Maggie took a sip of her champagne as she slipped into the hot tub next to Alex. "Now tell the truth. Isn't this better than hunting down aliens in National City?"
"Better?" Alex leaned back in the hot tub, smiling at her girlfriend. "Maybe comparable."
"Comparable? This is comparable Danvers?" Putting the champagne on the edge of the tub, Maggie slid closer and asked, "So last night was it comparable when I…?" Maggie whispered in Alex's ear.
Alex's eyebrows rose up, higher and higher, with each word that Maggie said. As little giggles escaped, and Maggie finally nibbled on her earlobe, Alex turned and kissed the other woman soundly before replying, "Ah, no. That…that was much, much better. At least, I think it was. Maybe I need you to do that again to be sure."
"You need me to do that one more time?"
Holding up two fingers, Alex said, "Maybe twice, better make that three times," Alex added as she also added a third finger.
"Three times? Damn, Danvers, get you out of National City, and you actually know how to have fun. Who would have thought it?"
"Mmmm, get me alone with you, and I certainly know how to have fun."
They kissed again, Alex pulling Maggie on top of her. The kiss grew, hands sliding all over each other's body, and Alex was wondering if Maggie could do that thing in a hot tub. She wasn't sure, but she was certainly willing to give it a try.
"Alex!"
The voice startled both Alex and Maggie, making them both jump and turn. J'onn J'oonz stood in their hotel room's bathroom, watching them and waiting.
"J'onn!?" Alex shook her head while Maggie slid more of her body back under the water. "What the hell are you doing here!?"
"Come with me. We have an emergency," J'onn replied.
"No. I'm on vacation."
"I understand that. I'm sorry to interrupt, especially your…intimacy, but this is an emergency. You need to return immediately."
"J'onn, go to hell. I'm naked in a hot tub with my girlfriend. I went to another country for a reason. Go get someone else to handle it. James is there. Kara is there. You're—"
"Kara is the problem," J'onn said interrupting Alex's refusal.
"What's wrong with Little Danvers?" Maggie asked. "Uh, could you throw us our towels? I feel much more naked with you here."
"Certainly," J'onn said, tossing a towel to each of the women. "Kara has been attacking humans. We've been trying to get her in line, but she won't even talk to us. She has security at the hospital and—"
"What hospital? What are you talking about?" Alex asked as she climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself up in a towel.
"Kara didn't call you?"
Alex shook her head. "Well, she did right as we were getting on our flight. That was Thursday night. I haven't spoken to her since."
J'onn nodded. "That was the night Lena was shot."
"Lena was shot? What happened?" Maggie asked.
"What we've been able to ascertain is that while out at a nightclub with Lena on Thursday evening, a man approached Kara. They spoke briefly. He gave her something which she took, and then she turned her back on him as she began to write on it. While her back was turned to him, the man drew a gun on Kara. Lena was approaching the table and got between Kara and the gunman."
"On purpose?" Alex asked.
"On purpose," J'onn verified. "It looks as if she was rushing the gunman. The weapon went off, and Lena was shot twice. She survived the surgery but is still in the ICU listed in critical condition. She hasn't woken up."
"But she's going to be all right," Alex said.
J'onn shrugged.
"Now Kara's having a meltdown about this," Maggie stated.
"So it would seem," J'onn agreed. "Kara seems intent on finding the man responsible. She isn't working with us, and she's leaving a wide swath of damage in her wake. Alex, I'm worried she's going to kill someone."
"She wouldn't do that. Kara would never kill anyone."
"Alex, I need you to come back with me. Your sister is out of control. For her sake, come back."
"I need to go," Alex said to Maggie.
"Yeah, of course. I'll go with you. Whatever your sister needs. Hey, maybe I can help track this guy down. Do we have any leads?" Maggie asked J'onn as she followed Alex into the bedroom of the hotel room.
"We have a name, Andri Kastrati."
