"Alex?" Supergirl called weakly when she saw her sister begin to stir.
Opening her eyes Alex tried to fight the fog before groggily looking round.
"What happened?" She asked confused as she noticed she was chained to a ceiling. The second thing she noticed was that ten feet away also chained to the ceiling Supergirl hung.
"I've lost my powers." Supergirl said explaining why she was chained. The part that worried Alex though was how bad Supergirl looked. She could not remember seeing her sister look so pale.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"The chains have Kryptonite in."
"Hold tight. I will get you out of here." Alex said as she started to test the strength of her own chains, ignoring the pain in her stomach from the arrow wound scar. "Where is here?"
"No idea. I woke up here." Supergirl said. "How did you get here?"
"I was looking for you. Something attacked me, I think. I woke up here. Any idea who took us?"
"Not really. It's a guy, wears a mask."
"So could be half the population." Alex said as she kept yanking on her chains, wincing in pain as she did so.
"You're hurt." Supergirl pointed out.
"I'm fine." Alex said. "We need to get you away from those chains."
Before Supergirl could reply they heard a familiar but completely out of place voice on the other side of the door.
"Do you know who I am? Stupid question. Everyone does. But what exactly do you want with me?" The familiar voice said from the other side of the door. When the door finally opened and Cat was pushed through she commented whilst looking at Supergirl and Alex. "You are not who I was expecting."
"Excellent. Everyone is awake." The masked captor said as he manhandled Cat to one side and chained her up.
"Who are you?" Alex demanded.
"That is unimportant." The man said.
"What do you want?" Cat repeated her earlier question.
"That is simple, to do a good job."
"Good job?" Cat probed.
"Of course. And I always do a good job."
"And what is your job?"
"Pain and destruction. This could be my finest ever achievement."
"Can you explain in a less cliched way?" Cat asked.
"I can, but I won't. Not yet anyway. For now it will be more fun for you to guess why I have gone to so much effort to get the three of you locked in a room cut off from the outside world."
"Let me guess, you were dumped by your electronic girlfriend and you are on an anti-female rampage." Cat said.
"I am going to enjoy destroying you." The captor said to Cat before leaving the room.
"This would be a good time to break us out." Cat said to Supergirl.
"I can't. No powers."
"Again?" Cat asked and was about to give a snarky comment when she remembered the probable cause. "From protecting Carter? Thank you."
"I wouldn't thank me. He may be trying to use you two against me."
"Has he given either of you any clue what he is after?" Cat questioned.
"Only what you heard just now." Alex said still fighting with her chains.
"In that case we better come up with a plan." Cat said looking round.
"Have one of those already. Get out of here." Alex said.
"We may need some specifics, like how to get out of these chains." Cat said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"We may not have time for specifics."
"What do you mean?"
"Supergirl's cuffs are made of Kryptonite. I have no idea how long she can be exposed to it for before it becomes fatal."
Before Cat could respond the door opened again and the man entered wheeling a trolley. As he entered he said. "Kryptonite exposure will probably not be the cause of her death." He then wheeled the trolley the middle of the room and let everyone see the cameras and crowbar it stored.
"Let them go." Supergirl demanded feeling useless and weak.
"That might sound impressive if you weren't powerless and surrounded by Kryptonite. Besides I have worked so hard to get the three of you here why would I let anyone go, yet. But rest assured only one of you will die here. If it makes you feel better that one is you."
"Why do you want to kill Supergirl?" Cat asked.
"It is nothing personal." He shrugged. "She is merely a means to an end, well two ends." He said as he started to set up the video cameras, one pointing at each woman.
"What ends?" Cat asked.
"Firstly, revenge. My employer wants revenge and causing Dr Danvers misery and despair will do that."
"Revenge for what?" Alex asked.
"I honestly have no idea, nor do I care."
"What does that have to do with Supergirl?" Cat asked, wondering if he too knew who Supergirl was.
