Author's Note: It's so funny to me- ten+ people can review one of my popular stories and I'm like aw thanks but ONE PERSON reviews a story I'm not expecting to be popular (like my William and Kara stuff) and I'm like THANK YOUUUUU :WLKJE:LKWJE!

I'd catch a grenade for you

Throw my hand on a blade for you

I'd jump in front of a train for you

You know I'd do anything for you

Bruno Mars, "Grenade"

The entry hall of Lex Luthor's mansion was completely dark when William eased open the front door. He knew his friends at MI6 hadn't given him the equipment they had for him to go and do something as illegal as breaking into someone's house, but he honestly didn't care.

Nia had gone home at the end of the work day like normal, but William knew that she was off to the Tower (which she'd detailed very briefly before they'd left the meeting room that afternoon), likely to tell the other Superfriends that he was now in the loop. He felt bad for the amount of backlash she'd probably receive, but not bad enough that he was unhappy she'd told him the truth.

Because Nia was right; he did deserve to know. Kara meant a lot to him, and the idea that he could have gone weeks if not months not realizing the level of danger she was in made him shudder.

A floorboard creaked very slightly and William flinched, freezing where he stood and covering up the light cast by his flashlight. He strained his ears in the silence, waiting to hear someone coming to check out the sound, but there was nothing but the deep ticking of a grandfather clock.

William breathed out very slowly, trying to calm his heart rate. He uncovered his flashlight and took another step into the entry hall, making his way towards what he hoped was a living room or study. He knew that the chances of finding something that would help him help Kara were quite slim, but slim wasn't impossible and he'd take what he could get.

The first door William came across was locked, so he tried the next. It opened into a large, wood-accented library with tall bookshelves and a tidy desk. William shut the door silently behind him and walked inside to investigate. He was just reaching the first bookcase when there was a soft click behind him.

William spun around. There, sitting in the light of a newly-turned-on lamp, was Lex Luthor.

He placed his hands on either arm of the tall-backed chair he was perched on. "William Dey. What a… surprise."

William glared at him, gritting his teeth so hard he felt his jaw spasm. "Listen up, Luthor," he growled. "I know what you did to Supergirl. I don't care how long it takes- I will bring you to justice."

Lex raised a lazy eyebrow. "You know what happened to Supergirl, do you? I had no idea you were so in the loop. Here I thought you were just another mindless reporter following Supergirl's example like a trained monkey."

William strode across the room, his blood broiling. He was so sick and tired of Lex's games. "Tell me where she is," he demanded, stopping just a foot away from Lex's chair. "I know you know. You always know."

Lex shrugged. "Maybe I do know, Willy. But where would be the fun in telling people? No. I happen to quite like that Supergirl is in the Phantom Zone. A place of unending torment is exactly where she belongs."

William dove forward, closing his hand around Lex's neck. "Last chance," he growled, watching as the veins in Lex's face began to bulge. "Tell me where you sent Supergirl."

"I'd be careful," Lex choked, still managing to croak out a laugh. "You might be able to talk your way out of breaking and entering, but murder caught on one of my many security cameras? That'll get you put away for life."

With one final glare, William let go of Lex's neck and took a step back. "This isn't over," he seethed, turning and striding out of the study.

"Oh no," Lex called after him, his voice rough. "It's just beginning."

W / T \ Y

William glared out the dark window in his apartment, his fingers clenched around a glass of scotch. He was deliberating getting incredibly drunk and trying to forget everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, but he just didn't have the energy. Still, the scotch was helping settle his heart rate, which was still way too high after his encounter with Lex.

He'd acted tough, adrenaline having kept reality and practicality from rushing over him in the moment. But now he realized just how stupid he'd been. He'd been virtually clean before tonight, but now Lex Luthor had something major on him. William was now a part of his horrible, messed up game… and it was his own fault.

William kept staring out the window, the cold alcohol-filled glass numbing the skin of his fingers. National City blinked back at him, still alive and buzzing even at almost three in the morning. He lifted his hand from the table to rub at a headache forming between his eyes, and his elbow caught a coaster on the edge of the table. Groaning, William bent over to pick it up.

A shot rang out. Glass shattered. William was so startled that he toppled from his chair, hit his head on the edge of the table, and crashed to the floor. He lay on his side for a moment, frozen, the glass from the window he'd just been sitting in front of scattered across his floor as far as he could see.

