Alex’s lab fell eerily silent as those two words were left ominously hanging in the air.  As Alex continued to check Alura’s vitals, Barry looked back and forth between Kara and Clark.  Kara had told him the little she could remember of Argo City where she had been born. But at five years old she and her family had moved to Kryptonopolis when her mother was named Chief Judicator for Fort Rozz.  Almost on instinct he knew that the name of Kara’s birth city followed by the word Worldkiller was nothing less than a portent of doom.  As such he was hesitant to ask, but some knowledge would help light the way.

“So I know I’m late to the party here, but what exactly is a Worldkiller?”

Barry’s question snapped both Clark and Kara out of their dazed state though the latter’s eyes remained fixated on her mother as Clark spoke in answer, his voice tinged with disbelief.

“A rumor Barry, a myth from before the destruction of my home. In my last confrontation with Brainiac; he inferred that Earth would meet the same fate as Krypton with one word-Worldkiller.”

“So what did you learn about these so called Worldkillers?  What can…”

Barry’s train of thought was interrupted by a meta-human alert on his phone followed by a call from Cisco.  Not wanting to potentially wake Kara’s mother or disturb his wife he stepped out into the hallway.

“Cisco…”

“Need you back at Star immediately; Barry.  Someone is attempting to initiate a breach in the Cortex. We’re containing it for now, but could be trouble.”

“I’ll be there.”

Upon finishing his call, Barry stepped back into Alex’s lab, and the situation had only changed slightly from when he left.  Clark was standing behind Kara with a comforting hand on her shoulder as she had pulled a chair up next to the bed.  Alura had fallen back against the pillows as if her previous actions hadn’t occurred.  When he wrapped his arms around Kara’s shoulders, Clark stepped away and answered the younger hero’s unfinished question.

“The information on the Worldkillers was minimal, Barry.  As I said, rumor.  But the Fortress does contain the largest repository of Kryptonian knowledge.  There has to be something there.  Kara…”

“Go on Kal…, I’m going to stay here.  If my mother wakes up, I want to be here when she does.”

Clark left the D.E.O. to fly off to the Arctic and get whatever information he could on this potential new threat even if he had to deactivate Kelex to do it.  Meanwhile Barry tightened his comforting embrace around Kara as she ran her hand up his bicep, instantly feeling his tension.

“You’re leaving too, aren’t you Barry?”

“Not like I want to.  Someone is attempting to open a breach to our world through Star Labs.  Ever since Zoom…”

“Barry, it’s okay.  If this is a threat, you need to deal with it.  I can come along if you…”

“I want you too, but like you said, you should stay with your mother.  This may be nothing.  I promise I’ll call if I need you, Kara.  And I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Be safe, baby.  See you soon.”

Barry sped off while Kara stayed at the D.E.O.  Upon arriving back at Star and the Cortex, the breach had opened and Jesse Wells jumped through.  She had come because Grodd had abducted her father and was planning to use him to mount an invasion of Earth-1.  Barry, Cisco and Caitlin all traveled with Jesse back to her Earth as they had sent Grodd there in the first place.  At the same time Clark had arrived at his Fortress to ascertain the truth of Brainiac’s claims.  His entering of the word Worldkiller in the computer activated Kelex who in turn spoke with a warning.

“Master Kal-El, if you are continuing to seek information on the Worldkillers, I must strongly advise against your actions.”

“I can’t stop Kelex.  Brainiac clearly knew something about this legend.  If Earth is fated to meet an end like that of Krypton, and I can stop it, I will.”

“Your father programmed me to protect all information on the dark times of your home-world.  As such I cannot…”

Kelex was silenced as Clark deactivated the Fortress’ security protocols, thus shutting the robot down.  Knowing that Jor-El had programmed the directive into the crystal that built the Fortress and Kelex, Clark pushed further in, a previously unseen holographic recording of his father activating.

“The Worldkiller Initiative has long been kept secret even among the most revered Kryptonian scientists.  Krypton’s science was the envy of the universe and led the High Council to adopt an extreme form of isolationism.  Only Nara felt that this was an incorrect stance as our advancements should have been shared with worlds that desperately needed what our achievements in technology, medicine and genetics could provide.  Though highly respected, her vote was the only one against Krypton’s withdrawal.”

“Not surprising, I wonder where you stood on the issue, Father.”

