Chapter Text
It hadn’t taken long for a rescue to be successfully carried out. Maggie had kept to her word and was sat outside the door, watching the sisters heart to heart on a security feed. She hadn’t listened, that would have been an invasion of privacy, but she had monitored the situation closely. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Kara, but something had happened to her sister-in-law today that none of them could explain and Maggie wasn’t taking any risks. Not for any of them, including Kara.
As soon as Alex was released by a very peeved Winn, she had set about tripling security. Something about Kara thinking Knoxx wanted to be in the DEO. J’onn had woken up half way through Alex yelling orders at people and after a quick catch-up with Alex, had taken over giving the orders. Unlike Alex, his DNA had allowed him to fully heal, so he could easily run around barking at people.
Concerned Alex was pushing herself too hard, Maggie kept a close eye on her wife. Periodically checking her pain levels, as well as where she was on an emotional scale. It had been a rough day for all of them, and Maggie couldn’t imagine how much harder it was doing that when withdrawing from alcohol, as well as falling back into a job she had quit. Alex hadn’t officially returned to the DEO, that was a conversation for her and J’onn to have another time, but it warmed Maggie’s heart to see her fall back into her old role so easily, as well as seeing the agents accepting her orders so willingly. She was certainly in her element here, she always had been, and it was nice to see some normalcy in it all.
Alex was currently standing tensely in front of the bank of screens staring at a live feed of two cells. Knoxx sat lazily, smug almost, seemingly with not a care in the world. Lena on the other hand paced furiously back and forth. It was strange to see the usually composed woman looking so rattled. She’d asked several times to see Alex, but Alex kept her waiting. Unless an agent had let anything slip to Lena, there was a chance she didn’t even know Alex was alive. Maybe that was what had her so agitated. Then again, this wasn’t their Lena, so there was a good chance she was a completely different person to the one they new.
Maggie joined Alex. “He looks too calm,” she said, not needing to clarify who she was talking about. “Do you think Kara is right? He wants to be here?”
Alex gritted her teeth, not taking her eyes off the screens. “I don’t know. Maybe.” To be honest, when she looked at him, Alex couldn’t think past what he’d done to Kara. Everything else just paled out of existence.
“You wanna talk about it?”
Alex dragged her eyes away from Knoxx. She seemed unsure of what she wanted to say, but the anger in her eyes shone through. “I saw what he did to her Maggie.”
“You… saw?” asked a confused Maggie.
Nodding Alex continued, “When Lena used the T’an-Ka, I saw some of Kara’s memories. God,” she took a deep breath, “I could even feel it. What- what he did to her.” Alex’s voice dropped, conscious of the other agents nearby. “He…” Alex hesitated. “He tortured her, Maggie.”
Maggie felt the colour drain from her face, bile rising in her throat. She’d by lying if she said the thought hadn’t crossed her mind, but to have it confirmed… considering it and knowing it to be true were two very different things.
“For months he hurt her,” Alex continued at a whisper, “repeatedly. And she- she blames herself for it! Saying she gave up, that she didn't fight him hard enough. I’ve seen it. She fought with every fibre of her being. God, I don’t even know how she’s here right now. And every time I look at him, it takes every ounce of strength I have to not just walk into his cell and kill him,” she finished loudly.
Ignoring other agents looks in their direction, Maggie wrapped her arms around Alex, words failing her. She didn’t try to tell Alex she shouldn’t do it, or that she wouldn’t, because Maggie wasn’t sure she was right. Hell, she wanted to do it herself, and given the opportunity, maybe she would, for Kara, for Alex.
“Kara doesn’t want to talk about it, which I understand, of course I do, but this isn’t going to go away. She’s gonna need help, real help, if she’s ever going to find a way to move past this,” mumbled Alex over Maggie’s shoulder.
Maggie stroked Alex’s hair, pulling Alex’s forehead to meet her own. “And we’ll get it for her.”
“Maggie?”
“Yes?”
“I really want a drink,” sighed Alex.
Maggie lifted her head to look into Alex’s eyes. “What can I do?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” answered Alex with a sad smile. Then as an afterthought, “Keep me busy?”
A sly smile spread on Maggie’s face. “I can do that.”
