2014-04-04 - Two Sherlocks and a Watson

The message on Kara's phone was excited, almost giddy. It was Janet and it definitely wasn't about what dress looks nice or what shoes go with which hat. No, it was definitely hero-related. And a bit hurried.

"Kara, it's Janet. You know that New York thing, with the Black Panther attacking the reporter? He's a fake. As was Reed. I just need proof. I'm coming to your place to talk about it. See you soon." The message was short. Very short. But, why was Janet calling Kara? She must have a good reason.

The buzzer sounds, but, from the ground floor, it is apparent who is there. Janet looks up, towards the penthouse and just speaks in a casual tone. "Kara, it's me. Let me up...I got some news to tell you."

Kara Zor-El was not in her superhero getup. Just sweatshorts and a slightly oversized shirt hanging off the shoulder, actually. She had just finished listening to the message when she heard the buzz. Did Janet call her from downstairs or was Kara just so busy with taking care of poor Vanguard's injuries that she didnt notice until now? She heads over to the intercom. "Okay buzzing you up..." she says as she presses the button. Still, that news would be something to tell Kon about. He'd been all wracked with guilt about being there and not doing anything about it, and the two of them were wondering how they should go about finding Black Panther. Kara had honestly been considering going to SHIELD despite the fact that every time she did, they'd always bring out these specialized Hulkbuster type armors and train every single gun on her like she was going to start World War 3.

Kara Zor-El was not in her superhero getup. Just sweatshorts and a slightly oversized shirt hanging off the shoulder, actually. She had just finished listening to the message when she heard the buzz. Did Janet call her from downstairs or was Kara just so busy with taking care of poor Vanguard's injuries that she didnt notice until now? She heads over to the intercom.

"Okay buzzing you up..." she says as she presses the button. Still, that news would be something to tell Kon about. He'd been all wracked with guilt about being there and not doing anything about it, and the two of them were wondering how they should go about finding Black Panther. Kara had honestly been considering going to SHIELD despite the fact that every time she did, they'd always bring out these specialized Hulkbuster type armors and train every single gun on her like she was going to start World War 3.

The buzzer sounds and Janet heads in and up. Super hearing would pick up a toe tapping on the floor of the elevator impatiently. Janet definitely seems anxious to talk to Kara.

When the elevator opens, the petite figure of Janet rushes in, her eyes not seeing the sweatshorts and shirt combo, but Kara herself. Even more proof that Janet is definitely preoccupied at the moment. "Kara! I know who was at the Baxter Building that night! And it wasn't T'Challa!" The words come fast and furious, as a hand thrusts into Jan's handbag, pulling out her Avenger holoID. "I need to confirm, though. I need to talk to...Kon, is it? Anyways, I need to talk to someone who was at the scene...and I need to track down who I think did it." Note Janet hasn't said who, exactly, yet.

Kara Zor-El's first question, after opening the door, sort of shows how little she knows about Avengers stuff. "Black Panther's name is T'Challa?" She watches as Janet takes out her Avengers holoID. "So... was he a Skrull or something?" Well at least she knows what skrulls are. "I could call up Kon and get him here? If it wasnt Black Panther, who was it? Track down who?"

Fingers fly on the holoID as Jan nods. "Please, get Kon. He may help me confirm my theory." Video of the attack is pulled up on her screen....and Janet fast forwards to a freeze frame of what looks to be Reed and Black Panther. "Yes...Black Panther, I mean. He's a fake. Reed is, too. Took me a bit to search the databases...but I am pretty damn sure I know who each one is."

Janet looks up to Kara. "It was all a set up. I am sure of it. But...I need to confirm it."

Kara Zor-El takes out her phone from that dimensional pocket of hers. "Um... okay?" she says, trying to catch up. She calls up Kon on the phone. "Um... Kon, you need to come over here. Right now. Something about that Black Panther thing... friend of mine is saying it wasnt him. Okay?" She then nods a little and hangs up. "He'll be right over." She then peers at the freeze frame image. "How come do you think it's not them?"

