Work Text:
SUPERGIRL
Pilot
FADE IN:
EXT. HOLDING AREA - MORNING
We enter the cell, where the sunlight from the window high above in the corner consumes the space in white light. As it dims, KARA ZOR-EL (25) sits on a long bench, alone, blinking sleep out of her eyes. She raises a hand to shield herself from the sun.
KARA ZOR-EL
(to the sunlight, thick Eastern European accent)
Haven't you done enough to me already?
CUT TO:
CLOSE UP: A SINGLE BAR ON THE WINDOW IS BENT.
She wears a burnt and torn traditional Kryptonian battle dress, the emblem in the middle burned beyond recognition, a communicator device under her sleeve. She looks at the communicator device accusingly.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Liar.
Note: All dialogue from communicator is presumed to be Kryptonian, (recommended to use Hebrew as a substitute language), with subtitles used to convey English translations to the audience.
A guard begins padding through the cell block, overlaid with the sound of a gavel.
SUPER: COURTROOM - THREE MONTHS LATER
MALE PROSECUTOR (V.O.)
So... how did all of this start, Ms. Zor-El?
She brushes soot off of her burnt chest as she stands up, black emblem rising into a sun beam to glow orange. As she stands to full height, the soot clings to her fingers before she shakes it off into the open air.
FADE TO:
INT. ESCAPE POD
Flame rapidly engulfs the emblem on her chest as Kara regains consciousness, frantically attempting to regain her bearings.
Her fingers fly across control surfaces only to find them unresponsive. A bead of sweat rolls down her face as fire is visible outside the pod's port window.
KARA ZOR-EL (V.O.)
(mild Eastern European accent)
The first thing I remember is being on fire.
CLOSE UP: A MECHANICAL DEVICE LISTS HER DESCENT SPEED AND COUNTING DOWN TO IMPACT.
Twin beams of white fire-retardant put out the fire. The controls are not affected.
She pulls a metal hatch open by the handle, trying to cross a pair of wires. A spark flies, and burns her hand. She winces in pain.
KARA ZOR-EL
(blurted, Kryptonian; subtitled)
Notgoingtowork!
CLOSE UP: FOOT ON PEDAL, PUSHING DOWN HARD REPEATEDLY.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Nothing!
A white structure fills the port window as she reaches for a paper checklist. She pulls it out in front of her, filling the screen.
The sound of an explosion, metal on concrete. The bottom of the clipboard, and the screen, has her identification card clipped on.
KARA ZOR-EL
CUT TO:
INT. HOLDING AREA - CONTINUOUS
The explosion fades into the sound of a guard knocking on the metal bars of the holding cell.
Metal on concrete recedes into knuckle on metal.
CLOSE UP: GUARD'S CLIPBOARD SWINGING AT HIS SIDE, SAME IDENTIFICATION CARD CLIPPED TO THE BOTTOM.
GUARD 1 (O.C.)
(tired, stern)
Rise and shine, lady. Nappy time's over.
Kara stands up and stretches, the motion revealing an ankle bracelet on her left leg.
KARA
(quietly)
I prefer 'slept like the dead'.
KARA ZOR-EL (V.O.)
Then the crash that should have killed me.
GUARD 1 escorts her out of the holding cell into the hallway, visually inspecting the ankle bracelet. She makes a tiny blurred movement to avoid contact with the bars.
KARA ZOR-EL
(quietly, Kryptonian; subtitled)
Oh thank Rao…
GUARD 1
(sighing)
Of course you do. Just… get moving.
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDEWALK FACING OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING
The bars of the cell blur into streetlights on the sidewalk framing a mid-rise office building, windows now dark, in a bright orange glow.
OFFICER MARK, 35, is a clean-shaven police officer in a fitted uniform putting out a cigarette against the rim of a trash can.
OFFICER MARK
I really should quit.
CLOSE UP: HIS HANDS.
The cigarette drops into the trash can just as a fireball descends from the sky and crashes into the building. Several car alarms go off.
OFFICER MARK (CONT'D)
Somebody's going to have to deal with that.
(sarcastic)
Great...
CUT TO:
INT./EXT. CRASHED ESCAPE POD - EVENING
A loud alarm wails in her ears as Kara Zor-El wakes up covered in burns and soot. Her ankle is facing the wrong way.
KARA ZOR-EL
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
How…?
She crawls out of the craft into an empty office building. Leaning on her back, she rests for a moment before looking down at her foot.
POD EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEM
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Hull breach! Hull breach! Fallback to analog systems initiated!
KARA ZOR-EL
(groaning, subtitled; Kryptonian)
My foot… that's...has to be a sprain...
Her eyes fully open as she fully regains consciousness. She looks down at her ankle, gagging briefly before composing herself.
She reaches into the pod to grab wraps.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
I'm injured... administering treatment now...
She retrieves an aid kit out of the craft, and prepares the splint and wraps.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
This is gonna hurt like Apok, isn't it?
As she shifts the ankle to reset it, she bites down on a patch of gauze to hide her groan.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
(muffled, subtitled; Kryptonian)
…yup!
CLOSE UP: HER FACE CONTORTS INTO A MUFFLED SCREAM, INTERRUPTED BY A SMALL POPPING NOISE.
As she applies the splint, she hears distant footsteps.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
And of course I land in a residential zone… because why not?
CLOSE UP: GAUZE WRAPS FRACTURED ANKLE.
FADE TO:
INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
CLOSE UP: SOCK IS PULLED DOWN FROM ANKLE.
GUARD 1
(gruff)
Thaank you.
KARA ZOR-EL
Who hides a weapon between their foot and sock? All you would do is injure yourself.
GUARD 1
People in National City.
KARA ZOR-EL
(visibly confused)
Why?
GUARD 1
You've never seen a shank on TV, I take it.
KARA ZOR-EL
I don't have cable.
She steps past the security checkpoint, only to hear the sound of a gun being cocked through the wall.
CUT TO:
INT. ESCAPE POD CRASH SITE, OFFICE BUILDING - EVENING
Kara lays on the floor, trying to keep her composure as a SECURITY GUARD aims his weapon at her.
KARA ZOR-EL
(stoic, subtitled; Kryptonian)
I am Lieutenant Kara Zor-El, five-hundred and sev-
SECURITY GUARD
(grunted)
English, do you speak English?
He gestures to her tattered and burned gear.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
I don't know where you come from, but you're trespassing on private property after-hours. After crashing an aircraft with no identifying marks through the ceiling.
Kara looks to her communicator for a translation, but it does not respond. She blinks and runs a finger across her arm.
