[The Peak] Purpose In The Machine

Kara's earpiece switched off with the touch of a finger and proceeded to give herself an additional boost before exiting Earth's atmosphere proper. The Blue Planet's hue quickly faded into black, flickering spots of light coming into view. The bright ball at the center of the solar system made itself more prominent. The source of her powers. Funny how stuff like that worked. Kara had a mostly complete knowledge on how the Sun affected her, but there was still something about it that was a mystery. Right now, however, her eyes were fixated on Earth's companion. And more importantly, what laid behind it.

Flying through space hadn't stopped being a strange feeling. Kryptonians aren't adversely affected by the vacuum of space, unless they, for whatever unreasonable reason, decide to try and breathe. They can still fly at tremendous speeds, however. And more importantly, they hold their breath as they do so. Being as quick as they are, holding their breath isn't a hardship, which they can do for hours on end anyway. But Kara was never a fan of that. She didn't try to find a reason for it, she just didn't like the mild sensation of it. At least space was rather picturesque, making travel through the cold void much more bearable.


After a moment's notice (slightly exaggerated), Supergirl was soaring past the Moon, until its horizon gradually began to reveal her point of arrival. Located just past the Moon, the Peak was the primary headquarters of SWORD. ARGUS sure liked its subsidiaries having acronyms of all sorts. The Peak's name gave its appearance clear context. The widest portion of the main body was topped of with a jagged end, the station's width decreasing as it went on. In a similar fashion, the body's extension were its three circular sub-stations, each attached to a part of the main body, all being different sizes in conjunction with the body's narrowing shape.

The Peak housed the bulk of SWORD's forces and operations, its mission being the same since its founding: observation of space beyond Earth and response to possible threats looming in the vast emptiness. Kara had been to the Peak a few times, though only when asked. Her focus was still Earth and more importantly, her own life. So far, those priorities were deemed acceptable.

Kara was to land on the very top, the largest part of the Peak, before having to make her way downward to her boss' office. She knew a faster way, but that wasn't allowed. A tactic, Kara was sure of it. She soared past the myriad of ships surrounding the station and its rings, taking in the busy energy that seemed to permeate throughout. Descending to the landing platform, she went through the station's gravity field that doubled as a pressurization field. A very faint hum echoed as she did so. Kara breathed in and out a few times as she landed, as if needing to remind herself she could do that again.

She made her way to the nearest elevator, giving nods and friendly greetings to the workers and agents who passed her. Kara didn't know most of those people, too many to keep track of, despite her memory. It brought into focus just how large the organization was that happened to employ her. All of them had their own stories, big and small. In comparison, Kara would seem boring next to a lot of them. A humbling prospect.

Supergirl's elevator ride went through a dozen levels of the station at least. Parts of it opening up to the Peak's interior. A sprawling city in its own right, small figures moving all around the place. The fact that some people seemed tiny there spoke of the impressive size of the station. There were several people in the elevator with Kara, though once she reached the required level, she was the only one left. Stepping out, Kara was greeted with a fairly small lobby of sorts. Looking directly in front, she saw the office she was supposed to enter. To the right, her boss' assistant sat behind a well-equipped desk. Supergirl made her way to the desk, the assistant's head rising, both of their eyes met. A subconscious decision was made then as to who would speak first.

"Supergirl, welcome back to the Peak. Director Bones will be ready for you shortly."

"Thank you."

Kara had a dozen other things she could've said and commented on, but opted for a simple thanks instead. The assistant's professional yet warm demeanor helped ease Kara's mild anxiety. She gestured the hero to take a seat in one of the many deceptively comfortable chairs across the reception desk. Did he make her wait on purpose? Maybe, but she could do little until his skull peeked from his office door and invite her in. Well... she could break down the door. Though that wouldn't look good on her performance review, would it?