You’re saving lives, but at my expense! was the echo Supergirl caught.
“You want to know what’s in it for you?” she asked, recalling her conversation with Mon-El.
Mr. Albright nodded.
“Your theater is about to be the famed site of a battle between supercitizens,” Supergirl said matter-of-factly.
Mr. Albright uncrossed his arms. “Famed?”
Supergirl nodded. “How much do you think people will pay to see where it all happened and maybe own a piece of it?” She leaned in. “Anything we damage becomes an instant souvenir.”
Supergirl could practically hear the ka-ching! of a cash register in Mr. Albright’s brain.
Alex joined them. “And that’s not counting the extra money you’ll get from your insurance for damages. You could do a bigger and better remodeling of that theater than you originally planned.”
Mr. Albright stared into the distance, grinning as he pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. “The one with the blue cap is for the side door to the theater.”
J’onn took the keys from him. “Thank you. We’ll contact you when we’re finished.” He pocketed the keys and glanced around at the supercitizens and DEO team. “Alex, ready the troops.”
“OK!” Alex clapped her hands. “Let’s go over the mission parameters once more. The DEO strike team, Supergirl, Mon-El, and Guardian will move in first with J’onn and me. Supercitizens, Winn will tell you when to follow.”
She gestured to Winn, who saluted the supercitizens from a booth crowded with his laptop, a communications system, a police scanner, and two massive monitors.
“Once the conflict begins, there will be a DEO van parked behind the theater,” Alex continued. “If you apprehend any Dominants, take them to the van, where Dr. Wanabi will be waiting to treat them—and an NCPD officer will be waiting to take them into custody.” She gestured to Dr. Wanabi and Maggie, respectively. “If you don’t know how much power you have left, Guardian will be wearing the Atlantis Eyes. You can check with him.”
Guardian tapped the goggles and gave everyone a thumbs-up.
“It’s important to remember that these are mortal human beings,” said J’onn. “Our mission is to disarm and arrest. Use extreme force only in extreme circumstances. Good luck.” Without another word, he pushed open the diner door and walked outside.
Alex, Supergirl, Mon-El, and Guardian followed, along with the DEO team. Once they’d crossed the street, J’onn looked to Supergirl. She narrowed her eyes and peered through the concrete back wall of the theater. Three people guarded the loading dock door, but none of them acted as if anything was out of the ordinary.
“Three guards, this end,” she told him, pointing to the loading dock.
He nodded and transformed into Martian Manhunter, bedecked in black body armor with a red X across the chest. “Operation Ruby begins now,” he said, disappearing around the corner of the building.
Supergirl used her X-ray vision to follow him. Once she saw him flash a thumbs-up, she turned her attention to the Dominants guarding the loading dock. Her superhearing picked up a smattering of conversation, which was quickly drowned out by a clattering and grunting.
“What was that?” one of the Dominants asked.
“Uh-oh,” said Supergirl.
Alex raised her eyebrows. “What oh?”
Supergirl put a finger to her lips and scanned the interior for J’onn. He seemed to be wrestling with someone, but Supergirl couldn’t actually see anybody. She could, however, see the three people guarding the door leave to join the fight.
“Looks like our covert op isn’t so covert anymore,” said Supergirl. “J’onn needs our help.”
“Remember,” Winn spoke over comms, “don’t just fight them; drain their powers.”
Alex smirked at her sister. “You heard the man. Let’s shut ’em down.”
Supergirl raised a leg and kicked out hard, sending the door flying across the loading dock. She, Alex, Mon-El, and Guardian burst inside, with the DEO agents behind them.
Supergirl spotted a Dominant dressed all in black lying unconscious on the floor. Three more Dominants were gathered around J’onn, who was punching and kicking with all his might.
They all turned at the sudden entrance, but only two of the Dominants ran over. The third one, skin covered in prickly barbs, continued to rain punches on J’onn, his spiky fists leaving puncture marks in J’onn’s skin with every blow.
The other two Dominants made their powers immediately apparent. One of them waved at the floor beneath Mon-El and Guardian. A portal appeared, and Supergirl’s boyfriend and best friend disappeared.
