I stared at the two of them—Barbara and M'gann—floating in my living room like ghosts that refused to leave. "I don't want to talk about this," I muttered, turning my back. But Barbara wouldn't let it go. "Cain, you don't get to shut us out. Not after everything."
I turned back slowly, and when my eyes met hers—those stubborn, steady blues—and then drifted to M'gann's calm, otherworldly green ones, I felt something twist in my chest. Then I said it "Yes," I admitted quietly. "It was me."
Barbara exhaled, disappointment in her posture. "Why? You said you trusted me. I promised I'd help you. Just like with the bugs. Kid Flash came by himself to sweep your place again. We made sure there were no more."
"You're right," I said. "And I'm sorry. It wasn't about you, Babs. It's about him. Batman. He's hiding something—I know it."
M'gann stepped closer, her voice soft and clear. "Then why not come to the League? Why not come to us? We could've fought this together. There are Titans who stand with you—like us. Some League members, too. A lot of them were Titans once."
I looked at both of them and nodded slowly. "I hear what you're saying. I do. But this is Batman. He's always paranoid. Always playing a longer game. If I found those bugs, it's because he wanted me to. They were bait. The real ones are probably smaller. Smarter. Hidden so deep I'd never know they're there until it's too late."
They exchanged a look silent communication between the each other.
Then Barbara said, "Alright. What if we brought in someone else? Someone not part of Bruce's inner circle. Someone I trust. If they sweep the house and find nothing, will you believe us? Will you trust us then?"
I paused.
"Yeah," I said finally. "If you're right, and my place is clean… I'll do whatever you ask. Consider it a show of good faith." Barbara's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then gave a small nod. She turned to M'gann, who just smiled faintly.
"Alright," Barbara said. "Then we're calling her." I raised a brow. "Her?" Barbara didn't answer. She just pulled out her comm and spoke into it. "We need your help I'm sending you the address. Come quick." Five minutes later, I heard it.
A sharp whoosh of wind. Then a golden blur dropped from the sky and hovered just outside my front yard.
Supergirl.
She descended gently, boots touching down with practiced ease. Her long blonde hair glimmered in the soft porch light. Her blue eyes scanned the street before settling on me.
She wore a battle skirt that hit just above the knees, with a tight-fitted, long-sleeve top that hugged her frame. The House of El symbol stood bold on her chest, the blue fabric cut just at the midriff, exposing the faintest shimmer of a toned four-pack.
Kara Zor-El. She landed, flicked her hair back casually, and gave a smirk. "You called," she said, glancing toward Barbara. "Need help tracking down some peeping Toms?" Then she looked at me.
And the moment her eyes locked onto mine and that's when everything changed. In a blink, she was off the ground—floating with smooth, graceful and hovered above me for just a breath before gently planting her boots on the hardwood floor right in front of me.
She didn't speak. Neither did I. We just stared. Her blue eyes bored into mine like twin suns, piercing and radiant. And mine… I could feel the pulse behind them, like somethings waking up inside me.
The room faded away.
Just her and me.
A strange hum vibrated in the space between us. I didn't know if it was psychic, sensory, chemical—but it was real. And then it happened, blood. First a drop from her nose. Then one from mine. It hit my lip like a warning bell.
"Kara?" Barbara's voice cracked the trance.
"Cain!" M'gann called, rushing forward.
We blinked, startled out of it.
Barbara held up a napkin to Kara's face, while M'gann gently pressed her thumb to my upper lip, green eyes wide. "You okay?" Barbara asked. "Yeah… yeah," Kara said, clearly disoriented. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and wiped the blood on my sleeve. "What the hell just happened…?"
Kara shook her head, stepping back a bit. She turned her gaze toward the far wall, cheeks slightly red. "I don't know. My body feels… weird. Hot. My heart's racing." I nodded. "Same." We exchanged one more glance less intense now, more confused.
Kara took a slow breath and shifted gears. "Alright. Back to the reason I'm here." She turned away and scanned the space around her. "I'll run a full visual sweep. I can scan across electromagnetic spectrums and thermal resonance patterns—if there are bugs, I'll find them."
