"Either enter or leave. Don't hover." Cat instructed aware that Winn and James were lingering in the entrance to her office.
Taking it as an invitation James stepped into the office, followed without enthusiasm by Winn. Sighing Cat removed her glasses and said.
"I assume this is about Kara?"
"Yes. You were the last person to see her. Do you know where she is?" James asked.
"Yes."
"Is she okay?" Winn asked. "Where is she?"
"She was fine when she left. She went to find Project Cadmus to help her sister."
"Kara's gone to Cadmus?" James asked immediately concerned.
"Yes." Cat confirmed.
"Cadmus? As in the scary place where they torture aliens?" Winn questioned.
"Yes." Cat confirmed again.
Before the guys could ask further questions Max entered Cat's office.
"Hope you don't mind me walking in, but there was no guard dog on duty today." Max smiled.
"Something I can do for you?" Cat asked.
"I was just passing by." He smiled.
"And the truth?" Cat asked.
"One of your minions wanted to do a feature on my latest cell phone. I am here to give him some information."
"Don't you have a minion to do that? Or are times hard since you let you network get hacked by aliens who then controlled everyone's minds?" Cat asked.
"Not everyone's." Max reminded her. "If I sent a minion I wouldn't be able to see you." He smiled. "You must be relieved, by the way, over your pet coming back."
"Supergirl's return was never in doubt." Cat shrugged.
"Yet she has gone again. Out of interest where is Supergirl?" Max asked. "Gone back into retirement?"
"Why the sudden interest?" Cat asked.
"Can I not show concern for her?"
"Please, you hate Supergirl." Winn said, but on seeing Cat's glare he wished he had remained silent.
"The alien threat is greater than I was aware. I still believe that when gods choose to walk around us we will be the ones that get hurt. But we can't stop them walking, stomping and fighting all over us so we may as well arm ourselves as best we can."
"So Supergirl is a weapon to you." Cat asked.
"Yes."
"You make me sick." James said.
"Why? At least you know where you stand with me." Max pointed out. "So where is she?"
"Dealing with something. She'll be back soon." Cat assured him.
"So she hasn't gone on a rampage against those who tortured her?"
"Quite the contrary, she recently saved them." Cat said showing Max the photo.
"You really believe she is okay with what happened? Okay with Lane and others walking round, free from punishment."
"Technically it wasn't his fault." Cat reminded him. "But there is going to be a Select Committee set up to investigate General Lane's behaviour and the general mistreatment of aliens by the United States of America." Cat said.
"I know, I saw the headline. Not that it will achieve anything." Max said. "The committee is made up of Kinsley, Watt, Jones, Milton and Potter."
"Aren't they all alien haters?" James asked.
"They are." Max confirmed.
"So they won't do anything and this is a complete waste of time." Winn guessed sadly.
"If you believe the political hyperbole the inquiry will be completely independent. However, there is no such thing. People are always governed by their own agendas. We just have to make sure that their agendas are no longer corrupted by hatred." Cat said.
"You are planning on influencing the decision of Select Committee?" Max asked. "Blackmailing and bribing its members to not be independent?"
"Of course not." Cat said. "You like trains, let me give you an analogy. Trains themselves have no political bias, they are politically independent. However, if someone happens to lay the tracks so they take the train straight to the party's HQ it reaches the destination you want without actually changing the train itself."
"That's like an evil version of the spoon does not exist speech." Winn whispered to James as Max asked Cat.
"And how exactly are you going to lay the tracks?"
"That's not your concern." Cat said. "What we need to focus on in getting the new committee that will be set up to oversee alien affairs not do anything regrettable. But I am confident that they will cooperate."
"And by cooperate you mean?" James asked.
"Do my command." Cat said, before looking at Max and asking. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be off playing with toy trains?"
"Your wish is my cooperation." Max smiled as he left the office.
-00-
"What were you thinking?" Kara asked as she landed behind Alex.
"Kara? What are you doing here?" Alex asked turning, surprised to see her sister.
"Apart from blowing our cover?" J'onn added.
"I've come to help rescue your dad. Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?"