“Mon-El! James!” Supergirl shouted.
“We’re outside,” Mon-El’s voice came through her earpiece a few seconds later. “But we’re on our way back!”
“That portal maker is quick with the egress,” Winn commented through their earpieces. “Hey! I think we just found his nickname.”
A female Dominant charged at two DEO agents, who fired their stun guns. But instead of bringing her down, the electrical discharges only seemed to annoy her. She roared and lowered her shoulder, barreling into the agents and sending them flying. With a satisfied grunt, she wheeled around and charged toward Alex and the other agents.
“So this is what a bullfight’s like,” muttered Alex.
Egress, the portal maker, waved his hand at the floor under Supergirl, and she leaped into the air.
“Sorry, but you’ve got the wrong girl,” she said smugly.
“I might, but he doesn’t.” Egress smiled and pointed above them.
Two more Dominants were running along the catwalk. One of them flexed his fingers at Supergirl and darts whistled through the air, aimed at her extremities.
So this was Digits.
Supergirl curled up in midair and covered herself with her cape. The darts bounced off harmlessly, but someone leaped from the catwalk and onto Supergirl’s back. Unprepared for a passenger, she plummeted to the ground, and the passenger rolled off.
“Thanks for the ride,” said a woman’s voice, accompanied by a clattering of wood.
Flinging back her cape, Supergirl watched the woman shrink and mutate until she resembled a marionette.
“Stringleshanks,” hissed Supergirl.
The puppet sprinted for Alex and the DEO agents with a knife in each hand.
“Incoming, Alex!” said Supergirl.
“Leave her to me,” said Guardian as he and Mon-El ran into the theater.
But before Guardian could even get close, Egress gestured at the floor again. Mon-El was quick enough to jump aside, but Guardian disappeared once more.
Alex groaned. “James, you’ve got to stop falling into his trap!”
“Actually,” said Guardian, “I think I need to keep doing exactly what I’m doing.” Supergirl could hear him breathing hard as he ran back toward the theater.
Meanwhile, Mon-El was toying with Digits, dashing from side to side using his superspeed, so that each dart missed him by several feet.
“Wow, you have terrible aim,” Mon-El told him. “Have you considered glasses?”
Digits sneered and unleashed another volley of projectiles at Mon-El, who expertly avoided them all.
“I think I’d go for square frames if I were you,” said Mon-El, pointing to his eyes. “Maybe heart-shaped.”
Supergirl snickered and flew after Stringleshanks. Using her heat vision, Supergirl zapped the puppet on each hand, forcing her to drop the knives.
Stringleshanks twisted her head around to smirk at Supergirl. “You really think that’s all I’ve got?”
The marionette reached over one shoulder and uncoiled a long wire, snapping it taut and leaping at Supergirl. Supergirl’s right hand whipped up and caught Stringleshanks by the neck, but the puppet merely tightened her wire around Supergirl’s wrist, cutting off the circulation.
“You can’t choke me out,” chuckled Stringleshanks. “I’ve got no bones for you to brea
k! Unless you burn me alive, you can’t defeat me.”
Supergirl tried to clobber the marionette with her free hand, but Stringleshanks went limp and slipped to the floor.
“I hate puppets,” Supergirl grumbled as Stringleshanks scurried to pick up her knives.
J’onn, who’d finally bested the barb-covered man, ran over to help Alex deal with the bullish woman while the remaining DEO agents lay unconscious around her.
“Guardian, I need a power update!” J’onn barked.
“Your new opponent is at twenty-five percent, Stringleshanks is at fifty percent, Digits is at fifteen percent, and Egress is at forty percent,” Guardian said. “But he’s about to be at zero.”
“Winn, send in the backup team,” said J’onn.
“You got it, boss!”
Guardian ran up to Egress, who clucked his tongue and gestured at the floor. Guardian jumped and dropped his shield, which touched the portal, causing it to close.
“Smart,” said Egress. “But I’m smarter.” He gestured once more, and Guardian fell through another hole. Then Egress moved the hole under Mon-El’s feet just as a fistful of darts were about to hit him.
