Author's note: I know it's been a little while since I last updated this story, but don't worry, I haven't abandoned it! I have an idea more or less of how I want things to end, just need to figure out how I'm gonna get there ;) I hope you all keep enjoying it, and some of you may notice a few more guest stars in this chaper...


Alex pulled up outside an uptown apartment block in National City. She checked the address on her phone to be sure that this was the temporary work address for L. Corp's head office, before heading to the building entrance.

She flashed her FBI badge at the doorman who let her through and spoke to the building receptionist who rang ahead to let Lena know she had a government guest incoming.

The receptionist gave Alex a temporary key card for the elevator and the DEO agent headed up to the top floor. She exited the elevator and headed to the front door of the L. Corp leader's temporary headquarters (otherwise known as her apartment).

Lena's apartment was the penthouse suite and therefore the only residence on the top floor, Alex knocked and waited for a response. She heard the sound of heels clacking on a hardwood floor beyond before the door was opened and a pale faced brunette greeted her with a smile.

"Hi there, you must be agent Danvers? Ms Luthor is expecting you, please come in. My name is Paige, can I get you anything? A coffee? Glass of water?"

"No thanks, I won't be long" Alex smiled at the cute woman and walked into one of apparently multiple reception rooms in Lena's apartment. She could hear very faint voices coming from another room but couldn't make out specific words. She was impressed by the sound proofing, and the way Lena had very quickly set up a new base of operations for L. Corp. She wandered over to the window and gazed outside at a National City still recovering from the last alien attack. Already the signs of repair were underway, with scaffolding ringing the buildings that could be repaired and she could make out builders moving efficiently around them.

Paige tapped away efficiently at a laptop on the desk in the corner, keeping a surreptitious eye on L. Corp's guest as she worked. A small light flashed at her station and she suddenly interrupted Alex's daydream to announce that "Ms. Luthor will see you now Agent Danvers."

"Thank you." Alex replied, smiling at Paige as she was shown into the next room; what used to be a lounge repurposed into Lena's temporary head office, a dark oak desk had been placed near the window, and the head of the corporation sat behind it.

"Thank you Paige" Lena spoke as she rose to greet Alex "What can I do for you Agent Danvers?"

Alex opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by an overly happy jingling ringtone from behind. She turned to find a sheepish Paige pointing at her phone.

"Sorry Ms. Luthor, it's my sister."

"By all means Ms Mathews, take the call. We'll be fine for the time being." Lena smiled in understanding; Paige nodded her head in thanks and ducked out of the room. As she closed the door behind her, no one noticed the flash of white light that briefly shone under the doorway.

Lena gestured for Alex to take a seat, sitting herself she explained: "From what I can tell, she's very close to her sisters, and after all this city's been through I don't begrudge anyone wanting to be there for their family, those that have one…" She whispered the last part. "So anyway, what can I do for you Agent?"

"Please, call me Alex. We've been investigating the recent alien incidents…"

"The alien who attacked L. Corp?" Lena interrupted, leaning forwards from her desk as her interest piqued, seemingly unaware of her low cut dress providing a distracting view to the woman in front of her.

Alex, experienced agent as she was, just about managed to keep her gaze firmly focussed on Lena's green eyes "Yes. And we have some readings obtained from the locations where it has been seen…"

"Readings?"

"Specifically a type of radiation that our specialists have never seen before" Alex fished the flash drive from her pocket. "We were hoping that you could take a look and let us know what you think?"

"Of course, anything I can do to help" Lena replied, taking the proffered drive. "That thing destroyed my building, and seriously injured a number of my employees, it's a miracle no one was killed! If I can do anything at all to track it down and prevent it doing any more harm then I will."

"I heard you almost came close to dying yourself…"

"Thankfully my new assistant managed to keep me alive until Supergirl arrived and got us both out, but I wasn't as badly injured as some." Lena tried to play down her injury, but Alex, who had had a description of what had happened from Kara, just smiled and nodded, knowing exactly how close the youngest Luthor had been to death.

