So it's been a while since I last updated, something I am sorry about. Life's been hectic but I have a bit of free time at the moment so I'm going to try to bang out at least another couple of chapters. The timing is a bit odd now since season 3 has just finished and this story is set further towards the beginning. The timeline hasn't changed though, so this story still takes place immediately following Crisis on Earth X and disregards anything that happened at the back half of the season. Enjoy!

Kara and Alex found a remote corner of the mess hall and set their aluminum trays down at the far end of an empty table. Winn hadn't been lying when he'd told Kara not to get too excited about the breakfast offerings. Each of their trays contained two slices of bacon, a flimsy piece of whole-wheat toast, and a scoop of mushy-looking yellow eggs that might have been engineered in some sort of lab. Still, Kara hadn't eaten in almost an entire day and even these meager portions were enough to start her stomach grumbling in anticipation.

They ate silently for a few moments, Kara shoveling eggs into her mouth as though she hadn't seen food in weeks. Alex watched her sister with an amused look on her face before placing one of her own strips of bacon onto her sister's plate.

Kara lowered her plastic fork long enough to reprimand her sister, "No Alex, you need to eat too."

Alex just gave Kara a smile. "Kara, I don't even like bacon," she said.

At this Kara's face twisted with indignation, "Yeah I know, something I will never understand about you."

"Kara," Alex said, eyes narrowing slightly, "just take the bacon." She knew that Kara's concern for Alex's well being would override even her love of breakfast foods, but Kara needed the calories far more than Alex did, especially after her encounter with kryptonite the day before.

Kara glanced from the strip of bacon to Alex a few more times before finally conceding, snatching the bacon strip, and taking a bite. She was munching happily until she seemed to spot something across the mess hall and froze in place. Alex gave Kara a curious look and followed her sister's gaze. It was then that she also spotted Maggie making her way towards them, carrying her own breakfast tray.

Alex spun back around abruptly, suddenly sitting up very straight. She took a bite of her eggs, trying to look natural, as Kara resumed devouring her bacon strip.

Maggie sat down heavily next to Kara and placed her tray on the table. "So," she said, wasting no time, "Danvers was it?"

Kara swallowed, her eyes darting around for a moment in search of rescue. Unfortunately, Winn did not seem to be in the mess hall at present. Maggie seemed to realize what Kara was doing because she said, "I thought we could talk for a few minutes, just us."

"Uh, ok," Kara said nervously, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Just wanted to get to know you two a little better. Winn said you were both former members of the DEO?" she asked. Her voice was sweet and innocent but Kara and Alex both knew her too well not to hear the dangerous edge behind it.

Alex still seemed too gobsmacked by her ex's sudden appearance at the breakfast table to form full sentences, so Kara answered. "Yeah, that's right. We both worked there before uh, before everything happened," she stammered.

"And what did you do there?" Maggie asked.

"Field agents," it was Alex who answered this time. She seemed to be regaining her composure.

"Ah, that must have been interesting," Maggie said, "You know, the NCPD worked with the DEO for a little while in the beginning, before Supergirl destroyed it, that is. I think I met the director at one point. What was his name again?"

"Hank Henshaw," Alex answered without missing a beat. She'd seen Maggie interrogate suspects countless times before. She was more than familiar enough with her methods to realize that Maggie was trying to uncover holes in their story.

"Right, right, that was it," she said, face betraying no sign of whether she'd expected them to know the answer to that question or not. "So how did you two find out about what we do here?"

Alex and Kara's eyes met for the briefest of seconds, but they looked away almost immediately to avoid appearing suspicious. Kara fielded this question. "We uh, we've been doing some fighting back of our own. We saw some of the DEO members one time we were um, fighting Supergirl."

Alex did a mental face palm. Kara was possibly the worst liar on any of the known earths and she could tell from the smirk on Maggie's face that the former detective had smelled blood in the water.

"Fighting Supergirl huh?" she said, "That's pretty admirable. You must have some pretty high tech weaponry to show us then."

Kara glanced towards Alex again as though begging her sister to come up with a suitable response to this, but Alex was at a loss as well. Maggie seemed to take the beat of silence that passed between them as some sort of confirmation.

"Listen," she said, dropping all pretense, "I know there's something the three of you aren't telling me. This is all just a little too convenient. Now I trust Schott, but I don't know anything about you two and if I get even one whiff of any kind of funny business," at this she picked up a piece of bacon from her plate and snapped it in half, "I will end you. That all clear?" she asked, popping one of the pieces of bacon into her mouth as she stared Kara and Alex down.

Alex just stared back at her, but Kara swallowed hard and gave a couple of nods. Seemingly satisfied with this, Maggie picked up her tray and sauntered back across the hall.

After a moment Kara turned back to Alex and said, "Geez, I'd forgotten how scary Maggie can be when she wants to."

Alex was pushing the remains of her breakfast around her plate. "I haven't," she said miserably.

