A few nights later found Nia walking up to an abandoned warehouse in the harbor district of National City, the latest location of the illegal alien fight club. Brainiac 5 had traced it there after scanning every corner of the dark web and intercepting encrypted traffic tied to the club's invitations.
He had also hacked their system to secure Nia a guest pass under her new identity: Nadia Valen, a reclusive private investor in lucrative technological enterprises. According to the background Brainy had built, Nadia rarely attended events like this herself, usually sending representatives in her place. That alone should explain why no one recognized her.
Brainy had even created a complete financial history, travel records, and a carefully curated digital footprint for the alias. If anyone checked, Nadia Valen was very real.
Because tonight, Nia wasn't just here as a reporter.
She was working with the DEO and the NCPD to bring the entire operation down.
Nia was grateful she'd used Kara Danvers's credit card to buy something appropriate for the occasion. The sleek black dress she wore now fit perfectly—simple, elegant, and unmistakably expensive. A tailored coat hung over her shoulders, and a minimalist masquerade mask covered the upper half of her face. Sasha had insisted on it, claiming it made her look "mysterious billionaire" instead of "sleep-deprived reporter."
Nia adjusted the mask as she approached the warehouse entrance.
From the outside, the building looked completely deserted—rusted metal siding, broken windows, and faded shipping company logos barely visible beneath layers of salt and grime.
But the illusion didn't last long.
Two massive alien bouncers stood outside the loading dock doors, both dressed in dark suits and wearing discreet earpieces. Behind them, a line of luxury cars stretched along the street—limousines, private drivers, and vehicles that cost more than Nia's apartment building.
From somewhere inside the warehouse came the muffled roar of a crowd.
The fight had already started.
Nia took a slow breath and stepped forward, presenting the invitation on her phone.
"Name?" one of the guards asked.
"Nadia Valen." Nia lied smoothly.
"Mask off, we need to confirm your identity." one of the other guards said.
Nia nodded as she removed her masquerade style mask. Most of the spectators were wearing similar ones, elegant half-masks meant to keep their identities private inside the club.
The guard raised a handheld scanner and aimed it at her face, but Nia wasn't worried.
Her genius 31st century alien boyfriend had provided her with an image inducer similar to the one he used to blend into this century. The small device was currently in her hair, disguised as a hair clip and projected the image of a strong blonde woman's face that was completely different from her own.
The scanner didn't read the face of Nia Nal, Catco reporter, but instead Nadia Valen, tech investor, billionaire recluse and according to every database Brainy had hacked into, a very real person.
The scanner beeped, confirming she was clear. After checking the screen, the guard nodded to his partner.
"You're clear Ms. Valen."
Nia nodded as she slipped her mask back on without a second thought as she walked into the lion's den, trying to resist the urge to breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that she was in.
"I'm in." Nia said into her cloaked earpiece as she walked instead the now open metal doors, which allowed plenty of sounds to come pouring out, cheering, shouting and the unmistakable roar of a crowd watching something violent.
When Nia finally got to where the action was, she was horrified at what she was seeing.
"Brainy, are you seeing this?" Nia asked as the hidden HUD in the lenses of her mask lit up, allowing Brainy to see everything from the surveillance van he and the DEO were waiting in about a block away, alongside the NCPD.
"Confirmed. We're online and everything is set. I must say, despite everything, this place is impressive." Brainy said as Nia looked around.
A glowing energy cage surrounded a circular arena in the center of the room, where two alien fighters clashed under harsh white lights. Elevated platforms ringed the arena, filled with masked spectators dressed in expensive suits and gowns. Waiters moved through the crowd carrying trays of champagne while holographic displays floated above the floor, showing betting odds and fighter statistics.
"This is barbaric." Nia said, though she still managed to force herself to keep walking like she belonged there, but her stomach was so tight she felt like she might throw up soon. Mike had been killed to keep this place a secret. Tonight, she was going to find out why.
"Just focus on finding the ringleader. According to the information I found on this place on the dark web, it's a woman going by the name Roulette. No idea what her real name is, but apparently she has a snake tattoo." Brainy said.
"Got it. I guess I better try to enjoy the festivities as best I can." Nia said as she took a glass of champagne from a server and tried to force it down to maintain her cover.
YOU ARE READING
SuperCorp Chronicles
FanfictionAlternate reality where Kara chose to become scientist instead of a reporter. Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor never thought that they see each other as anything more than rivals. But a chance encounter at their college reunion changed everything in mor...