"L. Corp seems to have recovered quickly though?"

"Well the building still needs to be completely demolished and rebuilt, but our work goes on. I've hired temporary lab and office space for those that need it and the rest of us are working from home for now." She gestured at her own home office as she spoke.

Alex stood up "Well thank you for seeing me at such short notice, let me know if you find anything we can use? Obviously all of this data is confidential, I'm sure I don't need to remind you of how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands…" Alex warned.

"Of course and thank you for bringing this to me… Alex" Lena stood up as well, smiling as she got used to using the more informal name.

Alex nodded and smiled back at the CEO before being guided to the door by Lena. She made her way through the apartment and out of the building, waving goodbye to a strangely flushed Paige who was quickly adjusting her hair as she went past.


Meanwhile, Kara was approaching the Lord Technologies tower. She lapped it twice before landing on the roof and speeding down to Maxwell Lord's office. Security must have noticed her approach as no one attempted to stop her movement through the building, that or J'onn had called ahead… She didn't dwell too long on why, just glad this visit would be quicker because of it. She skidded to a halt outside a door with Maxwell's name emblazoned on the dark wood.

"Ahem…?" A cough from behind her caused Supergirl to turn, she saw an impeccably dressed receptionist seated at a metal and glass desk opposite the door, a shiny name plate read 'M. Gerard'. He raised one eyebrow and pointedly pressed a button beside his monitor.

"Sir? Supergirl is here to see you" He spoke with a slight French accent and his eyes remained locked on Kara as if the power of his gaze could prevent her unauthorized access to the office. A short static buzz sounded as he lifted his finger off the intercom, and almost instantly the billionaire's voice sounded from the small speaker.

"Thank you Michel, show her in"

Michel stood up and although it wasn't noticeable, Kara's superhearing picked up the small sigh that escaped his lips. He approached and attempted a smile that was more of a grimace.

"If you would follow me?" He phrased it as more of an order, not waiting for a response as he strode past Kara and opened the office door. He held it open and gestured her through.

"You may enter" He sighed out, having already given up on his attempt at a smile

Kara stepped through and Michel closed the door behind her, she heard another sigh and a grumpy mutter of '…Superheroes…' as he made his way back to his desk.

"Supergirl…" Maxwell Lord sat behind his desk with his feet propped up on some papers strewn over the surface. He smiled as he asked "What can I do for you today?"

Kara swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth at the thought of having to deal with the genius arsehole "I… need your help…"

Less than 5 minutes later, Supergirl was speeding back up to the roof to fly back to the DEO, having left another copy of the DEO flash drive with Maxwell, along with a threat of extreme violence to his person when he attempted to trade his help for another sample of Kara's DNA (having lost his original sample and all data pertaining to it to the DEO after his fateful creation of Bizarro).

She shot off into the distance and when security could no longer see her on the surprisingly long range enhanced CCTV cameras, they called Lord's office. Maxwell picked up the phone "Yes?"

"Sir, she is out of range"

"Thank you." Maxwell's response was curt and to the point, he hung up the phone and pressed a button under his desk. A false soundproof wall dropped from behind his desk and a gorgeous woman stepped through, her heels clacked on the wooden floors as she reached up to tuck a strand of dark hair that had drifted down from her pixie cut, behind one ear. She came to a halt beside the desk.

"Well?" Maxwell demanded "Did you sense anything from her?"

"Frustration, anger and a little confusion." The woman replied.

"Hmm… So she genuinely came to ask for help… and doesn't know much more about the alien than anyone else in this damn city" He opened his laptop and started typing. "That will be all, thank you Ms. Halliwell."

The woman nodded and walked back the way she had come, knowing a dismissal when she heard one. She heard the fake wall rising back up (a handy feature when you occasionally entertained individuals with super hearing) and exited through another door beyond that. She continued down a short corridor and entered an empty side room at random; she pulled out her phone, opened a secure message thread entitled 'PO3' and started typing.

Phoebe: I've found something, we need to meet.