Chapter 8: Parasite


"Alex, I told you I'm fine." The eldest Danvers sister eyed the youngest sceptically with a raised brow. She wouldn't believe Kara was okay, at least not while she was constantly saying she was. After all her daughter had just left her for the second time, how could see be. That plus her body was still healing from the Kryptonite that had been inside her some hours ago.

Admittedly Alex was worried about the low healing rate. But from the tests she'd just finished conducting everything appeared to be fine. She was just taking longer to heal was all, possible because the Kryptonite had been inside her and it was taking a while for the radiation to leave her system so that her powers could fully return.

"You're only 'fine' when I say your fine," Alex said as she flicked of her plastic gloves before throwing them in the disposal bin.

Kara hadn't been out the med bay since finding out about Deity. Mostly because Alex didn't want her to be alone or to leave until she was sure her sister was okay...and not just physically. Being left once had been hard enough, but twice. Alex was certain Kara was hurting but for some reason was trying to hold it in. She'd tried that before with Krypton but eventually had let it out and because she'd bottled it up she'd been hurt even worse. Alex didn't want to see her sister hurt like that again.

"So..." Alex said slowly as she folded her arms, now standing in front of the table Kara was sat on. "You ready to talk?"

"About what?" Kara asked with a cheerful smile.

"You know what?" Alex said firmly. She didn't like this. Kara needed to vent to talk about this otherwise she was going to get herself hurt but opening up wasn't going to be any easier. Opening up meant accepting there was something wrong and Kara wasn't one to show weakness. That and she could be incredibly stubborn when she wanted to be.

Kara shrugged but Alex only saw her eyes look away from her own. "It's out of my control. No sense in worrying about it. And besides, Debby...she'll be fine. She knows how to look after herself," Kara pointed out, without looking back up. Alex's frown deepened.

"I'm not asking you to worry; I just want you to talk about-"

"Agent Danvers?" J'onn said as he stepped into the room. Alex closed her eyes as she sighed in frustrated. Of course it had to be now, she thought as she opened her eyes back up and turned around.

"Yes, J'onn?" Alex asked calmly, but also sending him an irritated glare. She needed to get her sister talking and she couldn't do that with interruptions. Whether J'onn understood her glare or not didn't matter since he seemed to ignore it. He nodded for Alex to follow him and she shot her sister a 'stay here' look before exiting.

"What is it?" Alex asked once they were outside the medical bay.

"We've just picked up an S.O.S from a research station in Norway," J'onn explained. "There's been an incident."

"Look, J'onn, Kara really needs me right now-" Alex started as she scratched her forehead.

"And I need you come with me and check this out," J'onn cut in sternly. Alex knew his heart was in the right place. He was just thinking about who could get hurt up in Norway because of this 'incident' were as Kara would still be the same when they got back. He cared about both her and Kara, but he wasn't quiet able to be there for Kara like he could be for her.

"Why can't you just take Lucy?" Alex asked hopefully.

"If the two D.E.O. directors are going on a mission it better be for a good reason. This is just a simple investigation. So no," J'onn said as he folded his arms. Alex let her head drop and sighed. She just wanted to be able to comfort her sister, she needed someone right now.

"I'll ask Lucy if she can stay with Kara while we're away," J'onn spoke up as Alex looked up at his softened eyes. She knew he cared.

"Thank you," Alex said and J'onn nodded.

"Don't worry; we'll only be a few hours. I'm sure your sister will be fine," J'onn said with a reassuring smile. Alex returned it but she wasn't sure. The thought of Lucy being nearby her sister did help sooth her though. If anything went seriously wrong then Lucy could call in James and Winn to help keep Kara calm until she got back. So seeing as it was her best option, Alex nodded before leaning back into the medical bay to explain what was going on to Kara.

That was going to be even harder than the mission itself, especially since she was going to have to convince Kara not to come and to wait in the D.E.O.


Kneeling down in the brown mucky water below, Barbara reached into the water and lifted up a dark green scale that had been floating along. She was on the right track then. She put the scale away in her utility belt before continuing on down the dark tunnel.

She had been tracking Killer Croc all night since his attempt at murdering a group of children that had been at the docks after a day of sailing. Luckily Barbara had been there and was able to hold him of while the instructors got the children to safety. After that Croc had retreated into the sewers like he always did.

Since there was nothing else urgent needing her attention, Barbara had gone in after him and had been making her way through the twisting tunnels ever since. Every now and then she'd found something to indicate she was on the right path. A scale here or there, a muddy foot print two or three times the size of her own. Claw marks on the walls. It was all there when you knew what you were looking for.