"Andri Kastrati," Maggie repeated. "That sounds vaguely familiar. Should I know that name?"
"He has ties to the Dushku family," J'onn further explained.
"Oh, sure, the Albanian organized crime family. I knew I'd heard his name. He's small time in a big…could you maybe go somewhere else while we changed?"
J'onn shrugged. "You do understand you're not my species. I'm sure you're attractive for your kind, Detective, but I've no interest. Plus, Alex is more like a daughter."
Walking over to the door, Maggie pulled it open. "Get. Out."
Shrugging again, J'onn strolled toward the door. "Please hurry. I have a plane fueling up on the runway for our return. However, if Kara kills someone—"
"She won't," Alex said, looking up from the clothes she'd thrown on the bed.
J'onn nodded, then left as the door closed behind him.
"Hey, hey, it's going to be fine," Maggie said as she pulled Alex into a hug.
"You heard J'onn. Kara's never violent. She understands her power and the responsibility that comes with it. She's always careful, especially around humans. What could make her lose control like this?"
"I don't know," Maggie admitted as she let Alex loose to return to packing. "Only one thing ever makes me act crazy, and right now it's you, Danvers."
The flight back to National City took about six hours. They went over the information they had on the case, including information on Kastrati and the entire Dushku syndicate. Alex was a neurotic mess the whole time. Maggie tried to be the comforting girlfriend, but for something things, there was no comforting. As much as Alex said there was no way Kara would ever cross the line and kill someone, her obvious concern showed her fears.
As the exited the plan, J'onn signaled Alex and Maggie to follow him to a waiting car. "Kara was just seen down by the waterfront. Kastrati is supposed to be boarding a ship down there, commercial freighter heading out to Europe. I'm sure Kara's heard about that. He won't be able to hide from her."
"Then we're just in time," Maggie said sliding into the backseat.
"I hope so," Alex added, sliding in next to Maggie.
The trio arrived amid chaos at the docks. People were running in abject terror, some bruised, beaten, and bloody, and those were the lucky ones. Moaning and unconscious bodies littered the ground, leaving the area looking more like a battleground than any part of National City…unless you count those under alien attack. Technically…
"What the hell happened here?" Alex asked even as she flinched back from an explosion that was both distant and too close for comfort.
"Your sister," J'onn replied, holding eye contact until Alex's immediate and obvious disagreement died on her lips. "Now you see why I had to come and get you."
Alex nodded, though inside she was still in denial. What she was seeing, this wasn't who Kara was. None of this was making sense. "Red Kryptonite? Has she been infected by red Kryptonite? Did you check for—?"
"Alex!" J'onn shook his head, and that was enough. This wasn't red Kryptonite; this was Kara.
Maggie kicked at the shoulder of one of the downed men, using a booted foot to roll him over so she could see his face. "I know this guy. He's one of the Dushku boys. So is that and that one." Maggie pointed over to two more downed men. "I bet these all are. Looks like Kara's gone on the warpath against that crime family. Well, at least we can say without a doubt that these aren't innocent men. These guys are killers. I should call in back-up. I don't have enough cuffs for all the trash we need to pick up off the road." She grabbed her cellphone, making a call.
"Alex, we need to find your sister. I expect she's over there," J'onn said with a gesture.
"Oh my God, Kara, what's going on in your head?"
A cargo ship, some 400 meters in length, had been dragged partially onto land and sat lopsided, spilling its load everywhere. Gunfire could be heard in the distance along with a mixture of shouts and screams. There were dull echoes and a tearing noise of metal that had a distinct signature of Supergirl to them.
"We should hurry," J'onn said as he took off.
"Just a human!" Alex yelled running after him, trying but failing to keep up.
Alex was several minutes behind J'onn who flew ahead but had just arrived outside the cargo ship when J'onn flew past her in the opposite direction. He landed on the ground, rolling for several feet before he came to a stop.
