldier, most likely cracking his forehead and putting him to sleep for a very long time.

Supergirl helped the woman up who then rushed to her fiancé. Kara had seen the man before on magazine covers. Ray Palmer, founder and CEO of Palmer Tech. She had flown past his satellites occasionally when soaring outside the atmosphere.

“Ray!” Anna had shouted, falling beside him.

Supergirl checked the surrounding area. No more soldiers seemed to be about. She had covered four other sections of the city already.

Seeing the area was clear, besides the dead bodies of civilians killed in this nightmare and the maimed bodies of masked killers she had left behind, she checked on Palmer with her X ray vision.

“You have a clean break of your fibula. This area is secure. Wait for an Emergency worker and do not move. I have to check the city and make sure none got away.”

“You saved my Anna.” Ray told her, pain forgotten for a moment. He had gone from sheer terror to relief in a matter of seconds. He was close to seeing the love of his life have her neck snapped while he lay helpless.

“You will both be okay. Police are nearly here. I have to go.”

Both Mr. Palmer and his fiancée Anna watched her fly off, quickly out of sight. Kara did not go far. Once over the center of the city she listened, drowning out sounds until he heard the one voice she wanted.

Kara crashed through the top of the building, landing on one knee next to Oliver Queen. She noted a woman she believed was Laurel Lance and Felicity Smoak who Kelex had told her was running operations for Queen, were present.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“Slade Wilson. I’m taking him in. There is a prison run by ARGUS…” Oliver started.

“So they can study him?” the blonde asked, to be sure, disbelieving . “Why did you do this?” she asked Wilson.

The man smiled.

“Ask the hero of Starling City. Tell her kid. Tell the champion of the world why we are here. You should have killed me when you had the chance. I suppose the symbol for all that is good in your pathetic world is going to bring me in wearing cuffs. I might even get a trial.”

“Doubtful.” Kara told him, her eyes lighting up.

“Stop! Do not kill him!” Queen shouted, stepping in front of her.

“He did this for revenge? On you?” Kara turned to Wilson. “Many are dead in the streets all so you can pay him back for some wrong? Why didn’t you just kill him?”

“Death is too good for him.”

“So you killed people he had no connection to. He can give you to ARGUS. If you ever want to commit suicide just escape. I will make sure it hurts a lot when I kill you. You won’t be able to hide from me. I know everything every Government in this world knows. You step out of your cell I am stepping on you hard. You know who I am. You know I can’t be touched. If you think I won’t kill you, then you are a fool. Look me in the eyes, Wilson. Tell me I am lying.”

Slade Wilson did look in her eyes and what he found surprised him. She may have been cute, beautiful, even breathtaking, but she was a killer, the same as him and Oliver. The only difference, Kara was not on some crusade to prove she could be a hero and not kill.

“Damn kid. If you were half the man she is, maybe your city wouldn’t have burned tonight.”

Kara threw an elbow into his chin, knocking him out easily. She then turned to Queen.

“He came after you. You want him to live, fine. But if he kills another person I am blaming you as well. The next time you know something is going to happen like this, find me. Come to National City, stand anywhere and call my name. I could have ended this before any lives were lost. If you want to protect the people of this city, know when you are out of your league.”

Oliver dropped his head.

“Yeah, I know.”

Satisfied by his tone, Kara took off out of the building. She had seen more destruction and death and needed a drink.

Those were the experiences Oliver Queen had with Kara Danvers, leading up to the situation he had found himself in a year and a half before the present day. Kara had arrived once every couple months to check on Starling City to his annoyance. She never threatened him, seeming more interested in local criminal activity. He also noted that she was informed on everything in what was now called Star City, renamed by the man who took over his family’s company, Ray Palmer.

Ray Palmer had also placed a large statue in front of Palmer Tech, formerly Queen Consolidated, of the Girl of Steel, hailing her the Savior of Star City, the woman who stopped the army intent on destroying the city. The Arrow as he was now known, was not as revered by the citizens. Star City Police called on him more than once to stop the vigilantism he was known for and allow them to do their jobs, assuring the citizens that if the worst happened, Supergirl would come.

Oliver often wondered if she had access to all the knowledge Felicity had, if somehow, she was watching everything Felicity did and stealing information from her. He soon found out that wasn’t true. Supergirl did not need Felicity as she made abundantly clear the last time he saw her.

Oliver had been close to sending his team to the club up top, so he could find the location of Nanda Parbat from Nyssa who had been captured and was being held behind bars to prevent her from killing Malcolm Merlyn.

He never got a chance to send his team away. The intruder alert tried to sound but it was too late. They all heard the crash in the elevator shaft and then the door to the elevator was kicked open, flying into the lair.

Roy, Diggle, Laurel, Felicity were seeing at the same thing Oliver was seeing and having trouble believing it. This was not the red and blue clad super heroine who was the symbol of all that was right in the world. This was not the girl who would randomly fly into cities and land next to children, signing autographs and taking photos then flying off to stop a robbery, a terrorist plot, save people from certain death.