“I agreed with her, as did Lara.  But the Council would not budge on their ruling.  The planet was soon besieged by violent worlds, Thanagar, Apokolips, Colu; even our neighboring Daxam began to wage war on our home.  Zod and his army protected Krypton valiantly, though a Coluan by the name of Vril Dox shrank Kandor…”

“Brainiac…”

“…and took our Capital City.  Many died in his attempted conquest.  So the Council initiated the Worldkiller project and my brother Zor-El was forcibly coerced into performing genetic alterations to five alien pirates of varying species.  For several years they fought alongside Zod to protect us until Dox, now known as Brainiac, convinced them to join his war.  They were unstoppable and Krypton’s core being already unstable was their main target.  The attacks caused the planetary cataclysm to occur years before it was supposed to.”

“But what about the project?  If the Worldkillers are real and have come to Earth…?”

“Sadly, Krypton was no more.  Our own hubris led to our downfall.  Many have questioned the truth of the Prophecy, as the ultimate goal of the Worldkillers became to extinguish all Kryptonian life from the universe.”

Jor-El’s recording pauses as a new hologram appears before his holographic image.  Clark is familiar with the book he sees as he’d perused it many times over to learn the ancient history of their planet.

 From the Book of Rao:

“Krypton will be a beautiful world, a beacon of light for the Universe.  But dark times will befall us in the form of a Worldkiller.  No one knows who, what or how many forms this Worldkiller will take.  But the prophecy cannot be denied.  Wherever Kryptonian life exists, the Worldkillers will find them.  It has been said that four streaks of fire will signal the arrival of death.  A remnant of Krypton, as dark as the night sky will birth the true Worldkiller.  The others will follow this one, one said to be born a last child of Krypton.”

As the holograms of both Jor-El and the book deactivated, Clark was left with more questions than answers and a fear that he has rarely felt before.  The one thing he could be sure of now is that the Worldkillers are very real.  With the arrival of Alura, there were now four last children of Krypton on Earth, one of whom is imprisoned here in the Fortress itself.  With the looming threat, Clark knew it was time to face his enemy once again.  Deep in the furthest recesses of this near impenetrable memoriam to Krypton was a chamber, the lights inside based on red ultra-violet light.  Sitting on a stone bench, the prisoner looked up upon hearing Clark’s footsteps approach.

“Son of Jor-El.  You mock me with your sad devotion to our fallen home.  Your Fortress…”

“I told you long ago, I expect better from my guests.”

“Indeed, how many years has it been since our glorious battle?”

“Still as vain as ever.  You failed to turn Earth into a new Krypton.  I…”

“Spare me your useless prattling.  You are not the protector these pathetic humans believe you to be.  What would they think if they knew you have kept me a powerless prisoner under a red sun?  I care not. I wonder, what would your cousin think?”

“Leave Kara out of this.  She…”

“You have lied to her.  You know Kal-El; I would prefer the Phantom Zone to this relic, especially if I no longer had to be in your self-righteous presence.”

“I can send you back; I’ve studied my father’s designs on the Phantom Zone projector.  Kelex could easily recreate the device.”

“Then do so and let me spend my remaining years in peace…”

“No.  I’ve seen what your kind of peace in the Phantom Zone looks like.  I came to you for answers.”

“And yet you still have not asked any questions.  You bore me.  I’m afraid I have nothing more to say to you.”

“Oh I think you do.  Tell me, does the title Worldkiller mean anything to you?”

“A superstition, myth and legend from the High Council.  Why?”

“You fear that word, you fear the Worldkillers.”

“I am the greatest warrior Krypton has ever known!  I fear nothing!”

“Then tell me why you fought alongside the Worldkillers before your exile.  I know everything.  Brainiac was responsible for the death of your wife, Faora.  So tell me about this enemy.  For once in your life think of others before yourself…Zod.”

Though reluctant to help his nemesis, Zod sighed and resigned himself to Clark’s questioning.  If nothing else it would gain him silence again.  He had seen the potential the Worldkiller’s possessed while they aided him and his army in defending Krypton, but also the danger they could represent once they turned on their creators.  But he was also still thinking of his own self-preservation, if this threat had indeed come to Earth, his life was also now in jeopardy.

