"Hey Bastich! Long time. Drink?" Lobo asked as Supergirl entered the cave he had previously held her prisoner in.
"Where's Alex?" Supergirl asked, feeling her powers drain as she was exposed to the red lamps that had been set up.
"Who?" He asked confused as he had another drink.
"Alex. You took her."
"Mini Supers? So that's her name." He said drinking. "Nah, prefer my name for her."
"Where is she?" Supergirl pressed.
"You should be thanking me." Lobo said. "After all I arranged for a kind of reunion."
"Where is she?"
"You are more boring than last time." Lobo said stepping towards her. "You need to have fun. I was going to give her the ring. Can you imagine?"
"Where is she?" Kara repeated starting to panic.
"Turns out I like her." Lobo said ignoring the question.
"Please, give her back. I will do anything you ask." Supergirl pleaded.
"I like the sound of that." Lobo said drinking. "But yer suck at negotiations." He then threw his cigar to the ground and crushed it.
"Cheeseball! Get in here!" He shouted so loud it seemed to echo round the cave for ages. "Oh that's right. You can't." He added, the last comment sending shivers down Supergirl's spine.
"Where is she?" Supergirl asked.
"You'll have to take that intel from me. I need a good fight."
"Fine." Supergirl immediately agreed.
"You don't have powers." He reminded her as he punched her to the ground.
"Turn off the lamps and I'll give you a better fight." Supergirl said rolling onto her knees.
"That sounds like effort." He said kicking her in the ribs causing her to roll onto her back.
As she lay on the ground gasping for breath he placed his large foot on her chest and started to press down, while he asked.
"You'll do anything?"
"Anything." She gasped as the pain started build.
Having heard a crack he removed his foot and nodded down the cave. "She's through there." He said. "But I won't forget. I will collect sometime."
Trying to ignore the pain Supergirl stumbled to her feet and headed further into the darkened cave.
As she went round a large rock she saw her daughter standing in a corner looking distraught.
"Alex!" She cried heading for her daughter only to get propelled backwards into a wall jarring her already broken ribs causing her to scream out in pain.
"That was more fun that I was expecting." Lobo laughed from one side. "Don't forget the promise." He said before leaving.
Struggling to breathe Kara, using the cave wall for support, climbed to her feet again and looked towards her daughter who stood crying, still separated by an invisible field.
"I'll get you out." Kara promised, not knowing if her daughter could hear her. Looking round she saw what she assumed was the power source. Bending down she picked up a rock and started to batter the box with it, despite her chest screaming at her to stop. Eventually the box started to crack and smoulder.
As the forcefield came down Alex ran from her corner of the cave into her mother's arms, inducing another wave of pain in Kara.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked.
"Nothing. Are you okay?" Kara said, trying to hide how much pain she was in.
"What's wrong?" The teen repeated.
"I'm okay." Kara lied.
"No you're not." The teen said pulling away, tears still streaming down her face, and looking at her mother. "We have to go." She added. "Sun light will help right?"
"Let's get outside." Kara agreed, her breathing getting more raspy.
"Mom?" Alex asked.
"It'll be okay. Let's go." Kara said wrapping an arm round her daughter for both comfort and support. But she only made it a step when she collapsed.
"Mom!" Alex screamed as she caught her mother.
"I've got her." A familiar and comforting voice said. Looking up the teenager saw J'onn who scooped Kara into his arms and carried her outside, as Alex followed closely. "Are you hurt?" J'onn asked the teen as they walked.
"No." Alex replied, keeping her eyes on her mother.
When they got outside J'onn placed Kara on the ground and let the sunlight hit her.
As soon as her cells started to absorb the energy Kara felt her powers return and the pain subside. As it did so she turned to her daughter and pulled her in for a hug.
"It's okay, you're safe." Kara said clinging to her.
"They figured out who I was. I'm sorry." Alex cried.
"You're safe." Kara repeated, not entirely sure what her daughter was talking about.
"Are you two okay?" J'onn asked.
"I think so. What are you doing here?" Kara asked as she continued to hold her crying daughter.
"Alex guessed this is where you were heading and thought you might need help." J'onn explained.
"We're okay." Kara said as Alex clung to her.
-00-
"How are you feeling?" Kara asked as she sat next to her daughter on the couch.
"Okay." She said before adding after a pause. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. None of this is your fault." Kara said.
"You don't understand." Alex said.
"What don't I understand?" Kara asked concerned.
"When I was at the lab they figured out I had powers. I tried to hide it, but I still can't control them and-"
"It's okay." Kara said.
"No it's not. They figured out who I was, who you were."
