Alura was terrified when she heard her sister's scream. She wanted to run to help, but almost any movement during the Kryptonite extraction caused her great pain if she was off it for even a few seconds.

It's nothing compared to Astra's.

She was even more terrified when she heard Alex's cries and her desperate tries to get back to Astra. It had to be bad if they wouldn't even let Alex near. Eventually, she heard Kara go out too.

And in the middle of the night, when, through super hearing, she heard Astra's agonized gasps as she continued fighting for her life, she couldn't take it anymore. Her regret for all she'd done to her back on Krypton and here on Earth was boiling into a dangerous mix of rage and fear. She ripped the extraction tube from her arm and moved so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. It only hurt a little right then, but Alura knew too long without it would kill her. If she hadn't gotten to the DEO when she had before, it would have killed her in a few hours right then.

As soon as she pushed herself off, she felt her legs weaken and she struggled to stand, driven by her determination to see her before she possibly died. After taking a few steps, the pain blossomed inside her, hurriedly taking over her body like a parasite. Alura shook her head, trying to disconnect her senses from it while also urging herself forward to the door. She almost wrenched the door handle off, taking care not to let the door itself slam against the wall when she opened it. One loud sound and she'd be discovered in a minute.

Using her super hearing again, though it strained her a bit since some rooms had sound-blocking tech, she made her way down the hall, careful not to be spotted. Even at night, some agents were still up and working. Fortunately, they were very focused on their work, so none of them gave her so much as a glance. At last, she arrived at the room where she could hear the sounds she listened for the loudest. Gritting her teeth as the pain inside her increased, Alura yanked open the door and slipped inside quickly, closing it behind her. Darkness greeted her, pierced only by the dim light of the monitors. She used that light to find her way over and though it was faint, she could still make out the half-unconscious form of Astra In-Ze beneath it. She was still gasping, but awake, unaware of her sister's presence.

"Sister..." Alura passed a hand over her chest. "I'm so sorry..." She was shaking as she grasped her hand with the same one. "I shouldn't have brought you out this morning."

Even though you didn't know Non would be there.

Non. Alura narrowed her eyes as she thought his name. You will pay for this with everything. You went too far when you raped her and you're going too far now. You've crossed a line and I will not allow Astra to suffer anymore.

"Astra..."

Astra's dull eyes flicked toward her, although due to the oxygen mask that had been recently placed on her face, she could not speak. But her expression told a thousand words.

"I promise you, Non will not hurt you anymore," Alura sighed. "We will find him and take him down."

She had been trained to interpret the general facial expressions from others and the one on Astra asked, How?

"I don't know. I promise you, though, we will do it." Alura knelt beside Astra's bed, their hands still intertwined with each other. She didn't need to talk. She just needed to be there.

Alura ran her other hand that wasn't occupied through her sister's hair, feeling her tense up when she tentatively touched her head injury before moving away.

Deep breaths.

She studied the heart monitor carefully, scrutinizing all its detail. Her eyes settled on the steady line on the screen, constantly flowing to make small and large waves that marked Astra's heartbeats. They were still there and as long as she was around, Alura never wanted the beeping to stop. When she felt Astra move, she moved with her. For a moment, she remembered being back on Krypton, Astra almost in this very position, before she and Non had married. Her world suddenly dropped away...

Alura was standing on the surface of Krypton, next to Zor-El, watching in dismay as a huge battalion of invaders tried to fight their way through the ranks of Krypton's military. Her husband and her were merely for backup at the time if needed. She feared for them; their opponents had weapons of poisonous solar energy and Kryptonite, making a dangerous combination, but the military fought back hard with their own strikes. Her eyes settled upon one particular person, surrounded by a few attackers, defending and battling how she'd been trained.

Her sister, General Astra.

Astra was quickly subduing her foes, but all of a sudden, someone leaped forward out of the fight toward her- a general himself by the looks of him- brandishing a dangerous, solar-charged Kryptonite saber. At the last second, she turned to see, but wasn't fast enough to stop him as he slashed the weapon deep through her chest and stomach, setting her suit on fire. She screamed as she collapsed and the other general laughed mercilessly, dragging her out of the fight and beating out the flames only after a few minutes, when her skin had torn horribly from burns and blood was seeping from where she'd been injured, mixed with traces of green from the Kryptonite.

Someone had drawn blood from her for the first time. And it looked bad.

Roaring with anger, Alura launched herself toward the battlefield at the general, spearing him to the ground. Kryptonians only killed when they needed to, but right there, she was overcome with rage, knowing that the ones invading fought to kill. She grabbed the sword from his hand, which was no longer flaming, and held it to his neck.

"You will die an honorable death, one given on the field of battle and quick mercy," she snarled. "You showed no mercy to my sister, however, so know that it is only by my moral that you will receive this."

Her arm moved on its own and the sword tore through his throat, killing him instantly.

