"I don't get it. The door wasn't locked, she wasn't tied up, she could have left anytime." J'onn said as he stared down at Kara, who lay unconscious in the infirmary.
"If she was conscious." Alex said grimly.
"It's a big risk to leave a prisoner unsecured conscious or not." J'onn reminded her.
"Could they have been guarding her but then saw you coming and left?" Maggie asked from Alex's side.
"Not according to Winn. He's been scanning imagery from the last two weeks and it looks like she was alone for most of the time." J'onn explained. "Every day or so two people entered the building carrying a small box stayed for a few hours and then left with the box. Everything we've seen implies Kara could have walked out anytime they weren't there, even without her powers."
"Could Kryptonite have been used to stop her moving?" Mon-El asked.
"We didn't find any." Alex said. "But that is what could have been in the box. If the box was lead Winn's scans wouldn't have picked it up."
"Guys, I've seen something odd." Winn said entering the infirmary.
"What?" J'onn asked.
"This is thermal imagery from where Kara was being held. Just after we think she was moved there, there was a big spike." He said showing them his screen. "Two days later another. Then another two days later. The next three days, then three, then four, then five and five then a six. Always short intense bursts lasting no more than a couple of minutes."
"She was...what did she call it? Solar flaring." Mon-El said. "The box could have had that helmet thing she used last time. And that's why she doesn't have powers."
"Why would she solar flare?" J'onn asked.
"To protect someone." Mon-El said. "Last time it was to save my life."
"But there was no one else there." Alex said.
"But there could have been someone at the other end of that video link. It may explain the message you heard when you were there." J'onn said before turning to Winn. "Mr Schott, see if you can trace it or find out what other messages were sent."
"You know it doesn't actually work like that?" Winn asked before noticing J'onn's scowl. "By which I mean I'm on it."
"If you're okay here I'm going to go through reports we have at the precinct that match the cult Kara was trying to join. Maybe I can get a name. I'll let you know if I find anything." Maggie said to Alex who wasn't really listening. Instead she stared at her sister wondering what had happened.
-00-
"Kara?" Alex asked when she saw Kara open her eyes.
"A...lex?" Kara croaked.
"I'm right here. You're safe now."
"No." Kara sobbed.
"Kara it's okay now." Alex said.
"No no no. Not the DEO." Kara cried. "Take me back."
"Kara you're safe." Alex repeated.
"No, I promised." Kara said getting out of bed only to land in a heap on the floor. "Have to go backā¦.only way." She added trying to crawl across the floor.
"Kara please." Alex said grabbing hold of her sister and trying to help her back to the bed.
"No. Have to go. Please." Kara begged trying to fight off Alex. But without her super strength she was no match for her sister who tightly held onto her.
"Kara you are safe now. You're not going anywhere." Alex soothed.
"No." Kara said getting more and more upset. "Please. I have to go. Please Rao don't let it be too late."
"Kara, you're hurt." Alex said not releasing her despite how hard Kara was fighting to escape.
"Have to go." Kara repeated.
"Kara you're not leaving." Alex said more firmly before noticing one of Kara's wounds had opened during the struggle. "Kara please calm down you're bleeding."
"No, I have to go." Kara repeated crying hysterically as Hamilton approached the pair.
"Kara I promise you that you are safe now. I'm not going to let them hurt you." Alex tried to comfort.
"No. Please. Let me go." Kara said fighting with every ounce of strength she had left, uncaring of the damage she was causing her body.
"Kara, please calm down." Alex pleaded moments before Kara sagged in her arms.
"It's okay, I've sedated her." Hamilton said as she helped Alex put Kara back onto the bed. "With her injuries she shouldn't be moving round."
"I tried to stop her, but she was desperate to get out of here. It sounded like she wanted to go back."
"We don't know what happened, but confusion and disorientation can be normal after traumatic events." Hamilton said. "For now all we can do is keep her comfortable and calm. As she still doesn't have her powers we can sedate her if she gets agitated again, but I would prefer not to do that."
"Me too." Alex agreed as she squeezed Kara's hand, wondering what exactly she had been through.
"I need to restitch these wounds." Hamilton said examining the damage Kara had done to herself. "I know you'll say no, but you need to rest too." Hamilton reminded Alex. "You are still healing from the gunshot wound."
"I'll make sure she rests." Eliza said entering the infirmary.
"Mom." Alex greeted before hugging her mother. "I'm so sorry, I should have stopped her going."
"It was Kara's decision." Eliza reminded her. "What matters now is making sure Kara knows we're here for her."
-00-
"Kara." Eliza called gently when she saw her adopted daughter start to wake.
Opening her eyes Kara scanned the room looking confused and disorientated. "No, not here." She sobbed as she recognised her surroundings.
"Kara." Eliza gently repeated causing Kara to look round at her.
The second she saw Eliza she started crying uncontrollably and said. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Eliza asked.
"I wasn't strong enough. He's dead now. It's my fault."
Not understanding what Kara was saying Eliza climbed on the bed and engulfed Kara in a hug as Alex looked on helplessly.
"Who's dead?" Eliza gently asked ignoring Kara's attempt to not be hugged.
"Jeremiah." Kara sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Kara whatever happened was not your fault." Eliza said holding onto Kara tightly until she had cried herself back to sleep.
When Eliza was convinced that Kara was asleep she looked over to Alex and asked. "What was she talking about?"
"I don't know." Alex said.
"But we're going to find out." J'onn said before leaving the room followed by Alex.
-00-
"What have you discovered?" J'onn asked as he and Alex approached Winn.
"Me? Um, nothing." Winn said spinning round in his chair to face them.
"You've had hours to figure this out." J'onn said. "Surely you've tracked the two people who visited the building."
"Sure, I tracked their rental car, paid for with a stolen credit card, to a motel, paid for with a stolen credit card. The room had been completely cleaned out and all surfaces wiped clean and their faces aren't being picked up on any recognition program. But Maggie is trying to trace them. She is also tracing down some leads on the people Kara may have met."
"What about the video link?" J'onn asked as Alex stalked up and down the control room unnerving Winn.
"The video link in that building was connected to the internet. It was accessed by a specific IP address, but that IP address had been routed through several hubs. There is literally no way of tracing it."
"Then find another way." Alex snapped coming to a stop behind Winn. "We have to find out what happened to her."
"I'm doing the best I can." Winn said. "But these guys are smart and know how to cover their tracks."
"Then be smarter." Alex said walking off.
"You want to talk about it?" J'onn asked Alex as he caught up to her.
"It?" Alex asked.
"How you're feeling. You are giving off more emotions than the rest of the base combined." J'onn said.
"I'm fine." Alex said not feeling like a heart to heart.
"Even if I weren't telepathic I would know that was a lie." J'onn said placing a hand on Alex's shoulder and forcing her to turn to face him.
"Fine. I'm mad at Kara for lying to me. I'm mad at her for being stupid. I'm mad at me for not seeing it. I'm mad at me for not protecting her. And I'm mad at the world for her getting hurt again." Alex listed.
"Your sister is tough, she'll make it through this." J'onn promised.
"You don't know that." Alex said.
"Yes I do, because she has you and you won't let her be anything other than okay." J'onn said. "But with you like this I can't be sure the rest of the Agents here will be okay. So how about we get in some sparring practice whilst Winn gathers some intel? Punching and kicking normally calms you down."
"I thought you said I couldn't spar when I was angry, we had to talk about my feelings over coffee." Alex said.
"One time exception. Besides I'm not sure caffeine will do you any good right now." J'onn pointed out.
TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up on Monday.
