“Hey, nice to meet you. Excuse me.” He slipped past Kara and grabbed J’onn around the middle.
“Elaine, my honey bear!” He went in for a kiss and J’onn winced at the slimy lips on his.
“Hello, husband,” said J’onn.
Alex sighed. “Seriously, J’onn? That’s the most romantic sentiment you can muster?”
Mr. Slick pulled away from J’onn with a perplexed look. “Hello, husband?”
J’onn closed his eyes, reaching into Mr. Slick’s mind, and when he opened them again, said, “I mean . . . Snickerdoodlepoo.”
Kara snorted a laugh, but Mr. Slick didn’t notice. He was beaming at J’onn.
“That’s better. Where have you been, honey bear?”
“I was hiding with friends.” J’onn indicated Kara and Mon-El. “I wasn’t sure if it was really you just now. That’s why I called you husband.”
“Oh, right. Because Pete can change his appearance.” Jake gestured to the far corner. “Well, come have a seat. You guys are welcome, too.” He smiled at Kara and Mon-El.
“We’d love to,” said Kara. “But I think my boyfriend and I would like to see the nurse first.” She turned to the Human Sponge. “Where did you say she is?”
“Control booth,” said the Human Sponge. “Take the ladder up to the catwalk, and it’s across the theater.”
“We’ll be back soon,” Kara told J’onn.
“Hurry,” he said, forcing a smile. “You don’t want to miss all the fun.”
Kara and Mon-El left the orchestra pit and were back in the loading dock before Alex’s voice spoke in Kara’s ear again.
“We don’t know where that Shadow guy could be hiding, so don’t answer me out loud,” said Alex. “But you need to find out how much the nurse knows about orichalcum. The people in the orchestra pit weren’t afraid to use their powers, so either they don’t know they’ll be running out soon, or they’ve already figured it out and have been tapping into the orichalcum they stole from the museum.”
Kara gave a slight nod of her head, and she and Mon-El climbed the ladder to the catwalk.
They quietly traversed the theater, and when Kara opened the control booth door, there were only two people in the room: a woman in hospital scrubs and a man lying on the floor.
“Hello,” the woman greeted them with a pleasant smile. She held an IV bag of red-tinged fluid in one hand that was being dripped into the arm of the man on the floor. But the fluid wasn't blood.
Kara clutched at Mon-El’s hand.
There was no question about it. The Dominants were definitely using the orichalcum.
“I can’t believe they’re using more orichalcum.” Alex’s forehead wrinkled with worry. “How are they not getting even sicker?”
Kara and Mon-El were back at the DEO, discussing their recon mission with Alex, Winn, and James, who’d returned from CatCo.
“Apparently, when the nurse gives them an orichalcum refill, she also throws in something called dactinomycin,” said Kara.
“Dactino . . .” Alex sighed and buried her face in her hands. “Doctors use that to treat chemotherapy patients. It kills white blood cells.”
“Well, no white blood cells would mean nothing attacks the orichalcum,” pointed out James.
“Yes, but it also means the people taking it can get life-threatening infections much easier,” said Alex.
“I tried to tell the nurse orichalcum was bad,” said Kara, shrugging. “She seems to think people are getting sick from not having enough.”
“When it’s really the opposite,” said James. He folded his hands in front of him. “All right. Give me the antidote.”
His request earned looks of surprise. So far, nobody had told him the antidote merely stopped the onslaught of white blood cells—that it didn’t affect a person’s power at all.
Which meant James was truly willing to give up his power.
“You want to take the antidote?” asked Kara.
James smiled at her shocked expression. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot today. This orichalcum affects people, physically and mentally.” He shook his head. “A superpower would be nice, but not if it costs me who I already am.”
“Aw, James!” Kara leaned over and hugged him. “That’s so great to hear.” She adjusted her glasses. “But this antidote won’t take your power. It just keeps the orichalcum from causing a dangerous overreaction in the body.”
Instead of the whoop of joy she expected, James nodded solemnly. “Then we’d better take advantage of my power while I still have it.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” J’onn’s voice carried down the steps as he entered the control room in his Hank Henshaw form. “Time is now working against us.”