Avoiding the eyes of soldiers who had been on their way to aid her in the fight, Alura made her way over to Astra, bowing her head sadly as she reached her body.

"Oh, Astra... Rao, why have you been so cruel?"

But then Astra coughed a few times, rolling over onto her back, and Alura's head shot up.

"Sister... you're alive!" Alura knelt beside her. "We need to get you to the medics."

She opened her mouth to speak, but only a rasping whisper of "I'm sorry" came from her before she fell unconscious. Operating instinctively, Alura lifted Astra into her arms, dashing off toward the medical wards.

I have to keep her alive, she thought. I can't let her die.'

However, she'd only just gotten there and handed Astra to the medics when she felt the tears in her eyes. She gulped. I'll come visit her later tonight.

And she did. At dark night, she walked into Astra's room, saw her laying in the bed with the machines and monitors keeping her heartbeat from dying. Alura knelt next to her and kissed her sister's head.

Astra... I will never put you in this much danger again.

Alura barely noticed she had tears in her eyes again when she broke out of the memory, but she didn't care.

Then, quickly, she felt her chest burst open. Well, it didn't really, but when the pain from the Kryptonite increased a thousandfold inside her, she released Astra's hand and dropped to the floor, crawling swiftly across the floor.

I'm too late... I'm not going to make it.

She managed to get outside the room... then blacked out entirely.

In the morning...

Alex awoke, got dressed, and ate breakfast, then headed to the DEO immediately with Kara. Hank had messaged Kara that her mother had attempted to get to Astra in the middle of the night, but due to the Kryptonite not being extracted at the time, she had nearly died from it. Alex and Kara went separate ways, Kara to Alura and Alex to Astra. Alura had gotten a lot better once she'd gotten back in bed, thankfully.

However, Alex seemed afraid when a few doctors came in for examinations on Astra. She stepped back a bit, but didn't take her eyes off of her.

To start with, they removed her oxygen mask and checked her breathing. Upon deciding she didn't need it any longer unless necessary, since her breathing had improved much overnight, they put it away from her and finished the rest of the examination quickly. As soon as they left, Alex walked over to her, smiling shyly.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Still like I was thrown through the sun, but a little better than I was before."

"Astra... what happened to your sister?"

"She came in to see me... and I couldn't warn her not to. The Kryptonite weakened her..."

"But she's okay now?"

"Still better off than me."

"How long before you can come back with me again?"

"I don't know, but I don't think anytime soon."

She was right. It was nearly a month before she could get out of bed and a couple more weeks before Alura could. What was strange is that no one even saw a sign of Non during those times. And when Alex finally confronted Alura and Astra about it, both were somewhat convinced he was conjuring up something terrible.

"He broke in once, so why hasn't he done it again?" Astra pointed out.

"I just hope so much that he's given up going after you," Alex replied.

"If I know Non, he will never give up."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"Astra, it's not fine."

"I'll always be fine with you here to help me."

It was a week longer before Alura and Astra were both free to leave. Astra was still stumbling a bit, but Alura and Alex held her up as they left the DEO.

"Am I correct that Astra is still powerless?"

"She is, but you're not. With Astra... I don't know when her powers will come back. Hopefully soon."

Astra clenched her fists together. "I need to face him."

"Absolutely not," Alex retorted. "You can't even fly and you are not fighting when you don't have powers."

"I don't care."

"You should care."

"Not now I don't." Astra turned away from them and started to run the long way toward the city. Even without special abilities, she was naturally fast and Alex was always meters behind. After a few minutes, Alura took to the air and managed to catch up to her sister, flying level with her.

"Astra, don't!"

She only stopped when she was close to the city and Alura landed beside her.

"Astra, we need to be somewhere covered. You're walking bait for Non right now."

Astra didn't move, not until, at the most sudden moment, a ball of fire came rocketing out of the sky, falling onto Alura. She extinguished the flames with freeze-breath, just as a few more came with it, all heading for Astra and Alura. Alura managed to hold the ones aimed at her back with that same power, but Astra was frozen.

Alex wasn't. On complete intuition, she rushed forward as fast as she could, pumping her arms hard. Muttering one quiet prayer, she threw herself over Astra.

"Alex, NO!"

Astra's hand had almost reached hers just as the fireballs hit, slamming into Alex's back. They struck Astra too, but because Alex was on top of her, she was more protected. Alex screamed at the top of her lungs as she rolled onto the ground, attempting to stamp out the flames. Alura saw Astra first and extinguished her fire, but when she got to Alex, the wounds underneath her looked devestating.

"ALEX!" Kara touched down beside her adopted sister quickly. Her skin had been blistered heavily and blood reached all edges of her. She wanted to heal her as best she could, but with fire... that wouldn't help.

Then Non arrived down with them, standing over Astra's injured body. Alura shot laser-eyes at him, but he somehow caught the beams in one hand and they dissipated.

