Chapter 36: Alex and a Race Against Time
The D.E.O. was a pressure cooker, the usual hum of alien tech replaced by the frantic tapping of keyboards and the strained whispers of agents. Alex was gone. Kidnapped. And Kara, usually the picture of strength, was a raw nerve, her panic barely contained. Adam felt a cold dread in his stomach. "Seriously? You kidnap the one person who knows where all the alien tech is? Rookie mistake. And a really bad life choice for the kidnapper."
The culprit was Rick Malverne, a vengeful former associate, and he was playing a twisted game, forcing Kara and Maggie Sawyer to race against time to save Alex.
Adam found Kara pacing the D.E.O. command center, her eyes wide with fear, her hands clenched into fists. "I can't find her, Adam! He's too good. He knows all our protocols."
"Yeah, well, he also knows Alex," Adam said, his voice calm, despite the frantic energy in the room. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "And that's his weakness. He thinks he's playing chess, but he's playing with emotions. And emotions are messy. Unpredictable. He's not thinking strategically; he's thinking revenge. And revenge makes people sloppy."
He leaned over Winn's console, where the tech genius was frantically trying to track Malverne's encrypted communications. "You know," Adam mused, feigning intense concentration. "I was reading about this old-school criminal. He always had a tell. A pattern. Like, if he was trying to hide, he'd always go back to the scene of his first crime. Or the place where he felt safest. Or, if he's trying to get under Alex's skin, he's probably going to take her somewhere that has personal significance to her. Somewhere that reminds her of… well, of whatever bad blood is between them. It's like, he's trying to prove a point, not just hide. And if you're looking for a way to break his encryption, maybe look for a backdoor he left for himself. Or a specific frequency that he uses for his comms, something he thinks is untraceable because it's so obscure. Like, an old ham radio frequency. You never know with these guys."
Winn looked at him, his eyes wide. "A place of personal significance? A hidden backdoor? You think…?"
"Hey, I just watch the documentaries," Adam said with a shrug. "But when you're dealing with a guy who thinks he's smarter than everyone else, you look for the ego. And the ego always leaves a trail. Now go get 'em, tiger. And try not to let him give you a lecture on existential dread. He seems like the type."
As the D.E.O. scrambled, Adam continued to offer emotional support to Kara, keeping her grounded amidst her panic. "She's strong, Kara. Stronger than you know. She's Alex Danvers. She's faced down aliens, mind control, and Cat Grant on a bad day. She'll get through this. And we'll find her. We always do."
Later, when Alex was finally rescued, bruised but alive, she looked at Adam, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. She knew his "hunches" had been crucial, his calm presence a steadying force.
"You were… surprisingly helpful, Stiels," Alex said, a faint, tired smile on her face. "Your… insights. They made a difference."
Adam grinned. "Just doing my part. Someone had to. And besides, I'm surprisingly good at predicting bad guys. It's my superpower. Along with making sarcastic comments. It's a very specific skillset." He paused, then his voice grew serious. "You okay though? That was… intense."
Alex nodded, a quiet acknowledgment of his concern. Kara, who had been clinging to Alex, looked at Adam, her eyes filled with gratitude. She had relied heavily on him for support during this crisis, and it had further solidified their bond. He was her anchor, her rock, her unwavering presence in the face of fear.
"He's always there," Kara thought, watching Adam exchange a quiet nod with Alex. "Always. And he always knows what to say. Or what to do. Even when I don't."