"To me..

...every person in this city is a light. And every time I've helped one of them, a little bit of their light has become a part of me."_

Chapter 2: Through the Ghost

Rearranged, bandaged and changed before tired but overly worried eyes, left her thoughts rolling with the thunder of her stricken heart. They would sizzle, light the darkest of places like some false sense of hope, then strike with conviction in unrelenting torment. She was nursing probably, no doubt, her third cup of Joe. Thus, her ass wasn't steppin' away from who she'd never let face those demons without her there again, if she had anything to say about it. Though she would say..

"Damn. Your java's too fucking good Little Luthor." She smirked, sipping away and contemplating how to bypass three systems to confiscate the goods when they left the castle. A chuckle and shuffle, got the Captain's head a turnin' to meet hazel eyes more green than anything, who held a double size of the mug she was holding, cursing at her companion, herself and the cup at this hidden charm now capitalized on. "Where."

"My first one. You've had four cups full in the bucket and I'm guessing the fourth might be close to completely down the well by now." Samantha rang in, waiting for Maggie's roundhouse play. She figured, toss an extra in. For good measure. "If I pay, can I make a wish before I go down deep to sink in my 'Lucky' charm , and make sure what I get as a prize is magically delicious..?" Sawyer was gonna murder her an Arias, the minute coffee sprayed out her nose. A hand towel and three paper towels were handed her way, which she gave over quickly to the Cap. Third strike. "I guess you're gonna have to go topless since your shirt's all wet. Don't worry, I can work on that too."

"Bullets." Was the growl, with the shirt ripped away and her arm out to catch what found her hand. "Thanks Lit.."

"Oooooo." Both women turned their noggins at the same time, getting a smirking Lucy and those eyes lit up like fireworks on Independence Day, creating their own little spectacle of colors, rainbow inflamed, by the missing article of clothing and defined abs. "That strapped garment looks damp too. Might need to be removed as well." The giant smile of amusement filled Sam's face where narrowed browns found their target who still cheekily expressed such naughty, not so appropriate hidden fortunes in the cookie they could share if it got her out of the danger zone.

"S..sto..stop.." Their playful commenting ceased to exist, the moment the woman in workout pants and her merlot-colored body armor shirt, staggered to where her sister lay, in almost the same attire, minus the tighter upper wear instead with a sky blue cozy shirt. Her body barely made it across the threshold of the double doors to the vast chamber and massive mattress 'Hopes' exhausted body lay, when her legs finally gave out only for her own frame to fold and fall. It was Nia, with the use of her oneiric gifts, that would keep Sentinel's skull from impacting with the marble floor. She concentrated and slowly lowered her friend. Her...family. Once safe, the Naltorian walked softly over, gathered Alex's body into her arms and took a moment before standing and placing one sister next to the other.

"Drea.." Nia stepped back, nodded and turned to quietly walk to the others. Lena had joined them too. Her orbs of emeralds shivered, with raked trembles rippling through her hands. A gentle one reached, wrapped and squeezed with tenderness, her left. Her right? It had been taken by Lucy.

"Big and bold, but close. Maybe..living room." Sam suggested, holding onto Kelly's and Maggie's hands. No one wanted to leave them. However, Arias had made the right call. They needed to let the sisters be. There could be plenty of time to mingle and hug the both of them to pieces at a later call. Right now though...Danvers Duo. Maggie broke away, as did Lucy, stepping over and laying a soft kiss on both their heads. Just as soon as they reversed direction, gravitation took the lead to two that became one on the cozy bed. "Let's...yeah. Living room. Got a LOT to discuss.."_

"N...nnn..no...no no no..n...n...no.. P...p..plea..p..please..no." The frigid hell did nothing but provide the phantoms even more strength to their icelious torture. She gripped, scraped and clawed into the rough surface of outer cave walls. Nails were broken, if not missing, with crimson remnants either of dried flecks or wet paint in their current conditions of attempted escape. She shoved her body into the sharp terrain, desperate to get away from the demons tormenting her very being. Her suit, worn down and torn, in so many places where wounds continued to litter her figure, offered hopeless ends to the means the phantoms cast upon her. Her voice, dry and ragged, barely a whisper begged for safety and then an ending. She was so cold. Numb. Broken.

