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SM/DC Chapter 69 : A Kryptonian Threat
🕑 Added 2025-03-25 23:19:42 +0000 UTCArthur finished his drink in one swift motion, the glass meeting the table with a soft clink. Without missing a beat, he pushed himself to his feet, the faint glow in his eyes dimming as he approached Kara.
Stopping just in front of her, he held her gaze, steady, unwavering. “Look," he began, his voice low but firm, "all I ask is that you trust me."
Kara blinked, taken slightly off guard by the sudden shift in his tone.
“These guys..." Arthur gestured vaguely, as if referring to both the Justice League and Cadmus, "...they will do whatever they deem necessary to protect ‘humans.’ They fear us. They think one day we’ll lose control… and when that happens, they’d rather destroy us before we get the chance to prove them right, and I really don’t blame Cadmus for that."
Kara’s brow furrowed, her fists clenching at her sides. "Excuse me, which side are you on?"
Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Think about it," he said, stepping closer. "Who on this planet could stop Superman if he went rogue?"
Silence fell between them like a heavy curtain.
Kara’s defiance wavered, just for a second. Her lips parted, but no words came. Eventually, she settled on the only thing that felt true.
“… He would never," she said quietly. But there was a hint of uncertainty behind her words, even if she refused to admit it.
Arthur didn’t respond. He just let the silence stretch, his point hanging in the air like a blade.
When he finally spoke again, his voice was softer, more resolute. "We’ll do what’s necessary, Kara. Before the League or Cadmus even think about anticipating us."
Arthur pulled his phone from his pocket, flipping it open with a smooth motion and a quick swipe, he dialed the number. The line barely rang once before a voice, calm, polished, and unmistakably unimpressed, cut through.
“Arthur," Adam said. "What do you need? You clearly want something, you never call just to check in."
Arthur smirked, tilting his head as Kara leaned against the wall, watching curiously. “Don’t be like that. I do appreciate my family,” he drawled. “How are you, Adam? Healthy? Wealthy? Not too evil?”
A faint sigh echoed through the speaker. "Cut the crap. What do you need?"
“Gotham’s not exactly a vacation spot but how’s the estate Is it to your liking?” Adam then asked smoothly. "I spared no expense."
Arthur tapped a finger against the glass table. “No... It’s very modest.”
A beat of silence. Then "I knew it. I knew I should’ve gone with the other property. I can arrange..."
“I’m joking,” Arthur cut in, rolling his eyes. “It’s fine. Honestly, if it was any bigger, I’d get lost.”
“...Your humor’s still as exhausting as ever,” Adam muttered. "Anyway, what do you really want?"
Arthur’s smile faded slightly. "I need Kryptonite," he said, his tone turning sharper. "And not raw, I need it in the form of weapons. A sword, ideally."
The line went quiet.
Arthur waited. Kara shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Kryptonite, her brows furrowing, but she stayed quiet.
Finally, Adam spoke again, slower this time. "...What kind of trouble are you getting into now, Arthur?"
"Nothing too insane," Arthur said lightly, though his expression hardened.
Adam let out a slow breath. "You know, Kryptonite usually has two purposes, either experiments… or fighting a Kryptonian." His voice lowered. "Which one is it?"
Arthur hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Let’s just say you’re not far off the truth. I need it as soon as possible."
“I should say no," Adam muttered, though the familiar hint of resignation colored his voice. "But… I can't refuse you can I.... I’m at home, but I’ll put our science team on it. Expect an update soon."
Arthur exhaled softly in satisfaction. "Good."
He was about to hang up, but something gnawed at the edge of his mind. Something deeper.
“Actually,” Arthur added, his voice dropping into something colder, "since we're talking science, and the fact you worked with Lex on Project Doomsday...what do you know about Cadmus?"
A longer silence stretched across the line this time. For the first time, Adam’s calm demeanor cracked.
“How do you know that name?” Adam demanded, his voice harder now.
Arthur’s jaw clenched. "Just answer me."
Another pause. Then, reluctantly, "Cadmus is a government project. Highly classified. And yes… we’ve had dealings with them. But it's above board. This isn’t some underground, shady thing like our Doomsday contract with Lex. It’s government business, Arthur. Legitimate."
Arthur’s eyes narrowed. "Legitimate," he repeated softly, his mind already racing. “Do you know where they operate?”
Adam hesitated, but eventually said, “We do. In fact, we shipped a batch of advanced materials to them just last week, Kryptonite samples included. There’s another shipment leaving in two days.”
Arthur’s expression sharpened, the pieces clicking together. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face.