The trail led Barbara into a large open room, water running down all sides out of all the tunnels leading into the room. In the centre was a raised platform, with bones scattered all around. Barbara grimaced at the sight and did her best not to vomit and the combination of sight and smell. She'd seen Croc's dirty work before and seeing the remains in here only brought back those horrible memories.

On the up side it did mean she was even closer now. This room was possibly his den and she could wait her for a few hours to see if he returned.

Grabbing her grapple gun from her belt, she fired it towards the pipes overhead and then swung over to the platform. She was halfway through her swing when from beneath the water she caught something moving. The water then erupted and Croc emerged, arms flying out as he jaw widened, reading to take a bite out of Barbara.

She retracted her grapple but quickly realized it wasn't going to be enough to get her out of Croc's biting range. So she dropped the grapple and dived into the water, avoiding Croc's huge arms as they swiped at the air, desperately trying to catch her.

Of course now she was in a whole new lair of trouble. She was in Croc's element now, the water, with him between her and the surface. And she was already running out of air.

She looked up as Croc descended on her, air bubbles flying from his mouth as his jaws widened. Barbara pulled an ice grenade from her belt and threw it forwards. Sadly it didn't get far what with the water slowing it down and it detonated right in front of Barbara leaving her with jagged rock of ice in the water.

But that was what Barbara had been counting on. Now with Croc's line of sight block he had to destroy the ice before he could get a clean shot at Barbara. So when he reached the ice he crushed it with one clean bite as he continued to propel through the water.

Now with his jaw closed, Barbara took her chance and grabbed onto his head, pulling herself past Croc's deadly teeth and she swam for the surface. She was just about to break through when a large hand clumped around her ankle. She tried to wiggle free but the hold was too good. The water's surface just above her and now shrinking as Croc pulled her back down.

She was running out of air, she'd been ready to breathe and now had to hold on even longer. Her ears began to pop and she could feel her lungs tightening, begging for oxygen. Barbara continued to thrash about it the water, using up all her energy to try and break free. She knew it was foolish but her body wouldn't allow for logic, not when she was so scared of her impending death. Finally logic slapped her in the face and she reached for a batarang. Then with the strength she could summon she stabbed the sharp edge of the batarang into Croc's hand.

Bubbles began to float up from beneath her as a faint scream echoed from the depths below. Barbara didn't care though, Croc's hand had loosened and she had escaped his hold and was now swinging for the surface, desperate for air.

At last she broke through, gasping in as much air as her burning lungs could take. She was breathing heavily but still had to move. In the water she was still defenceless against Croc, she had to get out. She spotted the edge of the raised platform and reached for her spare grapple gun. She fired and let the tight wire pull her over as Croc smashed through the water, sending out tidal waves as he did.

"I'm not through with you yet!" Croc snarled in his dark heavy animal voice. He began swimming after her, like a shark as his back pocket out of the water. He was almost at Barbara when she reached the edge of the platform and hoisted herself up. She rolled across the ground narrowly avoiding Croc as his hand slammed down on the spot Barbara had been not a second ago.

"You're in my lair, Missy" Croc snarled as he climbed up onto the platform with Barbara who was crawling away from the looming green scaled monster. "That makes you desert," Croc said as he licked his lips, showing of his sharp toothed smile as he advanced on Barbara. She rolled backwards, and up onto her feet before standing up.

She reached back for a gadget to use and pulled out a batarang. She threw it for Croc's head but he whacked it aside with his arm before snarling again. "Your little toys aren't going to save you now!"

"Good thing I'm here then," said an amused voice and the next thing Barbara saw was Killer Croc flying across the room before hitting the wall. From there he started falling into the water blow only for his body to floated back up a second later, completely unconscious.

Barbara sighed and then turned to her saviour with a smirk.

"Isn't it past your bedtime or something?" Barbara asked as she relaxed, now that the threat was dealt with.

"What you gonna do? Tell my mom?" Deity asked with a smile as she looked up at Barbara.


Entering the Thorul Arctic Research Station, the first thing Alex saw when they walked in was the sign covered in splattered blood. From there it didn't get any better. Around the corner it looked like something out of a horror move. The place had had been turned on its side, tables flipped over, equipment scattered across the floor broken glass lying here and there. If it had been the first time Alex had seen something like this then she might have screamed. Sadly it wasn't a first time occurrence.

J'onn led the way in with Alex behind and four other men behind her, guns and flashlights raised as they looked around the room for any sign of life or danger.

There were a couple of bodies, all looking older than what Alex had expected to find. She had been told the facility was run by middle aged scientists' not old aged ones. However, on closer inspection she saw that their skin wasn't wrinkled, just tightened as if something had been sucked out of them. Possibly their life.

