"National City is in shock this morning following the dramatic and harrowing events of last night, which people are already considering the most chaotic and unnerving twelve hours in the last year.

"Following the shocking arrest of Christopher Smith, American diplomat and renowned "Peacemaker" who was exposed as a weapons smuggler and linked to the rise of experimental and volatile weapons sweeping through the streets, Police and FBI were assaulted by a masked assailant which officials have now confirmed to be known as The Reckoning. The assailant assaulted the convoy transporting a dangerous criminal known as The Blacksmith, one Henry Irons; a former army engineer turned mercenary responsible for the manufacture of dozens of alien weapons and dangerous explosives. The suspect was found murdered alone with over a dozen police officers, including Colonel Lauren Haley, the Interim Secretary of the United States Department of Alien Affairs. Many others were taken for emergency treatment, including the acting director of the Department of Extra-terrestrial Operations. Officials have yet to comment on their condition.

"In a shocking twist, however, the National City Police Department made a surprising arrest only hours later. James Olsen, Editor-in-Chief of Cacto Worldwide Media was taken into custody last night after a search of his home uncovered evidence of his involvement in the assault on the convoy that same night. Police spokesmen have yet to reveal the details of the investigation, but have confirmed the evidence is damning and Mr Olsen is being questioned as we speak. Speculation about possible motives to why this upstanding citizen are already circulating the network, many highlighting that his previous involvement in the political and extremist group the Children of Liberty may be a factor into the investigation. We'll keep you up to date as this tory develops."

"In other news, a shocking display of aggression from our own superhero and paragon of hope Supergirl had visitors at the Empire Hotel alarmed and terrified as the kryptonian icon broke into a hotel room and attacked one of their residents. The victim was confirmed this morning as Jake White, the British national who was suspected of crimes of domestic terrorism by the DEO and became victim of police brutality and rights violation by an unnamed agent in the department, the footage of which was leaked to media the same day. The arrest of James Olsen has since seemingly exonerated Jake White of any involvement, but sources claim that suspicions within the federal authorities still linger. This unprovoked attack from Supergirl, however, has left people wondering if our superheroes are operating under stable mental conditions. Jake White volunteered to say a few words when we interviewed him this morning."

"I don't know why Supergirl attacked me the way she did last night. She smashed through the window, pinned me to a wall, her eyes glowing…I was terrified, of course, but I can't believe she would've killed me. This doesn't feel like the actions of the Supergirl we've come to understand. Supergirl is a hero, who saves people and protects the innocent. I can't believe she was acting of her own volition when she did this, it's so out of character. It's possible she was…confused, working on bad information. Or maybe she's under some kind of…mind control or something."

"Are you saying you forgive Supergirl for her assault on you?"

"I'm saying I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. I don't know what's going on inside her head. There could be something we're missing. I hope I'm right and she gets the help she needs because this city needs Supergirl, now more than ever."

Alex's finger found the off button and switched the monitor off, the TV screen playing Jake's interview turning black mercifully silencing him. She dropped the remote before she had the impulse to throw the bloody thing through the glass. "I can't believe the nerve of that guy" she snarled, pacing around the white corridor of the hospital.

She was agitated, they all were. J'onn and Eliza sat on some chairs nearby with Nia between them, dressed in their civilian clothes. They had been waiting here for over two hours, since last night. Brainy was down the hall in surgery, doctors from the DEO flown in to help with his Coluan physiology and repair the damage Jake had inflicted. It was serious, a paramedic already commenting his alien biology the reason he had stayed alive this long. Nia had been beside herself all morning, refusing to eat or sleep until she knew he was okay. Lena cancelled her appointments for the day to check in with them, waiting in the corridor beside them equally concerned. She was just as angry at Jakes interview as Alex was. "It's a clever move" she remarked coldly.

"Indeed" J'onn nodded, standing up awkwardly from his chair to join the two young women. The injuries he sustained from Bloodsport were healing now he was conscious again, but it was going to be weeks before he was back to peak condition. He'd already been advised to refrain from super heroics or stressful activities for a few days.

Alex turned to look at both of them. "How is being interviewed clever?" she asked. "I'm surprised he didn't just call Kara crazy or make her out to be a lunatic."

"He's playing the audience" Lena explained. "By advocating for her rather than against her, he's made himself more sympathetic to the public. After everything they'll be less likely to believe he's guilty now."