Every belief that she had been rescued, turned out to be another reminder of the nightmare in this desolate reality. Every..snap. Ev..ery burn. Every..glacier. The iced cage, like the one in the fortress, her..HER..freeze breath caused another in her heart. Then, in an instant? She SHATTERED the trapped body inside it's core. Blood. Soooo much blood, that..spattered around the jagged ground. It covered her boots, part of her legs. It littered her hands, her cut and bruised hands and sprayed onto some of her face. In those scapes' of dream-fueled agony she came out of the vision with a stinging on both sides of her face, where she had clawed at herself, to try to wipe the blood of her loved ones off! AWAY! "AAAAAGHHHHHH!"

Every thrash, every crash, left the demons to feed deliciously on her light, her fight, her soul. She pulled back to run her body into what she'd scratched to find some escape. She HAD TO….escape.. They'd drawn blood, several times! The back of her neck, sides, even her face, were curses of their victories over her weakening willpower. She kept thinking it, feeling it and bleeding it, for the death to just..come. In her mind, Rao left her, as her Kryptonian home did, by it's violent destruction, in front of her trembling eyes. She heard the explosions, until silence, darkness, frozen wastelands imprisoned her.

If she had screamed, she couldn't tell. If she had run, there wasn't any distance or perhaps there was. Was she..breathing? Could she..move? Tired. 'So...tired.' No time. Sleep. What was..sleep? When her body slid down the rocky surface, with the material ripping more into a suit and a barely remaining crest, it left Supergirl in just as many tatters. Then her face, one side, where broken open sharp claw marks, and black and blue spots, released the life's essence from split skin, her blues already dulled, fogged, with clouded emptiness encompassing the state she was in. Void. She was..void of...everything.

A zone..hollow darkness, was yanked away from her, to be replaced by flames that surrounded her, covered her, and even as sore as dry as her throat was, screams of absolute affliction broke through without any stop to it whatsoever. She was burning. Her skin was seared and every inch of her skin, suited or not, felt like it was exploding through every cell and melting right then and there. The smoke, that toxic air, filled what was left of her lungs. With barely any sight left, she let her head fall back and gave in to an underworld's prison.

"T..take..m...m...me.." Just as soon as she prayed to become ashes in deadly winds, had the heat around her, over her, through her, flipped off. Like a simple little torturing switch, had all warmth ended and with it's departure, did the digits in the doubles below a zero Celsius, find a new target for their delightfully horrific enjoyment.

The ghouls, no longer hallucinations, solidified once more, floating closer, restricting any possible sliver of pure air or hell any rise of the dismal temperature, that would provide her some form of mobility. Every exhale of frigid steam left ice returning only to be blown out again. Phantoms stole away her sight, her heat, her will to move or fight in any way. Her body slumped over, where she lay on her side, hitting another breaking point. Over and over, it seemed, they did this to her. She was far past the phase of reflective emotional release. Tears couldn't..WOULDN'T present themselves. Never. Gone. 'I...I'm..gone. Gone.' She was and she knew it.

Blood stains were scattered, in far too many places around her, in the desolate empty cave. Marks to where she had scraped her hands, arms even face against the jagged walls of her timeless prison, shown self infliction by the fractures evident of her bending, weakening, mind.

'Krypton's failure.

Rao's failure

Earth..

..Earth's..failure.'

Nothing. Everything..and nothing. Hollowing. 'He. He..was..right. Hollowed out. Holl..' She couldn't tell whether these were figments of her desolation or a burden by misery's demand. More specters seemed to gather, as did the talons, the razor-like claws, scratching her deeply. Every one that met her far-too pale of skin, pressed into her and pierced the flesh until they sunk deeply into her body. Each one penetrating the layers of her frame, seemed to be thrust into every bit of her weakening lungs, pounding but splintering heart and tattered mind, until it plunged so deeply into her soul and spirit relentlessly to the point where there were far too many stab wounds from the phantoms to count, and it was downright foolish to struggle anymore.

