Five weeks of silence, partnered with rejections for any form of entry to the ivory tower and a notice of termination left her in complete shambles. The hero, or how little she thought herself to be, called her sister recently wrapped in the arms of a woman she most definitely deserved. She hated to interrupt that new romance, or whatever may be going on, but this nagging feeling wouldn't let up.

It had been this way since both Danvers walked into L-Corp, after making their way to CATCO and finding out the woman they longed to chat with wasn't there, to talk to Lena and reveal what Kara had been dreading for sooo long…

** Flashback: Five and a half weeks ago

Her hands were shaking as they entered, hell her entire body was, even more so when they stepped in and found who they wanted to talk to standing facing the windows with her back turned to them and hands behind her back. With no movement made, one slight lower of glasses and she noticed a frame she knew all too well. Instinctively she grabbed her sister's hand in which Alex immediately felt the trembles. Instead of backing down, letting go of her hand, she stepped forward and slightly in front of Kara and that's when she noticed what the hero had on the desk under the crystal tumbler.

"What do I owe this pleasure to, Director Danvers. Supergirl." Both sisters gasped when she turned to face them showing no anger, no sadness, nothing. Her face was blank and the Super knew that look all too well. She hated it and now it was directed at both of them. "If you came to tell me that dirty little secret, well..Lex let that out of the bag already. Nice to know, in the worst of times, the WORST of them all is the most honest. Here, we were working together to clear Supergirl's name and here you weaseled a way into getting me to just fix your sister's problems."

"Spare me this bullshit attitude Lena!" Alex spoke up, after already being fed up the business woman's tone. "HERE is a newsflash for you! You listening?" The woman nodded. "For months I didn't know who Supergirl was, or even that my sister was something other than human." The Luthor just grinded her teeth and then stopped, returning to a stoic manner. "J'onn had to mind wipe the people at the DEO that knew her secret identity. Colonel Haley, under order of the president, was to find out her secret one way or another. That Truth Seeker that we gave you a part of, was what Lauren used to go after what she needed."

"Go on." She slipped into her chair, watching only the Director after noticing the coward behind her shaking like some putrid child.

"Someone leaked it under a damn interrogation. Supergirl saved Colonel Haley's life and in turn she boasted about how she owned her and that she would do whatever was ORDERED of her. Her life of Kara Danvers was over. So I decked her hard, knocking her out cold. It didn't stop here though, with that...parasite brought in, even after J'onn wiped her memory she still went after the truth with that fucking thing! So Brainy, J'onn, Kara and I met outside of the DEO and I told my sister, my..own..SISTER..that I had to be mind wiped too. The night that plane started to go down, the first night she showed herself to the world, those people she saved? I..was one of them. She risked everything to save me. She exposed herself and what did I do in return? I SHOT her down, with kryptonite!"

"Go on." She would listen, but that's about all she would do after she got her own words in.

"She woke up in the DEO on a table, bound with kryptonite cuffs. My boss was the one to greet her. Then, he introduced..Agent Danvers." That day still left an awful taste in her mouth, she never seemed to get rid of. "I was the one to release her wrists. I went to hold her hand and she pulled away. The look of pure betrayal, that look that you are trying to hide? Imagine that look, aimed..at..you. So what did I do? I got her to walk into a room of kryptonite emitters and kicked her ass. For once, as sickening as this is, that felt good. I finally was able to do that and I basked in it but hated it all in the same breath. The only reason your boyfriend knew who she was, was because Superman sent him to this city to look after her. Winn found out because Kara didn't understand the repercussions of sharing her secret with people. He was her best friend. Cat Grant figured it out pretty quick, APPARENTLY quicker than you which is sad honestly." If this so called masked 'Revenger' wanted to do just that, then she needed all the facts. First."

She knew her face, her hands, her body language was being monitored and she didn't give a rat's ass about it. Finally flicking her eyes to the other behind her, she noticed that not so tough hero with her back turned and head down in shame. Her eyes slipped back into hardened brown hues and couldn't help but feel the heat of that fiery stare.

