The next day, the atmosphere at National City Technical High School was still extremely tense. Students gathered in small clusters, whispering anxiously about the attack.
Everyone talked about their own individual experiences, where they hid, what they saw, who they thought saved them, the discussions never stopped, and teachers never bothered to tell them off, even joining the conversations in some cases.
Whispers of strange events, powerful beings, and a mysterious savior they suspected to be Harbinger rippled through the school. The memory of the sky shattering and the vortex appearing was still burned into their minds, even though the vortex never effected them.
Meanwhile, during all of this, the DEO, working with FBI clearances, had cordoned off parts of the school and were gathering various debris or samples to take back to the labs for testing.
Anything that could be considering 'Alien' or 'Supernatural' was still being bagged up and transported away, as it had been over the past night.
The school was still surrounded by reporters and journalists, who tried to pull aside anyone entering, asking if they had experienced what happened and prying for details.
The various agents moved efficiently, questioning students and faculty about the events. Most interviews were routine and very orderly, with the DEO keen on gathering any scrap of information regarding how the enemies had attacked, their goals, who they focused on, anything they said.
Kara sat in the principal's office, nervously waiting for her turn to be questioned. Her mind was still reeling from what she had witnessed. Kayn's power, the battle, and the fact that he had just casually brushed it all off as if nothing had happened.
It was so surprising, and she still hadn't gotten the time to have a long discussion with him. Now that she knew Kayn was Harbinger, that opened up a new bag of questions.
Did he know she was from Krypton? That was the main question she wanted to know. She gripped the arms of the chair, her heartbeat echoing in her ears as she thought of that possibility.
Before long, an agent called her name, "Kara Danvers."
She looked up, forcing a smile as she stood and made her way into the interview room. The agent, a tall man with a stoic expression, motioned for her to sit down across from him.
"Ms. Danvers, thank you for your time. We just need to ask you a few questions about yesterday's incident," the agent said, his voice firm yet polite.
Kara swallowed and nodded, trying to keep her composure. "Of course."
Meanwhile, across town in a secure, undisclosed location, Kayn stood in a dimly lit room. John Jones, otherwise known as J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, stood across from him, arms crossed, his expression pensive.
The room, far away from prying eyes and ears, was silent save for the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead. It was a meeting place they'd used before, one where they could speak openly without interference.
John had been debriefed on the attack by Kayn who told him everything important, thee attack orchestrated by ORION and its members, Dracon, Vira, Marovik, and Zeek.
Kayn's tone was cold and direct, "This was a message, John. ORION is no longer sitting in the shadows. They're getting bolder, and unless we hit them now, they'll just keep coming."
John nodded slowly, his glowing red eyes studying Kayn with deep concern, "I've already heard some of the reports. You handled it well, but that's not the full picture, is it?"
Kayn shook his head, "No. It's worse than you think. They sent four of their strongest members, and they weren't holding back. If I hadn't been there, if I hadn't contained them in my realm, the school, the students—they'd all be dead."
The Martian's brow furrowed, his demeanor serious. "And Spectra?"
"She's fine. She knew her task, making sure most of the students were safe and secure while I handled it." Kayn crossed his arms, his jaw clenched. "But this can't keep happening. ORION's not going to stop until they've broken the world's strongest heroes—or worse."
John paced a little, considering Kayn's words, "And you're suggesting we strike back?"
"More than just strike back," Kayn replied, his voice carrying a quiet intensity, "We need to go for the throat. ORION needs to be taken down, not piece by piece, but at its core. The Conclave, the Grand Marshal, all of them. We hit their headquarters and destroy them before they can organize another attack like this."
John stopped pacing, his eyes locking onto Kayn's, "That's a bold plan. You're talking about a full-scale assault on an organization that has operated in the shadows for decades. Do you have any idea where their main base even is?"
Kayn's eyes glimmered with certainty, "I do have certain ideas, AEGIS has been working on this since ORION appeared. We've traced their movements, their resources, and I've got a strong lead on their base of operations. They think they're invisible, but they're not."
John remained quiet for a moment while he comprehended what Kayn had said. His mind raced with the implications of such a direct assault. T
The DEO had always been cautious when dealing with ORION, but Kayn's suggestion was different, decisive, and with the potential for catastrophic consequences if it went wrong, but it also had immense benefits if it went right.
"You're asking me to sanction a mission that could easily turn into all-out war," John said finally, his voice low but firm.
"We don't have the luxury of playing it safe anymore. ORION is using magic, cosmic power, drugs, and whatever else they can get their hands on to destroy everything we've built. We wait, and it'll be too late." Kayn explained, leaning back onto a wall as he looked into John's eyes.
The Martian Manhunter's expression softened slightly as he began contemplating Kayn's suggestion more and more. As someone who survived what happened on Mars, he had a big understanding of these type of attacks, how to ensure they work and more.
After a long pause, John finally spoke. "I'll discuss this with other members of the DEO, for now, get your team ready for a strike."
Kayn gave a curt nod, "Fine. But don't take too long. The clock's ticking, and ORION won't wait for us to make a decision."
__________________________________________
As the questioning, the halls of National City Technical High School buzzed with a strange mixture of tension and relief. Students shuffled out of classrooms where they were being question, still exchanging hushed whispers about the events of the previous day.
After this day of questioning, it was collectively decided to suspend school for at least 2 weeks while dealing with the aftermath of the events, and to allow students to deal with any potential lingering trauma of what they experienced.
As all of this happened, Kara was moving through the hallways quietly, her mind lingering on Kayn whom she hadn't seen all day. However, as she knew he was Harbinger, she had an inkling he was doing something related to the attacks that occurred.
As she stepped outside the school building, squinting at the late afternoon sun, Kara's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a message from Kayn,
"Meet me out front. Let's talk."
Her heart skipped a beat as she scanned the crowd of students, her eyes landing on a familiar figure leaning against a sleek black car near the curb.
Kayn stood there casually, his arms crossed, exuding the effortless confidence that always seemed to surround him. Kara felt her stomach flip, a mixture of nerves and excitement coursing through her.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way over to him, weaving through the lingering crowd of students. As she approached, Kayn pushed himself off the car and gave her a slight nod.
"You survived the DEO questioning, I see," he said with a grin, his voice teasing.
Kara rolled her eyes, though a smile crept onto her face. "Barely. I thought they'd never let me go."
Kayn chuckled softly, his eyes flickering with amusement. Kara glanced around, noting that most of the students had already left or were busy talking among themselves.
It was just the two of them now, standing at the edge of the school grounds, the city stretching out before them.
"So," Kara said, crossing her arms as she leaned against the car beside him, "What now? You said we'd talk."
Kayn's expression softened slightly, the playful glint in his eyes dimming as he glanced at her, "I thought we could get out of here for a bit. Talk for a while.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice steady, "I'll go with you."
Kayn's lips curved into a small, satisfied smile as he opened the passenger door of the car for her, "Good. You won't regret it."
Kara slid into the car, her mind swirling with questions and anticipation. As Kayn closed the door behind her and made his way to the driver's seat, she found herself glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
As the engine purred to life and the car pulled away from the school, Kara couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. Not just for her, but for the entire world.