CHAPTER 26:
It was my first day back to work after the Splicer incident. After another couple of days regaining the ability to eat a full meal and starting at the yoga studio this weekend I was feeling like a human again. My body hurt less though bruises were still fading from my wrists and ankles leaving me little choice but to dress in layers. I was just glad my body seemed to be able to support its own weight again without straining to even scratch my nose. The nightmares hadn't fully stopped but they were manageable. Well with the sleeping pills that is. Not that I would tell anyone that. Kara was still fussing over me and I could tell she was thinking she hadn't done a good enough job trying to find me. I hoped this would show her that she can't do everything. Even superheroes aren't perfect. I don't hate Kara for not being there sooner. If she could have gotten to me sooner than she would have and I know that. I've seen the lengths she's willing to go to in order to save the day.
I enter my office after dropping off my promised article to Cat and sigh at the sight before me. Max was on a warpath of forgiveness and would not let up. He was having things delivered at least once a day to me. Flowers, stuffed animals, candy, etc. Now sitting at my desk was a box with a bow and I was loathe to open it. Unfortunately my sense of curiosity was too strong. I set down my bag and swiftly opened the package. I roll my eyes at the contents and snatch up the note.
New tablet I am developing. Should make your job much easier. Enjoy your first day back but don't push yourself.
This was getting ridiculous. Soon I would have a house, a yacht and a stable of horses. It needed to end but I doubt any amount of telling off would end the charade. Well looks like Winn is getting a new tablet. I push it to the side of my desk and IM Winn to come down when he has a free chance. Then I begin scouring my emails. Even though I didn't have to start back til today I had kept up over the weekend so I wouldn't be bombarded today.
I answer anything from this morning that needs my opinion and then IM Kara that I want my usual lunch order from Noonans so she doesn't have to come down and ask me. Mostly I just don't want to have to tell her another 10 times to stop apologizing to me.
The day goes smoothly. James and Winn help at lunch to keep the conversation flowing and away from the topic of me or Splicer. I tell them about my starting yoga and Winn jokes maybe Kara should join and learn to chill. I laugh at that and agree throwing a playful smirk at Kara as she throws a fry off James plate at me. This felt normal. This is what I needed.
That night we all go to the club Cat gifted Kara tickets for to dance and relax plus help Kara celebrate Siobhan being fired. I am so glad all the drama with her happened while I was out of the office. I'm not sure I could have handled it with a calm head. The girl was asking for trouble and did it to herself. I was slightly concerned her attitude had rubbed off on Kara as she was acting and dressing funny the past 24 hours.
"Today's music is so loud! Right? Siobhan still has not texted me back." Winn complains and I roll my eyes. "I hope she's okay." he continues.
"She's fine." James says, "Just give her some time."
"Or forget about her. She's crazy and a liar. She tried to get your friend fired," I tell Winn as I take another drink of my beer.
"Speaking of which, Kara said she was going to be here soon." James asks, "Do you think she's still on her way?"
"Oh, yeah." Winn answers looking around. "Oh, look. There she is. I see her. I think... I think that's her." He continues indicating a direction and my jaw practically drops when I see Kara.
"Hey! Wow. Hey, Cat, look at you. Wow!" Winn tells her as she makes it to us. I stare as I take in Kara's dramatic appearance and wonder where this fashion change came from.
"Yeah, that's what I was going for. You want to dance?" She replies and then turns to ask James.
"Uh, yeah, yeah." James answers and we watch as she drags him onto the floor.
I move onto the stool next to Winn and watch as they dance getting concerned. James looks uncomfortable and Kara is acting very out of character. I watch as James leaves the dance floor quickly to answer his phone with Kara trailing him and move to join them with Winn at my side. Kara is suddenly gone.
"Cat wants to see Supergirl." James says turning around and seems to notice Kara is gone, "Where did she go?"
"What happened?" Winn asks.
"Something's wrong with Kara." James says.
"That was not like her. Something is definitely wrong." I tell them both looking worried.
"Hey, something bad has happened to Kara." James says to Henshaw and Alex as we move quickly to where they are at a table looking over something.
"We know. She was acting strange. Distracted." Alex tells us.
