Alex led Kieran and Rosalie outside, much to Rosalie's annoyance when the sun caught her skin. Alex blinked at her a few times before moving on, and Kieran bit her lip to hide her smile. She wondered how long it would take before Alex started asking questions. The trio went down a set of stairs into an underground tunnel and walked several minutes before finding themselves at a metal door. Alex muttered something under her breath and tugged at the handle. She huffed and placed her foot against the wall, pulling again, but it still wouldn't budge. Rosalie tapped Alex on the shoulder, and the redhead stepped aside. Kieran watched in amusement as the blonde opened the door with ease. Alex puffed out her cheeks and nodded in thanks, giving Rosalie a loaded look. Thankfully, Alex didn't push, and they entered what appeared to be a bunker.

"Where are we?"

"J'onn built this a few years ago in case of emergency," Alex answered. "Never thought we would have to use it so soon."

Kieran glanced at Rosalie, whose eyes were focused on something ahead of them.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Blood," Rosalie explained tightly.

"Do we need to leave?"

"No, I can handle it for a few minutes."

Kieran nodded and trusted Rosalie's judgment. They followed Alex down the hall to a set of double doors. Alex hesitated before pushing them open, and Kieran swallowed her initial reaction.

"Oh," she whispered.

Alex touched her arm and gently pulled her down the aisle. Rosalie followed every step, eyes black, but it was clear she wasn't breathing. Nia and Brainy lay with their hospital beds pushed close. Nia had gauze covering the entire left side of her face, and Brainy's right leg was elevated in a cast. They held hands as they slept. Kieran covered her mouth when she saw Winn. Tears pooled in her eyes, and it was only because of Alex that she remained upright. His left leg was missing, and like Nia, he had gauze around his face down to his neck. Kieran felt sick. Lex did that all because he wanted to get to her. Alex directed them to a courtyard of sorts. Once they were in the fresh air, Kieran broke down. She leaned into Alex, who held her close.

"I'm so sorry," Kieran cried. "This is all my fault!"

"No, it isn't. Listen to me," Alex adjusted her hold until she and Kieran were eye-to-eye, "you did nothing wrong. Lex and Lillian are awful human beings, and they hold full responsibility for what happened. I know that everyone in that room, and Kara too, would make the same choice we did that day to get you home. When we decided to help you, we knew there would be consequences, but we would do it all over again. Okay?"

Kieran sniffed and nodded, squeezing Alex's shoulders as she stepped back. She wiped under her eyes and let out a humorless laugh.

"I can't believe this all happened in three months," she said.

"Well, believe it or not, all the crazy stuff happened last week."

Kieran gave her a confused look, and Alex gestured to a nearby bench. The three of them sat down, and Alex rubbed the back of her neck.

"We had to give up the search for you, Lex, and Lillian to another agency once they assumed you had skipped town. The DEO went back to alien activity. Supergirl, Dreamer, and J'onn made schedules to fight crime or go on patrols, and Kelly and I moved in together. Everything was normal, and when Brainy came back, he just told us everything was okay. We took that to mean you were home, and that was that. Kara moved on as best she could, and it felt like we were heading toward a new dynamic. L-Corp was shut down, and Lex and Lillian vanished. But we should've never gotten comfortable." Alex glanced up, the view limited by the dirt and grime on the ceiling windows. "On Monday, Kara came to the DEO happier than she'd been in weeks. I didn't question it. I hadn't seen my sister smile like that in a long time. Then Clark showed up with James."

"Kara!"

The sudden arrival of Superman caught everyone's attention. Kara poked her head out of J'onn's office and frowned. Her last conversation with Clark didn't go well, and Kara did regret how she handled it, but she meant what she said. Which was why she was confused that Clark was back in National City. She hadn't seen him in nearly three months, so what changed? Kara noticed James hovering in the background but thought nothing of it. They were always together. She floated down to the main floor to meet Clark and folded her arms.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

Clark threw something at her feet. Kara twitched at the show of disrespect before kneeling and picking it up. She glanced at the familiar metal and turned it over, seeing their family's crest etched onto the side.

"This is from the door of my pod," she said.