KARA ZOR-EL
(repeating, Eastern European accent)
English?
She nods her head no. He keeps the weapon trained on her.
His gaze drifts to the device on her wrist.
SECURITY GUARD
What on Earth...what is-
He stops himself, and sighs.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
Right, no English. That's somebody else's problem then.
He waves it off.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
Fine. Just stay put until I can get back-up and work out what your deal is.
(under his breath)
Or at least get a translator...
KARA ZOR-EL
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
I'm deep in foreign territory. He's going to return with authorities, perhaps even military force.
(resolute)
I cannot remain here.
She stands up to leave, putting her weight on her good ankle.
SECURITY GUARD
Hey! I said stay put!
She raises her hands slowly, studying him, calculating her odds as he keeps the weapon trained on her. She waits for a few seconds.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
Don't make me shoot.
He aims the weapon at her lower leg, finger resting on the trigger.
She nods slowly, steps backwards once. A beat passes as they read each other. She bolts.
The gunshot echoes through the building as she drops to the ground in a roll, clutching her left leg, jaw clenched tight. Her muffled screaming makes the guard flinch as he reaches for his radio.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
Trespasser at sixth floor, corridor G. Suspect is unarmed...
He looks at her skeptically, then at the communicator device.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
...I think.
He looks back to the radio.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
Get an EMT out here, and somebody who speaks...uh...
The guard imitates a few Kryptonian words into the radio.
SECURITY GUARD (CONT'D)
...that.
He takes a look at the visible pained motions, and heads off in search of back-up.
KARA ZOR-EL
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it...
She reaches into her medical kit.
CLOSE UP: HER ANKLE TREMBLES.
Muffled groaning and panting can be heard, followed by the sound of metal pattering against an office floor.
Kara is shedding tears as she stands up, wound closed, eyes opening and closing and she staggers forward in a daze.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Cannot...afford...to lose consc...ious...ness...here...
She collapses onto the floor behind a filing cabinet.
CUT TO:
INT. CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
Kara hears the sound of a body collapsing onto the pavement outside the building. She looks from side to side in the corridor, at the escorting guard, and sighs.
KARA ZOR-EL
(to herself)
You have already been detained once. Keep your head down, stay calm.
They pass more holding cells.
A young woman is dressed in a prom outfit crying to herself.
YOUNG WOMAN
This wasn't how my big night was supposed to go...
A pair of teens, male and female, glare at Kara through the bars. The girl has her jaw wrapped in gauze, and the boy has a cast on his hand. The boy gives Kara a sign to ward off evil.
Kara smiles upon seeing him, then quickly composes herself again.
Hallways pass as she's guided back to an INTERROGATION ROOM where an OFFICER sits in the chair waiting for her.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MORNING
The OFFICER gestures for her to sit down.
OFFICER
(nodding, smiling)
Wonderful. Much better from last night.
He shifts a stack of papers on the table, reaching for a binder.
OFFICER (CONT'D)
Let's just keep our heads cool and make sure you know what you're up against, alright?
KARA
(nodding)
Alright.
Kara sits down, and the audience notices she is hovering a millimeter above the chair's surface.
OFFICER
Name?
KARA
(under her breath)
Now that I actually understand what the guy is saying...let's try this again.
KARA (CONT'D)
Kara Zor-El.
OFFICER
Occupation?
She pauses and thinks for a moment.
KARA
Infantry, five hundred and seventy and one—
(correcting herself)
Five hundred and seventy-first division.
KARA (V.O.)
Thankfully, my interrogator did not know much about the Army.
OFFICER
Let's see what these charges look like, shall we?
The Officer shifts through papers, his eyes growing wide for a moment before calming himself down.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEYWAY - CONTINUOUS
Kara limps down an alleyway, holding her hip, as two teenagers stare at her with malice in their eyes. Her communicator is sparking, and her hair is burnt. It is dark enough outside that she struggles to recognize her surroundings.
KARA
(exasperated, pained; subtitled, Kryptonian)
Need...evac...seriously...injured...
MALE TEEN looks her over.
MALE TEEN
What's that? Sounds like...
FEMALE TEEN looks the girl over, and the two of them look at each other.
FEMALE TEEN
...Hebrew, or maybe Russian or something.
Kara groans in serious pain as she looks down and notices her legs are glowing faintly. Her wounds are healing, far faster than she has ever seen.
FEMALE TEEN
Probably Russian. Look at that thing on her arm. Fifty bucks she's a spy or something.
He turns to look at Kara.
MALE TEEN
Well yeah, sure, but how would we know? Just ask 'hey, are you a spy?' or something stupid like that?
The girl rolls her eyes.
FEMALE TEEN
This is why you don't make the plans. Watch and learn, pretty boy.
She straightens herself as Kara begins to lean on her fractured leg, eyes widening.
KARA
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
It's...already healed...how?
FEMALE TEEN
Hey, you. English. Do you speak it?
KARA
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
I don't understand what you're saying.
Kara is too focused on her wound to meet their eyes.
FEMALE TEEN
Look at me.
The girl reaches forward, but Kara's training automatically swats it away. The resulting blow sends the girl's palm into her chin.
The girl screams for an instant then groans in pain, jaw fractured.
OFFICER (O.S.)
Aggravated assault...
MALE TEEN
HEY! THE HELL WAS THAT?
Kara is staring at her own hand in genuine shock.
KARA
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
What the Apok...?
The boy raises his fist.
MALE TEEN
You can't just DO THAT!
He steps forward, but Kara intercepts him automatically.
KARA
(under her breath, subtitled; Kryptonian)
Incapacitate until you can move into safety.
He throws a punch. She holds onto his fist to freeze him in place, but her hand glows, and she ends up crushing it. He screams in immediate pain, stepping backwards.
KARA (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
These people must be incredibly fragile...
OFFICER (O.S.)
...battery...
Kara flees out of the alleyway as the two teens nurse their wounds in immense pain.
MALE TEEN
Do something! Call the cops! An ambulance!
The girl gestures to her fractured jaw, as if to say 'How am I going to make a call?'.
MALE TEEN
THEN I'LL TALK! JUST CALL SOMEONE!
CUT TO:
EXT. EMPTY NEIGHBORHOOD - CONTINUOUS
Kara is bolting down the street, legs now fully healed, trying to find a safe place. The street lights are faint, leaving most of the area in darkness.
Her sprint takes her over a mailbox to avoid losing momentum, only for her to remain in the air.
KARA
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
...what? How am I...?