"We thought it was personal at first, but then she let an alien fugitive escape. Pull up the missions Supergirl has run in the last 48 hours." Henshaw says as we move to a monitor.
Alex begins typing and pulls up a familiar image of a building.
"The fire." She says.
"Run a thermodynamic scan" Hank orders.
"Look at the radiation signature. That's Kryptonite." Alex informs us.
"Not exactly. It's synthetic. It's manmade." Winn says staring at the screen intently.
"Well, it's close to the real thing, but whoever made it, didn't get it quite right." Alex says.
"Meaning what?" James asks.
"It's not damaging her on a cellular level. But it could explain the erratic behavior." Hank explains.
"Who the hell would make Kryptonite?" Alex questions.
"Yeah, that's my bad." And we turn to see Max who has just been escorted into the facility by guards. He would. I narrow my eyes at him. Alex instantly orders him to be locked up and we follow as they place him into one of the cells.
"Come on. This isn't necessary. I came here to help. I didn't even know Kryptonite was a thing." Max pleads his case as the door closes and locks behind him.
"Until we showed you." Hank tells him.
"And we took down Bizarro." Alex reminds.
"I went through all that trouble to create her, when all this time, right in front of me, was a substance whose sole molecular purpose was to kill Kryptonians. Sort of ironic."
"You're outta your mind." Alex tells him.
"I'm only practical. Non and his army will return. Soon. So, I took matters into my own hands." Max informs us.
"You've recreated Kryptonite." I say looking him dead in the eye.
"Tried to. I just didn't get it right." He admits.
"The satellite on that rooftop was yours. You set a trap for Non." Alex declares glaring at him.
"The fire, that was an accident. I never meant to endanger any firefighters, any civilians. Not even Supergirl." Max says and he looks to me as he says the last part.
"So, you figured if you booby-trapped a satellite, then your Kryptonite would kill Non just in case he went to go check on it?" Alex asks him.
"It didn't work exactly as planned." Max sighs.
"It never does with you!" Alex yells.
"I didn't know Supergirl would show up or that she'd be affected by the synthetic K in such a surprising way" Max tells us.
"You're right. You just thought it would kill her." Alex accuses.
"When I realized Supergirl had been exposed, I started tracking her to see what the Red Kryptonite would do to her. I saw her let the alien escape. I didn't know what to think. And then tonight, she threw Cat Grant off her building." And I gasp in horror.
"She killed Ms. Grant?" Winn asks in disbelief and shock.
"No. Cat has nine lives. She's fine." Max says nonchalantly like falling from a building is no big deal.
"But Supergirl isn't." Alex states.
"I'm sorry, Alex. I came in to make this right." Max tells her as she turns away from him done with the conversation. As she gets to the door he continues, "I created Red Kryptonite. Maybe I can create an antidote."
Alex pauses and then sighs pressing the door unlock button, "You better hope so, for National City's sake. Because you just turned Supergirl into the monster you always feared she'd be." Alex tells him getting in his face as she does.
The threat is clear. If he doesn't fix Kara he may never leave the DEO alive. He certainly would rot for a long time back in this cell. And seeing as he only just got out of it I'm sure that's the last thing he wants.
While Max begins working on a cure for Kara we discuss what to do next while we wait.
"I'll go try and talk to her. Maybe I can get her here and we can contain her" Alex says.
"I'm not letting you go try and talk to her alone Alex." Hank tells her firmly.
"He's right. We're both going to be there for her." I tell her.
"What makes you think I'll let you go? She could kill you?" Hank asks.
Alex sighs and I know I've won, "She's right. We're two of the closest people to Kara. If anyone can get through to her without the antidote it will be us."
Hank and Alex stare each other down for a moment in a silent conversation before he sighs and waves a hand dismissively. I quickly follow after Alex as she heads out. We arrive at Kara's apartment and head up to her floor. As we near Kara's room Alex slows.
"Let me go in first and assess her. If she doesn't try to kill me straight away then enter." Alex says and I nod to show I agree.
Alex enters and I listen at the door as Kara says awful things to her and breaks things until I can't take it anymore. Hearing Kara tell Alex their not sisters was just too much.
