A/N: Thanks once again for all the follows/favorites/reviews. Can't wait for Monday's new episode. And after the last one, I'm almost positive that Alex and Maggie will be a couple by the end of the season (if not way sooner). Anyway...on to the new chapter!
Chapter 7
Kara lay stretched out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as she let her mind wander. She'd finished that ridiculous rulebook earlier, and really had nothing else to do. True, she wasn't locked in at the moment, but after the looks she'd gotten at breakfast the ex-superhero figured she'd be better off keeping to herself as much as possible. Not that she was afraid of the others – okay, maybe a little afraid – but, given the seemingly strong possibility that she could be stuck there for a long time, Kara saw no reason to tempt fate. Just keep her head down, survive, and pray that someone would work out where she was and find a way to bring her home. And she tried not to think too much about that last point because focusing on something that might never happen would just drive her crazy. Being held against her will in a secret island prison run by xenophobic Marines and filled with aliens (and one metahuman) who despised her, with no way of contacting anyone she cared about, was bad enough; the last thing she needed was a mental breakdown on top of it.
"So the rumors are true…. the last true heir to the House of El, behind bars. It's almost poetic."
On hearing the voice, Kara sat up to see a dark-haired, olive-skinned Kryptonian woman standing in the doorway of her cell, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. The woman's face was unfamiliar, but one look at the crest on her jumpsuit was enough to figure out exactly who was invading her space.
"Faora Dru-Zod," she snarled, leaping to her feet. "Last I heard, my cousin kicked your ass all around Metropolis."
"He got lucky," Faora shot back. "If my fool of a husband hadn't been so overconfident, Kal-El would be dead."
Kara crossed her arms, rolling her eyes at the 'legendary' Kryptonian criminal's boasts. "I'm not in the mood for this. Leave now before the House of El humiliates you yet again."
At that, Faora strode into the cell, getting right in Kara's face. "You really think you can take me, little girl? I was a warrior long before you were even thought of!"
"And yet my human-raised cousin took you down without breaking a sweat. I think I like my chances." They stared each other down for a few moments, then Faora turned away as though she was leaving. Kara let down her guard, thinking she'd won, only to find herself flat on her back with an aching jaw from the older Kryptonian's sucker-punch. A particularly vile Kryptonese curse escaped her lips as she shot up, driving a shoulder into Faora's stomach and taking her to the ground. Harper's rulebook forbade violence between prisoners, but at the moment Kara was beyond caring. Besides, she was only finishing what Faora had started. Straddling the older woman's waist, she punched her in the face several times, opening a cut over her eye. In her rage, she became so fixated on the damage she was trying to inflict that she failed to notice when her adversary managed to get herself some wriggle-room.
Suddenly, Faora slammed her forehead into Kara's, leaving the younger Kryptonian disoriented. The next thing Kara knew, her opponent was straddling her upper body, using her legs to keep the blonde's arms pinned down at her sides. Kara tried to fight out of it, but the older Kryptonian had made sure not to leave her even the slightest opening to do so. "Time to die, traitor!" Faora growled, wrapping her hands around Kara's throat and squeezing as hard as she could. With no way to fight back, it wasn't long before the lack of oxygen had an effect and the younger Kryptonian felt herself start to fade….
"Faora!"
The pressure eased a bit as her attacker turned her attention to the doorway. Still pinned down and feeling the effects of oxygen deprivation, all Kara could do was follow Faora's gaze. It seemed the interruption was courtesy of the woman she'd tried to help the previous evening.
"This isn't your concern, Raya Kor-Zu," Faora sneered. "It's between the Great Houses of Zod and El. Walk away now."
Raya shook her head. "My father's House pledged itself to the House of El centuries ago. If you have a problem with Kara, you have a problem with me." Seemingly unconcerned, Faora resumed trying to choke the life out of Kara. A moment later, the pressure was gone and her attacker was staring up at Raya from the floor. Kara sat up, hands instinctively reaching for her throat as she gasped for breath. "Leave," Raya growled, glaring at Faora. The dark-haired Kryptonian scrambled back to her feet, and if looks could kill the both of them would've dropped dead right there.
"This isn't over," Faora snarled.
"It is today."
Muttering some rather colorful Kryptonese, Faora slunk away, leaving Kara alone with her rescuer. The older blonde reached down and helped her up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Kara rasped, her throat still a bit sore from the close call. If Raya had been just a few seconds later…. Suppressing a shudder at the thought, she looked up to meet her savior's eyes. "Thank you."