She hooks her foot under the mailbox body to pull herself back down the ground.
KARA (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
That's not normal. I don't understand. This planet...it's doing something to me.
She resumes her sprint, but exhaustion begins to settle in as her eyes close for a moment. She rubs her eyes, and stares at the sky.
KARA (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Great Rao...how am I ever going to get home?
She stops at a home without any lights on, pulls at the handle. The handle comes off in her hand.
KARA (CONT'D)
D'arvit!
OFFICER (O.S.)
...breaking and entering...
She examines the exposed locking mechanism carefully, testing it with a delicate finger. As she concentrates, twin beams of red fire from her eyelids and set the door's wooden interior ablaze.
KARA
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
No...nonono...need to choke the flame out...
She presses the sleeve of her gear to the flame. A small fire ignites on the edge. She rushes to blow the tiny flame out.
Frost breath rushes forward from her mouth and seals the wood. Opening the door slowly, she finds the house empty of any signs of occupancy. The other side of the door makes contact, and the fire that has burned through to the other side of the door sets the interior paint ablaze.
OFFICER (O.S.)
...arson...
KARA
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
You...by Rao's Beard...
She looks to her left and right.
KARA (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Forget it!
Kara turns around and sprints to the sidewalk, eyeing an unmanned vehicle.
KARA (CONT'D)
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Transportation. Discreet. Blend in, Kara...all you have to do is get home.
She runs towards the vehicle, leaping forward to duck beside it only to keep sailing forward onto the roof. Steadying herself, she very carefully pulls the door open. It groans in protest, and unlocks, where she steps inside.
OFFICER (O.S.)
...grand theft auto...
CUT TO:
INT. INTERIOR OF CAR – CONTINUOUS
Kara speaks Kryptonian with subtitles throughout this sequence unless marked (English).
She turns the car keys and they break off in her hand.
KARA
Even more fragile than the doorknob...
KARA (CONT'D)
(to herself)
If this planet gives me this method, I may as well use it.
She stares at the keys in the key hole and waits. Nothing happens. She blinks and stares more intently.
KARA (CONT'D)
(to herself)
When I actually want to use it, I can't?
She glares daggers at the dashboard only for a beam of red to burn a black line into the plastic. Not wasting any time, she tilts her head and melts the broken keys into the keyhole.
KARA (CONT'D)
Okay, I guess I will be 'starter'.
The car whirs to life, and she places a tentative foot down on the brake, then on the gas.
The speedometer reads 90, but she sees the world in slow motion.
KARA (CONT'D)
Repair your ship. Get home. That's it. Just get home...
Desperation shines through her stoic face.
KARA (CONT'D)
(quieter, pained)
...and this will all be over.
OFFICER (O.S.)
...speeding in a residential zone...
Eventually, she finds herself heading into traffic. The noise of the intersection is far louder than it should be. The sound of a police siren overwhelms her as she covers her ears, though it is far lower and dragged out.
KARA
(under her breath)
These creatures must be deaf...
She hears the voice of a different COP--OFFICER MARK--as if he were standing mere feet away.
COP (O.C.)
What on Earth is this lady's deal?
KARA
I don't understand you...
Her voice grows quiet.
KARA (CONT'D)
(to herself)
Perhaps this is a military arrest on their world. I violated a law of some kind, perhaps the fire. Their surveillance systems must be of similar scale to Zod's...
She takes her identification out of her gear as she slows down on the side of the road, carefully navigating out of traffic.
KARA (CONT'D)
(to herself)
This is the most effective form of identification I possess.
The cop approaches the vehicle from the side.
OFFICER MARK
License and registration, please.
She presented the best identification she had. He stopped, looked at it, back at her, then back at it.
OFFICER MARK (CONT'D)
If that's proper ID, I'm King of England.
KARA
You...do not look like a king.
OFFICER MARK
Ma'am, I don't speak...that. Could you...step out of the vehicle for me?
KARA
(to herself)
Oh...this part I think I understand.
She tried to get the door open, but whatever she did previously jammed it. She pushed harder, and the whole hinge came off, sending the door to the pavement.
COP
Must be a pretty shitty door.
Tentatively, she tried the human language, because she realized she understood most of that from the other conversations she heard within the city.
KARA
(in English, thick Eastern European accent)
Must be.
After pausing and listening carefully to the hundreds of conversations going on behind her, she attempts humor.
KARA (CONT'D)
I had meaning to get fixed. Now I have no choice.
He pauses at the broken English, then shrugs.
COP
(smiling)
I know a shop around here. I'll get you the number once we get into the station.
He opens the door to the police car.
COP (CONT'D)
Hands behind your back.
She complies swiftly.
COP (CONT'D)
Yup. You ever been arrested in the U.S. before?
She nods no, him cuffing her hands as he guides her back towards the patrol car.
COP (CONT'D)
I figured as much. The speedometer is in miles an hour, not kilometers. Ninety on there is one-forty where you're from.
She seems slightly stunned, but guarded.
KARA
(English)
That is fast?
He gives her a look of sheer disbelief, then smiles.
COP
Yeah, it is. This isn't the Autobahn.
He opens the door of the patrol car, and she ducks down as he attempts to press her inside. She initially appears to resist before settling inside.
CLOSE UP:
Her eyes widen as she almost reaches to shut the door, then stops herself.
KARA
…it's probably just as fragile as the other door.
The cop shuts the door in, and begins the drive to the police station.
The COMMUNICATOR suddenly beeps.
COMMUNICATOR
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Self-repair process completed. Scanning…
The police officer bats an eye into the rearview mirror.
COP
Was that… that sounded like Hebrew.
Kara quickly shields the COMMUNICATOR device from view.
KARA
(whispered, frustrated, subtitled; Kryptonian)
Of course you pick the worst possible time to finish fixing yourself...
His gaze turns suspicious.
COP
Who were you talking to, exactly?
After a moment of confusion as she processes the question, she stares at him, looking suddenly very nervous.
KARA
Watch. Like...a 'weirdo'.
COMMUNICATOR
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
...failed to identify any valid transponders. Extending range...
KARA
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
I'm going to meet in the inventor of the field communicator in a dark alley...
COP
(more stern)
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
The cop is cut off by a transmission on the police radio.
POLICE RADIO
...suspect was last identified in an alley wearing burned and tattered blue and white uniform--
He pauses, listening, then glances to her burned uniform in the rearview mirror.
POLICE RADIO (CONT'D)
--displayed intense aggression, speaking a language resembling Hebrew or Arabic, successfully injuring two teens with no apparent difficulty. Evidence of military training...
