Thanx for your reviews and following me through this story. I guess the dark autumn made me write it

L-Corp, forty minutes later

"J'onn has almost died because he didn't want to leave Kara and Supergirl behind. Almost 65% of his skin are burned", Lena said and shook her head.

"Where's sense of this? Kara burned to death in there and will never have a place to rest. Supergirl's dead body is next door and who knows if he'll get through. And that's because someone wanted to finish Supergirl off", she said her voice trembling by sadness and anger. Keeping J'onn Jones alive was the only thing that kept her from breaking down or bursting in anger.
Brainy didn't know what to say. He was filled with all these unknown emotions and tried to put them in boxes but wasn't successful. He looked through the observation window into the room where Supergirl was still lying on a table. They had put a cover over her hurt body but hadn't been able to cover her face nor to switch off all of the sunlamps which hadn't been able to relieve her. The twelve-level-intellect knew that this body had stopped being alive by definition four hours, two minutes and 48 seconds ago. Nevertheless covering her head would mean to accept the permanence of this. It would mean to protect the living from the manifestation of death. He thought that was a very cowardly thing to do.

Lena's phone buzzed and yanked them out of their thoughts.
"It's Alex and James", she explained. Some minutes later both were approaching Lena. Alex looked devastated. She walked steady towards Lena but it was clear that she was holding back. Lena couldn't imagine how Alex was feeling because herself felt like being drugged. She approached the elder Danvers sister and they engulfed in a silent but big and long embrace.
"Whoever did this will regret it", Lena said.

"They will", Alex pressed. But right now she had other priorities "How is J'onn?"

"He is sleeping at the moment. I got him stable but his vitals are stagnating. Maybe you have a solution to make him better?"

"I hope so", Alex answered worried. Lena showed her to a little lab and put the martian's medical record on a screen as well as the live data recorded from the medical machines he was attached to.

"I'm in lab three, J'onn is in lab four. If you need something just dial three"Lena said and pointed to the phone. "I'll do", Alex replied and started to go through J'onn's data.

Lena turned to James who was standing lost in the hallway. "Hey, it's time you let yourself be properly treated, too. Go to lab three get off the suit so that I take care of your burnings and cuts. The meds we gave you can't prevent an infection if your wounds haven't been cleaned."

James didn't move. "Hey, there's no use in you collapsing on the floor here", Lena tried to assure him and to push him softy into the direction of the lab. He walked reluctantly but froze when he passed the lab with Supergirl.

"That is all my fault", he stammered in horror.

"No, it isn't. … But you are needed to sort out whose it is and help take care of your friends. We are all hurt and devastated but now we must stand tall for Kara and Supergirl – but also for the living, for J'onn, for Alex, okay?", Lena convinced him.

"Okay", he sighed and followed her.

Brainy hid himself for a while but finally took the courage and went to Alex in the lab.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am that I wasn't capable to help all of them", he stuttered.

Alex could see the distress in his face but couldn't keep herself from asking:
"Did you know this was going to happen?"

"No. There was no prediction", he replied. There was silence for a moment.
"Colonel Haley has ordered me to the crime scene. You're given time off and are not allowed to interact in this investigation however I'm ordered to inform you", Brainy explained.

"Thank you. Please talk to James about that source. Maybe you can track back who framed them. I will look after J'onn"

When Alex left the lab and headed to J'onn she stopped at the observation window of the room where Supergirl was lying. The hero looked like she was sleeping but as a professional Alex noted her lack of movement. She had to think of the myth that death and sleep were brothers. Had the hero believed that there could be a situation that made her second winner? Supergirl had told her that she was vulnerable too but Alex never thought that she could be killed. It left her with a sting. Besides her mixed feelings about the might of the girl of steel Alex had to admit the alien had used her powers for good. She came when she was called for – unfortunately her calling became that of Kara, too.

"Did you inform her cousin about her passing?", Alex asked James who had silently come near her and continued "She is entitled to a proper funeral or whatever the Kryptonian custom is and not to be analysed by scientists who needed to know how Superman could be defeated. I'm not sure if Colonel Haley will go this far but I don't want to risk it. … At least they have a body to care for"'

"Superman is still on Argo, like Supergirl's mother. Without a portal or spaceship there's actually no way to reach them. Brainy said he will try to figure out whether it's possible that someone takes J'onn's ship to get to them or to build a portal to Argo" James explained. It broke his heart that Alex was talking about Supergirl like someone she was getting to know. He wished he could tell her and hated the cruel lie he and Brainy made up about Kara's body.

"Are there other people who need to know? It would be cruel if they learn it from the news … Oh, god I've got to call my mom", Alex exclaimed realizing that her own grief and sorrow kept her from telling Eliza.

"We covered it, Alex", James told her "We called her and Lena sent a helicopter to get Eliza."

"Thanx guys. Kara is, we are lucky having friends like you", she sobbed and James took her in his arms.

J'onn was lying in a special bed covered with bandages disinfecting and cooling his burnings. He was tossing around his head – because of the physical and the emotional pain. He had been too late – 120 sec too late.
He had been told that history couldn't repeat but happen in variation. For 15 years he kept an eye on Kara and her sister like he promised Jeremiah Danvers. The interaction with her in the last three years made her completely his surrogate daughter. He didn't fail an assignment he failed his earth family.
Alex watched him for several minutes through the window. She needed the time to get herself together. She felt crushed by the loss of Kara and was concerned that she could lose J'onn, too. She tried to pull herself together and entered the room.
"Hey, J'onn. It's me, Alex." She approached the bed and wanted to take his hand but she had to realize that they both were badly affected.

"Alex", he coughed. He opened his eyes. One look at her and J'onn knew she was trying to show him a brave face. But the traces of tears gave her away.

"I was too late. … If I had been there two minutes earlier" he mumbled. It was hard for him to look her in the eyes.

"J'onn, don't blame yourself. You need to rest." Alex said. After going through the data Lena had given her she knew how critical the Martian's condition was. She didn't even want to think about losing him either. His guilt and grief were no benefit for the healing process.

"You did everything you could. You saved James and all these aliens. … You recovered Supergirl's body"

"But Kara … I'm so sorry.", he sobbed.

"J'onn, I know you long enough to be sure you did everything that was possible. You taught me that it is not always possible to save everyone. … Even it's someone you really care for", she added shaking.

TBC