It hurt.
Astra couldn't breathe as she remembered what had just happened a few weeks ago. Again, under Non's control after so long had gone by. Fighting her own niece. And the other fight... it was horrible to think of it now.
Now she was under house arrest in Kara's and Alex's apartment.
"Astra?"
The alien looked up as Alex Danvers stepped into the apartment. "Oh, hey."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You've been... crying."
"What? No, I haven't." Astra turned away, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Yes, you have. Now..." Alex sat on the couch and pulled Astra toward her, letting her lay her head on her shoulder. "What happened? It's not feeling guilty about fighting Kara, is it?"
"No, it's not. It's... nothing you need to know about."
"Astra..." Alex gestured to the Kryptonite sword still strapped across her back as she took it off and set it in the table next to the couch. "Don't make me poke you with this."
"Okay, okay!" Astra shuddered at remembering how General Lane had once stabbed her with the needle full of Kryptonite. "I'll tell you. It's... about Non."
"What about him?"
"After my battle with Kara, when I disappeared for a bit, Non took me back to our base, shouting that I had surrendered and deserved to be disgraced for what I had done, giving up after so long. He... he hurt me, Alex. And... when he was almost done basically torturing me... he..."
"He what? What did Non do?"
"He... forced himself on me. Didn't do anything to help me prepare, to lessen any pain... Alex, it hurt..." Astra's sobs filled the room and she buried her face in Alex's chest.
"Shh, it's okay now." Alex gently lifted Astra's chin so that their eyes met. "Non should be gone. And even if it turns out that he's not... I won't let him touch you."
"How can you...?"
Alex silenced her with a kiss. And not just a little peck on the forehead either. A full kiss. A passionate one. She wrapped her arms around Astra's waist, tugging her so that they were both stretched along the couch. When Alex finally pulled away, Astra was staring at her in shock.
"You... why?"
"Astra... I love you. And I want to help you."
"I..." Astra sniffed. "I love you too... but what will Kara think of us? I mean... I'm her aunt."
"And she's dating Lena Luthor, so I think we're all right."
A crashing sound from the window startled Astra and she fell to the floor. Kara looked up to see the window shattered and Astra barely had time to move before she had Alex's Kryptonite blade point pressed against her chest, with Non being the holder of it.
"Non!" Alex yanked out her gun.
"So you're sitting with someone who once tried to destroy her niece, who happens to be your adoptive sister?" Non laughed. "A shame she won't be around anymore."
Alex rushed forward, but Non slammed Astra into the ground again and slashed the Kryptonite sword through her a few times.
The scream that ripped from her was similar to the one from Silver Banshee, who she'd heard about from her sister, but this one wasn't an attacking sound. No, it was more pain than could ever be comprehended. More than she could ever bear.
"ASTRA!" Alex wailed, launching herself at Non. The sword was supposed to leave no marks, but the Kryptonite in her system would weaken her and weaken her until her systems stopped.
I can't let you die.
Non had dropped the sword, knowing it could weaken him too and backed away, grinning.
He's deranged. He wouldn't kill his own ex-wife.
But before she could stop him, he was out the window again. She carefully put the sword back in its sheath once he'd left, then looked back.
"No... Astra..." Alex knelt down and moved Astra into her arms, pressing her lips against hers. In Non's place came Kara as Supergirl, with Lena Luthor hanging in her grasp, and Alex quickly pulled away. Kara set Lena down away from the broken glass and raced over to Alex.
"What happened?" she breathed.
"Non," Alex whispered back.
Astra felt the warm hands lift her body into the air and she immediately blacked out.
I can't... I can't do it anymore.
More tears slipped from Astra's eyes as she sat in Kara's apartment again. Alex was in her own room and Kara and Lena were out on a date. She could still feel immense pain from Kryptonite inside her, even though Maxwell Lord and Kara has helped get most of it out. Even so... she still feared it would kill her.
I will let it though. I have no one left to live for... even Alex. She might love me, but she's better off without me.
The Kryptonite had temporarily robbed her of her powers, except for flying... and she was okay with that, ready to leave.
But then chaos erupted.
Alex burst out of her room, wild-eyed, gasping, "Astra, we need to go! Kara needs us!"
"What's going on?"
"I don't know, but she mentioned Non and Lena and... let's just go!"
"Tell me where and I'll carry you."
"Fine."
Astra hooked her arms around Alex's waist and rose into the air. Alex started to guide her by voice directions, over to the skyscraper which Kara was waiting by, hovering in the air. Police cars, an ambulance, and a firetruck were waiting at the bottom of it and the space between them was bustling with activity.
"What happened?" Astra questioned.
"Lena..." Kara buried her face in her hands. "Non was there... he held Lena over the edge... I couldn't save her in time... she fell..."
"I'm so sorry..." Astra shifted Alex to one arm and hugged Kara with the other.
"It was so far... she may not survive this..."