No, this was a blonde, clad in a black bodysuit, with eyes glowing and a look on her face that made it obvious she was not there for a friendly chat.

Before they could understand what was happening, Kara was across the room, her hand on Oliver Queen’s throat, lifting him off the ground.

“You told me you killed Malcolm Merlyn. He is alive. I saw him on video in Brazil and I have video of him in Star City as well. He is alive! You lied to me to protect that monster?!”

“I thought I killed him.” Oliver gasped.

“How long have you known he was alive?”

“It’s complicated.” he choked out.

Kara threw him into a console and looked around the room, noting the woman behind bars.

“That is funny. A wanted vigilante keeping a makeshift prison. Kidnapping to go along with the rest of your crimes. I should have let Batman take you in long ago. He knows who you are. I never told him. He is brilliant and unlike you, he is able to stop threats to Gotham before mass murder occurs.”

Kara heard Diggle pull a gun behind her. She turned around, smiling for the first time, eyes still glowing.

“Aren’t you cute, big guy? John Diggle, former special forces and now sidekick to this failure. What exactly do you think you are going to do with that gun?”

John never got a chance to answer, his gun heating up quickly. The man dropped it before it turned into a puddle of molten steel and plastic on the ground. Everyone jumped when the ammo blew up.

The blonde turned her attention back to Oliver Queen.

“How long have you known?”

“Three months. He… he set my sister up, his daughter…”

“Thea Queen is his daughter? Why haven’t you taken him into the police?”

Oliver shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and wondering how he could calm the blonde alien long enough to explain what was going on. Looking at Nyssa, he saw that she was plainly amused, smiling widely with her arms crossed.

“Perhaps I can explain?” the woman behind bars asked.

Kara looked towards her and sharp burst of heat vision, snapped the lock on the small cage. Nyssa walked out and offered her hand.

“Nyssa Al Ghul, daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul and heir to the Demon.”

Kara took her hand, her eyes finally turning blue and the glow gone.

“At this moment I am Kara Zor El, last daughter of Krypton, and the avenger of 503 people who died in a man-made earthquake. I want Malcolm Merlyn’s blood.”

“This is not your concern!” Oliver shouted, standing once again.

“Your mother got off!” Kara shouted, Oliver having her attention once again. “A jury that was obviously rigged saved her from the death penalty she deserved! I let it go. You said Malcolm Merlyn was dead, so I let it go. Now he is alive and you know? Who will answer for the deaths of 503 people in the Undertaking? Where is your sense of justice now? Why haven’t you turned him in?” Men, women, children, all dead, crushed, murdered by a man you are protecting! You think that is justice? What about your friend Tommy? Who is going to answer for his death? Because the perpetrator was his father the rest of the loved ones of the dead get no justice? Is this what you believe? Again, why haven’t you turned him in?!”

“He can’t.” Nyssa told her, already extremely impressed. Of course the whole world, even in places as isolated as Nanda Parbat, knew who she was. The assassin had not recognized her at first, garbed in all black and a righteous fury on her face. “Malcolm Merlyn knows his identity. If he takes Merlyn to justice his identity is at risk of being discovered. While the police practically worship you, they are not as fond of the so-called Arrow nor Oliver Queen, former billionaire, played for a fool.”

Kara moved quickly into the Arrow’s personal space, faces inches from each other. “Is this true?”

“It is more complicated.” he told her.

It was at that moment that Kara heard an extremely, loud and sharp cry. It hurt her for an instant but she drowned it in less than a second. A hand on Oliver’s chest sent him flying back into Diggle and she looked at Laurel Lance, wearing some sort of sonic device around her neck.

“Since I have been on this planet, I have had to learn to drown out sounds, focus on those I want to hear and dismiss those that do not matter. Dinah Laurel Lance, correct? Assistant District Attorney and accomplice to a vigilante and the running of an illegal prison. Not very law abiding, are you Black Canary? Weren’t you leading the manhunt for the Arrow last year? Everyone seems to fall under your spell, don’t they Oliver?”

Oliver saw Roy try to move towards his bow but shook him off quickly. He knew nothing in this lair, or world most likely, could stop her. The Arrow had to calm her down, to listen to reason.

“I can explain everything…”

“You are a liar.” Kara told him. “Do you know the difference in us? When I go after a target, I don’t miss. I don’t give them a chance to right their own wrongs and kill the dozen bodyguards surrounding them instead. There is absolutely no excuse for protecting him. My mother’s twin sister, the aunt I loved as a child, tried to exterminate humanity. I snapped her neck! Do you really think there is anything you could tell me that would justify this?!”

“He has also declared war with the League of Assassins, telling us that Malcolm Merlyn is under his protection in Star City and no one shall touch him.” Nyssa told her, adding fuel to the girl’s fiery eyes.

Kara looked again at Oliver. He was worried, as close to panicking as she had ever seen him but what she did not see was any denial in his face. Nyssa Al Ghul was telling the truth.

“So you plan to what? Bring another war to Star City? How many more people will die because of your decisions, Oliver Queen?”

