Collaborated with: LVEZZ
Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl.
Dr. Hamilton decided against surgery. She hoped the special blood thinner drugs in her IV would help reduce her brain swelling. She had no good news for Kara. She hoped when she woke she would be recharged again.
Dr. Hamilton checked on Kara. She was still asleep. She knew she had been severely drained by the Sorceress.
Kara groans in her sleep, starting to move as though to possibly roll out of bed but rocks onto her side while holding the pillow.
"Are you awake?" Dr. Hamilton asked carefully.
She jumps and accidentally kicks the machine expecting bed sheets. Jumping she sits up, "sorry... I swear one day I'll break it," she rubs at her eyes and then recalls why she is there and then she slips off remembering her sister. "Wait... you've got news? How is she?" She asks eagerly, but also very nervous.
"First let's monitor you to see if you are recharged." She attaches electrodes to her wrists and temple to check her readings. "It looks like your time under the lamps healed you." She checks the burn mark on her chest. It was finally fading. "How do you feel?"
Flexing her hands she focuses her hearing and tests out her vision. Hearing the heart rate machine in Alex's room and seeing past the doctor, she gives a sigh. "Better, it doesn't hurt," she says looking at her chest briefly. Honestly a minor ache she can easily ignore. But what she can't ignore is the doctor dodging her question. Looking up at her in the eye, "her condition is bad... isn't it?"
"Yes as I told you before she has a concussion, but I am worried about the brain swelling. I don't want to do surgery to relieve the swelling unless I have to. Right now she is on blood thinners to keep clots from forming. We are monitoring for now."
She removed her electrodes monitoring her systems and stepped away. "You are free to go. Get washed up, whatever you need to do. I have been given the message your wayward twin is out flying around. J'onn tried to talk her back but she wanted to be alone."
She eyed Kara, "Your suit is damaged but wearable. It is in the bathroom closet. You are discharged but still under Dr. Livingston's care. I expect you back here for your sessions. You have one scheduled for tomorrow afternoon."
Kara rubs her face processing the information, "can I see her... please?" She swallows. Intending to go flying as soon as she can to vent her frustration on something.
"Don't you want to change first?"
Kara was still in a hospital gown. She nods, just wanting to have the confirmation. She hurries out and gets changed in two seconds to stand at her sister's room door, "should I have scrubs on or a mask? I don't want to risk hurting her any further."
"Both please." Hamilton hands her both.
Kara pulls them all on top of her suit, feeling hesitant as she rests her hand onto the door again. Pushing it open her fears are answered as she gets a clear view. Walking to her bedside she gingerly takes her hand, afraid of hurting her further and looks at her face.
Tears welling up at how fragile she looks and small with the machines helping her. "I'm so sorry Alex..." she whispers. "I shouldn't have let you go in there with us, even with the kryptonite suit."
"She is unconscious and won't know you are here. I want to make sure you know this."
Reaching up she touches her cheek as though she could break from the light contact. Kara nods, "I understand..." now knowing how Alex must feel every time she's on the bed.
"No one knew the extent of your twin's or should I say triplet's powers." She put her hands on Kara's shoulders trying to comfort her. "This is not your fault. You mustn't blame yourself for this." Alex was on life support, the same breathing machine Kara had been on.
Her bottom lip trembles, "everyone was scared for us... but being in the same room as her was something else." She feels tears slip down behind her mask and into the corners of her lips. "I can't get revenge for you... I can't donate blood or tissue or anything," she lightly strokes the back of her hand with her thumb. "I'm useless to you," her shoulders shake.
"You are not useless. I will continue to monitor her and we will see about options. Right now surgery is not an option. Please Kara, this is doing you no good. Go fly and calm down okay? As I said your twin is out flying. Maybe you can meet up with her and support each other?" She looks her carefully in the eyes, and hands her a tissue to wipe them.
She moves up to her face and tugs her mask down to give her a kiss on the cheek before pulling it back up. "I'll be back... I love you," she whispers before pulling away. Looking at the doctor she takes the tissue as she steps out of the room. Sadness and anger building up in her, anger at herself, "thank you," she says quietly while taking the scrubs off and the mask before taking off with an ear piece in case.
