A/N: Thanks for all the positive responses guys! I'm glad you're liking it. I usually plan out my stories much more, but this one is kind of writing itself so it's taking a little longer for me to work out. I'll try to keep the updates steady, though. Just as a reference, this takes place after 2x08 (because oh my goodness that kiss), but we're gonna pretend that Kara didn't go to an alternate universe. Keep reviewing; all types of constructive criticism and ideas for the story are welcome. Thanks a bunch for reading!
Alex woke with a start, her chest heaving. Her eyes blinked wildly as she tried to make sense of her surroundings, but she could see only darkness. Alex immediately pulled at her hands and feet, wincing when she felt the cold, metal handcuffs dig into her skin. She ignored the bubble of panic that was quickly rising to her throat and instead closed her eyes calmly, allowing her other senses to take over.
Drip. Wherever she was, it was cool and drafty, a shiver running down her bare arms. A musty smell hung in the air, combined with a strong scent of something metallic. She hadn't been wearing shoes when she was taken, and she could feel the concrete ground beneath her. She shifted slightly, feeling the chair she was bound to. Her spirit diminished slightly when she realized it was made out of metal; that made it much more difficult to escape from. She opened her eyes with the hope of making out something, groaning in frustration when she could not.
Without warning, there was a loud bang accompanied by bright lights flooding into the room. Her eyes involuntarily shut as they painfully adjusted to the sudden change. When they finally opened, Alex could see three figures in front of her: two of the muscled men that had abducted her and one very smug Lillian Luthor. She fixed Lillian with her most threatening glare. "Where am I?" She growled.
Lillian merely laughed at her acerbity. "That's not of importance, dear Alex. What you should be asking is why are you here." Alex merely glared at her venomously. "Very well, I'll answer your question. You are at Cadmus Laboratories. Well, this is one of our more… covert locations."
"What am I doing here? What do you want?" Alex played along, though she had already deduced Lillian's intentions.
"Don't belittle your own intelligence, Alex. You and I both know why you are here and what I want. I want to hurt your sister, to inflict so much pain that Kara, the amazing Supergirl, is begging for mercy. And then I will keep doing that to every alien on this Earth. Everyone is so distracted by the heroic acts that no one sees the ruin that is left behind. I am going to save this planet and you are going to help me."
"You're crazy if you think I'll help you do anything." Alex spat, her eyes filling with rage and passion. "Supergirl will come and she will defeat you."
"Your loyalty is admirable, though misguided." She took a few steps closer to Alex, bending down so that their faces were a few inches apart. "It may take some time, but you will help us, Alex. First, we will break you. We will strip you of everything that defines you, until you are just a blank slate ready to be rewritten. And then you will become the greatest weapon against aliens that this world has ever seen." She smiled evilly, her eyes connecting with Alex's before standing straight. She calmly walked over to the door, turning to the men before exiting.
"You may begin."
Kara sighed and rubbed her eyes, slumping back in the chair she was sitting in. "I think I'm going to go on rounds again. Maybe I'll see or hear something that can give us some leads."
"Kara, you've already spent hours just flying around the city. You aren't going to find Alex by wearing yourself out." J'onn said gently, laying a sympathetic hand on her shoulders.
"What else can I do?! She's been missing for at least 16 hours now, J'onn. God knows what they're doing to her. I need to do something. I need to find my sister!" Kara slammed her fists into the table in frustration, leaping up from her chair. "I can't just sit around waiting for a lead to pop up." Kara began pacing around the room anxiously.
J'onn stood, placing himself in front of her. "I know you're worried. I am too. But, we need to stay calm and focused. Blowing out your powers isn't going to help bring Alex back. You know that she'd want you to take care of yourself. Maybe you should go home, get some rest. I promise I will call you the second we get anything."
Kara immediately shook her head. "No. I can't. J'onn, we need to do something. This is Alex." Her eyes pleaded with him. Alex's phone buzzed on the table, though both were too engrossed in their conversation to notice.
J'onn frowned, turning away from her. "We've already reached out to all of our contacts for more information on Cadmus. Mr. Schott is combing through all the cameras near Alex's apartment to see if we can get any video of what happened. I have agents looking into every aspect of Lillian Luthor's life to see if there are any clues on where Cadmus might be located. Alex is one of the strongest, most talented agents I've ever seen. She'll be okay; we just need to trust that." Though he said this with confidence, J'onn's eyes were filled with uncertainty and guilt.
Kara's anger dissipated, her eyes softening as she read the guilt in his posture. "I'm sorry. I know you're doing everything you possibly can. We are going to find her." She said confidently. Their moment was broken by another buzz from Alex's phone. Kara glanced at it quickly, pausing when she saw the name on the screen. "Maybe what we need is a little more help. I'll be back soon. Let me know if anything comes up!" And with a gust of wind, she was gone.
Instantly upon walking into her favorite bar, Maggie dropped heavily into a stool and held her hand up to order a drink. "Whiskey." She muttered miserably to M'gann, checking her phone for new messages and feeling her stomach knot at the blank screen. Her drink was placed in front of her and she dropped her phone with a sigh, staring despondently into the glass.
"You're looking at that drink like it holds the solution to the universe." M'gann noted. "Everything okay?"
Maggie looked at her with troubled eyes, but didn't answer, instead taking a large a gulp from the drink. She winced as the liquor burned down her throat. M'gann raised her eyebrows in surprise, but thankfully took the hint and left to tend to other customers. Maggie was just about to take another sip but paused when she felt someone approach her from her left. "I'm not interested." Seriously, couldn't a girl drown in self-pity in peace?
"Had a rough day?" Maggie frowned at the familiarity of the voice, looking up in surprise. She gently placed her drink down on the counter before turning to face the superhero.
"You could say that. You look like you've had a rough day yourself. Care for a drink?" Maggie noted the red-rimmed eyes and slouched posture that was uncharacteristic of the usually cheery Supergirl.
Kara chuckled lightly, though it didn't reach her eyes. She slipped into the seat next to Maggie. "I didn't come here for that reason. I came here looking for you, actually."
"What, uh... What can I do for you, Supergirl?"
"I need your help." Kara said simply, her face searching Maggie's hopefully.
Maggie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You came all the way here to ask for my help? Sorry, it's just... well, usually one of your super secretive agents tends to handle this sort of thing." She was thinking of one agent in particular, an agent that was clearly avoiding her. She took another sip of her Whiskey.
"Maggie, it's Alex." Maggie's head shot up, fear and worry instantly coloring her features.
"What happened? Is she okay?"
Kara looked around nervously before dropping her voice. "She's been taken. I need your help getting her back. Please, will you-" Maggie was already getting up and slipping her coat over her shoulders, dropping bills onto the counter though her drink was unfinished.
"Lead the way."