A/N: This chapter is full of torture and tons of angst. Torture warning for the next few chapters here.
Kara had long ago lost consciousness to the brutal onslaught that the guards were inflicting upon her. Alex watched and heard Kara's ribs snapping, bones breaking, and everything in between, until the guards finally stopped.
They stepped back to reveal a broken, bloodied, and bruised Kryptonian laying on the floor, unconscious. Alex couldn't suppress her gasp at the sight of her sister.
The guards grabbed hold of her and roughly threw her back in the cell, where she limply crashed against the back wall. Satisfied with the day's work, Lillian took everyone out of the room, leaving only Agent Pearson behind to keep watch. Minutes after they left, the Kryptonite left the walls, and solar energy streamed through the room.
Alex quickly scrambled to the bars connected to Kara's cell to see if she was okay. But the guards had left her too far out of reach. Alex was just forced to stare at the damage done to her little sister, fully aware that this was only their first full day here. If this continued, Kara would be dead within the week. Tears dripped out of Alex's eyes.
An hour later, due to the lack of kryptonite and the solar emitters, Kara began to stir. And the first thing she did was moan in pain.
Alex's head snapped up from her knees as she heard the pained sound from her sister. "Kara? Oh my god, Kara! You scared the living shit out of me. How are you feeling?"
Kara groaned in response. Her throat was scratchy and dry, and she could still feel some of her broken bones trying to mend themselves. "Need... w- water..."
Alex shook her head. "I know, Kar. I know. Unfortunately, I can't give you any. I'm sorry... Lillian needs us alive for now, so she'll probably be in here with water soon, okay? I just need you to hold on until then."
Agent Pearson heard this, and tentatively approached the sisters in the cell. Alex watched this happen, and her eyes lit ablaze. "Stay the fuck away from her! She hasn't even healed yet..."
Hunter was taken aback, but Alex's reaction was reasonable after what they had both just witnessed. "Alex, I'm here to help. I have water for her." He held out a water bottle as proof. "See? I'm just trying to help."
Alex relaxed slightly, but was still justifiably suspicious. "Why are you helping? Why aren't you siding with the rest of Cadmus?"
Hunter shook his head. "I'm here against my will. Cadmus had saved my life after my parents died in an alien attack, and they have trained me and kept me here. I only just realized how truly horrible they were a couple months ago. I've wanted out ever since, but seeing as I'm one of their longest-running operatives, and a high-ranking agent, I'm stuck here. If I leave, they'll kill me." He paused to make sure Alex was listening before he continued.
"Listen, I don't agree with what Cadmus is doing here. This is wrong. Supergirl has saved God knows how many lives, and they're repaying her with..." He gestured to the broken Supergirl laying on the floor. "This..."
His eyes welled up. "I never signed up for this. I never wanted any of this to happen..."
Alex could detect the sincerity in not only his voice, but his eyes. His bright blue eyes reminded her so much of her little sister, and she could see the emotional turmoil swirling through them.
"Please believe me, Alex. Please let me help you guys. I can't just let you leave, her alarms would detect that easily. But I can give you guys food and water... Anything to help."
Alex finally relented and nodded. She watched him like a hawk as he slowly stepped into Kara's cell. He reached the bottle to her lips and slowly tipped it for her to drink. Kara gulped it down with an urgency Alex had never seen before, and color started to return to her face.
He then transferred over to Alex's cell and gave her what was left. After she finished, she looked up at him. "Thank you for helping us. If we ever get out of here, we're taking you with us. If you're at the DEO with us, Cadmus won't be able to hurt you. It's the least we could do, Agent..." She stopped when she realized she didn't quite know his name.
"Agent Pearson, but you and Supergirl can just call me Hunter. And the DEO... I'm grateful for the offer, truly. But Cadmus is going to hunt me, and if I'm at the DEO, they will be there too. That'll endanger you and your sister, which is not something I want."
Alex shook her head. "We'll protect you, Hunter. Please let us help you the way you're helping us. I promise that if we get out of here, you'll live a good life. You're a good man, I can see it. We can help."
Hunter eyed her carefully, weighing his options. After what felt like forever, he slowly and reluctantly nodded. "I will leave with you both, but at the first sign that Cadmus is coming for you or Supergirl, I'm gone."
Alex nodded, in agreement with the compromise, before Hunter returned to business.
"Lillian trusts me, so I'll likely be the primary guard for this cell. That being said, I can only help you when we're alone. If she even thinks for a second that I'm helping you guys, I'm as good as dead. You two just focus on staying alive, and I'll work out a way for us to escape, or at the very least, contact the DEO."
Alex's eyes shone with gratitude. "You're a good man, Hunter. No matter what you've done in the past, you're a good man. Thank you for everything you're doing."
