Alex woke to a throbbing pain in her dislocated shoulder. She immediately looked to the side to ensure that Kara was safe, and was relieved to find her waking as well. Kara seemed to be in much better condition than yesterday, with most of her wounds healed over.
There was also no trace of green in her veins, which was a massive relief.
Alex carefully scooted as close as she could to Kara and grasped her sister's hand. "How are you feeling, Kar?"
Kara gave a small smile. "Little better with the sun energy. How about you? You don't heal with sun, you heal like a normal human, and she might abuse your injury if she comes in and see that you're in pain and-"
Alex cut her off. "I'm fine, Kara, I promise. It's just a little break, nothing I haven't dealt with before." She squeezed Kara's hand lovingly. "You know, we never quite got to finish that conversation from the car. About the things I said. And in case... in case we never get to..."
Kara shook her head. "We don't have to, Lex. Even though I was dying, I heard the way you defended me to Jeremiah yesterday. I know you didn't mean it when you said it, I always did. We'll get out of here, Alex. You don't have to worry..." She looked down towards the floor.
"I'm sorry about Jeremiah, by the way. I- He... He's like this because of me. He's not even close to the man he used to be, and he's willing to throw you out to the dogs just because you choose to stand by me. If push comes to shove, you could take your opportunity and leave with him. I'll be okay... He can protect you- at least better than I can..."
Alex stared at her. "No. That is not an option. I am not leaving you here. You have nothing to be sorry for; it's the way he is acting, and that has nothing to do with anything you've done. It's his brainwashing from Cadmus. None of this is your fault, and I am certainly not about to leave you in here alone with Lillian, even if it means I have to stay in this cell."
Her little sister looked up at her with watery and broken blue eyes, and Alex was reminded so much of when Kara would cry when she first arrived. "Alex, I'm... I'm scared. I don't know what to do, Lex. I can't get us out of here, I can't contact J'onn, I won't be able to protect you... I don't know what to do."
Alex looked into her eyes and saw genuine fear behind the brave front she always put up. "Kar, you don't have to worry about any of that, okay? You just worry about staying alive, and I'll worry about the rest. You're so strong, you're the strongest person I know. No one can take that away from you. Ever. I need you to stay strong, Kara. For me."
Her sister nodded her head, and she could see the fear in her eyes begin to dissipate, and the bravery solidify. "Lex, whatever happens... I just need you to know that I love you. And that you're my whole world. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."
Alex's eyes began to water. "I love you too, Kara. Don't worry about me, okay? Just... Just stay alive, please." She knew Kara would never prioritize herself over Alex, but she needed to try. They could make it out of here if Kara stayed alive, but God forbid she was killed down here, there was no getting out. Alex needed Kara to realize that.
Her little sister gripped her hand firmly and gave it a squeeze, about to respond, when they were abruptly cut off by the door opening. Alex squeezed back before they parted and stood tall at the fronts of their cells.
Lillian walked in with Jeremiah and Hank, smirk already set on her face. "It's time for the fun to begin, I hope everyone is excited!" Last to walk in was a Cadmus agent who shut the door behind them.
As soon as Hunter walked in, he saw Alex and remembered knocking her out in the van. He also saw Supergirl standing in the cell next to her, and couldn't help but wonder how they were related. His gut told him that things were about to go horribly wrong. He glanced around the room, seeing a multitude of Cadmus guards and knew that the two girls in front of him were about to go through hell, unfit for even the worst of people.
Alex spat in Lillian's face as she walked up. "Stay the hell away from Kara! She hasn't done anything wrong. You can find another energy source, I know you can. You're a smart woman, and this is technology. You and I both know there's always more than one way with tech, and especially with science."
Lillian wiped the spit off her face. "Got a feisty one here, don't we? Well, your little sister is going to pay for that later. I suggest you don't do anything else... unruly. The more you annoy me, the more pain Kara will be in later. And in this specific instance, there are no other ways. Kara and her cousin's heat vision energies are the only ways I can get this working, and seeing as though I already have Kara here, it seems the most logical option.
Plus she would never exchange herself in favor of Superman receiving her punishment. Disgustingly altruistic... Quite an unfortunate trait when you're stuck in a cell, it seems."
Kara finally had enough and decided to speak up. "Lillian, if we're being honest here, I don't care what you have to do to me. You've done it all before. I can handle it. But why do you need Alex? Just let her go, please. I'm begging you. Just leave her alone."
Lillian walked up to Kara's cell and laughed in her face. "That's rich, alien. But as I told you yesterday, she has a use. Not only is she leverage for you to do whatever I want, but she is also second-in-command to the DEO director himself. That means she has knowledge of all valuable DEO information... Including the code for Captivus 0-11."
Alex immediately paled. This was not what she was expecting. She just thought she was going to be used to get to Kara, she didn't actually realize that Lillian needed her for something. This means that Kara was going to be used as leverage too, to get Alex to talk.
Kara was just completely lost. She had no idea what Captivus 0-11 was, and was surprised Alex had never told her, but then remembered it was strictly DEO business. Alex probably couldn't have told Kara even if she wanted to.
"Why do you need Captivus 0-11? How is releasing all of the alien prisoners going to help you at all, if your whole mission is to eradicate all alien life?"
Kara listened to the conversation, slowly catching on to what was happening. Captivus 0-11 must be some kind of universal prisoner release command to free all the DEO prisoners.
