chapter thirty-four. ( my mercy prevails over my wrath. )
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"Your ship is most impressive, Ambassador, as are your people," Kaldur compliments as the Reach's Ambassador leads them further through the alien ship.
Cardinal walks five steps behind the two of them, her hands folded behind her back and her eyes cautiously scanning the busy halls of the ship. The entire mission had been leading to this very moment, to finding out the identity of The Light's secret partner, and yet she felt no relief at the thought of being a step closer to stopping them.
She felt no relief because The Reach being on Earth meant the Kroloteans were only at the surface of the invasion, that it was still an ongoing threat and she had no way of warning Dick or the team because she'd been radio silent since faking her death two weeks ago. She felt no relief because somewhere on this ship, four members of her team were being experimented on and it was her fault; in the name of justice, she swerved from the path of light and they were caught in the crossfire of her mission.
If Bruce could see her now, breaking the vow she had taken at the graves of his parents all those years ago, he'd surely be disappointed. Just as she is.
"Thank you," the Ambassador responds formally. He was a tall bug-like alien, with pale green skin and a hard-shell armour of blues and greens that reminded her far too much of Blue Beetle. "These are our labs, we are most dedicated to researching the human meta-gene." He leads them around the left corner.
"Meta-gene?" Kaldur questions politely, even as he falls a step behind the Ambassador and in line with Cardinal. Her eyes flick to meet his, the two teammates sharing a mutual look of intrigue.
"A genetic marker," the Ambassador answers. "It indicates the potential of an individual human to survive catastrophic physical trauma by adapting new abilities." The three of them come to a stop at the end of the hall and, with a wave of the Ambassador's hand, the metal door barring their path opens with a loud clanking sound.
Her eyes scan over the purple walls of the hallway they stand in, taking mental note of each and every turn they had taken to reach this side of the ship. Bart, Jaime, and Garfield – and Lagoon Boy, she could only hope – were somewhere on this ship, and she knows that somehow she has to get this information back to the team so they could be rescued.
"In other words, Ambassador, the meta-gene allows certain humans to develop superhuman powers?"
The alien ignores Kaldur's question and ushers the two of them into the room with a charming grin. Sharing a look with her former leader, Cardinal follows him inside and unwillingly allows the Ambassador to stand behind them. The lab walls are lined with the same red pods she had found in Queen Bee's warehouse, the same red pods they had been given to transport Bart, Jaime and Garfield from Mount Justice; all of them contained unconscious teens and children of varying ages.
