Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Sorry this update took so long.
Vasquez was too busy keeping track of J'onn, Kara, and Lucy to notice Alex staring at her. Alex was worried that Susan hadn't slept at all and that she was going to work herself to death. They'd always been easy friends. A few drinks outside of work and the occasional time when Alex had to watch Vasquez's cat, made them closer than most other DEO agents. Alex wondered if Vasquez remembered that this whole thing was a Code Black Unit case and that they might end up doing things they would regret later. They might have to kill aliens and people and keep going.
It was times like this that made Alex miss the old days. The times when there weren't impending apocalypses and more than two people who she cared about on the line. Of course Kara and Lucy could objectively handle themselves but there were so many forces at work against them. Alex was starting to wonder if they would all make it. "Danvers." Maggie whispered. Alex turned around and tried to rid her face of any stress. Calm is what Maggie needed in a situation like this and Alex was trying.
"Hm?"
"You were staring." Maggie said in her matter of fact tone. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Alex said all too quickly. "I just worry about sending Kara in there. She seems a little out of her element."
"You worry a lot about her. She seems tough enough." Maggie said with a shrug. "Plus, Lucy's got her back." Susan turned around at the mention of Lucy's name.
"Lucy's nervous though." Vasquez said as she typed some coordinates into her computer. Alex wondered if Lucy actually said that or if Vasquez just sensed it. It wasn't really that far-fetched to believe that Vasquez could read people well. She was trained in voice analysis and had some background in psychology. "Kara's turned off her com by the way." Alex's eyes shot to the building where the Gala was being held. This was not the time to care about privacy, one small voice inflection could be the difference between life and death. "Oh…we're back on. Kara, you alright?"
"I'm fine." Kara said with her mouth clearly full of food. "Guys, I think this is a bust. Lena's obviously a good guy and I think Foreman is a no show because of Max."
"Wait a second." Lucy sounded like she was rushing through a crowd. Suddenly Alex, Maggie, and Vasquez were hearing screams through the coms.
"Kara? Lucy? What's happening?"
"I don't…" Lucy started. "Oh shit!" Alex and Vasquez grabbed their guns and readied themselves to bolt out of the van.
"Wait, give me a gun!" Maggie said as she attempted to climb over the equipment and follow the trained DEO agents. Vasquez wasn't waiting for Alex, she was already sprinting towards the building. Alex turned and grabbed Maggie by her arm.
"Stay here." Alex commanded.
"Alex-."
"I don't have time to explain this to you. Kara's in there." Alex pushed Maggie back in the van and slammed the door behind her as she ran after Vasquez. Maggie groaned and returned to her spot in the van.
When Alex entered the building the first thing she noticed was that most people were rushing towards the edge of the room. The second thing she noticed was that Lucy had her gun drawn and so did Vasquez but neither one of them were shooting. Alex made her way through the crowd and immediately saw what gave them pause.
A woman stood in the middle of the room with a bomb vest wrapped loosely on her body. She was crying frantically but staying put. Alex could faintly here someone screaming about how they were locked in but the only thing she could focus on was whether or not that bomb was big enough to kill everyone in the room.
"It's not me! I didn't do this. They grabbed me outside! I swear it's not me!" The woman was yelling now but things were starting to become clearer now. This was an innocent woman and someone was using her as a weapon.
A human weapon. Interesting. "Who grabbed you, ma'am?" Lucy questioned. At this point only Alex, Lucy, and Vasquez were standing within twenty feet of her. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy could see Cat sitting down at a table and watching everything unfold. "Where are they?"
"They blindfolded me! They said that they wanted to see how quickly she would respond." Alex scanned the room. People were still screaming, it was chaos. But it wasn't like the doors were locked before they ran in. There must be people guarding the building. Aliens, more than likely. If Alex was a betting woman she'd say it was Astra's men.
Supergirl sped over from wherever she'd switched clothes and stood beside Alex. "What should I do Alex?" Kara asked. She seemed nervous, not like she usually was. Alex wondered if her hesitance had anything to do with her meeting with Astra the day before.
"Grab her and fly away-." Alex started. Vasquez grabbed Alex's arm.
"No. It's a test." Vasquez said confidentially.
"The only question is what they're testing." Lucy snapped. Before anyone could speculate any further, bullets started flying. "Never mind." Everything was happening too fast and Alex was struggling to keep up. There were three shooters that only seemed to be focusing on the agents and Supergirl. Vasquez and Lucy took cover and Kara blocked Alex before she could get hit.