COP
You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning.
POLICE RADIO
...displays superhuman strength and endurance....
COP
If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time.
(he squints at her)
Those are your rights. So, with the nasty part over...
He brings the vehicle to a stop on the side of the road.
COP
...why are you here, Miss?
Fear and worry flicker across her face before she steels herself, and answers with the truth.
KARA
(English)
The answer to that question is above your level of clearance.
COP
And why's that, exactly?
KARA
(English)
You should have asked that question before you told me I have the right to remain silent.
COP
And yet, I did, to protect your rights in a court of law. Now, I've another question for you that you are more than welcome to ignore...
He stares at her skeptically.
COP (CONT'D)
...am I the one who needs protecting?
She stares back at him.
KARA
(English)
You heard the same transmission I did. If I considered you a threat...
She murmurs, casually bending a bar of the cage.
KARA (CONT'D)
...would I not have acted by now?
COP
You sped in a residential area, attacked teenagers, possibly burned a house down. You're a quick learner, but you aren't from here, and I am.
KARA
(English)
And that matters, why, exactly?
COP
You talk clearance. That means military, or CIA. In both cases, information is power. You may be a supersoldier of some kind, but you're still knee deep in enemy lines and under arrest.
He taps the cage back.
COP (CONT'D)
For someone who doesn't see me as a threat, you certainly seem afraid of being caught.
KARA
(English)
I'm not afraid of you, officer.
COP
You broke those cuffs without even thinkin' about it. Bent the bar as a casual threat. When we first met, you accidentally ripped your whole car door off. So...why is my nice ride still in one piece?
KARA
(English)
Because ripping your 'nice ride' into pieces is something neither of us want.
(muttering under her breath)
Believe it or not, officer, I want to be in this backwater even less than you do.
COP
Backwater? This isn't a backwater, it's a major city.
KARA
That's even sadder.
COP
I suppose you've seen better where you're from?
She scoffs.
KARA
Where I'm from makes this place look like a slum. Stuck in last century.
COP
And where are you from, super-girl?
KARA
That name. I like it.
He realizes she is preferring to remain silent.
She takes out the identification card, and shows the print to him.
KARA (CONT'D)
For your documentation, that reads 'Kara Zor-El'.
MARK
I figured it would be above my clearance. I'm Mark, by the way.
KARA
From what I've seen of your world, it won't do you any good anyway.
MARK
Kara Zor-El. Sounds...Hebrew, or maybe Arabic. Neither of which make any sense given the way you look. I still have to detain you, that's required by law. But...if your ID won't do me any good, then...why are you here?
KARA ZOR-EL
Since it will mean nothing to you anyway...my stasis pod finally ran out of power. I woke up in the atmosphere of an alien world...burning.
MARK
You're right, that doesn't mean much to me. You fell out of the sky?
KARA ZOR-EL
I think it would be more accurate to say your sky intercepted me, seeing as how I wasn't moving.
MARK
Falling from orbit should have killed you.
KARA ZOR-EL
That was the conclusion I drew as well.
MARK
So...why didn't it?
KARA ZOR-EL
I don't know yet, but for the moment...I blame your accursed star.
MARK
Our star. The sun. It gave you these...abilities. You woke up on fire fallin' from the sky, knowin' you were going to die, and just accepted that?
KARA ZOR-EL
I had seventeen seconds to wake up, realize I was on fire, that my ship was falling out of the sky, and that my ship's power reserve had finally died out. What was I supposed to do in a ship with no power?
MARK
So...what did you do when you got up?
KARA ZOR-EL
I think you've worked out the details by now.
MARK
Were you...well...interested in these new abilities of yours?
She scoffs.
KARA ZOR-EL
Do you think I like living in a world made of cardboard?
MARK
...made of...cardboard...hadn't thought about that.
KARA ZOR-EL
I can see the entire spectrum now. I look in that mirror of yours, and I have to focus to avoid seeing straight through it.
MARK
See...through it?
Kara leans back, staring at the roof of the squad car, now just talking to the one person who seemed to be listening.
KARA ZOR-EL
For the first time...probably in my life...I'm...scared to see my own reflection.
MARK
...you think you'll see...
KARA ZOR-EL
(voice filled with dread)
...through my own skin.
MARK
...that's horrific. I can't even imagine...no, this is...different.
KARA ZOR-EL
I fell from orbit, I should be dead, my pod is out of power, I don't even know how long I've been out, and now everything shatters under the slightest touch and everything is see-through and now I don't even know if I'll look in the wrong mirror and just see...gore.
MARK
It's going to be alright.
KARA ZOR-EL
You're afraid of me. I'm afraid of me too, at least we have that in common. I'm not going to harm you, not intentionally. I...I'm not even sure I CAN die anymore.
MARK
I'm sure--
KARA ZOR-EL
Back in my home world, on Krypton, we...there's a story. Told to us by our parents about...well...death. Whenever someone passes away, and we wonder why, there's always the story. About the Ultimate.
He tries to get a word in, but she cuts him off again.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
A creature that can't die. It...it wasn't...a happy story.
MARK
...a tragic one?
KARA ZOR-EL
...no...worse. A rampage that destroyed so many worlds that they started calling it Doomsday.
He stares at her, equally scared and trying to comfort.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Imagine something so good at slaughter that the god of death itself takes off running.
MARK
You aren't this Doomsday thing, you hear me? You're a...well...you're human to me, for what it's worth. You aren't some kind of...butcher.
Her voice is small and scared.
KARA ZOR-EL
At least...not yet.
MARK
Butchers that erase life on multiple worlds don't freak out at the idea of seein' their own skeleton. That you are terrified of becoming it tells me everything I need to know.
MARK (CONT'D)
And besides...I don't envy the guy who has to read my report on this...because...I left everything in.
OFFICER (V.O.)
And I don't even understand half of what I'm reading here with the interrogation...
CUT TO:
INT. POLICE STATION - CONTINUOUS
KARA is escorted into the station, clenching her fists, as the OFFICER looks at her in pity.
KARA (V.O.)
Well, the first night, I got stuck in the 'slammer'.
MALE VOICE (V.O.)
I noticed that. But...why?
OFFICER
Settle down, ma'am. I understand you're upset.
KARA
(quietly, to herself)
This wasn't how any of this was supposed to go...
COP
She's never been arrested in the United States before. I've read her her rights, but this is her first time being detained. She's...adjusting.
The teens from earlier are sitting in the police station as a young FEMALE OFFICER takes their statements.