Alex tried to push her away in indignation, “Kind of inappropriate don’t you think?” she murmured, her own smile appearing.
Maggie laughed, that wasn’t where she’d been going, but she liked that was where Alex’s mind had gone, and that it had put a smile on her face. It was nice to be flirting with one-another again.
Pulling Alex closer, if that was even possible, Maggie whispered, “I love you,” before their lips met.
“Ahem.”
They had barely begun, but Alex reluctantly broke away from Maggie, both simultaneously rolling their eyes at J’onn’s interruption. Releasing one another, they turned to face the head of the DEO. Considering he’d been unconscious for sometime, he really didn’t show it.
“I hate to interrupt,” he started, not seeming at all regretful, “but Alex, I’m about to interview Knoxx, if you want to join me?”
She still technically didn’t work at the DEO, but J’onn was clearly letting that slide for now. He was doing his best to include her in any way he could an Alex appreciated it. Past grievances were being brushed aside, but before Alex had the chance to answer Maggie stepped forward.
“Maybe you should sit this one out,” she suggested.
“What?” questioned Alex, her temper flaring. She had a right to confront Knoxx after everything he’d done. “No!”
“You said yourself you can’t see straight when it comes to him.” Alex felt a little hurt that Maggie had so quickly used that as a defense against her. “I can help J’onn interview Knoxx, whilst you talk to Lena.”
The suggestion wasn’t a bad one, and Alex knew it came from a place of love. Maggie was trying to protect her, and what she said made sense. This way she could avoid Knoxx, and possibly losing her temper and ending him - although she still wasn’t sure that would be a bad thing - whilst keeping herself busy and getting as much information out of Lena as possible. The quicker they talked to both their captives the better for all of them.
Alex grudgingly nodded her consent. “Okay. I’ll interview Lena.”
Maggie smiled relieved.
“Okay then,” said J’onn, not entirely sure what that was all about. “Alex, do you want some help with Lena?” His concern wasn’t really about Alex’s interrogation skills, more about Alex’s ability to keep going with her injuries. When Alex declined, he just accepted it. He trusted her. “Then let’s go.”
“J’onn wait.”
J’onn paused turning back to face Alex.
Alex hesitated. She didn’t know how much she should say, this was Kara’s secret, not hers, but he was about to interview Knoxx and he needed to know what he was getting himself into. No use him being blindsided in the middle of an interview.
“Knoxx… he…” Alex nervously looked at Maggie who gave her an encouraging nod. She started again, more sure. “Knoxx hurt Kara whilst she was away. He did things using kryptonite, and… and I thought you should know,” she finished weakly.
J’onn absorbed the information quietly, reading between the lines the things Alex couldn’t bring herself to say again out loud. He was certainly pained by the information, but he he chose not to show it, not to them at least. Instead he quietly nodded. “Thank you for telling me.”
As he turned to walk away, Alex stopped him once more. “There’s one more thing.”
J’onn stopped again.
“I think Knoxx has some kind of physic ability.”
J’onn’s eyes narrowed in thought. “What makes you think that?”
“I - I don’t know.” J’onn waited expectantly for Alex to continue, clearly not satisfied by her response. “Some things Kara said, what I’ve seen, my gut?” Alex responded uncertainly.
Seemingly satisfied by that answer, J’onn nodded once more. “Okay, I’ll bear it in mind. Anything else I should know?”
Alex shook her head. “Not yet, but it would be good to talk, after…”
Much to Alex’s visible relief J’onn smiled. “After, then,” he said, before leading Maggie away.
Lena stared straight ahead, frustrated and bored of the games being played. For hours now she had been waiting to speak with someone, anyone, and it was becoming tiresome. She’d been moved from her cell to an interview room a short while ago, which had led her to believe she was finally going to have some form of conversation with another, only to be bitterly disappointed when, after almost thirty minutes, she was still sat here alone.