"Don't forget therapy 2 pm tomorrow." Hamilton called to her as she exited.
Kara Zor-El Queen flew so fast she ended up on the other side of the country. She didn't know it, but she was in Florida now. She found a secluded lake where no one was around and landed. She sighed. Kara her twin really had a nice Earth.
She looked at the water fowl around the lake and the old willow trees drooping into the water. She couldn't imagine what happened to cause Oliver to lose his mind the way he had. She knelt back down, she held onto the grassy area she landed in and started to sob.
She heard a rustling in the grass and came face to face with an Alligator! This thing was massive! This gator she heard stories about but up until now had never seen one in person. "Well aren't you ugly?" She spoke quietly to the gator. It hissed at her, clearly ready to attack her. "You know? I really am not in the mood to spar. Can you please just leave?" It whipped its tail angrily.
"Believe me alligator, this will hurt you a lot more than me if you try to bite me." She explained to the angry gator. It continued to hiss, arch its back and whip its tail. "You are just going to continue to be bad aren't you?" She asked grinning. The thing lunged at her and snapped its powerful jaws.
"Well that is not nice!" She scolded the big lizard. "You really are ugly, both on the outside and the inside. Very well if I have to threaten I will." She blew her freeze breath in front of the big lizard, causing it to back away quickly. "See? I told you not to spar with me." She sighed as she watched the very large alligator rush into the water.
She realized she had seriously changed. The old General if the Reich would have fried that lizard the minute it hissed at her. She smiled slightly, she knew she had her twin to thank for changing her. She wondered how she was? None of the injured would have happened if she had never come to this beautiful Earth in the first place.
She felt incredibly guilty as she stretched out on the grassy knoll, making sure this time there weren't anymore animals around.
Kara slows down to the roof of CatCo to pull out her phone, realizing she has a phone call to make. Dialing by memory she holds the phone to her ear while working to calm her breathing. "Hi Eliza," she says as calmly as possible.
"Kara dear, is something wrong? I can tell in your voice. What is wrong?"
She closes her eyes, "Alex was hurt during our last mission off world. She is on life support... her brain is swelling but they're holding off on surgery," she takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect her better... did you want me to fly you over?"
"Please Kara; I will be ready before you get here." She told her anguished.
"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can," she hangs up and focuses her energy on flying to her as quickly as she can. Within 10 minutes she reaches the Danver house in record time.
Eliza allowed her to pick her up and fly just as quick back.
Once back, Kara set Eliza down right at the medical bay and Dr. Hamilton briefed her on the status of her daughter. All three doctors continued to assess her.
Still feeling guilty, no matter what Dr. Hamilton said, but knowing that Eliza needed to be aware of what her baby girl was going through. She takes off again. Within no time she reaches the Fortress of Solitude but when she gets there she dives into the icy cold water. Reaching the biggest underwater glacier she punches it, harder and harder, knocking chunks off. She continues punching till her lungs can hold on no more.
Finally she goes back to the surface to grab onto the snow and ice and hull herself up. Gasping, taking deep breaths, her whole body is shaking before she turns to face the ocean. Balling up her fists she slams them down hard before screaming at the sky in anger.
Tears falling down her face but are mixed with the water that is still dripping off her soaked hair. She feels her chest is heaving, looking at her hands that are shaking in front of her to notice for the first time that they're bleeding. On her knuckles, the back of her hands, pretty well everywhere but her wrists and inside of her palms.
"Great... Alex would scold you for this too... don't go and beat yourself up Kara," she mumbles. Letting her hands drop, "just because you can't feel it doesn't mean you're not hurting... probably the cold water temperatures helping me there."
Looking into the clear blue water depths. "You have to come out of this Alex..." her eyes red, "I need you... and right now I'm useless to you... I can't do anything for you!" She slams her hand onto the ice in front of her.
