Kara's apartment
"Morning" Kara said as she shuffled into the kitchen, stifling a yawn.
"Wow" Alex replied as she turned to face Kara. "You look exactly how I feel."
"How are you even functioning right now?" Kara asked as she rested her head on the bench.
"Coffee, lots and lots of coffee" Alex replied as she poured coffee into her travel mug.
Kara raised her head "I wish caffeine had the same effect on Kryptonians."
Alex smiled "You're the one that insisted on watching another episode than another and another."
"I know but that show is so addictive" Kara replied. "How many episodes did we actually watch?"
"Ten" Alex replied, raising her eyebrows in amazement.
"I think that's a new record for sister night" Kara joked.
Alex chuckled and glanced at her watch "I'm late."
Kara stretched her arms above her head "I thought J'onn gave you the morning off."
"He did" Alex replied as she picked up her keys and phone.
"So what are you late for?"
Alex considered telling Kara the truth but decided against it. "I just have a few errands to run before work."
Kara sensed Alex was holding something back from her "What sort of..."
"And it looks like you have a few errands of your own" Alex interrupted, nodding towards the TV.
Kara frowned and turned her attention to the TV, sighing as she watched several police cars chasing a vehicle down the highway. "Even the criminals are starting early"
Alex smiled and watched Kara vanish and return wearing her Supergirl costume. "Don't be too hard on them"
"I've had four hours sleep, I'm tired and I'm hungry" Kara replied as she opened the apartment window. "So I'm making no promises" She added before disappearing out of the window.
Alex's phone vibrated in her hand as a message came through from Sam. She quickly replied before exiting Kara's apartment.
XXX
"What is this place?" Sam asked as she followed Alex through the labyrinth of corridors beneath the City.
"It's an underground hospital slash bunker or at least it will be when it's finished" Alex replied.
"An underground bunker" Sam repeated.
"You wanted to be discreet" Alex smiled as she pushed open the door to the examination room and gestured for Sam to enter.
"It's hard to believe all this is under the City."
"You have your boss to thank for part of it; she helped fund the project."
"Lena?" Sam asked.
Alex nodded "The Daxam attack helped identify areas we needed to improve on in order to be better prepared. Facilities similar to this one are currently being built or in some Cities re-opened in case of another attack." Alex paused and shook her head.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just I never thought we would be under another attack so soon after the Daxam's."
"Reign"
Alex nodded
"Are they any closer to stopping her?" Sam asked.
"There's still a lot we don't know about her but we will stop her."
Sam glared at Alex, her fingers twitching involuntarily.
"Are you ok?" Alex asked, noticing Sam's blank expression and twitching. "Sam" she said a little louder.
Sam blinked and glanced around the room. "Sorry, I must have zoned out."
"I noticed" Alex replied. "Is this what you've been experiencing?"
Sam sighed and perched her-self on the edge of the bed. "My mind keeps wandering; at first I thought it was down to stress but I can go a whole day and have no memory of it. I've missed meetings, conference calls, parent evenings, Ruby..." Sam's voice broke and tears filled her eyes.
Alex quickly moved closer and wrapped her arm around Sam. "It's ok; everything's going to be ok."
"I can't help but feel like I'm failing Ruby and I'm pretty sure Lena's going to fire me" Sam sobbed.
"You are a great mother; the bound you share with Ruby is the strongest I've ever seen between a mother and daughter."
Sam shook her head "So what's wrong with me?" she sobbed.
"That's what we're going to find out." Alex placed her hand on Sam's shoulder "If we find anything, we will deal with it together."
Sam nodded "Thanks Alex, I really appreciate you doing this for me."
"That's what friends are for." Alex stood and retrieved a patient gown from a nearby cupboard. "I'd like to do an ECG and take some bloods to start with." She said, handing Sam the gown. "I'd also like to do a CAT scan because of the headaches and memory loss you've described."
"I guess I should tell you I'm not exactly fond of needles." Sam said as she took the gown from Alex.
"A phobia of needles isn't uncommon?"
"I wouldn't say I had a phobia; more like a bad experience from my childhood."
"What happened?"
"I had Salmonella when I was a kid and it took the nurse several painful attempts before she finally got the cannula in the back of my hand. I've hated needles ever since."
Alex smiled "I promise to be gentle."
Sam exhaled a long breath and stood "Ok than, let's get started."
"I just have a few things to set up; you can use the changing cubicle over there to get changed." Alex said nodding towards a blue curtain in the corner of the room.
Sam made her way over to the changing area and closed the curtain. She caught her reflection in the mirror and couldn't quite believe it was her own. Shaking her head, she placed her belongs down and began unbuttoning her shirt.
"What the..." Sam pulled open her shirt and ran her hand over the black symbol on her chest. She frowned in confusion as she tried to recall her memories from this morning.
"Are you ok in there?" Alex asked
Sam froze, her mind racing to make sense of what was going on as images flashed before her. Her heart beat quickened and her vision blurred as an unknown voice surrounded her. She felt her-self slipping backwards but fought to remain in control.
"Sam" Alex repeated.
"Just a minute" Sam replied. She looked up at the mirror, her eyes locking onto the cloaked figure staring back at her. She screamed and stumbled backwards out of the cubicle as the figure reached out for her
"What is it?" Alex asked
"There's something in there" Sam replied frantically.
