"Kara! I am so glad that you are okay." Lena greeted after Jess had shown the surprise visitor into the office. But on seeing the bruises and bandages she asked. "Are you okay?"

Looking down at one of the bandages on her hand Kara said. "These will heal soon."

"And the wounds we can't see?" Lena probed as she patted the couch next to where she was sitting, indicating Kara should join her.

"I'll be okay." Kara said as she sat down.

"Currently that seems hard to believe. I am sorry that the ring failed. I'd hoped it would keep you safe." Lena apologised.

"It didn't fail." Kara said.

"Then how did they find out you were Supergirl?"

"They already knew who I was." Kara explained.

"How?" Lena asked confused.

"The person running the cult was the original Hank Henshaw, who had tried to take me into captivity shortly after I arrived on Earth. That's how Jeremiah ended up joining the DEO. He traded himself to keep me free. Now Hank Henshaw works for Cadmus, he helped your mother capture me a few months ago, before the whole Medusa thing. I am not sure he could believe it when I was taken into his office. As soon as he saw me my cover was blown."

"I see." Lena said trying to process all all the information Kara had unloaded on her before figuring out who Kara was talking about. "Was that the man with the mask who attacked L-Corp?"

"Yes."

"Where is this Henshaw now?"

"Still out there somewhere." Kara said.

"Perhaps I can help then." Lena offered. "I could visit my mother and ask."

"She wouldn't tell you and I don't want you to be a position where your mother disappoints you again." Kara said.

"You really are special." Lena commented. "You have just been tortured and you are worried about me getting hurt by a verbal sparring match with my mother."

"I wasn't tortured exactly. And I'm back now. But no matter what she has done and will do, she will always be your mother."

"Adoptive mother." Lena corrected before pointing out. "Your sister said you were tortured."

"You spoke to Alex?" Kara asked confused.

"She saw L-Corp on the ring and assumed I had given it to you to set you up."

"She didn't hurt you did she?" Kara asked looking for damage both on Lena and in the office.

"No. We just talked." Lena said brushing over Alex's abrupt entrance into her office. "She is very protective of you. So protective I am surprised she is okay with you being out in the open, especially as you have clearly lost some of your powers."

"All my powers." Kara corrected. "She doesn't know I'm here. I just left. I felt so useless, I had to do something."

"Why?"

"I had a chance to free Jeremiah, um Alex's dad, my foster father." Kara said unable to remember what she had already told Lena.

"But you couldn't? And now you want to go back and try to get him out again?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Cadmus want me. I'll trade." Kara stated simply.

"I'm pretty sure Cadmus can't be trusted. After all my mother worked for them and I wouldn't trust her to honour an airtight contract." Lena said.

"I can't do nothing." Kara said. "I have to get him out."

"Even at the cost of your own life?"

"If I get Jeremiah back it will be worth it."

"What is your goal Kara?" Lena asked. "To get Jeremiah back or go out in a blaze of glory?"

"To get Jeremiah back." Kara said surprised by the question.

"Yet you seem to be focusing on the blaze of glory."

"I'm not." Kara argued.

"Unlike your cousin you work as part of a team so I know you can ask for help. Yet you aren't. But in order to get your foster father back you will need the best team possible. You can't do it alone. Perhaps you need to accept a little help."

"Not if it places people in danger."

"Kara, I know that if Cadmus kills you or captures you, Alex will go after them, single handedly if needed. She'll end up in the same situation as you. Not asking for her help won't keep her safe. If anything it will get you both killed."

-00-

"Anything?" Alex asked impatiently as she watched Winn type at his computer.

"Since you asked thirty seconds ago? No." Winn said getting flustered by the constant questions.

"What's taking so long?" Alex asked pacing.

"Ignoring the constant questions? Tracking someone isn't magic. You need a signal and seeing she isn't wearing her necklace and doesn't have her phone or powers I am having to mine data like CCTV. It takes time." Winn said.

"Hurry it up." Alex said. "Without powers she won't be able to fight off an attack."

"Which is why I need help." Kara said entering the control room and immediately finding herself being engulfed in hugs from Eliza and Alex.

"I thought you'd gone after Cadmus." Alex said hugging her. "The note, the goodbye..."

"I was going to. I wanted to. That's why I left, so I could talk to Jen and find a way to make contact with Cadmus so I could offer myself for Jeremiah." Kara explained.

"Kara no one wants that. And Jeremiah would never live with himself if his freedom cost your life." Eliza said pulling away from Kara hoping to see some indication that she understood.

"What made you change your mind?" J'onn asked.

"I got names and locations, but then I spoke to Lena who pointed out I shouldn't do this alone, I couldn't do it alone."

"Pretty sure we've all been telling you that." Winn muttered quietly from his corner.

"I wanted to find Jeremiah." Kara said. "And if there was a way for me to trade my life for his I would, gladly. But I know I can't trust Cadmus to honour the trade. The only way to get Jeremiah back is to take him back. Ultimately this is about stopping Cadmus and finding Jeremiah. I can't do either of those without my powers. But you all can." Kara said.

"You have a plan?" J'onn asked.

"I do." Kara said. "But I need you to have faith in me."

"Always." Alex said as she hugged Kara again before pulling away and saying. "But you are not allowed to move from this room."

"So what's the plan?" J'onn asked.

"We offer Cadmus what they want." Kara stated.

"Which is?" J'onn asked.

"Me."

"You do remember the part where Cadmus can't be trusted?" Alex said feeling her blood pressure rise on hearing Kara's plan.

"Well, neither can we." Kara said earning a curious look from everyone else in the room.

TBC...


A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.