Life, her life, was absent. The canvas of her existence, once full of vibrancy and true hope and love, strength and will, was now blank and torn. Her fight had truly ended, the moment her father, trapped in this 'cold hell' had given his very life, to stop a backstabbing maniacal imp's little plans for..for..'for...escape?' So many blanks. Too many canvases lay ripped and bare. The manipulative cruelty-wielding monster ended his existence and she couldn't ever give him the peace, the 'prayer for the dead' their people did, to send their spirits to Rao. She had..lost her SENSE of...right. Of..wrong.

The laughter from the dimensional evil was short lived and not even feeling or thinking, led to her hands choosing the sentence to give. She had painted her digits to wrists, to elbows red. A piece of a broken boulder, her non-dominant grip had tightened around, slamming it into the side of the imp's head. She had done it twice, waiting until the murderer was well beyond unconscious enough. She slammed the piece of rock over and over against the side of the outer cave wall, throwing it again and again until it had broken off more pieces, including the perfect shard, like the blade of a dagger or knife. A little rigging with part of the once made crutch both she and her father had used, and she had the shackles that this thing had coming.

This must have caught the phantoms' attention, perhaps in some demonic way, fascination, because none approached. It was as if they were observing the chaotic chill cast. She didn't care, nor stop. Not once. She used the biggest part of the rock and smashed it into each of the imp's fingers, both thumbs, knuckles and palms. When the dimension's devil awoke, about to attempt some blood curdling scream, she used that same rock and knocked her out again. For just as cruel of a measure, she took a good chunk chipped off and shoved it into the imp's mouth, right past the teeth, where she wouldn't be able to open up wide enough to remove that stone. Her actions might have broken the thing's jaw, to get the rock in. Oh well.

It was only later, when she was in yet another dimensional pocket of the fractured Phantom Zone did she realize what her very hands had done. Kara Zor-El...WAS a monster! Now though, no sooner had it begun then ended, like her father returned to her life then ripped away from it, had she forgotten almost entirely what she'd done to said imp. It wasn't soon after that, had the name of the home she'd been born to, the one she had been sent to, dissipate from her thoughts. Her memories. The phantoms followed, circled and hunted her with ominous intent, while sipping away at her life-force slowly, until it left her in nothing but a catatonic state. Fear visions continued to invade her entire being, leaving her empty, frozen, trapped and hopeless.

Though, not a moment sooner, and the infection would have toxified the last of her until she too would have succumbed to a transformation with no reverse, no cure. Then, there was…

Light.

Warmth.

Life. With..

..GENTLE touches. Strong, safe arms that let her FINALLY slumber peacefully. Whispers filled her ears and without any thought at all, she sent a prayer to someone called Rao. _

"Called it." The Cap held out and up, between index and a middle pointed skyward, a crisp hundred to the 'betting' kind of a smirking woman. "I can't help it, if your draft-pick only notes a 'cliff' without hangin' around, and not make the 'rough' list." A bump between Lucy and Sam commenced, while Benjamin was gathered in a victorious grasp. "Practice makes perfect scores, you know. Just sayin." Neither noticed a twenty slid to the side and taken by the winner of this round. Nia smiled and pocketed it, after Kelly had handed it over. Lena just leaned in her chosen seat on one of the sectionals. She went to take another sip of her Irish blended hot beverage, only to have it snatched up and drank down a little quicker than something that hot should have been.

"Sam?! That was…...hot." The good Luthor raised a brow and contemplated the scene playing out in her head. "You weren't.." The mug was placed down on the small table beside her, empty at that. A shake, flop, recline and sigh, answered the question, half-ass'd but decent enough. She wasn't going to bring up it being the third time she'd sidestepped around the topic. When the staring contest commenced, it lasted merely seconds, before Sam's lap was covered by Lucy's body, and the phone in said back pocket, drove it's hard military grade case over an already bruised knee, relinquishing a hissed noise of pain in the process. Lane must have got the gist, removing the vibrating object and setting it on the coffee table in the center of the sectional universe. It kept pulsing to life, catching eyes that followed its rattle a good foot or so across the top, to finally settle down from a straight and forward twelve inch 'line' dance. Not a second after stopping were two noises unleashed and with it's tap duo the destructive force of one bullet hit the mark, causing the loudest of mechanical explosions for the audience. Particles, from a phone case nearly three levels above an agent's artillery, were indeed left of pixie dust.