Alex hurried towards the cubicle "There's nothing in here" she said turning back to face Sam, her eyes falling on the symbol protruding from beneath Sam's shirt. She instinctively reached for her weapon, gripping the handle tight but not pulling it from her waistband.
Sam looked up and saw the flash of fear in her friends eyes "Alex I don't know what this means, I can't explain it, I don't remember." She said hysterically.
Every instinct in Alex's body screamed for her to leave, to get somewhere safe but she found her-self moving closer to her friend. "Just try to remain calm; I'm sure there's an explanation for this." She wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure Sam or convince her-self.
"What does this mean?" Sam asked prodding her chest. More images flashed before her as the unknown voice continued to surround her.
"Hey, hey" Alex said in an attempt to get Sam's attention back on her. "Just look at me Sam."
"Don't you hear it?" Sam asked.
"Hear what?"
"The voice" Sam replied as her hand began to twitch uncontrollably.
Alex glanced towards the exit.
"Alex, please help me" Sam pleaded.
"I will but I can't do that here. I need you to come with me to another facility."
"What about Ruby?" Sam asked. She could feel her-self losing the internal battle with the unknown force.
"I will pick Ruby up but we have to get you somewhere safe first."
Sam lowered her head and nodded. "Does this mean what I think it means? Am I the one responsible for all those deaths; for hurting Supergirl?"
"I don't know" Alex answered honestly.
"I'm not a bad person Alex."
"I know you're not; I promise we will figure this out."
Sam suddenly grabbed Alex by the shirt, "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."
"Sam" Alex said as she tried to break free.
"NO!" Sam shouted, pushing Alex away before dropping to her knees clutching her head.
Suddenly a sadistic chuckle bounced off the walls as Reign rose to her feet.
Alex quickly retrieved her gun but couldn't bring her-self to pull the trigger.
Reign smirked before charging towards Alex. The shoulder charge knocked Alex off her feet and sent her flying backwards across the room; crashing hard against the wall before sliding down to the floor.
Alex hugged her ribs and glared up at Reign as she knelt down in front of her.
Reign tilted her head "I remember you." She said as she grabbed Alex's lower leg and squeezed.
Alex screamed as the sharp sound of her bone snapping surrounded her.
"You human's are so weak." Reign said as she glared at Alex "Who else knows about the two of you meeting?"
Alex panted as she tried to think through the pain.
Reign grabbed Alex by the collarbone and squeezed "Tell me who else knows?"
Alex shook her head "No one."
"Don't lie to me." Reign squeezed harder.
Alex cried out once more. "No one" she said through gritted teeth.
Reigns lip curled into a sneer as she tossed Alex across the room like a rag doll.
Alex landed hard on her back, the move knocking the air out of her. She gasped for air and rolled onto her side clutching her torso in an attempt to ease the pain. Her eyes opening wide as she caught site of her phone within her reach.
"I'm curious, why did you bring her here?" Reign asked from behind Alex.
"Sam asked for my help?" Alex replied; ignoring the blinding pain as she retrieved her phone and entered the distress code.
Suddenly Reign pulled Alex to her feet and slammed her against the wall. "Do you take me for a fool?" she asked, pulling the phone from Alex's hand and smashing it against the wall.
Alex's injured leg shook uncontrollably under her weight; her heart thumped and banged in her chest as she fought to remain calm. "Sam, I know you're in there; you have to fight." She said, searching Reigns emotionless eyes for any sign of her friend.
Reign laughed but Alex ignored her.
"You're stronger than her..."
"Do you realise how pathetic you sound" Reign interrupted. "She's weak..."
"She's stronger than you think" Alex interrupted.
"You obviously don't know her as well as you think" Reign mocked.
"I know Sam has something worth fighting for; her daughter, Ruby."
An image of Ruby flashed before Reign and she felt her grip on Alex loosen.
"Sam?" Alex said.
Reign pushed the humanity back down and slammed Alex back against the wall.
Alex gasped but hid her pain well and glared back at Reign.
Reign smirked "You're brave, for a human."
"There are many more like me."
Reign chuckled "Do you honestly believe they can stop me?"
Alex shook her head "Maybe not but Supergirl will."
Reign's voice rose "I will destroy Supergirl and anyone else that stands in my way." A demonic look spread across her face. "It's too bad you won't be around to see it."
Pain erupted throughout Alex's torso as Reign slammed her right palm into Alex's chest, fracturing her sternum and crushing her chest wall.
"Like I said, Weak" Reign said as Alex dropped to her knees.
The two women stared at each, their eyes locking for a few seconds before Alex fell sideways.
Reign took one last look at Alex before collecting Sam's belongings and flying up through the ceiling and out of the facility.
Alex shielded her-self as debris fell around her. Her pain intensifying as breathing became more and more difficult; she knew it would only be matter of minutes before she would succumb to her injuries. Sadness crept over her as she thought of her loved ones and what she would be leaving behind. She wasn't afraid but she also wasn't ready to go.
Alex's life suddenly flashed before her eyes. Her head began to swim and her vision started to fail as she felt her last breath leave her body.