Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Seeing Red

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 24: Home

Kara knew this night sky well. She grew up on Earth staring at the stars from this spot. She never needed a telescope but always used it to find the perfect vantage point for Jeremiah to see whatever galaxy she wanted to show him that night.

He would look longingly at the planets he could see in it, his face like that of a young boy dreaming of flying through the universe in a spaceship. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

After he had his fill, he and Kara would lay out a blanket near the cliff and the girl would tell him all she knew about the planets there, the ecosystem, the views, the species and technology, architecture. She loved those moments. It was like taking him on a tour of the somewhere only she could take him. Those were their moments, just like walking in nature, or going to the botanical gardens belonged to her and Eliza.

So, it was appropriate that on her first night back in her home, the two were lying on the ground, looking at a barely seen spot, called Mynestra. The creatures there were winged, but unlike the Thanagarians, their wings were more like butterfly wings and the color of their skin included the entire spectrum.

“How are you doing? Really?” Jeremiah asked. The family had arrived home at noon, Kara looking very anxious. As the day had gone on though she seemed more relaxed, but he was not about to relax himself.

“I am glad to be home.” she said. “It feels so good to know I won’t have to leave in a few days or even a week. I never want to leave here. I have to show you the plans for the house I want to build, by the cliff that my cave is near. I have a walking path planned to get me here quickly, maybe a ten minute walk. Do you think the city would notice if it wasn’t hooked up to the power grid? I thought of saving money and using an omegahedron to power it. It’s going to be…”

“Kara, how are you doing?” Jeremiah asked again.

The girl took a deep breath, as deep as she could, lying on her back.

“You know how many times I never thought I would see home again? I don’t mean when I tried to kill myself or when I was going to fight Non. I mean in the last couple years. Once, after a particularly bad day, after that Earthquake in Vietnam, I flew that night to the moon. I was gone for a couple days. It wasn’t a short trip.”

Jeremiah chuckled, but at the time he hadn’t found it funny at all.

“Alex was furious. I was furious. Eliza… yeah, we were all furious. When you say you need to get away from it all, you don’t mess around.”

“I hate being in space. You know that. The feeling of dying and being regenerated constantly is so… I don’t know. I can’t describe it. But that time, it just got to me. I made it after a day probably. I walked the ground, got bored quickly. Not much to see up there. I flew to the dark side of the moon and caught it at nighttime. It was a great view, so quiet, for once I couldn’t hear anything. Nothing at all. It was so surreal.” she remembered.

“I found a big rock and sat down, leaned back against it and opened my mouth. Of course, nothing came in, there was no air, but the feeling was different when my mouth was closed. When it was closed, it was like I was suffocating myself, but I could handle it. My lungs would burn and then repair themselves and then burn again and over and over. But when I opened my mouth it was so scary. It was like I opened this hole inside me, a deep hole and everything inside me was rushing out, being taken from me. Once I had gotten control, I still nearly passed out a few times and wondered how long my body could continue to regenerate. Would I always be suffocating and then reborn or would I give out and just die? I almost didn’t come back.”

Jeremiah closed his eyes, not wanting to think about that. When Kara was 13, 14, even 15, she would retreat some nights after difficult sessions or instances when she had hurt herself in a particularly gruesome manner and run to her cave. Jeremiah always followed, telling her she could stay there but would never be alone. She always came back, deciding to have mercy on his back. But the first time she flew in space, he realized she could go somewhere no one could follow and always worried about her not coming back.

“But the thought of this place and all of you brought me back. It always has, I mean most of the time. Once I didn’t think I was going to have a choice. It was probably the closest I came to dying besides the time I tried to kill myself. I never told you about that. Alex doesn’t even know. She would be furious. You all would, but I guess since everything is out in the open there aren’t many secrets anymore.”

The man thought hard, wondering what fight she had gotten into that almost killed her. He thought he knew every fight she became involved in.

Of course, he had learned over the past two and a half months that Kara had many, many secrets. He had always felt secure in that even if there was something he didn’t know, she would tell Alex. Those two had no secrets from each other. But that had changed as well, on Kara’s part. She had a whole other life none of them knew anything about.

“When was this?

