"Morning partner." Kara said entering Alex's apartment where Maggie was chewing on a plain bagel.

"Kara." Maggie replied.

"Looking forward to another day of education?" Kara asked happily.

"Ecstatic."

"It doesn't feel like you are happy."

"Doesn't it?"

"It sounds like you are feeling a little frustrated."

"Are you going to do this all day?" Maggie asked.

"Do what?"

"Your tactical empathy thing."

"It's not mine. It is a negotiation tactic that we are meant to be practicing." Kara said. "Besides I always try to be empathic. I can't help being a natural at it." Kara shrugged.

"So that's a yes, you are going to do it all day?" Maggie guessed.

"Depends on Cruz." Kara shrugged. "I mean he normally likes us mixing up the old and new."

"Well Cruz isn't here now, so here we have the empathy jar." Maggie said reaching across the table and grabbing an empty pot, that she put in front of Kara.

"The what?" Kara asked.

"Anytime you make any tactical empathy response you put a dollar in the jar."

"So it's a swear jar for good emotions?" Kara asked. "I kind of feel it is something Lillian would have done to Lena. Have a positive thought and pay for it. It's kind of dark even for you."

"What does that mean? Did you just compare me to Lillian?"

"No, I compared the empathy jar to an idea Lillian might have. Any further comparisons are from you. Do you normally compare yourself to evil people?" Kara asked.

"Are you shrinking me?" Maggie asked.

"Shrinking you?" Kara asked. "Do you feel like you need to shrink your narcissistic, inflated sense of self?"

"My what?" Maggie asked.

"Your narcissistic, inflated sense of self. I mean that is what shrinking it. There are some who think it was actual head shrinking, but the origins are actually to do with shrinking those parts of your personalty. Hence shrinking." Kara explained.

"Hey Kara." Alex said emerging from the bathroom. "Everything okay?" She asked before sensing the tense mood in the room. She then picked up her dead phone and said. "Look at that I need to go to the DEO. Have fun today."

-00-

"Good morning everyone." Cruz said as he positioned Emily in the corner. "Hopefully you have all had a chance to practice your growing skillset. It is best to practice in a variety of situations so you get used to using it."

"Told you." Supergirl whispered to Maggie who just glared back at her.

"Okay, we are going to move on to getting to a no." Cruz started as he looked round the class. "Many of you saw the Negotiator and thought yes was good. But yes is bad. Today we are learning the power of No. We want the perp to feel comfortable saying no. No is good. If they feel like you are trying to force them into an agreement they will feel trapped and trapped animals are bad. In lawyer speak we are trying to avoid cornering them. If the perp says no, they feel like they have control. Feeling in control is the key to success. If they think they are in control they are less likely to do something stupid." He explained. "So you need to ask questions that give a productive no. Such as 'is now a bad time to talk' or 'have you given up'."

"So words games?" Maggie asked.

"I am feeling cynicism coming from you." Supergirl said to Maggie.

"Nice come back cape." Cruz said to Supergirl before looking at Maggie and saying. "Of course it is word games. This is one big game. What makes it interesting is the fact that when you don't play properly people die. So thank you for being the first to kill Emily today." He said shooting the dummy.

"The important thing to remember is that a no requires less mental work from your counterpart. Getting someone to say no is easy. The best part is almost all yes questions can be flipped to a no question. President Reagan provided one of the best examples of using No and your homework is to watch his pre voting speech. In the mean time I want you to list questions we could use that will end in a no. You first cape." He said looking at Supergirl

"Would it be horrible if everyone was okay?"

"Good. Next." He added pointing to one of the other officers.

"Is it a bad idea to talk?"

"Passable. Next." Cruz said working his way round the room.

"Do you want to stay here forever?"

"Would it be awful if managed to find a solution?"

"Good. Sawyer." He directed only for Maggie to draw a blank.

"Did you date my ex as well?" Cruz asked Maggie as he shot the dummy. "I mean you seem to want her dead more than I do. Would it hurt you to put as much effort into the class as Supergirl?" Cruz asked.

"Fine. Do you find the thought of process completely ludicrous?" Maggie asked.