"And if you paid attention to the words he used, he has already planted the idea that Supergirl might be mental or emotionally unstable without outright saying it" J'onn noted.

Alex didn't want to replay the interview again, but she recalled the phrasing and cursed. "It's not fair! He murders a dozen officers and he gets to go on TV and say he's not the bad guy?"

"We couldn't have known what he was going to do" J'onn told her.

"We should've expected it" she cried. "The guys a sociopath, a killer and a liar. He can't keep getting away with this!" she ran her hands through her hair trying not to lose it, muttering under her breath "what was Kara thinking going after him like that? Why couldn't she have done the smart thing for once and…?"

Lena put up a hand silencing Alex, her gaze drawing hers over her shoulder to where Kara was standing in a doorway. Alex froze as her sister, lowered her gaze, her glasses halfway down her nose as she slowly walked forward to join them. "I'm sorry" she said, overhearing what her sister was saying.

Alex tried to apologise, but her voice caught in her throat. Her fury was making it difficult to think straight. She could only imagine how Kara was feeling. "What you did was stupid" she said. But then she quietly added "if it was me I would've just shot him."

"At this point I wish you had" Kara confessed, the first hint of primal hate she'd shown towards him for weeks. She caught herself and looked at her sister. She didn't say anything, the two sisters on the same page about that thought. "I shouldn't have ran off like that" she admitted, regretting her actions as soon as she left the hotel.

Lena stepped forward and embraced Kara, understanding the complicated string of emotions she was feeling too well. Even the paragon of hope had to reach breaking point eventually. "Where have you been?" she asked her.

"Flying around" she replied. "Helping. Thinking. I wanted to check on Olsen, but he's still in custody."

Alex sighed, picking up her bag saying "I should go. Maybe Maggie will tell me what's going on."

"She's just doing her job" J'onn told her as she walked off. Alex knew that, but it didn't make seeing her arrest their innocent friend any easier.

Moments after Alex stormed off, Kara cautiously approached the chair J'onn had vacated and sat down beside Nia. The younger women didn't say anything, staring at the floor. The blonde woman couldn't find the words so she offered her hand on hers. Nia accepted it, squeezing it tightly, her fears transmitted through her grip. They sat and waited, and prayed.

Their prayers were answered when the surgeon arrived and approached the group. Nia sprung out of her seat to greet him, frantically asking what was happening. "Querl Dox is out of surgery" the man explained. "It was touch and go, but we've repaired the damage and he'll make a full recovery" he said, bringing a wave of relief to everyone as they exhaled. "We've recommended he remain in hospital for a few weeks to monitor his condition."

"Can we see him?" Lena asked on Nia's behalf.

He nodded, warning however "only a few of you, and not for long. He needs to rest. His injuries have left his vocal chords damaged, so he won't be able to talk much." With silent agreement, Kara, Nia and Lena volunteered to visit while J'onn and Eliza waited outside, texting Alex the news.

Brainy was lying in a hospital bed in a private room when the three of them were lead to him. Nia had to restrain herself from sprinting to him, the green skinned man bandaged and riddled with bruising, wires monitoring his vitals indicating his condition was indeed stable for the time being. He opened his eyes and looked at them, glad to see them as they approached the bed cautiously. Nia came to his bedside with tears of relief, taking his hand tightly kissing his forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Brainy tried to speak, but his voice strained against the injury to his throat, stitched and bandaged. "Try not to speak" Lena advised, scanning his chart was she and Kara stood at the end of his bed. "Your vocal chords are still healing, it may take some time."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there" Nia said, stroking his hair trying not to weep. "I should've been faster…"

Brainy interrupted her by shaking his head, wiping her tears with his hand. "No…my…fault" he croaked, refusing to stay silent. He looked at the three of them, determined to ask "what…hap…end…"

Kara shared a glance with the others before hesitantly explaining "you were attacked. Jake attacked the convoy" she said. Brainy nodded, recalling the ambush. "He got away" she said glumly.

Brainy sighed, his face flickering with frustration. "Irons…" he asked. They all shared a glance before shaking their heads. His sigh deepened. He had indeed failed. "Colonel" he asked. Again, they shook their heads. "My…fault…" he muttered.