“I will not start a war with the League of Assassins.” Oliver assured her. “I will face Ra’s myself. If I can beat him, then there…”

“Then what? You give up the vigilante life and become the head of the League? Call off the manhunt for Merlyn? Of course not. You don’t want to run the League. So who takes over? I am guessing you don’t plan on giving the title to Nyssa here since she wants Merlyn dead. That leaves… you have to be kidding me.”

Nyssa smiled wider, walking closer to Oliver Queen. She enjoyed the look of panic his stoic face tried to hide. “You are correct, Kara. He plans to beat my father and name Malcolm Merlyn as head of the League of Assassins.”

“And if you die, Oliver?” Kara asked, watching him closely, studying his body language, his eyes. The man looked down and began walking around the lair. Looking at the display cases full of costumes, he shook his head then turned back to Kara.

“I die as Sara Lance’s killer; the League has no more feud with my sister or Star City.”

Kara threw her head back and laughed. She couldn’t believe the stupidity of this man. Looking at Nyssa, it was obvious this woman had a special hate for Oliver and Merlyn.

“Nyssa, I believe I have heard everything Oliver has to say. Please tell me what has happened.”

Kara listened to the woman closely. She heard her talk about Sara Lance, Oliver stopping Nyssa from killing Merlyn and then discovering that Merlyn had brainwashed his own daughter to kill Nyssa’s love. The more she heard, the more disgusted she became.

“Why? Why would you defend someone so dishonorable?” the blonde asked Queen.

“He is my sister’s father. He was Tommy’s father. He is…”

“A mass murderer. Nyssa if Oliver is killed, will your father hunt Merlyn?”

Nyssa looked away, not quite sure how to answer. Kara noticed and was surprised. She expected that the woman would swear vengeance. Her hesitancy was unexpected.

“Nyssa?” Kara asked again. The woman met her eyes and Kara saw all she needed. Nyssa did not believe her father would care about capturing Malcolm Merlyn. Nyssa had led this crusade herself. Her father may have supported her but the drive belonged to her.

“I do not know.” she finally admitted. “The League wants him to answer for his blunder in the Undertaking but… my father has destroyed cities before in what he considered a cleansing. He did not care for Sara. I do not know what he will do. I will not stop looking but the League…”

“Will support you.” Kara assured her. “Can you defeat your father? Do you wish to?”

“I do wish to. I do not love him, but I cannot defeat him.” the woman admitted with much difficulty. “He has over one hundred years of battle. He cannot be defeated by me, or by Oliver Queen.”

Kara closed her eyes and thought. She had options, but which was the best? She had no doubt Merlyn would stay in uninhabited areas only, popping up on facial recognition occasionally. She did not want to waste the time and resources to track him down yet had no choice. She could not get rid of the image of that crushed girl with Alex’s hair, the image that haunted her often. That girl and the hundreds of others would be calling for justice in her nightmares.

She knew what she had to do. The answer was simple.

“If I take responsibility for killing Sara Lance your father would be forced to fight me, correct? If I do this and take his mantle, I will pass it on to you, under the conditions that we will always be friends, my enemies are yours and yours mine. My family is your family to protect as well as it is mine. You must also spare no effort to find and slaughter Malcolm Merlyn. We will pool our resources and get justice for those killed by him, including Sara Lance. Do we have an oath?”

Nyssa smiled, truly smiled for the first time since she learned Sara was dead. She took Kara’s hand and swore the same.

Oliver watched the two women discussing the death of a man he had sworn to himself that he would protect and desperately tried to think of any way he could stop her.

“I have already confessed to killing Sara Lance.” he tried.

“But you can’t fight him. You have a torn ACL.” Kara pointed out. Before Oliver could ask what she was talking about, he hit the ground as soon as Kara’s foot kicked the side of his knee in a downward motion.

“I felt for you once, Oliver. I understood what it was to have family you are ashamed of. I didn’t care that you were killing scumbags. My friend in black wanted to take you down but I wouldn’t let him. You have failed this city one too many times though. Defending the man responsible for the Undertaking is despicable. You are done. If I see or hear about a hood in the city again, Batman or I will come for you. He will probably add another brand to your collection of scars. I’m just going to kill you. No matter how many scars you have, I have more. Team Arrow is out of business. Kelex, blow their system.”

The members of Team Arrow hit the ground Oliver was already lying on as the monitors, hard drives and servers all exploded. A surge of power shattered the lights, leaving only red emergency lights on. Kara walked over to the cases holding the costumes and lit them up, leaving the garments burning, adding light to the lair. She snapped the arrows present and took the sonic device off a very frightened Laurel Lance’s throat, crushing it in her hand.

Kneeling next to Oliver she whispered in his ear.

“Never try and stand in my way. If he means that much to you I will have his head mailed to you. I’m not lying to you. I hear about a hood in this city and I will slaughter the person wearing it. Black vinyl should probably be avoided as well. Being a vigilante can get someone disbarred. Something to remind Lance of.”

Team Arrow stayed on the ground as Kara and Nyssa walked to the elevator that had been destroyed. Wrapping an arm around Nyssa’s waist she launched them both into the sky.