"Have you ever seen anything like it?" Alex asked as she looked over to J'onn.

"No," He answered as he glanced around the room, both of them ignoring the wolf on the table with the flickering monitor beside it.

"It's like something sucked them dry," Alex said in horror as she made her way over to J'onn's side.

A sudden clattering noise from across the lab caught everyone's attention. The lights moved over to the far wall as J'onn began to led them around the table with the wolf.

"Who's there?" Alex asked.

"Come on out!" J'onn added more forcefully as they rounded the table and spotted a middle aged man on the floor. His eyes wide, nose blood and curled in on himself as he stared out into space.

"Cold... Cold..." was all he said as Alex knelt down to examine him.

"He's gone into shock," Alex said as she looked up.

"We got to get him back to the D.E.O.," J'onn added as two agents bent down to pick him up as Alex rose.

"I'll call ahead. Tell them to prep the medical bay," Alex said as she followed the two agents carrying the still breathing man outside. J'onn and the other two remained to do a final check as Alex prepared the jet for takeoff, eager to get back home to her sister.


Deity looked on in awe as she leaned over from the back seat. She couldn't believe how technologically advanced the car was. It was like something out of sci-fi movie, which was saying something considering she basically lived in one. It had the basic steering wheel, gear stick, pedals but then on top of all that it had about a hundred different buttons that all did something. There were switches over head, a mini screen above the steering wheel and numerous colour buttons on both sides of the wheel. Deity would have been surprised if the car had an ejector seat.

"Nice car," Deity said with a grin as she watched Barbara smile through her mask as she drove.

"It's not really a car," Barbara pointed out as she took a sharp turn of the main road and onto a dirt path. It had taken them minutes to get from the centre of Gotham to the outskirts. Deity was pretty sure the car had some form of super speed and that it had to be intangible to move through the traffic like it did.

"How is it not a car?" Deity asked from the back seat with a frown.

"Okay, fine. It's a car," Barbara sighed as Deity smiled back victoriously. "But I prefer to call it the Batmobile."

"That's cool," Deity said as she sat back in her seat, watching the lights of the city fade away as they drove through a built up forest area, trees now surrounding them on all sides.

"The boss doesn't really like it though," Barbara admitted as she flicked a switch over head before turning back to the faint outline of a road.

"Why? Is he like super serious all the time?" Deity asked.

"You've met him," Barbara pointed out as she glanced up at the reflection of Deity again.

"I just thought he was putting on a show," Deity said with a shrug as they broke through a clearing, heading towards the edge of a cliff and towards a heavy waterfall. She waited for Barbara to break but she never did. She wasn't necessarily scared, but her heart was racing as she watched from behind as Barbara drove the Batmobile of the cliff. Deity screamed as the Batmobile hurled through the air towards the waterfall, smashing through the heavy force before landing inside a cave as Barbara skidded to a stop.

"How's that for a show?" Barbara asked as she looked up at the mirror, grinning away.

"That was...awesome!" Deity said in awe as she looked back at the waterfall behind them. Barbara then flicked the same switch as before and the cliff face closed behind them, blocking out what little light it was letting in.

"If you liked that, then you're going to love this," Barbara said as she flicked another switch and lights began to turn on. Section by section the darkness outside vanished to reveal different area of the legendary Batcave. Deity's jaw dropped as she looked out the window, seeing a set up that was very similar to that of the old D.E.O. base. It had been scaled down of course but it still had all the works. Training area, super computer, medical area, glass cases for the various suits that Batman and Batgirl used including a smaller red one with the letter 'R' across the heart.

"Welcome...to the Batcave," Barbara said as she pressed a button and the roof over head slide back. Deity stood up in the back seat as Barbara climbed out, looking around the cave as a swarm of bats made its way past. She looked up, seeing a lift built into the face side of the cave that reach up to the high hanging ceiling. She didn't know why, but this seemed so much cooler than the old D.E.O. base. Good thing they decided to upgrade.

"What do you think?" Barbara asked as she pulled off her cowl before shaking out her red hair.

"I think the D.E.O. could learn a thing or two from you guys about making cave bases," Deity said as she climbed out of the Batmobile, still looking around at the amazing structure she was stood in. "I mean you must be loaded," Deity added as she turned to Barbara who chuckled.

"I'm not paid that much. My boss on the other hand..." Barbara said as she began to walk off the platform she'd parked the Batmobile on and over towards another that would lift her up to the higher levels of the Batcave.

"You mean Bruce Wayne... Hold on!" Deity suddenly cried as she pieced it together, now standing on the new platform beside Barbara. "Bruce Wayne's Batman!" Deity shrieked as she turned to Barbara and the platform began to rise.

