Author's Note: Hello! I hope you had a wonderful day and that this story makes it even better. I' sorry this is so short; I'm tryung to figure out hoe best to proceed. Is there anything you guys want to read? Please enjoy the latest chapter of Trade-Off.

Chapter 8

Alex and J'onn were more than halfway across when Alex threw caution to the wind and slid the last bit on her knees so she was already by Lena's side.

Her own distrust of the Luthor dissipated immediately as she truly saw the state she was in. With trembling hands, she brushed Lena's hair away from her neck and felt for a pulse.

She felt one. It was alarmingly weak, and Alex didn't know if it would last long, but it was there. She sighed shakily with relief. It would be a foolish move to try to move Lena now, she knew, but there was no other option.

She numbly heard J'onn call the agents to go back to their helicoptors, then kneel by her amd place a hand on her shoulder.

"Give my harness to Lena, and hold on to her when the pilot takes you up. Radio him and tell him to do it slowly. I'm flying back to the DEO to prepare the med bay," J'onn directed, and Alex nodded mutely.

Alex watched as J'onn phased out of his harness then fly quickly away, and she was left in the warehouse with the possibly-soon-dead Lena Luthor. It was with clumsy fingers that she hooked the harness around Lena, trying as hard as humanely possible not to further injure her.

As soon as all of the clips were in place, she lifted up Lena and held onto her as though they were hugging. She radioed the pilot. "Take us up, but as slowly as the winches can take it, okay?" she said.

"Copy that," mobotonely replied the pilot. Alex held on as tight as she dared as she felt the junlmp lines begin to pull, and before she knew it, they were in the chopper. She pushed Lena's body ahead of her onto the floor, then pulled herself up and shut the door.

Alex turned back to the woman, breathing a prayer of relief as she saw the endeavor had no visible effect on her. She undid the clips and pulled the harness off.

Her adrenaline made her laugh as she remembered that Lena was very much afraid of heights, and they had knowingly put her in a helicopter.

The trip seemed to forever and never, but before Alex knew it, they were at the DEO. The helicopter landed, and a team of doctors met it with a stretcher.

Alex opened the side door ad stuck her head out.

"Here!" she yelled to the medics, and they rushed inside, gently grabbed Lena, then placed her on the stretcher. In the blink of an eye, they were back inside as if Alex had imagined the whole thing.

She stepped onto the roof and saw her hands were covered in blood that didn't belong to her. She felt shaky, but she had to help Kara. At least, that was what she told her self as she dragged her tired body through the halls to the med bay. She saw a swarm of people inside, running around Lena.

Just five minutes, Danvers, she thought. Five minutes to clean off the blood and prepare to get covered in more.

When Kara finally woke up, her first thought was how humans survived without speed-healing. Alex had told Kara that Lillian had used a different kind of kryptonite, one that would force her damaged body to heal at a normal pace.

Kara had shrugged it off, but it turns out the 'human pace' is replacable with 'OW why does this still hurt."

Her eyes were still closed, but she slowly opened them without moving the rest of her body. She remembered she was in the med bay.

"Owwww..." she groaned softly, closing her eyes once more. Everything was still in pain.

She heard a soft rustling and felt a hand, presumably her sister's, grab her own, gently, to avoid the cuts. Kara forced her eyes open again to see Alex's relieved face.

"Kara, oh my gosh, you made me worried sick," cried Alex. Kara smiled mirthlessly, uncharacteristic for her.

"Welp, here I am," she said. A sudden thought occured to her, and her eyes widened as she attempted to sit up. "Where's Lena! What happened?" Kara demanded.

Her fevered actions made machines all around her start beeping furiously. Alex stood quickly over her.

"Hey, hey, relax. Lena is right here. We got her out," Alex answered.

Kara's brow furrowed like it always did when she was stressed. "Is - is she okay? How bad is it?" she asked. She was shocked to see the tears in Alex's eyes. Her sister never cried, even when Kara was on the verge of death.

"It's bad, Kara. It's real bad," was all that Alex managed to choke out. Kara felt her heart slow at the thought of what could have happened to Lena for Alex to respond this way.

She very slowly turned her head to the right; Alex made no attempt to stop her this time. Kara's eyes widened , and she felt her heart drop and her breath catch at the sight of Lena Luthor's terrible condition.

The last thing she remembered before she was out again was Alex muttering "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry Kara.." above her bed.