Universe 38

Friday, 13th May 2016

Almost four weeks later, the two heroes still had not been able to win the world's trust again.

Kara did not come to CatCo, because she was depressing from this, while Maddie watched a journalist talking about them on a TV at CatCo with Mia.

- "What was once a symbol of hope is now a symbol of fear." A journalist said on TV. "Early this morning, Supergirl and GreatGirl arrived at the scene of a crime at West National City Bank." They showed the two heroes walking to the bank. The hostages ran away as the criminals got on their knees, in pure fear. "But instead of the usual cheers, Supergirl and GreatGirl's intervention was met with skepticism and fear. Some say Supergirl and GreatGirl were under a mind-altering drug when they attacked the city." Everyone: hostages, criminals, cops, ran away from them as the TV showed them, sighing sadly. "But they turned against our people once. The question on everyone's minds, what's to stop them from turning against us again?"

- "They don't know what they are talking about, Maddie." The Krillin woman put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

- "I know, but this is the second time I lose the public's trust, and it was really hard to win it back. But this time, I attacked them, it's gonna take so long for them to trust me or Kara again." The Matthews girl sighed.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Cat was watching the reportage in her office.

- "First Sandy Bullock steals my bike at spin class and then the juice bar runs out of chard, and now this?" She asked. "I knew people would be slow to forgive Supergirl and GreatGirl, but this is ridiculous. And now the crime rate in National City is up a whopping 40%."

- "Do you think Supergirl and GreatGirl have lost the public's trust for good?" Winn questioned.

- "Well, I suppose if Mel Gibson can present at the Golden Globes, then Supergirl and GreatGirl can win the city back." The Grant woman said. "This too shall pass." She dismissed everyone in her office, only the boys stayed. "Ker-rah, go find me a juice bar with an abundance of chard."

- "Uh, Ms. Grant, I already told you, Kara's out sick today." The Schott man replied.

- "That was at 9 AM." The queen of media frowned.

- "Generally, when people are sick, it lasts the whole day." The tech guy said.

- "Well, that is unacceptable. Who will man the phones?" Cat asked.

- "I guess I will." Winn replied, but his phone vibrated. "Oh. You know, just as soon as I get back from this thing I have to do."

- "Well, I have an idea." James walked out of the office towards the intern. "Maddie, Cat needs you to replace Kara for the day."

- "Right. Sure." Maddie nodded and walked to her boss' office. Her phone rang and the Matthews girl answered. "Cat Grant's office."

The Grant woman smiled, in satisfaction.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Later, after the end of work, GreatGirl and Supergirl went after agent Vasquez had called them.

- "Alex?" The Matthews girl frowned. "What's happening?"

- "I don't know. I was talking to J'onn when Vasquez told me to come." Alex explained.

The three women walked into the main room of the D.E.O. where the agents were lined up in front of the military.

- "Major Lane?" The younger Danvers frowned.

- "What are you doing here?" The older Danvers asked.

The quadbrid read the minds of all the strangers in the room. This is bad.

- "She's with me." A 5'11 white man with short dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.

- "And who are you?" The right hand walked up to him.

- "Colonel James Harper. United States Marines Corps." The latter explained.

- "The Pentagon ordered a joint task force to investigate J'onn J'onzz's infiltration of this agency." Lucy explained.

- "They wanna know what he's done and who knew about it." James continued. "So everyone here will be interviewed. All activities, all communications scrutinized."

- "Sounds like a witch-hunt." Alex said.

- "It is." GreatGirl nodded.

- "This is an internal investigation done by the book to identify, remove and ultimately prosecute enemies of the state." The Harper man replied.

- "And you're here as our legal counsel to protect our civil rights?" The Kryptonian asked.

Of course not. The Matthews girl scoffed. She is just here because of her vendetta against you.

- "She's here because this investigation required someone familiar with the players, someone the government could trust to help cut through the subterfuge." The colonel explained.

- "I'm concerned everyone here has been compromised by him." The Lane woman said. "You should be, too."

- "Which is why we need to figure out who knew what when, and uncover anything J'onn J'onzz and his confederates were planning." James added. "We'll deal with the question of your loyalties later. Take the Martian to the interrogation room. We start with him."

- "Yes, sir." A man nodded.

The two walked out with the others marines.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

A couple of minutes later, the three women were walking in the center of the D.E.O. with marines everywhere.

- "What can you hear?" Alex asked the two aliens. The two heroes tried to listen, but they heard a sharp screech instead. They grunted softly in pain. "What? What's wrong?"

