Kara batted at the hand on her shoulder. "Noooo. Tell…Gen'r'l 'm dead."

The hand didn't leave. If anything, the fingers closed more tightly around her. "I will most definitely not tell my aunt that you are dead, mikrí mou aderfí. She'd send every Amazon to National City to avenge you."

Amazons in National City. Kara snapped awake and surged from the recliner in a tangle of limbs, blankets, and the still-raised footrest.

"Easy, Kara." Diana kept Kara from landing face-first on the floor. "I am sorry that I startled you." Her eyes raked Kara from head to toe. "You are not injured? When you called, when you used the coded language…"

Wild heartbeat slowing, Kara covered Diana's hand with her own. "I know. I'm sorry. I should have called sooner."

They stayed like that for a long minute then Diana's hand slipped from Kara's shoulder. "You have a story to tell." She nodded at Alex, fast asleep in the nearby bed, and the hospital-grade equipment that cluttered the large room.

"Yes." Unwilling to let Alex out of her sight, Kara nonetheless followed Diana into the living room. Not her living room. That had been relegated to the DEO as a command center. Kara (and Alex) had taken up residence in the penthouse suite that Diana used on her once-rare visits.

Bruce was in his typical manspread, taking up most of the couch along one wall. He raised a tumbler of Scotch in greeting as Diana continued to maneuver Kara farther into the room.

"Sit, Kara." Diana's gaze grew heavy as it rested on Kara. "Your Alex looks healthier than you. I shall speak with Cleo; she has failed…"

Kara's temper flared. "Don't you dare!"

Silence followed her outburst. Kara was aware that Diana's expression held less concern and more censure. However, she didn't care. So many things had happened. Things that had changed Kara's entire worldview – which included her need to have Diana's approval.

"Cleo isn't my nursemaid, Diana."

Laughter prevented her from saying anything more. "There's my spitfire. I thought she'd gotten lost on that island of yours, Princess." Bruce stood and opened his arms.

"I'm not staying here!" Kara glared at Diana and the man in the suit who'd opened the door of the large house. "You promised!"

Diana ignored her angry comments. She also managed to keep Kara from fleeing, despite Sol's gifts. "I did, little sister. However, I have also vowed to help when humanity needs me. Would you have me keep my promise to you while others suffer or die?"

Of course not. Kara was part of the ruling caste of Krypton. Nobility and honor flowed through her veins. Her understanding of her place in society and the responsibilities of ruling had eroded since her pod had crashed on Earth, though. Kara had been abandoned by Kal and rejected by Alex. Diana had promised her one more chance at safety and family. A promise Kara feared Diana had already forsaken. "You should have left me in Coast City," she snapped.

"Who's the little spitfire?" Kara spun, transferring her glower to the square-jawed man in a suit and tie. "Do I need to worry she's going to set the Manor on fire while we're working?"

Still emotionally off balance, Kara hesitated before letting Bruce wrap her in a hug. "I'm sorry," she muttered into his expensive cashmere sweater.

"For standing up to Diana?" He leaned back, one hand gently brushing through her hair. "It's long overdue – even if neither of you want to admit it. You're a superhero in your own right now. We're in your city. What do you think I would do if Diana marched into Gotham and took me to task?"

The wry question drew a reluctant giggle from Kara. "Diana would kick your ass from one end of your gloomy city to the other."

The volatile mood shifted as Bruce rolled his eyes and pouted. "She would not."

Diana sandwiched Kara between them, her burgundy-painted nails curling around Bruce's forearms. "Darling, I already have. More than once." The group hug lasted only a minute before Diana stepped away. "Now, tell us what is happening. Who kidnapped you? Was it the same person or thing that attacked you?"

Kara shook her head. "Not…exactly." Now that the family reunion drama had ended, she discovered how reluctant she was to tell Bruce and Diana the truth.

She noticed Bruce and Diana exchange glances at her hesitation. They weren't going to let her avoid this conversation, damn it.