“Hey, tell Egress thanks!” Mon-El’s voice sounded in Supergirl’s ear. “He just saved my life.”
“Yeah, his partner’s not so happy about that.” Supergirl glanced at Digits, who was shouting at Egress.
Digits gestured angrily—and then frowned when nothing flew from his fingertips. He massaged his hand and tried again, but still nothing appeared.
“Looks like someone’s fifteen minutes of fame are up.” Supergirl flew to the catwalk and nabbed Digits, carrying him to the DEO van, where Dr. Wanabi and Maggie were waiting.
“Here’s your first patient and prisoner,” she told them, zooming back into the theater.
Guardian was once again making a beeline for Egress, who rolled his eyes.
“You know, the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results,” he told Guardian, pointing at the floor.
No portal appeared.
“That’s the definition of insanity,” Guardian said. “Stupidity is not realizing when you’ve been played for your powers.” And with a swing of one elbow, he knocked Egress out.
“Nice job!” Supergirl cheered.
“You may have weakened us,” said Stringleshanks, who was starting to look more human than wooden. “But there are only five of you now, and we’ve already sent someone for backup.” She glanced to the corner, and so did Supergirl.
The unconscious Dominant in black was gone. Footsteps thundered along the catwalk and from the stage area of the theater.
“They’ll be here any second,” Stringleshanks said with a smug smile, brandishing a knife.
“Please.” Supergirl snorted. “You really don’t think we came prepared?” She gestured toward the loading dock entrance just as Mon-El charged back into the theater with the supercitizens behind him.
Becca, the animator, waved at the stage rigging, which came to life and wound itself around Stringleshanks, lifting her into the air. Becca smiled—but it quickly turned to a look of surprise as she was flung onto her stomach, braids wrapped around her ankles.
“Lucky for me, hair grows,” said Braidzilla.
Alex ran to help Becca, but a woman outfitted with a propeller swooped down and tackled Alex. The Dominant and the DEO agent exchanged blows. Then, just as the flying woman lifted Alex off the ground, Reshma appeared.
Along with twenty cats.
“I hear she’s got catnip on her,” Reshma told her feline friends, pointing to the flying woman. “Take her down!”
The cats yowled and jumped on the flying woman, who dropped Alex and tried to flee, only to have her propellers ravaged by tiny teeth and claws.
A swarm of bees zipped through the rear stage curtains, but Supergirl blocked them with her cape. As they headed for Alex, Matt the intangible waved his arms and taunted Bee Breather.
“Can’t catch me!” he shouted, running away.
The bees swarmed after him, and Matt kept running until he reached the loading dock wall. Pressing his back against it, he turned himself transparent at the last second. All the bees collided with one another or the concrete.
“Nice job, Matt!” Supergirl cheered, and then grunted as she was struck between the shoulder blades. She started to topple forward, but something held her waist in a viselike grip. Supergirl twisted around to see her latest opponent.
She wished she hadn’t.
Nothing about this guy, except his shirt and pants, seemed human. His arms were wrenches, his legs were needle-nose pliers, and his head was a massive hammer.
“I’m about to fight a toolbox,” she murmured in amazement.
The hammer swung down, connecting with the side of Supergirl’s head, and for a moment stars speckled her vision. With both arms still free, she threw a left-right punch combo, hoping to connect with some sort of flesh, but her knuckles throbbed as they met metal.
One of the wrench arms still held her, while the other reeled back. Supergirl raised her arms to block the hit just as Digits trotted over.
“Hey, metal head! What are you doing here?” He frowned at Toolbox.
“What are you doing here?” Supergirl asked Digits. “I put you in the DEO van!”
“Cram it, Supergross,” he shot back. He turned to Toolbox. “The boss wants you outside, so drop this chick and get going. I’ll finish her off.” He sneered at Supergirl.
Toolbox released her and hobbled away, leaving Supergirl to rub her sides and smirk at the dart flinger.
“Supergross? That was the best you could come up with?”
Digits grinned as he changed back into Mon-El.