Lena examined his injuries and quietly suggested "I could have him transferred to L-Corp. the facilities at my medical lab might help his alien biology heal faster. Or at least make is so he'd be more comfortable" she offered. There was a silent deliberation before Brainy and Nia nodded, thanking her as she stepped away to begin making the arrangements.

Kara walked up next to Nia, looking down at Brainy apologising for "not being able to stop him. I should've done more, but…"

"no…I failed" he insisted, feeling to blame for not anticipating the attack, for not preventing Colonel Haley's death, for letting their chief witness slip away. He failed to stop or apprehend Jake when he had the chance. This failure was on him. He looked around. He had expected the others to be here. Or at least one. "Alex?" he queried.

Kara gulping, realising that would lead to another explanation. "She's not here" she told him, taking a breath before explaining "something else happened last night."

Olsen had been unable to sleep since he was arrested. They gave him a couple of hours in a holding cell before formal questioning commenced, along with his phone call to have his lawyer present. Captain Sawyer was careful to make sure everything about this went by the book, both to buy time in case the evidence to clear him could be found but also so the brass upstairs couldn't complain to her if something went wrong. But she was still able to make sure she was the one questioning him when the interview started. It was just as well, as the evidence was mounting against him with each passing minute.

The blood on the murder weapon was confirmed to belong to Henry Irons. While there was no fingerprints on the item, the fact it was found inside Olsen's garage was compelling. The suit matched the witness statements for the Reckoning, and even had some battle damage. When the police doctor examined Olsen he noted several bruise patterns and old injuries consistent with being in a fight. It was mostly circumstantial but there was enough to question him. Maggie led the questioning, treating Olsen fairly but also as any other suspect. It didn't matter if she believed he was innocent, or knew what secrets he was really hiding, if she didn't do her job and do it right they would give it to someone else who would most likely lock him up and throw away the key. Police officers died last night. The whole precinct is out for blood.

"Can you detail your movements for the last twelve hours?" she asked him calmly, sitting across from him and his legal counsel in the interview room. Beside her was a police detective who remained silent to take notes.

"Kelly and I remained at home the whole evening" he explained, remaining calm despite the situation. "We had dinner. We watched TV, the news mostly. I had a phone call from Alex during dinner…I was meant to go out, but we decided not to."

"This is Alex Danvers. You are friends with her and her sister" Maggie confirmed for the tape.

"Kara and I work together at Cacto" he confirmed. It was irrelevant but he understood the way these interviews sometimes went.

"Any other phone calls that night?" Maggie asked.

"No" he replied shaking his head.

"Did you have any visitors?"

"No."

"At any point did you or Kelly Olsen leave the property?"

"No. we stayed in the whole night" he said.

Maggie nodded. So far, Olsen's alibi was his sister. Any District Attorney would be able to argue a family member might lie to protect their brother, so it wouldn't be enough. But for now, Kelly's statement backed him up. She reached into a folder and pulled out the photographs of the garage, focusing on the trunk, the suit and the murder weapon. "As you know, we found these on your property. Have you ever seen them before?"

"No" he said bluntly, not even looking at the photos.

"The blood on the sword matches Henry Irons" she explained. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

"From the news" he said. "He was wanted by the FBI for manufacturing weapons. I've never met him personally."

"So how did the murder weapon come to be in your garage?" she asked. It wasn't an accusation, but it was a question needed to ask. He didn't volunteer an explanation. "Who has access to your garage?"

"Anyone with a house key" he sighed. "I don't lock the adjoining door."

"Could anyone open it from the outside?"

He paused for a moment before nodding. "If they had the key."

She nodded, purposing asking "have you ever given anyone else a key to your garage?"

James looked at her, refraining from allowing a brief smile acknowledging what she was doing. "Yes" he nodded. "A few months ago I gave a set to a mechanic, Jake White. He was helping repair my motorcycle."

"How long did he have access to your house?"

"Not the house, just the garage" he corrected. "But as I said, I don't lock the adjoining door."

"Does Jake White still have that set of keys?" Maggie asked, though it didn't matter. It was enough of an excuse to question him later. They both knew Jake framed him, but she needed legal grounds to investigate that possibility.

"He returned them after the bike was fixed" he said. "He gave them back the day he left to go home to the UK."

"The day his apartment was bombed" she nodded, much for herself and much more for the tape. "What about the burner phone found in your kitchen" she asked, bringing out the evidence bag. It had been processed. No prints, wiped clean. Nothing to prove Jake had it or that Olsen used it.

