Kara, as expected, was less than enthusiastic about what Maggie was pitching her.
"I don't get why you'd want to go back to him. He hurt you, he almost killed Alex!"
"Yes, I know Kara. Believe me, I know. But I need to look him in the eyes. Kara, I'm barely sleeping, you saw it." Maggie decided to play her ace card. "I need to get this closure. Please?"
The blonde sighed, but finally gave in. "Five minutes. And then I'm getting him out. And I'll be right outside the door the whole time."
"No super-hearing, though." Maggie said quickly, already seeing Kara's intentions. "It's private. He did things… That I want to talk about."
"Okay, fine. But if I hear you screaming or anything, I'm coming in anyway." Kara decided, before walking over to the balcony. "I thought you hated flying with me?"
"Yeah, don't worry, I do." Maggie sighed, already nauseous at the prospect. "…But a car won't get me there fast enough."
"Fast enough for what?"
The detective winced. Alex probably hadn't told anyone except her that she was going to get the surgery. Probably because she wanted to surprise them, and to save them from unnecessary worrying, like Maggie was doing right now. So she shook her head quickly. "Just… You know. It would take me three hours to get there, I want to get this over with."
Kara seemed to buy it, wrapping her arms around the detective and launching her into the sky.
Sure enough, not even five seconds later, Maggie regretted the decision to ask Kara for help, as she felt her stomach turn. She clenched her eyes shut and whispered to herself, counting to ten and starting all over again.
A few minutes later, Kara touched down on a dirt road in the middle of the desert. "This is DX0."
Maggie frowned, looking around. All she saw was sand.
She opened her mouth to ask Kara if she was sure they were in the right place, when she watched the blonde step forward, looking at the ground and humming to herself. A crack in the road caught her attention, and she took one leap to the side. After that, she turned her head in Maggie's direction. "Cloaking technology. Super cool."
The detective rolled her eyes at the pun, and watched Kara raise a hand and touch the air in front of her, until she couldn't push any further. She tapped her hand around what Maggie assumed was either an invisible wall, or a very impressive mime performance.
Finally, Kara found the spot she was looking for, and started tapping her fingers as if she was entering a code. When she was done, Maggie's eyes widened as she saw a large garage-like door appear out of thin air.
"Wow."
Kara smiled, as she pushed it open. "Wait out here, they might shoot you on sight if they don't recognize you."
"Oh. That's perfect." Was the sarcastic reply. Kara didn't respond to it, as she stepped inside with raised hands. "Special agent Supergirl, stationed in National City, clearance level A."
Maggie heard the shuffle of heavy combat boots, and a gun safety being clicked off. "We didn't receive word of your coming. What is your security code?"
"Kilo one-niner three, Delta five-zero-seven. Sorry I came by unannounced. We're here to talk to the Magh'rah prisoner."
"Who is 'we'?" Came the same, suspicious, deep voice. Maggie assumed this was her cue, as she walked through the door with her badge raised. "Detective Maggie Sawyer, NCPD science division."
"You brought a local cop into a secure DEO facility?!" The man, that Maggie now recognized as a guy that had to be a navy seal based on how he was built, glared at Kara. But the blonde didn't back down. "She's here about his involvement in the Montana case. Officer Sawyer has level C clearance at the DEO, she's been on black ops before."
When the man still didn't seem convinced, Kara sighed. "Look, I'll fly to National City right now, and get you the biggest hot dog I can find, Sam."
The man – Sam? – looked up, and to Maggie's surprise, his face cracked wide open in a grin. "Extra mustard, no pickles?"
"Don't I know it. I'll be right back, alright?"
Sam nodded, as Kara winked at Maggie before shooting up, away from the facility. Now left alone with her, Sam sighed. "Look, sorry if I'm breathing down your neck here, but this facility was built especially for detaining and holding shapeshifters. So you can't blame us for being suspicious. Science division, right?"
Maggie nodded, as Sam guided her through the corridors of the facility.
"One of my buddies used to work science, but they transferred him to Metropolis. Tough job. It's a good thing you guys are doing, keeping both humans and aliens safe from danger."