'Right away' means different things when the person you're calling travels at supersonic speeds. Still, even for a Kryptonian, Superboy's turnaround time is impressive, him stepping in from the balcony in a matter of moments, raising a hand in greeting, and glancing to Janet. "Well, considering Luthor was Clayface, wouldn't be our first imposters." He fishes in his pocket, pulling out a letter. "Is it weird that Mercy is kinda growing on me?"

Normally, finding a girl known for super speed trying to catch up with Janet would cause the Avenger to giggle. Right now, though, Janet is too focused on her holoID. "You saw me at the Expo...but not at any parties. Because, I was working on this." She keys in a few more commands, looking up towards Kara. "Mr. Fantastic is not a Skrull. I got a message from Tony Stark saying that none of the Skrull detectors went off. So, I did a search for known shapeshifters from Earth."

As Kon arrives, Janet is in full swing. "Whoever faked Mr. Fantastic was good...had the malleable form and everything..."

There is a sudden silence, as Janet catches what Kon said. "Wait. Did you just say Clayface?"

Kara Zor-El looks at Kon when he arrives, then at Janet. Then at Kon again. "So... that's what Mercy was saying about Luthor not being Luthor? Clayface was impersonating him?" She rubs her head a bit. "So... wait.. Clayface was Luthor and Mr. Fantastic? Who was Black Panther then?" She then looks at Kon. "And yes, Mercy growing on you is weird."

Superboy looks to Janet, then to her ID. "Huh, I was thinking Luthor was a skrull, kinda got blindsided by Clayface as a result, stupid, but... well, paranoia. Yeah, he's been posing as Lex Luthor, for a while now. Mercy asked me to mount a rescue for the original. Good news is, soon as we find out who hired Clayface, I think we'll be in the neighborhood." He considers. "Clayface could probably do everything 'Mr. Fantastic' was doing," he agrees. "But yeah, who killed the reporter? Someone in a suit?" he wonders. Panther's costume wouldn't really require a shapeshifter to impersonate. He looks to Kara. "Can we be sure Savage is Savage?" he asks her. "Mercy found mind control tech in the," and he smiles at this, "newly mothballed anti-meta-suits." That'd explain Mercy growing on him a bit. "So whatever's going on is big, and they want it kept secret, at least for now."

Kara Zor-El looks at Kon. "I wasnt really trying to look to see people's DNA or like... metamorpho vision or something. I just figured it was Savage. I mean... it wasnt a hologram or anything at least. I'd have seen through that pretty quickly. I guess given all this it could be someone else who isnt Savage?" She adds, "Um... when did you find out Luthor was Clayface? He's not exactly known for being a big picture kind of criminal."

"I am positive it was Clayface. Everything within me says it was." She turns the holoID around, showing a video Kon is familiar with...it's the fight at the Baxter Building. Janet is zoomed in on Reed fighting and, with a push of the button, pulls up a split screen with Clayface fighting. Side by side, the combat style is nearly identical. "See? When you look, it seems so obvious." She lets the dual videos play for a while longer, then taps a button

"Black Panther wasn't wearing a suit. I got information from Black Widow saying that she felt normal cloth when she grabbed on his arm. So, that set off the idea that it was a hologram. An image inducer. So, that took a quick search in our databases for that answer." A tap of a button and the image of the Chameleon pulls up. "This is your Black Panther. Known to use image emitters and has the skill to mimic anyone well enough to fool even close friends."