"Alex-."
"Kara, can you get that vest off that woman quick enough to avoid a catastrophe?" Alex asked as she fired over Kara's shoulder and hit on of the assailants in the knee. He fell to the ground only to be replaced by two more shooters.
"I'm not leaving you-."
"I'm not more important than a fucking venue full of people, Kara! Go! Now." Alex rushed out from behind Kara and fired enough bullets to give her sufficient cover before she ran over and grabbed Cat Grant and flipped a table to protect them. "Are you fucking crazy?" Alex yelled at Cat. Before the Queen of All Media could respond Alex saw Kara grab the vest off the woman and fly at super speed out of the top of the building.
"What the hell is going on, agent?" Cat said through gritted teeth.
"Does it look like I have any fucking idea?" Alex questioned.
"Alex?" Alex could've kicked herself for nearly forgetting that Maggie was sitting in a van outside of the building. "Do you know a brunette who can fly and also looks like she might murder people for fun?"
"Oh shit, it's Astra!" Lucy said into the com.
"Maggie don't move-."
"I'm not moving, she's just coming right for the van." Alex jumped up and sprinted towards one of the exits. She shot the door open quickly and sprinted outside. Alex expected chaos but what she didn't expect was to see Astra leaning against the van with a smirk. Before Alex could open her mouth to ask her what she was doing Astra had already sped in front of her and knocked the gun out of Alex's hand.
"Don't play with toys, agent. Someone might get hurt." Astra knew how to intimidate, Alex had to give her that but right now all Alex cared about was that she hadn't blown up and Maggie was still safely inside the van. "I've been thinking about you."
"Me? Why?"
"Kara seemed so…adamant that you didn't get hurt yesterday."
"She's a superhero. On this earth that means she protects people." Alex said through gritted teeth. Alex was playing it cool even amongst the chaos. She was certain that Astra would be too focused on her foiled plan to notice Alex reaching towards her back holster for her Kryptonite knife.
"But you're different." Astra started.
"Maybe." Alex smirked. "It's too bad your plan didn't work. Kara chose to save everyone instead of just protecting me. So you're wrong about thinking I'm so special."
"You made her make the right choice."
Alex grabbed her knife and swiped at Astra, only managing to cut her arm before she was thrown fifteen feet away. Alex skidded against the pavement and stopped just before she hit grass. Astra flew over to her, wrapping her fingers around her neck. Alex was surprised she didn't just kill her right then and there.
"Let her go!" Maggie yelled. Alex looked over and she could see Maggie standing there holding taser that Maggie and Alex both knew would do nothing to stop Astra. But Maggie was walking towards them nonetheless and without the knife Alex knew she couldn't stop Astra.
Alex was desperate and she knew that this could not end well.
"You're brave." Astra grabbed Alex's chin and made her look at her. "I like you." Astra said before shooting up into the sky. Maggie rushed over to Alex's side and lugged her up to her feet.
"You alright?" Maggie questioned. Alex looked up at Astra's disappearing form in the sky. No of this made any sense. Why would Astra just let her go? "Danvers?"
"She didn't kill me." Alex said quietly. It took Alex a moment to gather her thoughts. She looked at Maggie and then down to the taser in Maggie's hand. "Why would you get out of the van? I told you to stay there-."
"She was going to hurt you-."
"So what?" Alex gritted her teeth together. She looked towards the building. There was no more shooting. Alex didn't know if she should be relieved or not. Maggie looked up when Supergirl flew back into the venue. "I better get in there-."
"No." Maggie blurted out.
"What?"
"I said no." Maggie looked up at the sky. Supergirl flew back into the venue. Both Maggie and Alex knew that she'd easily save the day. Not that Alex believed anyone was actually going to get hurt. Astra made it pretty clear that she'd set this whole thing up. Just to prove a stupid point. "Stay." Maggie stepped forward and rested the palm of her hand on Alex's cheek. Alex couldn't move, she could barely function.
What was Maggie doing? Was she about to…? "You should've stayed in the van."
"I couldn't let her hurt you."
"I can take care of myself."
"I can see that." Maggie nodded to Alex's cuts and bruises. "Why don't you let me take care of you for a change?"