"My employer wanted Dr Danvers to experience the pain felt from losing someone you care about, whilst being powerless to stop it. To that end I could have killed you." He said looking at Alex, "but it will be so much more fun to destroy you instead. The problem I had was how to do that. You are so cold and clinical. I did wonder if you had a heart at all. But then you threw yourself in front of an arrow to protect Supergirl." He paused as he turned on the final camera before continuing. "If I am being honest I am not sure if you even like Supergirl, but she is important to you. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save her. So now you will see her suffer and die, powerless to stop it." He then turned and picked up a crowbar and unleashed a blow on Supergirl's ribs causing her to cry out in pain.
"How exactly do I fit into this?" Cat asked, hoping to draw his attention away from Supergirl. The question seemed to take the captor off guard and he turned to face Cat before saying.
"Simple, you are Supergirl's self appointed champion. You have created a hero and a legend. When that hero dies the legend will be destroyed and so will your media empire."
Seeing him raise the crow bar again Cat asked.
"Well do I actually have to be here for this?" The question earning a disapproving eye roll from Alex.
"Of course. News is so much more real if you are there in person." With that he turned and leashed blow after blow on Supergirl.
-00-
"Alex calm down." Cat said coolly thirty minutes later as the younger woman tugged on the chains. "Wasting your energy is not going to help anyone."
"I need to get free." Alex said as she tried to detach the chains from the ceiling.
"We all do, but tugging on the chains is only going to tire you out and injure you. I thought you were some kind of genius. Try using your brain to MacGyver us out of here."
Before Alex could respond a small groan escaped from Supergirl.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked.
"Why did you never tell me it hurt this much?"
"Kinda thought it would be obvious." Alex said.
Looking up Supergirl tried to tug on her own chains, but the movement caused sharp pain to sweep through her body.
"Don't move." Alex said. "We will figure a way out." However, before the escape route had been found the captor returned.
"Oh good you are awake." He said. "Time for some more fun? What shall we try this time?"
"Leave her alone." Alex demanded.
"I don't think so." He said as he pulled a switch blade from his pocket.
-00-
As time went on a routine pattern emerged which never ended well for Supergirl as she woke from the latest onslaught she wasn't sure she could go on. As if sensing her despair Cat acted.
"Look at me." Cat demanded, her tone of voice forcing Supergirl to look up at the media giant. "Listen carefully. Do you know why people look up to you? Why you bring hope? It has nothing to do with superpowers. Nothing to do with being stronger than steel and being able to fly. It is because of your heart and your strength of character. Nothing can destroy that or take it away. I know right now you are in pain. Pain which you have probably never experienced before. But the pain is transient. It will stop. You just need to hang on and be strong. Remember why you became Supergirl and hold on to that."
Glancing at Alex, Supergirl was overwhelmed by the guilt and anger burning in her sister's eyes. Seeing the pain in Alex she felt like a failure. She knew at that moment she had to be strong for her sister, but she didn't know if she would be strong enough.
"I am going to get you out of here." Alex said hoping her voice did not reflect her doubt. "Just hold on." It was then that Alex saw something on Cat.
"Your clip." She said.
"Pardon?" Cat asked.
"Can you throw me your hair clip?"
Cat's natural reaction was to throw back an unhelpful comment, but when she saw the determination in Alex she silently freed it from her head and said.
"Throwing is not my strong suit."
"Just try to get it near me." Alex replied.
Nodding Cat threw the clip towards Alex who for one brief moment felt the metal in her hand before it dropped to the floor by her feet.
Not to be deterred Alex stabbed the sole of her boot at the clip and once it was embedded she tried to raise her feet up to her head. The first attempt she aborted when the pain in her stomach took her by surprise. Taking a moment to recover she tried again, this time managing to get her boot level with her head. However, she could only keep her legs raised for a few seconds before the pain became unbearable and she dropped them again.
Now drenched in sweat she took several deep breaths then tried once more. This time she got the boot all the way up to her hand and managed to extract the clip. With the clip safely between her fingers she set to work on the lock.