FEMALE OFFICER
(attempting to remain professional, amused)
And you say she demonstrated...superhuman strength?
The MALE TEEN rubs the cast on his arm.
MALE TEEN
I'm telling you...she has to be some kind of mutant or something. Nobody is THAT strong!
FEMALE OFFICER
A...mutant...alright then.
(under her breath)
It must be a law of the universe that a teenager can't simply lose a fight, it has to be a mutant.
The FEMALE TEEN looks up from her paper and pencil at the disturbance, and sees KARA. She points furiously at her, making grunts that can be understood as It's her! It's her!.
The woman turns around slowly to face Kara.
FEMALE OFFICER
Are you, by any chance, a mutant?
A tiny flicker of fear passes over her face, and then concern as she notices the two.
KARA ZOR-EL
I...don't think so. No. Why? And...are they going to be okay?
FEMALE OFFICER
(professional, attempting to hide a snort)
Yes, they are. A crushed hand and a fractured jaw, but they'll heal.
The woman looks down and hides a smile.
FEMALE OFFICER (CONT'D)
These two...they see a girl covered in burnt, torn clothing and think this is the one who...
(she pauses for a beat)
Ah...I see. Yes, getting the snot beaten out of you by an angry old lady does tend to sting the pride...
The male teen looks at her.
MALE TEEN
You...how did you do that? Any of that?
Her response is cold and stern.
KARA
I ask for help, I get a beating, I fight back, and you turn out to be held together by spit and prayers.
FEMALE OFFICER
You...admit to it? Assault and battery?
COP
That is...uh...probably the least of her concerns right now.
FEMALE OFFICER
Oh?
COP
You should read the report. It's...it's going to be the most interesting one you've ever read.
FEMALE OFFICER
I've read a lot of wild stories in my time here. That's a high bar to clear.
COP
Okay, tell me if you've heard this one before...she fell from orbit.
She drops, and catches, the clipboard.
FEMALE OFFICER
You're joking.
She stares at him, waiting for a punch line.
He's quiet.
FEMALE OFFICER (CONT'D)
You're not. Okay then. Consider that bar cleared.
MALE TEEN
I TOLD you she was a mutant!
KARA ZOR-EL
I am not a mutant. Be realistic, 'dude'.
MALE TEEN
Fell-from-orbit tells me to be unrealistic.
(he mutters under his breath)
Typical.
He reaches down for his phone, and pulls it out of his pocket. Kara looks at it, and seems mildly disturbed for a second. She looks to the cop that brought her in.
KARA
(whispered)
What is that?
COP
(whispered)
Phone.
Her eyes trace a line out from the phone and towards the ceiling.
KARA
(whispered)
That's what you call that beam?
COP
(whispered)
Beam? What do you--
He pauses for a beat.
COP (CONT'D)
(whispered)
Oh. Whole spectrum. That's...his cell service, I guess.
(quieter)
You're the only one who can see it.
She nods quickly and looks away.
KARA ZOR-EL
(whispered)
Good to know.
Her gaze wanders around the room before she blinks and grunts in slight pain, turning around.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
(whispered)
...right in my eye...
MALE TEEN
I bet she can see through walls and stuff. She's just pretending not to...
Kara smirks.
KARA ZOR-EL
You have a very nice skeleton.
He makes a clear gesture of warding off evil.
MALE TEEN
Now you're just messing with me.
KARA ZOR-EL
(murmured)
Not as much as you think...it's not pretty from my end.
FEMALE OFFICER
As much as I enjoy the sight of you messing with a teenager that made up a story about mutants to avoid looking bad for losing a fight with an old lady...I do actually have to get back to work.
Kara nods, waving at the teen.
KARA ZOR-EL
(smirking)
I'm an alien. From the planet Krypton. And I'm gonna be watching you from now on.
She takes out the pair of cuffs she broke out of earlier and bends them visibly in front of him.
He shudders and goes slightly pale.
MALE TEEN
Okay, okay, I get it!
She shrugs, and puts the cuffs back into her pocket.
KARA ZOR-EL
Toy. Two-ish on sale.
FEMALE OFFICER
Two dollars? So there is stuff at Five Below that's actually five and below, good to know.
COP
(whispered)
Knowing you, you probably wouldn't know the difference.
KARA ZOR-EL
Fair.
CUT TO:
INT. HOLDING CELL
She walks into the holding cell, and he closes the bars behind her.
COP
I'm going to politely ask that you don't open the door and walk out.
KARA ZOR-EL
I will try my best. But if I lean on it and it caves in...that's not my fault.
He walks away. She approaches the barred window, and pushes one of the bars to the side, before standing back.
She gives a long sigh, and a tear runs down her face.
KARA
(subtitle, in Kryptonian)
Why is this happening to me? What did I do? I just wanna go home...
As the shot pulls back, we see she isn't standing on the ground. The barred window is two meters in the air, and she is standing on air.
Kara looks down, and realizes she isn't on the ground anymore.
KARA ZOR-EL
W-what the-- what's going on? How did I--
She freezes, hands shaking as she closes her eyes and tries to relax.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
How...how do I get back down?
She exhales, then inhales, only to rise another meter into the air. Her head hits the ceiling and she flinches, then blinks at the lack of pain. She looks up to find the ceiling cracked.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
But I barely hit it. I didn't even feel that.
She puts her feet forward, and settles for walking up the wall, squaring her feet on the ceiling, and pushing down gently. She floats back down to the floor.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Okay. I...got down. That's what matters.
The COMMUNICATOR beeps again.
COMMUNICATOR
(subtitle)
Maximum range scan complete.
KARA ZOR-EL
Oh thank Rao...I can get home.
COMMUNICATOR
(subtitle)
No valid transponders detected within 5-0 photon-star-cycles. Are you certain you have correctly calibrated your transponder unit?
KARA ZOR-EL
What? What do you mean? Nothing?
She goes from stoic to the verge of bawling within seconds.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
YES! I'M SURE! Of course I'm sure! All you have to do is get me home, but you can't, can you? I'm stuck in the 33rd century over here and YOU'RE USELESS!
She turns around and begins pacing back and forth across the holding cell.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
A THOUSAND YEARS OF THE FINEST ENGINEERS ON KRYPTON COMING TOGETHER TO BUILD AN EMPIRE AND I MANAGE TO END UP WITH THE MOST USELESS COMMUNICATOR UNIT SINCE THE DARK AGE OF ZAUN! OF COURSE!
She punches a hole straight through the steel bench.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
I'd bet you seven hundred Marks that you can't find a landmark either, can you?
