***
"I don't suppose there's any way to know when the Legionnaires will arrive?" Slade asked Mon-El as they leaned against the main console at the D.E.O.
"Unfortunately, no," Mon-El sighed. "I'm basically the kid watching out the window."
Slade nodded, then tilted his head when he heard cheerful whistling. He and Mon-El turned to see Winn saunter into the room, then attach something to his belt. A shimmer of energy went up him, then he turned to the nearest agent. "Yo, Demos! Punch me." Both the Daxamite's and the Australian's eyebrows shot up, which was similar to the surprise on the other agent's face as he turned in his chair to look at Winn. "You heard me," Winn nodded. "Punch me!"
Demos grinned, jumping out of his chair. "Finally!"
"Seriously?" Winn blinked. "You're not even gonna ask – "
Demos threw a right hook at his stomach, but the shimmer of energy appeared, and Demos hissed, shaking his hand and looking at Winn in surprise. Slade tilted his head in surprise, and Mon-El grinned. "I have to admit, I was expecting that."
"Eh?" Winn grinned and did a turn on the spot. "Huh? Eh?"
"You know, that wasn't as satisfying as I'd imagined," Demos frowned. "And I've imagined it. What happened?"
"An omnidirectional, self-maintaining, subatomic personal shield," Winn declared, showing them the device on his belt. "Boom!"
"That could be useful," Slade said, impressed. "How does it work?"
"Oh," Winn pulled a notebook towards him. "You know what? Here." He drew something out, then gestured to it. "Check it."
Demos raised an eyebrow. "That literally looks like nothing."
Winn looked like he'd been insulted. "Dude! It's a frequency conversion . . . you know what, don't worry about it," he waved it off. "It's all good. Point is, I invented it, and considering the close call Deathstroke and Black Wolf had with that ammo the other day, I thought I would try and whip up something that could protect those who protect and serve. It's like a magnet for atoms."
"Nice idea, Winn," Mon-El nodded.
"As happy as I was to stop that bullet from hitting her, I'd like to avoid that again," Slade agreed.
"You're a genius," Demos smiled, offering a high-five.
Winn laughed giddily as he high-fived him. "Change the world, that's what I do. Oh!" He took it off his belt and tossed it to Demos, who fumbled before catching it. "Check it. You know what?" He tore the page out of the book. "You know what, this is top secret research."
"Enjoy!" Mon-El called after Winn as he left.
"I thought that would mean," Demos trailed off, holding the device out to Slade.
"My armor will do for now," Slade shook his head.
"And I'm bulletproof, so enjoy," Mon-El clapped Demos on the shoulder.
Demos considered the device in his hands, then grinned and headed back to his station.
***
J'onn took a deep breath, then walked into the room his father waited in. M'yrnn opened his eyes and looked at his son, who was draped in Martian robes like him. "I am ready, my son," he declared, extending his arm.
J'onn swallowed hard. "There's so much I wanna say to you, but I'm afraid that once we start, I won't get a chance to finish it all."
"No," M'yrnn shook his head. "Our thoughts, our will flow freely as we begin The Reach." J'onn nodded, then unlocked the cuff around his wrist. M'yrnn inhaled sharply, his eyes brightening. "My mind is free again," he marveled.
"Shall we kneel?" J'onn offered.
"Yes," M'yrnn nodded. J'onn followed his father's actions to kneel on the pillows set up for them. "The process will begin with my most recent memories, and travel back through my life, and then the lives of all those I am connected to," M'yrnn explained. "It will be painful at times as we venture back through my imprisonment. But we will break through those barriers, and you will touch the parchment of the sacred scrolls, breathe the air on Mars, moments after its creation."
J'onn inhaled, then nodded. "I am ready to face it all."
M'yrnn smiled proudly. "I never imagined that my memories, the history of our people and our religion, would live on when I passed. And now, all of it will in you." J'onn closed his eyes, and he reached out to touch the Staff of Kolar. "Let us begin," M'yrnn nodded, and waves of turquoise energy swept out of the staff and around them.
***
As Peace Officers escorted Thara out of the building, Kara took a deep breath. "Selena couldn't have known I was going to come back after she gave me the Harun-El. Not so soon, at least. She had to have another plan to get to Earth. Are there any other ships on Argo?"
"No," Alura shook her head. "They were all destroyed, and we've rebuilt nothing."
"Could the Legion help?" William asked, looking around. "You sent a message to them, right?"
"We did," Oliver nodded, holding up the disc in his hand. "Though looking at this, I don't think we'd be able to call them here."
Alura frowned, thinking hard. "All your father wanted to do was save us all."
"He built this dome," Kara gestured. "He saved Argo."
"He was looking for another way, but he never got it completed in time," Alura said slowly, starting to smile. "Maybe that's what Selena was planning on using. She knew it existed, she had to get it working."
"Get what working?" Kara frowned.
"The transmat portal," Alura answered. "Your father had been developing it to get every Kryptonian off the planet before it exploded, but he failed."
"Where's this portal now?" Oliver asked, standing up from where he was sitting.
***
Alura led them deeper into the city, and Kara's breath caught when she stepped into the room. "Father's lab," she whispered in awe as lights flickered on. "I can't believe it's still here!" Oliver watched her dart around like a child in a candy store, exploring where her father had worked, and he automatically raised a hand to the ring around his neck, the one Zor-El had gifted Kara before she left Krypton. "I spent so many afternoons with him here," she smiled widely. "Sometimes, when he was working on a problem, he'd use me as a sounding board. He talked to me like I was another scientist." She turned and smiled at her mother. "He'd make me feel the most important person that ever existed."
Alura smiled back, wrapping her in a hug. "I wish I could've met him," William whispered to Oliver.
"Me, too, buddy," Oliver squeezed his shoulder. "But I'm glad we have Alura."
***
"The stage is set for the ceremony to bring forth Reign," Coville announced as he rejoined the priestesses.