They were back at Alex's apartment earlier than she'd anticipated. Kara and J'onn went over the details of the night. For starters, J'onn found nothing of interest at Maxwell Lord's Headquarters except that he found some documents labeled O.K.A.A. Lucy was going to talk to Max but if she got nothing this time then J'onn would have a shot at reading Max's mind.
Supergirl was taking Lena Luthor back to her condo uptown. Alex warned Kara not to give Lena too much information, she still didn't completely trust her. Even if Alex wanted to discuss more, her arm was bleeding and she was too tired to sit through a hundred debriefings on the situation. Tomorrow was another day. One day closer to the whole world ending, but still.
Maggie watched Alex fix up her arm. Maggie ate Sour Patch Kids and talked endlessly about every move that every person made that night. She was psychoanalyzing like always. Alex was too focused on being in pain to notice that Maggie had moved from Lucy's actions to hers. "…and I was worried when you went inside. But you seemed too determined. You said 'Kara's in there'. And right then nothing else mattered to you."
"She's important to me." Alex winced in pain and fear. Maggie was about to figure everything out and Alex would have to live with the fact that she didn't tell her the truth. Even when lies were piling up and they were so messy that she didn't even know why she was lying anymore. Maggie saw through her and she couldn't be honest with her. Not until now. "Kara's-."
"Your sister." Maggie leaned towards Alex and took over cleaning her wounds. "You don't have to hide from me." Alex wondered how true that was because over the past few days all she wanted to do was hide. Alex wished this was all so easy. Supergirl could figure it all out and save the world. But Alex knew Kara wasn't ready for that kind of test. She could never do this on her own. "Alex, talk to me."
"And say what?"
"Anything."
Maggie was pleading now. Searching for a reason behind all of this. Alex wasn't sure if she could give her that, not right now. "Why did you come to National City?"
"I told you-."
"Tell me the truth this time." Alex demanded. Maggie tossed a bloody cotton ball and grabbed another. Maggie's eyes met hers and Alex fucking knew this look. It was the way she looked when she was gearing up to go out to clubs in college. That look of determination and haste and self-deprecating fear. That look meant uncertainty and Maggie didn't wear it well.
"That night when you took me shooting. I realized how easy it was to talk to you. I was talking about shit I never told anyone because I've always been afraid of my trust backfiring. But with you it was different." Maggie leaned against the counter and smiled at Alex. "Nothing has to be more than it is. With you things seemed so cut and dry and then suddenly when I cooked you dinner I felt like…"
"Like what?"
"Like you were slipping away. I mean, how could that be? It was so chill and fun and then when I told you what I thought of Foreman you went all super-agent Danvers on me. I was losing you. I was losing a friend. And I knew if I didn't come out here with you then I'd lose you for good." Alex shouldn't have even asked. She knew that now. All her curiosity brought her was awkward tension that didn't have to be there. "You're shutting down."
"I'm not."
"You are. Look…" Maggie grabbed Alex's hand and smiled. "Maybe my intentions were all wrong. I can see that now but…I'm in this fight. So let me fight."
"You don't get it Maggie. I know you think you understand aliens and bad guys and whatever else but…I've seen horrible things. And that doesn't just start and end with Maxwell Lord or Foreman." Alex sighed and closed her eyes. She wished she could just rest for a moment. She pulled her hands away from Maggie. "Over the past few days all I keep feeling is regret. I wish we could've stayed in River Crest. It felt small and uneventful but still just…safe. I feel that would've been good. For me at least."
"What are you saying?"
"That I hate how this is. I hate that I'm learning about you with the weight of the world on our shoulders. I feel like I'm losing control."
"Alex, you're allowed to let go." Maggie's voice was so soft that Alex almost had to strain to hear her. "It's just me here."
"I don't know what happens if I let go." Alex confessed. She could feel everything boiling up in her stomach. She wanted to vomit or maybe just run. Probably go for a bottle of whiskey but she couldn't move.
Alex remembered that she was supposed to be telling Maggie the truth. J'onn and Lucy already agreed that it was for the best that she knew. But Alex still had to wonder. Was her vulnerability going to screw everything up? Confessing it all at once might make Maggie even more upset. Like Alex was dropping all this crap on her because she was weak willed and uncontrollable. Like she hadn't been thinking about telling Maggie everything since the first time they met. "Alex, look at me." Alex didn't but she liked to believe that Maggie didn't mind. "I know there's a good heart in there. You don't have to hide it from me."