- "They've done something." Supergirl said.

- "They're blocking us out." GreatGirl added.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Later, the three women were still in the center, looking at the interrogation on the monitor, but still without sounds.

- "They've been in there for hours." Alex said.

- "We have to get in there." Supergirl added.

- "We can't." GreatGirl replied.

- "If we do, we'll implicate ourselves as accessories. We won't be any use to Hank if they lock us up with him." The older Danvers explained.

- "I'd like to see them try and lock me up." The younger Danvers said.

- "Calm down. Being mad won't change anything." The Matthews girl replied.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Later, the three women walked towards the interrogation room followed by marines, where a handcuffed J'onn was being led away by Lucy and James.

- "Where are you taking him?" Alex asked.

- "Hey, you need to step back." The Harper man said.

- "I've worked for that man for the last two years. He's never endangered this planet. He's protected it." The older Danvers explained.

- "Two years? This alien is over 300 years old. Two years is like a coffee break to him." The colonel replied.

I can't tell them that I read his mind and that he's good, they won't believe. GreatGirl shook her head.

- "He saved my life more times than I can count. He's the best, most honorable man that I know." The right hand defended.

- "He's not a man." James said.

- "He's more a man than you are." The Matthews girl scoffed.

- "Excuse me?" The Harper man frowned.

- "You heard me." The quadbrid crossed her arms.

- "Where are you taking him?" Supergirl asked.

- "Where he belongs." The colonel replied. "And Danvers, since you have so much to say about him, you're next."

He walked away with the Major and the J'onzz man.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Saturday, 14th May 2016

The next day, very early in the day, the two heroes were in the center of the D.E.O., looking at the soundless interrogation of Alex who was hooked to a lying detector.

The marine, in front of the console, walked away for a minute.

- "Vasquez, I have to hear what's going on in that room." Supergirl whispered. "Can you disable the sound-dampening tech they're running to block us?"

- "I can't disable it." Agent Vasquez replied. "I won't." She got up. "Colonel Harper and Major Lane have a job to do. And frankly, ma'ams, I suggest you let them do it." She walked away, leaving two comm. Sets on her console.

- "This is why she's my favorite." GreatGirl murmured as she took the comm. Sets.

She gave one to her friend.

They both put them on and hid it with their long hair.

- "Did you know that Hank Henshaw was being impersonated by an alien criminal when you were recruited?" James asked.

- "He is not a criminal." The older Danvers said.

- "Answer the question, Agent Danvers." Lucy replied.

- "I did not know that Hank was being impersonated by an alien refugee when I was being recruited to the D.E.O." The right hand explained. "The man who recruited me, the man that I believed to be Hank Henshaw, he saved my life. Hank Henshaw or J'onn J'onzz, or whatever you wanna call him, gave me a home. A purpose. I served him with honor, and I'm proud of that. You're the ones who should be ashamed of yourselves."

They should. The Matthews girl thought.

- "Well, that's all very heartwarming, but it still doesn't answer the million-dollar question." The Harper man said. "Did you know that Hank Henshaw was an alien?"

- "No." Alex replied.

- "Well, congratulations, Agent Danvers." The colonel sighed. "The only thing you're guilty of is being duped by the very creature you were meant to be hunting. Which makes you a terrible agent. But lucky for you, not a criminal." He got up.

The older Danvers started to unhook herself from the machine.

- "Wait." The Lane woman said. "She's lying."

- "Bitch." The quadbrid whispered, low enough only for her friend the Kryptonian to hear.

- "He told you he tried to rescue your father. He told you he's protecting you. He made you believe he was the father you lost. And now you're under arrest." The major explained.

The door opened, and they took away the right as the two heroes put the comm. Sets down and walked towards the interrogation room.

- "Hey!" Supergirl yelled. "What the hell is going on? You can't do this."

- "Where is she going?" GreatGirl asked.

- "Same place I'm taking your little green friend." James said. "Project Cadmus."

- "You can't do that." The Matthews girl frowned, in worry.

They dragged Alex away.

- "Cadmus? What is Project Cadmus? What is Project Cadmus?" The younger Danvers yelled. "What is Project Cadmus?" She turned to her friend.

- "Something terrible." The quadbrid replied, before explaining to her.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Later, the two heroes went to CatCo and went into the nice James' office.

- "Hey, I got your message." He said. "What, what happened?"

- "It was horrible. They just... They just dragged Alex and Hank away." Kara explained.