"I never said that," Barbara said with a grin down to Deity who was beaming back at up after finding out who Batman was. She never got a chance to ask last time she'd worked with him to stop Astra. She'd wanted to ask Kara since she could have x-ray vision him but odds were he would have learnt from Barbara's mistakes and added lead to his cowl to protect his identity.

"Speaking of, where is the Dark Knight himself?" Deity asked as she watched the Batmobile shrink below them.

"He's dealing with some League of Shadows business," Barbara said as she waved the subject off.

"League of what?" Deity asked with a screwed up face, not sure she'd heard right. The platform began to slow as it reached its stopping point and Barbara opened her mouth to speak just as the swarm of bats flew past them. They were so close Deity swore one of them hit its wing against her face. She shrieked and closed her eyes tightly as she jumped back.

And then she was back there. Waiting in the darkness as the platform lifted her up into the area. The light hitting her like a slap to the face as the blood thirsty crowd cheered for her to kill another innocent alien, just so that they could be entertained. She began to shake, she knew it wasn't real and that she'd escaped but it still felt so real. Particularly the familiar feeling of blood on her hands as it dripped onto the ground.

Deity's eyes shot open as she looked down at her clean hands, yellow gloves still new and fingers white without a dot of red on them. It was fine. She was fine, Deity told herself as she watched her hands tremble.

"Sorry about the bats. They tend to do that every now and then," Barbara explained as she watched said bats fly back up into the darkness, not noticing Deity as she stared down at her hands. It was only when Barbara noticed the silence that she turned around and saw how shaken the young girl was. "Debby? Debby, are you alright?" Barbara asked as she placed her hand on Deity's shoulder snapping her from her nightmarish stare. She blinked and then looked up to Barbara, hands dropping.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine," Deity stuttered out shakily before taking in a breath to calm herself. Barbara stared at the Hybrid as the platform came to a stop. She should have known something was up but she'd got sucked up in the excitement of seeing her friend and hadn't been thinking like a detective. Bruce would have been disappointed if he saw her right now. She was better than this.

"Debby, why are you here?" Barbara asked calmly as she levelled her stare at Deity.

"No reason," Deity said as she looked away, stepping of the platform and onto the solid rocky ground. "Just felt like a visit was all."

"And what about Kara?" Barbara asked in the same calm voice. She watched Deity freeze again. Her back might have been turned to Barbara but she knew she was once again staring off into space, thinking deeply about something.

"What about her?" Deity asked slowly, without turning around.

"Is she coming?" Barbara asked simply as she stepped off the platform and up behind Deity.

"...No," Deity answered after a moment of thought.

"Why?" Barbara asked suspiciously.

"Because... Because..." Deity said nervously before sighing in defeat and turning around to face Barbara. She had been hoping to avoid this, to not have to talk about it, to just get away from it all and then think about it later. She just wanted one day away from all the pain that that place had brought her.

"Because she doesn't know I'm here," Deity admitted quietly as she looked into Barbara's blue eyes.

"What's going on, Debby?" Barbara asked as she folded her arms, frowning a little. She wasn't angry, just upset that she hadn't been kept in the loop. But also because Deity had felt she had to keep this from her, like she couldn't be trusted. She thought she was on pretty good terms with National City's heroes, particularly after saving the world alongside them.

"Some...things happened. While I was away," Deity said slowly as she dropped her gaze back to the ground, now fiddling with her fingers as she spoke.

"What 'things'?" Barbara asked as Deity grimaced.

"Barbara..." Deity sighed before running her hands down her face. "I've not talked about this with anyone. Not even Kara. Because the second I do... It'll be come real. I won't be able to pass it off as some bad dream," Deity said as she waved her arms about, tears started to form.

"Bottle something up isn't healthy, Debby," Barbara pointed out with a worried frown.

"I know, I know, but..." Deity sighed again, running her hands through her hair as more tear droplets form in her eyes. She really didn't want to talk about this. But Barbara was right. She needed to get at least some of it out, otherwise it would eat her from the inside. And maybe telling Barbara would be easier since she didn't talk to her on a regular basis. She was still a close trusted friend, but at least this way Deity wouldn't have to face her every day like she would with her friends back in National City.

"While I was away... The Hybrids they...they..." At that moment the tears started to silently fall as Deity closed her eyes. "They betrayed me," Deity whispered out, biting down on her lip as the moment came flooding back in her mind. The feels she'd experienced, like nothing she'd ever felt before. She had been hollowed out and emptied of everything good. She'd petrified and terrified and was heartbroken. She hadn't expected to survive that moment. There was still a good chance she hadn't.

