The Red Shadow

Chapter 8: Plan C

"Human sympathy has its limits, and we were contented to let all their tragic arguments fade with the city lights behind."

Fitzgerald F. Scott, The Great Gatsby

____________________________________________

Brainiac 5 was standing completely still on the icy floor of the Fortress of Solitude with closed eyes, calculating, processing and analyzing all the 2678 possibilities of saving the two sisters from their unknown fate. His face was twitching slightly as each of his speculations hit a dead-end, resetting the process, the number dwindled exponentially until only 3 remained.

He opened his eyes robotically, his expression composed and blank. The timeline had already been changed with his presence in the twenty-first century and their golden rule of avoiding any sort of meddling was no longer applicable if they wanted to keep the damage from propagating into the future and beyond. Thus he had contacted Mon-El, seeking his physical and technical help. They were expecting their arrival at any moment now.

J'onn was sitting on a white icy edge close by, still in his true Green Martian form and nursing his hurting head. He was healing gradually from the psychic attack inflicted on him by that military device. It had been four hours since both Danvers sisters had been taken away and they were out of options.

Even Nia's dreaming power hadn't been much of a help to them in this situation. She was in training and interpreting her visions correctly and meaningfully was a tricky matter and a work in progress. She was now back in National City, keeping them posted and trying to use her powers to see if she could help them.

"They're here," J'onn announced and Brainy turned to see him standing, his eyes fixated on a point towards the dome as if he saw something invisible to normal eyes. "I sense their consciousness," The Martian added with a tight smile, all his concerns and discomfort momentarily disappearing.

The Legion was there on time, just as Brainy had anticipated, or rather calculated.

The two aliens didn't have to wait long before Mon-El managed to open the special gateway of the Kryptonian Fortress. Something only very few were capable of doing, with J'onn also being among them. Mon-El walked in wearing his red suit, his blue cape waving against the gust of Antarctic wind and his face all business. Winn wasn't far behind him, shuffling to match his friend's determined and quick pace. He was clad in some thick dark jacket and winter clothes which still wasn't warm enough for such extreme temperatures.

"Brainy! Where are they now?" Mon-El's voice echoed from every corner of the Fortress. He wasn't about to beat around the bushes at this moment with greetings or pleasantries and in any case, he knew better than to waste time around Brainy who didn't care for them anyway.

"Alex is detained at the DEO at the moment. Kara, on the other hand, has been taken to an unknown secret Cadmus site outside National City. Her whereabouts are still unknown."

"Cadmus?" Mon-El's voice wavered and any remaining color on his already pale features abandoned his face.

Winn who had stepped aside to give J'onn a brief hug meanwhile joined them at hearing the name of the infamous alien-phobic organization. His blue eyes were wide and scared just like Mon-El's.

"I thought you said the government arrested her!" The tech genius said.

Mon-El's face was emotionless but his eyes were giving him away with the evident horror filled in them. He had begun to put together what he had been missing the past year.

"Yes, the government is now working with Cadmus. The new president is very anti-alien," Brainy explained and looked as Winn's face fell even further.