Alex got to her feet. “J’onn! What are you doing here?”
“I convinced Mr. Slick and the others that I was going to recruit more supercitizens to join them. After they informed me of their plans to replicate the orichalcum.”
“Replicate it?” Kara frowned. “That’s not possible.”
J’onn sat on the edge of Winn’s desk. “How are people getting their superpowers, Miss Danvers?”
Kara hesitated before answering. “It comes from whatever they’re focused on.” Then she groaned and bowed her head. “So why not focus on replicating the orichalcum?”
“Exactly.”
“Yeah, but to create something with that much power . . .” Alex shook her head. “That could be lethal.”
“It has been lethal,” J’onn said, clenching his jaw. “Since the Dominants already have powers, they tried recruiting an outsider to do it—a sister of one of the tenants. The blood in her body boiled, and she died.”
Kara and Alex clapped hands over their mouths, and James and Mon-El stared at the floor.
“But they’re going to try again, aren’t they?” Winn asked in a tremulous voice.
“Until they get it right,” said J’onn. “Or until someone stops them.”
Alex narrowed her eyes. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“What are you thinking, Agent Danvers?” asked J’onn.
“We let them go to sleep. Lull them into a false sense of security, and just before dawn, we strike,” Alex said.
“Even with all our field agents, that’s fifteen of our people—only some of whom have powers—to their twenty, all of whom have powers,” said J’onn. “They have us outnumbered and outmatched.”
Winn raised his hand. “Not if we take up the offers of the supercitizens who called the hotline to help.”
“Yeah, right,” Alex scoffed. “We can’t ask innocent people to risk their lives.” She looked to Kara for agreement, but Kara was tapping her fingertips against her lower lip.
“I think it’s a good idea,” she finally said.
“What?!” Alex exclaimed.
Winn pumped his fist. “Yes! Superbattle!”
Kara zipped around the corner and returned as Supergirl. “I’ll start recruiting!”
“No way,” said Alex, waving her arms. “We cannot get them involved.”
“Why not? It sounds good to me,” said Mon-El.
“Me, too,” said James.
J’onn remained oddly quiet.
“This city isn’t just ours to protect, Alex,” said Supergirl. The realization was starting to hit her. All those citizens she’d scolded for using their powers . . . they just wanted to make a difference.
“National City belongs to everyone out there, too.” Supergirl pointed to the skyline. “Yes, things might get dangerous, but if these supercitizens fight beside us, I think we can win. They know the people they’re up against. They might even be able to get them to stand down.”
“I don’t know . . .” Alex’s arms relaxed at her side, but her expression was pained.
Supergirl touched a hand to the S on her chest. “Stronger together, Alex. All of us.”
Alex sighed and gestured to J’onn. “It’s up to the big boss.”
Everyone turned
to J’onn, who had his hands clasped behind his back.
“Mr. Schott,” he said, “do you still have the phone numbers for those supercitizens who want to help?”
Winn flashed a stack of papers. “Absolutely.”
J’onn nodded. “Then let’s find out what they’re capable of.”
15
“There are seriously a lot of abandoned warehouses in this city,” Mon-El said, gazing at the cavernous space around him.
He, Supergirl, James, and Winn had been told to meet there while J’onn and Alex gathered the volunteer supercitizens the team had chosen.
“Yeah, whenever we find a baddie hiding in one of these, we mark the location in case it gets used again,” Winn said, picking at a rust chip on the wall. “I never thought we’d be using it ourselves, though.”
The warehouse doors creaked open, and in walked J’onn and Alex, followed by six people in DEO uniforms.
The supercitizens stopped when they saw Supergirl, their expressions turning to either awe or annoyance. Apparently, even though Supergirl and her friends knew who they’d be working with, the same wasn’t true of the supercitizens.
“You didn’t say Supergirl would be here.” Jacqueline Reyes, the meteorologist, scowled, hands on hips. “I seem to recall her telling us to stay out of the way.”