"Get comfortable. It's a long story." Suiting action to words, Kara took the seat on the far end of the couch that had always been deemed hers. "Remember that new anti-alien group, Uncle Bruce?"

"Cadmus." Resuming his previous seat on the couch, Bruce pulled out his phone. "I've had the League gathering information."

The League's reach was long. "We can compare notes." It would be interesting to see if the DEO or Bruce had more accurate intel. Until then, Kara would add what she'd learned from Alex and Agent Vasquez earlier in the day.

Kara relayed the DEO's accounting of the original Cadmus Project. "But it all went sideways when I saved Alex's plane. They'd known who I was almost since my pod landed. Clark told his good friend Lex about his cousin and how he'd foisted me off on the Danvers. Once Lex learned about Clark's side job… It's a good thing I ended up on Themyscira."

"The attack wasn't because Supergirl appeared in National City?" Diana seemed to consider that.

"I don't like the implications, Kara," Bruce said, still tapping away at his phone and scowling. Kara wasn't sure whether his trademark expression was for her, or for the person on the other end of his aggressive texting.

Despite her lingering anxiety over this conversation, Kara laughed. "It's too late for implications. Cadmus nearly managed to drag me to their evil lair already, and they've had my former foster family under observation since Clark decided I was too much trouble and dumped me on their front porch."

Bruce stopped texting.

"Don't go there," Kara snapped. She'd listened to him defend Clark before.

His scowl lifted in a facsimile of a smile. "I was merely waiting to hear the rest of the story, spitfire."

Her anger deflated as quickly as it had flared. "Sorry." She needed to power through the rest of the sordid tale. "Cadmus knew all about Clark because of the Luthors. When I went to live with the Danvers, they became a target. First Jeremiah and then Alex were blackmailed into working for them."

The remainder of the words flowed now. Kara talked steadily, had bent and eyes locked onto her knees. "The DEO brought Alex here, and they've set up a mobile command center downstairs in my apartment." Steeling her nerves, she met Diana's gaze. Then Bruce's. "I've endangered both of you. You've been here twice, Diana. Cadmus can't have missed that. Now the great and mighty Bruce Wayne visited."

"Kara," Bruce responded, "my secret isn't much of a secret. Between the Gotham press and my own need for 'flair' as Alfred calls it, most of Gotham already believes I'm Batman. While I don't plan to appear at the next Wayne Enterprises board meeting in my new Batsuit, having Cadmus 'out' me as a vigilante isn't as terrible as you're imagining. And your connection to the Princess? That's easier to explain. Diana and I are old friends outside of the League. If anyone decides to ask questions, we tell them you're my favorite niece."

His scowl disappeared entirely as Bruce gave an actual smile. "You are, by the way. My favorite niece." Reaching out a foot, he tapped one hand-stitched, Italian-leather shoe against her calf.

"I've always had safeguards in place." Holding out a hand, Diana beckoned Kara to join her on the nearby loveseat.

Kara crossed the space with only a tiny bit of Superspeed, curling into Diana's side.

"Themyscira has survived since Gods walked the Earth, darling. It will survive a group of human terrorists, no matter how smart or rich they may be." Her fingers gripped Kara's with enough strength for even Kara to wince. "You are far less invincible. We will arrange for you to return…"

"No." Kara pulled her hand away and stood with shoulders squared. "This is my fight, Ypsilotáti." Addressing Diana formally, Kara set the tone. She wasn't asking permission from her friend or mentor; nor was she a supplicant before her Crown Princess. In this moment, Kara was Diana's equal. "I'm staying. Right now, Cadmus has no idea that I know about the DEO or about their plans for me."

Bruce crossed his legs and leaned back into the couch. "They know Supergirl rescued Alex."

After all those years as General Antiope's "special student", Kara realized she still sucked at strategy. "It doesn't matter. They don't know if Alex is alive or if she told me anything." And Kara owed it to Alex (and to Jeremiah) to bring Cadmus down. "I'm going to CatCo tomorrow with Miss Grant's security escort."

