Chapter 5 : The DEO
December 2015 — National City Outskirts — One Week Later
The black SUVs appeared at 3 AM.
I woke to my phone buzzing against the nightstand—Kara's emergency signal—and was halfway dressed before I fully processed what was happening. By the time I reached the street, she was already there, flanked by men in tactical gear who definitely weren't cops.
"Mr. Schott." The agent who stepped forward was tall, blonde, and familiar. "Please come with us."
"And if I say no?"
"Then this conversation gets less polite."
Kara caught my eye. Her expression said it's okay. Her posture said I don't have a choice.
Neither did I.
DEO Desert Facility — Forty Minutes Later
The base was carved into a mountain.
Seriously carved—tunnels bored through solid rock, reinforced with alloy panels that hummed faintly against my electromagnetic senses. I filed that away for later. Something about this place felt alive with energy, currents running through the walls that I couldn't quite identify.
They led us through security checkpoints, past holding cells containing things that definitely weren't human, into a command center that looked like NASA had a baby with a war room.
And standing at the center of it all—
"Hank Henshaw. Director of the Department of Extranormal Operations." The man who introduced himself was African-American, mid-fifties, with a military bearing and eyes that missed nothing. "Welcome to the DEO, Ms. Danvers. We've been watching you."
"Clearly." Kara's voice was steady, but I caught the slight tremor in her hands. "Nice facility. Very dramatic."
"It serves its purpose." Henshaw's gaze shifted to me. "You're the IT consultant. The one who's been helping her."
How the hell do they know that already?
"I prefer 'technical support specialist.' Better title."
He didn't smile. "This area is classified. You shouldn't be here."
"Then you shouldn't have kidnapped me."
Something flickered across his face. Not quite amusement—more like surprise that I wasn't cowering. The original Winn would have been sweating through his shirt by now.
A voice from behind made both of us turn.
"Director. I'd like a moment with my sister."
Alex Danvers stepped forward. She was dressed in tactical black, sidearm holstered, and everything about her posture screamed agent rather than sister. Kara went rigid.
"Alex?"
"I can explain—"
"You work here?" Kara's voice cracked. "You've been—all this time—you've been part of this?"
"Since you were fifteen. Since Mom and Dad decided someone needed to keep you safe." Alex reached for her arm. "Kara, I wanted to tell you—"
"For ten years?" Kara pulled away. "You lied to me for ten years?"
The command center went silent. Agents found somewhere else to look. Even Henshaw seemed uncomfortable.
I stepped between them.
"Kara." My voice was low, steady. "Look at her."
"What?"
"Really look. At her face. Her hands."
Kara hesitated, then followed my gaze. Alex's hands were trembling. Her jaw was clenched so tight it had to hurt. And her eyes—her eyes were wet.
"She's terrified right now," I continued. "Not of you. Of losing you. Because she knows exactly how this looks, and she's spent ten years dreading this conversation."
"That doesn't make it okay."
"No. It doesn't." I glanced at Alex, then back at Kara. "But she did what you would have done for her. If the situation was reversed—if Alex was the one with powers, and your parents asked you to protect her in secret—would you have said no?"
Kara's jaw worked. No answer.
"The secrecy hurt," I said. "It should have. But the motivation wasn't betrayal. It was love. Misguided, maybe. Painful, definitely. But love."
The silence stretched. Alex stared at me like I'd grown a second head. Henshaw was watching with an expression I couldn't read.
Finally, Kara exhaled. Her shoulders dropped a fraction.
"We're talking about this later," she told Alex. "All of it. No more lies."
"No more lies." Alex's voice was hoarse. "I promise."
Henshaw cleared his throat.
"Touching as this is, we have business to discuss. Ms. Danvers, your recent activities have attracted attention beyond our organization. The prisoners from Fort Rozz are aware that Krypton's daughter is on Earth. They're coming for you."
"Let them come."
"Confidence is admirable. It won't stop an axe through your skull." He gestured to a screen, pulling up what looked like military schematics. "We've been tracking escapees for years. Cataloguing their abilities, their weaknesses. You could be an asset—if you're willing to work with us."
"As what? Your attack dog?"
"As a partner. A bridge between human operations and threats we can't handle conventionally." Henshaw stepped closer, lowering his voice. "I've seen what you can do, Ms. Danvers. The plane was impressive. But there are things out there that make commercial aircraft look like paper planes. We can train you. Equip you. Give you the intel you need to survive."
Kara glanced at me. I gave a tiny nod.
This is the path forward. Take it.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then we watch from the sidelines while you stumble through your first year. Maybe you survive. Maybe you don't." Henshaw's expression didn't change. "Your call."
The room waited.
"Fine," Kara said finally. "But I have conditions. Winn stays on as my technical support. I don't take orders—I take suggestions. And no one touches my family."
Henshaw considered this for a long moment.
"Acceptable. For now."
He extended his hand. Kara shook it.
And just like that, everything changes.
The drive back was quiet.
Kara stared out the window, processing. Alex had stayed behind to "handle paperwork"—which probably meant giving her space. Smart.
I kept my mouth shut and let the silence breathe.
"Thank you," Kara said finally.
"For what?"
"Standing up for me in there. When Henshaw was being..." She searched for the right word.
"A hardass?"
"I was going to say 'intimidating,' but sure."
"Someone had to." I shrugged. "Besides, he needed to hear it. Whatever their success rate with Fort Rozz escapees has been, it's clearly not great if they're recruiting civilians."
She almost smiled. "You noticed that too?"
"I notice a lot of things."
Her hand found mine across the seat. Warm, strong, grounding.
"Partners?" she asked.
I squeezed back. "Partners."
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