Author's Note:Hello, and welcome to the latest chapter of Trade-Off. This is now my third attempt to upload this chapter due to Wi-fi issues. Just to be clear, I am in no way involved with CW or the ownership of Supergirl, although that would be nice. Either way, I hope you had a great day, and this makes it better! Enjoy!
Chapter Six
Kara Zor-El was barely alive to think, but she knew one thing: she was in agony. Every part of her body hurt. Her thoughts were only slightly coherent to her herself, and she couldn't imagine trying to speak to someone.
She tried to open her eyes to see if someone could help her, or if the sun was going to regenerate her cells, but a painfully bright light made her give up.
Then all of her memories snapped into place, and she remembered exactly what had gone down in the warehouse. Her blue eyes forced themselves open against the pain.
Lena. How could I have let her do that to herself for me? Kara wondered. Her concern and feeling of failure only added on to her hurt. I've got to help her.
She made up her mind to try to slowly prop herself up on one elbow. She deliberately moved, carefully, then leaned to one side.
Ouch! she thought as a lance of pain shot through her. Of course I manage to pick my more injured shoulder to support my weight, she though while flinching.
The last thing she remembered thinking before her agony pulled her over the edge of unconsciousness was how she and Lena were going to get out of this mess.
Alex Danvers bounced her leg nervously up and down in the crammed truck. Her second best agent, Nick, was driving the vehicle, and the passenger seat was empty to keep the appearance of a solitary truck driver doing his job.
Her and the other agents, hand-picked by her, were sitting on benches lining the sides of the back of the truck, and all of their gear was beneath the benched. The combined number of people in such a small space made the whole experience stifling, but Alex was still doing her best to conceal her true worry from her squad.
They had been driving for a decent while to the location Lillian Luthor had given. The only reason they had decide to use the truck to get to the location is that stealth didn't really work when your enemy invites you.
"Approaching the site, ma'am," calked Nick from the enviably empty front.
Alex nodded curtly, then began to remind her team of the most important orders. "Alright, Delta Squad. Once we get there, I'm the first one out. Primary goal is to capture or render ineffective Lillian Luthor. However, if we so happen to find Supergirl, her safety is primary concern; she's too valuable of an asset to lose. Watch each others' backs. Got it?"
Her team nodded as the truck slowed to a stop. Alex took a breath, steeled herself, then kicked out the back doors of the truck. She yelled in rage as she felt her boots hit the alley, and she heard the rest of Delta Squad scream their own war cries as they followed her out.
The team all brought up their weapons and spun around, fanning out, to see in every direction in a fluid, practiced motion.
"Anything?" questioned Alex, and she received no positive response. "Guess we're going in, Delta Squad. Get to the doors of the warehouse. Nick, Rowan, behind me. Everyone else, stay by the do-" the rest of her order was cut off as her attention was grabbed by a fluttering motion in the corner of her eye.
It was such a small flash of color that she couldn't really blame her team for not catching it. Her hopes rose as she realized whatever had moved was the same color red as Supergirl's suit.
"Delta Squad, with me," she hissed, then sprinted off to what she wanted to be her sister's cape. When she got the the end of the bright alley, her heart plunged, and she fought the urge to scream.
Her sister was there indeed, but she was in terrible condition. Her face and suit were covered almost completely in blood, her limbs were at awkward angles, and there were so many cuts, all filled with shards of kryptonite, covering her body.
"Supergirl. SUPERGIRL. KARA. KARA! KARA, ANSWER ME!" Alex screamed as she caught the terrible sight of her sister. She got no response.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she checked for a pulse. It was there, thank goodness, but it was incredibly faint. She was dully aware of some of her agents throwing up at the sight of the ravaged alien next to her.
"Get ... get a stretcher from the truck," Alex whispered, and she heard a few of her squad running off to comply. She gripped her sister's hand tightly, completely forgetting about the warehouse.
When the agents got back with the stretcher, she helped to gently move Kara onto it. "Delta Squad, move! Back to the DEO immediately!" she ordered, and all of the team obeyed.
She and three other agents carried the injured hero to the truck, carefully placing her on the floor. Nick threw himself in the driver's seat and started the truck before all of the agents were even inside.
They all managed to get inside and close the doors before Nick peeled away, somberly making enough space for Alex to try to do anything to help Supergirl.
Later, Alex would recall hearing faint screaming from the warehouse, but she was currently focused on her sister, so she brushed the notion off and thought nothing of it.
As soon as Kara was thrown outside the dark, miserable building, Lillian's piercing blue eyes met Lena's panicked green ones.
"Time for some quality mother-daughter time, don't you think, dear?" said Lillian with a dangerous glint in her eye. Lena stared back, her chest heaving from anxiety, and said nothing, letting her glare answer for her.
"Tell you what, since I never finished hurting your friend before you volunteered to be the whipping girl, I suppose you'll have to do," intoned Lillian. "For every fifteen minutes you don't renounce your friendship, you get a cut. Every hour, you get a broken bone. Better do it quick, Lena," grinned Lillian.
Lena's eyes widened at the prospect of what she was about to be put through, but she quickly hardened, as she would rather be hurt than have Kara be hurt.
"Do with me what you will, Mother," she shot back, feeling cold fury overtake her.
When Kar awoke for the second time that day, she was well enough to realize she was in a bed. Her vision was still blurred, and everywhere still hurt.
She blinked a few times to hopefully see a little better, and the first thing she saw was the very relieved face of Alex.
"Kara! You're back! It's been ten hours since we picked you up!" exclaimed Alex.
Kara smiled, then winced as even that hurt. "Why ... why does it still hurt everywhere? Shouldn't the sun lamps have worked by now?" she asked.
"As far as we can tell, the kryptonite Lillian cut you with was made of a material that limits your ability to heal to a human's. You're very lucky we got you when we did. You have three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, which I will put back in when your body can take it, and you leg is broken. You also have dozens of cuts, but none of them are too deep or infected. Oh, and your suit was damaged severely," listed Alex as she turned away from Kara to adjust one of the numerous machines surrounding her.
"Well, s'pose it could be worse," murmered Kara, almost on the verge of more sleep. "Is Lena okay?" she asked.
"Kara, what are you talking about? You were the only one we found at the compound. What does Lena Luthor have to do with anything?" laughed Alex nervously.
Kara's eyes widened in fear for her friend. "Alex, Lena tried to save me, but Lillian incapacited her. The only reason that I'm alive and you found me outside is because she traded places with me. Lillian could have killed her by now!" cried Kara.
Alex' eyes widened in horrer as she realized she had made a terrible mistake.