Maggie was touched. She didn't picture this incredibly tough man, working at undoubtedly one of the hardest facilities of the DEO, seeing eye to eye with her on alien matters.
Sam stopped at a panel in the wall nearby. "We get paranoid up in here, so we try our best to do as many safety checks as we can." He motioned towards the panel. "Can you press your hand up against it?"
Maggie nodded, and complied. The screen lit up white for a second, as she felt a slight pressure on her fingertips. Then, it lit green, and Sam continued his route as if nothing happened. "That's a DNA check. Just to make sure you're actually human. Like I said, safety regulations."
She didn't mind at all, but was eager to get to business. "How has the Magh'rah been behaving?"
"Well, he's not too happy that he got locked up. Asks for a lot of stuff, and spews that acid around wherever he can."
Maggie winced at the memory, as she felt her shoulder tingle.
"… But all in all, he's been behaving. He's stuck in one form though. Or maybe he just won't change back for whatever reason." Sam stopped at a door. "Here's the interrogation room. Sometimes agents come in here to ask those guys questions. Now, because each species is different, we can't control their shapeshifting. He might change into whatever form that scares you. So there is a reinforced glass wall. They can look but they can't touch. Clear?"
"Crystal." Maggie replied. She really just wanted to get it over with. "Are there cameras or microphones?"
"Passively, yes. We register everything for record's sake, but there's nobody listening in to you. DEO cases are usually classified, and we're trained not to ask questions. You get five minutes. Wait there, I'll tell someone to go get the alien."
A whoosh behind her told her that Kara was back, undoubtedly carrying a huge hotdog in her hands, but she ignored it and opened the door, getting inside the room.
All the walls and floors were made of metal. Probably some form of titanium that could withstand about anything those aliens threw at it. Her part of the room was the biggest. Complete with a comfortable chair and a desk. The latter had a red knob on the inside, probably a panic button.
The other side of the room just had a chair, and rings on the ground used to hold the chains of the handcuffs.
Maggie took a deep breath. She had five minutes to ask him everything she knew about the case. No lingering on what happened, no revisiting. Just the case.
The door on the other side of the room opened, and the first sight Maggie was met with was Laurent. Shuffling inside slowly, cuffs on his hands.
Maggie and Alex hadn't visited him at the hospital. They hadn't been able to, and honestly – Maggie hadn't felt the need to. She just knew that the man had stabilized and was out of mortal danger. But seeing him break into a wide grin at the sight of her made her insides clench.
The guard dropped him down into the chair, and bound him. The alien followed willingly, but only had eyes for her. Once the guard was out of the room, he finally made a first sound. A laugh.
"Maggie." The detective hated the way her name fell off his lips. "I've been waiting for either of you to come back."
"I'm not here to talk about what you did to me." She was cool. She'd stared into the face of murderers, rapists and much worse numerous times before. This wasn't any different. She was detective Sawyer now. "I'm here to talk about September of 2012."
"You look better."
Maggie ignored him. "Four women were murdered in National City. I know you had something to do with it."
The Magh'rah tilted his head. "Why would I tell you?"
"For starters, you might be locked up in here for life if you don't."
He guffawed, which only made Maggie's blood boil faster. "I have been on this planet since before your ancestors were here. What makes you think that one human lifetime will teach me?"
"Your species is peaceful. Are you really willing to give that entire name up just because you had a crush on a girl?"
It was out of her mouth before she realized it, but it didn't appear to be the best move. The Magh'rah's face changed from cunning and smiling, to absolute rage. His fists were trembling. A vein in Laurent's neck seemed ready to pop.
She was in control now.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? Did you not ruin our lives just because we were standing in the way of you and your impossible love for a woman that doesn't know you exist and will never do anything but hate you?!"
"SHUT UP!" The Magh'rah jumped up. To Maggie's surprise, the chains were long enough that he could move up from the chair and lean against the glass separating them. Maggie got up from her own chair, and crossed her arms, seemingly unimpressed. "Tell me what you know about the murders in September 2012."
The alien took a deep breath, and tilted its neck, cracking it.