- "Okay. But, who is 'they'? Who did this?" The Olsen man asked.

- "Lucy." Maddie replied.

- "Lu... My... Wait, hold on. Lucy is back here in National City?" The photograph asked.

- "Yes. With a Colonel Harper. They're leading the witch-hunt. They wanna know who knew about Hank. I've never seen her like this." The Danvers woman explained.

- "Me neither. And I read her mind when we met." The Matthews girl added.

- "Okay, but where did they take Alex and Hank?" James questioned.

- "Project Cadmus." The quadbrid said.

- "No." The Olsen man sighed, in worry. "This is the reason that Clark won't work with the government. Okay, so if, if the D.E.O. is a prison, then Cadmus is a dissection lab. It's a genetic engineering facility that treats aliens like lab rats. Amputated. Skinned. Drained. Injected with experimental drugs."

- "Why would they do that?" The Kryptonian asked.

- "Weaponizing alien abilities for military purposes." The photograph said.

- "I'm sorry, but people are sick." Maddie scoffed.

- "I agree." James nodded.

- "What do they do to humans?" Kara questioned. The two shook their head. "Does Clark know where it is?"

- "No." The two, simultaneously, replied.

- "No one does." The Olsen man added.

- "I know what we have to do. But I'm gonna need your help." The Danvers women said.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Later, the trio was at Kara's apartment when someone knocked. James opened to Lucy.

- "I don't have time for this." She said.

- "So, you're back in the army." The Olsen man looked at her uniform.

- "And you're back in Kara's loft. I guess nothing's really changed for either of us." The Lane woman replied. "Just tell me what was so important that I had to come here. What is this all about?"

- "There's something you need to know." The Danvers woman opened her shirt to reveal her Supergirl suit.

Maddie used her powers to stop manipulating the major's mind into not recognizing them. The two heroes took their glasses.

- "It all makes sense now." She gasped. "I just didn't wanna put it together. I didn't want it to be true."

- "I'm sorry you had to find out this way." The Kryptonian said. "But you're the only person that can stop Hank and Alex from being sent to Project Cadmus."

- "Why would I help you?" Lucy asked. "You and Maddie and Hank... Why do you all lie?"

- "When you're an alien, and you've lost your world, and you're dropped into a new one, you don't have a choice." Kara explained. "You're willing to sacrifice anything, everything, betray your fundamental instincts just to fit in."

- "To belong somewhere, to find your place in this world." The Matthews girl added.

- "If you have a problem fitting in, it's because you lie to people about who you really are." The Lane woman said.

- "Yeah, because when we don't lie, it works out so much better." The quadbrid replied. "We don't become freaks, we don't become threats, we don't become enemies, we don't a become science experiment."

- "Lucy, are you really willing to let Hank become a science experiment?" The photograph asked. "And who knows what they have planned for Alex."

- "I know you're feeling betrayed and alone, but if you go along with Jim Harper just to feel like you fit in, to feel like you belong somewhere, ultimately the only person you're betraying is yourself." The Danvers woman explained. "It wasn't easy for us to show you who we really are, but we did it because we trust who you are, who you really are, under that uniform."

- "And I read minds, so even though, I really want to insult you for saying that Alex was lying. I trust you'll do the right thing." Maddie added.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Later, that night in a truck, Jim was with his two prisoners.

- "When we get to Cadmus, I'm gonna find out how you overcome peoples' minds. How you steal their bodies. What makes you tick." He explained.

- "You're gonna dissect me." J'onn replied.

- "Cadmus is not some Area 51 house of horrors, Martian. It's a necessary place." The Harper man said. "A place where we can unlock secrets to save American lives. Human lives."

- "So, you're gonna dissect him." Alex added.

- "I'm protecting the world." The colonel replied.

- "You're pathetic." The Danvers woman said.

- "And you're a traitor. So get comfortable, Agent Danvers, because you belong to Cadmus now." Jim smiled.

Three motorcycles drove right behind the truck.

- "Sir, behind us. Sir, we've got three bogies." The driver said.

- "Take 'em out." The Harper man ordered.

The two prisoners looked at the device that stopped the J'onzz man from using his powers.

The driver drove in front of the bikers, but they avoided it and drove to its side.

The man on the passenger seat shot at the bickers, but nothing happened to them.

- "They're wearing body armor." He said.

Alex reached for the device at the same time as the colonel, but when the truck turned, he hit the wall.

One of the bickers shot at the wheels of the truck, making it stop.

When the device came close to her, the Danvers woman stomped on it.

