"So I called superman" Kara explained watching out the window with her arms crossed over the chest as she waits for your cousin to arrive but you can't help but roll your eyes at the mention of the man.
"Oh great, more the merrier" you sarcastically added falling into the comfort of your chair as Cat leans against your desk.
Cat tilts her head to look over to you as Kara continued to scan the sky above. "Do you have a thing against superman?" Cat whispers with genuine interest in your hatred towards your cousin.
"How much time w-."
"There he is" Kara yells cheerily cutting you off from your own thoughts but her voice drops as Superman falls down in to the crowd below causing you to jump up at the window to look towards the marching brainwashed civilians.
"Well that certainly doesn't look good." A voice calls out peering over your shoulder to look at the people below. You spin on your heel to see Max Lord of all people walk in with a smile.
"Why am I not surprised that your brain is intact, Max?" Cat Grant questions with a hint of disgust at his presence, still sat on the corner of your desk inspecting a frame of you and Kara that she had not so secretly placed on your desk.
"Wait you let him free?" You exclaimed furring your brows over to Kara who's still in shock for Superman's departure. She doesn't say anything and stays watching the window as if he will just fly right back up and save the city.
"What is it they say? Only cockroaches will survive the apocalypse." Ms Grant rolls her eyes placing the picture back down onto the desk and eying the man who kept his eyes on her the whole time.
"Happy to see you too, Cat. You look lovely, considering the end is nigh." He eyes her boots, skirt and blouse before he gives her a cocky grin.
You can't help but grimace at his sickeningly sweet smile that he throws her way. "Again why is he free?" You throw your arms up dramatically finally freeing Kara from her daze.
She rips her gaze from the window and marches up to Max. "Why weren't you affected?" She questions clearly confused to why out of all people she was stuck with him and her boss.
He taps his technology and smiles. "Ion blockers. I realized the Kryptonians were using my LTE interface system. That's why they broke into my lab over Christmas. They're using my satellites to send neural signals directly into the minds of everyone in National City. These scramble the signal before they reach my brain."
Cat slides from the desk and takes a closer look at the blockers but she frowns in confusion. "Well, clearly, not everybody needs this ear-wig thingy, because I don't have one and my brain is perfectly intact."
He smiles reaching his hand out to cup her face causing a sense of anger to bubble up to the surface, you continue to watch almost frozen at his movements. Cat watches in shock but he moves his hand to tug the string of hair behind her ear giving you all a better view of her earrings. "I see you got the earrings I sent you last night"
Cat clicks her tongue and steps back letting his hand fall back to his side. "Oh, I get it. Ion blockers in the diamonds?"
What doesn't surprise you is that Max isn't happy with the distance between them but he meets your glare obviously unaffected by it he smiles back towards Cat. "Mmm-hmm. Oh, so many karats and yet so functional" he lets out a small chuckle as he leans in slightly over to her. "Didn't seem right for the world to lose Cat Grant's mind."
You clear you throat as Cat shuffled in her step escaping further from his shadow. "If you're done flirting." You had the attention of the room again and Cat smiled weakly although Max just grinned wider at your annoyance. "Why did it affect superman and not us?"
Max sighs sitting on Winns desk. "Nature versus nurture. He may be an alien, but your cousin grew up on Earth. Seems like environmental factors, being raised by ordinary people, made his brain more human." He explains this time watching you as he throws a Rubik's cube up and down catching it within his palm.
Cat lets out a small chuckle and crosses her arms "The Man of Steel brought to his knees all because he went to kindergarten and watched Sesame Street."
"You think this is funny?" Kara snaps, making you all turn to her small outburst after her long silence.
"Everything I have feared has come to pass. I couldn't be more serious." Cat explains almost robotic like but Kara was unfazed.
"We have to stop them." She thinks for a moment until turning to Max. "They're using your satellites. Can't you reprogram them and destroy Myriad from the inside?" She questions placing her hands on her hips.