"I'm sorry, Debby," Barbara said as she wrapped her arms around the teenager in an embracing an caring hug. Which was just what she needed.

Deity sniffed before pulling away from the hug and wiping her cheeks of the tears. "I just-I just need to figure some things out before I go back to Kara. I'm not ready to talk to her yet. To get back here I had to... I had to do some horrible things," Deity said, unable to look Barbara in the eye as she said the last bit.

"Well, you can stay with me as long as you need," Barbara said as she rested her hands on Deity's shoulders, offering her a supportive smile when she finally looked up. Deity smiled as more tears fell, only this time Barbara wiped them away from her and both chuckled a little as they smiled reassuringly to each other.

"So am I to understand we'll be having a house guest then, Miss Gordon." Deity looked up suddenly to see a man in a butler's outfit making his way over towards them. He was stood up tall, a greeting smile on his face as he approached, not questioning anything before him. The second Deity saw his old grey eyes behind his thin rimmed glasses; she knew this was a man that anyone could trust.

"Debby Danvers, meet Alfred Pennyworth," Barbara said as she gestured to the older man who hunched down when he reached Deity, holding out one hand while the other remained behind his back.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Danvers," Alfred said politely.

"Call me, Debby," Deity said with a friendly smile up to the old man.

"Not much chance of that happening," Barbara said with a grin to which the butler just smiled back, not saying a negative word. Such a gentleman.

"Shall I set up one of the guest bedrooms then, Miss Gordon? Or perhaps bring you two down something two eat. You both must be famished after arresting the awful Killer Croc," Alfred said in such a polite and posh manor that Deity had to try not to laugh. The last thing she wanted to be was rude, especially since this man was being so nice to her.

"Something to eat please, Alfred. And when you get a chance could you prepare the room next to mine?" Barbara asked.

"Of course, Miss Gordon. I'll have refreshment down here in half a jiff," Alfred said before bowing and turning back towards the main lift that led up into the roof of the cave. Deity watched the man go before turning to Barbara, still trying to contain her laughter.

"Go ahead, he won't mind," Barbara said with a grin as Deity let out her laughter. It was good to laugh again.


Alex couldn't understand it. After all the tests they'd run on Doctor Rudy Jones, the lone survivor of the Norway research base, everything had come back negative. He was perfectly healthy and it made no sense. Some minor indicators of hypothermia but they'd gotten him warmed up the second he was on the jet and otherwise he had a clean bill of help. Which made no sense considering everyone at the research base was dead.

She was taking another look over the tests results, just to be sure as J'onn and Lucy finished explaining what had happened to him and the rest of his team.

"They're all dead?" Rudy said slowly as he started in wide eyed shock between the two D.E.O. directors.

"I'm sorry," J'onn said quietly as he lowered his head.

"You've been through a lot in the last twenty-four hours," Lucy continued as Rudy turned to her. "We would like to keep you here for observation. Just of twelve hours or so. Is there anyone you'd like us to call? Someone you want to be here with you?" Lucy asked with a look of concerned to the middle aged man sat on the table.

"I'm not staying," Rudy said firmly as his face turned firm.

"I'm sorry?" Lucy said, a little annoyed at the doctor's tone as she frowned at him.

"Global warning isn't taking a break. Our planet is being destroyed. And not by any invader or army. By us," Rudy explained sternly as he looked between the two directors that shared unamused looks. There job was to protect the Earth from alien threats. Global warning was someone else's department and frankly they didn't want to hear about this fanatic doctor's theories. They just needed to make sure he wasn't sick or in danger.

"Look, Dr Jones," Lucy sighed as she got ready to explain why he had to stay.

"I have work to do," Rudy said standing up, going to leave.

"I understand that, but I'm afraid you can't leave just yet," Lucy said holding up her hand to Rudy, motioning for him to sit back down.

"What do you need from me? You said I was fine," Rudy argued as he gestured to Alex who looked up from the paper work in her arms. Both J'onn and Lucy looked to her, hoping for her to agree with them but she grimaced instead. She had told him that he was medically fine and there wasn't really any reason to keep him here for testing. Just a few follow up questions when they were further along in their investigation.

Both J'onn and Lucy sighed, knowing they weren't going to get what they wanted from Alex after her grimace. And without her paper work to say otherwise they were going to have a hard time convincing Rudy to stay put.

Maybe there wouldn't be that much harm in letting him go back to work. As long as he stayed in National City so they could question him later.

"Alright," Lucy sighed as Rudy brightened up.

"But we're going to have to ask you to stay in National City until we tell you otherwise. We may need to ask you further questions," J'onn said as he stepped forwards.

