A/N: Thanks for the comments
Chloe Thanks! From this point on it will be much more focused in the sisters.
As Alex and J'onn stumbled into the Phantom Zone they both felt chilled down to the bones.
"You okay?" J'onn asked.
"I don't know. It's so cold." Alex said before looking at the thermometer she brought with her. "Only it isn't. According to this it is sixty eight Fahrenheit. I could have sworn it was about thirty." She said looking around.
"Good news is there are no phantoms." J'onn said.
"Yet." Alex commented.
"Let's move before they get here." J'onn said.
"No arguments from me." Alex said pulling out the device Alura had given her.
"Anything?" J'onn asked.
"No. Wait. That way." Alex said.
"Remember this may not be Kara." J'onn warned.
"I know." Alex said as the pair started walking.
-00-
"You okay?" J'onn asked after they had been walking for several minutes.
"Yes."
"You sure? You look like something is worrying you."
"Actually I was just thinking it's not so bad. Which makes me wonder how psychosomatic this is." Alex said. "I mean say they called it the Hug Zone you think we would fear it? And if they called it the eternal nightmare zone would we fear it more?"
"You want to start calling it the Hug Zone?" J'onn asked.
"Kara would appreciate it." Alex pointed out.
"Well let's find her and bring her home." J'onn said as they both felt something.
"What was that?" Alex asked turning only to see a swarm of phantoms approaching.
"Run." J'onn shouted.
-00-
"You okay?" J'onn asked as they both hid in a cave.
"I've changed my mind. This is like I'd thought it be. Definitely not the Hug Zone." Alex panted.
"Good news is they aren't following us in here." J'onn said.
"For how long?" Alex asked.
"No idea. But we need to think this through." J'onn said. "I think the best option is for you to follow the signal and I will act as a diversion."
"You sure?" Alex asked.
"Yes." J'onn said. "I'll go first. Wait two minutes and then follow the signal."
"How will you find us?"
"You never once managed to evade me in training." He reminded her. "Be careful." With that he left the cave. Once he was gone Alex edged her way to the entrance and counted to one hundred. She then took several deep breaths and left the safety of the cave. Not seeing anything she continued in the direction she hoped Kara was in.
After ten minutes of running and scrambling over the rocky landscape she crawled through a small gap. Getting to her feet she saw a body on the floor.
"Kara?" She asked before running towards the figure, which remained motionless. Causing her to shout again. "Kara!" When she reached the body she rolled it over and saw Kara's lifeless eyes looking at her.
"Kara!" She screamed looking for any sign of life. "Kara no."
"Alex!" J'onn shouted as he grabbed her shoulders.
"J'onn?" She asked turning, tears running down her face.
"What's wrong?" J'onn asked.
"We're too late. She's dead." She said looking at the lifeless body in her arms.
"Alex there is nothing here." J'onn said.
"She's right her." Alex said.
"Alex, Kara isn't here. You must have be touched by a phantom."
"No, she's here." Alex said looking down only to see nothing. "Kara? Where'd she go?"
"Alex, we haven't found her yet." J'onn said.
"She's still alive?" Alex asked in disbelief.
"We have no reason to doubt it." J'onn said helping Alex to her feet. "But let's move on before the Phantoms return."
"Okay." Alex said still looking pale and unsure.
-00-
"How are you feeling?" J'onn asked as they rested in another cave.
"Okay. I think. It was so real though." Alex said hugging her knees. "We need to find Kara."
"We will, but I need to make sure you are okay first."
"I'm fine." Alex said.
"Good, but let's rest for five minutes and make sure the Phantoms aren't coming."
"Okay." Alex said.
"I'm going to keep watch. Stay here."
Nodding Alex watched J'onn go. She then shut her eyes and saw Kara's lifeless body again. Shaking off the image she hugged her knees tighter before hearing a sound from deeper in the cave.
Squeezing her way deeper into the cave she shone the light into the darkness and saw several phantoms. As one of them looked round, Alex saw a red cape on the ground as the rest of the phantoms continued what they were doing.
"Kara!" She screamed. As she did so all the phantoms looked round. As they did she saw blood dripping from their mouths. Looking down at her sister's body she realised they had been devouring it. Picking up a rock she charged at the phantoms and attacked them like a banshee.
Startled by the crazed attack the Phantoms backed away allowing Alex to see her sister's lifeless body that had had the heart ripped out.
Feeling the rage take over Alex swung widely at the phantoms trying and failing to make contact until finally she made contact with something sending the confused J'onn to the ground.
"Alex!" J'onn shouted as he got to his feet.
"Alex." He repeated wrapping his arms round her. "It's not real."
"J'onn?" Alex asked confused.
"It's not real." He said. As he felt Alex relax he let her go so she could see the truth in his words.
Looking down at the ground Alex saw nothing and she shut her eyes in relief. Only as she did so she saw her sister's heartless body again and she threw up.