She floated a few inches off the ground, arms extended slightly as she swept her vision across the house. Her eyes flicked in every direction. Barbara watched her work. "You see anything?"
Kara narrowed her gaze, then frowned. "Oh, I see everything."
She landed near the kitchen and picked something out of the air.
A thin, almost invisible strand—no bigger than a grain of rice.
"Miniature camera," she said. "Cloaked. Embedded in the corner frame. I don't recognize."
I clenched my jaw.
Kara floated upward and passed her eyes across the hallway wall, then the ceiling. "Three more over here. Hidden behind the light fixture. And—wow—this one's using a low-energy frequency mask. That's military-grade. Possibly Argus tech." She dropped back down.
"Whoever this Viltrumite pissed off," she said slowly, "they wanted eyes everywhere. This entire house is wired. Cloaked lenses. Some are shielded. They were very, very careful." I turned to Barbara and M'gann, arms crossed. "So... I believe I was right?"
Barbara looked away, lips pressed into a tight line. M'gann nodded grimly. "You were." I didn't say anything. I just pulled out my phone, dialed a number, and brought it to my ear. The ring only lasted once.
"Hey," I said. "I need you to come over. Batman did it again." I hung up. Barbara's eyes darted toward me. "Who was that?" "My biggest advocate," I replied. "Diana." The room had quieted, the weight of Kara's findings hanging over all of us like an oppressive cloud.
I turned to her, my tone calm but firm. "Thanks for the help, Kara. And for the record… it's Cain. Not 'the Viltrumite.' I have no love or loyalty for the Empire. As far as I'm concerned, I'm an Earthling." Kara didn't respond at first. Her expression was cautious, conflicted. Her arms crossed slightly across her midriff, her weight shifting between her boots.
Then she spoke. "My people… the Kryptonians… we have a history with yours."
She took a slow breath. "There were negotiations a few times. I wasn't there, obviously—this was long before Krypton's fall—but the archives say the Viltrumite Empire tried to 'peacefully' absorb us. Under their rule."
Her voice held a bite of resentment.
"I don't know much more than that," she continued, "just rumors. But apparently, they infiltrated Krypton. A Viltumite and Noble house from the Military guild. They had a hybrid child without cloning which was frowned on in my society. Most children myself included were born from cloning except for that child and Superman.
My stomach tightened. "I hope that noble family isn't the one I was thinking about." I take people still weren't on board with joining the Empire.
Kara nodded. "No. Our tech and science saved us. Barely. If it wasn't for the Council's intervention, Krypton might've turned into a breeding ground for your people." I didn't flinch. I'd heard worse.
Still, hearing it from her… it stung. Not because I was offended. Because it sounded like something the Empire would do. "You're right," I said. "That sounds like them. But I'm not them. I never was. And I never will be."
Her eyes lingered on mine, searching for something. When she finally nodded, it wasn't just in acceptance—it was in understanding. She floated up again, slowly drifting toward the door. "I'm going to head to the Fortress real quick. If you need anything, let me know. I'll meet you at the Tower later."
"Thanks again," I said.
Barbara and M'gann waved her off. "Be safe, Kara."
Once she was gone, M'gann looked down at her hand—still faintly stained from the nosebleed earlier. Her eyes narrowed slightly. A strange sensation crept up her arm—like static on skin, like her thoughts were touching something alien.
"You alright?" I asked, noticing the look on her face. She blinked, startled. "What? Oh—yeah. Sorry." I nodded toward the kitchen. "You can wash that off in the sink." "Thanks." She walked over, running the water as Barbara watched her quietly.
Fifteen minutes passed in relative silence. I started cleaning up the couch cushions Kara had tossed aside during her scan, and Barbara paced slowly in front of the wall Kara had pulled the cloaked bug from.
Then came the knock. Firm. Measured. Controlled. I opened the door. And there she was.
Wonder Woman.
Diana stood tall in the doorway, framed by the Gotham night. Her dark hair was in a pony tail , and her armor shimmered under the porch light. The lasso at her side glowed faintly like it knew the truth was needed.
"Cain," she greeted, stepping inside with deliberate calm. "I came as quickly as I could. Give me the details."