Kara stood there with her arms crossed, observing Veidt's actions with her Super Vision. He and his pet lynx, visibly genetically modified, were rushing deeper into the pyramid-like facility, heading toward a special device.
Kara's keen eyes narrowed slightly, and a wry smirk crossed her lips. She recognized the device—a replica of the one responsible for Dr. Manhattan's accident. It was clear to her that Veidt intended to recreate the incident, hoping to momentarily incapacitate Manhattan by forcing him back into the quantum realm, giving himself time to escape or manipulate the unfolding situation.
She muttered under her breath, "You think this will work against someone like him? Clever, but not clever enough."
Through the walls, her gaze pierced into the wider world, where global chaos had erupted. The devastating attack orchestrated by Veidt—using technology that mimicked Dr. Manhattan's powers—had claimed millions of lives. The scale of destruction had pushed humanity to an unprecedented consensus: every nation, no matter the political or ideological divide, had united against the shared threat of Dr. Manhattan.
Veidt, as brilliant as he was, had calculated this exact response. He understood that Dr. Manhattan's increasing detachment from humanity left Earth vulnerable, and he was willing to become the scapegoat for the greater good. If necessary, he would leave the planet entirely, ensuring his survival while forcing the world to come together in the face of a perceived godlike threat.
Kara's sharp mind unraveled the threads of his plan, and a knowing smile spread across her face. "You think you've accounted for everything," she whispered, her voice dripping with amused contempt. "But you didn't account for me."
Not far from her stood Laurie and Dan. Laurie, the second Silk Spectre, had been Dr. Manhattan's lover before their relationship fractured under the weight of his growing apathy toward humanity. She was visibly tense, her fingers twitching near the holster at her side. Beside her, Dan—a former vigilante now disillusioned with heroics—watched Kara with curiosity and a touch of suspicion.
Dan broke the silence first. "Who is she?" she asked Laurie, her voice low but firm.
Dan glanced at Kara, her golden hair glinting in the dim light, her crimson cape billowing gently in the breeze. The Kryptonian's otherworldly beauty and poised demeanor made it difficult for anyone to meet her gaze for long. Laurie shrugged. "Jon brought her back," she explained, referring to Dr. Manhattan by his human name, Jon Osterman. "She can survive on Mars and flew from there to Earth in less than three seconds. You saw her—you know she's not like us."
Dan frowned, processing the information. "Survive on Mars… and fly here in seconds?" Her voice faltered as the implications hit her.
Kara didn't bother responding to the whispered conversation, her attention locked on Veidt, who had reappeared within view. However, Dr. Manhattan was notably absent, his quantum form temporarily disrupted by the very technology that had created him. Veidt's gamble had succeeded—he had bought himself precious time.
Laurie's simmering rage boiled over. Her voice rose as she shouted, "I'll kill you, Adrian!" She called Veidt by his true name, Adrian Veidt, and with a swift motion, she drew a concealed pistol and fired.
The crack of the gunshot echoed through the chamber. Kara, surprised by the sudden action, glanced at Laurie. Where was she hiding that weapon in that outfit? the Kryptonian wondered briefly.
Laurie's anger was deeply personal, rooted in revelations she had recently uncovered about her lineage. During her time on Mars, Dr. Manhattan had shown her the threads of time, unveiling the truth: her biological father was not the man who had raised her but Edward Morgan Blake—the Comedian. This knowledge, combined with her longstanding grievances, fueled her fury toward Veidt, the man responsible for Blake's death.
Veidt staggered but didn't fall. Kara's Super Vision caught the truth: Adrian had managed to catch the bullet with his bare hands, though the impact left him momentarily stunned.
"He's good," Kara murmured to herself, smirking slightly. "But if we were in Gotham, they'd teach him about making sure the job's finished."