"Very specific but it ticks the boxes." Cruz commented. "Okay then. Time for a friendly competition. Pair up and see how many times you can draw a no from your partner."

-00-

"You reverted to a nineties anti drug campaign?" Alex asked as she looked at Kara's notebook that had 'just say No' scribbled on it.

"Not exactly, but now you mention it, the Reagans were all over today's session." Kara said. "Maybe I underestimated them."

"Who the Reagans?" Alex asked lost.

"Yes. I mean they even had the pincer going with Nancy. Maybe we will cover that next week. But for now I will stick with no and the power of no."

"Okay." Alex said lost. "Where's Maggie?"

"Work. She said she had paperwork to catch up on. But I think she wants to avoid me."

"Why? What did you do?"

"Nothing. I mean just what Cruz told me. But Maggie gives very conflicting signals." Kara mused.

"In what way?"

"No is a powerful word, that should make Maggie feel like she is safe, secure and in control. And she says no to me a lot. Like a lot a lot. Yet often she seems like she is not feeling in control. You should talk to her."

-00-

"Kara is worried about you." Alex said as she sat next to Maggie in the bar.

"Why?"

"She thinks you don't feel in control."

"Well at least there is nothing wrong with her perception."

"What aren't you in control of?"

"At this stage everything. Especially if your sister is involved in someway."

"She also thinks you are working tonight."

"I am. I am taking a leaf out of your book and working on my mental wellbeing." Maggie said waving her beer.

"So class didn't go well?"

"It was fine. Just a little too in your face." Maggie said as Lena sat opposite them. "What do you want?"

"Kara told me I should avoid you. Something to do with you using cruel practices that my mother would be proud of." Lena said.

"What?" Alex asked confused.

"Maggie wants Kara to pay every time she shows empathy." Lena said.

"That's not what I said." Maggie added.

"So there is no empathy jar?" Lena asked.

"If Kara told you to stay away, why are you here?" Maggie asked.

"After the warning Kara gave me do you really think I would choose to stay away?" Lena asked. "So how long have you been channelling my mother?"

"I'm not- you know what I'm not biting. I am just going to enjoy my beer in peace and not reflect on what your sister is doing to me." She said looking at Alex.

"What exactly did Kara do?" Alex asked.

"Do you have any idea how competitive she is? And Cruz keeps partnering us together. It's like he hates me."

"Because you don't take the course as seriously as Kara?" Lena asked.

"No. Taking it seriously is not the same as sucking up."

"Sucking up?" Lena asked.

"Answering questions, volunteering, saving Emily." Maggie listed.

"Don't you think that you are getting a little too wound up by this?" Alex carefully suggested.

"No." Maggie said before growling. "Why do I keep saying that word?"

"Nancy fan?" Lena asked.

"After a lot of consideration I don't think I am too wound up. I think I am the right amount wound up." Maggie went on, ignoring Lena.

"Your alcohol intake suggests otherwise." Lena said. "Do you want me to get your stress ball?"

"I could cope with the class and Cruz, it's the teacher's pet I have an issue with. I swear she does it to make me look bad."

"You are complaining about Kara one upping you?" Lena asked.

"No. Not exactly. Kind of."

"But all Kara is doing is what Cruz tells her?" Alex asked.

"Technically, yes." Maggie conceded.

"So Kara isn't actually doing anything wrong?" Alex asked.

"No." Maggie said rolling her eyes as she once again used the short N word.

"So the problem lies with you?" Alex suggested.

"Say no, you know you want to." Lena jumped in causing Maggie to bite back her reply.

"I don't know why you are getting so riled. I'm the one paying for this." Alex said.

"What?" Maggie asked completely lost.

"I mean Kara has been so preoccupied with training we haven't had anytime to discuss Landon."

"Maybe that was the plan." Lena said. "Maybe he put pressure on the Captain to get Supergirl accepted onto the course."

"Don't." Maggie warned.

"What?" Lena asked looking innocent.

"Don't what me." Maggie warned.

"Would you prefer for Kara to keep going with the tactical empathy? She'll be here soon."

"I'd prefer to just remove the crazy." Maggie said.

"Well, that's easy. Leave the room."

"I'm not the problem here." Maggie said.

"I'm not sure the data backs you up on that." Lena said.