"Cleo will stay." There was absolutely no room for negotiation.

Kara had anticipated Diana's decision. She still shook her head. "I don't need…"

Diana's hand snapped up. "I do not need your permission. Cleo answers to me – as do you, little sister."

Kara's new-found "equality" melted away. Even as the last scion of the House of El, created from the genes of the greatest scientific minds of Kryptonian society, Kara quailed at the power emanating from Diana.

While Kara's knees shook (and tried to bend, so that Kara knelt), Diana turned to Bruce. "I will make other arrangements as well." Arrangements she didn't share. "Speak with Arthur and Barry. The League must be aware of the dangers, and I would like their help in keeping an eye on any developments with Cadmus."

"Already done." He stood and strode across the living room. "I alerted everyone except Clark the moment you asked me to join you here." Picking up a gaily wrapped box, Bruce returned. "Lucius wouldn't let me leave Gotham without this."

The tension in the room shifted slightly. Enough for Kara to accept the package and rip the paper off, letting it drop to the floor in a shower of tiny pieces. "Holy Rao!" She looked at Bruce through a curtain of tears. "How…? It's so…"

"I told him I was jealous because he clearly loves you more than me." Bruce pulled the new suit from the box. It was the same as Kara's current suit and yet not. The cloak shone, the blue darker, the color closer in hue to Clark's suit. Raised embroidery, disguised by the white on white design, carried the specialized sigil of the Heir to the House of El.

Taking the suit from Bruce, Kara stroked the symbol. It wasn't hers yet, but it would be.

"Try it on," Bruce urged. "There are some updates that won't be the same if you aren't actually in the suit."

Zipping into the nearby guest bathroom, Kara yanked on the suit and returned with a rush of wind to mark her passage. "It's thicker."

Bruce crossed his arms but didn't say anything.

"OK. Fine!" Bruce was such a drama queen. Kara pressed the studs in her ears. The gauntlets wrapped around her arms and hands. Heavy "fins", like the ones Bruce wore, lined the outside of each wrist. Her cowl and gauntlets were now the deeper, richer blue of the cloak.

Bruce stepped closer. "Lucius added a couple of new features." His fingers stroked the sigil. "It's more than your family crest. It's a sensor. If there is Kryptonite in any form, the suit will respond. There's a layer of some new tech Lucius bought from a start up in Metropolis. Your cowl will also deploy a respirator that will filter out any aerosol version. No more worries about Cadmus stealing your powers."

"Uncle Lucius is my favorite," Kara breathed as she marveled at the feel and look of the suit.

"I thought I was your favorite," Bruce said with a petulant whine.

Kara ignored him. He hated when Lucius upstaged him. "The only way Cleo stays is if you send Tekli, too," she said, seamlessly returning to their previous topic of conversation. "Or send Cleo home and assign one of the single warriors as my bodyguard."

"Done." The minute tilt of Diana's lips told Kara she'd been played. "I'll have Tekli here by mid-day tomorrow." With quick, quiet steps, she walked toward the bedroom. "Introduce me to your Alex, and then I must leave."

"Problems?"

Diana's shrugs were more expressive than many people's words. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Stifling an irritated sigh, Kara caught up with Diana as she peered into the bedroom. Bruce joined them. He pressed against Kara's back and wrapped her in another tight hug. "Uncle Bruce, Diana," she said, catching the change in Alex's breathing pattern. "I'd like you to meet Alex Danvers."

Leaving out their betrothal hurt, yet Kara knew it was the right thing to do. Clark hadn't known about the Kryptonian practice, and the Danvers had never agreed to bind their House to Kara's. More than that, Alex had never agreed to be Kara's bondmate.

Alex eyed them blearily for a minute. Then she slowly slid into a seated position. "Uncle Bruce?"

Diana coughed to hide her laugh. Kara wasn't so polite.

