A/N:I know I say this every time, but this fic would not happen without my amazing betas: chupeydupey, AlphaZulu2.0, and PrettyGurlStud. A really special shout out to AlphaZulu2.0 for going above and beyond with the translations listed at the end.

The food arrived, interrupting the strained silence in the conference room. Kara stared at the plates of sandwiches and burgers, the piles of greasy fries and bags of vending machine chips and wanted to vomit. The small room soon reeked. "I need a few minutes."

Cleo was at her side as Kara charged out of the room. They didn't speak. Cleo guided them through the maze of hallways with discreet touches to Kara's back while Kara grappled with her topsy turvy emotions.

They picked up a tail at some point. Kara was too much in her feelings to know when. She trusted Cleo to have her back, a place her friend had occupied since Kara arrived on Themyscira. It was a relief to slip out of the hidden facility and into the chilly desert night. The exterior lighting was off. Nothing betrayed their location except Kara, Cleo, and the black-clad agent who gave them plenty of space by leaning against the door they'd all used.

"May I…"

Cleo extended her cell phone before Kara completed the request. "We'll make them pay for what they've done, Kara. We've trained our entire lives to defeat evil like this."

As much as Kara longed to destroy every trace of Cadmus, she knew Astra and J'onn had a point. Killing the Luthors and every person allied with them would do nothing to end their scheme of creating stronger, faster, alien-human hybrid soldiers. Nor would overt action make humans trust aliens more.

Dialing Diana's number, Kara marshaled her inner resources and prepared for a call she'd hoped to never make.

"Kleió? Pós eínai…" Diana began speaking immediately. Kara heard the concern in the rush of words.

She interrupted. "Mou éleipses, megáli mou aderfí." The simple words were the start of a specially coded conversation that let Diana, or any member of the Royal Family, know that Kara needed backup.

"Mporó na vrískomai ekeí aúrio." Some of the pressure on Kara's chest receded at Diana's support. "Ektós kai an théleis na guríseis spíti?" Going "home" meant that she was in imminent danger. Diana would call up the entire Royal Guard and rush to Kara's side if she said yes.

Although much of Kara's fears had eased, she was still unsure if she should tell Diana about the DEO and the desert base. Kara quickly considered and discarded the idea. It was too complicated, not to mention unnecessary for this call. "Eímai me fílous afti ti stigmí." Lucy had saved her from Cadmus. If that didn't make her a friend… "Tha se páro proí-proí gia na sou po an tha meíno edó."

"Na thumásai pos s' agapó, mikrí mou aderfí. Prépei na kanonísoume na vretheí óli i oikogéneia súntona. Xéreis polí kalá pos oi theíoi sou rotáne óli tin óra gia eséna."

"Kai 'gó s' agapó. Na dóseis pollá filiá stin oikogéneia. Tha to íthela polí na vrethoúme óloi mazí súntoma." Kara ended the call.

"Family visit?" Cleo asked.

Kara chuckled. "We're lucky she isn't already here. She said she'd be here tomorrow." Tracking the rapid yet inconsistent movement of a jackrabbit, Kara fought to regain her emotional footing.

Unfortunately, the day wasn't done with her. "Ma'am, Agent Danvers is awake. Director J'onzz thought you might like to see her." The agent who'd followed them outside hovered several feet away.

"Thank you." Kara took one more fortifying breath and turned away from the darkened desert. "Lead the way." She was sure her strained smile wasn't visible to a human in this setting, but she felt compelled to try. "I'm afraid I wasn't paying much attention when we landed."

"It can be confusing," the agent agreed.

They trooped back inside. Kara hated the return of the too-narrow hallways and the knowledge they were locked into an underground bunker. Pressure built on her chest with each step.

"Kara?" Cleo's voice was barely loud enough for Kara's enhanced hearing. The concern, though, was loud and clear.

She tried to answer, only to realize she was panting. Nearly immune to temperature, Kara suddenly registered sweltering heat. Her steps faltered.