“Yeah, she picked me up and flew me to a different part of town,” said Reshma, the cat controller. “I couldn’t even try to fix the mess I made.”
Eddy, a solar flare researcher who’d become the physical embodiment of sunlight, took a tentative step forward. “I can’t believe I’m in the same room as Supergirl!” There was a crackling sound, and Eddy started to glow.
“Let’s save it for later.” J’onn put a hand on Eddy’s shoulder and instantly jerked it back. “Blazes, that’s hot!”
“Yeah, that happens.” Eddy kicked at the floor. “I accidentally burned my bed up this morning.”
“How have you not burned through your uniform?” asked James.
“Flame-retardant polymers,” said Winn, winking. “Designed by yours truly.”
“Anyway, it’s an honor to meet you.” Eddy waved to Supergirl; she smiled and waved back.
“Thank you for helping us,” she said. “All of you.” Her gaze took in each supercitizen. “You’re right to be upset with me. I haven’t been very reasonable toward supercitizens.” She paced in front of them. “You want to protect your city. I get that. I respect that. And, as a friend reminded me—” she glanced at James and smiled—“I wasn’t so great at saving the day when I first started.
“I’d like us to save this city together,” Supergirl continued, “if you’ll have me on your team.”
“Absolutely!” said Eddy.
“Why not?” Marcus from Noonan’s said with a shrug.
There was a moment of silence as the remaining supercitizens looked at one another, and then Jacqueline stepped forward, hand extended.
“It would be a privilege to work with you,” she told Supergirl.
The remaining supercitizens murmured their approval.
Supergirl smiled and shook Jacqueline’s hand. “Thank you. I’ll see if we can get a weather observatory named after you.”
Jacqueline returned her smile. “Not a weather observatory. But a park bench maybe.” She stepped aside, and Eddy took her place.
“I’m . . . it’s just . . .” Eddy’s face started to glow again, and he tucked his hands behind his back.
“Don’t worry, I can take the heat.” Supergirl extended her hand with a giggle. Eddy shook it and hurried away, grinning.
“I have been practicing with cats, just like you suggested,” said Reshma as she approached Supergirl.
Supergirl winced and squeezed Reshma’s hand. “I shouldn’t have flown you out of there like I did. I’m sorry.”
Reshma put a hand over Supergirl’s. “You were right. I wasn’t ready.”
Supergirl glanced past Reshma. “So, did you bring a feline friend?”
“A few,” said Reshma with a smile. “They’ll come when I call.”
“Well, we’re happy to have you. And them,” Supergirl told Reshma.
After each supercitizen greeted Supergirl, Alex called them over to give them the orichalcum antidote while Mon-El checked their orichalcum levels using special goggles Winn and Dr. Wanabi had created: the Atlantis Eyes.
“Do they know this battle might use the last of their powers?” Mon-El asked Alex in a low voice. He’d just scanned Jacqueline, whose silhouette couldn’t have contained more than 25 percent orichalcum.
She nodded. “It’s a sacrifice they’re willing to make.”
With newfound respect, Mon-El watched everyone who approached Supergirl. He could live without the shape-shifting ability he’d gained from the orichalcum, but the powers he’d gained from the Earth’s yellow sun . . . he couldn’t imagine life without those. It was why he’d been willing to talk to Kara on James’s behalf.
“You OK?” Alex asked him.
He nodded. “Just thinking that I couldn’t have picked a better city to crash-land in.”
Alex smiled until she turned and saw Eddy approaching, face still aglow. She held her hands up. “Whoa. Let’s calm down a bit or you’ll melt this needle before it even gets into your skin.” She wiggled the antidote syringe.
“Sorry, but I’m fighting crime with Supergirl!” Eddy gave a fist pump. “She’s amazing.”
Mon-El grinned. “She really is, isn’t she? Have you seen her use her freeze breath?”
Eddy clasped his hands together. “That is the best!”
Alex squinted as Eddy’s face brightened even further. “Mon-El? Not helping.”