Hunter nodded.
Kara made an attempt to sit up, but failed miserably. Hunter quickly ran into her cell to help her up. She looked up into his concerned blue eyes, and met them with her own grateful blue. "Thank you, Hunter. For helping me and my sister. As I'm sure Cadmus has already revealed to you my identity, you can just call me Kara."
He nodded and squeezed her hand. "I'm going to get you guys out of here, okay? Just survive Lillian for a little while I figure everything out."
Kara agreed, new resolve sparking in her eyes. She then pulled him in close so he could hear her whisper. "If anything goes wrong, promise me you'll save Alex over me. Please. I need to know she'll be fine. I need to know you'll be watching over her. If it comes down to a choice, choose Alex. Okay?"
Hunter looked into her eyes, seeing the care and love they held for her big sister. He nodded, albeit reluctantly. How could he say no?
"I promise."
He promptly gave her hand a little squeeze before leaving the cell. Right as he returned to his post, the door opened. And in came Lillian with her usual entourage. Immediately, Alex and Kara stood. Kara struggled a bit, still in serious pain from before, but she couldn't show Lillian she had won.
Lillian took out her gun and pointed it right at Alex. Seeing the threat, Kara banged against the front bars of her cell. "Don't shoot, Lillian! I'll do whatever, just please don't shoot."
Lillian smirked. "Oh believe me, I won't. If you would so kindly cooperate, then no harm will befall dear ol' big sis."
Kara immediately nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
Lillian smiled with delight at how well the whole sister hostage situation was working in her favor. "Step out of your cell slowly, and let them do the rest." She motioned to a group of guards holding chains.
Kara quickly complied, and when she reached the men, they chained her up so she was facing Alex. Chains from the ceiling dropped down for her arms. Once throughly locked in, they suspended her in the air a foot above the ground.
They then attached chains to her feet, spreading them out, so as to avoid any danger of her kicking out. Essentially she looked like a floating starfish.
Alex did not like where this was going. "What are you doing to her, Lillian? Please just leave her alone." Her eyes met Kara's, and she could see the bravery in them. Kara nodded slightly to show Alex that she would be okay.
Lillian holstered her gun and motioned for her guards to bring something to her. "Don't worry, Alexandra. It's not what I'm doing to her, or at least not this time." She laughed maniacally as she recalled what she had put Kara through just hours ago. "It's what I'm doing to you."
Alex definitely didn't like the sound of that. "What the hell do you mean? If you're doing something to me, then why the hell is she the one in chains?!"
Lillian smirked as her guards finally brought her the briefcase she had motioned for earlier. "Well, the weapon is still taking time to process the solar energy we extracted from her earlier. Her powers also haven't returned, so in terms of the weapon, she is useless. However we are still yet to get the code for a certain thing from you, Alex."
Alex clenched her jaw. She now knew exactly where this was going. Lillian continued, "You see, I'm really not doing anything to Kara! I won't have to do anything at all... If you just give me the code."
Kara heard this and made eye contact with Alex. She shook her head fiercely and mouthed, "Rememeber your promise."
Lillian walked right up against Alex's cell. "So what's it going to be, Alexandra? You want to give me the code?"
Alex shook her head sadly, knowing what would come as a consequence. "No."
Lillian's face lit up with a crazed smile. "You know, Alexandra? I was almost hoping you'd say that. A shame that your sister is willing to give her life for you, but you can't even give up a simple code... Really just a shame..."
That struck a chord in Alex. Kara could see how Lillian's word affected her sister, and cut in. "Alex, don't listen to her! This code is more important than anything else. I understand."
Lillian heard this and opened up he briefcase. And out came the serrated kryptonite knife. "Kara, I distinctly remember you having a good time with this knife. I thought I'd do you a favor and dig out the old blade I used the first time we were here. I had perfected my most potent form of Kryptonite, and thought it'd be great to bring out your old pal. You know, for ol' time's sake."
A haunted look overcame Kara as she remembered everything that very knife had put her through. She then looked at Alex and saw her trying to hold in tears. Could just feel that Alex was blaming herself for this. And her walls came back up.
She had to stay strong for Alex. Wouldn't scream, wouldn't cry. She needed to make this as easy on Alex as possible. "I also distinctly remember me telling you that you'd never break me. And you didn't. So I know for a fact that you won't be able to now."
Lillian just smiled. "How much you want to bet?" Then she started her slow, tiger-like approach towards Kara, knife extended. The kryptonite walls were back in full force, and the knife was causing Kara's veins to glow green.
Kara felt sick and dizzy, but most of all she felt fear. Her insides were screaming at her to somehow get away. To plead with Lillian. But her outside needed to remain strong for Alex.
