Ring ring ring…
The sound of a phone vibrating came from Laurel's bag, snapping Jack Kadere out of his thoughts. He cut off the surge of electricity dancing between his fingers, bent down, and rummaged through the bag until he pulled out the phone.
No caller ID. Unknown number.
He narrowed his eyes, considered it briefly, then tapped the answer button.
"Is that you?" a familiar, breathless voice asked.
"Felicity?" Jack raised an eyebrow, surprised she was calling Laurel's phone.
"Oh, thank God." Felicity sounded like she'd just sprinted across the room. "Listen, there are about seven or eight heavily armed operatives outside. Definitely not local police. They're about to breach. You need to get out of there now!"
"Any idea who they are?" Jack asked, sparing a glance at the unconscious Laurel slumped nearby.
"I've got a few guesses but—"
"Let me know when you're sure."
Jack didn't hang up. He simply slid the phone into his coat pocket, then picked up two steel rods lying nearby. Without much effort, he bent them into U-shapes. The thick bars groaned under the pressure of his hands, but he shaped them like pipe cleaners.
He pulled Laurel to her feet and dragged her over to the concrete wall. Straightening her arms, he braced them outward and shoved the steel restraints around them—then slammed both ends deep into the wall like it was drywall.
The reinforced wall cracked and gave way like it was made of plaster. A moment later, Laurel was suspended upright, locked in place.
Poor woman. This was only her second time encountering Jack, and both times ended with her unconscious and pinned to something by steel bars.
Last time it was the floor. This time, the wall.
At least this time he hadn't stripped her. Yet.
"I've got a match," Felicity's voice came through the pocket.
Jack pulled out the phone.
"Most of them are masked, but there's one who's definitely in charge. You won't believe it—Dinah Lance. Yeah, that Dinah. Ex-wife of Quentin Lance, mother of Laurel. I tried to dig deeper but her access clearance is… high. Like, your level of high. You two aren't… connected, are you?"
"Nope. Never met her," Jack said with a short laugh. "You did good. I'll owe you a favor when I get back."
"Just don't get shot, okay?"
He ended the call, wiped the log, and tucked the phone away. Then he took the flashlight from Laurel's bag and clicked it on, letting the beam illuminate her face. She didn't stir.
Just then, a creaking sound came from the factory entrance.
Clink… clink…
The door cracked open just a sliver.
Fwwmp!
A flashbang clattered across the floor.
BOOM!
Light exploded across the warehouse like a miniature sun, followed by the pounding rush of combat boots as masked agents in tactical gear stormed inside with military precision. Weapons raised, eyes scanning for hostiles.
But they found something they didn't expect.
Their supposed target stood calm, almost smiling, beside the restrained Laurel, seemingly unaffected by the blinding light.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sharp clack of heels echoed across the concrete floor as a middle-aged woman stepped through the open doorway.
Her presence was quiet but commanding—shoulder-length hair perfectly styled, suit pressed crisp, face unreadable. She scanned the warehouse, her eyes settling first on Jack Kadere and then on Laurel Lance, still pinned helplessly against the wall in her steel restraints.
Her brow creased, and she opened her mouth to speak—
Crack.
Electric sparks snapped to life around Jack like an unseen storm had gathered at his fingertips.
Then he raised his hand.
"Boom."
A surge of lightning erupted from his palm, amplified a hundredfold. The current shaped itself into a monstrous form—a glowing blue serpent of raw electricity. It lunged forward with terrifying speed, its crackling jaws wide as it devoured the incoming tactical squad in one vicious blast.
Inside the belly of the lightning beast, guns overloaded and burst into flame. Screams rang out, followed by the heavy thud of agents dropping like flies, their armor useless against the voltage tearing through them.
But the electric serpent didn't stop.
It slithered through the air, weaving forward until it reached the woman in the heels—then abruptly halted.
The blue coils circled around her slowly, deliberately. The enormous head hovered near her face, electrical currents sparking across its flickering tongue. The air was heavy with static, enough to raise the hairs on her arms and neck.
But she didn't flinch.
She just stood there, watching Jack calmly as he approached.
Jack tilted his head, a curious smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Surprised? Or just really good at pretending?"
Thump.
Her knees buckled without warning. She collapsed to the floor, her earlier composure cracking. The calm, confident agent was gone—replaced by someone trying to hold back fear.
Jack paused for a moment, amused. "I thought you were the stoic type. Guess that act has a time limit."
He circled her slowly, electricity still pulsing at his fingertips like it was alive. "So… who are you really?"
The woman's gaze flicked between the python of lightning beside her and the unconscious agents strewn across the ground. Her eyes landed briefly on her daughter, still restrained on the far wall, then finally returned to Jack.
She swallowed. "My name is Dinah Lance. I'm with ARGUS."
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Advanced Research Group for Uniting Superhumans," she clarified. "We're a black-ops agency under the U.S. government. Our job is to monitor, contain, and, if necessary, neutralize metahuman threats."
Jack chuckled. "Let me guess. You think I'm the threat?"
"You've left quite the trail—from Gotham to here," she said quietly. "And now, you've detained a civilian under highly questionable circumstances. So yes, you're a concern. But we came to talk, not kill."
He glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious agents. "This your idea of small talk?"
"They were a precaution," Dinah said, her voice regaining a bit of edge. "None of them fired a shot, did they? We just needed to assess your disposition before making contact. But if you release Laurel, I'll offer a formal apology and we can speak properly."
Jack raised a brow.
This was getting interesting.
***********
Funny how I can't recall any Dinah Lance as an ARGUS agent. Author cooked things here.
In the Arrowverse, ✅ Lyla Michaels — John Diggle's ex-wife — is a high-ranking A.R.G.U.S. operative, eventually its Director, and plays a major role across multiple Arrowverse seasons and crossovers.