"That's enough Kara. This isn't you. This isn't Supergirl. You're letting the red kryptonite win. Where's my best friend? Because this isn't her." I yell at her.
"You're one to talk. Dating the guy who tried to kill me. Lieing. Some best friend you are. You only care about yourself. That's why you're still crying over him instead of being there for me." Kara states snidely.
I take a step back not prepared for her hatred. I can't let it get to me now though. She needs us. She needs me.
"You don't mean that Kara. You're letting the red kryptonite change you. You're stronger than this," I plead.
"Please. I don't need this and I certainly don't need you. Your just some deaf and dumb girl I tolerated out of pity all these years." She sneers.
Then she's gone before Alex or I can do anything else. Alex puts a hand on my shoulder. We both have tears in our eyes.
"Lets get back to the DEO. Hopefully Max is done by now" she tells me and I nod.
I wrap my arms around myself and we head back to join the others. Just this once I am mentally begging Max to be right. That he can make this antidote and fix Kara before its too late. Just this once more I need him.
We walk back to the center of the DEO headquarters where everyone is waiting as Max works. He barely glances up from what he's doing and I hope that means he's close to being done.
"Is it ready, yet?" I hear Hank ask as we approach.
"Almost." Max tells him.
"Alex. How is Kara?" Hank asks when he spots us but I can tell when his face registers ours.
"She's gone, Hank. I don't even know who she is anymore. I don't know what she's capable of." Alex tells him heartbroken.
Max turns to look at me and I swiftly avoid his gaze and turn to Winn. He wraps an arm around me and I fight the tears. I feel James put a hand on my shoulder as he joins in comforting me.
"It was awful. She's not Kara." I whisper into Winns shoulder and he squeezes me tighter.
"You need to take her down. I know this is personal for both of you. But you need to use everything the DEO has and protect this city from Supergirl." Senator Crane commands to Alex and Hank as she enters the DEO.
"I'm not going to kill her." Alex tells her.
"Yes, Supergirl saved my life. That's the last thing I want. But the DEO's job is to protect this world from alien threats. What do you call Supergirl right now?" The senator tells her.
I flinch as I think about it but if the red kryptonite can't be stopped I know Kara wouldn't want to live if it meant hurting people.
"Vasquez, assemble the troops. We're moving out. Supergirl's the target." Henshaw announces.
Max swiftly approaches Alex as the troops assemble, "If anything can reverse the red Kryptonite effect on your sister, this should do it."
"It better." Alex tells him taking the hopeful antidote.
"Good luck. I mean that." Max tells her.
We watch as they leave and then turn to monitor there journey on the screens. We watch as Kara wreaks havoc on the streets. I can't stop the tears as we watch horrified when it looks like she's about to kill Alex when suddenly Hank Henshaw morphs into a alien and stops Kara. The others are all gobsmacked at the site. Well that explains some things. We watch as the antidote works and Kara collapses emotional. I cry in relief that she's going to be okay.
"I want all civilians cleared before they return" the senator calls out eyeing the three of us and Max. She pauses on Max and nods at him, "I've gotten your message. It's being discussed" she states cryptically before continuing on.
I stare at Max wondering what he could have contacted her about but he doesn't offer up any information. Not wanting to fight a senator and DEO staff we allow them to lead us out.
I break from James and Winn telling them I'll be right back and follow Max to his town car.
"Max" I say catching his attention just as he's about to get in. He takes a step back and leans on the door waiting for me to get closer.
"Aria" he states cautiously. I don't blame him considering all I've done lately is tell him off.
"Thank you." I tell him.
He smiles, "You're welcome"
"Don't go getting ideas. This is still your fault." I tell him and his smile falters, "But thank you for owning up to it and coming to help fix it. Thank you for giving me Kara back" I finish.
He stares at me for a minute and I can tell he's filtering through all his choices of answers probably weighing the chances on which one will end with me telling him off. He surprises me when he simply chooses to say, "Good night" Then he gets into his car with one last glance my way. I ride with Winn and James back to the city and say goodbye after they insist I'm dropped off first. I enter my apartment exhausted from the day. Tomorrow we will see the true depth of the chaos the red kryptonite has created. I can only hope Kara is okay in the aftermath.