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"Kara, quit changing the channels," Alex said making an attempt to grab the remote.

"Sorry, Alex. I feel … like I need to take in everything at once. Like this whole planet is new and bright and exciting. I feel restless and –"

"and you're still a little … high," Alex finished for her sister. "You're squirming all over the place like you can't sit still. I'm afraid you are going to start bouncing off the walls pretty soon. Settle down and concentrate on the show … or do you want to paint some more? That might help settle you down."

"Yeah … no. Why do you keep saying that? Cat said it too. Why – how am I high? Was it the syrup on the pancakes at the DEO?" Kara asked. Why do I feel like this? Like I can't concentrate on one thing. I've dreamed about spending a sister night with Alex … just us two sitting on a couch, watching television and talking. Now I can't sit still and enjoy her company.

"I'm not really sure."

Kara heard the lie in her sister's voice. There's no way we would have left the DEO if she didn't know why I was … feeling like this. I'd be in her lab while she ran test after test until she had an answer. She's right, though, I do need to settle down … focus … at least I don't feel as though I need to fly around the world a few times to bleed off all the extra energy.

"Kara? You with me?" Alex asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah. I'm debating about what flavor ice cream to eat next," Kara deflected Alex's question. "You in?"

"Ah, no. One pint is my limit. Not all of us are blessed with a metabolism that requires over ten thousand calories a day," Alex smiled.

"So, you are going to be Cat's new bodyguard," Kara said as she stood up. She really was going to get more ice cream. "That will be interesting … or a disaster. You're gonna want to stay out of her way … kind of like the way the Secret Service does. If you start clinging all over her –"

"I promise not to cling to Cat and … we'll work it out. Hell, could you see me trying to be her assistant? I can't believe she thought for one minute I'd be her assistant," Alex shook her head.

Kara nodded as she turned to go into the kitchen. Yep, this is going to go well…

/

James checked his watch as he left the rehab center. Damn, it's already seven o'clock. I should really call Lucy. Let her know what her dad has planned for tomorrow. Actually, I wonder where the ceremony is supposed to take place? Lane never mentioned it. Only that a car would pick me up from my apartment at six o'clock. I'll give her a call as soon as I get home. He said it was supposed to be a surprise for Lucy but, knowing the general, he'll call her to attend then twist things around on her to make me the bad guy for not showing up. As if her life isn't worth a medal. Yeah, I'd better set the record straight. I don't want her hurt.

/

Alex woke to the television still on. The crick in her neck reminding her she needed to stop using the arm rest as a pillow. A host of empty pint ice cream cartons littered the low table in front of the couch she was on. She spied Kara, sitting by a window, obviously deep in thought. A quick glance at the clock near the television told her it was five thirty in the morning. Too early for Kara's morning 'Greeting of Sol' as she termed the ritual.

"It wasn't the syrup on the pancakes, was it?" Kara asked not bothering to look at Alex.

"No. It wasn't," Alex agreed.

"Cat too?"

"I'm sorry, Cat too what?" Alex heard the pain in Kara's voice and knew her sister figured out Cat's hold on her.

"Alex, not now." Kara's voice was full of anguish as she finally turned to face her sister. "You know what I mean. Cat can control me like Max can."

"Kara –"

"The truth, Alex! Now! Cat can control me … can everyone control me? What exactly is going on? You need to tell me," Kara's voice broke. "I need to know who … what I can trust."

"Oh, Kara," Alex sprang up and wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly. "We … I thought it would be better, easier, if … you've been through so much … I wanted you –"

"Answer my question, Alex. Cat controls me, right?"

"Yeah, she does and … no. No one else can control you," Alex admitted.

"How … how long have you known about this? Were you ever going to tell me the truth or were you going to keep laughing at my … inability to focus. Must have been quite entertaining. Bet everyone at the DEO is talking about Supergirl, the invincible alien, brought to her knees … made to act like a fool. Forced to do someone else's bidding and made to like it," Kara self-loathing evident in her voice as she extricated herself from Alex's embrace.

"No! Kara, no. It isn't like that. Not at all. Look, this only happened at the courthouse. Not before and no one knew anything about the stuff Max put in the food bars until then, either. Kara, look at me!" Alex cupped her sister's face in her hands. "No one wants this except Max Lord. Cat's afraid she's going to say the wrong thing and unleash some terror on the world. Why do you think I'm here?"

"I thought … you made her let you stay with me. You didn't?"

"No. I wasn't kidding about Cat being terrified. She asked J'onn to assign me to you so she wouldn't have to interact with you as much. And, believe it or not, she was afraid she might start abusing her power over you. All these years and I thought she liked abusing you," Alex joked trying to lighten up the conversation. She didn't want to make an emergency trip to Cat's floor to get Kara back into a better mood.