"Fuck.." A few of them chorused together, keeping their sights to where the firearm disappeared from existence. The original source lowered the arm and popped it's hands knuckles. The suit? Amiss..for now. She hadn't even looked one direction where they sat, nor did her voice fill the air, that now felt stale from the scene before those in a downtime space, or what they called the 'Tower's POWER Center. The once upon a time Director of the DEO, only put focus where her hot coffee had been prepared to her preference, as was another, blended accordingly for her sparring and training partner. Engaged with a protective stride, two lids and the slips over those cups from the heat, waved by the swirls she issues to mix thoroughly, she'd accomplished the mission indeed. What she hadn't expected, was who stood practically in the doorway, halting her step-out.

"Not coffee." With a sigh, groan and shift in position, her sister entered the domain of patrons, all phased by a view...goddess blessed. Cargo pants, flat black and random pocketed, drawstring strapped around the waist but quite tighter than those kinda bottoms should fit, shaped sharply the toned wonder. All she could act with, was a hand over her face, specifically the eyes, shaking her head and groaning slightly at the attention the Kryptonian seemed to be acquiring. Maybe it was the fact that the only tank that seemed to withstand the brutality of flexed muscle-powered contention, was a bloody army-earth green...wife beater tank top. Not only was it tightly revealing even more of her sister's ripped body, but it left everyone staring at her arms. More so, her biceps. She had also done the service of throwing her sister's sun-kissed blonde mane, into a well knotted french braid.

"Time's a tickin' Sonya Blade." She sipped her soothing macchiato style choice, chuckling when what was blended up, with their nice industrial machine, was a vanilla latte. Even more so, it was 'snow cone' iced, then shaken to perfection and topped with a massive amount of whipped cream, with chocolate sprinkles pepper-shook over. Of course, after checking that there was more than one can, did the hero turn and lean her ass into the counter, bring the container to her face, then spray the delight straight into her mouth, unconsciously flexing muscle on that arm. Once enough was consumed, more or less the rest of the can really, it was disposed of in the proper bin, only for the latte to be gulped down and cup licked clean, also meeting the garbage can too.

"Yes yes, Kitana. Shame your hair is short though...princess." Both walked out, after Alex had tossed her empty cup into its proper bin, to her pop off next.

"You know, three rounds of Kombat under the right glow, might give me a 'flawless victory' if you aren't careful." Their banter continued, but what they refused to display is the trembles that started up again. It was better that way. For now.

"Um…uh…"

"Yeah. You said it, Little Lane." The Captain added, not sure what else she could actually come up with, words wise. The dictionary seemed to be a little on the blank side, in the room at least. In the room of their brains, from what they'd viewed, where a couple of the ladies shook it away, realizing who they'd checked out in the process. Finally, someone got their cells back in orbital motion, standing to venture for a new beverage at the machine.

"She's...ripped. I think, I think, that is kinda valid of um...obviousness. Um. Um...but they were both hiding the signs we missed too." Nia let her mind just spill out it's sentences. "Alex was hiding one hand clenching at the hip, to the side we couldn't really see. It was shaking. She tightened her jaw too. Kara, on the other hand, was doing a counting with her fingers on the thumb. That.." Nia showed everyone in the space what she meant, holding out her hand, with each fingertip tapping lightly on a thumb. "One, two, three, four. Four, three, two, one." A snap by accident got sights set to Sawyer.

"It's the drunken test case too. Besides walking, a straight line." The Captain stated, gaining smirks round-housed. "Yeah yeah." She noticed the grim expression on the Psychologist's face. "What is it?" She picked up on the strange energy around them, as if lingering with a sense of disturbance, understanding and a haunting warning. "Should we.."