"Of course. We are bound by blood, after all."
At that, Kara frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"My father was Van-Ze, brother to In-Ze. Your—"
"Grandfather," Kara finished. In-Ze had passed away when she was quite young, but she remembered her mother's father as a kind and loving man. She'd never met her great-uncle, though. "So that would make us cousins, I guess?"
Raya nodded. "Pity we couldn't have met under better circumstances." Kara coughed, and her newfound cousin's expression turned to one of concern. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah. But maybe I should sit down." Rubbing her throat, Kara dropped down onto the bed. A few more coughs escaped, and a moment later Raya was handing her the plastic cup that had been sitting on top of the footlocker, now filled with water. She drank it down, letting the cool liquid soothe the damage – which would've healed by now if she'd had use of her powers. As it was, she had no idea how long she'd have to deal with the aftereffects of the fight. Which sucked. "Haven't even been here 24 hours," she muttered, "and there's already been an attempt on my life."
"Do you need to go to the infirmary?" Raya asked softly, sitting down next to her. "Assuming, of course, they even have one here."
Kara shook her head. If this were the DEO, she'd go to Dr. Hamilton without hesitation. But she didn't know these people, and had yet to see anything to suggest that they would actually help her. Barring an emergency, she figured it was better to just things heal on their own, and told Raya as much. "I just hope Faora waits at least a couple of days before trying for round 2," she added.
"I wouldn't worry too much. You were doing a pretty good job of kicking her ass until your temper got away from you. If it hadn't looked like she might actually kill you, I'd have let the two of you work things out on your own."
Kara flushed, embarrassed that her newfound cousin had seen that side of her. "Sorry. I've been trying to work on the temper thing, but being stuck here definitely isn't helping."
"It's alright," her cousin assured her. "Astra was the same way at your age."
"Really?"
Raya nodded. "Anyway…even if Faora does try again, I doubt she'll get that lucky a second time. She is…what's the human saying…all hat and no cattle."
At that, the younger Kryptonian couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Sounds like you've been watching too many bad westerns."
Raya shrugged. "A few years back, an Agent Vasquez introduced me to something called Netflix. The humans' idea of entertainment is strange…yet oddly compelling." Kara looked at her cousin, confused. "I never gave the DEO any trouble," the older Kryptonian explained, "so over the years I was given some privileges that my less cooperative comrades were not. There was even a period when they'd stopped using the Kryptonite emitters on me…though that ended when General Lane took over."
"So you could've escaped at any time?"
"Probably."
"Why didn't you?"
Her cousin sighed. "I've never really been comfortable having these powers that the yellow sun gives us. They have their benefits, certainly, but also great potential to cause harm. I may have been military back on Krypton, but I've never enjoyed hurting people – most of the time, anyway – and with the yellow sun granting me even more power to do just that…." She shook her head. "Honestly, I believed that staying in DEO custody was safer for everyone. I never had anyone to teach me control, the way you must have. After the DEO stopped using the Kryptonite, I managed to figure things out for the most part, but my control was never truly tested, either."
"I get it," Kara nodded. "Awhile back – Rao, I don't even know how long at this point – I was exposed to something that stripped away my control and made me do some terrible things to the people I was supposed to be protecting. And when General Lane came for me, I was so certain that everyone needed protection from me that I let him lock me away without a fight. It took time, and a lot of convincing by the people I care about, but I know now just how dumb that was. I mean, I still feel really terrible about what I did, but blaming myself for something that was out of my control is ridiculous. Not that it makes much difference now…." She glanced over at her cousin and suddenly felt guilty. "Rao, listen to me…going on and on about my problems when you're in mourning. How selfish can I be?"
"You're not selfish, Kara," Raya assured her, brushing some of the younger Kryptonian's hair away from her face. "The truth is, I lost Kor-Zu to Non's madness a long time ago."
"But you seemed so sad…."
"I never stopped loving him, though the man I fell for was long gone. And I grieve the loss of any chance to bring that man back to me."
Kara nodded. She'd felt much the same way at the loss of her aunt. "Wait," she muttered a moment later. "You said Non's madness? I thought Aunt Astra was the mastermind behind their plans."
"Non liked to give her the credit, but the Astra I knew would never have considered using such terrible means to achieve her goals without someone pushing her in that direction. And I'm fairly certain Non's Caluan mistress he thought no one knew about had a hand in the design."