"J'onn?" Alex ran up to him, but J'onn was unresponsive. She looked up to see Supergirl flying lazily toward her, a man hanging from one hand. As the flying blonde drew nearer, Alex recognized the unconscious man dangling from her sister's hand as Andri Kastrati, the man who had shot Lena.
Slowly Supergirl looked her sister up and down as she said, "Well, look who's here. Your vacation ended early Alex?"
"Put him down, Supergirl. You don't want to hurt anyone else," Alex said.
"I don't want to hurt anyone?" Supergirl looked at the man in her grip. "Oh, I think you're wrong about that Alex. This someone I very much want to hurt. This someone very much deserves to be hurt, and I'm the one who should be doing it."
"You've hurt enough people."
"Have I? It doesn't feel like it. It doesn't feel like it because I'm still hurting. I'm still in pain. Someone I care about was shot because of me, may die because of me, and this is who did it. How can I stop when I still hurt so much?"
"I understand. You're hurting, and you think that if you hurt the people responsible, you'll feel better, but revenge isn't the answer. It never is. Supergirl, you need to stop. Hand Kastrati over to the police, and stop this madness. You found him. Now let the authorities take over."
"I will Alex," Supergirl replied.
Alex relaxed immediately, but her tension immediately returned at Supergirl's next words.
"I'll hand him over to the police if Lena wakes up if she survives."
"What does that mean?" Alex asked, but she already had a pretty good idea what her sister meant. As much as she didn't want to hear this response, she needed to make sure she understood.
Supergirl shrugged, the man's limp form hanging from her hand. "If Lena lives, he lives. If she doesn't…Justice, Alex, it means justice, and the kind he won't get from the police."
"Supergirl, you're better than this. You're not a killer. I know you, and you're not a killer."
"And what has that gotten me?" Supergirl replied. "My friend is in a coma in her hospital bed. Trash like this…" Supergirl lifted Kastrati up to shoulder height. "…runs rampant through our city, murdering the innocent and hiding behind the law, law that is supposed to protect the innocent but that instead shields the guilty. No, what I am hasn't been enough to protect this city or the people that matter, so maybe it's time for me to be something else."
Supergirl threw Kastrati over her shoulder and turned, flying further into the air.
"Supergirl. Supergirl! Kara!"
At Alex's use of her real name, Kara stopped.
"Look at me. Look at me!" When Kara looked back over her should, Alex said, "I know you. I know who you really are, and no matter what happens, you'll never be a murderer. No matter what you say, you'll never convince me otherwise. Come back to me. I know you're hurting, but I can help you. Let me help." Alex stood with her hand outstretched, waiting for her sister.
"Can you save Lena?" When Alex only stood, mouth open and unresponsive, Supergirl nodded. "That's what I thought. Neither can I. I've never felt so powerless. There are things in this world I can't change, people I can't save, but there are people I can stop from ever hurting anyone again. I'm going to do what I can. I'm sorry if this hurts you, Alex."
"No, don't—" Supergirl was already gone, disappeared into the sky with her passenger over her shoulder. Alex barely saw her streak away. It was the last thing she had expected to happen. Even now, Alex didn't believe it was true. Kara was many things, but she wasn't a killer.
When J'onn came to, Alex had to explain to him that Kara had escaped with Kastrati. After quite a bit of hesitation, she admitted that her sister had made a threat against him also, but still claimed that Kara wouldn't kill anyone. J'onn was less positive, reaching out to Winn to track Kara's whereabouts. The police had arrived, and Maggie gave them some updates and then left with J'onn and Alex to head back to DEO headquarters.
When they got back to the base, J'onn was immediately looking to Winn for information on Kara's whereabouts.
"Do you have her location?" J'onn asked.
"Yes," Winn replied slowly. "The thing is—"
"Just tell me," J'onn snapped back.
Winn exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair and pointing at his screen. "She's at the hospital."
"The hospital?" J'onn repeated.
Winn nodded.
"Does she have Kastrati with her?" J'onn asked.