The next time Maggie blinked, her heart dropped. Because where the alien had stood, was now a burnt and shaking figure.
Finley.
Maggie actually laughed this time. It was an immediate reaction to the feeling of wanting to throw up, but she didn't want to give the alien the pleasure of watching how much it had shocked her. She'd prepared herself for this. She knew he was going to do it.
"Did you kill those four women?"
"H-help me…" Finley croaked weakly. And Maggie got annoyed. Her time was running out, and she didn't have anything yet. He was toying with her.
Drastic measures it was.
"Laurent is dead!" She yelled. The alien stopped moving immediately, and morphed back into Laurent, his eyes wide.
She raised an eyebrow, and continued. "He died because of the gunshot. Dead and buried. And Alice is here in National City, and she has nobody left."
That got his attention. And Maggie chuckled humorlessly. "Those women. What happened to them?"
The alien shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm only here to write books."
"Books about things you know. Things you did." Maggie corrected him, hissing through her teeth. "You've probably murdered dozens. You killed Alice's girlfriend. You almost killed Alice."
"I would never hurt Alice!" He yelled, shaking his chains in his rage. "I love her!"
"Tell me what you know about the case, and I'll let you see her."
The alien was now breathing heavily, as he stared up to meet Maggie's eyes, his frame trembling. "Here?"
"I give you my word. She'll come and visit you."
He looked down at his own feet, and took a deep breath."I did not touch those women you're talking about. I've only been in National City to spend time with Alice."
Maggie closed her eyes briefly, as she didn't want to think about what that meant.
"A cop is dead. Killed because he was too close to discovering a case that you had something to do with."
"I didn't have anything to do with it. I don't kill if I don't need to."
A snark about Alex having been on the brink of death was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it. Instead, she looked up into his eyes one more time. "Final answer?"
He clenched his jaw. And Maggie chuckled. "Suit yourself."
As she moved towards the door, she heard a shuffle behind her. "Wait! Wait!"
She made a point of turning around as slowly as possible, crossing her arms once again. "What?"
"How were they murdered?"
"Poisoned. And it's likely that the killer was also a shapeshifter."
The Magh'rah thought for a second. "I have heard of an alien in National City. Sells their own body toxins for a profit. It's a drug that makes people high, but even the slightest overdose can be lethal. They might be a shapeshifter."
"I need a name." Maggie narrowed her eyes. He could be lying straight to her face, just to save his own skin.
He shook his head. "I only know the name she goes by. Scarlet. Her poison is bright red, she sells it in capsules. That's the only thing I know."
Maggie nodded, and turned back to leave.
"Hey! What about Alice?" He yelled at her.
Maggie turned her head one more time. "I'll make sure she sends you a Father's Day card."
"No! WAIT!"
She ignored him, slamming the door shut behind her. Immediately, she was bombarded with questions from Kara. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he talk? Do you-…"
Maggie raised her hand. "Just… Take me back, please. Thank you for coming here with me."
She glanced up to see Sam looking at her, hands on his hips in a stance that was so like Alex that it actually warmed Maggie's heart. Though the bit of mustard on his nose that Kara presumably hadn't told him about made her chuckle. "Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome. Send my regards to agent Danvers. It's been too long since I've kicked her ass at pool."
"I know the feeling." Maggie laughed.
After being escorted back to the exit, and thanking the man once again, Kara flew Maggie back to National City, dropping her off at the DEO balcony.
"Did you get what you went for?" Was the only thing Kara said as she looked ready to head back to patrolling.
Maggie nodded, looking her future sister-in-law in the eyes. "Yeah. I think I did."
"Good. If you need anything, call me. And tell Alex I'll swing by the apartment tonight."
Maggie watched her launch up into the sky, and headed back towards Alex's lab.
Just in time to see the engineer – Milo, she remembered – widen his eyes as he saw her approach. "Detective Sawyer, thank god!"
He appeared in a panic as he ran towards her.
When he got close enough, Maggie saw the blood spattered on his lab coat.
"It's Alex." He whispered.
Her heart stopped.