"Indigo?" Raya nodded, and a disgusted look crossed Kara's features at the thought of her crazed uncle and the homicidal Caluan together in that way. "So…" she began, desperately needing a change of subject. "How well did you know my aunt?"
"Astra wasn't just my cousin. She was my best friend. I knew your mother, too, but Alura and I were never that close. Astra and I, though…we did everything together. We started in the military at the same time and I rose through the ranks right on her heels, always one step behind. Not that I minded. I was her second until Non came along and started getting into her head. Frankly, I never understood the attraction. When we met Non, he was a nobody with a lot of ambition who somehow managed to catch Astra's attention. I was already with Kor-Zu, who at that time was still a very sweet and gentle man. But Non got into his head too." Raya sighed. "Enough about that lunatic. What I remember most about Astra was just how much she loved you. The day you were born…it was the happiest I'd ever seen her. I don't think she could've been happier had you been born from her own body. You were all she ever thought about."
"Hey!" a voice suddenly barked before either of them could say anything more. They turned to see a guard standing in the doorway – a burly man with a crewcut whose fatigues bore the name 'Sullivan.' "No congregating inside the cells!" Sullivan ordered, and Kara could recall seeing something to that effect in the big rulebook, though – of course – the book didn't really explain what 'congregating' meant.
"Where was that concern earlier?" the younger Kryptonian muttered.
Sullivan frowned. "What was that, 5259?"
"Nothing."
"That's what I fucking thought," he sneered. "Either 5178 leaves or you both do. I don't give a shit which. Do it right the fuck now, or else!"
Raya stood up. "We can finish this downstairs, if you'd like," she said softly.
"I don't know…."
"No one will touch you, Kara. I won't let them."
"Alright," Kara nodded, after a moment. Though part of her wanted to argue that she could take care of herself, she knew it would be foolish to turn down any offer of help, given the number of potential enemies out there. And after everything that had happened, she trusted Raya at her word. "I'll be down in a few."
"I'll save you a seat," Raya grinned.
"That's enough, 5178," Sullivan barked. "Move it now!" Hands raised, Raya exited the cell, with Sullivan giving her a bit of 'help' as she reached his position. Seeing her cousin get pushed around was infuriating, but at the same time Kara knew she couldn't afford to go picking fights with the guards – not over something so minor, anyway. Shaking her head, the ex-superhero pulled her boots back on and, after drinking down one more glass of water to soothe her still-aching throat, headed downstairs into what she supposed could be called their common area. As she descended the last few steps, all eyes suddenly turned to her and she momentarily flashed back to Midvale Junior High and the bullies she hadn't been allowed to confront because of her abilities. Just like back then, Kara hunched her shoulders and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit in hopes of presenting the potential aggressors with a smaller target while she sought out her cousin.
"Hands out of your pockets, 5259!" a guard snapped. Cheeks flushing at the extra attention, Kara settled for crossing her arms over her chest as she continued scanning the room for Raya. She counted a little more than a dozen Kryptonians in the wing, all female. Presumably, the males were in a different wing. Some jumpsuits had crests beneath the prisoner number, like hers did, but there were also several without them. Of course, given that Krypton only had about 25 'Houses' and several billion people, there were probably more Kryptonians without a House than with one.
Finally spotting Raya at a table in the corner opposite the guard station, she made her way over and dropped into the empty seat. "Am I the only one getting annoyed at being called a number all the time? I'm starting to feel like Jean ValJean."
"Who?"
"Never mind…."
"It is grating," Raya admitted, answering the earlier question. "But the guards at the original Fort Rozz were the same way, so I suppose I'm more used to it."
Kara nodded, a bit saddened at the idea of anyone having to get used to such treatment. "So how did you end up there, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I told you how close Astra and I were, and how much she loved you." Another nod. "A few years after you were born, Astra went for a visit and overheard your father and uncle talking about potential issues with the planet's core. It was theoretical, but even the possibility that Krypton could be dying was enough to send Astra on the crusade that would be our downfall. And it was her great love for you that fueled it and allowed Non to manipulate her into his horrific plot. Not that you should blame yourself," she reassured the younger Kryptonian. "If not you, Non would surely have found something else to exploit to get what he wanted. The love she felt for you was simply his fastest way in."
"My father and Uncle Jor-El knew Krypton was in trouble?"