“Three, maybe four years ago. I guess I was 20. J’onn got a call about one of his refugees. A Krenon had kidnapped his ex-wife and son…”

“Whoa.” Jeremiah stopped her. “Ex-wife?”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Yes, aliens get divorces too, you know? Krenons are four armed brutes who treat women like garbage. J’onn placed her in hiding from him but he and his brother found her, took her and the boy and holed up in a decommissioned military depot in Toronto. The ex was a bit nuts, but the brother seemed saner. He was covering the back entrance. Alex was working that night, but I wanted to make sure when I engaged the ex, the brother wouldn’t try and escape with the kid, so I called Bruce. He entered the back at the same time I entered the front.”

“Four arms, huh? How many did Bruce leave him with?”

“Two. It wasn’t as bad as what I did. I kicked the door in and saw him, then I saw her on the ground. He had beaten the hell out of her. Her eyes were swollen shut and her lips were shredded. I don’t know, I just saw red and it wasn’t my heat vision. He tried to attack me, but you know how I get when I am like that. Before I knew what happened I was standing over his crushed body, his blood all over my face, his arms in pieces from where I had ripped them from the sockets and tore them apart. At some point I had burned his eyes but not his brain. I remember his screams. The ex was crying. She knew someone was there and there were his screams, but she couldn’t see what was going on.

I thought I had saved her, you know? He kidnapped her, beat her, would have killed her.

Then the son came out from the corner he had been hiding in. He couldn’t have been much taller than Clark was then. He stood over his father, then looked at me with absolute fear. I tried to reach for him, to tell him it would be okay and he ran from me. He hid behind his mother and screamed at me to stay away. Bruce came out and… he just shook his head and patted me on the shoulder. He told me the guy in the back was dead as well, but it was his tone of voice that bothered me. He felt sorry for me, sorry for the boy… I didn’t know the boy was there. If I had known I never would have done that to his father in front of him but… I guess that really isn’t the best excuse. I left, left her with Bruce to deal with. I flew straight to the nearest bar. I was so confused, so angry, angry at the Krenon, angry at the boy for looking at me like I was a monster, angry at myself for being one. When in walked into the bar, people ran out. There I was in my pretty costume, eyes glowing and completely covered in another person’s blood.”

Jeremiah fought back a shiver and was glad Kara could no longer hear his heartbeat because at this moment it was racing. Sadly, he had no problem imagining Kara in that state.

“So, I took a bottle from behind the bar. The dealer at the place tried to slip out but I grabbed him, threw him to the floor and told me to give me everything he had, or he was next. I’m not sure what it was he had but it wasn’t normal. I drank the whole bottle in that bar in less than five minutes. The entire bar was empty, even the bartender had run. When I finished, I lay out a few lines and snorted them quickly to sober up I suppose or maybe because I wanted to find another fight. By the time I was over Lake Ontario, it hit me. I couldn’t control my body, I couldn’t think, I was having spasms and I crashed straight into the lake, didn’t stop moving until I hit the bottom.”

Jeremiah reached over and grabbed her hand, wondering if this was good for her or not. He supposed since she spent so much of the past few years lying and keeping secrets that opening up was probably good, even if the stories would give him nightmares.

“Anyway, I blacked out on the bottom, I guess. When I woke up, it was dark, I thought maybe I was in space. I thought I was dead or dying. I opened my mouth to call for Alex and water poured in. I could feel it everywhere; my lungs were full, and I couldn’t move. I just knew that was it. It was over. I killed a man, traumatized his child, got drunk, took some bad drugs and was going to be lost on the bottom of Lake Ontario forever. I figured I got what I deserved. I never thought I would see any of you again, but I thought of Midvale, the view, the memories I had from the Black Mercy of my imaginary human life. I remembered my first night here, sleeping on the roof with you next to me and waking up knowing I wouldn’t be hungry that day.