"About the time he launched a glob of clay and pinned me and Mercy to the wall," Kon admits, sheepishly. "Immediately before that, I thought he was a Skrull. Mercy stormed in, confronting him about the mind control tech. Then turned to me to ask why Luthor sent her a panic code while on stage at the Expo." He looks at Janet's info, and pauses. "Okay, so... someone's hiring big time impersonation villains to impersonate a foreign king, one of the most respected scientists on the planet, and... Lex Luthor. Lex has been helping build anti-meta sentiment more successfully than the original /ever/ managed, and deploying armored suits with advanced weaponry and mind control tech to... just about every city with a major costumed hero presence, including Gotham, where a low level metahuman and a guy on super steroids are the closest things to 'powers' anyone has." He pauses, considering. "Whoever this is, it's real big picture. Savage... maybe. He'd have the money to hire Clayface, maybe this chameleon guy too. Mind control tech wasn't from any major tech company Mercy had ever heard of, and I don't think Dr. Richards had it laying around in his lab, plus they never got in there anyway." He pauses again, a thoughtful expression as he slots clues into place. "Okay, three big questions, the first might help answer the second, which might help answer the third. Where's the mind control tech from? Is it off-world?" He gives Kara a pointed look, a bit of worry around the eyes. "Second, who's /actually/ pulling the strings here. Third," he pauses, frowning briefly before some tension finds it's way into his expression. "Where's Lex?"

The petite Avenger focuses her blue eyes on Kon. "I can't answer one or three. But...I can answer question number 2." Janet puts her holoID back into her bag, as she starts her explanation. "I feel that the whole HYDRA attack...not just the Baxter Building, but the Academy and Mansion attack, were all staged. They were meant to happen, for the sole purpose of setting up an opportunity for somebody to mess up. And...Clayface and Chameleon were hired to make sure it happened."

There is a pause...just to catch Jan's breath, then she soldiers on. "So...if what you are telling me is that Lex was Clayface, then that means Clayface was probably masquerading as Lex for all of those Victim of Heroes spots. And....if Clayface was Lex, Savage has the money to hire our two imposters, and Savage himself is pushing the Victim of Heroes...then there is your answer. He is the puppeteer."

Kara Zor-El looks over at the two of them. "Wow. And I thought Batman was the detective."

"Assuming Savage is Savage and that the Victims of Heroes thing isn't just another part of something large," Superboy says. He looks to Kara, giving a small smile. "Can't let Robin have all the fun, right?" He considers. "But.. Savage is a mastermind type, and this seems up his alley, though... what's the goal? I mean, Lex... well, this sorta thing is Lex's entire deal. He /hates/ metas." He turns to Kara. "Okay, be honest with me, what do you think the odds are that we're dealing with Darkseid? The scale's right, but... well, this doesn't seem to really feed into any goals he'd have."

Kara Zor-El looks at Kon, frowning about even mentioning Darkseid. "No, Darkseid isnt that subtle. He's more... invade your planet with a thousand parademons, Doomsday clones, and Furies. Not so much public relations stuff." She rubs her head a little. "Plus he wants to conquer... not just make people hate us."

Janet pauses. Literally. She stands still as she thinks of something. "Didn't you just say that Lex was deploying armored suits with advanced weaponry? And *mind control* tech?!" Janet regards the two Kryptonians with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Using the anti-hero sentiment so that people *want* the armor...and then having the means to control them? Savage is building an army! One powerful enough to take out heroes and already influenced without the mind control to want to do it!"

Kon-El points at Janet. "And that's why I'm even entertaining Darkseid. Mind control is his thing. This could all just be the first wave. Of course, it's possible Savage has just decided he's done with all these heroes and wants to rule the world again, and knows that if he mind controls a bunch of cops, we won't be able to really let lose, especially not with public perception the way it is." He rests a hand on Kara's shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. "But... you're right, if Darkseid wanted Gotham gone, he'd just do it personally."

Kara Zor-El nods. "I think he sort of.... respects Batman though." she says. "Ugh."

She then looks at Janet. "That definitely does sound like something Savage would do. He tends to think long term I read."

