Supergirl

by Jo Whittemore

  With a few mouse clicks, he displayed an image on the video wall. “We nearly missed it. James and Mon-El saw almost the exact same things, but when Mon-El stopped to look at himself in a cabinet, we saw this . . .” Winn zoomed in on a picture frame resting on a shelf.

  Kara squinted at the image. It appeared to be Dr. Wanabi with several friends, all in wet suits beneath a National City Marina sign.

  “The image is a little blurry, but we’re running facial recognition software on the men in the picture with Dr. Wanabi,” said Alex. “We’re hoping he might be staying with one of them.”

  The longer Kara stared at the image, the more something tugged at the back of her mind.

  “I think this picture tells us more than who these men are,” she said. “Where’s that jar with the red metal in it?”

  Alex furrowed her brow. “I’ve had it on me for safekeeping.” She took it from her pocket and handed it to her sister.

  “Thanks,” said Kara. Without another word, she ran for the prison block.

  “Wait! Where are you going?” Alex called after her.

  “Miss Danvers!” bellowed J’onn.

  Kara stopped in front of Bubbles’s cell and placed her hand on the scanner. When she entered the room, the guards inside raised their weapons, and just as quickly lowered them. In the center of the room, Bubbles ceased swimming and floated in place, watching her intently.

  Kara approached the tank and raised the jar of red metal where Bubbles could see it. “You know what this is, don’t you?”

  Bubbles’s eyes widened, and he pounded against the wall of his tank.

  “Aha! I thought so.” Kara smiled triumphantly. “This is why you’re here!” She shook the jar so that metal clinked against glass.

  Bubbles continued to pound on the wall.

  “Careful, ma’am,” said one of the agents. “I think you’re upsetting the creature.”

  “Kara!” Alex shouted. “What are you doing?”

  “I know how Dr. Wanabi found this mysterious red metal,” Kara told her. “He and his wet suit buddies stole it from Bubbles!” She faced the sea creature. “That’s right, isn’t it? This is yours?” She pointed from the jar to him.

  Bubbles screeched and kicked at the glass wall.

  “Uh, Kara?” Winn tapped on the tablet computer. “You might want to back away from the tank.”

  She was too excited to listen. Kara opened the jar and let the red metal fall into her palm.

  “Kara . . .” Alex said in a warning voice.

  “Kara, don’t touch that,” said Mon-El. “That’s concentrated, uh”—he fumbled for the right word—“stuff!”

  She held her hand out to Bubbles. “Let's make a deal—”

  But Kara never got to finish her bargain. Bubbles reeled back both legs and gave one last kick to his tank wall. The glass shattered to pieces. Salt water gushed through every open space, knocking Kara and the others off their feet and carrying them across the room.

  Bubbles swam through the deluge of water and grabbed Kara’s hand. Prying the red metal from her fingers, he flung it away and showed her a welt forming on her palm.

  “Poison,” he said, looking her in the eyes. “Poison and power.”

  9

  The skin on Kara’s palm tightened and blistered, but she was too shocked to register the pain.

  “Did . . . did you just say something?” she asked Bubbles. She splashed to a sitting position in the knee-deep water filling the room. “You said poison and power, didn’t you?”

  Bubbles regarded her with wide eyes. “You understand me?”

  Kara chuckled. “Well, yeah. When you speak English.”

  “Uhhh, Kara?” Mon-El crouched in the water beside her. “What are you doing?”

  Kara beamed at Mon-El while pointing at Bubbles. “Look who can finally talk! It’s . . .” She paused and whispered to Bubbles, “I’m sorry. What was your name?”

  “Pryll,” the sea creature supplied.

  “It’s Pryll!” Kara gestured to him as if he were a contestant on a game show.

  From nearby, Winn cleared his throat. “Actually, I think Mon-El’s referring to the thing you’re doing with the . . .” He took a deep breath and screeched.

  “What?” Kara laughed. “I’m not making that sound.” She glanced at the rest of the team, but nobody agreed with her. Kara’s forehead wrinkled. “Am I?”

  “You sound like a sick dolphin,” Alex spoke up. “But Pryll seems to understand you.” She gestured at him.