"Continue."

"Before you came to National City, there was an incident called Myriad that started here but affected all of Earth. Do you remember that?" She nodded. "Everyone was under some fucked up mind control that two people named Non and Indigo had caused. Who had been protecting me from it, J'onn, was injured and my mind wasn't shielded anymore. I felt this..pressure, this..invasion and I couldn't stop it I couldn't fight it. I woke up in front of the ass who gloated about his plans."

She took a deep breath in and out, three times before continuing. "Before this happened, there was a fight, several in fact. The first fight I was captured, Kara found me and I tried to warn her but it was too late. She was attacked by the wife of Non, Alura's sister. Astra tried to get my sister to join her. Kara refused and they fought. She lost and Astra fled." She wanted to look back and see if her sister was alright but the whimpers gave her that answer. Alex had to tell Lena as much as she could. "Something had been left at Kara's place and when she opened it, the putrid thing latched onto her body and forced her into this almost catatonic state where...she was..unconscious, but..everything appeared normal as if..her brain waves couldn't pick up that anything was wrong."

The strangest behavior began, that usually Lena saw in Kara and not the leading agent of the DEO. "I found out from Astra, Kara's Aunt, that it was what was known as the Black Mercy. It trapped her in lifelike hallucinations Lena. Her perfect fantasy life, which happened to be Krypton mind you. We figured out a way to help, but I had to go into that fantasy and what I saw? The world I saw was completely different than Earth. It was beautiful! Our planet didn't even come close to what Krypton was. I found Kara and she was with her little cousin and parents and..she didn't even..she didn't even know who I was Lena." Alex was trying not to cry, stopping the pacing and returning to stand in front of her sister protectively. "I was fighting to get her to remember, but this..THING was trying to thwart every chance I had! When I got her back, the fight against Non and Astra continued. After her Aunt risked it all to save her niece, what did I do? I stabbed Astra..IN THE BACK with a kryptonite sword! I killed Kara's..own..Aunt."

"Go on." This news was enlightening at the same time gruesome.

"At first, Kara didn't know it was me. J'onn took the blame to keep her from finding out. I confessed and instead of leaving me, she wrapped me in her arms and forgave me. Weeks later she was infected with bastard Lord's Red K. It took away her inhibitions and made her cold and heartless. Like YOU look now. When she was finally free, she was broken and sobbing and so full of gut-wrenching regret. Then I was forced into this hypnotic state and I went out with gear put on me by Indigo, Non's little fuck buddy with evil powers, the sword that I killed Astra with and sent to kill her. Non wanted Kara to suffer, to either let me kill her or for her to kill me. Well, somehow J'onn got my mom there and she got through to me. I came to with a kryptonite sword in my hands aimed over her chest. She and J'onn went out to fight Non and Indigo. She couldn't kill Non, she refused to. With a brief chat and her love and goodbye to me, she flew Fort Rozz into space and would have died if I hadn't gone after her in the same pod she came to Earth in. She couldn't kill Non just like she couldn't kill your brother. She tried to save him and he refused."

"Continue." Nothing was getting through to Lena and it infuriated Alex to no end.

"When she met you, everything changed and she changed too. No matter what was thrown at you in acts of cruelty and violence, she was the one to protect you and stand by you. Even when your mother came after her, kidnapping her and forcing her to solar flare to get what she needed to create that ..virus, she believed in you. We all told her and warned her not to get close to you or believe anything you had to say. She still did. She still does. That night when Reign and Supergirl fought.."

"Say. Her. Name." Ohhhhh Alex wanted to sock her badly.

"The night my sister, Kara Zor-El Danvers fought Reign with everything in her, knowing if she didn't stop this person, lives would be in danger and the monster in all black dropped her off the building. Do you remember that? I know you do, you were there. When we got there, when we got her back to the DEO, her.." All the tough ass trained agent in her left her body in one fell swoop, something Lena noticed, along with the single tear that ran down the right side of Alex's face. "She..she wasn't..breathing on her own. She was..she was crashing. I had to..I had to intubate."