"You were still recovering." Alex pointed out.
"So are you." Kara replied.
"There are probably weapons in there designed to kill you." Alex pointed out.
"They'll probably still cause more harm to you than me." Kara replied. "Especially as you are still injured."
"How did you even find us?" Alex asked.
"Perhaps we can discuss this later?" J'onn suggested. "We breach in two minutes."
"We?" Kara asked.
"DEO tactical team." J'onn asked. "You think we would come without backup?"
"Um, yeah. Isn't this an illegal strike on a US asset?" Kara asked.
"The government has denied all knowledge of it's existence. We were ordered to shut it down." J'onn said.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
"You weren't ready. We would have told you if you had come into the DEO." J'onn said before speaking into his radio. "Thirty seconds."
"Where do you want me?" Kara asked.
"Stick with Alex. No matter what happens her safety is your priority."
"I don't need protecting." Alex protested causing both J'onn and Kara to say.
"Yeah, you do."
-00-
"This is so creepy." Kara commented as she and Alex walked down a silent corridor with flickering lights. "It is like something from a horror movie."
"Does your X-ray vision work?" Alex asked also feeling uneasy.
"No. Everything is lead lined."
"So it has been designed with you in mind. Be careful." Alex warned.
"You're the one with the cracked ribs." Kara reminded her. A comment that Alex ignored as she kept walking down the corridor looking into any room they passed.
"Shouldn't there be people and aliens?" Kara asked.
"You'd prefer armed guards?" Alex whispered.
"Yeah. It would be a good distraction."
"Danvers, Supergirl, we have hostiles." J'onn warned over the radio.
"How many?" Alex asked.
"Enough to keep us busy, but one is heading your way."
"Just one?" Kara asked not understanding J'onn's concern.
"It's an anthropomorphic pseudo entity with combat capabilities." J'onn warned.
"It's a what now?" Kara asked.
"Red Tornado." Alex reminded her.
"That's bad." Kara said before looking at Alex. "Find your dad, I'll deal with the robot."
"Kara, you're not ready." Alex said concerned. "Last time you faced one of those it nearly beat you."
"I won that battle." Kara reminded her.
"At the cost of your powers and you hadn't just been tortured."
"I'm okay." Kara promised her. "I have this. Find your dad."
"Be careful." Alex warned.
"You too."
-00-
As Alex hurried through the complex she was beginning to lose hope in finding her father when J'onn radioed her again.
"What's your status?"
"Still searching. Supergirl is dealing with the Red Tornado."
"We've reached the central archive." J'onn explained. "You are closest to where the prisoners are kept. Echo team be there soon. Remember some of these prisoners will be dangerous."
"Understood." Alex said. "Do you have any idea where my dad is?"
"Not yet." J'onn said. "Prisoners are listed by number not name. We are hoping to locate humans and go from there." He went on just as a klaxon went off. "Damn it. The alarm has been triggered." J'onn said as Alex kept running through the corridors. As she burst into a larger room, with several doors, she started to hear noises and was filled with hope only for J'onn to say. "We have thirty minutes before this place blows. Alpha team is to extract the archives. Bravo and Cobra clear the East wing, Delta and Echo the west wing."
Hurrying to the first door Alex peered through the small window, immediately backing away when a pincer attacked the window. As she moved to the next one she asked J'onn.
"What do I do about the other prisoners here?"
"Leave them for Echo team, they'll extract them."
"Understood." Alex said as she hurried to the next cell, then the next. On the fifth door she looked through the window and her heart almost stopped. Moving to the side Alex searched for a control panel. Pressing the red button she was relieved when the door slid open.
"Dad?" Alex asked.
"I didn't fall for that the first one hundred times, why do you think I will fall for it now?" Jeremiah said from his cell not even looking up at Alex.
"Dad, this isn't a trick. It's me Alex." Entering the cell she said. "Please dad, we have to go. There isn't much time."
"And where this time? A new lab, with new horrors? Who do you want to kill today?"