As the sun was rising I somehow found myself on a shore, on all fours, coughing up water, vomiting water. I have no idea how I got there. I must have crawled out. Once it seemed like I could breathe again, I felt Bruce. He picked me up and took me to his jet. That night I finally had complete control of my body and was able to fly back to National City. Want to know the saddest thing? It never stopped me from using. If I had a line in front of me now I would snort it. If there were heroin here I would shoot it and if I had a bottle of bourbon here I would drink the entire thing. Isn’t that pathetic? I don’t know what I am going to do. I have to go into town eventually. I can’t hide in the house forever. How am I supposed to beat this? Leslie thinks I am ready but I’m not so sure.”

“We will beat it together.” he assured her.” Just like we have always beaten everything else. You aren’t alone in this. You have never been alone. You may have isolated yourself, but we will never leave you. We are going to get through his, Kara. You have always known that I would protect you, right? I haven’t always been successful, but I have tried. I won’t leave you in this. Alex and Eliza, even Clark, we are all in this together. Right now, I am sure Mom is anxiously waiting to feed you your pills. It’s getting late and we have had a long day. Let’s go to bed and we can eat one of those huge breakfasts in the morning.”

Kara laughed and sat up easily, amused at Jeremiah struggling a bit.

“One too many huge breakfasts, Dad?”

The man grinned and shrugged his shoulders, making his way to his feet.

“I didn’t take advantage of the gym at the Block as much as you and your sister did. I bet the ocean breeze and Midvale magic are what you need to improve your appetite. Come inside and let Mom and Alex tuck you in.”

“Yeah, fine. I suppose in the morning I should call Cat and tell her I quit.” Kara mentioned with a grin.

“Alex has been keeping her updated. She fired you a long time ago. It was kind of a dead-end job anyway.”

Kara laughed then sobered up at another thought.

“Do you think I should call Grayson and apologize? I did beat the hell out of him the last…”

“To hell with him.” Jeremiah snapped. “Sorry, but you owe him nothing. He is lucky he got off with only a beating.”

“I used him for…”

“No, you didn’t!” Jeremiah shouted. He stopped walking and took a moment. Grayson and his daughter were a subject that always infuriated him. He worked hard to bring it under control quickly, to hide it from Kara usually but tonight hadn’t been as successful. “I’m sorry, maybe you did, but he used you.”

Kara shook her head in disagreement. “He never did anything wrong. I let him fall in love with me and that was my fault.”

Jeremiah snorted. “He never loved you, Kara, he obsessed over you. There is a difference. Grayson knew you had problems and instead of wanting you to get help he used them as an opportunity to get closer to you. You weren’t back in National City after your last suicide attempt for a few days and he was there. He wanted you to rely on him, no different than what Lex wanted. If he would have come to Kentucky and you asked him to help escape he would have done it, not because he loved you but because he wanted you in his possession. I’m not the only one who thinks this.” he pointed out.

“Bruce loves him, raised him practically and he wouldn’t tell Grayson where you were. Even Bruce knew what you two had was toxic. Maybe he did love you in his own way, but it wasn’t real love, it was just obsession, wanting you for himself instead of wanting what was best for you. It would be better if you never speak to him again. The two of you had a clean break. Keep it like that. You owe him nothing. You want to know what love it? Love is running across country with a 70-pound boy on your back and expecting nothing in return, just wanting to make you happy for no other reason. That’s love. Let’s go inside. I can see Eliza’s shadow already in your bedroom window, waiting to tuck you in.”

Sort of surprised by her Dad’s vehemence, she followed quietly. Kara had always known he didn’t like Dick Grayson but never realized how much it sounded like he hated them. Kara always assumed it was because he didn’t like her having sex but maybe there was more to it. Deciding he was right and it was probably best to leave it alone, she followed him in where she dutifully swallowed her pills before opening her mouth. Eliza even remained behind to tuck Kara into bed, to Alex’s amusement.

It did not escape Kara’s attention that her mother had laid out white pajamas with long sleeves and her sheets were the familiar white of her previous time here.

“Do you hate me, Kara?” Eliza asked, out of the blue, surprising the blonde and Alex across the room.

“Of course not! Why would you ask me that?” Kara whispered.

Eliza shrugged her shoulders but wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“I guess… when we asked Bruce to take you, we knew you might hate us. I know you haven’t talked about since then. I just… I guess I wanted to hear you say it.”

Kara leaned up and kissed her on her cheek.