"..worry? Unfortunately, yes." Kelly couldn't hide the nervousness that came with what she had just witnessed. This wasn't going to be, a walk in the park.._

"Tune it out." Her head turned, quick to notice how her sister's more relaxed posture had yet to move and with eyes closed she still knew her that damn well. Then again, she always did. "Wai Aoe. We can shut..the.." The word nearly left her lips, before eyelids flung up and blue orbs enlarged with fear taking hold and restricting the air right out of her. Alex's own eyes grew just as big, partnered in panic and a somewhat state of paralysis. She flung her head side to side and the hand on her own, to try to ground her, was gone. Instead was the hardened floor, of the inside of an aquarium style tank, nearly two stories tall if she could guess. Worse than that, it was much more narrow than the one Rick had trapped her in. Rick. ….shit.

The minute the name crossed her mind, did a light flare to life but instead of a standard one it was red. As in..'red sun lamps.' She gasped, already feeling the shakes taking over through her frame, when straight ahead was another tank, bathed in the same wretched red glow. In that tank? 'Kara!' No sooner had that word left her mind, and hell her entire being, did a head come up, both seeming to have made eye contact. "A..Alex? Wha..where..where are you? Alex?!" The instant panic was already afoot and it wasn't helping that her own had reached the second level, if not the third on a one to eight meter. Her sister's, no doubt, was knocked to a four, maybe five and rising quickly.

"K.." That was about all she could get out, biting down on something which felt soft but thick, that hadn't been there before. Worse though, was how dry her throat was, reducing her vocal abilities tremendously. She tried to move, but shivered when she realized not only was she sitting on her knees, ass to heels, by force, but her wrists were chained and secured to two hitches no doubt cemented into the ground, or the bottom of the window-like cell, where her ankles were chained too. Then there was the harness, mostly metal, around her waist, also chained at both sides to the bottom. It wasn't until she noticed that her sister was in the same predicament, did she see the machine to the blonde's right. Vitals? Fearing the worst, she turned her head and noticed the same machine, following the line and the cuff around her upper arm. There was also an O2 device on one of her fingers, strapped in place so she couldn't shake it off.

"Alex? Alex?! ALEX! Lexy, where are you? Where ARE YOU?! ALEX!" Her sister's anxiety was driving her own to the surface and the minute it did, three beeps made themselves known from where she couldn't see, followed by a clear liquid gathering around her flattened hands on the ground. Her eyes widened, forcing her pulse to quicken, but the minute it did and she looked back to the struggling hero and her relentless thrashing, did she notice the water gathering upon the tank floor even quicker. She kept looking down, then back up to Kara, who just couldn't stay still and wasn't getting calmer at all. It was getting WORSE, and in doing so, the water in the box she was trapped in, just continued to fill higher and higher. She couldn't...COULDN'T scream! She couldn't explain! Couldn't WARN! Nothing! 'Kara...please. Please. Calm down..please. Please! PLEASE!'

Her resolve to remain calm herself, wasn't coming to pass and in cracking from this panic, this stress, did her vitals spike up. The minute they did, the water quickened it's entry to the tank her sister was in. It wasn't going at the rate it would in hers. This only made her body switch into high-gear of an agent, instead of keeping that collective nature up. She realized the moment her vitals rose, did the water in the Kryptonian's cell do the same. Then, when Kara's vitals spiked, her own tank would fill faster. The only light source were the putrid lamps keeping her sister's powers absent. They were restrained, caged, linked up by machines and slowly being sentenced to what would no doubt drown them both in the end. Her own level of composure, of any minute attempt at finding the tiniest sliver of it, were quaking whatever balance a person or the space around them was meant to have, until everything and the hellish nothing had wiped away whatever axis line that may have once been present.

It dawned on her then, thinking with as much concentration as she could, that Kara might NOT be able to see her at all, but she could see her terrified, frantic, thrashing, shaking sister losing it slowly but surely, if not quickening rapidly. The next spike struck and before she had even a moment to suck in a breath, did the machine's beeping go mad. A..panic attack! She willed herself to try to lower her heart rate, but the cries, the screams of terror and her name called over and over, had anxiety crashing through her and in doing so, into the machine. Which meant..