"Go..on." Something in her, something she tried to lock up, box, then lock up again and throw away the key, was breaking.

"She was..in.." Alex reached back looking for her sister's hand and found it, noticing how it felt and knowing Kara had her back to her own. The minute she felt it, she squeezed it with her own hand shaking. "She was in..a coma. If it hadn't been for the Legionnaires, she would have...died. So go ahead, be upset, be mad as hell, be FURIOUS!" She let go and walked towards the desk, ready to lay into the CEO before her, fists clenched for it. "But DON'T put this all..on..her. You want someone to blame? Blame me. I wouldn't let her tell you. At first it was J'onn but it was mostly me. She wanted to tell you on the way back from Russia. She wanted to tell you that game night. I stopped her. It was me."

She put her head back some and stared directly into those angry orbs, her emotionless expression evident in not just her face but her entire body. She knew the Director had felt her icy demeanor, with a slight shiver running over the ready for a fight stanced body.

"Are you done?" Alex was taken back, not liking this side of the friend she'd made and partner in saving her sister. "She can keep the prototype of that suit. I'll send the three other ones I have for Supergirl to your agency. That is all."

"Excuse me?!" She shook off the chill and returned to clenched fists, seething slightly.

"I already signed your NDA forms. They should be on your desk already. Is that all? I have reports to get back to. I do own companies you know."

"Take the time you need." Alex knew there wasn't any use talking to Lena anymore today, turning to meet the wrecked state of her sister. Every ounce of confidence or hell anything, was gone. Her body was slack, shoulders dropped arms dropped and head down facing away from them both. Even worse, the boxed gift was on the floor, which she was tempted to pick up and take with them. "Come on sis." Instead of removing it, she left it and grabbed Kara's hand to pull her away and out the door where she'd take them to her place.

The minute they left, she looked at the floor and noticed the box, considering letting it rot there for all she cared. After ten minutes, she pushed her chair back some and got up to walk around her desk and slowly to the small box with metallic purple wrapping and a beautiful metallic green ribbon. Lena bent down and picked it up, noticing a little card with it, returning to her desk after shutting the door and locking it. She set it down, turned and locked the balcony door hit the button on her new metal shades and let the darkness fill the office. With that said and done, she sat in her chair and flicked on the overhead lighting directly over her desk, to continue her work.

Two hours later, she stopped her business and grabbed the damn little envelope that came with the card and ripped it away to get to what was inside of it. The small card was painted with a landscape she didn't recognize and opened the card to find an origami style letter and with it words written on the inside of the card saying, "You are that home." Lena dropped the card and letter, pulled out her top drawer and tossed them inside slamming it shut. She opened up the bottom drawer, after unlocking it, snatched the box up and threw it inside, kicking it closed. Once it was locked up, she kept the lead lined shades shut and returned to her work.

** End of Flashback

"I've got ya covered sis, no worries. Hey I talked to Kelly and we are gonna sit down with her tonight alright?"

"Okay. I'm gonna make the rounds once more and then I'll meet you there." She told her sister, while in mid air looking down at the city over the com on their private channel.

"Be safe sis. Love you."

"Love you too." She tapped the piece, switching the com to the regular DEO channel and flew down to tend to a few minor incidents. Supergirl was just about to make her way back to base when she heard screams coming from a newer housing development almost out of the city. She flew down quickly, rushing to the sound of the woman's cries for help and the voice of a man yelling at who was probably his girlfriend or wife. "Not on my watch." If there was one thing she couldn't stand, was the abuse of women and children who didn't deserve it. Men were abused too, just not as much as the latter. Her teeth clenched when she picked up the slapping sounds and was shocked that no lights were turning on, of the neighbors or anyone on the block for that matter. This was..being ignored.