There is a nod from Janet. "You would know more than I on that. I am not as familiar with him as you two would be." She sighs, as all the nervous energy just falls from her. She looks tired, now....really tired. "I don't know if it is true...but...it just lines up too well. After all, mind control really only works if there is hidden desire to do that. At least, that is how hypotism works. So...it makes sense."

Jan looks up to the both of you. "We need to spread the word. Get everyone we can on this to prove this...to catch our puppeteer in the act. Can....can you help with that?"

"Immortal Cro-Magnon," Kon provides for Janet, and looks to Kara, his eyes going wide. "Um... just realized, if Savage wanted a big mind-controlled army, and Mercy just pulled the plug on the armor project..." He glances to the window, then back to the women. "Okay," he says, taking a breath. "I think I got Clayface before he could warn his boss, whoever that is. He's at STAR labs, someone needs to speak with him, figure out, for sure, who hired him, figure out Hydra's angle in this, and we should probably get Mercy to safety before Savage just strangles her in a boardroom somewhere." He looks to Kara. "I'll go fly up to the Watchtower, fill the League in." He gives Jan a small smile, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Public relations is kind of my thing. If nothing else, we can always try to crash a Victims of Heroes rally with the real, pissed off, Lex Luthor."

Kara Zor-El nods a little. "And we should probably keep an eye on Mercy. If she just messed up Savage's plans, he might decide to .... well... replace her too."

"I still need to talk to SHIELD yet. I...was going to do that sometime later, because I got to deal with Stark's disappearance, too." Yes, Jan has been not sleeping lately, for good reason. "So, I will get SHIELD on the case. And...I got the Avengers. Was going to call a meeting anyways." She sighs softly, but offers a small smile. "Kara...I knew it was a good idea to talk to you. Thank you." Her eyes drift to Kon. "And thank you, too. You have no idea how much trouble you just solved for me."

Kara Zor-El looks over at Kara. "Would you want me to come with you about that SHIELD thing too? I mean... if you're there with me, I'm almost..... 30 percent sure that they won't aim guns at me."

She pauses. "Maybe 25 percent."

"Smarter than I look," Kon says, already heading for the balcony. "Kind of my thing, and, well, let's just say they've kind of made this personal for me. Kara, think you can report back to the Titans? You can get to San Francisco faster than me." He looks to Kara, then Jan. "I'll let you figure out what needs to be done first. I'm going to the Watchtower, then back to Lexcorp to warn Mercy." With that report given, he stops by the door, holding it open, ready to fly out as soon as he's sure he doesn't need to be here anymore.

Janet offers a wave to Kon, giving him a warm smile. "Go on...save the damsel in possible distress." She does linger for a moment, because, regardless of being friends with Kara, the whole Kryptonian powerset still amazes her. She blinks, realizing that Kara asked her a question and turns to regard her. "Hon, if SHIELD makes you nervous, you don't have to come. But, if you want, you can. I will protect you." There is a little bit of humour in that last line...but she means it. Janet isn't afraid of SHIELD.

Kara Zor-El shakes her head. "Oh... they don't make me nervous. I'm pretty sure I make THEM nervous. Well... except that Clint guy." She looks over at Kon. "If you need anything, you know... just shout, okay?"

Kara looks back at Janet again and smiles at the offer of protection. "Yeah, I'd like to come."

"Not sure damsel's the right word. She's still kind of a sociopath, just, at the moment, she's /our/ sociopath," Superboy admits. "That, and Lexcorp gets up to a lot more of the general, every day sociopathy and less of the supervillain kind when she's in charge." He gives a quick salute, and he's gone. If Janet's paying attention, for the half-Kryptonian, it's a bit more like Iron Man deciding to get out in a hurry, and less like what the full-blooded aliens are capable of.

It may not be as fast as Kara...but still pretty damn impressive for Janet. She catches Kon take off, then turns to Kara. "Sounds good to me. I'll set up the meeting, then we can both make them nervous together. Sounds like fun to me."