She looks up at the sky and recalls Oliver and his condition and then realizes, "oh shit... I've been so focused on my own troubles. I have to find her," she stands up and listens hard for that familiar heartbeat. Closing her eyes she focuses and finally after a minute she finds her and takes off.
The Sorceress walked back and forth in her small cramped cell. She thought about trying to escape, but the kryptonite emitters effectively weakened her.
"Walking around does no good." The other Alex told her while sitting near motionless.
J'onn comes walking into the room, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be a long month," he mutters to himself before placing his hands onto his hips and looking at the two cells. He remembers the alternate Alex and regards her before looking at the Sorceress Kara. "I've got my work cut out for me I see..."
"When are you letting me out? I haven't done anything!" The other Alex told him angrily.
J'onn looks at her, "if I can have your story I'll let you out. To be honest, I didn't expect to ever run into so many Alex's and Kara's," he turns to look at her when he says her name. Walking over to Alex's cell, "tell me your side of the story, please."
"Why? Why do I have to explain myself?" This twin had his Alex's temper. "Just let me out!" She growled at him.
J'onn watches her closely, "I know nothing about you. Your sister has gone AWOL, I don't know what you are capable of or your intentions," he says plainly.
"I am a rebel. I worked to get rid of the Reich. We are opposite sides, or we were anyway. I don't know I guess due to her husband flipping sides she did. But I didn't do anything to land in here! Let me out please!" The other Alex stood up and went to the hard silicone glass wall of the DEO containment chamber. She faced him dead on looking desperate.
Taking a deep breath she feels her intentionally pulling at his heart strings. He waves his key card at the door and watches the door light go from red to green. Pulling the door open, "very well," he says, "if you wish to go back to your Earth I'll set you up."
"I do, we are in charge now. I admit I got caught up with visiting the bad guys for a chance to get even. I didn't mean to attack your Kara. Fortunately I didn't hurt her, though she was weakened from the kryptonite blade of Wells. He's gone now. I watched my sister fry him. Thank you for hearing my side." She held out a hand to shake it.
"You did stab her in the shoulder," he comments, "but I can understand having anger towards someone who was a friend turned enemy and accepting them again. It technically happened with me and if you need to vent..." He smirks, "never mind, no one vents at me," he takes her hand and gives it a firm shake.
"I didn't stab real deep and I thought I got my own sister not a twin. Once I saw my mistake I couldn't take it back." She looks round, "When can I go back? I want to make the announcement Dr. Wells is dead. He was the last criminal to round up. I intended to try to assassinate him while there."
He looks at the other Kara, "I need to have a word with her first, then I'll send you back. You can grab some food if you'd like."
"I was infiltrating their ranks. Thank you." She left quickly, escorted by a waiting agent.
The Sorceress lowered her cloak. J'onn could see the bad scar. On her face. "What do you wish to talk about?" She had stopped her pacing. "Do you make it practice of starving your prisoners? I am still a Kryptonian and I am hungry."
She eyed him, distrusting of him knowing she was a prisoner with Kryptonite emitters on her. She watched him stare at her for a time. "Doesn't it mean anything to you that I surrendered? If I could get rid of this darkness I would." She looked down defeated. "But I can't! I tried."
"Please, just let me go to my own world and you'll never hear from me again."
Upon seeing her face she feels for her. Wondering about her struggles from the get go, and what would happen if his own Kara had encountered the same thing. Listening to her he folds his arms over his chest, "what guarantees do I have that you would not use your powers as soon as released? What if it is all some sort of game to you? These are things that I do not know, however I do understand a kryptonian appetite and will have food brought to you."
Raising his right brow at her, "you've tried to get rid of it? How? We may be able to assist you and try things you are not capable of on your own Earth."
"I don't know how to get rid of the darkness. I tried to will it out. Burn my powers out, nothing works! My powers are so strong they regenerate."
He places his finger to his chin, "have you tried red sun emitters over a prolonged amount of time?"
"How is that other Alex? She is a sister to the other Kara? All these twins is very confusing." She admitted. "There is no Alex on my world, and my world is magical."
