Chapter 17: Duty Calls

After a leisurely meal, Kara made her way back home, her footsteps light with the newfound sense of freedom as she leisurely stroll back home.

As she entered her apartment, the familiar surroundings offered a comforting refuge from the chaos of the outside world.

 Kara settled into the comfort of her apartment, the events of the day still fresh in her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling of contentment that had settled over her since she had made the decision to take the rest of the day off. With a sigh of satisfaction, she kicked off her shoes and sank into the soft cushions of her couch, relishing the rare moment of peace and quiet.

Just as she was beginning to unwind, her phone buzzed with an incoming call and Kara glanced at the caller ID to see her sister's name flashing on the screen. Answering the call, she greeted Alex Danvers with a warm smile, her thoughts momentarily shifting away from her newfound leisure.

"Hey, Alex. What's up?" Kara asked, her curiosity piqued by her sister's unexpected call as she settled back against the cushions.

"Kara, we have a situation," Alex replied, her voice urgent. "An alien has been spotted among the thieves who stole money from the bank, and they're on the move inside a van. We need Supergirl on the scene to intervene."

Kara's heart raced at the mention of the threat, her instincts as a hero kicking into high gear. "I'm on it, Alex. Send me the location, and I'll take care of it."

With a sense of purpose driving her forward, Kara hung up the phone and wasted no time in preparing for the mission ahead. But before she could set out, a sudden impulse seized her, and she reached for her phone once more.

As she held the device in her hand, Kara's mind raced with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, she knew she needed to focus on the task at hand which was to apprehend the thieves and ensure the safety of the city. On the other hand, a nagging feeling gnawed at her conscience, urging her to seek guidance from an unexpected source.

But the impulse won over her as Kara dialed the number of the person who had hypnotized her. Kara's mind buzzed with a strange sense of detachment, as if she were merely an observer in her own actions. The phone rang once, twice, before a voice finally answered on the other end, sending a shiver down Kara's spine.

"Hello?" The voice was smooth, almost hypnotic in its cadence, and Kara recognized it as the voice of the one who hypnotized her.

Without missing a beat, Kara slipped into the trance-like state that had become all too familiar, her voice taking on a monotone quality as she relayed the details of the mission.

The person on the other end gave Kara a set of chilling instructions, their voice low and ominous. "Find the van and approach it without any regards for the surroundings," they commanded, the words hanging heavy in the air. "Focus on eliminating the human thieves while letting the alien slip off. If the DEO arrives, cease your actions immediately."

"The thieves...bank...approach...approach without regards...use powers... eliminate...human...alien slip away," Kara recited, each word feeling foreign on her tongue as if she were reading from a script.

The hypnotist listened intently, their voice a soothing hum in Kara's ear as they absorbed the information she provided. "Good. Now, Supergirl, I need you to hang up the phone and carry out your instructions. You will not remember this conversation once you awaken from your trance."

With a sense of detachment settling over her, Kara hung up the phone and prepared to embark on her mission. She had no choice but to comply with the hypnotist's commands as it overridden any lingering doubts or reservations that Supergirl might have had.

Donning her Supergirl attire with practiced efficiency, she steeled herself for the mission ahead, her mind buzzing with the command given to her.

As she ran, instead of flying unconsciously, towards the location of the van as her powers were limited by the necklace. Kara couldn't help but feel a sense of unease gnawing at the edges of her consciousness. She felt that she was walking a fine line between right and wrong, but her actions were dictated by forces beyond her control.

Running towards the location of the van, Kara's mind raced with how to execute her command. She knew that the stakes were high, and failure was not an option. With each passing second, the urgency of the situation weighed heavily on her shoulders, driving her forward with a singular focus.

As she neared the scene, Kara spotted the van in question, its windows tinted and its occupants obscured from view. With a deep breath, she closed upon the scene, her senses sharpened and her resolve unwavering.

Approaching the van without any caution, Kara watched intently for any signs of movement from within of the thieves. She detected the faint sound of voices, their tones hushed yet urgent.

With a swift movement, Kara ripped open the door of the van, revealing the startled faces of the thieves within. Without hesitation, she sprang into action, using her superhuman strength and speed to disarm the criminals and neutralize the threat.

The thieves recoiled in fear as Supergirl moved with lightning speed, her fists striking with precision as she incapacitated them one by one. With each blow, the sound of bones breaking echoed through the air, a chilling testament to the power at her command.

"Please, don't hurt us!" one of the thieves pleaded, his voice trembling with fear as he raised his hands in surrender.

But Kara's expression remained stoic, her eyes ablaze with determination as she continued her relentless assault. She knew that these criminals posed no threat to the safety of National City but she would stop at nothing to follow through her commands.

With a swift kick, Kara sent another thief sprawling to the ground, his cries of pain drowned out by the cacophony of chaos surrounding them. The air crackled with tension as the remaining thieves fought desperately to defend themselves, their futile attempts to ward off Supergirl met with swift and decisive retaliation.

As the last of the human thieves fell to the ground, blood pooling beneath their motionless bodies, Kara's gaze was hardened. She turned her attention to the alien thief, who cowered in the corner of the van, fear etched across its alien features.

"You," Kara said, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "You're the only one I'm sparing. Get out of here before I change my mind."

The alien thief nodded frantically, its movements jerky and panicked as it scrambled to obey Kara's command.The alien scrambled to its feet and darted out of the van with surprising agility. With a final glance over its shoulder, it disappeared into the darkness, leaving Kara alone with the aftermath of her actions.

But before she could dwell on her actions any further, the sound of approaching sirens filled the air, signaling the arrival of the DEO. Kara's mind took note of the massacre as she regained her full clarity, she realized the gravity of the situation . She knew in her heart that she had crossed a line, one that she could never uncross.

As the agents of the DEO swarmed the scene, their expressions a mixture of shock and horror, Kara knew that there would be consequences for her actions.