“No, I could never hate you. I love you. I swear. Those things I said…”

“I know you didn’t mean them Kara. We expected you to say those things. Okay, threatening Bruce with the League of Assassins and cutting Veritas’ throat was a surprise but the rest we expected. I just wanted to hear it. Good night sweetie. “Eliza hugged the girl tightly and left for the night, no doubt planning on waking every couple hours with Jeremiah to check on her all night long. Normally she would be irritated by this but tonight she was scared. She wasn’t scared of the home. It felt so good to be back in her bed.

She was scared of the next day. Tomorrow she would watch the news for the first time in months. She would find out how the world was coping with her being gone. She would eventually have to go into town, see old people she thought she had left behind forever.

Kara never really had friends in Midvale. Those she did associate, including teachers, she made a point to never look them directly in the eye. The only one who knew what she looked like in detail was Becky and she had died in a car accident when she was 17. She worried about the people of Midvale recognizing her when she first appeared as Supergirl, but none did or at least none admitted it. Those who had watched Kara Danvers in Midvale would never suspect the painfully shy, awkward, lovable nerd with the beautiful voice and a severe case of stage fright could be Supergirl. It wasn’t possible.

Now her hair would be colored, but for the most part she would be the same awkward nerd she had perfected in her time on Earth.

She was back, though. Back living at home at 24 and she had dragged Alex with her.

Alex was already asleep, beating Kara’s sedative that night. Before she slipped off into dreamless darkness her phone buzzed. Checking it, she saw it was Barry.

/Did I beat the sedative? /

/Barely/ she replied. /The countdown to oblivion has begun. /

/Just wanted to see how it was going. What’s it like to live with your parents at your age? /

Kara rolled her eyes.

/What’s it like to live with Joe at your age? /

/I don’t. I moved out, got my own sweet bachelor pad. Maybe one day I will let you visit it. I’ll be down Saturday morning to see you. /

Kara shook her head, wondering what a place that belonged to Barry would look like.

/What makes you think I want to see you? / she asked, wondering if he could tell she was playing over text and thinking maybe that wasn’t the best thing to send. Barry did not miss a beat though.

/Then I am coming to see Clark. Maybe I will see you around the house since you live at home with your parents 🙂 /

Kara did not respond back. She wanted to, but her eyes felt very heavy and her fingers wouldn’t move as sleep came over her.

Central City

Barry waited for a response but after a minute, realized it wasn’t going to may have worried him before but not now. He knew when Kara’s sedative took effect, she was falling asleep whether she wanted to or not.

He also knew her ‘Bedtime’ as she jokingly referred to it was ten o clock, meaning sedative at 9:50.

A part of him felt bad for her. She was 24 and treated like a 12-year-old.

Unfortunately, he recognized it was what she needed. Thinking of all she had done since she landed, basically preparing for war and torturing herself, she could use some time to be a kid again and her family could use some rest from worrying about her constantly.

He just hoped she stuck it out. As much as wanted Kara in his life, he hoped the world never saw Supergirl again.

Now at the lab, he was alone with Caitlin, Cisco and… Dante. Barry had his suspicions but did his best not to think about them, hoping they weren’t true. But seeing Dante here next to a nervous Caitlin, told him he was right. Caitlin’s secret she was keeping, all the time she spent with the Danvers on a personal project… she had a metahuman gene and he could guess what it was. She had been working with Dante on controlling it.

“So, it’s good to have you back.” Cisco started cautiously. Caitlin had not said much to either, just that she needed to speak to them both tonight. Barry had his suspicions, Cisco did not, and the shorter man was very leery of Dante Youngblood, with good reason. Barry knew him, trained with his friends and knew how dangerous the man could be. He also knew from Kara that Dante was the calmest man she had ever met, so Cisco’s worry was unfounded.

Not that Vibe knew that.

“Yeah, I missed you. Sorry I had to leave so suddenly. It was a sort of different situation. I didn’t have a lot of time and…”

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Caitlin. I’m just glad you are okay. Barry knew where you were, so I felt a lot better.” Cisco assured her. “But it is really good having you back. So… who is your friend?”

