Sidekicks and Criminals

Chapter Seventeen: Coffees and Breakouts

'What was once a symbol of hope is now a symbol of fear,' the news reporter was saying, footage of the heist gone wrong playing on the screen. Sophia was only half watching it, trying to see if she recognised anybody there.

The rest of the core team were also sitting in the dining room of her parents' house, not enough time to call anyone else. Her father was sat in one corner, a spectator at the meeting that Gabe had insisted they have as soon as the news broke that West National City Bank had had a failed break-in.

'We use this,' Gabe said, and for once there was an odd kind of nervousness behind his voice, for once his arrogance was faltering. All because their father was there, a critical look behind his eyes that Sophia had never seen before. 'While the police are putting their resources into protecting the West we head to the East. There's a large deposit... Yes, father?'

Sebastian had raised his hand patiently. There was a mild look of curiosity behind his eyes. At the mention of him he nodded slightly, stood up and brushed his suit down before coming to Gabe's side. After everything with Gold Tooth he had put himself back into the team a little more, had seemed determined to protect them all from that life in some way or another.

'Why don't we finish their job instead?' he asked mildly.

Gabe opened and closed his mouth like a fish for a moment before heaving a deep breath. His shoulders lowered slightly. 'They'll double security in the West, so we head away from there. They don't trust Supergirl as far as they can throw her. It'll take them time to get that kind of backup in the East.'

Their father nodded pensively, tapped his chin as if to add to the effect. The whole thing brought a small smirk to Sophia's face. It was the theatrics that hid behind what Gabe did, the things that he had always seemed to have a flare for. It was only now that she truly appreciated how much of that he had gained from their father, even if he had used it in worse ways.

'But Supergirl can get there still,' reasoned Robbo in a tiny voice. Attention slipped towards him. He resolutely kept his gaze on his cigarette. 'The news is saying that it was mild-altering drug that did that to her.'

'So we make our own and bring her on side?' questioned Harry, brow furrowed slightly as he glanced around the table.

'No,' said Gabe firmly, his hands balled into fists on the table, a look of something behind his eyes that Sophia would rather ignore. 'It was obvious that she wouldn't have agreed to that, even with her attitude overhaul. So we make something that prevents her from stopping us. Do you think it's possible?' His attention shifted towards Archie.

The man was quiet for a moment, the thoughts practically whirling behind his eyes. When he spoke his voice was cautious, as if he was weighing up the words before he allowed them into the room. 'She's got to have set of biological rules. It's just working them out.'

'Is it possible?' Gabe urged, leaning further forward on the table.

'In theory,' conceded Archie. 'But we'd need tests. We'd need to know what her DNA was like.'

'Or someone that already knows,' murmured Sebastian. His voice was soft and yet it still had the power to draw all attention his way. 'Someone had this drug. Someone already knows how to do all this.' He looked pointedly towards Mitch.

The young man heaved a sigh. Sophia could see that he didn't like where this was going. 'I can try and find something,' he admitted. 'But we don't know what we're looking for. What kind of thing it might be.'

'Can't we just keep having me there to teleport us out of there?' asked Sophia.

'It won't work around the newbies,' murmured Gabe, pointedly not looking at her. After her little thing with saving people he'd been colder to her than normal. His irritation had boiled over before the meeting, but their father had quelled it. Not, however, without a look of mild curiosity sent her way. She wasn't sure if she'd imagined the disappointment behind his eyes or not, but it had hurt nonetheless.