"You okay?" J'onn asked when he saw Kara sitting on a bed in the infirmary, chewing her lip.

"Yeah. Alex insisted she and Hamilton run some more tests on me, so I am just waiting for the next needle session, whilst waiting to see if Cadmus respond to my email."

"They'll respond. You are too important to them not to."

"What if he is already dead?" Kara asked.

"They'll still offer a trade. We'll still get them." J'onn said. "What else is bothering you?"

"Nothing."

"So the frown and nervous playing with your hands has nothing to do with the mission?"

"Maybe I'm a little worried."

"It's your plan."

"That doesn't make me feel better. In fact it makes me feel worse."

"It's a good plan." J'onn said.

"No it's not. Emailing a cult member asking them to facilitate a trade and then send you in in my place in the hope they use Kryptonite and give you the element of surprise is not exactly a clever plan."

"Sometimes simple is better. Less to go wrong." J'onn pointed out.

"But it could still go wrong and all I can do is sit here."

"The hardest part of working in a team is watching others risk their lives when you can do nothing to help them." J'onn said as he sat down next to Kara on the bed.

"I know. But normally I don't have to worry about that. I'm the one at risk. Sitting on this side makes me realise that your job sucks."

"Only sometimes." J'onn said smiling softly before assuring Kara. "We'll be okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise that I will do everything I can to bring everyone back safely."

"Including you? I mean you are carrying the biggest risk, pretending to be me."

"Including me and especially Alex. The plan is good and we'll have the element of surprise, both in terms of a team ready to come in and Kryptonite not working on me." He said. "But no matter what happens do not leave the DEO. If you do it will distract Alex."

"Okay." Kara agreed.

"Good." J'onn said standing before placing a firm hand on Kara's shoulder. "It's a good plan."

"But Cadmus still haven't taken the bait." Kara pointed out as her doubts continued to build.

"They will." J'onn said.

"And if they don't?"

"Supergirl will just have to get their attention." He said as Alex entered the infirmary.

"It worked. The contact that Jen gave Kara just emailed back with a time and location for the swap."

"Told you." J'onn said to Kara whose frown had deepened.

"I'll meet you in the armoury in a few minutes." J'onn said to Alex before he gave Kara's shoulder another squeeze before leaving the sisters alone.

"Please be careful." Kara said to Alex who came and stood next to her.

"Always." Alex said hugging her. "Look after mom okay?"

"Of course." Kara said keeping hold of Alex.

"I have to go." Alex said pulling out of the hug. "I love you."

"Love you too."

-00-

"Supergirl." Hank Henshaw said when she entered the building he was waiting in.

"Henshaw." Supergirl replied as she moved to the centre of the building. "Where's Jeremiah?"

"Somewhere you won't find him." Henshaw said pulling a small device from his pocket.

"You never intended on keeping your end of the trade then?" Supergirl asked.

"In the same way you had no intention of giving us Supergirl." Henshaw said. "We are not stupid. We know the Kryptonian will be without her powers for at least another thirty six hours. We also know how much your kind fear fire." He added moments before a wall off flames built around J'onn who felt the fear build within him.

-00-

Alex listened as the scene unfolded and as soon as she realised their plan had failed and J'onn had just walked into an ambush she ordered her team in. As the Agents hurried to the building Alex saw Cyborg Superman run into the woods. For a second she was torn between rescuing J'onn and pursuing Henshaw. Trusting her team and desperate to get answers she chose to follow Henshaw. Struggling to keep up with his superior speed she found herself concentrating less on her surroundings and more on running until the ground gave out and she felt herself fall.

-00-

Opening her eyes Alex tried to fight off the effects of the fall. As she moved though she realised she must have been knocked out as she was no longer armed and was tied to a metal beam. Opening her eyes she quickly found herself being blinded by a flash light shining in her eyes.

"Hello Alexandra." A woman greeted

"Who are you?" Alex demanded trying to ignore the pain in her knee, ribs and head. Squinting against the light she could see the woman was of medium build with dark hair, but beyond that she couldn't make out any features.

"I am practically family." The woman said, her voice almost gleeful. "Perhaps you should view me as a grateful god mother. I mean I know so much about you. More than perhaps anyone. You see I have heard so much about you and I have been following your life very closely. You know I almost had to intervene a few years ago when you had that run in with the police, I think I could have recruited you then. But the Martian got to you first."

"I would never work for you." Alex said.

"That's what your father said at first. In the end it didn't take long for him to change his mind. And even without you working for us, all the major progress Cadmus has made over the last decade has been because of you." She said.

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked looking round for an advantage. However the darkness of the mine shaft combined with the flash light shining in her eyes made it almost impossible.

"Your father has progressed our cause, our technology, more than anyone else. He is our greatest servant."

"He would never help you."

"But he does. Thanks to you. I gave him a choice. Help us or watch as you became our new lab rat. I had so many plans for you, but your father made such good progress I found another rat, then another and another and another. The only thing they had in common was they all died by your father's hand as he tried to implement cyborg technology. But he got there eventually, practice really does make perfect." The woman paused and watched as her words sunk in before saying. "You could join us Alexandra, you could work along side your father. After all, he is the only person to ever fully appreciate you and your potential." The woman said.

"I will never join you." Alex said resolutely.

