"Awww." Supergirl said clutching her head. "That is loud and annoying."
"J'onn?" Alex asked.
"I think so. I'll head over." Supergirl said flying off.
"Remember, don't go in." Alex called after her before looking round the control room. "Alpha, Bravo teams, follow Supergirl in convoy. Echo we are taking the chopper."
"We?" Ruby asked. Seeing Alex's glare she added. "Ma'am."
"Yes we. Let's move." Alex barked.
As the helicopter started to move Supergirl came over the radio.
"I've found the signal."
"And?"
"They are on a cargo container." Supergirl said.
"They are taking J'onn by ship?" Alex asked.
"Looks that way. The ship is heading out. I can see twenty two people in there, plus J'onn." Supergirl said as she hovered high above the ship and out of sight.
"Can you hear J'onn?" Alex asked.
"Yes. He's talking and sounds okay. Well a little freaky sounding like Kara, but okay. I don't think he is in danger. I mean he keeps saying the word 'safe'."
"You okay?" Alex asked aware that her sister's voice seemed a little strained.
"Yeah, the tracker is really loud." Supergirl explained. "It is hard to filter it out."
"Okay, we are six minutes out, let me know if anything changes." Alex said ending the connection.
"What about Alpha and Bravo? They won't be able to get on the ship." Ruby said.
"I know. We'll become the prime squad, the chopper can transport them from the dock when they get there." Alex said worrying about everything that could still go wrong.
-00-
"Who are you?" J'onn, as the teenage Kara, asked as he was strapped to table.
"Your saviour." A man said. "Well not really, think of me as your new employer. Actually that isn't right either. Owner would be a better description."
"Owner?" The fake teenager asked pretending to struggle against the restraints.
"Welcome to the Empire." He smiled. "From now on you will be shifting product. Probably. You see I don't know if this will work yet." He said picking up a box from the side and taking out some contact lenses. "We have had a couple of practices and they were promising. But we haven't tested properly. But if they work these will now control every action you do. If they don't they will cook your brain. Which is also what they will do if you resist. And we know that part works."
-00-
"Sit Rep." Alex barked over the radio to Supergirl three minutes later.
"There are ten guards on deck. J'onn is in a room with five people. The rest are grouped in a room to the back." Supergirl reported.
"Is J'onn talking?"
"Yes." Supergirl said.
"And?"
"He is fine, but may not be in a minute. We need to move." Supergirl said not wanting to divulge the details of the conversation, knowing it would cause Alex to explode, but sensing J'onn could actually be in danger.
"Everyone in position?" Alex asked over the radio.
After a chorus of confirmations she gave the order and the raid started.
"Go get J'onn we will approach and secure the platform." Alex ordered her sister. "Make sure no one gets away."
Knowing if she didn't do something about the guards on deck the helicopter would be taken out Supergirl listened into J'onn's conversation once more to ensure he was okay, before deciding to take out the deck guards.
Flying round the deck as fast as she could she collected up the guards and threw them in a shipping container before heading to J'onn. As she did so she tried to shut out the sound of his tracker that was getting uncomfortably loud.
When she reached the room the fake teenage Kara was in she saw a man hovering over the teenager about to insert something in their eyes.
"Stop." Supergirl said using her heat vision to burn the man's hand before focusing her efforts on the other guards as J'onn effortlessly broke free of the restraints and subdued the leader.
"You okay?" Kara asked approaching J'onn who was still in the teenage Kara's form.
"I'm fine."
"Any chance you can turn the tracker off?"
"Of course." J'onn said reaching into his body and doing something that resulted in silence.
"Thank Rao." Kara said rubbing her ears. "Man that was loud."
"Where are the others?" J'onn asked, still in the teenager's form.
"Should be on deck. Have you got this?"
"I'll stay with him." J'onn confirmed as Supergirl hurried off to find the DEO strike team.
-00-
"Where are the deck guards?" Alex asked approaching Supergirl.
"I locked them in a cargo container. I didn't want them taking you out." Seeing Alex looked less than please she asked. "What?"
"I'd planned to use it as training."
"Sorry. I just thought you smelt blood and lost common sense."
"Appreciate the faith you have in my leadership." Alex deadpanned.
"You have been giving off a distinctly dark vibe." Kara shrugged. "The other guys are still ready to be captured."
"I know, we have done that already." Alex said following her sister to where J'onn was waiting.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked the spitting image of her daughter.
"I'm fine." J'onn confirmed.
"You can change back." Alex reminded him, unnerved at seeing her daughter restraining a man.
"Of course." J'onn said shifting back into his normal form, confusing the man who had been threatening him.
"This him?" Alex asked looking at the man.
"Yes. They plan on using these." J'onn started to explain as he picked up the contact lenses.
"To do what?" Alex asked sensing J'onn and Kara weren't telling her something.
"To control people's minds and get them to carry out crimes for them." J'onn said.
"Them being?"
"Says he is part of the Empire."
"Empire as in Mongul" Alex asked.
"Sounded more like a gang." J'onn said as Alex approached the man.
"You can't make me talk." He said seemingly unworried by Alex.
"Debatable." Alex said. "But there are quicker ways to get the information." With that she nodded to J'onn who gripped his head.
-00-
"You okay?" J'onn asked as came and stood next to Alex who stared out over the city at the DEO.
"You need to ask?" Alex countered.
"No." J'onn confirmed. "But the kids are safe."
"They nearly weren't." Alex reminded him. "And I put you in danger."
"I was never in danger." J'onn said. "I could have escaped at anytime."
"But I couldn't guarantee that when I asked you to go in."
"It was a risk I was willing to take." J'onn said. "I will do whatever it takes to protect them."
"I know. Thank you." Alex said struggling to keep her emotions in check.
"It's over." J'onn assured her.
"No it's not. Now one of these games have cropped up, many more will follow. What if we don't find them in time? What if they use more intelligent ways of linking family member? I don't know how to keep them safe." Alex said sounding defeated.
"You will find a way you always do." J'onn said.
"What if I can't? I did this to protect them, but now it feels like all I am doing is putting them in danger."
"If you stay, you will have oversight of what is going on. If you go you will be in the dark." J'onn said, sensing the debate Alex was having with herself. "Both offer risk."
"And betrayal."
"Betrayal?"
"I said I would help Kara, walking out goes against that."
"Kara would understand." J'onn said.
"I know. But I wouldn't. And I'm not really thinking about leaving." Alex pointed out. "I mean I did, but everything is telling me that staying is the right thing to do. But I am so scared. I feel like I am drowning in darkness."
"Is that why you are here rather than interrogation?" J'onn asked.
"We both know what will happen if I go into that cell." Alex said darkly.
"There used to be a time that wouldn't have stopped you." J'onn reminded her.
"Well, maybe I think things through a little more." Alex said. "Doesn't mean I have faith in my decisions though."
"If Kelly were here what would she tell you?" J'onn asked.
"To stop the bad guys." Alex said without hesitation. "But she isn't here. If I screw up I lose the kids or I leave them with nothing."
"They will never have nothing. We will make sure of that." J'onn said as Vasquez appeared.
"Ma'am we have got some information on our prisoner."