Raya shrugged. "Like I said, it was purely theoretical at that point. And I've no doubt that the Science Council was quick to squash any notion that we were destroying our own planet. Astra was right about Krypton's ruling elite sticking their collective heads in the sand instead of actually dealing with the issue – no offense."
"It's fine. I've come to terms with the fact that my mother wasn't perfect. In fact," she sighed, "I'm pretty sure the reason she didn't save herself was because she felt guilty over not saving our planet. Honestly, I'm still working on forgiving her for leaving me like that. I mean, I get that she probably didn't have much choice and saving me must have seemed more important than saving herself, but it still hurts." She shook her head. "Anyway…if you thought Astra was right, why—"
"Am I against their plan?"
"Yeah."
"At first, I was supportive. I really thought we were trying to save Krypton. But once I learned the terrible truth about Myriad, I couldn't go along with the plan in good conscience. We might have saved the planet, but at the cost of our civilization. And what was the point of saving Krypton if it meant losing everything we were?" Raya sighed. "Astra and I had a pretty horrific falling out over it, but actually leaving was easier said than done. In the end," she continued, lowering her voice and leaning in a bit closer, "I went to Alura myself…told her everything I knew. I hated betraying Astra, even after our falling out, but stopping Myriad was more important. Unfortunately, under our laws my actions weren't enough to absolve me of my involvement. The only thing Alura could do was reduce my sentence…not that it mattered once Krypton was destroyed."
Kara nodded, idly drumming her fingers against the tabletop as she tried to figure out how to respond to the revelation. What was so horrible that the mere knowledge of it could turn the closest of friends against each other? Of course, thinking about Myriad only reminded her of Alex, and the suicide mission the Army sent her on just to get her out of the way while they did the transfer. She didn't even know for sure if her sister was still alive. For all Kara knew, Non had wiped them all out and was implementing Myriad as they spoke. She thought she'd feel it if anything had happened to Alex, but then again she'd never been this far away from her sister before. Would such a great distance dull their connection, or perhaps even cut it off completely? Assuming, of course, that the connection was even real and not just something she made up to make herself feel better whenever they were separated. Running a hand through her hair, she looked out across the room and spotted one of the guards inside the guard station, talking on what looked like one of the office phones back at CatCo. If there was even a chance that the phone could reach an outside line…. She shook her head, discarding the idea almost as soon as she'd conceived it. The rules were pretty clear on prisoners not being allowed any sort of phone privileges, and attempting to violate them would go against her plan to just keep her head down and survive – or at least what remained of the plan after her throw-down with Faora. Then again, it could be the only chance she'd ever have to find out what happened to Alex. Was that really something she could afford to pass up?
A hand on Kara's shoulder jolted the young Kryptonian from her thoughts, and she turned to see Raya looking at her, concerned. "Are you alright?" her cousin asked, withdrawing the hand. "You seemed to be light years away."
"Sorry. It's just…talking about Myriad reminded me of my sister."
Now Raya looked confused. "Your sister? Alura didn't…."
"No. When I landed here on Earth, I was still only 13, thanks to being stuck in the Phantom Zone all that time. My cousin Kal-El, who'd grown into a man over those decades, found me and brought me to a human family…scientists who knew pretty much everything there was to know about our race. They had a daughter who was only a year older than me. It was awkward at first, what with me being the weird kid who had trouble speaking English properly and got overly fascinated by things like birds. Having me around didn't really do much for her popularity. But then one night, she heard me crying after I woke up from a nightmare about Krypton blowing up. She came in to comfort me, and in that moment we just…I don't know…clicked? We bonded, and since then she's been probably the most important person in my life, and I in hers. Rao, I wish she wouldn't give up so much of her life to protect me, but trying to talk her out of it is way easier said than done."
"She must really be special," Raya nodded. "But what does that have to do with Myriad?"
Kara shook her head, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall at the memory. "My sister works at the DEO. And the last time I saw her, Pierson was sending her and a team out to Fort Rozz to take down Non. Alone. I'm positive that it was meant to be a suicide mission, or at least some sort of distraction to keep her away while they ghosted us out. Had she been on base at the time, there's no way she would've let them get away with that. She'd have fought like hell to keep me there…even if doing so got her killed. As it is, I have no idea whether or not she survived the mission. And if she failed, Non could already have Myriad up and running, with no one left to stop him."
"I wish I could give you some sort of assurances about your sister," Raya said, putting her hand on Kara's shoulder once more. "But if it's any consolation, it's unlikely that Myriad is active right now. If it were, the humans here would be mindless drones and we'd have the run of the place."