"Never is a long and, for you it will be, a very lonely time." The woman said as she circled round Alex. "I made your father work for us. I made the Kryptonian willingly give up her powers again and again. I had so much pain inflicted on her and yet with one false promise I made her not walk out of an unlocked door. And I made your Martian walk into a trap whilst luring you here. I always get my way. It is only a matter of time before you willingly choose to join us. Everyone has a weakness and I look forward to finding and exploiting yours in the coming months. Rest assured in time you will be our greatest asset." The woman said. "But for now goodbye." She added before disappearing into the darkness of the disused mine. Moments later a DEO team appeared in the shaft.

-00-

"Are you okay?" Kara asked when Alex returned to the DEO.

"I'm fine." Alex said hugging her sister.

"We'll let Hamilton decide that." J'onn said.

"I'm okay." Alex argued.

"Then it won't take long." J'onn said before looking at Eliza and Kara. "I'm sorry we didn't get him back."

"But we know they have him and he is still alive." Alex said.

"He is?" Kara asked feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.

"He is." Alex said hugging Kara again.

-00-

"You want to talk about what happened?" J'onn asked as he entered Alex's lab an hour later.

"We failed to capture them or free dad. Not much to talk about." Alex said.

"I meant after you had fallen into the tunnel."

"Nothing to talk about."

"Sometimes I don't know who is worse. You or your sister." J'onn said. "You both need to learn how to share. But you have been through enough for one day, so go home and get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Good night." Alex said limping away from J'onn almost walking into her mother at the door.

"Are you okay?" Eliza asked.

"I'm fine. I was going to go home and get some sleep, unless you or Kara need me."

"We'll be fine. Make sure you rest." Eliza instructed briefly hugging Alex before watching her daughter leave. Once she was gone she walked over to J'onn and asked.

"What happened out there?"

"Which part?" J'onn asked.

"All of it. None of it makes sense."

"I agree. They could have, should have killed me. I think I was used as a distraction to lure Alex away. To what end I don't know. Right now we have more questions than answers."

-00-

"Hey." Maggie said as she entered the apartment. But on seeing Alex's scratched face she asked. "What happened?"

"I had a run in with Cadmus."

"Are you okay?" Maggie questioned.

"I'm fine." Alex said pouring herself another glass of whiskey.

"For someone who is fine, that is a lot of whiskey to have gone through." Maggie said as she saw how depleted the whiskey bottle was. "You want to talk about what really happened out there?"

"I fell down a hole and had an unplanned meeting with a woman who works for, or maybe runs, Cadmus. She told me my father was working for her and was killing because of me." Alex explained. Maggie was about to comment when Alex added. "Then she said I would choose to join Cadmus."

"You'd never do that."

"She said she would find my weakness and exploit it. What if she meant you? What if she goes after you?" Alex asked, concern etched in her face.

"Then you'll kick their asses." Maggie said.

"I'm serious. I am putting you in danger." Alex replied, clearly frustrated Maggie didn't seem to be taking her seriously.

"I'm a cop, I'm used to danger. And you are more than worth the risk." Maggie said. "Your mom told me that you always make the difficult choices. It's not right that you carry that burden, but it is who you are. Watching them go after someone you care about will be hard, but you know it can't justify helping them and you can't use it as an excuse to hide from the world. Them hurting me, killing me it's a risk, but my life is not worth you joining Cadmus." Maggie said before drawing Alex into a hug. "Whatever they do you won't be alone, you have me, Kara, J'onn and your mom. We will always have your back."

-00-

"You should be resting." J'onn said as he joined Kara on the DEO balcony.

"Watching the city helps me relax." Kara said before looking at J'onn and saying. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" J'onn asked.

"Putting you in danger. You had to face your inner demons because of me."

"Cadmus used fire against me. Not you." J'onn reminded her. "But if you feel that strongly about it you can make it up to me by talking to me."

"About what?"

"What you're going through. Even in your darkest times you are not alone."

"I know. It's just...it's just I was sent to Earth to protect Kal-El. That was my purpose. Only I ended up being the one needing protection and that cost Alex, Eliza and Jeremiah so much. Kal never needed me. I can't help but think that everyone would have been better if my parents had never put me in that pod. If I had died with them on Krypton Earth would still have Superman, Kal would still be fine and the Danvers would be happy."

"Sweetie, we are happy." Eliza said walking out to join them. "You have brought us so much happiness. Never forget that. We'll never know what would have happened if you had died on Krypton, but I do know our lives would have been poorer because of it." She added as she drew Kara in for a hug. "And if anything were to happen to you I don't know what I or Alex would do." She then pulled away and added. "And that is why you should be resting."

"I can't yet. I have a story to finish. If it is good enough maybe Snapper won't fire me."

"He'd be stupid to let you go." J'onn said before asking. "Does Alex know you are going back to work tomorrow?"

"No. I didn't want to stress her out tonight." Kara said.

"So you are leaving me to deal with her tomorrow?" J'onn asked.

"Kind of." Kara said sheepishly.

"Are you sure it is safe?" Eliza asked.

"J'onn heals really quickly." Kara assured her.

"I didn't mean upsetting Alex, I meant you going back to work." Eliza clarified.

"I can't hide forever. Besides I've agreed to wear a special tracker so J'onn, Winn and Alex can track me." She then looked at J'onn and asked. "I know you have done a lot for me today already, but can I ask another favour?"

"Anything." J'onn nodded.

TBC...


A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Final chapter up tomorrow.