Max sighs and spins in Winns chair still throwing the cube and catching it with one hand. "I tried. There's some pretty epic force fields around those satellites at the moment."
You had enough of his games so you throw your leg out to stop the spinning momentum and zap the cube with your X-ray vision causing him to yelp and drop it towards the carpet. "Focus. You're always 10 steps ahead, Max. I know you have a plan."
He looks up from the burnt object and clicks his tongue. "Of course I do. We kill them all. When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer." He explained smugly lifting himself from the desk chair.
"Max, how exactly do you plan on killing an army of Supermans?" Cat asked coming to your side as you crossed your arms.
"I'll tell you the plan when I know you're all on board. Can't have muscles and frowny face over there trying to stop me." He states pointing from kara to your scowl.
"Killing is never the solution." Kara is quick to add not missing her chance to look your way as she did.
He lets out a dry chuckle. "Except we're way past villains-of-the-week and kittens stuck in trees. We're at war. And the only way to win a war is to kill the enemy before they kill us."
Karas about to argue back but a set off footprints entering the office space caused your silence. "Oh, looks like someone else made it through security." Cat mumbled speaking for everyone when she sees the man responsible for the mindless drones swarming the city.
You softly pushed Cat behind you guarding her from Non if he ever attacked. You kept you hand out to keep her from doing something stupid but Max you didn't care so much about so you left him out in the open. "The son of Jor-El has already knelt before me. Soon you will too. I don't want to fight you, children."
You chuckled stepping forward sightly but making sure that Kara was close by so that Cat would be protected by the kryptonian. "Hey there's only one of you, afraid we'll beat you."
He grins his eyes catching your fist already balled up tight. You knew full well they're would be a fight and you weren't going to let him take you from surprise. "You've already lost. Accept it and the glorious fulfillment of Astra's vision. In the end, she defeated you even after you killed her." He stepped closer and suddenly you felt wrong.. a feeling of guilt? And that familiar pang in your chest at her lost.
You forced yourself to stay emotionless knowing that all the older guy wanted to do was get into your head. "Not really she's still dead but Non, do you really think I would hesitate putting you down too?" The question hits close to home, Cat frowns at such a threat that leaves your lips but leaves Karas face to drain of any colour.
"Now he speaks like a true hero." Max mumbled but it doesn't go on deaf ears by the powerful woman beside him.
"Max shut it!" Cat throws her hand out and smacks him across the shoulder causing him to cry out weakly at her unknown strength.
"The human race finally has a chance to live. Or it would suffer the same fate as Krypton."
"What do you mean?" Kara asks stepping forward with interest, her shoulder brushing by yours as she does.
"What I mean child is the same thing is happening on Earth, with a populace more interested in reality stars and political circuses than working together to solve the world's problems. Something your brother knows too much about." Once he mentions the fate of your planet and your own involvement long ago you instantly bow your head in shame.
"So, mind control is the answer to global warming?" She Asked with a cocked brow noticing the silence beside her but ignores it never the less.
"Thanks to Myriad, there are no more racial divisions, no Republicans, no Democrats. Only one people, working with one purpose towards one goal. To save the world... you know she planned this for you." He calls out towards you as you lift your head tearing your focus off the flooring and back at the mad man.
"What? I don't want this!" You exclaimed.
"For your goal. To save the world before it's too late, she admired you too much." He smiled but you could see that sadness swimming around in his eyes, slowly dimming all the good in him... well if he had any left that was.
"Except you haven't saved them, you've enslaved them. Humanity is better than this. If you really want this planet to avoid the fate of Krypton, then work with us." Kara explained pleading him to change his mission to one that didn't involve taking away free will.
Non scoffs and looks towards Max and then Cat who's now wrapped her hand around your shoulder as she peers out from your side. "With these people? These two are the best of your world and all they do is help the populace amuse themselves to death. Thought we raised you better."
You watch the glare that he focuses on Cat and you can't help but feel that sour mood rising back to the surface. "Stop talking!" You warned.