He becomes downcast at the question, "not well... she's on life support... swelling in the brain and we're all taking it quite hard," he admits. "Her sister has taken off, visibly upset, those two have the strongest bond I've ever seen and they're not blood."
"What is her conscious state?" She looked worried. "I am sorry. She shouldn't have put that collar on me. And her sister? She got shocked by my magic. Is she okay? Honestly I didn't know about all the other Earths till that General Kara came after me." My resentment was for her. "Not your Kryptonian."
"She is unconsious... they won't do surgery yet... is there something you can do for her? The plan was to take away your powers and bring you but we knew you'd put up a fight... I watched you from the walls twice... I thought you were beyond saving and for that I apologize," he touches his chest as he walks up to her cell door. "If you'd be willing to put on a red sun collar I'll permit you to walk around with everyone else."
"The collar your Alex tried to put on me?"
He gives a firm nod, "yes, it'll have you like a human or as our Kara would put it, like being back on Krypton."
She shook her head. "I wouldn't mind, but that dark magic would. It would react to it like it did before. I offer you to cuff me. Kryptonians cannot handle that kryptonite. The powers don't know what to do with it. You can kill me with it. I don't want to hurt anymore people. Please cuff me. I think I can help your Alex."
He rubs his chin again in thought, "our Kara could try when she returns..." He continues to puzzle over it.
"There is nothing your Kara can do against the dark magic. If she tried to get it out it will seriously injure her like what happened to her sister." She holds out her hands to the strong glass. "Cuff me with Kryptonite as proof of my willingness to help your Alex."
Reaching around his belt he pulls it off and slips it onto her wrists, "I've got to say... I'm not a fan of doing this so often," he says and realises he said it out loud. "Sorry... problems with the other Kara."
"She was a handful for me. I can imagine what she is for you." She tried for a smile stepping out of the chamber once released. "Thank you for trusting me. Can I eat first? I am depleted on energy levels due to the kryptonite."
"Of course, staff are going to have to restock the walk in fridge and freezer..."
Kara Zor-El Queen slept on the grassy knoll, soaking up the yellow sun rays.
Kara lands next to her twin carefully, not familiar with the area, her hair and suit totally dry from the flight but her hands need more time in the sun, "hey," she says a little breathlessly and mentally kicks herself for flying around so much without eating. Now very grateful for the pot stickers Alex always brings for her. 'Man do I owe you when your better' she thinks trying to be positive that she will recover.
Her twin startled awake. She rose up staring at herself. "Twin thing? Is that how you found me?" She quickly stands up, brushing the grass off her. "Why can't you DEO people leave me alone!" She asked irritated.
She smiles at her a little, "I listened for a specific heart beat... it took me a minute to find you and I realize I've been really selfish," she comments tucking a strand lock of hair behind her ear and forgetting her bloodied hands. "I was so consumed with my sister's health that I forgot about what you must be dealing with. So... I'm here to help you, if I can."
"I just want to be left alone." She looked away. "This entire thing, you getting hurt, your sister almost dead and my husband losing his mind. It's me! I failed you all." Tears started all over again. She rubbed her eyes quickly. "There is no help for me..." her voice trailed off. "Do you know where I am?"
Kara walks over to her and wraps her arms around her; her body temperature is a little cooler than normal. "I get hurt a lot and for me it comes with the job description... nothing is going to be easy when you're a super," she smiles and rubs her back.
"I know my Alex is hurt, but I've also got brilliant doctor's who will not give up on any of us." She purses her lips together, "together we'll help your husband realize that he's not dreaming anymore... everything will come out alright."
"I don't think so." She shook her head. "I have never seen him lose it like this. He has been through a lot. He has lost himself." She pulls away. "I am going back home. I still don't belong here."
"And he needs you now more than ever to help him see that what is happening is real. I know you don't feel that you belong and you keep pushing us away, you keep pushing me away. I know you're used to being strong, independent and not needing help but I'm here to tell you it's okay to ask for help!" She walks up to her, "my Alex is on life support... your Alex is alive and well! Your husband needs you to be strong. I know he'll say hurtful things right now but as you've said, he's been through a lot!"