"Maggie, I have to tell you-."
"Wait. Me first." Alex finally looked up at Maggie. She didn't realize until now how soft Maggie's eyes had gotten. She wondered what Maggie would say if she pulled her closer. She wondered if she'd let her kiss her just for that moment because this moment was all that they had. Would it scare Maggie away? Would she scare herself if she tried? "I want you to know that…um…" Maggie chuckled quietly and then smiled. "I'm a better person when I'm around you. I'm braver. And it just sucks that we might have to go back to normal after you save the world."
"You don't have to boost my ego."
"That's not what I'm saying. What I'm trying to say is…" Maggie let her hands fall to the table. She stared at them for a second and then returned her gaze to Alex. "You're beautiful. In the best and worst ways you're beautiful. And I think you need to hear that. Even if it's from some nobody from the Midwest."
"You're not just some nobody, Maggie."
"I will be when this is all over. Things will be normal again."
"What's normal?" Alex said with a smile. "And besides, after we live to tell the tale…we should go out. You know? Just us. Maybe we could go to a movie or maybe grab a few beers." Alex would've reacted to Maggie expression a lot sooner if she could get an accurate read on it. Maggie's mouth was slightly ajar and her cheeks were darkening to the point where Alex had to say something. "What?"
"I just…I didn't think…" Maggie cocked her head to the side. "I didn't know you were gay."
"What? What?!" Alex stepped back and shook her head. "No, I'm not-."
"Oh! Of course not. I'm sorry, I just thought you meant-."
"No-."
"Right."
"Yeah." Maggie cleared her throat and sighed. "Shit. I just screwed everything up, didn't I?" Alex glanced over at her and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.
"No, but I'm probably about to."
"Why?"
"Because I lied to you." Alex stood up and readied herself to be exposed. She was ready and willing to take whatever push back she would get. All she wanted right now was to offer up some clarity for Maggie so at least they could be friends. She really needed that right now. Just a friend. "I'm not just some ex-military super genius security guard. I mean I am a genius. And sorta military but it's more than that." Alex took a deep breath. And of course this had nothing to do with what Maggie had insinuated only a few moments ago. Of course Alex wasn't throwing herself under the bus because she was afraid that Maggie might have thought that Alex was into her. Because that would, of course, be crazy. And Alex wasn't crazy about anything. Or anyone. "I'm an agent for-."
There was a loud crash and before Alex could even react Astra's hand was around her throat. Maggie kicked back her chair and tried to lunge at Astra but she was quickly, and easily, thrown across the room. "What the fuck?" Alex said as she tried to pry Astra's fingers from around her neck. It was no use but she wasn't just about to let some deadbeat ex-aunt alien murder her without at least trying to fight back.
"Where have you taken Maxwell?" Jesus Christ, Alex thought. Of course Astra was working with Max. The whole alien attack must have been a set up just so that they could rid the world of any suspicion. Maybe Astra and Max had joined forces to take out some of their mutual enemies. It wouldn't have surprised Alex if that was the case. Not at all.
"Taken? Isn't he at his office?" Astra released Alex but didn't take a step away. Her eyes remained focused on the Alex.
"Most humans have a fairly obvious physiological reaction to lying. But your physiology has no shifted." Astra grabbed the front of Alex's shirt and pulled her closer. "Okay, Brave One. Let's see how easily I can break you-."
"Kara will kill you." Alex gritted through her teeth. She glanced over at Maggie and could see that she was struggling to get to her feet. "If it's worth it to you then do whatever the hell you want to me. But if you love Kara then you'll back down."
Astra stepped back and frowned like she was contemplating. Alex's gun was too far away not that it would do anything. And she knew that if she ran then Astra would be too unpredictable to control. All Alex could do was stand there and watch Astra ponder and Maggie wipe the blood from her forehead. "And what about this one?" Astra pointed to Maggie. "Is she Kara's family too? Does Kara love her?" Astra's eyes began heating up. Alex could see the bubbling white and red form and she knew that Astra was readying herself to kill Maggie.
"No!" Alex swung at Astra barely fazed the woman as she smirked and returned her eyes to their normal state. Astra wrapped her arms around Alex, holding her in place.
"Okay, Alexandra Danvers of Earth. I am starting to see what love is." Astra held Alex tight as they flew out of her apartment. Alex could just barely hear Maggie screaming behind them.
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