"Dad!" Alex said louder than intended. "I promise you I am Alex." She then took off her necklace and handed it to her father. "You gave me that just after Kara joined us. You said seeing her with her necklace made you realise how important it was for me to have something to always remember you and mom by."
Reluctantly Jeremiah took the necklace and started to look it over wanting to believe the woman in front of him was his daughter, but was unable to bury his paranoia. Guessing the only explanation for the necklace was that it had been stolen he stood and thrust Alex into the cell wall.
"Where did you get this? What did you do to Alex?"
"You gave it to me. I am Alex."
"You're not." Jeremiah said.
"Yes I am." Alex said trying to ignore the noise caused by echo team in the background.
"You can't be. She's just a child."
"It's been ten years." Alex said trying to ignore J'onn's voice in her ear. "I grew up. I became a scientist like you and mom."
"It's a trick." Jeremiah said backing as far form Alex as possible. "I've not been here ten years."
"Over a decade ago you went on a mission with Hank Henshaw to capture or kill a Martian known as J'onn J'onzz. Only you found out J'onn was not a threat. Henshaw was the threat. There was a fight and you were injured and J'onn promised to look after Kara and I. We thought you were dead so we never looked."
"You're lying." Jeremiah said.
"I promise I'm not. But there isn't much time we have to go. I need you to believe in me like you used to. Let me prove who I am." Alex said. "You taught me about the stars. You taught me compassion and you taught me to be strong." Alex went on. "For my tenth birthday we went camping in the desert and spent the night staring at the stars. For my ninth birthday you got me a bike, a red bike, but I wanted the blue one so you repainted it for me." Seeing Jeremiah's expression soften she said. "Ask me anything and I will prove it is me."
"There was a dent in the wall above the third stair in the house, what caused it?"
"It was the fifth stair." Alex corrected. "And I was helping you carry a bookcase up stairs for mom's birthday, but it was heavier than I thought and I dropped it. The bookcase, which is still in mom's room is chipped on the bottom corner." Alex explained. "Please dad, it is me, but we have to get you out of here. It's not safe." She said reaching out her arm.
Still conflicted and confused Jeremiah hesitantly took Alex's hand and let her lead him from the cell.
As they stepped out into the main room they saw a body fly past them.
"Kara!" Alex called, relieved when she saw her sister stumble to her feet.
"I'm okay. Get out of here." Kara replied before she launched herself at the robot.
"We have to go." Alex said tugging her father away from the fight and towards safety.
Just as they made it to the main entrance she heard J'onn on the radio.
"Everyone clear out. We can't stop the self destruct. It will blow in three minutes."
Torn between going back in to help Kara and continuing to take her father to safety. Alex paused for a second until Kara said over the radio.
"Get clear, I'll be out soon."
Still torn Alex gripped her father's hand tighter and ran away from the facility, every painful step reminding her that her body was not healed.
"Move it Danvers." J'onn called over the radio
Alex had no idea what the expected yield was, but from J'onn's tone it was obviously going to be large. Ignoring the screaming pain in her knees and ribs she tried to increase the pace, only to be held back by Jeremiah who was feeling the effects of a decade of minimal activity.
"Ten seconds." J'onn warned helping Alex to stay focused on running.
When J'onn announced there were five seconds to go Jeremiah and Alex found themselves being lifted off the ground and flown to what they hoped was safety. But as the countdown ended a huge explosion rocked the landscape knocking Kara off course and the three of them landed in a tangled heap close to J'onn.
Groaning Jeremiah looked round and saw the blonde girl helping Alex. Seeing and recognising the symbol of her chest he guessed her identity.
"Kara?" He asked confused. "What happened to keeping your powers hidden?"
Both girls smiled at him before Alex approached him and wrapped her arms round him. As Alex hugged her father Kara and J'onn backed away, Kara smiling at the scene in front of them. However, when she glanced at J'onn and noticed his expression she asked.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling. That felt too easy."
"We did just destroy a half mile radius and almost didn't make it." Kara pointed out before suddenly growing concerned. "Do you think that isn't really Jeremiah?"
"I don't know what to believe." J'onn confessed. "Let's exercise some caution. Look after Alex."
-TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.