"You have forgotten who we are, where we have come from, and you betrayed our oath."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you helped Lena Luthor escape this realm," he said.

The DEO went silent, and all eyes went to Kara.

"You son of a bitch! You tricked me!"

Kara and Alex turned in unison to find Winn standing in the atrium, fuming as he glared at James. James flinched but kept his head down. Kara clicked her tongue against her teeth and passed the broken remnant of her pod to Alex. She knew Brainy was somewhere in the labs with the data about Kieran, and there was no possible way she wanted that falling into Clark's hands. Kara glanced at Alex meaningfully, then down and back up again. Her sister nodded and left the atrium, dragging Winn with her. Another figure joined Kara, and J'onn's presence was a relief.

"Superman," J'onn said. "This is not the time or place for your accusations."

"Accusations imply lack of evidence," Clark responded.

Kara stiffened as Clark pulled a polaroid from his pocket and held it between them. Kara glanced at it, and her stomach rolled in fury and anxiety. It was a candid shot of her kissing Kieran on the forehead after putting the necklace around her neck. She didn't even sense James in the garage that day. She ground her teeth in frustration as Clark put the image back in his pocket.

"Do you still deny betraying your family and this city, Supergirl?" he asked.

Kara bristled and clenched her fists.

"I did not betray my family."

"Then prove it. Tell me where Lena is so that she can pay for her crimes."

"What crimes?" Kara asked, throwing her hands in the air.

"She nearly destroyed this building, and I know she helped her brother escape."

"Now, that is an accusation you cannot prove."

"Lena always played nice when the situation required it, but we both know she has no loyalty to you or this city. She is a Luthor, Kara, and that entire family is evil. They need to be stopped."

"You cannot apply that logic to anyone with Luthor as their last name because Lex broke your heart."

Clark's eyes flashed at that, and he asked, "Did you help her or not?"

"I did not betray my family," Kara repeated. "And if you are done throwing around baseless accusations and circumstantial evidence, then see yourself out of my city."

Clark stood straighter and stared her down, and he said, "I will find Lena myself. I will do what you are incapable of doing and bring the Luthor family to justice."

"You're wrong about her, Kal-El."

"And it is clear to me that I was wrong about you," he said. "At least Zod had the decency to own his crimes and stand behind his decisions. You stand here and lie to my face!"

Kara reared back in shock. He stared at her with so much contempt, and she couldn't understand. There was something different about her cousin, so much anger and hate in how he looked at her, but Clark's eyes remained the same color. No red streaks were coursing under his skin. It was all him, and that fact scared Kara more than she wanted to admit. She failed him, just as he failed her. Kara's vision blurred with tears as she realized she was looking at a stranger. At that moment, she knew that his visit had nothing to do with betrayal. And it was never about Kieran or Lex. It was about guilt, rage, and regret. It was about fear, pain, and being survivors of a culture long gone. Clark was always one step behind Kara in everything, even when he seemed too far ahead for her to catch up. They were never meant to mesh as one. Because while the blood of Krypton flowed through her veins, her cousin was just a farm boy from a different planet. Clark stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"Tell me where she is, or I will tear through every realm until I find her," he threatened.

"I cannot betray my family," she whispered brokenly.

"Then you have made your choice."

Clark turned and flew out of the DEO, and Kara didn't even hesitate to fly after him.

"What happened after that?" Kieran asked.

Alex pursed her lips and said, "Superman and Supergirl nearly destroyed the city. But there was a moment where the fighting stopped, and they were standing right in front of each other. Clark said something to Kara that flipped some kind of switch. I'd never seen her so angry before. Ever, and he paid the price for it. By the time we got there, Clark was barely breathing, and it took J'onn pulling Kara away from him to stop her from finishing the job. She still hasn't told us what he said, but the fight with Clark changed her. It changed everyone. But Kara? I'd never seen my sister so…fractured. She couldn't explain what happened with Clark. Every time she thought about it or tried to talk about it, she started crying and apologizing to her parents.