As they were leaving the mess hall a few minutes later they ran into Winn, who appeared to have been waiting outside so he could pretend to run into them as they exited. He motioned for them to follow him and then ushered them into the same small office where he'd explained everything to them the night before.

"How're you two holding up?" he asked, shutting the door behind them.

"Well we could have done without the interrogation at breakfast," Alex responded.

At Winn's confused expression, Kara explained, "Maggie didn't exactly buy your 'great big coincidence' explanation for how we ended up here."

Winn nodded at this. "Yeah," he said, "I figured Maggie was probably too smart and too suspicious to leave it at that. She's pretty much my second in command around here though, and she trusts my judgment, so as long as you two lay low and don't give her any reason to distrust you she shouldn't give you any trouble."

Alex let out a slightly bitter laugh. "We'll see about that, I guess," she said.

Winn gave Alex a strange look. Kara placed a hand to the side of her mouth as though telling a secret and said in a whisper, "They used to date on our earth."

At this, Alex glared daggers at her sister as Winn's left eye went as wide as a saucer. "Wait, you and Maggie? So you- you're-"

Alex sighed. "Gay. Yes."

Winn just blinked at her for a moment and said, "Huh, guess you learn something new every day."

"Can we just focus on saving the world here please," Alex said sharply.

"Right, uh, yes," Winn said, clearing his throat, "So we're working on sealing off one of our lead lined rooms for Alex to be able to work on the red kryptonite cure without you being in danger of exposure."

"You line a lot of things in lead these days don't you?" Alex said.

"Yeah well, in order to stay alive you'll find we've lined most things with either lead or kryptonite," Winn responded.

"Or both," Kara added, remembering what Winn had told her about the underground base's composition just this morning.

"Right," Winn said, nodding in Kara's direction. "Anyway we should have that set up by the end of the day, but for now I think we should still have you help with the supply distribution, just to be on the safe side. After today it'll be difficult to find excuses for you to leave the base every time we need to tinker with the red K."

"Wait you're going to send her out there?" Alex protested, "By herself?"

"She won't be by herself, she'll be with several other DEO agents," Winn responded.

"Yeah and what's she supposed to do if something goes wrong? You're the one who said she can't reveal herself," Alex said.

"Guys, standing right here," Kara said, obviously irritated at having them discuss her as though she weren't present. "I'll be fine Alex," she said, addressing her sister, "I'll keep a low profile."

Winn nodded. "Right, I'll be giving you a full suit of armor to wear, and yes it is lead lined," he added, seeing that Alex was about to open her mouth. "Keep that on at all times and don't take the helmet off no matter what, especially not if she shows up."

"Wait," Alex interrupted, "Are you telling me there's a chance that this world's Supergirl could show up during this supply run that you want to send my sister on?"

Winn sighed. "Yeah look, unfortunately it's a very high possibility. Destroying supply trucks is one of her favorite pastimes. She likes to hit us where it hurts. We try to keep a low profile and sometimes we can get it done without alerting her, but more often than not she does tend to show up."

"Then we absolutely cannot send Kara out there," Alex argued, "Aren't you the one who said the most dangerous thing would be for Kara to be found out?"

"No," Winn replied, "the most dangerous thing would be for Kara to be infected, which is unfortunately a very real possibility if she stays here before we can get the red kryptonite locked down. I know this is a risk but unfortunately it's one we have to take. As long as Kara keeps her helmet on and her head down the risk of discovery should be minimal."

Alex was fuming and about to say something else when Kara laid a hand on her shoulder. Alex turned to face her sister. "It's okay Alex," Kara said, "I'll be careful."

Alex deflated at this, sensing that she'd already lost the fight. "Fine," she snapped, "But don't come crying to me if you get yourself killed."

"One other thing," Winn said, "Don't let on to Lena Luthor in any way that you're anything other than human. The woman hates aliens with a very strong passion. If she finds out that you're an alien she will definitely mistrust you, and if she finds out that you're Supergirl she won't hesitate to kill you."

Kara gulped. She knew Lena's intelligence and drive made her a formidable ally on her earth. She didn't want to find out what Lena would be capable of as an enemy.

Kara and Alex jumped as a loud alarm started blaring throughout the base. "Ah, speak of the devil," Winn shouted above the noise. He motioned for Kara and Alex to follow him and the three headed back to the main control room.

There were red lights flashing here, and the alarms were sounding even louder than they had been in the back office. Kara winced and had to resist the urge to cover her ears, but a moment later the noise stopped. There was the sound of gears in operation followed by the sound of four vehicles entering the underground garage.

A large number of DEO employees had begun to gather in the control room now, all crowding into the small space. A moment later Lena Luthor strolled in, flanked by four tall men all in armor much nicer than the cobbled suits the DEO members wore. They each carried one of the same Kryptonite blasters that Kara had become acquainted with the day before.

"Alright Schott, I'm here" she said, catching sight of Winn where he'd stepped forward to meet her, "Now want to tell me what the hell is going on?"