Chapter 1

Kara Danvers strode purposefully through the underground halls of the DEO's secret base, heading for the main control room. She wore her Supergirl costume, the red cape billowing behind her as she walked. Ten minutes ago she'd received a text from her sister requesting her presence at her "other job". Hank's got something to tell us, the message had said. Kara knew that Alex wouldn't ask her to leave her post at CatCo unless it was important so she'd made a hurried excuse to Cat Grant that she would most likely regret later and raced out of the building, pulling her civilian clothes off as she went. She had arrived at the DEO base within minutes.

The control room door hissed open and she stepped through, glancing around to find Alex and Hank Henshaw engaged in conversation in the centre of the room. Other agents flitted about, monitoring computer screens and talking into headsets. There was a buzz surrounding the activity that made Kara feel like she'd stepped into a beehive.

'Hey guys,' she said, greeting her sister and her boss, 'I got here as fast as I could. What's going on?'

'Ah, Supergirl,' Hank began, 'good, you're here. I need to have a word with you and Alex in private. Come with me.'

He turned and headed for a door on the opposite side of the room. Kara shot a questioning glance at Alex. She shrugged and they followed the Director through the door and into one of the many corridors that connected the base. They turned left at the first intersection and Hank led them to a door about halfway down a dead end hallway. He pressed his palm onto the bioscanner lock that secured the room and there was a satisfying click as the system registered the correct fingerprint combination. The Danvers sisters entered the room and Hank closed the door firmly behind them.

Kara looked around at the small office, a place at the DEO that she'd never ventured before. It was a neat room lit by two wide electric rods on the ceiling that gave off a slightly blue-tinged hue. A huge desk took up most of the space, its surface covered with papers, pens, a tablet computer and something that resembled a paper weight. Alex figured the paper weight was some sort of weapon – maybe a grenade or a smoke bomb – in disguise. One wall was completely covered by a whiteboard that doubled as a viewing screen. Another had a large bookcase that held a number of leather bound books with no titles on their spines, giving nothing away.

Hank sat down in the swivel chair behind the desk and gestured for them to sit in the chairs that stood on the other side. As she took her seat, Alex wondered what this was all about. It must be something serious because even she hadn't been invited into the Director's personal office before. She didn't think Hank even spent that much time in here.

'Now,' Hank sighed, 'neither of you are going to like what I'm about to tell you. Hell, I don't like it. However, in the circumstances, it's necessary. As you well know, Maxwell Lord created a substance called Red Kryptonite. According to him, he developed it for use against Non and his followers should they launch an attack on the city. Obviously, it wasn't used for its intended purpose.'

Kara dropped her head with a scowl. It had been nearly three weeks since she'd been infected by the Red Kryptonite, but she still found herself in tears when the memories haunted her at night. Alex shot Hank a dark look. She certainly wasn't comfortable remembering the incident either. It wasn't just Supergirl who had been affected that day.

'The problem is,' he continued, 'we're not the only ones who know about it.' He picked up the little tablet computer and tapped the screen. The whiteboard on the wall came to life and numerous screenshots of emails and text messages flashed across it one by one. 'The DEO picked up some communications traffic over the last 48 hours originating on a forum that discussed the "alien threat" in National City. Messages that contained what we believe to be veiled references to Red Kryptonite were sent between seven different users on the forum. We traced the messages and found that the users are all members of an anti-alien online community called the Anti-Alien Resistance, but unfortunately they seem to have made an unusually complex effort to conceal their identities. I've got techs working on cracking their system, but it might take some time and I'm concerned that we might not have time.'

'Time for what?' Alex asked slowly.

'I think that this group, the AAR, are planning to steal the Red Kryptonite to fuel their anti-alien campaign. These guys are serious, Alex. We managed to intercept communications that had invoices for a large order of weapons – guns, flash bangs, that sort of thing. I believe they're plotting to infiltrate Lord Technologies.'

'So we send a team to Lord Technologies to intercept them when they get there?' Alex asked tightly.

'This is the part you're not going to like,' Hank replied, standing up and clasping his hands behind his back. 'I've decided to bring Maxwell Lord and all of his work on Red Kryptonite here to the DEO. That way, it's all protected and this AAR group won't find anything when they get to Lord Technologies as long as we're discreet with the clear out. We'll send a small tactical team in to subdue them, interrogate them and incarcerate them through the proper channels. You've got to remember Alex,' Hank said firmly, holding up a hand as Alex opened her mouth to interrupt, 'we don't technically exist. We're limited in what we can do when it comes to civilian properties.'

'Alright,' Alex huffed, 'so Maxwell Lord goes straight into a cell again and I'll head out with the tactical team and shut this operation down.'

'And I'll go with you,' Kara said immediately.

Hank sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'No. Neither of you are going. You're both going to stay here and train Maxwell Lord.'

The room went silent as Alex and Kara struggled to make sense of Hank's words.

'What?' They both said at the same time, getting to their feet in protest.

'Hank, you can't be serious!' Alex stammered.

'He tried to kill me!' Kara cried.

'Ladies!' Hank shouted, raising his hands to placate them. 'Enough! I know that this is…difficult. It's not a decision I've made lightly. That son of a bitch sure as hell doesn't deserve our protection, but if he so much as talks to the wrong person it could put all of us in danger, especially you Supergirl.'

'What the hell are we training him in?' Alex hissed, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly.

'He's going to be here working with our scientists to perfect the antidote to Red Kryptonite first and foremost, but while we've got him here we're going to tap his brain to try and find a way to defeat Non without hurting you.' He pointed at Kara who frowned, but returned to her seat. 'In the meantime, I want him trained in combat just in case the fight comes to us.'

'You want me to teach him how to fight?' Alex cried incredulously. 'You must be joking.'

'I'm sorry Alex, but that's an order.'

'What about me? I'll teach him how to fight.' Kara smirked, imagining herself punching Maxwell Lord right in the centre of his smug face.

'In order to beat Non, we're going to have to understand more about Kryptonian biology. Our scientists have done some work since you joined, but there's no way they could ever have synthesised Kryptonite like Lord did. I'm sorry Supergirl, but I need you to help him work on suppressing Non's powers.'

'So he can try to kill me again later on?' Kara burst out angrily. 'No way!'

'Do you really think I'd be doing this if I had a choice!' Hank yelled suddenly, his anger transforming his face. 'If we leave him where he is we run the risk of his knowledge falling into the hands of this anti-alien cell of whom we know next to nothing about right now! Even on his own, Lord is dangerous. At least if he's here under our supervision he can't go off running his mouth or come up with a new way to harm you without our intervention. It's not ideal, you don't think I know that? But it's what we need to do so I need you two to do your job. Can you do that?'

Alex and Kara glared at Hank as he tried to slow his breathing. He hadn't meant to lash out at them, but he hated the decisions that he was having to make. He didn't want Maxwell Lord anywhere near Alex or Kara, but this was the safest way. He had to remember that Non and his Kryptonian army were the bigger threat right now.

'Fine,' Alex spat eventually, 'but don't expect me to go easy on him.'

Hank nodded wearily, glad that the brief was out in the open. He'd been dreading this moment all morning, but now that the ball was rolling he felt a bit better. Alex might hate him for a while and Kara definitely wouldn't be talking to him anytime soon, but he knew they could both handle themselves just fine. Maxwell Lord would be the one finding life at the DEO difficult, much to his displeasure.