He takes another step forward but it doesn't faze you like it does Kara who stumbles backwards. "Or what? child you will not face me, this is what we worked for."
But Kara doesn't stumble on her words. "You're harvesting the brain power of everyone in the city to solve the world's problems? National City is a giant think tank? This is not the way to solve the world's problems. Your heroics have done nothing to save the planet. Non, stop this!"
He seems to notice the closeness between you and Ms Grant as she holds onto your arm for her safety although we her thinking you were now sure it was so you didn't do anything stupid. "These are your friends, aren't they?" He questions already knowing the answer. "I've have lived with loss. Allow me to return the favor" he keeps his gaze directly towards Cat with a sinister look.
You dust of Cats hand making it fall back down to her side in confusion as you close in on Non. "Back off!" You spat your face inching closer towards his.
"Oh y/n" he whispers under his breath but you see him flicker his eyes back towards the woman.
"I said back off." You yelled pushing him with great force that he topples over Winns desk and skids across the room, the outside wall crumbling under his weight as he disappears through the person shape hole left in your rage. "Ugh he's gone." You scoff to no one in particular.
"We need to leave. Now." Kara urged pulling your arm as you continue to stare at the hole waiting as if he would return so soon. You don't bother resisting so she drags you along with the others as you exit the CatCo building.
"If I may. I was working on a weapon to use against the Kryptonians. All Kryptonians." Max explains pulling you back down from your thoughts and looking directly at the man pushing the button to the bottom floor.
"What kind of weapon?" You asked as the elevator whirls and descends through the levels of the tall building.
"A bomb. Filled with Kryptonite dust. It'll irradiate the entire city. Choke them all. No more Myriad."
"Won't that kill Supergirl and Captain super?" Cat asked turning to look at your side profile with worry.
"Not if either of them flies up and detonates it over the city center. Then she and he skedaddle. They won't be able to come back to National City for roughly 50 years..." Max lets out a small chuckle at his own revelation "But that's a small price to pay to save the world, right?" He questions with a smirk although you couldn't see it as he stood directly in front of you watching the doors slide open. For him this was a win-win situation.
"You can't just send them off" Ms Grant states stubbornly.
You bite your lip in thought although you hated the man and his plan you couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt if you didn't try to save the planet and it's inhabitants. "What about the human beings? Will they be affected at all?" You asked making Kara turn to you in disbelief as you swing the main door open entering the quiet city.
"The concussive force to properly displace the Kryptonite dust will result in some losses"
You sigh stopping not sure where you could possible go if the city was taken over by Non. "What exactly are we talking about, Max? Losses."
"8% of the population."
"Ah yes 8% of the population. So you plan on killing 8% of four million people?" Ms Grant sarcastically questions but it doesn't faze his emotional response one bit and he continues to stay neutral even when suggesting genocide.
"That is over 300,000 people, Max." Kara added placing her hands on her hips as she waits for the guy to suggest his terrible reasoning.
"Versus the seven billion people on the planet that Non wants to turn into zombies." You mumble, you knew Non, he wouldn't settle for any less.
Kara turns to you quickly as Cat frowns at your words. "Are you seriously considering this?" She questions raising a brow.
You don't say anything but rub your sore temples. This was a nightmare. "He is. Because he knows it's our only chance. If this spreads from National City, it won't be long before every man, woman and child, will be on their knees."
"I won't let that happen. I swore to save this world. That's exactly what I'm going to do. What if we tell Non we have this weapon? Force him to see reason." Kara thinks aloud but turns to you expectingly.
"There's no reasoning Kara, not with them" you sprung your arms out with a sigh, you were tired of having to find the goodness in people especially when they're bad right down to the bone.
"We don't kill"
"You don't" you muttered only allowing both you and Kara to pick up the words.
"You can't do this y/n" Kara pleaded moving her hand to cup your shoulder but you shrug it away making her frown deepen.
"Then you better find another way" you stated turning away from her disappointment that was plastered all over her face as she digested your words.