"Mind control?" the younger Kryptonian asked, eyebrow raised. "That was Non's big plan all along? To turn the humans into zombies?"
Raya nodded. "Essentially. They would've done it to Krypton if they hadn't been caught. It was why I couldn't go along with the plan. Stripping away everyone's free will just to try and 'save' the planet was sheer lunacy, and not what I'd signed up for. Hopefully, the fact that the humans here are still normal means that your sister succeeded."
Kara closed her eyes for a moment, praying to Rao that her cousin was right. "I just wish I could know for sure," she sighed, meeting Raya's gaze. "If I could talk to her…even for a minute…."
"You mean with one of those communication devices the humans use."
"They're called phones. And I saw one in the guard's station. Not that it does me any good. Stupid rules…."
The older Kryptonian thought for a moment before kneeling in front of her young cousin. She reached up, putting a hand on the back of Kara's head and pulling them closer together. "Screw the rules," she whispered. "If you want to take a shot at contacting this sister of yours, just say the word and I'll help."
"How?"
With a grin, Raya cut her eyes towards Faora, who was sitting in the middle of a small group that Kara guessed were probably bodyguards or lackeys of some sort. "I think it's time to give a certain someone a lesson she won't soon forget."
Kara frowned, gently dislodging her cousin's hand. "I thought you didn't like hurting people."
"I said 'most of the time.' Faora is an exception. The woman is a bully, and taking her down a few pegs will be the highlight of my day."
"Maybe, but I'm still not sure how that helps me."
The older Kryptonian shrugged. "If the guards here are anything like the ones at the original Fort Rozz, a fight will bring them running out of that little station of theirs. Especially if I can drag other people into it besides her."
"Can you do that?"
"Of course," Raya grinned. "Astra and I got into our fair share of brawls back in the day. Once one gets started, it's not hard to make it 'snowball,' as I believe the humans would say. Trust me on this."
"Okay. I'm guessing that once the guards clear out of the guard station, that's my cue to sneak in?"
"You catch on quick. Of course, if the fight doesn't bring them all running then you should stay out here."
"Right," Kara nodded, drumming her fingers against the tabletop as she considered the plan. "You could get into some serious trouble for this. And if I got caught…."
Raya reached out and placed her hand on top of Kara's. "I don't care if I get in trouble," she said, meeting the younger Kryptonian's eyes. "Not if it can help bring you some peace of mind. But if you don't want to do it, then we won't. It's your choice. You just need to decide for yourself whether or not the risk is worth it."
Drawing in a deep breath, Kara looked over at the guard station once more. Much as she was hoping to avoid any more trouble, not knowing if her sister was even still alive was driving her crazy. Raya's plan might be bordering on insane, but it might also be her only chance to find out for sure what happened to Alex. It wasn't as though the guards were going to let her use the phone if she asked. "Alright," she said, after a moment. "Let's do this."
With a smile, the older Kryptonian stood up, gesturing for Kara to get down. She knelt next to the table, watching as her cousin strode over to Faora and tapped the so-called legend on the shoulder. The moment Faora turned, Raya slugged her in the jaw hard enough to knock her down. Faora's minions were on Raya immediately, and it took all of Kara's willpower not to run over and help. She glanced over at the guard station, and sure enough the guards all came running out as soon as they got wind of the fight. Kara waited a moment just to make certain that they'd all left. Then, after checking to be sure that no one was watching, she crept over to the guard station and slipped in through the door, which had thankfully been left ajar in the guards' haste to leave. Staying low so that her head wouldn't be seen over the wall, she moved to the desk and pulled down the phone. It was just like the one on her desk at CatCo. Praying that it worked the same way, she did what she normally did to get an outside line, then dialed the number for Alex's DEO cell phone, which was so heavily encrypted that even the Pentagon wouldn't be able to trace it. The phone rang a few times before Kara finally heard the faint click signaling that the line had been picked up.
"Hello?" a familiar voice slurred, and it was all she could do not to burst into tears right there. The fact that Alex was clearly drunk was troubling, given the elder Danvers' history, but drunk was still a hell of a lot better than dead. Thanking Rao for the miracle, she sat back against the desk, propping the receiver between her shoulder and ear. "Hoozeis?" Alex asked. "If thish ish some sorta prank…."
"Alex," Kara said softly, hoping that her voice wouldn't carry.
"Kara?"