"And neither will you!" Suddenly, Non's voice echoed through the air and then he crashed into Astra, Kara, and Alex, splitting them apart. Alex fell and Kara dashed down to catch her. Non grabbed Astra by the throat, stabbing a new Kryptonite sword into her chest. Astra groaned, her flying powers weakening, and she spiraled away from him. She was already close to the ground by the time Kara caught Alex and Astra winced as she felt enough pain that she couldn't even scream from when she crashed. Only gasps escaped her as Kara zoomed down to her. She put Alex down, who ran to Astra with tears streaming from her eyes.
"Astra... you barely survived the last time... don't leave me..."
"I... can't..."
Alex leaned down and kissed Astra's forehead, right before pulling her into her arms and kissing her again, this time on the lips. Kara watched with a helpless look on her face. After Astra finally fell unconscious, Alex quickly called Hank, who arrived fast.
"What is happening, Agent Danvers?" he inquired through narrowed red eyes.
Alex tried to speak, but only sobs came out. She eventually regained her voice and said, "Non... he had Kryptonite... his own protection too... he hurt her..."
"Alex, we need to return her to the DEO..."
"To be taken and experimented on?" Alex retorted, grateful that no one was taking an interest in Astra but them. Everyone was occupied with the shocking news of Lena's fall. "Don't forget General Lane still comes around a lot. If he finds her, he could send her to Project Cadmus!"
"We'll defend her as much as we can," Hank assured. "But she needs the tech we have back there to recover."
"I won't let her be sent to Cadmus!" Alex roared. "I won't!" She kissed Astra's forehead again to calm herself down.
As the two of them began to make the escape to somewhere they wouldn't be found, with Hank calling for transport to the DEO, neither of them noticed Kara go in the other direction, flying over the ambulance holding Lena as it started to move, a heartbroken look on her face.
Back at the DEO:
Alex watched sadly as the DEO doctors took Astra to a secluded room, eyes wet with tears. Kara returned soon after to find her standing there, crying.
"You love her, don't you?"
Kara's voice took her by surprise.
"Yes..." Alex sniffed. "I've loved her for a while... it was only before when Non attacked her in your apartment that she ever revealed she loved me too."
"I'm sorry about Non though."
"Kara, it's worse than I thought. Before, when Non came to the apartment... right before that, Astra had told me what Non had done to her... how he'd basically tortured her and then forced himself on her without any consent or gentleness."
"Oh my god..."
"Now do you see why it's bad?"
"Oh, it's more than bad." Kara adopted an enraged expression. "On Krypton, the punishment for that is a slow death being tortured in Fort Rozz."
Alex gulped and Kara was speechless for a moment.
"He will pay," she said after a bit, clenching her cape in one fist. "He cannot torture my aunt like he did and get away with it."
Three days later, in the dead of night...
"Kara?"
The blond woman opened her eyes slightly, mumbling, "What?"
"We have to get down to the DEO. Someone's broken in."
"Huh? Are they still there?"
"We think so. But Kara... it could be Non."
Kara literally jumped out of bed and slipped into Supergirl mode. "Then let's get there fast." She picked up Alex and flew out the still-broken window so hurriedly that Alex nearly threw up when they arrived at the DEO. But she controlled herself and found Hank, yelling over the deafening sound of alarms.
"What's going on?"
"Someone's broken into Astra's room and locked the door. Our agents are about to get in."
Alex nodded and practically flew to the alien's room, pushing through the soldiers and slicing her reimbursed Kryptonite sword that she'd brought through the locked door. It had already been practically broken (but not able to be seen through) from the soldiers' attempts and the final slash vanquished the door handle and creaked the door open. She slipped her sword into its sheath and darted inside, going white at the sight.
The room had been destroyed.
A lot of the equipment had been demolished and Astra herself lay stripped and entirely motionless near the wall, her body ravaged by cuts and bruises. The Kryptonite has weakened her so much that she had been able to bleed more than ever. And when Alex saw the awkward position, the pained expression, the broken glass, the blood between her legs... she knew exactly what Non had done to her.
"There's one person we know who can do something about this," Kara murmured. "Who will know more than any of us about this."
"Oh no... but you said she can't know about Astra and I..."
"We have to." Kara took a deep breath. "We need to call my mother."
Alex let Kara do the deed while she held Astra's practically lifeless body in her arms, moving her out of range of the destruction. Hank helped her get to a safe room and she vowed that she wouldn't let Astra go so easily. She'd keep her breathing. The new room was dark, with no equipment (however, Hank said he would bring some to keep her alive). She lay on the floor, one arm around Astra's waist and the other on her chest, making sure her heartbeat was steady.
"My love..." she whispered, doing as much as she could to keep her warm as well. "I'm sorry..."
At last, the door opened and in walked Alura. She halted when she saw them together and the expression on her face was shocked, but calculating, as if she was trying to figure out why it was Alex with her instead of Kara.