"You can find me at National City University," Rudy said with a firm nod and smile.


With one leg hanging out the hammock, a bucket of fried chicken in between her thighs and a half eaten chicken leg, Live Wire couldn't remember when such s simple thing brought her so much pleasure. The recruiting process had died down recently, what with Indigo's infiltration of Lord Technologies. And since she had to approve every candidate and supervise them, Live Wire hadn't had a lot to do recently.

She wasn't grounded per say but Indigo had warned her to stay under the radar or there would be consequences. Killer Frost hadn't been as fussed about it, since she had some form of work she could do but Live Wire was starting to lose it. So much so that when she went to steal a box of chicken from a National City take away, she actually got excited by the idea. She felt like an idiot. But the chicken made her feel better, and it didn't taste half bad either.

"Another bucket of chicken I see." Live Wire looked over to the doorway where Killer Frost was stood, leaning against the frame with a grin. Live Wire grunted as she rolled her eyes and took a bite out of her chicken leg. It hadn't been her first trip to get chicken...that day.

"I'm bored. And when I'm bored, I eat," Live Wire snapped as she tore out another chunk of the chicken leg, making sure to chew loudly and with an open mouth so that she made her point. Killer Frost chuckled as she watched her partner eat her fattening food.

Live Wire couldn't understand Killer Frost. She'd started smiling a lot more recently, more so than when Live Wire first met her. It was a little unsettling as was the way she caught the white haired snow devil looking at her sometimes. But at the same time it made her feel something else.

"You got something for me to do?" Live Wire asked, throwing the chicken bone back into the bucket, having finished with it.

"Nope," Killer Frost answered.

"To bad," Live Wire said dryly as she grabbed a chicken breast and began to dig in. She had offered Killer Frost a leg from her last bucket but the woman seemed to be above fast food, unlike herself.

"What about Banshee? What's she up to?" Live Wire asked before biting into the breast.

"Talking to the spirits apparently," Killer Frost said with a roll of the eyes. She may have an open mind but she still refused to believe that Silver Banshee was a magical demon instead of another Metahuman. It was just preposterous.

"I'm pretty sure she was joking about that," Live Wire said in between bites.

"Really? 'Cause that look she gave me looked pretty serious," Killer Frost pointed out and Liver Wire chuckled, accidently spitting out pieces of chicken as she did.

"Sorry," she apologised uncharacteristically as she wiped the crumbs of her cloths.

"It's fine," Killer Frost said as she watched her partner, a secret smile on her face. Live Wire looked up and over to her partner their eyes connecting for a brief moment as something passed between them. Both quickly averted their gaze though, more than a little embarrassed by what they were thinking.

"I-I better get back to work," Killer Frost said as she turned to leave.

"Yeah," Live Wire muttered before lifting her head again. "Give me a shout if you want me to blow something up!" she called after her friend. Killer Frost looked back over her shoulder with a wicked smile and a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Who else would I possibly ask?" she said playfully as Live Wire smirked. She then went to take a bit out of her chicken only to find it had lost all heat and turned ice cold. She looked down at it as she pulled it out of her mouth, finding little flakes of ice on the skin. She looked back over to the doorway but Killer Frost was already gone.

"You owe me a chicken breast, Frost!"


"Jones!" shouted Rudy's superior as he walked into the lab. Ruby's head quickly shot up from his laptop. He had been going over their findings from the Norway base. Despite the fact all his colleges had been killed, he still had a job to do. He still had a world to save and the results they'd discovered would help him do it.

"You should be at home resting," the superior said dryly, almost like he didn't want Rudy there. It didn't shock Rudy by any means. He never really got along well with people that didn't share his view on how the world was dying. Those above him hated him and wished to get rid of him but they wouldn't let him.

"After what you've been through," the superior added as he leaned down on the other side of the desk Rudy was working at.

"What I've been through is extraordinary. It has energized me to continue my work with a new fervour," Rudy explained excitedly as he looked over the laptop's screen at his superior who only glared back. Obviously not what he had been wanting to hear.

"The world's not going to end overnight," the superior sighed, exhausted of having the same conversation with Rudy over and over again.

"Not today. But one day soon," Ruby emphasised with a glare of his own. "The world is changing, and not for the better." The superior just scoffed as he shook his head, like they always did. Why couldn't they just listen to him? They were trying to save them.

"Perhaps you better take more than a day off, Dr. Jones," the superior said in a tone that didn't seem to give Rudy much of a choice. "Your erroneous obsession with climate catastrophes might be better indulged at a different institution."

"You're firing me?" Rudy gasped as his eyes widened.