"Supergirl?" The agent leading them to Alex paused. "Do you need Dr. Hamilton?" Her hand rose, tapping at an earpiece Kara hadn't noticed before. Her body was poised for action as she observed Kara closely.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she focused on the one thing guaranteed to calm her: flying. Kara hadn't lied to Lucy about her favorite power. There was nothing better than floating on the currents and watching the world play out below.

She imagined Themyscira. The crystal-clear waters surrounding the island with the white spires of the palace and the Goddess' Temple. Her breathing slowed; the pressure on her chest lifted. In. Out. Kara opened her eyes.

Cleo and the agent were still there, still watching her.

"Sorry." Kara shrugged slightly yet didn't offer anything more. "I'm ready now. Where's Agent Danvers?"


"Hey." Alex's voice was scratchy and weak. Her eyes, which stared in Kara's direction, were hazy from the pain medication in the IV attached to her arm.

Kara wanted to wrap her in a hug and never let go. Instead, she sank onto the rolling stool next to the bed and gently touched Alex's hip. "Hey."

Alex's lips twitched into a smile. "You used to…talk more."

Grabbing for fake pearls, Kara gasped dramatically. "I did not!" Then she giggled, the weird anxiety surrounding her talk with Alex settling into the background.

Alex's echoing laugh ended in a hiss and groan. The hand not encumbered with a plastic heart monitor clipped to a finger or an IV needle grabbed for her ribs. "Don't make me laugh."

"Sorry! Sorry!" All of Kara's mirth disappeared at the first hint of Alex's pain.

"'sokay." Sweat slicked Alex's forehead. Her skin glowed paper white under the harsh lighting in the med bay. "I hear I've got you to thank for making it…making it here."

They weren't turning this conversation into some kind of balance sheet. Kara dared to lean over and press her lips to Alex's forehead. "Astra had you covered. I just helped with the cleanup." Daring Alex to push the issue, she added, "I owe you for getting her out of Cadmus alive."

She grinned at Alex's scowl. It lacked the usual power and was cute, not that Kara would dare to say it out loud.

"J'onn and Lucy told me about Cadmus." Kara slumped against the side of the bed. "I'd kick your ass for risking your life going undercover, but I can't. Rao, Alex. You're more of a superhero than I'll ever be."

Two bright pink circles grew on Alex's cheeks, and she opened her mouth

Kara's free hand snapped up. "Don't. Don't even go there." She matched Alex glare for glare.

Their mini standoff was interrupted by the med bay door sliding open. Cleo crossed the room quickly, leaning down to whisper. "Diana called back. She and your uncles will be in National City tomorrow afternoon."

What little emotional equilibrium Kara had regained sank beneath a new swell of anxiety and stress. Diana had been her mentor and big sister since that first day in Coast City. Kara was asking for even more than Diana had already given. Was she asking for too much? As if sensing Kara's emotions, Cleo squeezed her shoulder and allowed Kara to lean against her for a moment. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." Cleo tightened the shoulder "hug" before leaving as quickly as she arrived.

Kara caught Alex staring after Cleo as a suddenly uncomfortable silence descended. "I…" Alex started. Her voice trailed off. "What did J'onn tell you?" She finally demanded.

"Only what you approved." Kara shrugged when Alex focused on her again. "Scientists and the army trying to create an army of super soldiers and weapons to kill me, Clark, and every other alien taking refuge on Earth. He said you had more information about why you'd volunteered to go after Cadmus."

"I didn't choose to join Cadmus."

The blunt statement brought Kara upright in the chair. "What?" If the DEO had strong armed Alex, Kara would burn this facility to the ground the minute Cadmus was no longer a threat.

Alex appeared to shrink into the bed, dwarfed by the bank of equipment surrounding the head of the bed. Her eyes closed, and she pulled her hand away from Kara. "There's been a Danvers in Cadmus since before Kal dumped you on the porch."