“Dante Youngblood.” the man introduced himself, taking Cisco’s hand. His calm voice soothed the man, and the feeling that he would be attacked or killed any second was gone. At first, he had seemed perhaps not violent, but definitely dark and intimidating. His demeanor erased the initial impression. “I have been helping Caitlin for the past few weeks.”

Caitlin looked at the two and Barry felt more certain about his suspicions. Caitlin had developed metahuman powers and they had been triggered, perhaps by Zoom.

Caitlin raised her hand in front of her. To Barry and Cisco’s distress her hand turned to ice, her eyes turned bright blue and her hair turned white.

“Yeah, I’m Killer Frost. At least I was… or, I could… when… Dante?” Caitlin asked, shifting back to normal, something her and Dante had done often. The man used the same technique he put Kara throughout with her heat vision, using it and stopping it repeatedly until it became second nature. Then the two began playing, starting with easy tasks and building. They weren’t near to complete control, but they had a good foundation to build from.

Dante explained this to the men, and Barry noted Cisco did not seem to be less upset.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Caitlin?” the man asked, sounding obviously hurt.

“Because I know you were afraid of Killer Frost.” she admitted.

“You are not that woman.” Cisco told her.

“I have been. When I use these powers, it’s like I turn into someone else. I… Dante has helped me control it, myself anyway, but I still feel like a different person.” Caitlin admitted. It was not easy coming back, the first time she truly gave into her power completely. Caitlin was ashamed to admit she nearly killed him.

But Dante didn’t back down. This was a man who got into an enclosed space with a 14-year-old girl who shot the equivalent of molten lava out of her eyes.

“Cisco… I think maybe the three of us should come clean with each other. Caitlin and I have been keeping secrets, even from each other. We… the three of us, need to know what we are all doing. But what is said, stays between us. Cisco, I can’t tell you how important this is.”

“Okay. I’m listening.” he told them cautiously.

And he did. For the next hour, Barry explained what he had been doing in National City, the training, the alien tech and the threats he had learned about and the fledgling team, being put together by Batman and two others, including the Green Martian that had been seen flying around the nation.

When he finished, the normally tan man looked pale.

“I don’t understand. You two are still holding something back. Namely Supergirl, what is her part in this and why Bruce Wayne is suddenly giving S.T.A.R. whatever we want and not wanting anything in return.”

Barry and Caitlin looked towards Dante surprisingly to Cisco. The man had not said anything, only listening, that Vibe almost forgot he was there.

“Supergirl is retired.” Dante told him. “She isn’t coming back. She was sick, and Caitlin was hired by Bruce Wayne to treat her. She is done. As far as the world is concerned, Supergirl is gone.”

Cisco had expected anything, but that. He knew Barry’s disappearances had something to do with Supergirl, but he thought the two of them had been becoming reacquainted in National City. Making up for six years of lost time. But that didn’t seem to be the case.

She was sick?

“She lost her powers, didn’t she?” he whispered. “Bruce Wayne helping her, why… he is Batman. Now Batman is getting a team together because he knows she isn’t coming back and is worried about an alien uprising.”

The silence was all the answer he needed.

“We can’t talk about this to anyone Cisco.” Barry stressed.

“What sort of illness could make Supergirl…”

“That is private.” Caitlin told him quickly. “It isn’t something you need to know. It has nothing to do with us. That is her business.”

The man chanced a look at Dante who remained stoic, but it was obvious by his clenching fists, the issue was not up for discussion.

Cisco took this all in. His two closets friends had been living an entirely different life while he had been in Central City. He was not used to being on the outside and wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Not that it mattered. It was what it was.

Plus, what had been going on, really wasn’t his business.

“So, you don’t want to use these powers, right Caitlin?” he finally asked.

The woman shook her head. “Supergirl’s… Kara’s parents and sister are working on a way to make the metahuman gene dormant. If they can’t, Dante is working with me on controlling them, so I never have to use them again. I don’t like who I am when I use them. They scare me.”

The man nodded his head in understanding, remembering how scared he was of his powers when he first realized he was metahuman.

“I think you should do it, Barry.”

To say Barry was surprised would be an understatement.

“Do it?”