Central City

Oliver finished his story, hoping his friend would understand. Caitlin had gushed to Felicity about Barry and Kara’s past and the way they looked at each other. Barry didn’t understand the hate, misery and violence Oliver had seen in the blonde’s eyes that night. She was a force of pure destruction bent on the death of Malcolm Merlyn. She put a fist through Ra’s Al Ghul’s chest, bent the League of Assassins to her will and Malcolm Merlyn was killed, torn apart and spread over a mountain top. Oliver received an unsigned note a month later, telling him the spot Merlyn’s remains were spread over if he and Thea wanted to pay respects.

“Do you understand, Barry?” Oliver asked.

Barry shook his head and sat down on the porch, elbows on his knees.

“No Oliver, I don’t understand.”

“I realize how she appears to the world…”

“No.” Barry stopped him. “I don’t understand how you could have protected that man, how you could have justified it. When you were killing people, when you first appeared, it never bothered me. I knew I could never be like you but I looked up to you because you did what was necessary. When I found out who you were… I defended you to Joe. I respected you. How could you let that man go, much less defend him?”

Oliver was surprised and disappointed. Was Barry already under her spell?

“Barry, the circumstances involved with Merlyn were not cut and dry. What I am trying to stress to you is how dangerous she is. She can’t be stopped and her temper, that power, in someone as angry as she is…”

“You are such a hypocrite.” Barry said quietly, then looked Oliver in the eyes. “You decided not to kill and the world follows your lead? You punished those who failed your city and you protected the one who killed the most? Why Oliver? Make me understand, because I can’t.”

“Barry! She broke into our lair, broke my leg, could have crushed Laurel’s throat. She burned down the place. She released a woman bent on revenge and placed her as head of the League of Assassins. They swore oaths basically tying her to the League and the League to her! They talked about murdering a man…”

“A monster.” Barry corrected. “Oliver, when I beat Zoom I hesitated. I should have killed him but I didn’t. Luckily for everyone some creatures… it doesn’t matter. The point is, if I had let him live, he would have continued killing. He murdered my father, kidnapped Joe, kidnapped Caitlin, toyed with people’s lives. I almost made a mistake. A mistake I thought you never would have made, but now I wonder.”

“She can’t be stopped.”

“Maybe she shouldn’t be.” Barry countered. “I think you should go back to Star City.”

Oliver sighed and rubbed his forehead. Barry had been the one who encouraged him to change, him and Felicity had convinced him to do things differently. Now Barry was about to get in bed with a woman who Oliver unfortunately understood. He saw Supergirl’s eyes. He had never seen so much hate, rage, pain, in anyone’s eyes. The most powerful person in the world, the one who could not be defeated by any country was insane and hiding behind more than one facade.

“Barry… just be careful. If you make her angry, she will hurt you.”

Barry Allen stood up and shook his head. He looked at Oliver carefully, wondering if he realized what a hypocrite he was being.

“Give me one reason why Malcolm Merlyn should have remained free.”

Oliver opened his mouth, then closed it, turning his back on his friend.

“I… I didn’t want Thea to lose one more… I don’t know.” Oliver turned around once more. “That isn’t why I came to talk to you. I just want to know if you truly understand what you are getting into? She isn’t human, Barry. She may look like a beautiful blonde, but she isn’t. She can’t be stopped. I looked her in the eyes and what I saw there is the same thing I have seen in my own eyes. The difference is I can be stopped. She has unlimited power. She told something or someone called a Kelex to blow our system and it happened. She is an alien, one who decides who lives and who dies and knows that no one on Earth can stop her. If you get involved with her, just be careful. Always remember, she is not human.”

Barry nodded his head.

“A lot of people have said the same thing about you, Oliver. Are you sure you are mad that she killed Merlyn or does it have more to do with her not listening to you? You have a lot of pride, man. I bet the idea of a girl throwing you around had to hurt, didn’t it?”

“That isn’t what this is about!”

“Is it because she did what you should have done?” Barry tried.

“No, it is… you are the one who told me I could be more, that I didn’t have to kill.” Queen reminded him.

Barry shrugged his shoulders and walked to the front door.

“Maybe I was wrong. Be careful on the way back to Star City.”

That said, Barry opened the door and walked inside. He didn’t say anything to Joe, who was obviously surprised he wasn’t going out with Queen or had invited the vigilante inside. Barry simply walked up the stairs, into his room and lay down. Thinking about what Oliver said to him about Kara, he became angrier. Angrier at Oliver for his hypocrisy and angrier at himself for his own failure. He hesitated killing Zoom. Why? Why hadn’t he called Kara? Had his pride cost his father’s life? He had often wondered if Kara could have really stopped someone as fast as Zoom so easily. She was invincible but she had a heart, organs, she had blood running through her veins. The monster was faster than Barry. He could have phased a hand into her body and shredded her. The man had not wanted Kara anywhere near Central City.

Now he knew better. Kara would have killed Zoom. She would not have hesitated. There would have been no questioning of whether she was doing the right thing.