"It affected our family too. Lucy broke up with James because she couldn't believe he betrayed Winn's trust and because she knew he only did so because he was still in love with Kara. Lois got upset with Lucy for taking Kara's side, which meant they got into it again. But that fight," Alex scratched her cheek, "I can't see them recovering from it. And lastly, Lois and Martha pretty much cut us out of the picture. Lois came to National City and stayed with Clark while he recovered. When he woke up, I'd never seen him so furious. But I think he was embarrassed because the entire world saw him get his ass handed to him by his female counterpart."

Alex snorted and ran a hand through her hair.

"But we had no idea he would go back to Metropolis and use Lois as a way to denounce Kara on camera. Unfortunately, his wording and how he did it meant that Kara could no longer wear the family crest. I mean, yeah, she'd already taken it off the suit, but it was still something she cared about. It was her family, you know. And we all initially assumed it was a bunch of bullshit, but then Kara broke down in front of us. She was hysterical and panicking and – yeah. Clark had no idea what he'd done, so I called him. When I explained what he said, he just laughed and hung up. We've tried to get him to retract his words, but Clark hasn't. And I doubt he will. He hasn't crossed realms, though, so we're assuming Kara's message got through to him regardless."

"And this all happened last week?" Kieran asked in disbelief.

"You know those Supers. They're always moving faster than the rest of us," Alex joked weakly.

"I can't believe Kara fought her cousin over me."

"She didn't," Alex said. "That's something I do know. While I don't know the specifics, Kara was adamant that it wasn't solely because of you that they got into it. I think he used you as a catalyst. Clark was off-kilter about everything ever since their fight months back, and Kara wasn't in the right state of mind to handle it. Either way, Superman and Supergirl's fight was broadcasted across the world. Even Cat saw it, and she reached out to me to check on Kara. She's in DC, but I have several text messages and missed calls to prove that Cat's well aware that Kara's been kidnapped. Thankfully, J'onn talked her off the ledge, so to speak."

"I didn't know Cat cared so much," Kieran said slowly.

"You didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"That Kara and Cat were together back in the day?" At the look on Kieran's face, Alex laughed and added, "Yeah, I had that same reaction. But it took seeing them together to realize they worked."

"So why'd they break up?"

Kieran couldn't keep the bitterness out of her tone even if she wanted to.

"Cat refused to be someone's second choice, and Kara couldn't be what Cat needed her to be. Their breakup was surprisingly amicable, considering the circumstances, but I think Cat always knew Kara could never fully commit. And I think Kara knew she would never be enough for Cat in the long run. Then there was Carter and Adam and a bunch of moving pieces that weren't always fitting."

Kieran swallowed roughly and looked down, plucking lint off her jeans. She heard what Alex wasn't saying, but she couldn't focus on that. At least, not until Kara was back home and away from Lex.

"How did it come down to Lex blowing up the DEO?"

"Lex had been sending messages ever since you left. He wanted to know where you were, and we eventually stopped answering his calls. I guess he got frustrated. All I remember is being with J'onn in the training room. Then there was this explosion that rocked the building. We both ran out and found green smoke filling the hallways. We followed the noise to the atrium, and that's when I heard Kara screaming at the top of her lungs." Alex's eyes glazed over. "Winn was trapped under a column and unconscious. Nia was on the ground rolling in pain. Her mask had caught fire and melted to her face, but I couldn't stop to help either of them. I passed Brainy, who was caught under pieces of the ceiling. There was so much happening, but I had to find Kara. And then Lex shows up in this ridiculous helicopter. A hook dropped down, and we were all forced to watch as Lex picked up my sister like a carnival prize. He dangled her in the air like some kind of puppet. Kara was bleeding everywhere, and her skin was so…." Alex coughed and cleared her throat. "Anyway, as I told you, we've tried everything to find her and done everything possible, but the rest you already know," she said.

Kieran glanced over her shoulder at the doors hiding Winn, Brainy, and Nia from sight. That sick feeling came back and became anger. Kieran scowled and rose from the bench, touching the necklace hidden under her hoodie. She couldn't believe Lex took things that far, but some deeper part of her knew Lillian and Lex were capable of much worse. They wanted her. No, they wanted her power, and they finally found her weakness. Kieran had been so concerned with getting Jess, Sam, and Ruby to safety that she'd assumed Kara would be fine. Kara was Supergirl, for fuck's sake. But once again, Kieran underestimated Lex and Lillian Luthor. And that wasn't going to happen again. Kieran was ending it, once and for all. Her eyes turned red as she glanced back at Rosalie, and the vampire barely reacted to the change.