As the Communicator beeps, she laughs manically for a few seconds before softening her voice.
COMMUNICATOR
GMS Sensors still undergoing repairs.
KARA ZOR-EL
The Geographical Mapping Sensor Sensors are still undergoing repairs. Because that makes sense. Of course. I'm stuck on an alien world with technology centuries behind mine and my GMS Sensors are still undergoing repairs.
She sighs.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Rao must really hate me today. A thousand Marks that this world hasn't achieved warp yet.
COMMUNICATOR
Earth technology does not appear to possess that capability yet, no.
She laughs softly.
KARA ZOR-EL
This day just keeps getting better and better. I could get started right now with their best equipment and I would die of old age before I get...oh no. Would I even...don't think about that. You would die in the cold vacuum of-- when did THAT become reassuring?
She lays back on the bench, trying to take deep breaths.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Here's a fun question. Do I even need to sleep anymore? Or no?
COMMUNICATOR
You are in too much emotional distress to try.
KARA ZOR-EL
(sarcastic)
Lovely. Thanks for that, Brainiac. Really made my day there.
COMMUNICATOR - BRAINIAC
Your sarcasm will do you no good.
KARA ZOR-EL
Maybe not. But it feels good, and right now that's about as good as I'm gonna get.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
And Brainiac...keep scanning.
COMMUNICATOR - BRAINIAC
I have already exceeded the maximum range of my--
KARA ZOR-EL
I! Don't! Care!
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MORNING (CONTINUOUS)
He looks from the report back to her. To the ankle monitor on her leg, and then to the window separating the space from the empty MONITORING ROOM.
OFFICER
(calm, curious)
So… help me understand this. What happened yesterday?
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - LAST NIGHT
Kara enters the room, sitting down at the table carefully. Her hands hang at her sides, and she appears exhausted.
The OFFICER checks the report on the table. His eyes widen.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
(under his breath)
Someone is playing a prank on me. None of this makes sense.
He waves at her.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
Miss...Zor-El?
Kara nods quickly.
KARA - LAST NIGHT
Hello, Officer.
He stares at the paperwork on the table, rubs his forehead, and sighs.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
(to himself)
So we're playing this straight. Okay then.
(to her)
Care to explain what brought you here?
She looks down at her hands.
FLASHFORWARD TO:
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MORNING
KARA
Is it not all recorded in the report?
OFFICER
(nodding)
Most of it, but police officers sometimes get things wrong. I want to hear your side of the story, Kara.
He pauses, meeting her eyes intentionally.
OFFICER (CONT'D)
May I call you Kara?
She nods slowly.
KARA
You may.
She interlaces her fingers on the table, avoiding touching the pen.
KARA ZOR-EL - FUTURE (V.O.)
(mild Eastern European accent)
Then they interrogated me.
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - LAST NIGHT
KARA - LAST NIGHT
I'm still putting the pieces together myself, believe it or not. But here's the version I've settled on…
She closes her eyes, concentrating intently. The edges of her eyelids glow red as though her eyes are bloodshot.
KARA - LAST NIGHT
I am a Kryptonian soldier, Lieutenant Kara Zor-El, House of—
A wave of nausea comes over her, and she stops mid-sentence, massaging her temples.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
(easing)
Please, take your time. You've been through a lot, from what I can tell. Take it easy.
She takes slow, deep breaths as she composes herself again.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
Right. Thank you. Lieutenant Kara Zor-El, Five Hundred and Seventy-First Infantry Division.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
My ship landed on this planet eight hours ago. I do not yet know what caused the failure, but my ship's systems lost power and I woke entering your planet's atmosphere.
Her face shifts into stoic professionalism as she appears calmer than before.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
I attempted to save the craft, but the control surfaces would not respond to my inputs. It entered an unrecoverable descent towards your planet's surface, and I lost consciousness in the impact.
Her eye twitches in remembrance.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
When I awoke, my ship was in dire need of repairs.
Her hands shake slightly as she fights to regain her composure.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
All I want is to return to my homeworld. I request the resources to finish my ship, and authorization to leave your planet's surface once my ship is operational. I can calculate the necessary vectors of my own accord.
The officer shakes his head in disbelief.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
Alright. What was your mission...soldier?
Kara hesitates for a moment, wondering if she should reveal it. She sighs and nods.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
It is classified, but...that does not matter on this world. A reconnaissance mission. I was sent alone, with the expectation of reporting back to my superiors with my findings. My task was the investigation of a technology with the potential of solving a problem that threatens the survival of my home world.
(quieter)
A problem that publicly does not exist. The instability of our core.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
Publicly doesn't exist. Classified, or just misinformation?
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
(more stern)
Our people are...chaotic, irrational. There is already talk of an uprising. Chief of Security Zod cannot risk a mass panic when we're already on the verge of civil war.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
Would there be a civil war because of the mass panic over your planet potentially tearing itself apart, or because your military lied about it?
(more firm)
Mass panics are one thing, but you need organization to have a civil war. Panicked people don't form governments.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
Panicked people torch City Hall.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
They do. But they make for terrible mayors.
He turns through the report on the table.
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
What, exactly, happened on the way here?
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT
Who are your parents, Miss Zor-El? Where do you live?
Kara hesitates for a moment, then gives the information anyway.
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
My father is Zor-El, Chief Researcher of the Argo City Defense Lab.
KARA - MORNING (O.S.)
My father is a scientist.
OFFICER
And your mother?
KARA ZOR-EL
Alura Zor-El, Chief Researcher of the Argo City Medical Center.
KARA - MORNING (O.S.)
My mother is a nurse.
OFFICER
And you live...?
KARA ZOR-EL
In Argo City. A designated survival zone for high-level Kryptonian command.
KARA - MORNING (O.S.)
In Argo. It's an upper-class suburb.
He scoffs, meeting her eyes.
OFFICER
You really expect me to believe a story like that?
She meets his eyes.
KARA ZOR-EL
Yes. I do.
He looks her over, pointing to the bags under her eyes and the way she's slanting.
OFFICER
Ma'am, you're exhausted. You've been through a lot. You should return to the holding cell and try to get some rest. Things will...
He closes his eyes briefly, searching for the word.
OFFICER (CONT'D)
...make more sense with some rest.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MORNING
OFFICER
Your bail is posted at 25 thousand. Are you or any family members able to pay?
Kara reaches into her uniform, then freezes and groans to herself.
KARA ZOR-EL
Not in dollars, no.
OFFICER
You live in an upper-class suburb, and you don't have 25 thousand dollars to make bail?