The words didn't make sense. Kara shook her head, as if that would force her tired brain to understand.

"Dad did a lot of consultant work during the summers. He said it kept him up to date on any new discoveries in xenobiology. Kal hooked him up with a bunch of jobs in Metropolis after Mom and Dad helped him learn to use his powers."

A coughing fit interrupted. Kara grabbed the cup of ice chips on the small table near the bed. She dug some out with a plastic spoon. "Here." She patiently fed the ice to Alex until Alex waived her off. "We don't have to do this now."

Ignoring Kara, Alex resumed talking. "Those jobs were with subsidiaries of LuthorCorp. It wasn't an issue back then. Kal and Lex were friends. Lex even offered Dad a job. Dad turned it down. But then…"

Then. "Then the Super/Luthor War started, and Clark left me with your family."

"He didn't know what would happen, Kara. None of us could have predicted any of it," Alex defended Clark quietly.

"Clark should have considered the cost to your family, Alex!" Kara snapped. She remembered, again, Jeremiah and Eliza talking about their financial troubles. "It doesn't take a genius to know that, if a human child is expensive, one with an alien metabolism would be more than a normal family could afford."

Alex's eyes popped open. "I told J'onn not to say anything!"

"He didn't." Rao, she was tired. Kara leaned her head against the mattress. "I overheard your parents when I still lived with you. They were arguing about Jeremiah accepting some job offer because they needed the money." How different would all their lives have been if Clark had honored their family connection?

"I'm glad you left," Alex said tersely. "I thank God or Rao that you were safe and not part of the hell our lives were. Cadmus owned us. Dad never came home from that last trip. Cadmus let him call every few months, so we knew he was alive. They used me and Mom to keep him in line, and they had us watched. They threatened to kill him if we told anyone about them."

Kara reeled from Alex's words. Everything she'd thought about Alex, about their bond… Secure in her life on Themyscira, with the support of an island of friends and family, she'd blamed Alex for turning away from her.

All the while, the entire Danvers family had been the pawns of the Luthors and Cadmus.

Alex wasn't done, though. "I had a breakdown my last year at Stanford. They'd already recruited me." Her laugh slashed through Kara worse than the Sword of Athena through paper. "I was supposed to be Dr. Alex Danvers, medical doctor and PhD in genetic engineering. Cadmus needed those skills in their alien chop shop." All of Alex's anger and passion had turned into an emotionless recounting of events. "When I started drinking and went on academic probation, they punished me."

Kara wanted to scoop Alex up and hold her. To protect her, as Kara should have done from the moment Clark accidentally made Alex her bondmate. Kara was the Heir to the House of El. It was her duty and her privilege to keep Alex safe and cherished.

Cadmus would feel her wrath. Nothing and no one would survive. "Did they hurt you?" She'd start with anyone who'd laid a hand on Alex.

"Not me." Tears streaked Alex's face. Tears. Alex never cried. Never.

No. Kara shook her head. No!

"He's one of them now," Alex whispered. "They used Dad in one of their experiments."


Kara had no memory of leaving the med bay. She didn't know how she'd gotten back to the conference room. Cleo remained a silent, familiar presence at her back as she stormed into the room.

Only Lucy remained, lackadaisically pushing wilted lettuce around a bowl.

"Get J'onn and Astra back," Kara ordered. She was done listening to everyone tell her about Cadmus. She was done feeling overwhelmed. She was going on the offensive, with or without the DEO.

"What are you…"

She wasn't going to argue or convince. She'd made her decision. "Cleo."

Cleo bowed and slipped from the room. Kara heard her tell some nameless agent that Director J'onzz and General In-Ze were urgently needed. Booted footsteps rang against concrete as Cleo resumed her position at Kara's shoulder.