“You know what I mean. It’s not like you have to live there. Batman is right. When the world needs the best, if Supergirl isn’t going to be here anymore, then a team is needed, a team more powerful than us. You are one of the best, Barry. It’s not like we have to give up what we have. The team will be needed if the worst occurs, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. We will have missions, like taking down alien dr… weapons facilities. But our primary purpose, from what I understand is to be prepared to fight the worst.”

“Then the world needs you, when that happens.” Cisco admitted. “I guess we are keeping this to ourselves for now?”

“Yes.” Dante told him quickly.

“Okay then. I suppose I should tell you all about an experience I had while you were both away. One that I am surprised didn’t give me grey hair.”

Cisco went on to tell them about his experience with the two men wearing red and green rings and what he saw when he touched the red rings. Caitlin listened, fascinated and frightened for her friend.

Barry and Dante listened with great worry. Both had learned about this red ring and had a fairly good idea who its target would be, if given the chance.

“Why didn’t you tell me right away, Cisco?” Barry asked.

Cisco grinned, almost disbelieving that he would ask that. “Are you seriously asking me why I kept a secret? You haven’t exactly been around for me to talk to about this stuff.”

The Flash lowered his head, admitting he was right. It seemed like since Batman and Supergirl broke into S.T.A.R. Labs everything had gone off the rails. Barry didn’t regret finding Kara again, but it seemed like that was a turning point, the event that changed everything. He knew nothing would ever be the same after that. Change could be good he guessed. It was also very scary.

His phone buzzed. He didn’t recognize the number, meaning it could be Kelex calling through any number of lines.

“You better take that.” Cisco suggested.

“Hello?”

“Barry, this is Diana. We are speaking with some people you may be interested in meeting. We have borrowed your large hangar. Please join us. You need to hear this.”

Diana hung up, not giving Barry a chance to say anything, much less ask questions.

“I should go. Diana needs me. I guess you could say she is my new boss.”

Raising his hand, Barry used the ring for the first time in front of Cisco and Caitlin, disappearing in less than a second.

“The suit can fit into a ring now, huh?”

Caitlin shrugged her shoulders. “Alien tech. I have seen things you wouldn’t believe, Cisco. Dante, I am kind of tired tonight. Would you mind if we worked in the morning?”

“Of course, Caitlin. Have a good night.”

Caitlin gave the man a shy smile and left for home, indeed very tired. This had been a night of revelations that had been long overdue. It felt good to be back. She was starting to go a bit stir crazy in the Block and missed her bed greatly.

Cisco was left with Dante, alone for the first time tonight.

“So, you trained Supergirl, huh?” the man asked to break the ice.

Dante smiled. “I guided her, helped her come to accept and master her powers. She was a girl on a mission. Do you know you were a week away from dying six years ago? Her and her sister are the reason humans did not go extinct. It cost them both a lot personally. For all intents and purposes, they gave up the latter half of their childhoods to save the world. Kara is very dear to me.”

Cisco was taken back by the sincerity in his voice. There was obviously more to this man than just intimidating stares.

Ramon nearly jumped when Dante placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Everything Caitlin has told me about you says you are a good man, Cisco Ramon.”

“Thank…” he stopped speaking when the hand squeezed his shoulder.

“That is why this conversation gives me no pleasure. I want us to be friends, so it is important you understand somethings. I need you to listen carefully. Are you listening?”

“Ye… yeah.”

“I don’t have a cute code name or shoot arrows, or swing around rooftops. What I am skilled at is war. I am very good at killing. Kara has given up her powers. I was very against you knowing this but the two of them insisted you could be trusted. I don’t trust easily. I will be watching you. Kelex will be listening. If you tell this information to anyone, I will kill them, then I am coming for you to make sure you tell no one else. There is nothing I will not do to protect her. I killed to protect her when she was a child, and nothing has changed. If Oliver Queen finds out, Felicity Smoak, Laurel Lance, even Joe or Iris West, I will end them and you. I do not say this to intimidate you. It is just a fact. I have always protected Kara and I always will. I will make it quick and painless, because it is not personal, but it must be done. Do we understand each other?”

Cisco nodded his head furiously. He would have preferred the man, yell or use a menacing voice. Instead he just threatened death as if he were talking about the weather and that somehow made it worse.