"It's not the first time I've had cause," the superior replied with a glare. Rudy couldn't believe they were actually going through with it. They were actually going to fire him and kick him out with no one to help save the Earth. He needed to be here, he needed the universities resources in order to save the planet. Why could they just understand them?!

"No. No we don't accept that," Rudy snarled as she stood up from the stool he'd been sat on.

"'We'?" asked the superior with a frown. "You and who else?" he said glancing around the otherwise empty room.

"We," Rudy stated with a tilt of the head before his hand shot out and grabbed onto the superior's throat, squeezing tightly as he began to drain him. If he had to die so he could feed then so be it. Whatever was now inside of him needed to be fed. He would need it if he was going to save the world. He needed to feed. It was all that mattered.

He watched the life leave the superior, while also increasing his own. This is what he deserved for standing in their way. He should have been helping them to save the world rather than hider them. Now he was just food for them. And what a delicious meal he was.


Alex sighed as she stared at the screen's loading bar. She'd been trying to receive the security footage from the Norway base but it was a slow process. What they'd managed to get their hands on while there had been bashed up so barley that when they tried to turn it on it almost blew up. So now she was downloading the bases entire hard drive to the D.E.O. mainframe so that they could find out exactly what happened. Unfortunately with the security footage came everything else which was way it was taking so long to download.

So rather than sit around all night, Alex shot of a quick email only to then wait a few seconds for a response. She grinned when she saw Winn's reply. Glad to see how eager he was to help. She replied, telling him to meet her down stairs and after half an hour they were back in her lab with Winn sat behind the keyboard. The loading bar had moved about two percent in that time.

"So can you help me out?" Alex asked hopefully.

"Sure," Winn said as he sat himself down and set to work. "Though I'm surprised you don't have technicians of your own that can do this," he pointed out as he brought up various boxes of coding on the screen and began typing away.

"There all busy on other cases," Alex explained. In truth that was a lie. She could have easily got any of the technicians to come and help her. But she liked Winn. He was a good friend and great with a computer and the fact was he was wasted at Cat Co. Thus why she'd suggested to Lucy they hire him.

Lucy knew Winn was good too, having worked with him during her time before the D.E.O. But she wasn't keen on hiring him on the spot. Yes he was good with computers but there was more to being a D.E.O. agent than just that. He needed to be able to defend himself and Winn would more than likely run from a fight than stand his ground, unless his friends were involved of course.

It was also a completely different environment to how he worked with Kara and Deity. There he was able to goof around and quote all the movies he wanted. At the D.E.O. he would have to be more professional and Lucy wasn't too sure how well he'd adjust.

So the two agreed to have him coming in every now and then to have him help with small things, like with Silver Banshee, that way they could see how he acted. If he seemed to like it, after the first few trial runs then they offer him a job. But in honesty Lucy was almost certain he'd stay at Cat Co. There he got to be with Kara Danvers, at the D.E.O. he got Supergirl. Both Alex and Lucy knew which one he'd rather be with.

"And...done!" Winn said, snapping Alex from her thoughts as she looked at the video that had been brought up on the screen. Alex leaned over his shoulder as the video began to play, showing the lab at the Norway base. She spotted Rudy standing over a dead wolf that was on the operating table with his colleges gathered around.

"What the hell survives five thousand years in ice?" asked the woman standing next to Rudy.

"You mean, besides a disease?" Rudy asked before he cut open the wolf, sticking his gloved hand inside. Then sudden he began to pull his arm but it wouldn't come out the wolf. He started to scream as his colleges rushed to help pull his arm out, but something was holding on tightly.

Suddenly Rudy's hand came flying out and his colleges prevented him from falling over as they all caught their breath.

"Are you alright?" asked the woman beside Rudy as he turned to glare at her. He raised his torn gloved hand and wrapped it around her throat. His colleges quickly tried to pull him off her but he stood firmly with his fingers digging into her neck.

"Oh, god..." Winn gasped as he and Alex watched. Purple energy began to move from the woman and into Rudy who was savouring it as the others screamed at him to let go. He eventually did but only once the woman lay dead at his feet. Then one by one he did it to the rest of them. Some tried to fight back but it was no good, he was stronger than them and once he drained the energy from each and every one of them he collapsed onto the floor.

"He's infected," Alex said before turning and marching out. They had to get to National City University quickly and there was only one person fast enough. "Kara!" Alex called as she ran towards the medical bay where he sister was staying for observation.


Finally she had something to do. Kara never thought she'd be so happy to find out that an innocent man had an alien infection inside of him. She felt guilty about it but any feeling was better than the other thing. She just had to push it aside and focus on her work. Not think about her. Not think about the pain.