"You can't interfere in this, Kara." Lucy pushed back her chair but didn't stand. "I get it. I do. When Alex asked J'onn to bring me in on the op as her handler, I wanted to kill the general myself. We can't take them on without making things worse for you and every other alien. Your article, though, paired with information Alex managed to steal from the general and from Cadmus will make a difference!"

"Are you trying to convince me? Or yourself?" Kara asked. "Because people like Lillian Luthor don't need the US Government to fund their work." Crossing her arms over her chest, she met Lucy's glare. "Who killed your father, Lucy? And Harper?"

She was still waiting for an answer when J'onn and Astra walked in.

"Agent Lane?"

"Little One?"

Drawing on every bit of training from Hippolyta and Antiope, Kara waved a hand at the conference table. "Please, have a seat. It's time I shared our plan for moving forward."

J'onn sighed, clearly irritated. "Miss Zorel."

"Director, the DEO can either be part of taking down Cadmus, or it – and you – can sit on the sidelines." Kara ignored his impatience. "Lucy is convinced that the court of public opinion and the halls of American justice are enough. She's wrong.

"If General Lane and the Army were the only enemy, we'd have a fighting chance with my article and with turning over the information Alex gathered. The names on your board?" She pointed to the faint writing she'd noticed earlier. "Lillian and Lex Luthor have nearly limitless resources. Billions of dollars and some of the best tech available on this planet. You don't even have a possible location on Donovan."

The hum of the overhead lights emphasized J'onn's and Astra's lack of reply. Kara unbent enough to sit down. "If we're going to end Cadmus, we have to change our plan of attack. Congressional hearings might keep more military involvement at bay. However, we have to find the scientists and their financial backers. We have to prevent more alien abductions. And we have to know who our enemies really are. What…" She faltered, remembering the utter devastation on Alex's face as she'd spoken of Jeremiah. "We need to know what types of modifications Cadmus has succeeded in making to its human soldiers."

"Alex created a list of experiments she was asked to work on," Lucy offered.

It was a start. Kara settled back in her chair. They were in for a very long night.

A/N:

Translations (listed as Greek transliterations - English (original Greek))

Kleió? Pós eínai… - Cleo? How is... (Κλειώ; Πως είναι…)
Mou éleipses, megáli mou aderfí - I've missed you, big sister (Μου έλειψες, μεγάλη μου αδερφή )
Mporó na vrískomai ekeí aúrio - I can be there (implied, with you) tomorrow (Μπορώ να βρίσκομαι εκεί αύριο)
Ektós kai an théleis na guríseis spíti - Unless you want to return home (Εκτός και αν θέλεις να γυρίσεις σπίτι )
Eímai me fílous afti ti stigmí - I'm with friends right this moment (Είμαι με φίλους αυτή τη στιγμή)
Tha se páro proí-proí gia na sou po an tha meíno edó - I'll call you first thing in the morning to let you know if I'm staying here (Θα σε πάρω πρωί-πρωί για να σου πω αν θα μείνω εδώ)
Na thumásai pos s' agapó, mikrí mou aderfí. Prépei na kanonísoume na vretheí óli i oikogéneia súntona. Xéreis polí kalá pos oi theíoi sou rotáne óli tin óra gia eséna - Remember I love you, little sister. We need to do a family get together soon. You know your uncles ask about you all the time. (Να θυμάσαι πως σ' αγαπώ, μικρή μου αδερφή. Πρέπει να κανονίσουμε να βρεθεί όλη η οικογένεια σύντομα. Ξέρεις πολύ καλά πως οι θείοι σου ρωτάνε όλη την ώρα για εσένα)
Kai 'gó s' agapó. Na dóseis pollá filiá stin oikogéneia. Tha to íthela polí na vrethoúme óloi mazí súntoma - I love you, too. Give my love to the family. I'd love for all of us to get together soon (Και 'γώ σ' αγαπώ. Να δώσεις πολλά φιλιά στην οικογένεια. Θα το ήθελα πολύ να βρεθούμε όλοι μαζί σύντομα)