She knew there were cameras, and behind those lenses, eyes watching, waiting. She’d been here before, played this game of cat and mouse. Funny, how both of her selves were currently locked in prisons. Maybe this was always how it was going to end for her. Then again, this wasn’t a regular jail, and she hoped she still had friends here. Although the fact she’d woken up cuffed to a bed wasn’t a good sign. She’d begun to wonder if Kara really had followed through on her threat and killed them all, and somehow Lena had been the only one to survive. What if her being there today had changed things? What if she had somehow interfered with the time-line? In Lena’s future, Kara doesn’t go this far for a long time yet, not against the DEO in such a careless way. But things had changed. Nothing was certain anymore.
She was out of the loop, and she hated it. Although Lena wanted to help, so far, she hadn’t been given even the slightest hint of an opportunity to do so. The minutes ticked on.
Lena’s frustrations subsided as her thoughts returned to Kara, worry setting in. Today hadn’t exactly gone as planned, and now Kara was a raging, killing kryptonian. Was that it? Was every vestige of the Kara she loved now gone? Was there no hope anymore? If that was the case, her objective had to change. She had been sent to this time to save Kara from herself, to prevent her from ever turning into the monster she becomes, but if she is too late, then she had a responsibility to protect the future of mankind. Didn’t she?
The door to the interview room opened, and for a brief moment, Lena felt guilty, as if someone had read her thoughts and decided to confront her. When Alex entered, Lena could almost believe that was exactly what had happened, although she was still relieved at the sight of the agent. She looked rough, and not just because of the bruises on her face. Lena was about to comment when she remembered why they were here in the first place. Kara had done that to her sister, and Alex didn’t need a reminder of that from Lena.
Instead she simply said what she was feeling. “It’s good to see you’re okay.” Because it was good to see Alex. If Kara had killed her sister there really wouldn’t be any hope left.
Alex didn’t respond, instead taking her time to close the door, before pulling out a chair to sit opposite. For a few minutes, they just sat in silence. Both trying to get a read on the other. In the end it was Lena who caved.
“Alex, is Ka-”
“You owe me an explanation.”
Lena took a few moments, reminding herself this wasn’t future Alex who trusted her without hesitation. This was Alex of her past, who always struggled to see past the Luthor name. Lena had expected a hostile response, hell, Alex herself had told her she would be, but Lena wasn’t going to let herself be bullied by her.
“No I don’t.” Alex was about to object when Lena continued, “I owe it to Kara. Where is she? Is she okay? Is she with Knoxx?”
Lena watched for any tell Alex might have that might indicate if she was right, but Alex wasn’t giving away anything. Although, Lena supposed, Alex probably wouldn’t be wasting her time interviewing her if Kara had disappeared again.
“Do you really think I’m going to tell you anything after everything you’ve done? You’ve been hunting Kara, almost succeeding in killing her on multiple occasions, and now you have the audacity to ask about her welfare?” Alex’s anger was barely contained. Unprofessional for a government agent, but not surprising given the circumstances.
“Look Alex, I will tell you everything you want to know, answer any questions you have, but not without Kara present. She deserves to hear what I have to say.”
“What she deserves is a better friend than you,” snapped Alex.
That stung. Lena had always tried to be a good friend to Kara even though she knew she didn’t always get it right, why couldn’t Alex ever see that? Lena wanted to answer with an angry retort, to point out Alex’s own failings as a sister but she knew it wouldn’t achieve anything. Exchanging insults would only leave them both angry. Instead Lena bit her tongue and got straight to the point.
“I need to see her.”
“She isn’t here,” responded Alex evenly.
“You’re lying,” came Lena’s equally sure response.
Alex didn’t answer, only confirming for Lena she was right, Kara was here at the DEO she was sure of it. Her relief at the knowledge was immense and it must have shown, because Alex instead changed tactic and asked a question. “Answer me this, why are you here?”
“As I told you at Stryker’s, I am here to save Kara.”
“From what?” questioned Alex after a moment.
There was no point in beating about the bush. Lena always preferred getting straight to the point. “From herself,” she bluntly answered, her steely gaze never leaving Alex’s.
Alex took a sharp inhale. “Kara isn’t a threat.”
“Today’s events would suggest otherwise.”
“You made her do that.”
“No I didn’t.”
“With the T’an-ka. You made her re-live the worst moments of her life and then you made her attack everyone.”
Alex was getting agitated again.