Kara's screams were weakening, from how much she strained her vocal cords and just as the gag suddenly came loose, was the water level up to their shoulders far too fast for even them to wonder how it rose from the waist to neck in two snaps so it seemed. It didn't matter, but if she could at least tell her sister, just tell her she was there, if just that, then that would be enough. Stupidly, or quick thinking, she lowered her head and took in just a little water to wet the whistle before taking a DEEP breath, then shouting Kara's name.

"KARA!" Once she repeated the action four more times, finally before the fifth keeping water in her mouth just a little to soothe her sore throat, she lifted her head just as the familiar sound of the loudest of gunshots filled the atmosphere, nearly explosive to her ears. But it wasn't the silence after that caught her attention the most, but the splatter of blood covering the walls, then mixing with the water in the tank. The military grade firearm was dropped, sinking to the bottom of the watery cage, while the attachments between the cuff and the machine were disconnected. The water didn't stop rising, in either of their cells, but the red lighting was gone, only to be replaced with the fluorescent kind in a business office. She went to scream, but by the time she tried to, the water level had just touched her lips. She tried to cry, but nothing would leave her eyes. Crimson blended more and more in the tank her sister's body remained in. Barely anything was left of the Kryptonian's head and it was in that very moment, when she lifted her head and the water met the bottom of her nose, that she saw who stood over the top of the tank she could now view clear as day with the lighting up above. The one that had trapped them, had done ALL this? It had been none other than Jeremiah Danvers. Her OWN father. He shook his head and stepped away and the lights dimmed until there was nothing but blackness remaining. The water had stopped rising in the tank she was trapped in, but then spotlights all flipped on to be aimed at the deceased hero. Her hero. That tank just kept filling. She forced her eyes shut, which had to have been the cruelest of ideas.

"KARA?! ALEX?! KARA! Alex! Alex STOP! STOP! ALEX! Honey, PLEASE! ALEX!" Her eyelids flew up just as her heart rate went through the roof, far quicker than she had ever had happen in her life. When she looked forward, she wasn't in the tank, trapped with the water rising to drown her. It was..her mom! No, she wasn't there, because she was the one standing at the top, holding the gun that had shot her sister in the head by her own father! No. It was...her. Not even hesitating, with only one mission in her heart. Save. HER. Mother. Not an ounce of regret, she pulled the trigger. She watched as her sister, no. The Kryptonian's head..all but EXPLODED by ONE bullet. Blood spattered everywhere. Including on the front of her, more importantly all over her face. She looked to the tank her mom was trapped in, watching the water recede. Her father had dove in, and worked to free her mother. And she..? She dropped the gun, into the water, then turned and..walked...away.._

"Alex? Alex?!" She wasn't sure how MANY times she had called her sister's name, but the panic had, Rao..far past, settled in way too comfortably for its own good. Kara was in front of her, where they had been in a meditative state and then suddenly Alex's body began to shake, at first not too heavily. But then tremors were rippling through the former Director's entire frame and the clenched jaw, tightening of the face and eyes shut as strongly as possible, were enough of an indication that SOMETHING was seriously wrong. "Alex! Alex..Wai Aoe. Come on Sis. Remember. The message. I..I know..you..listened. I just know." She shifted into a different gear, quickly getting behind Sentinel and wrapping her arms around her, embracing her against the warmth of her alien body. "..how you taught me, showed me...what it means. What it..truly means, to be strong. What..I..you. To..love. To love..so fiercely, it hurts. To be..human. Remember? You..taught me..to be that." She let her strength, her will, wrap around her big sis, offering it all if it would help. However..

The action brought on a RUTHLESS reaction and instantly the vigilante's, well hero to Kara, body violently began to struggle, thrash and fight with an intensity that she wasn't used to witnessing from her sister. She knew that Alex was strong. She KNEW it was her agent training kicking in, as well as that 'fight or flight' instinct too. Yet this..THIS was different and she couldn't put her finger on it. It was triggering things inside of her, relentlessly fighting as her sister did the same. She wasn't sure how long until BOTH tore down her resistances and left her drained of everything. Tears were threatening to spill and in a last ditch attempt to calm them both, she switched positions again and bridal style lifted Alex up off the floor, intending to float them up and fly them out, knowing it was something that she loved doing with her. Just as she adjusted her flailing hero in her arms, preparing to take off, she sucked in the heaviest of air and without meaning to, fell helplessly to her knees. The feat, the solid action, knocked the agent out of the state she was in, when she dropped onto her side after the Kryptonian had let her arms go limp at her sides.