He reached out to Astra and yanked her off the ground by the throat, leaving her thrashing in his grip.

"Let her go!" Alura roared. "I will not let her be taken from me again!"

"And you have no choice in the matter." In the blink of an eye, he dropped Astra, still keeping her under his foot, and headed to Alura. His hands moved hurriedly, and almost snapped her neck, leaving her paralyzed on the earth as he choked Astra in his clutch again. Kara gulped as she watched, but with Alex's life in danger, she couldn't leave her. It hurt her heart to see them like they were and called Hank to help her mother.

Aunt Astra... I'm so sorry.

Astra coughed a few more times and went entirely silent and Kara looked on with a pleading look.

Rao... please keep her safe.

J'onn tore through the sky toward them, but he wasn't fast enough to get to them before Non shot into the sky, disappearing with Astra.

"Get my mother!" Kara screeched. "We need to get back to the DEO; they're both dying and Astra's been captured!" She rose into the air, Alex's burned and broken body unconscious in her arms. J'onn collected Alura, who was dangerously close to breaking her neck if she made any sudden moves.

"J'onn..." she moaned. "We need... to save... Astra..."

"Not you. You're about to kill yourself, so lie still. Agent Danvers will not be part of this rescue either."

"Is she okay?"

"We won't know until we get back."

Cooped up in the DEO again. I need to get back to Argo City eventually. But my sister needs me. Knowing Non, he wants to torture her before he kills her. If he'd wanted her dead instantly, he would have weakened her and slit her throat already.

Or he could just put her in agony for life if we can't find her.

She'd heard stories in other cities on Earth of people like her sister getting kidnapped, then tortured and sodomized for life. I can't let her end up like that.

Her mind blanked out until at last they returned.

Kara was nearly hyperventilating. "Someone... please... help." Alex lay nearly lifeless in her arms, the burns on her so intense that they'd penetrated her skin deep. J'onn handed Alura back to the care of the medics so they could heal her fast, then came to examine Alex himself.

"We better get her under anesthesia before she comes to and feels everything."

"Wait, why didn't you do it with Aunt Astra?"

"She refused it to stay awake in case her sister or Alex came to visit her. Plus, one of the only anesthesias we can use on her she hates anyway."

"Well, do it now!"

It was too late. Just as the medics entered and Hank fetched the anesthesia, Alex awoke, feeling the full potency of her burns and sobbing as the pain hit her all at once.

"Astra!" she wailed. "Astra!"

Kara and Hank glanced at each other uncertainly.

"Hey, I'm here for you," Kara murmured. "We're going to help you, I promise."

"Kara, where is Astra?!"

Kara shook her head. "Not now." She stepped back as the medics took her. Alex cast a horrified look back at Kara and she read the expression with ease.

Is she dead?

Slowly, silently, Kara mouthed, I don't know.

She took a few breaths to steady herself before the full reality of everything hit her.

Her mother was injured, although she was the least concern compared to the others.

Alex was literally about to burn to death.

And Astra was gone.

Kara held her face in her hands as she pressed her back to the wall. Who knows if we're going to see her again? And Alex... how's she going to react to this?

It wasn't well, especially since it was s few days before she woke up.

When she finally woke up, still under the anesthesia she'd been put under, Kara was at her side, asking if she felt okay.

"Kara, I don't care if I'm okay right now. Where is Astra?"

"Alex, you can't be getting yourself worked up right now. You're hurt and you need to calm down."

"I don't need to do shit until you answer my question!"

"Alex... Astra's gone."

"You mean... she's dead?"

"No, but Non... he took her..."

"Okay, that might be worse!" Alex's eyes were wild as she tried to sit up. "I need to help her!"

"Not in your condition right now."

Alex glared at her. "Shouldn't you care for her? She's your family! Your blood!"

"I do and I will be doing everything in my power to get her back and so will my mom."

"Wait, she's going? Wasn't she hurt too?"

"She just needs some surgery while she's weakened and she'll be good as new."

"So I can't go?"

"You really think you'll be out in enough time?"

"It could be forever until I see Astra again!"

"Oh, you just want to see her?" Kara almost flew through the ceiling when she and Alex heard Non's voice echoing through the room and the computer sitting on the table near Alex's bed flickered on. "Here you are then. For the viewing pleasure of you both."

The screen blurred to static for a moment, then stopped to reveal an image that seemed to come from a surveillance camera. It was of Astra, chained to a hard wall in a slightly lit room, taking deep breaths as she attempted to break free. As they watched in disbelief, Non came into the picture.

"She is so weak I can do to her what I could to a normal human," he exclaimed. "So I will."

He held up a gun in one hand and fired, the bullet slamming into Astra's shoulder. She groaned in pain, but her voice already seemed torn out.

And then Alex completely lost her mind.