Her fists clench.
KARA ZOR-EL
My wallet burned last night, and...
(more pained)
...I don't have a way of contacting my parents.
OFFICER
There's a phone here, if that's the issue.
KARA ZOR-EL
I've been trying to contact anyone I know for half the night, sir, nobody is answering.
He sighs.
OFFICER
Okay then...you'll be held here until your assigned court date or until someone pays your bail.
KARA ZOR-EL
(impatient)
...which is?
OFFICER
We'll know by this afternoon.
KARA ZOR-EL
(banging her fists on the table)
I can't wait indefinitely for your planet's justice system to decide my fate!
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT (O.S.)
(banging her fists on the table)
I don't need rest!
Her eye twitches.
KARA ZOR-EL (O.S.)
KARA ZOR-EL - LAST NIGHT
I need out of here so I can get back to my mission and get home!
I need out of here so I can get back to my mission and get home!
OFFICER
(warning)
Ma'am...
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - LAST NIGHT
Kara stands up from the table. She begins to talk in more broken, fragmented English.
KARA ZOR-EL
Perhaps I not clear. Release me, within hour, or consequence will come.
Her heat vision glows gently, aiming at the table.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
You not like consequence, promise.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MORNING
KARA ZOR-EL
You will release me within the hour, or there will be consequences.
OFFICER
OFFICER - LAST NIGHT (O.S.)
No need for threats, ma'am. I'm just doing my job.
No need for threats, ma'am. I'm just doing my job.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - LAST NIGHT
The officer looks up at her, becoming increasingly insistent and frustrated.
OFFICER
Please, get some rest. You clearly need it. You aren't thinking this through.
Kara's fists clench within the cuffs.
KARA ZOR-EL
I am Lieutenant Kara Zor-El of Five Hundred Seventy-One Division, born in Argo City, serving Kryptonian Empire. You will release me now.
OFFICER
On Krypton, you may very well be Lieutenant Kara Zor-El of the Five-Hundred and Seventy-First Division, serving the Kryptonian Empire.
(more stern and assertive)
But you aren't in the Kryptonian Empire anymore. This isn't Krypton. And here, you are a civilian with no authority to give me orders.
Kara is livid, but also holding back tears.
KARA ZOR-EL
Let me show you cost of disrespect.
She breaks the cuffs, and raises a fist to throw a punch.
CUT TO:
WIDE SHOT: MARK BANGING ON THE GLASS
OFFICER MARK
Hey!
Kara turns her head to look at him, fist still raised.
OFFICER MARK
(repeating earlier statement, subtitled; Kryptonian)
You do not look like a King.
She lowers her fist slowly. She is confused.
KARA ZOR-EL
OFFICER
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
What?
What?
OFFICER MARK
I pulled it off my bodycam footage on my break. I don't know what it means, but it got your attention.
KARA ZOR-EL
...yes. You have it. Why?
OFFICER MARK
It's only for a night. They'll detain you until tomorrow morning unless you give them a reason to detain you longer. You do need rest.
Her gaze is fixed on him, stepping away from her interrogator.
KARA ZOR-EL
I...
OFFICER MARK
You're a soldier. Deep in enemy territory, in a world that runs on rules you've never heard of and don't know about. Resisting authority here won't end well for any of us.
Her hand rests on her hip.
OFFICER MARK (CONT'D)
What you need to do, right now, is settle down, clear your head, and figure out where you are. Contact mainland, see what they say you should do about this.
Mark walks around, and passes an ankle monitor through the slot in the interrogation room door.
OFFICER MARK (CONT'D)
Wear it. Prove you trust them, and they will trust you. They haven't seen anyone like you before. Play the game for a little while until you can get your sea legs on.
She tentatively steps towards the slot, and picks up the ankle monitor. She stares at it for a long moment. Her heat vision glows, but Mark doesn't seem concerned.
She stares at him for several seconds.
He stares at her, and after a few seconds, he nods.
OFFICER MARK (CONT'D)
I know what it's like to be stuck in enemy lines. I used to do your job, Kara. Please, trust me, even if you don't trust them.
She nods slowly.
KARA ZOR-EL
Play the game.
She stares down at the ankle monitor.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Okay.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Kara has been escorted out of the room, leaving only the officer and OFFICER MARK in the space. The officer takes a phone call, pressing it to his ear. The line is filled with static, but understandable.
LUTHOR (O.C.)
Rest assured, I'll provide specialized equipment for dealing with her.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - MORNING
A deadbolt latches shut through the bottom of each chair leg, securing it to the floor. The ankle monitor's latch keeps her leg pinned. She does not attempt to break the hold.
Yet.
OFFICER
(rapid, urgent)
Settle down, ma'am, please...this outburst only does damage to your case.
Kara can hear the sound of officers moving in the hallways, closing in with weapons.
KARA ZOR-EL
NO! You think this hold me?
She shakes her leg, and the deadbolts groan violently before separating from the floor with an explosive sound.
She picks the ankle monitor off of her leg like a toy, snapping it off with a sound of shearing metal.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
(to herself, subtitled; Kryptonian)
Play the game, he said. I played. And it didn't work.
A loud beeping noise shrills and she covers her ears in visible pain.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
What this? What you do? Stop it! Now!
LUTHOR (O.S.)
I have experience dealing with her kind.
Kara is the only one showing any sign of pain.
OFFICER MARK, now dressed as an office worker with his police badge hanging off his lanyard next to his keycard, is visible in the glass. He is visibly uncomfortable with the look of pain on her face.
OFFICER MARK
Men, lower your weapons.
One of the officers stares at him.
Kara looks around, darting between the weapons trained on her, covering her ears as she turns the chair around to use as a shield.
KARA ZOR-EL
Please...stop...make it stop!
Tears run down her face. She looks terrified of the weapon's trained on her. The sound of her being shot in the office building plays in the back of her mind, followed by her earlier muffled screaming.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Don't shoot...please...
POLICE OFFICER 1
She is attempting to escape custody, and has demonstrated intent to harm.
Mark shakes his head in disbelief.
OFFICER MARK
Gentlemen, she just tore a chair out of the ground with the deadbolts still attached. She's an infantrywoman with combat training.
The officer gestures to the weapons still trained on Kara.
POLICE OFFICER 1
She would die trying.
OFFICER MARK
(grave)
I guarantee you a lot of you would die first.
He gestures to himself, then them.
OFFICER MARK (CONT'D)
I'm her assigned case officer. You think she's psychotic and delusional. Maybe she is, but she knows me and trusts me.