"Oh god. Oh...oh Kar. I..I'm.." The minute she righted herself to meet her baby sister's eyes, her own hauntingly widened. The beautiful blues, once more, had been dulled into that horrid fog. She jumped to her feet and yelled out for help, flinging part of her arm that had the 'Hand of the Soldier' attached to it, letting the transformation into Sentinel take over. With her suit complete, she slid down to her knees and took the slightly lowered head of the blonde, in her warm hands and lifted it, to look straight at her, more so directly into those eyes. The heavy pounds against the floor, no doubt her comrades, her..loved ones indicated they were close. She paid no heed to it, putting all her focus elsewhere, which was on who needed her most, just like she needed her. "Kir Aoe.." Alex let the language taught to her, when they were kids, of one home to another, roll off her tongue in a manner sacred, secret and undeniably special between the sisters. A bond they shared, through struggles and strife. Now more than ever, what was called for.

"Wait." Both Maggie and Kelly spoke out, then held out an arm each, from opposite sides, to halt everyone from entering. They stood, fearful, hopeful and nervous, listening to the beautiful melody of Kryptonese spoken from one to the other. Slowly, but surely, both voices were heard, until their hug put everyone else's entire being at ease.

"I love you Lexy. I'm sorry. I'm...I'm sorry you..you had to..to..to..be there." Kara tried not to sob, but the dam broke and in doing so, she gripped to her sister with all that she had, powerless but uncaring when she could give a hug with the strength she would have under a red sun. Something she cherished, when she could do so.

"I COULDN'T...let you stay there. I just, just couldn't. I was gonna, gonna come get you. No matter what. I was gonna bring you home. I..I watched..we..I..the..message..I..showed it..to, to..Lena." She buried her face in the spot between her sister's neck and shoulder, returning the embrace with everything in her. Her own tears slipped from the corners, trailing down and switching back to Kryptonese. She told her how proud she was of her. How strong she was. How brave and selfless, then scolding her for not kicking the crystal over quicker, until that brought on immense sobs, where Kara took over and whispered encouraging, heartwarming and inspiring words to her. They ended up laying on the floor of the training room on their sides, holding onto one another, while the tears finally stopped and with it both sisters faded into what they knew would be a peaceful slumber.

"Dreamer." Nia, already having switched into her suit, summoned the oneiric energies, manipulating them in a manner, to create the softest of cushionings, in time for Sam and Lucy to run and grab the pads from the medical area, along with pillows and two blankets. Making quick work, they set up a makeshift mattress, while Dreamer lowered the sisters onto a more comfortable space, releasing the energies to wisp away slowly. Alex and Kara's heads met the pillows and Maggie took up the task of covering them with the blankets.

"I um..just, let em be." The Captain barely found a voice enough to give a requested command, or was it a plea. Regardless, it wasn't fought against. That's what they would do. They needed...to JUST...let the sisters be..once more.._

Two down, yet not really looking at her hand, she asked for a duo and was slid two in exchange. A second, then two, then ten and she still hadn't picked up the pair. Even with the stack she'd thrown into the center of the table, the hand came down with her other three faced down as well. Eyes followed her moves, when she pushed her chair back enough to stand, turn her back and walk away. The others at the round table, between chips and iced teas, now off the booze entirely, along with chips of a different kind, set their faced down hands upon the royal purple covered top. Poker play didn't seem so appealing when worries and strife at a certain bastard plagued their thoughts between two entirely different ends of the spectrum. A knock at the wall, with the door wide open, brought their attention to a certain pair of stunning amber waves. The nicely copper tanned, though Ireland made half-alien huntress' beautiful skin, brought out those gorgeous hues even more. Arias might have tried not to drool at the sight. Their past..PERHAPS..present, did nothing to avoid a bit of eye foreplay which got her a light tap from Lucy's boot under the table. It appeared Sam wasn't the only one trying to hold in the hunger.