"She didn't abuse me … well, not that much …not really … too much," Kara stammered.

Alex smiled and chucked Kara's chin with her finger, "Yeah. I knew it."

"Tell me, Alex. Everything. I want to know exactly what this drug can make me do. There's –"

"Kara, you don't need –"

"Alex. I deserve to know and if … if you were me you'd want to know too," Kara insisted.

Alex's shoulders slumped in defeat, "Hang on."

Kara watched as Alex retrieved a flash drive from the pocket of her suit jacket and inserted it into a laptop.

"This is all the information we've been able to find out about the drug Max put in your food. Remember Dr. Hill? The guy who decided to –"

"Yeah, I remember. Not high on my all-time list of favorite scientists. What's he got to do with it?"

"He was researching the food bars before he was transferred out. Like the xenophobic person he is, he completely neglected to take into account your Kryptonian physiology. I could eat those food bars Max gave you all day without any ill effects … aside from throwing up at the taste of them." Alex shrugged her shoulders, "Yes, I was curious and I tasted one."

"They were awful," Kara wrinkled her nose.

"J'onn had Dr. Ruiz look over Hill's stuff after he left. She discovered his research on the chemical make-up of the, and I use this term loosely, 'food' bar. She was the one who realized Max was slowly drugging you. I came to bring you back to the DEO as soon as I found out," Alex rubbed Kara's upper arm.

"But, how can Cat control me … I mean how does this drug work? Is there a cure or will it work itself out of my system after a while?"

"Obviously, Max didn't invent a cure. The bastard didn't ever plan on letting you free," Alex's lip curled with hatred. "And, it's sort of like the red kryptonite he made but in reverse. It kind of inhibits your free will to … now let me quote Dr. Ruiz … to the base program."

"The what? What base –"

"The base program was her way of saying the voice of the person you heard the first time the drug was introduced into your system. Fortunately, for everyone involved, you heard Cat talking to Carter over the monitor the first time you ate the bar. So … both Max and Cat's voices were – are, your base programs."

"I remember the first time I ate that food bar," Kara nodded. "Max insisted I eat it in front of him. I thought he just wanted to laugh at my face when I tasted it. There was another guy with him … he didn't say anything, though. You're right. I remember hearing Cat telling Carter how much she loved him. You didn't answer my question, Alex. Will the drug dissolve out of my system or –"

"No. It won't. Like red kryptonite, there needs to be something introduced to make it inert. We just need to know what that something is." Alex then added, "Mom will be flying in again this weekend. I've sent her an encrypted file regarding the chemical composition of the drug so she's already been working on an antidote."

"Is that what's on the flash drive?" Kara asked waiting for Alex to activate the file.

"No … no chemistry here. Like I said, this is just a layman's version of how the drug affects you. Winn put it together," Alex said as she activated the file. And I'm going to kill him when I get back to the DEO!

Kara studied the cover page Winn put on the research with dismay. "Supergirl Owner's Manual: A Guide to Controlling the Girl of Steel." An animated GIF of Cat using a remote control while Supergirl flew in loops above her graced the area below the title.

"Well, that's interesting," Kara said as her face reddened.

"No, it's not. It's … stupid and dumb and … and it's not even a good likeness of you or Cat," Alex finished lamely. You are so dead, Winn!

"I suppose everyone at the DEO has seen this. Must be pretty funny –"

"No one at the DEO has seen this! Kara, really. Winn made this copy especially for me. I've seen Cat's and the one he made for J'onn. Trust me, they don't have anything like this. As a matter of fact, the title is totally different too. I think he meant it as a joke, a very bad joke, and I'll have a talk with him about his sense of humor when I get back to the DEO," Alex promised.

"Uh … is that talk going to involve a sparring session?"

"It might … or maybe some target practice at the range with him holding the target," Alex said as she ran through various scenarios in her mind.

"Don't hurt him too much, Alex. He didn't think I'd see this," Kara defended her friend as she started to flip through the pages. "Oh, wow, he used bullet points. I bet Cat loved that. She was always after the tech department to use them …"

Kara immersed herself in reading. Alex perched on the arm rest of the couch ready to answer any questions Kara might have. An hour later, with Kara still reading, she decided to take a shower and grab a light breakfast.

"Hey, Kara, you'd better get ready for work. Cat says we need to –"

"Yeah, I'm going." Kara turned off the laptop and stood up facing her sister, "I guess I should see Cat, too. Before work, I mean. For my … my daily praise 'fix'. This is so embarrassing. I have to ask her to praise me every day so I can function normally? The –"

"You don't have to ask her, Kara. She knows. She'll ask you to do something minor like –"

"Like close the lid on the laptop and then praise me and I'll be so happy I pleased her I'll get high," Kara finished miserably.