"Yeah. I—" Two small metal bits suddenly lodged themselves in her chest, and a second later electricity was coursing through her body. She could hear Alex screaming her name as the receiver fell from its perch. The electricity ceased, and once Kara regained her bearings she looked up to see Sullivan standing over her, one of those Taser guns in his hand with lines leading right down to the things in her chest. She tried to reach for the receiver, but before she could make her muscles cooperate Sullivan had plucked it from the floor.
"Sorry," he informed Alex coldly. "Wrong number."
Even without her super-hearing, her sister's next words came through loud and clear. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but if you've hurt her you're going to pay. I will find you, mother—"
Sullivan hung up the phone, putting it back on the desk as he gave her another short jolt. "Did you really think you and your friend could get one over on us, 5259?" he sneered. "Tell me who the fuck you tried to call."
Kara shook her head. "None of your—" Another jolt.
"I can do this all fucking day, 5259. Give me the fucking name."
She stared at him for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was racing, and she could only pray that Sullivan's new toy wouldn't do permanent damage, since she had no intention of giving Alex up.
"I'm waiting," he growled, finger hovering over the trigger.
"M-my lawyer. Lucy Lane….Major Lane to you."
Sullivan frowned. "That didn't sound like the Major."
"It was my…contact. I-I don't know how to get in touch with her directly. I call the contact, and she passes the message on to Major Lane."
He still didn't look like he was buying it. "Bullshit. Some 'contact' wouldn't be that angry."
Kara laughed a bit, pushing herself up now that her arm muscles were finally starting to cooperate again. "She's just…very protective."
"Name."
"I don't—" He shocked her again, and it was all she could do not to collapse completely. When the spasms stopped, she somehow found the strength to grab onto the nearby chair and get herself sitting upright once more. "It's the truth. S-she never told me her name." Technically, Eliza had introduced them, but Sullivan didn't need to know that. His finger twitched over the trigger, like he wanted to pull it again. Kara shook her head. "You-you're wasting your time. If General Lane couldn't break me, I-I don't think you stand much chance." Scowling, Sullivan suddenly reached down, and she had to bite back a cry of pain when he yanked the pieces from her chest.
"Whether you give up the name or not, we'll still find her. We can trace the call…figure out whose phone that was. It'll just be a whole lot fucking easier on you if you cooperate."
"I-I've told you what I know."
"And I ain't fucking buying it." He grabbed the front of the jumpsuit and hauled her upright. "Maybe some time in Seg will change your mind." Faster than she could react – especially in the aftermath of Sullivan's electrical torture – the big man violently shoved her through the doorway and back into the common area. Kara just barely managed to break her fall without breaking anything else. As she hit the floor, the young Kryptonian noticed that the common area had been emptied out. Some of the prisoners had been returned to their cells, while other cells remained glaringly vacant. But she scarcely had time to think on it before other guards swarmed in and cuffed her hands behind her back, locking the cuffs on a bit too tightly. A moment later, those same guards yanked her back to her feet. They kept a tight grip on her arms, which was actually good because Kara had a feeling she'd collapse if they let go. "Take 5259 down to Seg," Sullivan ordered. "Set the Kryptonite emitters at 25%. And then send one of those IT geeks down here to trace that fucking phone call."
"Yes, Sergeant." With that, Kara found herself being dragged from the wing – literally. She hadn't yet recovered enough strength to even attempt resisting. The Kryptonite in the collar kicked in as they exited the wing, though thankfully they didn't mess with the levels. Yet. Several twists, turns, and stairwells later, Kara had recovered enough to have stood on her own; however, it was just in time to reach a long, ominous-looking hallway with thick metal doors lining the walls on each side. As they made their way through, she spotted long, thin windows running down half the length of each door – barely wide enough to see out of. Kara thought she saw a glimpse of green – familiar green – behind one, but the guards never gave her a chance to find out. They opened up the next door over and shoved her inside. By some miracle, she managed to keep herself upright as they slammed the door shut. "Back up against the doorway and stick your hands through the slot," she heard someone order. Spotting the opening in question, the young Kryptonian did as told and was rewarded a moment later with freedom – from the cuffs, anyway. Kara rubbed her sore wrists as she looked around the room, which contained only a thin mattress and a toilet that looked like it had seen better days. And while she was examining her new surroundings, the collar suddenly shut off; seconds later, the room was bathed in green. Her stomach started to churn, and she barely made it to the toilet before losing her morning meal. 25% wasn't that much higher than what she and Alex set it to while sparring, but it was enough to make her sick. No permanent damage, hopefully. More like a bad stomach flu…whatever that was supposed to feel like. Sullivan never said how long she was to stay there, but she knew it was going to be hell until they decided to let her back out. Not that it would change her mind. If General Lane's liquid Kryptonite couldn't make her talk, a little extra juice from the emitters certainly wouldn't do the trick. 'If Sullivan wants to play chicken, so be it.'