“I’m sorry she had to relive that - that wasn’t my intention, but I never made her do anything,” Lena calmly responded, for she was sorry. The T’an-Ka was supposed to be a one-way exchange, from her to Kara. Maybe Alex’s interference had disrupted it somehow but something had certainly gone wrong. Lena hadn’t been able to get those images out of her head since she’d seen them but it certainly helped explain a few things.
“Then what happened? Because before you attacked her with that damned rock she was fine!” Alex’s voice was rising.
Lena found her voice mirroring Alex’s own. “Really Alex? She was fine?! You think after everything she’s been through she’s fine? No matter how much you want to pretend otherwise, Kara is not the same person she was six months ago. You are all so desperate for her to go back to being the bright and bubbly reporter who secretly puts on a cape and saves the world everyday that you aren’t seeing what’s right in front of you. She’s changed and unless we do something, she is going to keep changing until she becomes the the sort of tyrant she always fought so hard to protect the world from!”
Lena’s heart was racing. She hadn’t meant to lead off at Alex like that, but then again maybe it was a good thing. Maybe it was the only way Alex would actually listen to what she had to say.
“I will tell you everything, but only with Kara here,” Lena repeated.
Alex didn’t say anything as she walked out of the room.
“I’ve got to see her, Alex!” Lena called out as a last desperate attempt before the door slammed.
It wasn’t as though she had intended to take her baggage into the interview room, but somehow that was exactly what Alex had done, and now she was annoyed at herself. In the past, there was no way an interview like that would have rattled her, but she’d already entered feeling rattled and let Lena work her up even more. Past Alex would have checked her personal feelings at the door, forgotten a similar interview was taking place with someone she loathed, teased answers out of Lena, made sure she got the information she needed. But not today. Today, Alex entered with clouded judgment, misread signs, and ultimately lost the game. Well, maybe not the game, but definitely the round.
What had gotten Alex worked up? Watching Knoxx and Lena on the screens for the best part of twenty minutes probably hadn’t helped, but as much as she hated to admit it, really it was Kara who had irritated her. Prior to the interview with Lena she had checked in on Kara, giving her an update on where Eliza and the tech team were with making some kind of red sunlamp, and in passing she had told Kara she was about to interview Lena as an explanation as to why she might not be back for a while.
She should have known mentioning Lena where Kara was concerned was a bad idea. Kara simply couldn’t see straight when it came to that woman. Straight away she’d asked to see her, not remotely seeing the threat Lena posed, insisting Lena would never hurt her whilst conveniently forgetting that was exactly what she had done earlier that day. Alex had once again been forced to play the bad guy and put her foot down. And now Lena was insisting on seeing Kara! If the situation wasn’t so serious, Alex would have laughed at how hopeless they both were.
Walking the corridors. Alex was torn about what to do next. She was going to let Lena sweat it out for a bit, but in the meantime what to do? Sitting idle was not good for her. She could help Eliza with her project, but she knew there was already a good team working on it. Her head was telling her to tap into Knoxx’s interview - it was killing her not knowing what was going on in that room. On the flip side, she knew that would be a bad idea, potentially pushing her down paths she was trying to avoid. Instead she found herself walking back towards Kara’s cell.
“That was quick,” said Kara the second Alex walked into the room.
“She won’t talk,” Alex responded bluntly, pulling up a chair to sit opposite Kara. That wasn’t strictly true. Lena had been talking, but Alex just couldn’t handle the answers. Not that she was willing to admit that out loud.
“Well, did you ask her nicely?”
“Really, Kara?” Alex asked with disbelief. “Did I ask a suspect nicely to tell me her evil plans?”
Kara rolled her eyes at her sisters dramatic response. “She’s not a suspect, she’s Lena, and when Lena feels attacked she puts up walls to protect herself. Of course she won’t talk to you if you go in there all guns blazing.”
“I didn’t go in all guns blazing,” protested Alex.
“Sure.”
They sat quietly whilst Alex debated whether to tell Kara Lena’s request. She knew it would open up a can of worms, but she was struggling to see a reason beyond her own stubbornness to prevent it. It seemed an inevitable conclusion anyway, so why not do it on her terms? Set up a situation she could control, one where there was no way Lena could hurt Kara, even if she tried.