“First off Kal-El…never mention my wife again.  Secondly; if my answers will result in no longer having to endure your presence…where shall I begin…”

While Zod slowly began revealing his knowledge, Barry and his team were still on Earth-2 while at the D.E.O. Kara was still at her mother’s bedside.  For the moment the agents were using all their resources to track the energy signatures of the vessels that had entered the Earth’s atmosphere and their potential crash landing sites.  When Alex finally got her first hit on a possible location, the controlled chaos she was overseeing was shattered as Kara was violently thrown into the control room.

“Supergirl…!”

Struggling to her feet in a slight state of shock, Kara raised her hand, hoping to keep the other agents and her sister back after hearing their guns drawn, locked and ready to fire.  While they all were prepared to combat the threat that had attacked Supergirl, the sight of the woman striding forward from the lab caused a state of awe.

“Pull everybody back, Alex.  I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Supergirl…”

“She doesn’t know what she’s doing.  This is my responsibility.”

Kara stood there face to face with her very much awake and seemingly extremely furious mother.  The two women stared each other down as the D.E.O. agents began to fall back to safer positions.  They all knew the power Supergirl was capable of and if this other woman was Kryptonian as the rumors suggested, no one wanted to be near the destructive battle that was potentially about to occur.  With only Kara and her mother left, the control room fell disturbingly silent until the quiet was broken by a pronouncement in Kryptonian.

(“You have no right to wear that symbol on your chest.  Who are you?”)

(“Not your enemy.  I want to help you…Alura…”)

(“How do you know my name…?  You’re one of them, a Worldkiller!”)

Rage lit up Alura’s eyes, and Kara knew it was the beginnings of heat vision developing.  She had the same experience the first time.  Remembering how destructive her first use of heat vision had been Kara raised her hand as the concentrated beams of energy hit.  With her mother’s attack focused solely on her, the surrounding building was spared major damage as Kara pressed forward until she reached Alura.

(“I know you’re confused, but I promise I’m not going to hurt you.  You’ve been in a state of hyper-sleep as your ship traveled to Earth…”)

(“LIAR!”)

Alura could see that this new power she had developed was having little effect on the woman in front of her so she knew she had to change tactics.  Still believing Kara was one of the Worldkillers, she threw a punch that had more strength behind it than she anticipated.  The force of the hit once again threw Kara back but this time she flew backwards out of the building.  It took a few moments for her to stop herself only to see her mother running for the exit at super-speed.  When she cleared the balcony, she leapt into the air only to begin plummeting towards the ground.

Kara had known since Winn first mentioned the U.V. lights approximating Earth’s sun were installed in the pod that her mother was slowly developing powers.  But flight was not one of them as even she and Clark hadn’t been able to defy gravity at first.  In seconds she hit her top speed and flew down,  catching her mother before she hit the ground.  Had Alura landed, she would have caused an earthquake and untold amounts of damage.  When they were back in the air, Kara spoke.

(“Now, are you going to listen to me?  I don’t want to fight you…Mother.”)

Alura had been terrified as she started falling, especially since waking up and adjusting to these new powers was a shock.  As this other woman wearing her family crest flew them back up into the air she started to fight again, attempting to once more use her heat vision.  But what stopped her was the word mother and her eyes immediately softened as she really took in the sight and realized she was seeing the daughter she thought she had lost so many years ago.

(“Kara…?”)

Kara could only nod yes through the small tears that were beginning to fall.  Her mother recognized her and her prior anger was almost forgotten as she flew them back down to the D.E.O.  When they were back inside, only Alex approached to make sure her sister and Alura weren’t hurt.

“Kara…we should take your mother back to my lab.  While all of that was an impressive display of power, I need to make sure that the effects of her hyper-sleep left no permanent damage.”

(“What is she saying Kara?  What does she want to do to me?”)

(“Only to help.  Alex isn’t going to hurt you.  I promise.”)

With Kara’s reassurance, Alura followed Alex back to the lab with her daughter in tow.  When she was settled in to the bed, Alex reconnected the machines just as J’onn returned, followed by a red and gold blur racing back into the building.  Alura was startled at first, her heart rate rising and eyes lighting up at the new person standing there, an arm wrapped around her daughter’s shoulders. 

(“Mom…Mom, relax.  He’s not going to hurt you either.  This is Barry Allen, he’s my husband.”)