"I've never seen that before" he said. "I have no idea how it got there."

Maggie nodded. Following the check list of things she had to ask, she queried him about his injuries. "The police doctor noted several bruises and cracked ribs, some injures days or weeks old. May I ask how you came across them?"

"Motorcycle accident" he replied plainly. He didn't volunteer any more.

Maggie sighed. She had enough to get started, but she warned Olsen officially "fifteen law enforcement officers were murdered Mr Olsen. The FBI are going to be here soon with more questions. We know about your previous association with the Children of Liberty…"

"I was working on a story, I wasn't a part of Ben Lockwood's movement" he explained.

"Nevertheless, you're connection to a group that also had proven ties to Henry Irons warrants concern. So before I suspend this interview is there anything I need to know, anything you want to tell me on record?" she asked him.

James stared at her across the table, noting the stern but serious look in her eyes. She was giving him a chance to come clean, confess to being Guardian. It would clear up much of his suspicious behaviour, even bring a new dynamic to the investigation, a motive for why someone might frame him. But it would also mean admitting to being a vigilante, exposing his family to the fallout of that revelation, putting his friend's identities at risk. He couldn't risk it, not even to save his own neck. "Only that I had nothing to do with this man's death, or the crimes I'm being charged with" he stated.

Maggie lowered her gaze, accepting his decision. "You're not being charged, yet Mr Olsen" she explained. "But considering the evidence, it's not looking good" she sighed, pushing the button on the recorder suspending the interview.

She left the interview room torn between exhaustion and determination. She ordered her detective to run down and question Jake White about the keys, urging them to consider the possibility they might've been duplicated. She was about to be too swamped in bureaucracy to do that herself, much to her frustration, but if she could keep the FBI at bay long enough to dig up some evidence for Olsen's defence against Jake White it would be worth it. Her gut told her this wasn't entirely planned, a spur of the moment plan B, so there was a chance mistakes had been made. She needed to confirm his alibi, double check his movements, go door to door in Olsen's neighbourhood to find a witness.

She marched through the bullpen to her office only to find a familiar red haired woman storming up to her along the way. She sighed. "I can't talk now Miss Danvers, and you shouldn't be here" she told Alex as she entered her office.

Alex ignored the statement and barged in after her, shutting the door behind her giving them both some privacy. "I need to talk to Olsen!" she demanded.

"I can't allow that" she replied curtly, throwing her paperwork onto the desk turning back to the woman.

"You know he's innocent!" she snapped.

"Knowing and proving are two different concepts" she replied calmly.

"You can't be serious!"

"What do you expect me to do Alex?" Maggie asked her angrily. "The Reckoning murdered a dozen cops, including FBI agents and the interim secretary. Do you have any idea the amount of heat I've got breathing down my neck from the commissioner, the mayor's office and the FBI? If I don't follow protocol to the letter they'll remove me from this case and give it to someone who's only interest is getting a result whether it's right or wrong."

Alex did understand the stress Maggie was under. She'd experienced her fair share when she was director of the DEO. "I get that" she said, biting her tongue at the injustice happening right now. "It's just…not fair."

"I know" she sighed. "But what's done is done. But we're not beaten yet. I've got officers running leads to try and prove Jake framed Olsen as we speak. I'm doing everything I can to help build his defence and build a case."

"Without Henry there is no case" Alex said. She hated to admit it but Jake had managed to rail them into a corner and she couldn't see a way out. "Has he been charged yet?"

"No, but the DA is already filing the paperwork. There's enough evidence to put Olsen away. But in a court of law, he might get a chance. There's just not enough evidence to prove Jake is behind this."

"There has to be, otherwise all of this would be for nothing" Alex said.

Their talk was interrupted by a phone call from Maggie's desk. She circled around and picked it up, answering it calmly. Her expression changed to surprise however as she listened. "Sir, with respect, I still have leads that need to be followed….yes sir, I understand." She put the phone down, her sigh evident as she looked up at the redhead. "That was the District Attorney. I thought I had more time…"

"They're charging Olsen with Henry Irons murder" Alex finished.

"Not just that" Maggie explained. "Given the links between this crime and the Reckoning, the FBI are officially putting him under suspicion for his crimes. He's being charged with it all, including domestic terrorism."