  Kara got to her feet. “Wait a minute. Are you saying I can speak . . . whatever language Pryll can?” She turned to Pryll, who was also getting to his feet. “You can understand me?”

  He nodded.

  Kara pointed at Mon-El. “But you couldn’t understand that?”

  Mon-El shook his head.

  Kara’s mouth dropped open and she whirled on Pryll, who jumped back, startled.

  “What language are we speaking?” she asked.

  Pryll eyed her warily. “Atlantean.”

  With a laugh, Kara clutched a hand to her chest. “I speak Atlantean!”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Winn waved his hands. “Atlantean? As in the lost city of Atlantis?” He ran a tongue over his teeth and smirked at Alex. “So it does exist.”

  Alex ignored him. “Kara, how do you suddenly speak Atlantean?”

  “It must be this!” Kara showed Alex the palm that had been holding the red metal, and Alex recoiled, averting her gaze.

  “Oh, God. That . . . that is a very big blister.” She pointed at Kara’s hand.

  “Huh?” Kara glanced at her palm, which looked much worse than it had moments ago. “Eesh. So much for impervious skin.”

  Mon-El snuck a peek at Kara’s hand, and his eyes widened. “The red metal did that?” He ran his hands over his arms and touched his chest. “I breathed it in! What’s it doing to me?”

  Kara frowned. “Pryll said ‘poison and power.’ What did you mean by that?” She faced Pryll, who tilted his head quizzically, and she realized he’d understood only half the conversation. “What did you mean by poison and power?” she asked again, focusing her attention on him.

  “The orichalcum gives great power,” said Pryll, “but poisons the body, mind, and soul of those who use it. In the age of Atlantis, it caused much pain and sorrow.”

  Kara translated for the DEO team, and J’onn frowned.

  “How much poison would that be exactly?” he asked.

  Kara relayed the question to Pryll.

  “The more one consumes, the more one is poisoned,” said the Atlantean. He pointed to Kara’s hand. “That amount will not kill, but it will cause much pain.”

  Kara sighed and spoke to J’onn. “If the supercitizens only breathed dust from the apartment explosion, they shouldn’t suffer too much, but I’m in for some rough nights.”

  “Maybe not,” said Alex. “He’s assuming you’re human. The orichalcum might not affect you the same.” Alex shook her head. “What I don’t get is why Pryll is suddenly acting so calm. Yesterday he almost killed us trying to escape.”

  “I’m sure it makes a difference that we can communicate,” said Kara. “But I’ll ask.”

  She turned toward Pryll again, and J’onn stepped between them.

  “If I may, I’d like to try creating a mental bridge,” he told Kara. “Since you can understand Pryll, and I can understand you, I should be able to connect all our minds so we can communicate.”

  Kara’s eyebrows went up. “Telepathically?”

  J’onn nodded. “If this works.”

  Winn breathed in deep. “I’m going to mind-speak with someone from Atlantis. This is awesooome!” he sang under his breath.

  Alex touched J’onn’s arm. “You can make mental bridges?”

  “It’s very taxing,” J’onn admitted, “but since we’re all in the same room, I should be able to hold the connection for a few minutes.”

  “Then we’ll talk fast,” said K
ara. She spoke to Pryll. “My friend is going to mentally link us so we can all understand one another.”

  Pryll nodded, and Kara gave J’onn a thumbs-up. “Whenever you’re ready,” she said.

  J’onn excused the DEO agents who had been guarding Pryll, while Alex pressed a button on the wall to drain the room. Once the water had been reduced to a few puddles, Kara found the piece of orichalcum that Pryll had knocked from her hand and scooped it back into the jar. It was much smaller in size now, and she shuddered, knowing the rest of it was coursing through her body.

  J’onn instructed Kara and the others to form a tight circle around him, then closed his eyes.

  “You may begin, Miss Danvers,” he said.

  Kara turned to Pryll and focused her thoughts. Yesterday, when you tried to escape, you almost killed my sister and Supergirl.

  Supergirl, Pryll thought with another tilt of his head. You refer to yourself in the third person?