What did she really think of him and how he handled the situation? Did Kara think he was weak? Did she feel sorry for him? Kara had told him she would be looking out for him from now on. Did that mean she thought he needed protection?

Barry thought of all she had told him, what she had lost. He had lost his mother and it scarred him his entire life it seemed. She had lost everything but her cousin. She lost the ground under her feet and the only woman who had been left alive, who she had loved from her childhood, Kara had killed to protect those who became her family. The girl never hesitated.

No, she wasn’t human. She was strong and he knew there was a storm behind her beautiful eyes and smile, but he knew she wasn’t human. A human would not have gone to the lengths she did to get justice for hundreds of dead she didn’t know. A human would not have worried about a guy she hadn’t seen in six years.

When Kara entered S.T.A.R. before she realized he was the Flash, she threatened to tear him limb from limb. Batman had said Harrison Wells hurt a friend of hers once and she wanted him dead. She was ready to kill the Flash to get to Harrison Wells because she believed Wells had hurt him.

Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep eventually, his thoughts all over the place, his father’s face, Zoom laying underneath Barry’s vibrating hand, challenging him to finish it, and Kara, the look of anger on her face and then pity when she realized it was him behind the mask.

National City

Kara woke up with a massive headache, tucked in her bed. The drawback of alien alcohol was there being no alien Tylenol to deal with the consequences. She had almost made herself immune to hangovers but last night had been particularly trying. Megan had brought her different drinks as requested, trying new cocktails that did not smell. None of them tasted very good but that was not the point. She didn’t drink for pleasure. Anti-anxiety medications did not work on her but alcohol did. She remembered Megan at one point suggesting she stop and then the woman disappeared. Kara thought she may have gone home. After that she felt arms around her, lifting her up and some part of her mind warned her that she may be being attacked but the larger part of her mind did not care.

Waking up in her own bed, in her pajamas, told her what had happened. J’onn had brought her home and Alex had put her to bed. It wasn’t the first time but never failed to embarrass her. She would almost rather have been left where she was then being treated as someone who needed to be taken care of.

“You feeling okay?” Alex’s quiet voice asked her. She rolled over and saw her sister sitting on the side of her bed.

“My head hurts. Guess I had a wild night, huh?”

“No, a wild night would involve fun.” Alex reminded her. “Drinking alone in a bar, sitting at a table until you pass out and a Martian brings you home is not fun. At least after J’onn’s last involvement, no aliens took a shot at you. They are all looking over their shoulders for him now. Bring Lobo to Earth and the three of you can put every alien bar in the world out of business.”

Kara laughed lightly despite her headache. “Sounds like more drinks for me.” The grin left her face when she noted that Alex was not smiling.

“Let’s go to Midvale.” Alex told her suddenly.

Kara was surprised. Usually Alex hated to miss a day of work.

“I think I still have a job I have to go to. Don’t you?”

“No, I mean let’s go to Midvale, for good. I will quit the DEO, you quit flying around in a cape. I can work for the bio genetics lab at UNC Raleigh, you could open that restoration shop you always wanted to, maybe sell paintings at those open street markets sometimes. We will live in our home and enjoy life. Walk away from all this.”

Kara sat up in bed, trying to understand why Alex would be joking this early when she must have known Kara had a massive headache.

“Be serious. I have to get ready for work. I also need a couple gallons of water. That usually helps.”

Alex put a hand on her shoulder.

“I am being serious. I will quit the DEO, put up the armor and weapons if you stop this Supergirl stuff. We can move on, Kara. We saved the word six years ago and have been fighting crime ever since but it’s never going to stop. Let others handle it. Let the Flash, Batman, anyone else handle it. I think we have earned the peace.”

Kara shook her head wondering if she was still drunk. She touched her sister’s cheek to ensure herself this wasn’t a delusion.

“Alex, you love the DEO.” Kara told her. “And you love fighting aliens, metas, crime lords…”

“I love you more.” Alex told her, putting a finger to Kara’s lips. “This isn’t good for you. You never wanted this, remember? We saved the world and did other stuff. I am the one who wanted to keep going, to work for the DEO, to… I don’t want it anymore. Let’s go home, Kara. Mom and Dad will leave with us. All of us, we will do anything if you would just stop. We can have that life you dreamed about. Or maybe we can go to another country? What about Greece? England? Maybe France? You have always talked about traveling, exploring these places you have flown over. Maybe it’s time. You and me, maybe it’s time we had some fun in life? What do you say?”

Alex watched her sister closely, praying to whoever would listen that Kara would go along with it. It was true, she did love what she did, but it was not worth the price.

Kara shook her head and stood up.

“I need water and coffee. More water than coffee.” she mumbled.

“It can be ours, Kara. Say the word and we are gone. No one may be able to hurt you, but this life is killing you and you know it. Deep down, you know this Kara. The drinking, the nightmares, the depression, please say we can go home and it’s all over.”

Kara laughed and walked to the bathroom, Alex following.

After Kara brushed her teeth she turned to speak to Alex, who was still standing in the doorway.