"Uh, I don't know. You just asked me to track Kara," Winn replied.
"Winn, did she fly directly to the hospital from the docks?" Alex asked, following a hunch.
"No," Winn said, tapping at his keyboard and bringing up a display that showed a screen covered in so many yellow lines as to be almost purely yellow. "She flew back and forth all over the globe for nearly two hours, stopping all over the place, but only a minute or so at a time. I have no idea what she was doing."
"Laying a false trail. Smart, Little Danvers," Maggie noted.
"A false trail?" Winn asked.
"Winn, I need you to trace every stop that she made. I need every GPS location, understood?" J'onn ordered.
"Uh, yeah, but there are over 100 of them. She was literally all over the globe. Forget about not being in National City; most of it isn't in this country. We have some jurisdiction issues here."
"Just get it done," J'onn said in his best grumpy voice, making Winn being to type immediately. "Alex, you're with me. I'm assembling a task force—"
"I'm going to the hospital," Alex said interrupting J'onn.
"The hospital?" J'onn stared her down.
Alex nodded, her resolve unwavering. "Kara needs someone right now. She's spiraling out of control, but I still don't think she's capable of killing not on purpose and certainly not out of revenge. She's just scared, angry, and feeling alone. I can help. The last thing she needs is a bunch of DEO agents storming the hospital threatening her and making her feel like Lena is under attack again. That will just start a fight. We don't need her on the defensive again. Let me talk to her."
J'onn considered Alex's words. "You're sure about this."
"I know my sister. I have faith in her."
"You better be right. If she crosses that line, we treat her like a hostile alien, and you know what that means."
"It won't come to that J'onn," Alex assured him.
"I'm going with you," Maggie said, her hand on Alex's arm.
Alex looked over at Maggie for a moment then nodded. Maggie was the kind of support she needed loving moral support. Kara wouldn't see Maggie as a threat so that would be good. Now all they needed to do was convince one of the most powerful beings on this planet to hand over someone who had tried to murder a friend. The worst part was that Alex didn't fully disagree with what Kara was doing. It wasn't about Kara being in the wrong; it was about who Kara was and crossing a line. If a normal human crossed that line, she and the DEO could look the other way given the circumstances. Supergirl was anything but normal. Supergirl was extraordinary and needed special rules all of the time. This was one of them, and right now it sucked.
The drive over to the hospital was one-sided. Maggie made a series of attempted starts to failed conversations while Alex stewed. Technically, Alex was just worried. Even a hand reaching over with comfort was met with Alex withdrawing hers. Physically and emotionally, Alex was pulling away. By the time they got to the hospital, Maggie needed to clear the air.
As they stepped out of the car, Maggie moved in front of Alex before they could enter the hospital. "Hey, enough of this crap Danvers. Don't shut me out."
"I'm not—"
"Don't. I know you're worried about your sister, but you don't have to go it alone. I've got your back. Whatever happens, I've got your back. You just tell me how we're playing this. You're not alone. That kid isn't alone. Do you hear me?"
Alex let that settle in for several seconds, then she stepped forward, holding Maggie tightly against her. "How did I get so lucky?"
Maggie replied with a small laugh, "Well when we get your sister settled down I'll take you back to the hotel room and then you'll get lucky."
Alex pushed back, the first smile she'd had in hours on her face as she said, "Oh I will, will I?"
Maggie nodded. "Oh yeah. Then I'll do that thing at least three more times, but maybe four because it's a stress reliever and I think you've got some stress Danvers."
"So much stress, but you are such a good stress reliever."
"Come on." Maggie held out her hand. "Let's go settle down your sister and then we can go relieve each other's stress."
Still smiling, Alex took Maggie's hand as they made their way into the hospital. They found Lena's room fairly easily, but security was tight. There were several heavily armed guards up there. More surprising, they had handheld alien detectors. Alex was on the list as Kara's sister, but Maggie only made the list after Alex proclaimed Maggie as her partner. They were both scanned, patted down, their weapons removed, and then they were led to the room.