The green Martian freed himself and walked towards Jim.

The bickers stopped behind the truck and when two marines got out, two of the bickers super speed towards them and pushed them against the truck, knocking them out.

The bickers took out their helmets.

It was Lucy, GreatGirl and Supergirl.

Inside the truck, the Harper man was pinned against the wall as J'onn took his gun, before turning him around.

- "Do it, do it, Martian." He said, as the J'onzz man had his hands on his head. "Be a monster. Prove me right."

- "Hank." Alex put her hand on his back.

- It's all right. I've gotten better at this. I'm not gonna kill you, Colonel, I'm just gonna make you forget what happened here tonight." The green Martian explained as he did so.

J'onn hit the wall, in shock, as the colonel fell to the ground.

- "J'onn." The older Danvers said. "J'onn, are you okay?"

- "I, uh, I saw into Harper's mind. I saw him." The J'onzz man replied.

- "Who?" Alex asked.

- "Jeremiah. I saw him at Project Cadmus." The green Martin said. "Alex, he's alive. Your dad's alive."

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

A couple of minutes later, Alex explained to the two heroes as the two others put the marines into the back of the truck.

- "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked GreatGirl.

- "I was going to, once J'onn was safe." She replied. "I didn't want to blur your thoughts; I know you wanted to stay focus on saving him."

- "Thank you." The older Danvers smiled softly.

The Matthews girl nodded and helped the two others with the marines.

- "For him to still be around after all this time." Supergirl said.

- "I'm going to get him back." Alex replied.

- "We're gonna get him back." J'onn corrected.

- "I'm coming with you." The younger Danvers said.

- "I'm a fugitive now. I'm on the run." The older Danvers sighed.

- "Let me take you to the Fortress of Solitude, where you'll be safe." The Kryptonian added. "Let me find Jeremiah."

- "Kara, I have to do this." Alex replied. "Hey, have faith in me, like I have in you."

- "What am I gonna do without you?" Supergirl asked.

- "You don't need me. You never have." The older Danvers said.

- "No. Well, you still took care of me anyway." The younger Danvers replied.

- "Yeah, look how great you turned out." Alex smiled. "I love you."

- "I love you too." The Kryptonian hugged her sister.

- "Take care of her." The older Danvers told the quadbrid.

- "I will. Don't worry. You didn't leave me alone and I won't leave you alone." She replied.

- "Bye, Maddie." Alex, quickly, hugged her.

- "Bye, Alex." GreatGirl whispered.

- "Don't worry. She'll be okay." The J'onzz man said.

- "I know. She has you. The three of us have you." Supergirl replied.

The fugitives drove away with two of the motorcycles.

The Matthews girl brought the third motorcycle to where they took it.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Later, the new trio walked into the D.E.O., like nothing happened.

- "Do you think they know it was us?" Supergirl asked.

- "We'll see." Lucy replied.

- "If they do, I'll teleport us away." GreatGirl said.

- "Attention!" A man yelled and everyone straightened up.

- "At ease." The Lane woman ordered and everyone relaxed.

- "Ma'am, we've had a..." Agent Vasquez started.

- "Security breach, I know." The Major continued. "What are we doing to re-apprehend the detainees?"

- "Ma'am?" The agent frowned.

- "What are Colonel Harper's orders?" Lucy asked.

- "Ma'am, Colonel Harper just resigned and named a new acting director of the D.E.O." Vasquez replied.

- "Who?" The Lane woman questioned.

- "You." The agent said.

The two heroes smiled widely.

Wonderful. The Matthews girl thought.

- "Are you sure?" The Major asked.

- "Yes. He was quite adamant about your appointment." Vasquez nodded, before going back to her station.

- "I guess J'onn's gotten good at that whole mind control thing." The Danvers woman whispered.

- "You're gonna help me do this, right?" Lucy asked.

- "Yeah, of course." The Kryptonian nodded.

- "You don't need it. You're a badass, smart woman. As long as you stay true to yourself, you're gonna be great." The quadbrid explained.

- "This is where you belong." Supergirl added.

- "Ma'ams, there's a bank robbery at 10th and Shukert. No alien involvement, but I just thought you might wanna know." The agent said.

- "And you two belong out there." The Lane woman replied.

- "After what we did, the people don't trust us anymore." The Danvers woman sighed.

- "They are scared of us." GreatGirl added.

- "You got me to trust you. That's a start." The Major smiled softly.

The two heroes smiled back and walked away.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

A.N: 3281 words.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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