“You think the nightmares will go away? I can’t quit yet. How am I supposed to sit in Midvale watching people trapped in floods, earthquakes, ship wrecks, everything! How am I supposed to sit in my perfect world knowing I could help and not? The money off this symbol and that damn name pays for a lot of research, treatment, dreams of children who have no hope left or are fighting just to stay alive. People in trouble look to me for help, for hope. How can I walk away until Clark is ready?”

“You won’t make it until he is ready. You won’t let Mom and Dad check you out, to see what all this alcohol you are drinking is doing to you…”

“I do not drink that much! Last night…”

“Yeah.” Alex cut her off. “Last night you were upset they suggested you may be an alcoholic and then proved you weren’t by getting plastered. You want that red sun crystal implanted, you want to be human, have you considered that you are doing so much damage to your organs that when you do lose your powers you will die? Or maybe your addiction will carry over? You are right, the nightmare won’t just go away with your powers but you might. What about Clark? Who is going to guide him when he is ready?”

Kara nearly said you will but stopped. The last thing she needed to appear was suicidal on this day.

“It helps, okay? I don’t drink often, I just need it to calm down. I sleep better. I had no nightmares last night. Once this is over, I won’t be as tense. I will stop, put it away, never again if it bothers you that much.”

“You need to stop now.” Alex insisted.

“Then you stop. Quit the DEO, quit this Manhunter crap, and back me up from a distance, out of harm’s way.” Kara countered.

Alex shook her head and walked away. She couldn’t do it. If Kara was on her own she would be killed. She simply drank too much and she had become too confident, thinking nothing could harm her. She would not stop drinking and be in as much danger as before.

“Alex?” Kara called, walking after her.

“No Kara. I have always been by your side and I always will. If you want me safer then stop drinking so you don’t get both of us killed out there. Get dressed. I am driving you to work and Dad will be there at 5:30 to pick you up. No damn excuses. No emergencies, nothing. Do not play games today, Kara. Swear to me.”

Kara felt her temper rising but held it down. It wouldn’t be a problem. She could get what she needed from Megan at lunch and would be fine that night. There would be no family meeting though. Nyssa would be there.

“Fine. No games, I will be there.”

Alex nodded her head and smiled. “Glad to hear it. I also got this Nyssa’s number from Kelex. She was told she wouldn’t be needed and had urgent business to attend to regardless. Something about Darkness is coming and she needed to investigate. I don’t want to know and you do not need to be involved. If you must, then you will tell me everything.”

“Why would she tell you that?” Kara asked quietly, knowing exactly what Nyssa had been talking about. The two had been keeping tabs on Damian Darhk for months, trying to determine his location and plans. Nyssa suspected he was using dark magic and Kara was not excited about the possibility of confronting that. She certainly didn’t want Alex around it.

“Because Kelex disguised my voice as yours and I told her to keep me updated, or you since she thought she was talking to you. We are having a meeting tonight and we are talking about this, everything. All of us.”

The blonde grabbed a gallon of water from the fridge without comment, turned around and moved to the room to get ready for the day. If she thought her family was going to force her into a conversation she did not want to have, they should have known her better. Kara did not like being backed into a corner, especially to deal with a problem that wasn’t a problem.

An hour later, after her sister dressed in black for the day, dropped Kara off, she found herself on the top floor of Catco, preparing for another day of… nothing. The blonde got no enjoyment from the work but it was the easiest job to get away from if she was needed and allowed her to watch news reports from around the world all day.

And then there was her new assistant or Cat’s new assistant, someone’s assistant. Siobhan Smythe. So far, she had perfected letting the world know they were beneath her and licking Jimmy Olsen’s boots. Speaking of Jimmy…

“Good morning, Kara,”

Kara let out a deep breath and turned her Internet Explorer off. There would be concentrating on TMZ’s website when Jimmy wanted to talk.

“Jimmy! How are you today?” she asked with a bright smile.

“Doing good. You okay? Have a tough fight last night? You don’t look so good.” he whispered quietly.

Kara kept the smile on her face, not letting her irritation show. For a man in a committed relationship with General Lane’s youngest princess, he flirted with Kara constantly. She never reciprocated but it did not stop him. Apparently, his belief that he was one of the few single males who knew her real identity gave him the idea that he had some social bond with her.

“I’m fine. How is Lucy? Still using that law degree to be her father’s secretary? I saw her last month. She looked very sharp in her special hat.”

James looked away, slightly embarrassed. Kara knew Sam Lane hated Jimmy and Kara never failed to bring up his name.

“Yeah, she has been traveling a lot with him. Where did you see them? Were you helping them out?”

Kara began laughing, shoulders shaking, nearly snorting, adjusting her slightly ascus glasses, she smiled even wider if possible.

“I was watching them on satellite. I would sooner sit in the sky with a bowl of popcorn and watch that man be slaughtered before I ever helped him. Have a good day, Jimmy. I will be sending Siobhan to your office later with layouts. Take care.”