"All that matters is that you are safe." Kara said holding her tightly. As she felt her daughter calm she pulled away slightly so she could look at her before asking. "Did they hurt you?"
"No. They were going to, but then Lobo came in."
"Did Lobo hurt you?"
"No." Alex said falling silent before adding. "He said he would. But then I talked about dolphins and he changed his mind."
"What?" Kara asked confused.
"I heard you tell Alex that he liked dolphins. So I talked to him about dolphins. After that he was kinda nice." The statement filling Kara with both surprise and relief.
"All that matters is that you are safe." Kara repeated. After a few moments she saw her daughter was looking at her and she asked.
"What is it?"
"When I was in the lab. After they figured out who I was they talked about what they had done to you. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Alex I don't know what they told you. But no matter how much they hurt me I am okay now. All I care about now is you. Are you sure you aren't hurt?"
This time the teen nodded into the hug. Then after a moment's silence she added, so quietly that if it weren't for super hearing Kara would have struggle to hear.. "I was really scared."
"I know. But you are safe now." Kara said squeezing her tightly.
-00-
"Aren't you going to get that?" The teenager asked her mother when the doorbell rang a few hours later.
"I'm not letting go of you." Kara said, although she did look through the door and added. "It's MJ, he can get in if he wants."
After a moment the door opened and MJ walked in, while Chewie ran through the door over to couch and jumped up on Alex before he started to lick her face.
"Hi." He said before looking at his cousin and asking. "Are you okay?"
"I guess." She said stroking Chewie.
"Good. Everyone is worried about you." He said. "Grandma wants to know if you are coming over or if you want her to send food."
"How come you were sent?" Kara asked.
"Mom said my lack of boundaries made me the best candidate." MJ shrugged.
"What do you say?" Kara asked looking down at her daughter.
"We'll go over there." The teen said. "I'm just going to shower first."
-00-
"Alex sweetie, are you okay?" Eliza asked hugging her.
"I'm fine. It was mom who got hurt." The teen said into the hug, immediately causing her aunt to look at the adult Kara who said.
"I'm fine."
"What happened?" The adult Alex asked as she limped to the couch once the teens had disappeared upstairs.
"She hasn't told me everything yet. But while she was at the lab they figured out she had powers and then what her connection was to me and hence who I was. But just after they figured that out Lobo burst in and killed them and took Alex."
"Did he hurt her?" Eliza asked.
"No. Despite telling me that he had planned on giving her the red lantern ring, he didn't hurt her." Kara said.
"So why didn't he?" Alex asked.
"Alex said she talked to him about dolphins."
"Why?" Eliza asked lost.
"She overheard me talking about his fascination with space dolphins." Kara said. "Apparently talking about dolphins calmed him down. I don't get it, I'm just glad it worked. But we need to start thinking about what to do now they know my identity."
"From what I have seen Lobo killed everyone in that lab and the damage he caused destroyed everything." The adult Alex said. "So I think you and Alex are safe."
"Really?" Kara asked.
"Really." Alex confirmed.
"I don't believe in killing, but part of me is grateful. What does that say about me?" Kara asked.
"That you love Alex more than anything." Eliza said.
-00-
"You didn't tell them did you?" The teenager asked when she and her mother returned to the apartment with Chewie later that evening.
"Tell them what?" Kara asked confused.
"What you promised Lobo."
"How do you know about that?" Kara asked.
"I could hear everything." The teen said.
"There is no price that would be too high to get you back and keep you safe. They know that." Kara said. "It's been a long day, you should go to sleep."
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep." The teen confessed.
"I'll be right here." Kara said.
"That will make it worse." The teen said causing hurt to flash across her mother's face. "I didn't mean it like that." The teen added before explaining. "I mean what if I have a nightmare and project the dream into your head. You've been through enough."
"Regardless of whether or not you project your dream I will be right here with you." Kara said. "Don't worry about what may happen. The more you stress about it the worse it will get. Trust me I know."
"I'm doing it in my sleep. You were awake. You could at least think about not hearing. If I am asleep I can't control anything."
"It wasn't just my hearing, it was my heat vision as well and that would go off when I was sleeping." Kara said.
"You never told me." The teen said pulling back looking at her mother.
"I didn't want you to worry." Kara said.
"How did you stop it?"
"I don't have an exact answer." Kara said. "But as soon as I felt in control it stopped happening. Working on controlling all your powers will help. I know it is hard, but the more you worry the worse it will be."
"Okay. But I'm still not tired. Can we watch that movie you used to tell me about, about yellow roads and wizards and witches and shoes?" The teen asked not wanting to sleep.
"The Wizard of Oz?" Kara asked.
"Sure."
"I'll get it set up." Kara smiled.