As Lillian approached, despite everything, Kara held her chin high and clenched her jaw. Must be strong, for Alex.
Right at that moment, Lillian plunged the knife into Kara's stomach. She wanted to scream as the all-too-familiar burning agony spread throughout her torso. But she had to show Alex she was okay.
Alex watched as her sister was stabbed. Kara's body jerked back and her eyes widened in pain. Her jaw clenched sharply and her lips drew together, but Kara made no other indications that she was hurting. It was obvious to Alex that Kara was trying to hide her pain, for the sake of Alex's own sanity.
Then Lillian pulled out the knife, as slowly and painfully as she could.
The serrated edges cut at Kara's skin as the knife left her flesh, and she couldn't stop a lone tear from falling. Alex couldn't watch this. "Please, Lillian. Please stop."
Lillain turned to her, bloody knife in plain sight. "The only way this stops is with the code."
Kara looked at Alex and shook her head. With as much confidence as she could muster, she called out. "I can take it, Alex. I'm fine." A tear rolled down her face from the sheer agony she was in. "Doesn't even hurt."
Alex could see that Kara was lying. Straight through her teeth. Could see how much pain her sister was in. But she had made a promise to Kara, and knew her little sister would never forgive her if she broke it. She wouldn't let Lillian know how much this was hurting her.
Kara was staying strong for her, so she would too.
Alex stared at Lillian, anger burning in her eyes. "No code."
Kara gave her big sister a grateful smile. Lillian gave Alex a smile too, but it was far from grateful.
She turned around and without hesitating, stabbed Kara straight in her left leg. The knife stopped its entry only halfway in, so Lillian pushed it in the rest of the way as painstakingly slow as she could.
Until all that was left poking out of her leg was the hilt.
Kara grunted, refusing to scream. Refusing to give Lillian that pleasure. Refusing to show Alex just how much pain she was in. With every centimeter that Lillian pushed the knife in, her body screamed at her. It felt like there was fire burning on the inside of her leg. It was a pain she had never felt before.
Tears rolled down her face, despite her squeezing her eyes shut to keep them in.
Alex watched, tears rolling down her own face, unable to stop this. Kara's pained blue eyes met hers, and her sister gave her a small smile. Encouraging. Brave. Alex couldn't find it in herself to smile back. Kara mouthed to her, "It's okay."
Alex shook her head, but she couldn't do anything about this. Lillian pulled out the knife, dislodging chunks of kryptonite from the serrated edge inside of Kara's leg. She closed her eyes tight, and tried to block out the pain.
It didn't work.
But she didn't scream. Wouldn't.
Lillian turned to Alex once again. "The code."
Alex clenched her jaw and simply shook her head.
Lillian grew increasingly frustrated. She thought for sure that Alex would have cracked by now. Lillian turned back to a powerless Kara and put the knife up to her face. The entire blade was covered in Kara's blood, but she still didn't show any fear. She kept her chin high, and stood tall, or as tall as she could while still being suspended in the air.
She venomously spat at Lillian. "Is that all you got?"
Lillian grew angered. "As a matter of fact, it's not." She motioned to one of the guards to come forward, dragging something behind him. While he made his way over, dragging the heavy object, Lillian cut into Kara's skin. Just above her eyebrow. And just enough to draw blood.
She then dragged the blade slowly, all the way out and then down towards Kara's jawline. The knife left a trail of blood in its wake.
Kara clenched her jaw, trying to resist the urge to cry out. This was different from the stabbing sensation. The sting of the knife as it sliced her skin was horrible. The man finally appeared next to Lillian and hoisted the weapon high.
Alex's eyes widened in terror. Lillian turned back to her to gage her reaction. "It's just a silly little baseball bat, Alexandra. Should do no harm to little Kara. Oh, wait! She doesn't have her powers! That's always fun, isn't it? A 30-pound baseball bat made from nth metal... Third grade me would never have found baseball fun, but look how far we've come!""
The guard raised the bat above his head, staring at Kara emotionlessly. Alex's eyes welled up in horror. Kara had no powers, was defenseless. And someone was about to swing a 30-pound bat straight into her sister's open and exposed stomach.
Kara saw the look of horror that crossed her sister's face and nodded at her. She knew this was going to suck.
A lot.
But she couldn't give Lillian the satisfaction. She turned to the guard and spit at his feet. Then she stared straight at him and said, "Do your worst."
Unfortunately, Kara didn't know quite how painful this would be. The guard wound up and slammed the solid metal bat into her ribs. There was a huge cracking sound as Kara jerked back violently in mid air. The breaking of her ribs filled the dead silence that had overtaken the room.
And this time, Kara screamed.