"Well, I'm sure you know it's an honorary title." Bruce pushed at Kara's shoulder until she moved out of his way. He crossed the room and held out a hand as if he were meeting Alex at a gala and not with Alex riddled with IVs and surrounded by medical equipment. "It's an honor, Ms. Danvers. Thank you for risking your life to keep Kara safe."

Alex turned tomato red (a color Kara hadn't seen since Cleo met Tekli for the first time). "Nice to meet you, too. I…uh…didn't know Kara had an uncle – even a chosen one."

"And a sister," Kara mumbled. She'd meant to tell Alex about her family, but Alex had been asleep, or Kara trapped downstairs with DEO agents. "Alex," her voice was formal. Diana was royalty, after all, "may I introduce Her Royal Highness, Diana, Crown Princess of Themyscira."

Unlike Bruce, Diana eschewed a handshake. "I feel as if I've known you for years, Alex. Kara has told me so much of you. The one person who made her feel welcome on Earth. Please, call me Diana." She smiled, and Kara heard a teasing lilt beneath her accent. "I save the title for when I need to intimidate one of my Amazons or a certain Kryptonian into following the rules."

Alex laughed – and then winced. "She was always bending the rules," she said in a hoarse rasp.

"Alex Danvers, you take that back!"

"Nope. We both know who broke the popcorn machine, alien girl."

Diana sat on the edge of the bed. "Ah. Was that because the sound of the popping corn scared her?"

The question appeared to throw Alex for a minute. "Uh, yeah," she finally answered. "It was the week right after Clark brought her to us." She caught Kara's scowl. "I saw you fight the Red Tornado. You could crush your cousin like a bug."

One day, Kara silently promised, she'd do just that. "Fighting Clark would be like fighting a human. Not worth my time."

"Care to step onto the mats with me, mighty Kara?" Bruce's smile was all teeth, and his shoulders bunched under his sweater. "We could place a friendly wager on the outcome. Alfred steadfastly refuses to wash or wax the GT. He says it's beneath his dignity to be seen near such an uncouth, American vehicle."

Kara regarded him through narrowed eyes. "You have a new toy, don't you?" He never made bets he didn't believe he could win.

His smile only widened.

"You're on." The rash words were out before Kara could censor them. "When I win, I get to drive your…other car. While you ride shotgun."

Bruce's smile disappeared. "Kara, you're a terrible driver!"

"I am not!" She crossed her arms and glared. "I drive to work almost every day – and I've never had an accident."

"I cannot believe you two! We came to meet Kara's betr…her first friend on Earth. A woman who protected her and helped her adjust to a new planet, and yet you insist on acting like children." Diana's raised brow and steely gaze turned Kara into a first-year trainee who'd mishandled her weapon.

She hunched her shoulders and shifted her feet.

"What do you say to Alex, little sister?"

Voice an embarrassed mumble, Kara said, "Sorry, Alex."

"Bruce?"

"My apologies, Ms. Danvers. I'm afraid the spitfire and I need adult supervision." Bruce was pouring on the charm. Kara mentally rolled her eyes and tried not to gag. "It's a good thing Diana is so mature and wise."

Alex's laughter washed away Kara's embarrassment and teased an answering smile. Then Alex groaned again, the sound of her pain filling the room.

"Press the button, Alex." Kara motioned to the plunger-style button assembly lying next to Alex's hand.

There was a complete lack of movement at her comment.

Hands on her hips, Kara did her best impression of Cat Grant squaring off with a cub reporter during a content meeting. "Alex…"

Jaw set in a stubborn line, Alex glared back. "Kara." Then she slumped back against the pillow. "I don't need it. Yet."

"Your squinty eyes and 'I used to be a vampire' color say otherwise." Kara softened her stance and her voice. "How about I clear out Uncle Bruce and Diana, order some soup and sandwiches from this awesome deli down the street, and then maybe you hit the button?"

Alex closed her eyes. "Fine. But they better have good chicken noodle soup."

"Even better than Eliza's." It had been one of the first things Eliza had made for Kara when she'd moved in with the Danvers. Kara had searched for years to find anything to match the taste and sense of "home."