“Did Lena say anything at all?” asked Kara after a moment, obviously having been following her own train of thought.
Honesty. That was what Alex and Kara were working on. Alex had hoped Kara wouldn’t ask, but now she had… “She said a few things.”
“Like?”
“Like what happened today wasn’t her fault,” said Alex grumpily.
“Alex!” Kara was outraged. “You didn’t really accuse her of causing me to hurt people?”
“So what if I did? It’s only logical.” Alex tried to ignore Kara’s look of absolute disbelief. “I have to rule out all possibilities,” she argued in her defense. If she was honest she wouldn’t believe Lena if it wasn’t for one major factor - Knoxx. Alex had been formulating an idea about him and his plans and making Kara turn bad seemed way more up his street than Lena’s.
Alex expected Kara to continue asking questions, but when she didn’t Alex decided to tell her Lena’s request.
“She says she’s here to help,” continued Alex, “ and will only talk with you.”
To Kara’s credit, she didn’t plow ahead with an ‘I told you so’ response like Alex expected. Instead she seemed to think about it, before answering carefully, “Well, then I think we should to talk to her - together. She says she wants to help, and although I don’t know what she wants to help with, I trust her, but I know you don’t, so why don’t you decide how to make it safe for all of us, and give her a chance to explain?”
Alex had to dig deep. Was it the right thing to do? Or was she just wanting to stay on Kara’s good side? In the end she decided it was probably both, but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. “Fine,” she grudgingly agreed, “but I want to wait until J’onn can join us - in case there is any trouble.”
“Okay,” agreed Kara, appreciating how hard it probably was for Alex to agree to. Changing the subject, Kara asked anther question that had been eating away at her, “Speaking of, where is J’onn anyway? I haven’t seen him yet. Is he avoiding me?”
“He’s not avoiding you,” offered Alex. She paused, before adding, “He and Maggie are interviewing Knoxx.”
Maggie had thought this interview was going to be a piece of cake, after all, J’onn is psychic. But for reasons currently unknown to her, J’onn didn’t seem able to use that ability with Knoxx. At least that is what she assumed, given the questions they were currently asking.
Like Alex, Maggie had never really taken to Knoxx, there was always something about him she just didn’t trust. He was confident in a way that now showed itself to be truly arrogant, he was manipulative, had shown little care for Kara’s friends, and barely hid his disdain for Alex. Which was why Maggie was surprised by Kara’s need to spend time with him. Maggie could understand he was a link to Kara’s past that she hadn’t even known existed any more, and she couldn’t imagine what that must feel like, to have your entire world gone, and feel like you are all that is left, only to discover someone to share those memories with, your lost culture. And not just anyone, someone who knew her family, worked with her father. But Kara, who was normally a good judge of character had seemed utterly blinded by that link, feeling personally affronted should anyone say anything against the person she had latched onto as a father-figure.
Sitting opposite Knoxx now, knowing what he had done, Maggie felt… guilty. For not trying harder to make Kara see what kind of a person he was, for not protecting her, for not getting rid of this scumbag long before he had the chance to hurt her. She and Alex had tried to make Kara see, but deep down, Maggie knew she could have tried harder. Her thoughts were full of maybes and what ifs. She was glad Alex wasn’t here with them. It was hard enough for her and J’onn to remain calm, let alone Alex who could be rather hot-headed at times.
Knoxx had seemed initially surprised by the arrival of J’onn and Maggie into the interview room, though he was quick to mask it. Maggie realised he had probably expected J’onn to be dead, and Alex too, in which case she wouldn’t be sat opposite him dry eyed. After trying to exchange pleasantries with Maggie and J’onn like they were old friends he was being reunited with, Knoxx was actually being rather chatty, although vague and cryptic. He clearly hoped he could trick them into thinking he was being cooperative when all he seemed to be doing was stalling. Maggie wasn’t fooled and she was certain J’onn, with all his years of experience wasn’t either, and Knoxx was perhaps giving away more than he realised.
