Of Knights and Aliens

Chapter 74

They leave in the middle of the night, when most of the people of National City are asleep, or at least at home. The DEO is having their entire force that will be used against Cadmus together for the first stretch of the journey. They'll break apart as they get closer.

It feels like aside from Jeremiah and Eliza, and perhaps most of the castle staff, everyone is coming. Some people are left behind at the DEO just in case something happens while everyone else is gone.

They leave at night because a force this big that includes the Danvers sisters and the Queen of the Luthor Kingdom would be a reason for gossip. They don't want Cadmus to catch wind of this. They're hoping for a surprise attack on Cadmus, though Lena has no doubt that Lillian prepared her people for that.

Lena, Kara, Alex, Maggie, Winn, and Vasquez all walk together as they go through the city. They're towards the front of the large crowd of DEO agents and knights. Some people are leading horses who are pulling wagons full of supplies.

The group of people are surprisingly quiet as they move through the darkened streets of the city they protect. Though that shouldn't really be a surprise, given that they're DEO agents. They're known to be quiet, more stoic people that can move like ghosts.

The streets are illuminated only by street lamps placed equidistant from each other. The candles flicker in the night, bathing the traveling group in a yellow-orange light.

The hinges of the gate squeaks as it opens for them, the guards nodding to everyone as they pass. It is almost eerily silent, since despite there is this large group of people traveling together, no one is speaking. There's barely a whisper. The guards have been told to speak of them leaving to no one, not even their own families. At least until they safely return.

So the six of them walk together, breathing in the fresh night air, untainted by the smells of the city as they walk along the path. They won't be able to walk together forever, so they enjoy it now. They will separate at different points, depending on which subgroup they're going with, and what their mission while inside the castle will be.

They don't speak as they walk, they don't need to. They stick close together, using sign language when they do need to communicate. It's something every DEO agent is required to learn before becoming a full agent, or a fully trained DEO knight. Knowing how to communicate without speaking has saved so many lives since J'onn put that rule into effect. They no longer had to make up their own signs at their comrades across the room and hope that they understood while on a possibly dangerous mission.

And Kara, being amazing with languages like she is, picked it up rather quickly when she first noticed Alex using it. Alex has always been impressed with her ability to learn languages.

"This is going to be your first time in a battle like this, Kara." Alex signs. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kara nods to her. "Yes. I will have Lena with me. I should be okay."

Lena signs to Kara. "I'll protect you babe."

Kara smiles at her, her eyes dancing in amusement as Lena wraps an arm around her waist.

"Don't do anything stupid, you two. Be careful." Alex signs, giving them her best convincing glare.

She once made a man literally run away when she glared at him like this for harassing a girl nearby. He tripped over an empty bar stool in his haste to get away, but got back up from the dirty bar floor and kept running. It was a proud moment for Alex. And then the girl who was being harassed thanked her profusely and Alex thinks the girl flirted with her? She's not great at recognizing flirting. But back then she wasn't even out to herself yet and turned down going inside after walking the girl home (for safety reasons).