"Partner?" Maggie asked, eyebrows high as she looked at Alex.
Alex shrugged. "It got you into the room, right?"
"Right."
"You all right?"
Maggie nodded, but now her brows were furrowed. "They took our weapons. I feel more naked than when J'onn showed up while we were in the hot tub."
Alex laughed, then leaned in, whispering in Maggie's ear. "Are you telling me you don't have any weapons?"
Maggie gave her a strange look out of the side of her eye, then whispered back, "Of course I've got something but just two knives. Those hardly count. In the hot tub, you and I both had a half dozen guns we could grab easily in case of emergency. I feel underdressed."
Alex nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe we don't know how to relax."
The guard opened the door to Lena's room, and Alex and Maggie stepped just inside but didn't move any further yet. Lena lay in the hospital bed, tubes and wires leading to several parts of her body. A tube was in her mouth, down her throat, pushing air in and out and controlling her breathing. The only sounds in the room were the beeps of the machine, marking off Lena's life, the whoosh sound coming from a black accordion shape off to the side that pushed the air in and out of Lena's lungs, and some music coming from speakers hooked up to the iPhone on the side table. Next to the bed, between Lena and the door, Kara sat partially upright in a chair. Her hand was stretched out onto the bed where she held Lena's hand, and her head was turned toward Lena. By Kara's lack of reaction, she might have been asleep.
Maggie and Alex looked at each other, neither of them sure what to do or say. It looked awful. No matter what they'd heard, they hadn't been prepared for this. Lena was always this strong, self-assured, and elegant woman. The word that came to mind now was broken. What they were looking at now were the broken pieces of Lena that the doctors had put back together, but she was far from whole. Whether or not she would ever be so remained to be seen.
Finally, Alex opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Kara said, "Hello Alex, Maggie. Are you here to visit Lena?" After a few seconds, she lazily rolled her head to the right and looked at the newcomers.
When her sister looked at her, it was enough to draw a response. Alex nodded and said, "Yes. We were worried about her. How is she doing?"
"The same," Kara replied in an oddly monotone voice. "She's always doing the same. The doctors come in and check on her, but they don't have any updates for me. They said the first forty-eight hours would be critical, but we passed that, and she hasn't woken up. Do you think she's going to wake up?"
"Uh…" Alex stammered, worried about her sister's odd demeanor.
"Definitely," Maggie said stepping forward and walking up to the bed. "Lena's a fighter. No one keeps her down. She's healing, that's all. Her body needs time, and she's taking it. Have faith in her Little Danvers. You have faith in Lena, don't you?"
Kara looked over at her friend in the hospital bed and nodded. "I do."
"Then don't worry. She's going to be fine. I know it. You know it. Lena knows it. Alex knows it too, don't you Danvers?"
Alex looked momentarily startled to be addressed but then nodded as she smiled awkwardly.
"See?" Maggie also smiled, deep dimples showing. "No reason to worry. Your family is here, and Lena is going to be fine. You need a hug kid?"
"I'd love a hug," Kara admitted as she stood and wrapped herself into Maggie's arms. "Thank you."
"Anytime. All Danvers' hugs are good. Speaking of which, you want to get in on this Alex?"
Alex walked over, joining in on the hug. This was her sister, the scared little kid trying to protect a friend. This was the Kara she knew.
As they stepped away, Kara wiped tears from her face. She'd had plenty of reasons for tears over the past four days and some tears but not nearly enough. She was overdue. Being with family, being offered comfort, that gave her a chance to relax and let the out.
"Your vacation ended early," Kara noted while Alex and Maggie pulled up chairs to sit near her.
"Eh, you know. All that sun, cabana girls, alcohol, your sister naked and all over me." Maggie rolled her eyes with fake drama. "I just couldn't take any more of it. I needed a vacation from my vacation. Thankfully you went house on a bunch of criminals, and I got to come back and arrest them all, so thanks for that Little Danvers. I much prefer weeks of paperwork to sex with your sister."