Lillian scoffed. "It's all part of a larger plan, Alexandra. Wow, did you even listen to a word I said yesterday? You'd think a smart girl like you would know how to pay attention. The prisoner release is the most fundamental step in our final plan. Without it, our plan can't succeed. You are the only person who can provide it to me, aside from the Martian himself. However, seeing as though we have you in custody and not him, as well as your sister to use for leverage, it only seemed logical to choose you. And don't you worry, my girl. We will get it out of you, even if that means killing precious Kara."
Hunter watched this exchange progress, confused. Alex and Supergirl are sisters? Cadmus is releasing DEO prisoners? They never told me about any of this...
Kara blanched. Whatever Lillian had planned was going to be world-ending. Using her solar power to power a gigantic doomsday weapon, and releasing every alien prisoner from the DEO...
And somehow, Alex is the missing piece.
Lillian walked up close to Kara's cell. "It's time to take you and your heat vision out for a spin, girl. If you don't cooperate, your sister here will suffer because of you. Let's do our best to avoid that, hm?"
Right as she was about to open the cell, Hunter stopped her. "Ma'am, if you don't mind me interjecting, you can still see some injuries on her right leg. The scars have healed over for the most part, but they're still fading. That means her powers aren't fully back yet. It would be a pointless endeavor to try and release her now, and has a lot of potential risks. I would not advise this course of action."
Lillian stood thoughtfully. "Good observation, Agent Pearson. We'll return in two hours. Since you've proven yourself to be one of the only competent people in here, you will stand guard until we return."
Without even waiting for a response, she briskly took Jeremiah and Hank with her and left out the door.
Kara immediately turned to Alex. "Lex, whatever she has planned, you can not give her the code. She said it is an integral part to this plan. If you don't give it to her, then she won't be able to use the energy I give her, and her plan will fail. No matter what happens to me, you can't give her the code. Please promise me."
Alex shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Kar, I- I can't... I can't promise. I won't be able to watch her torture you for information that only I can give her. I can save you with this code, Kara. You won't have to go through any pain if I give it to her. Please, don't make me promise, you know it'll be too hard to keep. You can't ask this of me, Kar. Please."
Her little sister shook her head adamantly. "Alex, even if she kills me, without that code, she can't kill anyone else. You hold the key to her entire plan. If you don't give it to her, then you'll be saving the entire alien population. No matter which way we twist this, it ultimately boils down to my life for everyone else's. And you know what decision I would make. You would ask the same of me if our positions were reversed, and you know it."
Alex knew she was right. She knew.
But she just couldn't accept the idea that Kara was going to be tortured and suffer because she wouldn't give up a stupid damn code.
"Kara... Please..." Her voice was shaking, cracking with the raw emotion she was feeling. "I- I... she'll... she'll kill you, Kara. She will kill you if I don't give her the code. Once you give her enough energy, she will not hesitate to torture and kill you. You can't expect me to just sit and watch it happen, when there's a possibility that I can save you."
Kara stared at her big sister with her usual soulful blue eyes, dimmed just a little from the literal weight of the world. Or at least the weight of the entire alien population.
"Lex, I know it's hard... Believe me, I do. But you have to promise me. You have to. No matter what happens, my life is not worth the millions of alien lives that are out in the world. Even if I die, it'll be for something good. And I'm okay with that. I really am. It's all up to you. And we both know that you won't allow half the population of earth to die, for one life, even if it's mine. So you need to promise me, so I know. So that I know for sure. Please, Lex. Just... Just don't give it to her."
Alex couldn't believe she was in this position. But looking into Kara's strong eyes, seeing her confidence that this was the right decision, knowing for herself that this was the right decision.
She knew it had to be done.
Her brown eyes dripped tears uncontrollably as she held both of her little sister's hands. "I... I p-promise. I promise you, Kar. I won't give it to her."
Kara squeezed her sister's hands through the cell bars, loving eyes boring into her soul. "Thank you, Alex. Thank you... I love you so much, okay? Never forget that. I love you. No matter what happens in here or out there, that will never change."
Alex nodded vigorously. "I know, Kara. I know. That's what makes this so hard for me. Because I love you too. I... I love you, Kara." They sat there grasping each other's hands, enjoying the last bit of peaceful time they would have before Lillian returned.
Hunter stood off to the side watching this entire exchange. He had a newfound admiration for Supergirl, willing to die and risk everything to help everyone else. He also had a newfound respect for Alex, and he had no idea what he was going to do. Every bit of his heart and body were screaming at him to help them escape, but his mind was telling him no.
And he just didn't know what to do.
Hunter weighed the benefits and drawbacks of setting them free for the entire next hour. He finally made his decision when the door opened, and he realized he was too late. He was going to save them, but he made his decision too damn late.
He should have done it. Should have saved them then after witnessing that conversation. Seeing their relationship, how close they were. Seeing how intrinsically good they were. Knowing that of all people, they were the last two who deserved this.
He should have listened to his damn heart. But Hunter had no idea the horrors he would be forced to watch in the coming weeks. There's no way he could have known.
Dread washed over his body as he saw Hank holding a serrated kryptonite knife.
Lillian walked up to Kara's cell and reminded her once more what would happen to Alex if she tried to make any unwarranted movements. She was hooked up to a heat capturing device, and drained of all of her solar energy.
As soon as Lillian was done, the green glow of kryptonite-laced walls lit up the room. With no powers, and a weakened state from the green, Kara fell to the floor defenseless.
Losing all of her energy from the solar flare took too much out of her and she couldn't fight back.
All the guards that had been previously spread out in the room suddenly converged on Kara's location, drawing weapons.
And Alex was forced to watch, tears streaming, as the guards broke half the bones in Kara's body and beat her to near death.
A/N: We're hitting torture for real in the next chapters. Ongoing torture warning starting now.