“I am sure you have figured out that Kara is different than she is portrayed in public, correct?”

“Yeah… I mean… yes?”

“You will keep that to yourself, correct?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good, I am glad we can be friends, Cisco. I think I will follow Caitlin’s lead and get some sleep. Good night.”

While Cisco and Dante were having a get to know you session, Barry arrived at the hangar belonging to S.T.A.R. very quickly, wondering why Diana had chosen this place.

He guessed it was for the space because more were here than just his three new friends.

Three men, two wearing green rings and one wearing a red ring were sitting on chairs, along with Diana, Batman and J’onn.

“Hello everybody. Judging by the rings, we have two Green Lanterns and a Red Lantern.” Barry guessed.

“You would be correct.” Diana confirmed.

Barry moved, fast than Gardner could see and struck the man in the jaw, knocking him back off the chair and onto the floor.

“That was for having my friend touch that damn ring. You ever approach him again, I will end you.”

Perhaps being around Connolly’s team had rubbed off on him somewhat.

Gardner smiled and picked himself up off the floor, sat his chair upright and sat again.

“Nice to meet you too, Flash.” the man offered, rubbing his jaw.

“So, what are they doing here?” the Flash asked his friends.

“I was called by Jordan and got mind zapped by a Martian.” Guy told him.

“And I got kidnapped.” Jordan added. Barry looked him over and noticed he had a black eye. Something told him Batman lost his temper.

“John Stewart. I am just here to keep the peace.”

“That would be a change.” Batman growled. “Why don’t you tell our friend the Flash what you have told us. Everything. Right now.”

Stewart let out a deep breath and began. He desperately wanted to take control of this meeting but with the Martian blocking any of them from using their rings, it was impossible. Hal had called him for help and Stewart realized too late that he could do nothing.

So, the man began, the history of the Lantern Corp, the split among the Corp and the wars among themselves and their mission to protect the galaxy from threats.

Barry wasn’t happy with what he heard.

“You two and two others have been on this lane for years and you left it to Supergirl to do your jobs?” he asked.

Neither Stewart or Jordan had an answer.

“Why are there four of you here? If one of you is assigned to a sector, why are there four of you, doing nothing, on Earth?” Barry continued.

“Because of the number of aliens on Earth.” Jordan finally answered.

Barry shook his head. “There are more aliens, dangerous aliens on War World. There aren’t four Lanterns in that sector, are there. What is the real reason? Answer before I phase a hand in someone’s chest.”

Jordan and Stewart looked at each other. Diana stood moving to unclip her lasso when Jordan raised his hands for her to stop.

“The Guardians became concerned the first time Supergirl broke the atmosphere. At that point she became a potential threat to the universe. She had been heard threatening White Martians before, threatening to fly to Mars and burn them all. I realize what they did to you J’onn Jonzz, but it would have been genocidal all the same. Once she broke atmosphere she became the biggest threat in the galaxy. To be honest, I am not sure if four Lanterns could beat her. I don’t know if the entire Corp could. Her strength is unprecedented. We have only watched from a distance…”

“Coward.” Barry whispered. “Letting an 18year old girl save the world while you sat and spied on her.”

Barry knew he needed to remain calm, but the idea of what Kara went through, when she could have had super powered backup, men and women who could fight by her side in the air, made him irrationally angry.

“What about you? Why are you here? To find the red ring?” he asked.

Gardner was not good at hiding his surprise. Barry Allen was very informed, and he had no doubt the Flash had recent contact with Lobo.

“Yeah, but we aren’t having any luck. We don’t patrol sections of the Universe like these boy scouts. We do our own thing. But if that ring attaches to someone your Martian won’t be able to stop whoever it is. Our rings may require concentration now, but a new red doesn’t work off concentration. It works off pure rage with no thought and no target in mind. It is a monster. If the ring attaches to someone it will take all my Reds and all four of their greens to hold them down and depending on the power of the person, it may not be enough. Where is Supergirl? She disappeared two years ago for a couple months and is gone now again? Is she taking a vacation, or what? We are going to need her to stop a new Red if the worst happens, and I always plan for the worst.”