One of the deadbolts collapses under its own weight and hits the floor. The loud thud startles all of them.
OFFICER MARK (CONT'D)
She's a meta, no doubt about it.
(cold, stern)
But what are you going to do if she turns out to be as good at dodging bullets as she is at ripping deadbolts out of the ground?
Another officer speaks up.
POLICE OFFICER 2
She's a meta! There's no telling what she'll do!
OFFICER MARK
She's a soldier. One stuck deep in foreign territory with twelve rifles pointed at her. I think it's fairly easy to tell what she'll do. The same thing any of you would do if you were detained in a foreign country with different rules, and different court procedures than anything you're familiar with, surrounded by people talking in a language you don't understand, who treat you like a bomb waiting to go off.
Kara stares at him.
KARA ZOR-EL
Whatever it took to get home.
The OFFICER's pager beeps, and he reaches to answer it. He looks at the message displayed.
OFFICER
(confused, disbelief)
What? There's no way...
A second beep chimes.
OFFICER (CONT'D)
If you say so...
He gestures to the men around him.
OFFICER (CONT'D)
Let her go.
Kara glares at him.
KARA ZOR-EL
Thank you.
The beeping noise dies down as she steps back, turns around, and pulls the heavy door off of its hinges. Looking down to stare at the broken glass of the window, she can see the reflection of the pager as it beeps a third time.
PAGER
(silent)
THNK YU
She holds the ankle monitor in her hand. The logo is an L and C intersecting, with lettering reading: Lex Corp.
KARA ZOR-EL
I don't need your broken thanks, human.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREET CORNER - NOON
Kara immediately ducks into an alleyway and pauses, breathing heavily. Her eyes dart frantically from side to side.
KARA ZOR-EL
(to herself, subtitled; Kryptonian)
Seriously, Kay? You're a soldier. You're better than this. Assault and battery against civilians? Arson in a residential zone? Stealing a form of transportation? Getting yourself detained by foreign authorities? Pathetic, unworthy of a soldier. You should be more careful. And you definitely should not be getting noticed on a recon mission deep in alien territory.
She spits on the ground in disgust. When she looks down, her spit is tinted slightly yellow. Beneath it, a sewer grate with the LexCorp logo on it.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
That house emblem again...
(in accented English)
...LexCorp...
She steps back to get a better look at it, getting to the edge of the alley.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
What house puts their emblem on waste wells? Perhaps here, it is not considered dishonorable to your house.
She turns, steps into the street, and immediately hears a horn blaring to her left. She dodges in a blur.
The vehicle stops behind her.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
My apologies, sir. I meant you no harm.
She hears deep laughter.
MARK (O.S.)
You're fine, miss! Don't worry about it!
She turns around to face him.
MARK, is now dressed as a clean-shaven office worker wearing business casual clothing. He's sitting in the driver's seat mid-smoke, wearing a smile rare enough to push at his skin.
Her gaze flits back and forth as she listens to conversations across the city.
KARA
I...imagine you are late for work. I am sorry.
He nods, shrugs, sighs.
MARK
I'm just glad you're alright! Almost hit you there. Good reflexes, better than anything I've seen. As for me...
He finishes taking a drag of his cigarette.
MARK (CONT'D)
I am, but it's not much of a job and I'm not exactly racing to get to work. Frankly, I needed a laugh today.
He smiles at her, grateful.
MARK (CONT'D)
Thanks for that, by the way. You've just made my day!
Kara does a full turn to watch his car drive away down the street.
KARA ZOR-EL - FUTURE (V.O.)
And that was day one.
MALE PROSECUTOR (V.O.)
That's… certainly a story, Ms. Zor-El. But that doesn't explain the burning building.
As her gaze soars higher and higher, she notices an office building in the distance that's actively burning. Fire departments are trying to put out the structure, but having little success.
It is the same building her pod initially crashed into at the beginning of the pilot.
Her communicator chimes.
COMMUNICATOR - BRAINIAC
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Your pod seems to be sending a distress beacon, coordinates three hundred meters ahead of your present location.
KARA ZOR-EL
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
Not possible.
COMMUNICATOR - BRAINIAC
My apologies, Lieutenant. Please, explain. I do not have any reference data for the events of the crash.
KARA ZOR-EL
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
For one thing, it has no power to send a distress signal in the first place.
COMMUNICATOR - BRAINIAC
If my sensors were faulty, I would be failing to pick up a signal, not detecting a signal that is not being transmitted. Perhaps it is relying on a backup reserve.
KARA ZOR-EL
(subtitled; Kryptonian)
And perhaps something else is supplying the power.
She jogs up the sidewalk towards the building, only to find MARK sitting idle on the side of the road. He notices her, she notices his gaze.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
I do not think you are late for work, sir. I believe… work is late for you.
KARA ZOR-EL - FUTURE (V.O.)
I was getting to that.
MARK
You told me you're stuck in the Middle Ages. That we're a primitive, backwater world compared to where you're from. Well… help bring us up to speed. Show us what we don't know. These weapons don't seem to care about Kevlar or ceramic. So… you mind telling me how they work?
Kara sees a pulse of blue emanate from one of the upper floors.
KARA ZOR-EL
The reason you haven't taken this guy in is because he's using stolen Kryptonian weaponry.
MARK
And you're saying you can help with that?
KARA ZOR-EL
My father helped design them.
KARA ZOR-EL (CONT'D)
Just so we're clear here…
MARK
Alright.
KARA
Let me get this straight, Mark. My case officer…
MARK
Yes.
KARA
…is asking me…
MARK
Yup.
KARA
…to illegally enter a building…
MARK
…well…
KARA
…enter an active crime scene…
MARK
…technically you have permission…
KARA
…and attack someone…
MARK
…that is…technically an accurate description.
She nods.
KARA
This is entrapment.
MARK
You're going to do it anyway.
KARA
…that is…technically accurate, but that doesn't make it NOT entrapment.
MARK
Entrapment involves convincing someone to commit a crime that they would not have otherwise committed. You would have otherwise committed the crime. Therefore, not entrapment.
KARA
Why does it sound like you've thought far too much about this?
MARK
I plead the fifth.
KARA
You're going to get fired for this.
MARK
That's what concerns me. In Metropolis? I would. In National City, though?
He shrugs.
MARK (CONT'D)
Definitely not.
KARA
What's wrong with National City?
She can hear the sound of distant gunfire followed by a woman laughing.
MARK
Well… let's just say the shorter list would be what isn't.
FADE TO BLACK