"Kara?" a deep, rumbly voice called out. It wasn't the voice she was used to hearing, but Kara nonetheless recognized her favorite Martian.
"J'onn?"
"Over here." Looking around, the Kryptonian caught sight of a small grate on the wall. It was near the floor, so she sat down next to it and peered in, catching a flash of green.
"Am I seeing things, or are you green right now?"
"They found a way to force me back into my true form and still suppress my powers."
"I'm so sorry, J'onn. Maybe if I'd listened when told I wasn't acting like myself…."
"Don't blame yourself, Kara. I made my choice, and I'd make the same one again even knowing I'd end up in here. Though I wish things had turned out differently for you."
"Me too," she sighed, shifting position so her back was against the wall. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, doing her best to ignore the Kryptonite-induced nausea she was currently experiencing. "How long have you been down here?"
"Since we arrived. Apparently I'm too 'dangerous' to be upstairs with the rest of you. Speaking of which…what did you do to end up in there?"
"Long story."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Shaking her head, Kara recounted the morning's events – the fight with Faora, the revelation that Raya was family, Raya's apparently ill-advised plan to get her a phone call…. "I know it was dumb, but I just had to find out if she was still alive. Not knowing was driving me mad." Kara was careful to leave Alex's name and their relationship out of the story, in case the walls had ears. Luckily, J'onn seemed to know exactly who she was talking about even without his telepathic abilities (not that they would've worked on her…).
"But she's alright?"
"Yeah. Sounded like she'd been drinking, but at least she's alive to do so. I just hope Kal-El can keep her from doing anything stupid."
"So do I."
Kara nodded, though J'onn couldn't see her. "Think there's any chance our friends could find us?"
"I don't know," he sighed. "There have been rumors going around about this project for over a year, but I never took them seriously because I didn't think there would ever be an opening for General Lane and his cronies to make it happen."
"And because of me, there was."
"It's not your fault, Kara. As badly as the General obviously wanted this, I'm sure it would've just been a matter of time before he found some other excuse to take over the DEO and set things in motion. And given how long they've been planning this, I doubt they've left much to chance."
"But we can still hope, right?"
"Of course."
She started to say something else, but was interrupted by a loud bang on the door that nearly scared her to death.
"No talking, 5259!" a voice barked. Kara was really, really starting to hate that number.
"Look down, look down, don't look 'em in the eye…" she sang under her breath.
"Look down at what?" J'onn asked.
Kara sighed. "Nothing," she muttered, silently vowing to drag both J'onn and Raya to a Broadway show if and when they ever got out. Or at least make them watch the movie version of Les Mis. Though she was Kryptonian by birth and spent the first 13 years of her life there, being surrounded by aliens with such limited knowledge of the human world made her feel like more of an outsider than she ever had living amongst said humans. Of course, J'onn didn't really have much of an excuse other than being a stubborn old hermit…not that she'd ever say that to his face.
Another wave of nausea hit, and only the fact that her stomach was already empty kept her from scrambling for the toilet. She stuck her head between her knees, taking deep breaths until the feeling passed. "Are you alright?" J'onn whispered, and she wondered if he'd gotten yelled at as well.
Lifting her head, Kara glanced over at the small grate separating her from her friend. She caught a brief glimpse of green, which meant that he was probably hovering nearby. "I'll live," she assured him, keeping her voice low. "But I think I'm going to go grab a nap until they bring food. Not like there's much else I can do in here without getting in trouble…."
"Understood. Sleep well, Kara."
"I'll try," she nodded, making her way over to the thin mattress in the corner. Frankly, there didn't seem much difference between sleeping on that and the floor. No pillow, no blankets….Flashing back to her cell at the DEO base, she laid down and did her best to get comfortable, curling up on her side and using her arm as a pillow. She closed her eyes, silently asking Rao to keep Alex safe…perhaps even lead her to them. It wasn't long before sleep took her.
TBC (See you Wednesday!)