"Maggie!" Alex slapped out, hitting her girlfriend on the arm even as Kara giggled.
"Hey, the truth hurts doesn't it Danvers?"
"You're going to be curling up with paperwork tonight if you don't watch it," Alex threatened.
"Don't talk like that in front of your little sister. You're getting me all hot," Maggie replied, pulling at the top of her t-shirt and fanning herself.
Kara giggled again, finding herself relaxing for the first time in days. Maggie was always good for that, casual and funny. Alex was too high strung, but Maggie brought the fun. In that way, she was really good for her sister. Maybe that's why opposites attracted. You looked for the things you lacked, traits that helped make you complete. Casually, thoughtlessly, Kara reached out and took Lena's hand in her own once again. While Maggie and her sister chatted, Kara smiled and listened, nodding and smiling from time to time, hoping Lena could hear and someplace was smiling too.
It was hours later when a nurse popped her head in and said, "Visiting hours are over Miss Danvers."
Kara nodded at the nurse and stood. They'd sat around for hours, talking, smiling, laughing, crying, rinse/repeating the process. They'd had two meals and two dozen donuts delivered in there also. Kara had eaten most of the donuts. One was left on Lena's bedside table. One always got left on Lena's bedside table. Even if she woke up right then, she wouldn't be able to eat it, but Kara thought it was important to know that there was always a donut kept out for her. It was more than a gesture, it was hope, and right now hope was all that they had.
After Kara had hugged her sister and Maggie goodbye, she said, "You didn't ask me about Kastrati. Isn't that why J'onn sent you here?"
Alex shook her head. "No one sent me here. I came to spend time with my sister and check on Lena. That's why I'll be back tomorrow. I love you."
"I meant what I said," Kara replied, all determination.
"Oh, I know you did, but I'm not worried. I have faith in you. I know you even if you don't know yourself right now. See you in the morning, Kara." Alex turned, leaving the room.
"See you tomorrow, Little Danvers," Maggie said with a smile and a wave as she followed Alex out of the room.
Neither Alex nor Maggie spoke until they reached their car downstairs. Someone had super hearing. Closed into the car, Alex turned on the radio and slumped into her seat. Maggie put an arm over her girlfriend, pulling Alex into a one-armed embrace.
"You okay? Maggie asked.
Alex nodded but didn't say anything.
"You really think she's going to let that guy go if Lena doesn't pull through?"
Alex took a few breaths, then said, "Yes. I know Kara. She's in pain right now, and she's lashing out, but she's no killer. I think she was feeling alone, scared, and lost. I'm glad we came back. She really needs someone. Did you see how she looked and sounded when we first got there?"
"Yeah, that was scary. She was scary."
"That wasn't my sister. When we left, that was Kara. We'll be back in the morning, and we'll help more. She just needs grounding. She's been out of control for days, and she needs help."
"Okay. Let's bring donuts. Donuts help too," Maggie suggested.
Alex turned, kissing her girlfriend briefly and smiling. "See how well you know her? Hey, thanks for being here and just for being you. You're such a good influence on Kara."
"Sheesh, not what I usually hear about women. Hey, what's up with this Kara/Lena thing anyway?"
"What do you mean? They're friends."
Maggie stared over at her girlfriend for several moments. "You're right. Just start the car. I've had a long freaking day, and I want to get some sleep. I hope tomorrow is less eventful."
"I agree." Alex started the car, pulling them out of the parking garage and into traffic. "So, are you too tired to do that thing again?"
"That thing?" A smile grew on Maggie's lips. "I don't know about that thing, but maybe I could do this other thing." She leaned in close, whispering in Alex's ear and nibbling on it again.
As Alex's eyebrows rose, she said, "Hold on tight. I'm about to break the speed limit…a lot."