“I’ll be honest with you, Adam,” he said, voice dripping with mischief. "I might do something that...let’s say...disrupts your business with them. So, I’m apologizing in advance."
“Arthur," Adam warned, his tone darkening. "Don’t do anything stupid. This is the government, not some back-alley—"
Arthur hung up mid-sentence, tossing his phone onto the couch with a casual flick of his wrist.
He turned toward Kara, who still looked half-skeptical, half-worried. The faintest smirk played on his lips as he met her eyes.
“I’ve got a plan,” he said smoothly. “And you’re coming with me.”
Kara crossed her arms, lifting a brow. “Should I be worried?”
Arthur’s smile grew wider, his eyes flashing with icy confidence. "Probably."
****
Watchtower – Observation Deck
J’onn J’onzz stood motionless, his crimson eyes glowing faintly as he hovered before a holographic display. Streams of data scrolled past, satellite feeds, surveillance logs, and a blinking alert marking Kara Zor-El. His expression, as always, was calm, but beneath the surface, concern simmered.
A secure line buzzed softly in his ear. Batman. As punctual as ever.
“Report.” The Dark Knight’s voice cut through the silence, sharp, cold, and without patience.
J’onn’s tone remained smooth and even. “Supergirl is gone.”
A heavy pause. Then, "What do you mean gone?" Batman’s voice was edged with irritation, though not surprise. “She wouldn’t just leave. Especially while you are there.”
“She didn’t leave on her own.” J’onn’s gaze flicked to a playback feed, rewatching what happened earlier “Arthur Blackwynd came here and took her with him.”
There was a beat of silence, too long for mere contemplation. Then "And Kara just… let that happen?" Batman’s tone dropped, rough with suspicion.
“Yes,” J’onn confirmed. “She didn’t resist. If anything… she chose to go with him.”
Batman didn’t speak immediately, but J’onn could already hear the gears turning in his mind.
“No need to explain,” Batman said at last, voice tight. “I know what you’re about to say.”
J’onn’s brow furrowed slightly. “Do you?”
Batman’s tone cooled to something dangerously low. “Arthur isn’t just some random man, he saves her, she trusts him, Kara wouldn’t leave unless he gave her a reason. And if you called me, it means there’s more.”
J’onn’s expression darkened as he turned away from the holograms. “Our data on him… it’s wrong or simply..outdated.”
For once, Batman didn’t respond immediately. In the silence, J’onn pressed on.
“He’s stronger than we believed,” J’onn said, his voice heavy with certainty. “Far stronger than our current data about him.”
A quiet, tense pause stretched between them before Batman finally spoke again—his voice quieter, but no less commanding.
“…How strong?”
J’onn hesitated a rare thing for him. “I read his surface thoughts before I couldn’t do it anymore. What I found was… unsettling. The power he holds is beyond simple metahuman classification but I couldn’t dig deeper..something…or someone blocked me from doing so. And what’s worse he knows things. About Cadmus. About Kara’s connection to them. He’s moving with intent, Bruce.”
Batman exhaled slowly through his nose, processing the revelation. “he is going to attack Cadmus isn’t he.”
“Perhaps, and If he wanted to harm Kara, he would have aalread, he cares about her.” J’onn said. “But his motives remain unclear. I’m concerned about what he plans to do next.”
A faint sound of shifting fabric came through the line, Batman already moving. "I don’t like unknowns, J’onn," he said, voice like a blade cutting through the dark. “And I definitely don’t like it when someone I can’t predict takes an interest in matters wr are involved in. he is reckless.”
J’onn inclined his head slightly. "I share your concern.”
Another silence, taut and cold. Then
“I’m coming up,” Batman said. "He is doing what Clark wanted to do…I’ll infiltrate Cadmus with some of the Justice League members, before that idiot wreaks havoc. Do not tell Clark."
****
High above the Blackwynd Estate – Jump City
The night sky hung heavy, thick clouds drifting past the pale glow of the moon. Suspended in the air like a predator on the hunt, Galatea hovered in silence. Her blonde hair whipped in the wind, framing her face, a face sculpted for war. Arms folded over her chest, her sharp blue eyes burned down at the sprawling estate below, a fortress of wealth and legacy.
She scoffed.
"What’s so special about these people anyway?" Her voice was low, edged with disdain. "Rich. Spoiled. Fragile."
‘And yet… Lex wanted them alive, because for some reason that ashen haired boy is the key to his delusion.. I would love to find that boy here.’
Galatea’s lips curled into a smirk. she began her descent, slow, The wind howled as she cut through it, her speed increasing. The estate's towering gates loomed beneath her, but Galatea didn’t care for doors, she was aiming towards the house.