“Sorry! Think of sad things,” he told Eddy. “Like melted ice cream or a three-legged kitten or . . .” Mon-El’s gaze wandered to Marcus, who was grinning rakishly at Supergirl. “A guy hitting on your girlfriend and her alter ego.”
Eddy frowned. “Huh?” But in his confusion, his skin returned to normal, so Alex seized the opportunity to administer his shot.
“Mon-El? Can you check Eddy’s power reserves?” she asked, grabbing Mon-El’s arm and turning him away from Supergirl.
Mon-El slipped the goggles on and examined Eddy’s silhouette. “You haven’t used your power much, have you?” He raised the goggles and told Alex, “He’s almost as red as Supergirl was when we checked her.”
“Is that a good thing?” asked Eddy at the raised eyebrows from Alex.
“Just stay close to me and Supergirl with that sunlight, new best friend.” Mon-El put an arm around Eddy.
Supergirl glanced over and snickered.
“Your laugh is really familiar,” Marcus told her. “Do you ever go to Noonan’s restaurant?”
Supergirl stopped laughing. “Do I . . . Noonan’s?” She shook her head vehemently. “Never. I hate coffee. And food!” she added, realizing he hadn’t specifically mentioned coffee. She pumped his hand and steered him toward Alex. “Anyway, thanks for your help. Agent Danvers will shoot you now. Uh, I mean, give you a shot now,” she corrected with a cringe.
She turned to the next supercitizen, a shy teenage boy who was hugging himself.
“Hey! You must be Matt. Your power seems pretty cool!” Supergirl reached out to lightly punch his shoulder, but her fist passed right through him.
“Sorry,” he said. “Reflex.” He jammed his eyes shut and then opened them, offering a now-solid hand to Supergirl, who shook it. “I really want to help.”
“Good! Because we’ve got big plans for you,” said Supergirl.
“For all of us?” The last of the supercitizens, a college-age girl, walked over.
“You’re Becca, right?” Supergirl shook her hand. According to her bio, she was a film student who could animate any object she touched.
Becca nodded. “So what are we going to do?”
The other supercitizens and the DEO team were now all watching and waiting for Supergirl’s response.
�
��You want to know what we’re going to do?” Supergirl crossed her arms and raised her chin. “We’re going to show the Dominants who’s strong, who’s powerful, and who protects this city!”
“Yeah!” everyone else hooted and applauded.
After the commotion died down, Marcus raised a hand. “It’s us, right?”
16
While most of National City slept, a line of black-and-white police cars formed a one-block perimeter around the Imperial Theater.
“I could only convince the police chief to give you this much manpower for half an hour.” Maggie showed Alex and Supergirl the car placement on her tablet. The DEO team and supercitizens were at a diner across from the theater, discussing final plans. “After thirty minutes, they roll out.”
Alex squeezed Maggie’s arm. “Thank you so much. For everything.” She reached into her utility bag and pulled out a beribboned box of tiramisu. “Your reward, as promised.”
Maggie laughed and put a hand over Alex’s. “Just make sure you get out of there in one piece.”
At the counter, a man in a velour track suit waved his hands dramatically as he talked to J’onn, who listened with a stoic expression.
“You never said anything about holding your firefight in my theater!” The man in the track suit jabbed himself in the chest. “I’ve poured my heart and soul into that place!”
“It won’t be a firefight, Mr. Albright,” J’onn assured him. “My team and I will be using stun guns. No bullets. We want to get those people out of your building as safely and quietly as you do.”
Mr. Albright stroked the stubble on his chin several times. “No bullets, no collateral damage. That’s good.”
J’onn snorted. “Oh, I never said that. We’ll do our best to keep the damage to a minimum, but things will break.”
Mr. Albright’s hand dropped to his side. “What?!”
Supergirl cleared her throat and joined them. “Mr. Albright, hi!” She gave him her best smile. “I’m Supergirl.”
“Yes, of course I know who you are, dear.” He patted her shoulder. “And I’m in awe of your presence.” He looked at J’onn. “But I’m also in awe of what you’re telling me!”
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