"Not quite. Cat didn't know how much praise to give you yesterday and gave you … an overdose? I guess that's what you'd say. Anyway, she's trying to do her best by you, Kara. She doesn't like it any more than you do but there is no alternative unless you want to sit in a green cell at the DEO and slowly go mad."

"Or let Max –"

"That is not even an option."

"You didn't even hear my –"

"Nothing that has the name Maxwell Lord involved is a viable plan. Period. Mom will figure out an antidote. All we have to do is sit tight until she does, okay? Now, go grab some breakfast and get ready for work."

A half hour later Kara emerged dressed for work sans her dark glasses and white cane.

"Took you long enough," Alex remarked. "I thought you were going to use all the hot water in the building. Did you get any sleep last night?"

"No. I'll be – hey, you're not wearing that to work. Are you?" Kara took in Alex's black on black ensemble with a very noticeable gun on her hip. "Didn't Cat tell you –"

"Yeah, she did. And this is the one time I can do whatever I want and not catch any flak from her. I'm going to enjoy it while I can," Alex said with a self-satisfied smile. She started to cross her arms in front of her chest until she was reminded of the bite mark on her forearm. The thing still hurt like a son of a bitch. It didn't look like it was infected when I took a shower. I'll keep a close eye on it today. Glad Doc Hamilton gave me the vial of antibiotics.

Kara grabbed her darkened glasses and cane then felt for the door handle.

"You coming, Alex?" she called over her shoulder as she exited the room.

"Right behind you. Did you want to meet Cat at the car or –"

"NO … I, ah … I'd rather her do her … thing to me in private," Kara ducked her head in embarrassment.

"I … understand. Did you want me to go with you?"

"Actually, Alex, I'd prefer to …would you mind if I did this alone? Please?" Kara's voice wavered a little.

"I'll wait by the elevator downstairs for you and Cat, okay?" Alex tried to keep her voice light.

"Thanks," Kara said as the elevator door closed leaving her alone with her thoughts. The GIF of Cat controlling her like a robot fresh in her brain. I don't think I've ever taken a longer elevator ride. Still, she was unprepared for the elevator door to open and deposit her within Cat's purview. Come on, Kara. You can trust her. Alex is right, you know, she's always tried to do right by you. It's not her fault –

"Good morning, Kara," Cat's voice interrupted.

"Good morning, Cat," Kara fought to keep her voice steady.

"Your sister sleep in today? I did say –"

"She's waiting downstairs. By the car. I … I, um, I asked her to," Kara stammered out. "Can we just do that thing, please. Get it over with."

Cat took in Kara's distinctly red face. For goodness sake, Agent Scully, you work at a top-secret organization but can't keep a secret?

"Darn, the elevator door closed. I don't want to be too late for the office. Call the elevator back to this floor, Kara," Cat ordered and waited until Kara pressed the button before saying, "Good job, thank you."

Cat watched as Kara almost preened at the comment. Her face remained flushed. This time with pleasure rather than embarrassment. A slight smile graced her lips.

"I wore my glasses and took my cane like you told me to, also," Kara needlessly pointed out. "Is there anything else you want me to do for you, Cat? I can –"

"I believe I'm all set for the moment. Let's get on the elevator. I don't want to keep your sister waiting," Cat said. Keep your words to a minimum. At least, since she's wearing her glasses, you don't have to worry about making her feel bad when you roll your eyes … and I bet, knowing Agent Scully, you'll be doing a lot of that in the near future.

/

General Lane didn't enjoy the plane ride to National City. He was sure Smith and his crew would be able to deliver Max Lord. That wasn't the issue. The issue was … Lucy. He knew, without a doubt, their relationship was finished. Lucy was smart and, no thanks to Lois, no longer as naive to his motives. If it weren't for her friendship of Supergirl, she'd still be his little girl … understand and believe in the real threat of the Kryptonian and her cousin …of all aliens. Supergirl had a lot to answer for, corrupting his daughter, the only person he truly loved after his wife died. Lois? Well, she never cared for him and his wishes. She was too head strong and her friendship with Superman didn't help. The Kryptonians had taken too much from him and now … now he was poised to take it back. All he needed was some time with Maxwell Lord – convince the man to bring Supergirl to him and Cadmus. Then either Max Lord would consent to work for him, experimenting on Supergirl or, preferably, he would call Supergirl to him and into a trap. Once Supergirl was secure, the authorities would be notified and Maxwell Lord could rot his life away in prison. Supergirl would be studied, experimented on, dissected by Cadmus. Yes, Supergirl would pay for taking Lucy from him.