But now a couple of hours into the interview it felt like they were just going in circles. Neither J’onn nor herself were getting the answers they truly wanted and Maggie was thinking now was the time to leave Knoxx, let him sweat it out for a bit and return later when they were all less tired, but J’onn was leading on this one and until he said so, Maggie was staying put.
“How about you tell us what happened at Stryker's,” prompted J’onn for what felt like the fiftieth time.
“We’ve already established this, you were there J’onn you should know what happened.” answered Knoxx calmly.
“Walk us through it, in your own words,” clarified Maggie, equally as calm - on the outside at least.
“Hmmm, let me see. When I arrived, Kara, Alex,” he practically spat her name, “and Lena, was it? I admit I was expecting her to be inside the prison not out of it, but anyway, they were all having a little heart to heart on the floor. It would seem Lena was in the dog-house so to speak, although when it comes to Alex, that doesn’t seem like a very common place to find oneself in.”
He pointedly looked at Maggie. Determined not to show her annoyance at his jab at her wife, Maggie remained silent. Knoxx smirked a little, before continuing on. “Alex seemed rather cross, particularly when Kara decided to leave with me. We were going to go quietly, but then your whole damn army turned up and so Kara decided she wanted to have a little beneficial fun.”
J’onn and Maggie waited for Knoxx to continue, but it seemed he felt his answer was complete.
“How did Kara get her powers back?” asked J’onn as a follow-up.
“She didn’t.”
“We have evidence to suggest-”
“I know what your ‘evidence’ suggests, detective. I’m not denying her use of powers, I’m denying she got them back. I don’t know what Kara has been telling you, but it sounds to me like she’s been lying to you. She never lost her powers, at least not with me anyhow, and I think today proves that doesn’t it?”
Neither Maggie nor J’onn answered. Maggie was trying to tell if Knoxx was lying, but she didn’t think so, which was… worrying.
“Why do you want Kara so badly?” asked Maggie. They were the same questions being asked over and over and over, but each time Knoxx gave a little more information whether he intended to or not.
“Detective Sawyer, I see what you are doing. Trying to wear me done with the same questions over and over. I have told you all I am going to. If you want answers why don’t you ask Kara?”
“What do you mean?” queried J’onn, barely moving a muscle.
Knoxx leaned forward. “I mean, Kara and I have no secrets. Everything I know, she knows. So if you want answers, maybe you should be questioning her.” He sat back, a little gleeful smile on his face. “You know, I’m surprised she hasn’t just told you everything already. I mean I’m the ‘bad guy’ right? Aren’t you and Kara supposed to be on the same side? You’d think she’d want to stop me, and yet…”
Knoxx didn’t finish his sentence letting it hang in the air.
Maggie had several choice words she was longing to spit out at him, all in defense of her sister-in-law, but she knew better than to use that right now.
J’onn smiled at the prisoner. “Thank you Knoxx. This has been very… informative.”
Maggie was surprised, the interview seemed to be over. Knoxx equally seemed taken aback. J’onn’s pleasant comment seemed to throw Knoxx a little, and although Maggie wouldn’t have ended it there, she trusted J’onn’s judgment on this one.
Following him out of the interview room she sighed a little with relief at it being over, for now at least.
“Why did you end it there?” she asked J’onn as they walked along the corridor.
“Because I want to talk with Kara.”
Maggie frowned. “You don’t really believe him do you?”
“I don’t think he’s lying. Do you?”
Maggie delved through her years of experience, searching for what she truly believed. “No,” she reluctantly agreed. “So, what you think he just believes what he’s saying?”
“I think he believes it because it’s true.”
“What?” Maggie stopped in her tracks forcing J’onn to follow suit.
“Ever since Kara returned I’ve thought she knows more than she’s saying. I just don’t think she knows she has the information,” explained J’onn before Maggie had a chance to protest.
He continued walking forcing Maggie to follow if she wanted to continue the conversation. She thought about what he said. It was true Kara had been holding out on them, but the more they were learning, the more the reasons seemed understandable. Even so, it wasn’t in Kara’s nature to not help when she could. Maybe J’onn was right, after all Kara had been having trouble with her memory lately. Maybe she really did know all they needed to.
“So, what’s next?” Maggie eventually asked.
“Next we talk to Kara.”