William cautiously pushed himself to his hands and knees, peeking over the side of the table. Another shot went off, and this time William actually felt the bullet whiz by his head. He threw himself back down again, heart hammering.

Someone was trying to kill him. Or, more accurately, Lex Luthor was trying to kill him. It was the only possibility that made sense. And if Lex Luthor was trying to kill him, then William would never be safe.

There hadn't been a shot fired in a good twenty seconds. William peered tentatively over the protective edge of the table again, before the sound of cracking wood made him flinch and duck. Before he knew what was happening, a masked figure was ramming straight through his double-bolted front door and into his apartment.

The figure raised his gun and William scrambled back, holding his hands up protectively as if that could somehow stop the bullet about to be imbedded in his body. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, knowing there was no one to save him.

But he could imagine. He could imagine that he actually was hearing someone flying through his broken window, and that that person was Kara, that she'd had some sort of sixth-sense that something was wrong and that she needed to save him.

Then there came a thump, and William realized he was still alive. He peeled open his eyes to see there were now three figures in his dim apartment, one of them on the ground, a gun on the floor.

"You okay?"

Slowly, William raised his eyes to Nia Nal, wearing a blue-colored super suit and a mask. "Nia?" he croaked, sliding his gaze to the other figure, who was male and wearing similar shades of blue, with dark hair pushed back from his forehead.

"Seems like we got here just in time," Nia said, holding out hand for him to take. "Might be time to get you one of our Supergirl alert watches."

William was too shaken to absorb any of this. He looked back towards the man again, and the hero dipped his head. "William Dey, I don't believe we've ever been properly introduced. My name is Querl Dox, but my friends call me Brainy. Kara speaks quite fondly of you." He glanced towards the window. "I believe you just survived an assassination attempt."

"Kara talks about me?" William asked, unable to help a small grin.

"Of course he focuses on that and not the assassination," Nia sighed, shaking her head and taking William's arm to lead him to a chair. "Let me get you some water. We'll, uh… we'll have to deal with that guy's body, too."

"I will deliver him to an offsite DEO holding facility until he can be properly… dealt with," Brainy offered, shooting the contract killer a displeased glance. "He will not get away with this attempted murder. Tying him back to Lex Luthor will be much more challenging, but that is a problem for another day." He lowered his head, staring hard at William. "The problem for today is why he was trying to kill you at all."

William shifted uncomfortably. "I… may have broken into Lex's house."

"You did what?" Nia squawked from her way back from the kitchen, almost spilling the glass of water she'd procured. "William, that was so stupid!"

"I was chasing a lead!" William protested, even though he kind of agreed with her. He accepted the water and took a grateful sip, breathing finally starting to slow. "In my defense, it wasn't my intention to get caught."

"This is bad indeed," Brainy said gravely, placing his hands behind his back. "If Nia hadn't had a prophetic dream and thought to check on you, you would have died tonight. If you've made Lex Luthor believe that you are a threat, then-" He paused and frowned. "But why, precisely, does Lex Luthor believe that you are a threat? What exactly transpired this evening? Well. Morning."

"I- I broke into his mansion," William recapped. "Went into his study. I was about to start looking around when I realized he was in the room, just… sitting there."

"He knew you were coming?" Nia asked, eyebrows raising.

William shrugged cluelessly. "Maybe. He didn't know about Kara's identity, though, which is good, right?"

"Lena wiped his mind," Nia confirmed. "It's good to know all of that is holding strong."

"Once I realized he was there I interrogated him about Kara's location," William went on. "I know he knows; it's written all over his face. I couldn't get it out of him, though." He shook his head, letting out a humorless laugh. "If only there was someone who could read minds. They could get inside Luthor's head and figure out Kara's location in an instant."

Nia blinked, sending a startled glance over at Brainy, who raised his eyebrows curiously. "William Dey," he said, "once you've fully recovered, I think you need to come with us."

"What?" William looked up at him blankly. "Why?"

Brainy smiled for the first time since William had met him. "I believe you just found us our plan to save Kara."

I would go through all this pain

Take a bullet straight through my brain

Yes I would die for you baby

Bruno Mars, "Grenade"

Author's Note: Wait hold up why hasn't J'onn read Lex's mind to find out Kara's location? Lex never said he didn't know; I bet he does.