"I will go back to the DEO. But only to go back home. Once home, I am turning myself in. I can't handle this anymore Kara. I am broken. By turning sides and finding feelings again, I have grown hopelessly weak. All I want is an end to this. Answer for my crimes and be done with it." She thought to herself - should have let the big lizard eat me.
"You don't know me. I am nothing like you! I am evil like that Sorceress was. I have killed many..." her voice trailed off, as she knelt back on the grass again sobbing. Her hair covering her face like a curtain.
Hearing her talk of these things helped bring light of what her twin has been going through. She walks to her slowly, "you're in Florida, you asked earlier," she sits down next to her. "From what I've heard, you sound a lot like your husband. You've both done terrible things and want to make things right. Making things right... atoning... I'm sure that deep down he probably feels similar to you," she looks at her and places a hand onto her knee. Not daring any further contact to risk her taking off. "Let's go back and talk to him, okay? We have to try," she urges.
"He doesn't think I am real Kara. It's... there is no reaching him. Florida? Where is that from National City? How did I get here? Super speed?"
Kara shakes her head, "we will get him back, please... do you trust me?" She takes her hand firmly and bites her bottom lip. "Yeah... it's quite a distance and with my flying and lash out on the ice... I need food," she frowns.
"What did you do to yourself?" She looks around. "The sun has helped me stay charged. I am hungry too though. Where is there food around here? All I have seen ate big lizards."
She bites her bottom lip and quickly hides her hands, "not important, what is... is food." She says quickly hoping she doesn't notice.
"What did you do to your hands?"
She shakes her head and stands up keeping them behind her back. "No... and I think over that way there'll be a chip truck... no... hmmm" she thinks and closes her eyes. "Ice cream truck about a mile to our West in a park."
"This one lizard came to I think try to eat me. It certainly acted like it. I scared it away with freeze breath. I think it is called an alligator? Huge! I should have just let it eat me." She looks at Kara. "If I hadn't allowed my husband to come here none of this would have happened!" She started to shake so angry at herself.
"Look for you to have hit something so hard to damage your hands Alex must be very bad." She looks down. "This really is all my fault Kara Danvers and I am very sorry."
Holding her hands out to try and calm her, "don't worry about the gator or crock or whatever. They're known for being aggressive okay?" Her hands drop, "look things happen, Mon-El's Mom tried to kill me and take over our Earth! Then you'd have no Kara on this Earth and have a Daxamite civilization to work with instead!"
"There is nothing I can do for your sister, but I can at least stop messing people's lives and leave. You get food. I will wait for you. I don't know how to get back honestly."
Placing her hand onto her shoulder, "I'll get us some ice cream and then I'll take us back, okay?" She offers, ignoring the half healed hand. It's her own fault after all.
"You might raise eyebrows with your beat up look. And the House of El is burnt!" She points at the blacked out symbol on her chest.
Looking down she shrugs, "I'll tell them it was a fight and won't go into details." She pulls her suit away from her chest and rolls her eyes. "I'll be back in a few okay?"
She nods, then sits back down.
Within five minutes she is back with two tall ice cream cones and is almost done half of hers. "I have an arrangement with the manager of that cart, selfie and a free ice cream for publicity," she holds it out.
"Thank you. Did he take a pic of that suit?" Overgirl asks.
Kara nods, "battle damage..."
"Or do you owe him one?" She finishes hers quickly.
Popping the last of the cone into her mouth, "I helped the business in National City months ago, helped prevent a fire which would have cost thousands in insurance. So I get free ice cream, selfie is just a bonus for them." She holds out her hand to her.
Overgirl finished her cone and stood back up.
"J'onn won't listen. Please get him to cooperate sending me back. The only way I will stay is if Oliver gets his mind back." She told her resolutely, taking her hand.
"He'll listen to me," she winks, "and you'll have to tell me where you got the dress by the way," she takes off with her.
So much building up and what's going to be the result? Tell us your thoughts!
-SLITH/LVEZ