Kara turned and left the tall man staring at her. No matter how cheerful she could pretend to be, he knew she could be ruthless regarding those she considered an enemy and she definitely considered Samuel Lane an enemy. It was something that bonded her and Lois. Kara spied Siobhan, looking a bit frustrated with filing. The blonde wasn’t sure why the girl had even taken this job. She had a feeling the newest assistant may have thought this would be more glamorous or a stepping stone for greater things. In the grand scheme of things she was finding out she was not going far here. All the brown nosing she had attempted towards Cat had only soured the CEO to her. Kara offered suggestions on how to handle Cat but the girl seemed convinced that she didn’t need Kara’s help, even calling her a few choice names that she thought Kara couldn’t hear. The blonde could care less. She had been called worse since she arrived on Earth. Orphan, arsonist, whore, psycho were only a few she heard in school. It was nothing that remotely affected her any longer.

She had bigger concerns. Nothing short of a nuclear attack would save her from this meeting tonight. The entire thing was ridiculous. Letting Clark in on family meetings? What he knew was bad enough. They wanted her to be honest and thought of bringing him in? Like she would ever admit to anything in front of him. It was bad enough that she couldn’t be certain he wasn’t listening anyway.

Another was today, the date. Two years ago she had seen a mother and child burn and seven hours later tried to take her own life. Kara thought of it often, even if she denied it. The girl could not get the memory, the feeling, the fear and yet the relief that it would all be over soon, that she could possibly cease to exist or perhaps the good she had done, outweighed the bad and maybe there was some sort of Heaven she could enter. It had been selfish. Kara had not given thought to how those she loved would be affected or how Eliza or Alex would have found her later that day. She hadn’t given any thought to Clark’s reaction when he found out.

Shaking her head, she walked over to her new coworker and offered to help, only to be told she was not needed. Kara smiled at her and walked off, leaving the building since Cat was in a meeting for the next two hours. She made her trip on foot, three miles to her favorite and only bar. Megan was not at work but the bartender on duty knew Kara. Luckily, she was in disguise so while she got a few looks, wondering who the dark-haired female in glasses was, there was not the mass exodus that usually occurred when Supergirl walked into the bar. Taking her small purchase and placing it in her purse, she wandered around the downtown area, having time to herself since Cat still would be away for another thirty minutes.

Kara thought of calling Nyssa and telling her that it was Alex who she had been speaking to and to get back.

But she couldn’t. If Damien Darhk had surfaced it was important for her to keep track of his movements and determine if he really did possess some ancient magic that had not been seen before. As much as Kara hated to do it, she may have to bring her friend in black into this. Bruce had trained under Nyssa’s sister Talia, who headed the League of Shadows. He knew more about dark magic than Kara. While he wasn’t crazy about her association with the League of Assassins, the man was not a hypocrite and did not say a word against her actions. Secretly, she believed Bruce was happy Merlyn was dead, not that he would ever admit it.

So how to stop this dinner from becoming some sort of unneeded intervention she had no doubt was coming?

Her phone chimed and she smiled immediately. It was Barry asking her how her day was going.

Kara never thought something as simple as a text could bring a smile to her face.

Then inspiration struck her. She hit the call button.

“Hey! I wasn’t sure if I could call you. I didn’t know if you…”

Kara interrupted him.

“You know how I said I would meet Joe on Saturday?”

“Uh… yeah. Is it too soon? We can do something else! I can run to National…”

“Barry, hold up. I would love to meet him. I was wondering if you could do me a favor tonight. I mean if you don’t have any metas to stop of course. My family is having a sort of dinner party, just friends of course. It’s going to be at their neighbor’s house and I could really use a date. I was thinking you could finally meet them and then afterward we could go somewhere, do something, anything really, as long as it is away from them.”

Kara heard nothing for a moment and wondered if she had lost him.

“You want me to meet… your parents?”

“Yeah, Alex told them about you. They really liked you back… then, and I am sure they would love to see you in person. Is it too much? If it is I understand…”

“Where and what time?”

Kara smiled, relieved.

“6 PM and I will text you the address.”

“I’ll be there.” he assured her. A quick goodbye from both, the call ended and Kara had accomplished two things. She would get to see Barry again, sooner than expected and have plans afterward that would prevent any family meetings about issues she did not wish to discuss.

Walking back to work happily, she stopped and bought a soda, pouring a bit of her new purchase into it, just to get her through the day.

Egypt

Guy Gardner hovered over the ground and took in the sight of the Sphinx, still impressed as he was the first time he saw it. It had been years since he had been on Earth, years since he was sent undercover to spy on and then takeover a different sort of Corp. Not really a Corp even. Just a group of people with huge chips on their shoulders. Joining the ranks came easily for him.

As the sun set, he landed slowly, dimming the red aura around him so he would not stand out in the desert.

Not that it would have mattered. Of course he had been tracked since he entered the galaxy and the green glow from above told him he would have an unwanted visitor tonight before he could even make himself at home.

“Jordan.” Guy greeted his former comrade.

“Gardner. What are you doing here?” Hal Jordan asked carefully, knowing his presence could mean nothing good.

“This is my home planet. Some reason I don’t know about that I can’t be here?” the man countered, trying to stay calm even though the ring on his right hand wanted to unleash on the Green Lantern who questioned him.