Before she had freed herself though their captor returned. As he entered the cell he walked straight up to Supergirl and said. "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed. I thought you'd have a bit more fight in you. No matter you'll serve my purpose. With that he pulled his knife again and thrust it into Supergirl's leg. Her cry of pain was so loud that he did not hear Alex drop to the ground and approach him. He remained unaware that she was free right up until he felt her arm locked round his neck as he was starved of oxygen.
Happy that their captor was no longer a threat Alex searched the man for keys before scrambling to Supergirl and unchaining her. As Supergirl collapsed into her arms Alex dragged her as far away from the Kryptonite chains as possible before releasing Cat. As she released the media mogul she said. "I need to stop her bleeding, then I will need your help to get out of here."
"Of course." Cat said rubbing her sore wrists as she watched Alex return to her sister's side.
As Alex desperately tried to stop the blood loss she noticed Cat was removing the SD card from one of the cameras.
"Just can't turn down a good story?" Alex asked bitterly.
"We want these out of the hands of whoever set this up." Cat said pocketing the SD card and moving to the next camera. "How is she?"
"Weak. I will treat what I can here but then we need to move and get real help." Alex said as Supergirl groaned.
"Hurts."
"I know, that's why we have to get you back in sunlight." Alex said gently as she tried to soothe her sister.
When she was done patching Supergirl up Alex turned to Cat and asked. "Do you remember how you got here?"
"I do."
"Good. You can lead us out then."
"You ready to go?" Cat asked.
"As ready as we'll ever be." Alex said as Cat moved to Supergirl's side.
"Kara," Alex said gently stroking her sister's cheek. "I need to get you up. We are getting out of here."
"You should go without me. Could be more of them. Only slow you down." Supergirl wheezed.
"No chance. Do you want mom to kill me?" Hearing her sister's raspy breathing she asked. "How you doing?"
"Tired, hurts."
"I know, but I need you to stay awake for me." Alex said. "Let's sit you up." She added, nodding to Cat to help.
When they finally had Supergirl on her feet Alex waited for her sister to stop swaying and then said said. "Let us take the weight. We'll be out of here soon." She and Cat then started to lead Supergirl out of the cell, with Cat giving directions.
"Hold on. We're almost out." Alex said hoping they were and hoping that Cat could remember the way out.
After what felt like an eternity in dark corridors Cat finally pointed to a door and said.
"It's just through there."
"What's out there?" Alex asked.
"Not much, it was pretty desolate. But his van should still be there."
"You have any idea where here is?"
"None, except it is forty minutes by road from my office."
"That's a start." Alex said pushing the door open, almost being blinded by the bright sunlight in the process.
Moving outside Alex looked round and the only thing she saw was a van.
"Let's put her down. The sunlight will help." Alex said as she and Cat carefully lowered the barely conscious Supergirl. "I am going to see if he left a phone in the van. Look after her."
"Of course." Cat said. With that Alex ran over to a van and almost punched the air when she saw the phone.
Quickly dialling Henshaw she waited impatiently for her boss to answer.
"Henshaw." Was the eventual curt answer.
"It's Alex. We need help."
"Where are you?"
"I have no idea, I am hoping you can trace the call."
"Already on it. Are you in danger?"
"Supergirl is badly injured. I'm not sure she is going to make it." Alex said, her voice choking.
"We have your location. The Evac team will be there is seven minutes."
Too tired to answer Alex put the phone down on the seat and looked around for anything useful. Finding a blanket and water she moved back to her sister and wrapped her in the blanket while whispering soothing words.
Looking at Cat she offered her the water and was surprised when Cat replied.
"You both need it more than I do."
"We shouldn't give her anything, incase they need to operate." Alex said holding her sister's hand. "Evac team will be here soon."
"Anything I can do for you in the mean time?" Cat questioned.
"I'm fine."
"Really, you don't look it and the last thing she needs is for something to happen to you." Cat said glancing at the fallen hero.
"I'll be fine." Alex said as she prayed the evac team would get there.
Not believing her for a minute Cat sat back and watched the elder Danvers sister until the helicopter arrived.
TBC