"Play, I'll go to a land 'Down Under,' later folks." Lane stated, picking up easily on the sexual energies there, of course. ..deeply under the wanton sea.

"Cap." Helena spoke softly, so as not to cause any more tension than she already saw in her boss, including the way she stood by the window. "Chainsaw." O for two. 'Hmmmm. O...kay.' "SO..was she UNDER or OVER the rainbow, when you removed her heels from the floor, the FIRST time." Lucy and Sam's jaws might as well have thumped onto the floor, with the sarcastic kick off. That got dear Captain Sawyer to turn her head, then rotate completely around. Maggie stuck her tongue out, raised a hand and taught the middle to point to the skylight, before lowering the gesture and putting her head back against the wall she leaned into. "Maggie." Helena knew she had the go ahead, to jump to a first name basis, when the second those first wet streaks slid downward toward a path that would be followed up just as sure as shooting. "What..can I do?"

"Out of everything?" She spoke to her second, whom nodded. "PROTECT those two. With EVERYTHING in you. Please Helena. I...I...please." Nearly a response was met, until another entered the domain where the two sisters slumbered, taking up a spot on the floor in almost a meditative way, alerting the others when a minor *ding* popped up on the monitor, showing the third entity in the training room. "Ken?"

A rush of psychic energy slipped over everyone, but not in an invading manner. It was comforting, almost..protective and when it calmed, a voice met their minds. 'My Son, he wants me with her, to guard her. With them. With YOU. He is safe, Chainsaw. There is more to the tales of her absence from the city, from the planet and beyond. Her past, her Father's past, their family, of El. THEY are how I arrived here. Zor El, is one of my...FIRST of those I met and created a bond with, that was not of our home. I met little Kara, when she was just a cycle of age. So, I can have my crews, my friends, run the business. You have me here. Until I am no longer needed and unwelcome. But I remain. If that is alright with you Maggie Sawyer. We really REALLY did, miss your ass.'

"Help me." The Cap requested, of her second, immediately gaining that aid. Once steadier, her milk chocolate hues found the dark browns of Kelly's and emerald shivering orbs of Lena's, granting a silent response to the question asked. They stepped up and took over Helena's position. "Ya don't gotta carry my derriere, right to there ladies. The companionship where I feel it should be, where you should be, is enough to calm those little bastards on my shoulders, annoying the pearly gates and pits of hell out of me."

"Wordy, she be." Sam muttered to Nia, trying not to crack a smile. Lucy however, released a smirk and bumped fists in amusement. She flipped over to another pathway, when a yawn took place, a cascade's wave rushed through the air, where others felt the action met, completed just the same.

"Maybe..a bit of a snooze would be good for us all. We can run on shifts, so we aren't drowning by exhaustion. As awesome as it would be, we don't have a gift basket of abilities to change the outcomes we all wish for." Lucy was about to continue, until..she saw the tremors of three previous passengers aboard a tower's ship. Terror was the only thing in their shivering orbs.

"Sleep." Nia all but whispered the grotesque word, feeling ill beyond comprehension. Shutting her eyes meant reliving it again, if not something worse. That something had her cursing at her powers. Her..her….weakness.

"Abilities. Right." Kelly's doubts bubbled up, rising higher and higher until she felt herself about to break the surface, only to plunge back into the depths of a frigid nightmare. Well, nightmares.

"Outcomes. Wishes. Still..so much to..do." Lena barely could hold her head up, the moment the realization hit her from left field like a 100 car freight train. Of all the things that scared her the most, even she found herself drowning.

"Guys?" Maggie, Lucy and Sam noticed the three had checked out, far beyond any comparison that darkness allotted. Looks between them, even when Helena joined their much graver concerns. Through all the battles Troy had endured, THIS one? It would take everything of them and more, to cast the phantoms OUT, ONCE, and for good.