“I know you aren’t here to help. I think we have all the help we need.” Jordan told him, stepping carefully behind the man who had once been a comrade and now was… something else.

“Yeah,” Guy agreed. “I heard Earth has become such a dumping ground for galactic scum that this planet has four Lanterns now. Not that any of you do any good. You have a badass Kryptonian protecting this planet. Why the hell is the Corp even here?”

It was true. The Green Lantern Corp protected the Universe from those who wished to harm or invade planets. Earth had four such Lanterns. Their job had not been to become involved in the day to day activities of a planet. It was to protect planets from beings such as Gardner’s former boss and the group he now called his family.

“We are here, doing what we always do. I am going to ask you again, why are you here?”

“I guess I am going to ask my earlier question. Is there some reason I can’t be? Last I checked, a Red can go wherever the hell they want.”

“The last I checked,” Jordan countered, “you were sent to break apart the Reds.”

“You can’t just turn a Red! It doesn’t work like that!” Gardner yelled, facing his green counterpart, red energy leaking from his ring. “This isn’t a Green ring! You can’t just take it off! Even if you could, it would kill the host. This ring replaces our hearts and blood, Jordan! Once it is on, it doesn’t come off, ever. It is who you are. Keep asking me why I am here and you are going to find out who I am! Bring Stewart and Rainer here. Who is the new girl? Cruz or something, right? I got my team not far off. We can rearrange the Egyptian landscape or you can go to hell and let me do what I am here to do.”

Hal Jordan had seen Guy like this before. He was confident in his ability to defeat him… perhaps. Gardener had always been a wild card, ruled by rage rather than will power. It made him unhappy in the Corp. When someone was needed to infiltrate Atrocitus’s Red Lantern Corp and topple him from power, Guy had quickly volunteered and took to the red ring as if he was born to it. Whatever reason he was here couldn’t be good but he doubted the trouble would come from Guy. No matter what he thought of Gardner the man was not evil. He wasn’t Sinestro or Atrocitus. If he was here, he was probably here to help and that was what had Jordan so worried.

“Let’s take it back a step, Guy. I apologize. Please tell me what has brought you here. It obviously isn’t anything good. If you were homesick we are a long way from Baltimore.”

Guy took a deep breath. He really wanted nothing to do with the Greens any longer but he could use extra eyes and may need a hand while here. It probably wouldn’t do to start a war with them within minutes of landing.

“Fine. I beat Atrocitus, we did, but he got away. I wasn’t able to kill him.”

“And you think he is here on Earth?” Jordan asked, tensing.

“Worse. Before he ran he sent off Red Power Rings throughout the Universe. Too many to track. We knew the general direction and left those alone that went into regions without any species that could be considered a threat in line with Atrocitus, but one came to Earth. That was the one we have been tracking. The number of metahumans and aliens on this planet, if that ring falls into the wrong hands… I don’t think I have to tell you what a new Red could do.”

Jordan nodded his head. It had been so peaceful lately. Since Supergirl arrived on the scene six years, ago aliens were too frightened to make a move. The four Green Lanterns of Earth rotated shifts, flying the outer rims and ensuring peace on other planets. If a Red Ring was here there was a potential monster waiting to be made.

“You tracked the ring here?”

Gardner shook his head. “I thought I had. Its these damn pyramids. Martians… they are psychic towers…”

“I know what they are and what they were for. Are you saying a ring flew to this planet and could be anywhere?”

Gardner nodded his head and began pacing. The ring of a Red Lantern, one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. The more powerful the host, the more powerful the ring. The greater the rage, the greater the power.

“You know how it works, Jordan.” he continued. “These rings are sentient in a way. It will stay hidden, waiting for the right time. It was drawn here for a reason. Somewhere on this planet is a very strong being with great rage. All it is waiting for is that being to become angry enough to accept it. If it’s a Khund, a Valerian, hell even a strong meta, we are all in trouble. The ring is here for a reason. It will make itself known at a time when its chosen host has lost all control, all grip on its emotions. When that happens… you know the destruction a new Red would bring. If you want to help, help me find this damn ring. I think I can destroy it in the Blood Ocean on Ysmault or at least contain it.”

“Okay,” Jordan agreed. “Coordinate your Reds with us so we don’t have any gang wars starting up. The more powerful the host the more dangerous it will be for everyone if that Red Ring finds a home. If the worst happens… we may need to make our presence known to Supergirl. She is probably the only one not a Lantern who is strong enough to take a Lantern out.”

Gardner agreed.

“Species all over the Universe have heard of her. It’s a good thing she is such a happy little thing, flying around in a skirt. Someone with her power taking that ring, I don’t want to think about that. The power of a Kryptonian filled with rage, having one of the most powerful and deadly weapons…”

“Gardner! Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to think about that?” Jordan reminded him, not liking the thought of anyone with her power being attached to the ring. “I have watched her for years. She is a good person. There is no way she could have enough hate in her heart to draw that ring. She isn’t like…”

“Me? Yeah, I get it Golden Boy. No offense taken. Let’s find a bar and talk about how to find this ring.”