Diana stood up and approached Gardner.

“Where she is, I promise you, it is no concern of yours. The protection of the planet falls to us now. Stewart, you will be our liaison to the Greens and if we need you, then you will fight beside us. The rest of you, stay in hiding like you have been. Stay out of our way. If you find the ring, you will let Stewart know and he will inform us.”

“Listen lady, we don’t take orders from…” Stewart began until Diana moved from Gardner and placed her sword under Stewart’s chin.

“That was not a request. This is our planet. Since J’onn has shown to be able to block your ability to use your weapons, I like my chances. To be truthful, I could most likely defeat you without him. What happens if I cut off your ring fingers? Do you have to get your pretty ring, resized?”

Stewart stared at the woman for a moment, impressed with her. She was not bluffing.

In truth he had wanted to become involved for years. He always felt guilty, following the Guardians lead and staying out of Supergirl’s fights. She worked with humans who had no powers and they did more than the so called cosmic enforcers. Perhaps it was time to say to hell with it and become involved.

“Looks like we have a deal.”

“A deal requires agreement on your part.” Batman pointed out. “We weren’t asking for agreement. Give J’onn your contact information. We plan to hit another alien drug facility soon. We will see what you bring to the table then.”

Diana turned her attention back to Gardner who was enjoying watching the Green Lantern Corp being pushed around.

“You say Atrocitus is not on this planet? You are certain?”

Gardner nodded his head. “Pretty certain. We, me and the other Reds would have felt him.”

Diana kept her face neutral, not wanting to give anything away.

“Stewart, give J’onn your contact information then all of you leave. Do not stay near or we will know. Go back to your lives. We will find you if we need more information.”

The three wasted no time leaving. With the Martian blocking their abilities to use their rings, they were completely at the mercy of the four individuals and did not like it.

Once Alfred assured the team that they were gone, Diana began pacing.

“Atrocitus is on Earth. They are fools if they believe differently. J’onn were you able to place the mental blocks?”

J’onn grinned. “They will never be able to use their rings against us. The others can but as soon as we make contact, stopping them will be easy enough.”

“Thank you.”

Bruce watched the woman carefully. She waited around the hangar but was obviously deep in thought. He had the idea that she was thinking exactly what he and J’onn were thinking.

Finally, she walked back to them and sat.

“My half-brother never forced humans to use weapons. He did influence them, like a devil on their shoulders. Atrocitus is here. He must be. He is biding his time and we all know who he is after.”

Barry shook his head.

“Kara is done.”

“Kara is not done. She has a crystal in her body that can easily be removed by her own hands. Bruce, if you wanted to turn her into a weapon, if you wanted her to return and take the ring, how would you do it?”

Bruce had thought of this many times.

“I would create a situation that posed a great danger to her family or humanity in general. The danger would have to be so great that she could potentially lose. Kara does not like to lose. If she thought the ring was the only way to win, she would take it without a second thought.”

“Exactly.” Diana agreed. “But what could possibly pose that much of a threat?”

“I have no idea.”

Barry shivered at the thought. The idea of Kara turning into some rage monster, lost in her own madness after she was finally so close to peace, frightened the hell out of him.

“Whatever it is, he has to be near. He has to be planning.” Diana said, more to herself. “If we can’t find the ring, we can find him. We must. That ring is here for Kara and we cannot let that happen. Barry, I realize Bruce told you to take all the time you need but that is no longer the case. If Stewart is trustworthy and I suspect he is, he could be a powerful asset. So, could this Curry if we can track him to one location. I need to know now Barry. Are you in or out? This team needs you and if we can’t have you, we need to find a replacement we can trust.”

The Flash was surprised. He thought Batman was direct, but the guy was much subtler than the Amazon.

“I’m in. 100%.”

Diana smiled for the first time that night.

“Then this may work. Priorities have changed. The transporters will be needed but we must also follow any leads that could pinpoint this Atrocitus and find out what threat is on this Earth that could possibly defeat Kara. For now, we hit Alien bars, communes, anywhere information can be found. We are going to follow every lead. Time is of the essence and everything in me is telling me that monster is on this planet, planning while we wait. I do not like waiting.”