  Everyone looked at Kara, who opened and closed her mouth several times. No, I’m . . . I’m not Supergirl. Supergirl is—

  You, thought Pryll. Without eye coverings. He pointed to Kara’s glasses.

  “He’s got her there,” Winn spoke to Mon-El out of the corner of his mouth.

  “I’ve always thought it was a terrible disguise,” Mon-El whispered.

  Kara gave them both a look. You know I can hear you speaking and thinking, right?

  Winn and Mon-El fell quiet and stared at the floor.

  I am sorry if I caused you or your sister harm, Supergirl, thought Pryll. You were unfortunate enough to enter the room when I tried to escape. I cannot fulfill my duties trapped here.

  What are your duties? thought Alex.

  I am a guardian of Atlantis, charged with protecting the treasures of my city, thought Pryll.

  Which were stolen, thought Winn. He pulled up the image of the divers on his tablet, and Pryll nodded.

  I do not know the thieves—only what they wear, thought Pryll. But you have found some of what they took. He pointed to the jar of orichalcum Kara was holding.

  The others exchanged glances.

  Some? thought Mon-El. There’s more of that stuff ?

  Ugh. Of course! Alex enlarged the image on Winn’s tablet screen to focus on the net the divers carried between them. How could we have been so stupid? They’re not hauling a tiny piece of orichalcum.

  They’re hauling an entire cache, completed Kara.

  So where’s the rest of it? wondered Winn.

  That’s the million-dollar question, thought Alex.

  Dr. Wanabi wasn’t keeping it at his apartment, thought Mon-El. James and I searched the entire place.

  How did he come to own the piece in his possession? thought Pryll.

  He must have kept it after the dive, thought Kara. But who did he give the rest to?

  Maxwell Lord? suggested Alex. Lillian Luthor?

  National City Museum, thought Mon-El.

  Kara snapped her fingers. We saw those robbers who lived in Dr. Wanabi’s apartment building there! And when you and James showed up at his apartment, he was expecting someone.

  Mon-El nodded. Plus, I found this in my pocket.

  He held out a soggy pamphlet from the museum with a now-familiar image of Atlantis on the front beneath the words SPECIAL EXHIBIT: TREASURES OF THE DEEP.

  “Winn? Can you confirm the orichalcum is at the museum?” Alex asked out loud.

  “Let’s see,” he said, tapping on the tablet screen. “It looks like the museum took in several shipments the other day. One was a box from a printing company, one was a box from Sotheby’s auction house, and one was a crate from Sea Kings Dive Company.” He scrolled down the screen. “The manifest includes some drinking vessels, jewelry, coins . . .” He glanced up. “And several bars of red metal.”

  If the orichalcum is at the museum, Kara thought, we have to get to it before Dr. Wanabi. I bet he’s trying to find a way to replicate it.

  I will accompany you, thought Pryll.

  Kara put out a hand to stop him. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. It’s already dangerous with so many people in this city running around with superpowers.

  Pryll puffed out his chest. But I am a guardian of Atlantis, charged with protecting its treasures!

  And I’m a guardian of National City, Kara informed him. Please let us handle this. We’ll bring back your treasures. I promise.

  Pryll’s entire body slumped in defeat.

  “Uh, guys?” Winn said aloud, staring at the tablet. “I hacked into the museum’s security feed. If you want to beat Dr. Wanabi to the orichalcum, you might want to hurry.”

  He showed them the screen. On it was an image of Dr. Wanabi standing near an exhibit and checking his watch.

  “Let’s go,” said Alex, patting J’onn on the shoulder.

  The DEO director stirred and opened his eyes, which were bloodshot and bleary. “I’m afraid I won’t be much use to you right now. Best to take your sister, Mon-El, and James. And bring a strike team. Dr. Wanabi is obviously waiting for someone.”

  “I’ll text James and have him meet you at the museum,” said Winn.

  Kara handed Winn the jar of orichalcum. “Don’t let this or Pryll out of your sight,” she said in a low voice. “And please don’t use this under any circumstances.”

  Winn smirked. “Trust me, my only focus is technology, and I can’t get more super at that than I already am.”

  Kara stared at Winn until he sighed and crossed his heart with his index finger.