She shook her thoughts away as she opened the door to the Rudy's lab and stepped inside with Alex behind her, gun raised.

"Dr. Jones?" Alex called out into the dark room with only the flicker from a laptop screen providing light at one of the desks. Kara walked a few steps in before coming to a stop, spotting a body lying between the desks.

"Alex," Kara said, catching her sister's attention. She quickly joined her and knelt down next to the drained lifeless body.

"It's just like the other bodies we found up in the Arctic," Alex said as she looked up at her sister who was standing over her.

"I guess we know why Rudy was the only survivor then," Kara pointed out as she looked around the room.

"He killed them all," Alex said aloud, angry with herself for letting the man go. She should have forced him to stay, her gut had told her something was wrong and she hadn't acted on it. Now another man was dead and it was partly her fault.

"You can't stop us." The Danvers sisters swung around at the sound of Rudy's voice to find him lurking in the shadows. "You can't stop what we're changing into," he said as he stepped towards the two.

Alex quickly brought up her gun, ready to fire if he tried anything. "This planet is being destroyed by the human race, which lives only to suck the life from it. Like parasites. Only we can save it," Rudy explained to the two with a crazed self-righteous look in his eye.

"Sorry, pal. Saving the world's my job," Kara said angrily as she threw her fist at Rudy. Alex's eyes widened, worried that Kara would seriously hurt him with her super strength but then to her shock, Rudy caught the punch with ease.

Suddenly Kara dropped to her knees, purple energy moving from her and into Rudy just like he'd done in the video. Only now he seemed to have a delighted and joyful look on his face. Like a child that had just discovered ice cream.

"Such power," Rudy sighed in delicious delight. "We like it," he said as Kara continued to grown, collapsing onto the ground as she had the life drained out of her. She tried to pull away from Rudy but he was too strong for her. She couldn't get away like her daughter had.

Pain shot through her...emotional pain. Where was Deity? She needed her here with her. She needed her daughter by her side. The questions began to flood into her mind again. Why had she left? Was it something she did? Was she that bad a mother? Would she ever come back? Each one only succeeding in intensifying her pain as Kara began to cry out.

Finally Rudy let her go, the physical pain stopping and allowing the nightmarish thoughts to take over. Kara continued to whimper on the floor as she heard Alex fire her gun. The familiar pinging sound of when bullet's hit her sounded through the air followed by the crushing of a gun. Kara tired to look and see what was happening but her body was too weak to move. He muscles ached from exhaustion and yet she'd hardly done anything.

She did however manage to shake her head, doing her best to clear her thoughts of Deity as she heard a window smash from behind. A second later Alex was by her side, helping her sit up as they both looked over to the broken glass door.

"What just happened?" Kara gasped, doing her best not to let Alex see her inner pain.

She had to be strong. She was Supergirl. She didn't have the luxury of crying and hiding until her problems were fixed. She was responsible for the lives of everyone in her city. She couldn't turn away from that, no matter how much she was hurting. That was why she was hiding it from Alex. Because if she saw she'd never let Kara go out there. So she had to push it down and hope that one day the loneliness would go away.


Message for you:

Review Replies:

Geovanny: Sadly it will take time for them to get back to where they were. And hello again, been a while since I heard from you! Hope you are still enjoying the story.

Dnmann: Don't know about that, you'll see how War World affected her as time goes on, but I'm glad you liked it.

DarkElements10: I did want to do more with Mongul but everything I thought up was just really cheesy and I didn't want to write it. I might bring him back at some point but don't really have any plans for it. And Felix totally got what was coming to him.

Baratta Jennifer: Any time!

Jason Hunter: It is set during season 2. And I've got a few chapters of Deity trying to discover who she is but it's gonna progress over the story. And it's still Sinead Michael as Deity. Karen Gillan is who I imagined as Ruby. And I like you very much for knowing who they both are!

Guest (1st): I know, it was great writing Deity beating him. And no, Karen Gillan is Ruby in this story and the last while Sinead Michael is Deity. And thank you for knowing who they are, I also like you!

Guest (2nd): Thank you very much!

Guest (3rd): I am trying to work on improving my characters, but just keep reminding me if you think I'm no improving at all. Not entirely sure what you mean by 'making the story YOURS', so if you could explain that to me I'd be greatful. And I'll try to avoid the clichés in the future. And I am planning on having some more relaxed chapters later on which will focus on Kara, Deity and other characters relationships. Thanks for the review and hopefully I can make you proud!

And please, if you have time, leave a review as it does help motivate me and it's always nice to hear what you guys are thinking. And if you have any questions then please, do ask. I do my best to respond to every review.

See you soon, RC.