“That gave me away, didn’t it?” Mon-El asked.
“Just a little.” Supergirl glanced past him. “And you realize you sent that walking toolbox outside where we have friends.”
“Who will very soon have an electromagnet,” Winn’s voice sounded in Supergirl’s ear. “Courtesy of a car battery, some speakers, and yours truly.”
“You rock, Winn!” said Supergirl.
“Nah,” he said with a chuckle. “Basic junior high—”
“Uh, guys? We’re about to have a situation here,” interrupted Mon-El.
A half-dozen more Dominants joined the fray, leaping, flying, sliding, or running to the scene.
“Shades on!” J’onn shouted to his team and the supercitizens. They quickly obeyed, slipping on Winn-enhanced sunglasses.
Reshma commanded her cats to scatter, and J’onn turned to Eddy. “Light it up, Mr. Lee.”
Eddy grinned and shone so brightly, Supergirl could feel the heat on her cheeks. She also felt the sunlight invigorate every inch of her body. Beside her, Mon-El grinned and stretched his muscles.
The Dominants made sounds of protest and shielded their eyes, allowing the DEO team and supercitizens to sneak in a few more attacks. Marcus picked up the bullish woman and hurled her across the loading dock, through the curtains, and onto the stage.
Supergirl winced. “Maybe a lighter toss next time,” she told him.
Marcus frowned. “That was a light toss.”
Suddenly the room was plunged into darkness.
“Eddy?” Supergirl glanced around. She took off her sunglasses, letting her eyes adjust to the dim lighting.
“Sorry. I’m tapped out,” he said sheepishly.
The rest of the DEO team and supercitizens took off their sunglasses, and the Dominants resumed their attack, though they were the worse for wear.
Before Supergirl could get her hands on a guy who appeared to be eating all their weapons, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Supergirl,” Reshma whispered in her ear, “the cats say only one person is guarding the orichalcum in the orchestra pit.”
Supergirl raised her eyebrows and used her X-ray vision to take in the Dominants in the area. No sign of the one dressed in black.
&nb
sp; “Would you mind taking care of the guy with the bottomless stomach?” she asked Reshma. “I’ve got a promise to keep.”
“Not at all,” said Reshma.
Supergirl shot through the backstage curtain and thrust her fist in front of her, punching her way through the orchestra pit filler. When she touched down and saw who was guarding the orichalcum, she groaned.
“Not you again!”
The Human Sponge grinned at her. “Hit me with your best shot.”
Supergirl scowled. “Gladly.” She drew back her fist and punched, but as expected, the Human Sponge just stood there.
He crossed his arms. “I said your best shot, girly,” he taunted.
“Winn,” Supergirl said under her breath, “how do I beat the Human Sponge?”
“The Human Sponge?” repeated the Human Sponge, making a face. “That’s what people are calling me?”
“Remember, he’s only invulnerable as long as he has his powers,” said Winn. “Bring them down, and he’s just a regular guy.”
“So I have to punch the power out of him?” Supergirl asked with a sigh. “That could take the rest of the night.”
“Why not call me the Shock Absorber?” asked the Human Sponge. “Or the Wall?”
Supergirl punched him three times in rapid succession just to quiet him for a moment.
“His power can absorb a lot of damage,” said Winn.
“I know that, Winn!” Supergirl said in exasperation. “That’s the problem!”
“No, Kara. That’s the solution. His power can absorb a lot. If you hit him with something that would kill most people, he’ll use all his power protecting himself and he won’t even know it.”
Supergirl’s eyes widened. “Ohhh.”
The Human Sponge was pacing in front of the orichalcum. “I mean, I’ve heard people calling my neighbor Lady Levitation, so why—”
Supergirl took a deep breath, and released an icy blast, freezing the Human Sponge in place. She waited and watched his power absorb cold that would kill a normal human being. When she saw his fingers start to turn blue, she blasted him with her heat vision.
“—the Human Sponge?” he finished as he thawed out, oblivious to what had happened. “I mean, you’ve gotta give me something here.” He held his arms open, and Supergirl smiled at him.
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