  “I won’t use the orichalcum even if there’s a dire emergency,” he promised. “Although how cool would Winntastic be as a superhero name?”

  Kara rolled her eyes and opened the cell door.

  “Schottcaller?” he tried again. “No? What about Sure-schott? The Winnonator!” he asked the others as they followed Kara out the door. “Guys, this is long overdue!”

  10

  With Supergirl’s gift of flight and Mon-El’s superspeed, they were the first to arrive at the museum. When they entered the building, a security guard groaned and approached them.

  “Not you two again,” he said. “We just finished cleaning up from your last visit!”

  “For which I gave you two verses of the apology song, Fred,” Mon-El told the security guard. “But I see where this is going.” He massaged his throat and hummed.

  Supergirl rested a hand on Mon-El’s arm to stop him. “Sir, if we don’t catch the man who’s about to steal one of your exhibits, there might not be a museum left for you to clean up,” she told the security guard.

  He gave Supergirl a dubious look. “Not possible. We’ve tightened security at all the exits and installed extra cameras. If something shady goes down, we’ll spot it.”

  As he spoke the words, Supergirl heard an echo of his voice say something different.

  I know how to do my job, lady.

  Frowning, Supergirl stuck a finger in her ear and wiggled it. “Sorry, what did you say?”

  “I said if something shady goes down, we’ll spot it,” Fred the security guard repeated. But again, there was an echo of his voice.

  I said I know how to do my job.

  Supergirl’s eyebrows raised, and Mon-El nudged her.

  “You OK?”

  “I think so.” Supergirl felt a tingle in her palm. The one with the orichalcum scar.

  With her new power, she wasn’t just hearing the security guard’s words; she was hearing what he really meant to say.

  “I know you just want to do your job,” she told him. “But right now, that means getting everyone out of the building quickly and quietly.”

  Fred didn’t budge.

  Supergirl sighed and turned to Mon-El, who stepped closer to the security guard.

  “Look, Fred. This is an emergency, and you’re the only person we can count on. If something goes wrong, we need you to protect all the visitors.”

  Fred puffed out his chest. “Me?”

  “The one a
nd only.” Mon-El clapped the security guard on the shoulder.

  A second later, the one and only Fred had a twin.

  Supergirl cringed. “Mon-El, your new power . . .”

  The Daxamite glanced down at the security uniform he was now wearing. “I can totally explain this,” he told an openmouthed Fred.

  “Don’t bother,” Fred said in a faint voice, backing away. “I’ll go . . . uh . . . clear the rooms.”

  “Can you point us toward the sunken treasure exhibit before you go?” asked Supergirl.

  The security guard pulled a map from his back pocket. “Take this hall all the way to the end and turn left.” He fixed her with pleading eyes. “And try not to break anything.”

  “Alex?” Supergirl spoke into her comm as Fred jogged away. “Mon-El and I are going to move in on Dr. Wanabi.”

  “OK,” her sister said. “We’re almost there. Be careful!”

  Supergirl smirked at Mon-El’s security guard guise. “Do you want to charge in like that, or turn into yourself first?”

  “I’d love to be me, but I don’t know how.” Mon-El rubbed his neck. “Unless you want to knock me out. That seems to work.”

  “Let’s save that for when you deserve it,” teased Supergirl. “Yesterday when you changed into me, you said you wanted to connect with me. Can you try connecting with yourself?”

  “I guess.” Mon-El frowned and placed a hand on his own shoulder.

  Supergirl snickered. “Not like that. Connect with who you are on the inside.” She placed her hands on both sides of his face. “Close your eyes.”

  Mon-El did as she instructed. “Shouldn’t we be chanting and burning incense for this?”

  “Shh.” She released him. “Think about everything that makes you who you are. Your sense of humor and your bravery and how good you are with people.”

  “Let’s forget Dr. Wanabi,” said Mon-El. “We can just stay here, and you can keep saying nice things about me.” He smiled at Supergirl and opened his eyes.

  Eyes she recognized.

  “It’s working!” she cheered. “Keep going.”

  Mon-El closed his eyes again, and soon all his features replaced Fred’s.

  “Welcome back,” Supergirl told him, planting a kiss on his nose. “Now let’s go save the day!”