"I need you to get some things for me," she said.

Alex chewed on her bottom lip as she and Rosalie waited outside the bathroom. Kieran was inside, changing into whatever Rosalie bought her from the store. She was tight-lipped about her plans, but Alex wasn't an idiot. She saw the way Kieran's eyes remained red, the way the floor iced after every step, and it scared Alex a little. That day at the DEO seemed like so long ago, but it was only a small reminder of what Kieran was capable of.

"May I ask you something?"

Alex jumped at the sound of Rosalie's voice, and she nodded. Rosalie pursed her lips and glanced at the bathroom door before returning her attention to Alex.

"I apologize if this is insensitive, but do you believe your sister is alive?"

Alex swallowed and said, "It's okay. You're the first person to be bold enough to bring it up, but even if this has turned into a recovery mission, my job is to bring my sister home to my Mom. And while I have faith she's alive, I know that bomb had enough Kryptonite in it to destroy her. My expectations are as low as they are high."

Rosalie nodded as if she expected that answer, and she asked, "And will you be okay with this Lex and Lillian Luthor dying?"

"What?"

"Kieran takes after her mother, and she will not leave it up to chance if she gets her hands on them. She will kill them both, and I know she will do so in the most painful way possible."

Alex didn't know how to respond to that. Part of her felt like she shouldn't condone killing, but Lex had Kara. He could have – he could have killed her sister. So Alex's guilt over murder vanished quickly, and she sighed.

"I wish I could say I'd stop her, but I can't."

"Good. Sometimes murder is justifiable."

Alex sure as hell didn't want to travel down that obvious minefield, so she was glad when Rosalie's phone rang. Rosalie pulled out her phone, and she grimaced when she saw who was calling. She answered, and Alex tried hard not to listen, but the phone was right there. And she was a nosy motherfucker.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Did you truly just say what's up to me?"

"Would you have preferred if I said hi, baby?"

"Rosalie, you have two seconds to tell me where you are."

"National City."

"Why the hell are you in National City? Scratch that, how did you get there? Kieran's watch is with Sam."

Rosalie glanced at Alex, who nodded, and she said, "Kara's sister, Alex, came to us. She needed our help, and since there weren't many options available, I volunteered to come with Kieran to help rescue Kara, who was kidnapped by Lex. He plans to kill her unless they tell him where Kieran is."

"How utterly predictable. I assumed Mr. Luthor would be a bit smarter than that, seeing as he is a prolific villain."

That… wasn't Bella. Rosalie's eyes widened as she realized she was on speakerphone, and she said, "Miss Mills, I-

"Stop. I'm well aware that Kieran's connection to Kara put you in an awkward position, Miss Hale. And I can only thank you for having the common courtesy to inform my son that you were leaving. However, the next time you and my daughter run into a different realm on some half-baked rescue mission, understand that I need to be the first person you call. Clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Stay where you are, please."

That's when the phone call ended, and Rosalie sighed.

"Shit."

"What?"

Rosalie held up a finger to Alex before walking to the bathroom door. She knocked, and Kieran opened it, hiding the bottom half of her body. Rosalie noticed the panicked look in the depths of her eyes, but she didn't have time to question it.

"Your sister and mother just called me," she said.

"I didn't think that'd be possible."

"Kieran. Your sister and mother just called me, and you left your watch with Sam."

"I heard you, and I didn't have time to grab it."

"Kieran, focus! If your sister and mother called me, asking where you are and their best method of transportation to where we are is with them, what do you think their next steps will be?"

Kieran paled, and she said, "Oh, no."

"Glad to see you've caught up with the class."

"I haven't," Alex said from behind them. "I'm genuinely…."

Alex trailed off, and Kieran groaned when a portal appeared. Rosalie quickly stopped Alex from pulling out her gun. They stood in silence as a small group of people exited the portal. The portal closed, and Alex stared at the people in front of her.

"Holy fuck."