Chapter 8: The Interrogation

Located in a nondescript neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, the safe house offered refuge from prying eyes.

Inside the safe house, Mercy Graves wasted no time in putting her plan into action. She ordered Supergirl to sit on the plush sofa in the living room, her voice firm and commanding.

"Sit," she commanded, her tone brooking no argument.

Supergirl, still under the influence of Vartox's hypnotic control, remained seated, her posture rigid as she awaited Mercy's command. Her eyes held a vacant gaze, betraying the lingering effects of the mind-altering influence.

"Yes, Ma'am," Supergirl replied obediently, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. The words fell from her lips like an automated response, lacking the usual warmth and conviction that characterized her speech.

Mercy watched Supergirl closely, a mixture of pity and resolve stirring within her. She knew that Supergirl was not acting of her own volition, that she was merely a puppet in Vartox and Lex Luthor's twisted game. Yet, despite the sympathy she felt, Mercy remained resolute in her determination to exploit Supergirl's vulnerability for their own gain.

With a heavy sigh, Mercy pushed aside her fleeting doubts, focusing instead on the task at hand. Lex Luthor had a plan to execute, and Supergirl's compliance, albeit coerced, was a crucial component in their scheme to succeed planned by him which Mercy was not privy to.

Mercy regarded Supergirl, knowing that she had to tread carefully and ask the right questions if she was to extract some information about Supergirl other than the information they already knew.

"Does the D.E.O have any other way to locate you when you're not in your superhero costume?" Mercy asked, her voice sharp with intent.

Supergirl shook her head, her eyes glazed over as she struggled to form coherent thoughts. "No," she replied simply, her voice distant and hollow.

Mercy frowned, her mind racing as she processed Supergirl's response. It confirmed her suspicions since they already scanned Supergirl's body at the warehouse where the scanner found no other tracking devices, but she needed more information if they were to exploit the D.E.O's weaknesses to their advantage.

"Why doesn't the D.E.O track you when you're in your superhero costume?" Mercy pressed, her tone probing for answers.

Supergirl paused for a moment before responding. "Because they trust me," she replied, her voice flat. "My sister, Alex Danvers, is a Director at the D.E.O."

Mercy's eyes narrowed at the mention of Alex Danvers, a name she knew all too well. It was such a easy connection that Mercy did not think possible but it still happened all because Supergirl's sister worked for D.E.O.

Mercy thought that if Alex Danvers has that much power that she could remove the protocol of tracking aliens just because Supergirl was her sister then she might be more dangerous. Mercy will report this back to Lex Luthor the next day.

"How does the D.E.O know when you're fighting and send reinforcements to help you?" Mercy continued, her voice soft but insistent because this one thing bugged her more and Lex Luthor, who she served and loved, would not give a straight answer.

Supergirl's brow furrowed as she struggled to piece together the fragmented memories under Vartox's lingering influence. Her gaze drifted momentarily, lost in a distant recollection before refocusing on Mercy.

"They... have their ways," Supergirl began slowly but her voice still monotone. "The D.E.O. employs advanced surveillance technology, including satellites and street-level sensors, to monitor the city. When there's a disturbance, they receive an alert and if it's deemed a threat, they dispatch reinforcements. "

Mercy leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she processed Supergirl's words. "And how do they determine when to intervene?" she pressed, her tone sharp with curiosity.

Supergirl replied. "They prioritize threats," she explained by giving an example. "If I'm facing a human adversary, they tend to stay out of it. But if it's an extraterrestrial threat, they'll send reinforcements."

Mercy nodded, absorbing and writing the information with a sense of satisfaction. The D.E.O.'s selective intervention presented a potential weakness that could be exploited to their advantage and she thinks Lex Luthor might have already known this information. It was also clear that the D.E.O had their own agenda which she did not know and they would stop at nothing to protect their interests.