She would have the DEO contract someone for the doors and windows after, rushing at the front door and kicking it open. The force of it caused the doorknob to pierce the wall behind it, which she didn't worry about, hearing the screams from the bedroom. Not even thinking to scan the walls or the rest of the house, she flew towards where the voices were coming from only to find the big master bedroom empty. That's when she heard the woman's screams again, but this time the sound of it was deafening.

"Oh..too...loud." She covered her ears as tightly as she could, but the volume of it grew louder and louder to the point she was on her knees groaning and now screaming herself, unaware of the blood rolling down where she was attempting to close off her hearing from. Her head was down, body tense and slightly thrashing, then suddenly the screaming stopped. Kara removed her hands, gasping when she saw the crimson on them and checked the ear the com was in only to find that object damaged completely. She was in a dark room still and when she went to lift her head, familiar masks showed themselves. "Wha.."

"Severed." Someone said and the one in front took the jug and tossed its contents at Kara. She didn't even have time to get away, with her ears still ringing, screaming the minute the glowing green liquid hit her face and for that matter the rest of her. It felt like boiling acid and already she could feel the searing of her skin and the Supersuit being eaten away wherever it made contact with.

"Separated." Two scalding hot wrought iron pokers, flattened at the end like the head of a nail, were pressed into the sides of both her upper arms where one of the trackers was. She screamed out again, until something was shoved into her mouth and strapped around her head to keep her from making any other loud noise, while her wrists were shackled and arms forced out to her sides as far as they could go.

"Served." Another of the masks held up a piece of heated wrought iron shaped into a knife and that red hot object was used to cut down the front of her chest from neck to waist, slicing the S in two. She was having trouble staying conscious, but each time she thought the darkness would come, another excruciating pain would be given and force her back awake. She didn't even know her cape had been removed, by being cut right off, until something just as agonizing was scraped down her back along her spine.

"Sanctioned." Her vision was fading in and out, unable to scream anymore with how hoarse she had become, but felt her hair grabbed and head pulled back. The one standing over her now, held a hose in his hand and nodded for one of them to cut off what was around her head, ripping away that which she had been gagged with. Her gaze caught what was in one of their hands, flicking green streaked blue hues to the end of the hose and gasped. She tried to scream out but her vocals were shot. She tried to move her arms but felt the tightening of the shackles on her wrists. She tried to move her legs but felt chains around them where she was on the floor on her knees. One held her hair tight, one held her chin firmly and the cruel masked devil over her pushed the hose into her mouth.

"Sentenced." A voice her ears knew all too well, as bloodied tears ran down the sides of her face, was the one who pressed down on the handle of the hose end and with it what was being pumped through it was being poured right down her throat. Her eyes widened no longer cerulean but soaked in the glow of kryptonite, like the glow of her veins, of her open wounds, of the chains and shackles and of the straps keeping her mouth closed over the hose between her teeth. Something was wrapped around the top of her head like a hat, tightened and secured with another chain at the back. That chain was attached to the wall behind them and with all the restraints in place, the hose was ripped from her mouth. The very last thing she saw, before the pain stopped, was his face and the smug grin on it when the mask was removed.

"Satisfaction." James looked up at the masked group and nodded. "Get rid of that S and it's cape." He told the COL of the new order. He held up good ole fashion photographer's camera, no bit of digital to it at all, aimed it and took the perfect shot when the flash came to life. With the picture taken, he nodded once more and everyone quickly left out the back and through the gate quietly running away into the clouded night. "You made..her cry." He put on his Guardian suit and when everything was secured he backhanded the Super hard in the face. Crimson and green ooze spat from her cut and bloody lips, with another gag placed around her head and shoved between her teeth. "Hey Supergirl?" He held up the camera in his other form, taking another picture and smiling behind the head mask. "Suffer." *CLICK*

Before he left, he grabbed the big glowing green painter's brush and dipped it in a pool of blood and liquid kryptonite acid on the floor made by Kara's open wounds, then wrote on the black wall:

- COL of the NEW ORDER -

Here is your CTA: "CALL TO ACTION!"

Signed:

Your "New" Liberty