"What happened?" she asked at last. "Kara called me and told me there was an emergency with my sister..."
"We're pretty sure Non broke in..." Alex sighed. "He got to Astra... she's weakened too much from it..."
Alura stepped forward slowly. "Is someone coming to help?"
"Hank is. He needs to."
The terrified look on Alex's face gave everything away and Alura's eyes widened.
"Non didn't... he couldn't have... that's the most punishable crime on Krypton..."
"He's out of his mind," Alex replied tearfully. "He wouldn't have hurt her otherwise..."
Alura sank to her knees, taking her sister's body from Alex, who grunted as she got up with her. Hank soon came into the room and switched on the light, blinding them for a split second before he brought the equipment and machine with the sun rays in it. Both Alex and Alura didn't make a sound as Alura placed Astra into the machine.
"She's not safe anymore," Alura moaned quietly. "Come on, we need to leave them to fix her. I can't watch this."
"I'm not leaving," Alex snapped stubbornly. "I won't leave her to die without me."
"She won't die without us. And you need to come with me."
"No!" Alex reached forward and held Astra's hand tightly. "I can't!"
Alura blinked in surprise. "No way... you and her..."
"Yes, me and her. Now back off, Alura!"
"You and I need to talk anyway. So come with me now!"
"No."
Rolling her eyes, Alura wrapped her arms around Alex, yanking her away from Astra. Alex cried into her hands as Alura dragged her out and dropped her on the floor.
"Astra, Alex? Are you kidding me?!" She crossed her arms as Alex looked up at her, a defiant look on her face. "My sister is maybe fifteen years older than you! What are you thinking?"
Alex didn't answer.
"Crushing on her and thinking she doesn't have a choice in the matter? There is no way she could love you back..."
"She does."
"What?" Alura staggered back as if Alex had pushed her. "That cannot be true. I know my sister. She wouldn't ever love someone who didn't match her in strength."
"Your sister is also gentler now. And we love each other."
"What have you done to her...?"
"I haven't done anything. We love each other, simple as that."
"Have you... please tell me you two haven't kissed yet..."
"Oh, believe me, we have. And we would have gone farther if Non hadn't shown up."
"She's older than you and she's my sister!" Alura narrowed her eyes.
"I don't care. So shut the hell up about it!"
"Okay, why are you cursing at my mother?" Kara swooped in and stood between them. "What happened?"
"Ask your adopted sister," Alura growled, "who seems to be doing something to your aunt. Ugh, they even... they almost made love to each other!"
"So what?" Kara's eyes flashed. "People can love whoever they wish. There is the age of consent that makes that a problem, but Alex and Astra are both above that age. There is no other problem."
"This would never be allowed on Krypton."
"But we aren't on Krypton. This is Earth. And Alex isn't even a Kryptonian. She doesn't have to follow those rules. And neither does Aunt Astra now."
Alura was glaring back at Kara. "I can't believe you're condoning this."
"Mom, think of your sister right now. She wouldn't want us fighting about this or having to fight with you when she wakes up. If she wakes up."
Alura's expression softened a tiny bit. "Kara..."
"Forget it. I'm going to visit Lena." She flew out of the DEO. Alex, worn out from her sobbing, leaned against the wall, swaying on her feet. Still glaring a little, Alura reached out to touch her shoulder and she pushed her away. "Get the fuck off of me!"
"Alex, surely you can see why I don't want you with my sister."
"All I can see is that you're trying to prevent us from loving who we love." Alex took a few breaths. "I'm going for a walk."
"Alex..."
"Shut up and get away from me!"
Four days later...
Kara's temper, unfortunately, did not improve, as she soon discovered that her beloved Lena Luthor was likely to die. Alura felt bad about what she had said to Alex, but she still stood strongly behind the idea that her sister and her should not be together, so Alex's mood did not improve toward her. They had all been staying at the DEO for a while.
But then Astra finally woke up.
Hank was the first to yell the news and Alex came running, Alura and Kara close on her heels. Alura shot Alex a slightly dark look as they entered the room, but didn't make a single comment. Astra was really awake, so Kara ordered Hank to open the machine and he did. Astra had been neatly dressed in a loose-fitting black jumpsuit.
"Astra..." Alex reached over and slowly brought her up to a sitting position. "God, I'm so glad you're still alive."
"Me too, sweetheart." Astra leaned forward to kiss Alex, then flicked her gaze toward Alura. "Oh no..."
"Don't even think about it," Kara growled at her mother. "Not when she's injured."
Alura inhaled a sharp breath. "Sister, how could he do that to you?"
"You mean..."
"Yes."
"I don't know..."
"We need to destroy him," Kara added. "We won't let Non hurt you anymore."
"Of course, there is still the matter of..."
"No!" Kara cut Alura off.
"Yes." Alura pulled Kara out of the way and stood over her sister, her face a mask of disapproval.