The final punch landed with a sickening thud, the impact sending dust flying in all directions. Kara's body went limp in the crater she'd made, eyes fluttering closed.
She didn't get up.
Kara woke up, her head heavy with confusion. She blinked hard, trying to process her surroundings. The room was unfamiliar—clean, sterile, and silent. She realized quickly: she had been taken.
Taken by the Green Lantern.
She let out a tired sigh and tried to get up—only to feel the sharp pull of restraints locking her to the chair. Thick, reinforced clamps held her wrists and ankles, pulsing faintly with some kind of dampening tech. She gritted her teeth and pushed harder, trying to use her strength.
Nothing.
"How…?" she muttered, breathless.
Before she could think further, the door in front of her slid open with a cold hiss. Someone stepped inside.
He was tall, well-groomed, and had the kind of presence that made the air feel colder. His dark coat looked custom-made, and a heavy, jewel-encrusted necklace rested casually against his chest like he didn't care how expensive it was. Every part of him radiated wealth, control, and danger.
But that wasn't what caught Kara's attention.
Two men followed behind him—clearly bodyguards. And one of them… made her stomach drop.
Adam.
He avoided eye contact, jaw tight. Kara stared, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "I should've known," she thought bitterly.
Then, the man in front stepped closer.
"Kara," he said, calm and deliberate.
"What do you want?" Kara snapped, her voice sharp with anger. She wasn't just mad about being captured—she was furious at Adam, and everything they had done.
The man didn't flinch. He sighed and spoke calmly. "I'm going to make this easy for you."
He opened one hand, palm out.
Adam hesitated, then stepped forward and handed the man a small remote—sleek, black, and clearly custom-built. The man took it without looking at Kara. Then, with a slow breath…
He pressed the button.
Pain exploded in Kara's stomach.
It wasn't like anything she'd ever felt. Deep. Internal. Wrong. She clenched her jaw, barely stifling a scream. Her body curled forward instinctively, both hands yanking against the restraints, gripping at her abdomen as if that would help.
Then—just as suddenly as it came—the pain stopped.
Kara gasped for air. "What… what did you do to me?" she managed.
The man gave a thin, almost amused smile. "I might've… slipped something into your mouth while you were out."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. No. That wasn't possible.
She was Kryptonian. Her biology was nearly indestructible—inside and out.
The man chuckled. "You're probably wondering how that's even possible." He turned slowly, gesturing to the room.
That's when Kara noticed it.
Faint green glows—small fragments embedded in the walls, hidden in the ceiling, even dusted across the floor.
Kryptonite.
Tiny, almost invisible shards. Scattered just enough to weaken her—but not kill her.
She hadn't even realized it until now.
"This room," the man said, stepping closer, his voice proud, "was built just for you."
The second man stepped forward and handed the front man a small cage.
Kara narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"
The man smiled. "Who am I?" he echoed, almost amused. "That doesn't matter anymore."
He stepped closer, holding the cage casually in one hand.
"You broke into Area 51. You uncovered all our secrets. Everything in there—you could leak it, expose it all to the world. So tell me…" He tilted his head. "What do you think I should do with you?"
He laughed—a slow, confident sound that made Kara's skin crawl.
"You… you and Guy," Kara said through clenched teeth. "You planned this."
The man scoffed, shaking his head. "Oh no. Me and Guy? We didn't plan anything. It was just me."
He stepped closer now, tapping a finger against the cage.
"The second you entered Area 51, our surveillance picked you up. Facial match, heat signature. All it took was a little digging… and a little help from Adam." He glanced toward the guard behind him. "Then I had everything I needed."
"I hired Guy," he continued. "Told him an alien broke into a secure government base, stole biotech and a classified creature. Gave him just enough truth to make it believable. And he bought it—hook, line, and ring."
He laughed harder this time. Cruel and satisfied.
Kara's jaw tightened. Her fists clenched in her restraints. Rage burned in her chest—but underneath it, fear.
The man slowly opened the cage in his hands.
Inside: a glowing, bright-red crystal.
Kara's breath hitched. Her eyes widened.
Red Kryptonite.
"No…" she whispered.
The man carefully lifted the shard out, holding it in his gloved hand like a trophy.
And the moment he did—Kara felt it.
It was different from green Kryptonite. Not just pain—but something deeper. Her thoughts twisted. Her chest felt tight. Emotion surged—confused, angry, overwhelming.
The man leaned forward slightly, grinning.
"Red Kryptonite," he said. "You've heard the stories. You know what it does. Hurts, doesn't it?"
Kara's whole body tensed. She could barely think straight.
"This one's special," he added. "It's been modified. Refined. Designed not just to weaken you…"
He held it higher, watching her squirm.
"…but to control you."
"But I know that's not enough," the front man continued, voice smooth and deliberate. "Which is why I've given you a reason to stop fighting. To clear your mind. Relax."
He stepped closer, holding the remote in one hand and the red kryptonite still glowing faintly in the other.
"Now that you're under my control," he said calmly, "all it takes is one press of this button… and I could kill you. From the inside out. Instantly. The kind of pain that'll start in your gut and crawl through every nerve before your heart gives out."
He smiled like it was nothing.
"Or," he said, tilting his head, "you stop resisting. Clear your mind. Let me take control. I won't hurt you. You'll survive. You'll be useful. And once I've finished what I need from you…"
He paused, then added, "I'll let you go."
Kara's jaw tightened. She didn't believe a word of it. She had no idea what he really wanted—but whatever it was, it wasn't anything good.
"Ah…" she exhaled, fury in her breath.
She wanted to fight. Every part of her did. But the red kryptonite was suppressing her strength, flooding her mind with a haze she couldn't shake. Her powers were gone—not entirely, but enough to render her helpless. And the pain in her stomach from whatever he'd implanted… that was real.
The man chuckled darkly.
"So, what's it going to be?" he asked. "Let me burn you from the inside out? Or hand yourself over like a good little weapon?"
He leaned forward, eyes burning with something older than power—something personal.
"Or maybe," he sneered, "I just drive a stake through your heart and be done with it. Wouldn't be the first time a Kryptonian made that tempting."
He laughed—sharp and bitter. Like he'd been waiting a long time to say that.
"Who are you?" Kara asked, her voice steady, eyes narrowing at him.
The man stepped forward slowly, shadows slicing across his face.
"My name is Lionel Luthor."
On the other side of town, Janet had taken the red alien back to her house. She carefully locked it in a small cage and sighed. Jake paced nearby, both of them still unsure what to do, anxiously waiting to hear from Kara.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Janet asked quietly.
Jake shrugged. "I hope so. She's Supergirl. Green Lantern can't really stop her… right?"
Janet didn't answer. She just sighed, her worry growing heavier.
Suddenly, the emergency news alert flashed across the TV screen. Both Janet and Jake turned to look—and their eyes widened in disbelief.
CRASH!
Kara landed hard in the middle of a crowded street, sending a shockwave through the pavement. Her expression twisted with fury. Her eyes glowed red—intense and wild with anger, under the influence of red kryptonite.
Without hesitation, she turned her heat vision on the traffic lights above the intersection. The beam sliced clean through the metal, sending sparks flying as the lights collapsed into the street.
She stomped once, cracking the asphalt beneath her feet. Civilians screamed and scattered, running in every direction as chaos erupted.
She wasn't helping. She was scaring them.
But why?
How?
Janet and Jake could only stare at the screen, stunned and speechless.
What have they done to her?