"Alex, it isn't real." J'onn soothed as he held her trembling body.
"It looked so real." Alex said after she had finally calmed down.
"That's what makes the phantoms powerful." J'onn said.
"How come you haven't been effected yet?"
"I have. But so far I'm seeing the same nightmares I have lived with since the slaughter of my family. I am used to those which makes it easier to contain."
"I'm sorry." Alex said.
"It's okay. But make sure you don't wander of. Our best way to get through this is to stay together." J'onn said.
"Kara has had no one to help her. What if it has broken her?"
"This is Kara, she will keep on fighting. She'll do whatever it takes to hold on until you get to her." J'onn reminded her just as he felt his arm get hot. Looking down he saw it wrapped in flames.
"No." He said hitting his arm, trying to put the flames out.
"J'onn?" Alex asked.
"Can't put it out." He said as the flames grew.
"J'onn there's nothing there." Alex soothed.
"Stay back." J'onn said before noticing Alex was surrounded by flames. Without thinking he threw himself on Alex and tried to put the fire out.
"J'onn." Alex shouted as she lay under J'onn who kept trying to hit the flames into submission.
"J'onn, it's not real. There's no fire." Alex said. Getting no response from J'onn apart from slaps over her body as he tried to put the imaginary flames out, she freed her arm and punched him before kneeing him.
Rolling off in surprise and pain J'onn asked.
"Alex?"
"You okay?" Alex asked sitting up.
"You're not on fire." J'onn said.
"It was in your mind." Alex explained.
"My mind? So real."
"You okay?" Alex asked.
"I think so." J'onn nodded, although he looked shaken.
"Hey, we are both okay." Alex reminded him. "And you're right we really need to stick together." Alex said getting to her feet. "Let's move."
-00-
As the two walked through the Phantom Zone both felt uneasy. Doing their best to ignore the feeling they both focused on the Kryptonian gadget Alex was holding. Then after what felt like an eternity Alex saw a figure in blue and red down the valley.
"Tell me you see that." Alex said.
"I see it." J'onn said. Seeing Alex was about to take off he grabbed her arm. "Remember Kara could be trapped in her own hallucination."
"All the more reason to get to her." Alex said.
"Go. I'll keep watch." He said.
"Kara!" Alex called before scrambling down the incline towards her sister.
"Alex?" Kara asked looking away from her father.
"She's not real Kara." Zor-El said to his daughter. "I told you this would happen. That's why I couldn't accept you were here. They aren't coming for you. They can't."
"Kara, it's me Alex." Alex said edging towards her sister.
"This is the phantoms' way of destroying you." Zor-El warned. "To give you hope and then crush it. Once you believe in the hallucinations there will be no escape."
"Kara, what's wrong?" Alex asked reaching her sister.
"Get back. You aren't real." Kara said.
"Kara, I promise you it's me." Alex said.
"It's impossible for anyone to be here." Zor-El said.
"I know I took my time getting here and I get why'd you believe I'm not here. But this is me." Alex said as J'onn stood watch. "We are both here to take you home." Alex said waving to the hillside where J'onn was.
"J'onn?" Kara asked.
"They aren't real Kara. I know it hurts, but you have to accept where you are." Zor-El said.
"Not real." Kara said looking lost.
"Kara, I need you so much. I need my little sister. I can't begin to understand what you have been through, but please let me help." Alex pleaded.
"Listen to me Kara, the only way to stop these delusions is to fight. You must kill the hallucinations. When you do your mind will be free." Zor-El said.
"Kill?" Kara asked while looking at Alex.
"Yes. If I do it your mind will still cling to it. You must be the one to do it."
"Kara listen to me, I am real, J'onn is real. We are here to take you home." Alex said.
"Home?" Kara asked as her right hand gripped the small makeshift blade.
"This is your home now." Zor-El said. "The only choice you have is how tormented you are when you are here."
"But Alex." Kara said, although Alex heard it as a question.
"I'm right here. I will always be here for you." Alex said stepping towards her sister and hugging her, moments before she felt a sharp pain in her side when Kara stabbed the blade into her.
"It's okay." Alex said hugging Kara despite the pain. "It's okay. It's not you. But you will get home. You will be safe."
"Why is she still here?" Kara asked looking at her father as Alex clung to her.
"Because you only wounded her. Kill her. Strike her through the heart, like she did to Astra." Zor-El instructed.
"Through the heart?" Kara asked. "Astra? Wait how do you know that?"
"You told me." Zor-El said.
"No I didn't. You're not real."
"I'm right here Kara." Alex said through the pain.
"What have I done?" Kara asked pulling away from her sister and seeing the blood.
"It's okay." Alex smiled weakly before collapsing into Kara.
"Alex!" Kara cried as J'onn ran forward.
"What happened?"
"I thought she wasn't real. I stabbed her." Kara said crying.
"It's okay." J'onn said as he started to pack the wound.
"Help her." Kara pleaded.
"We will. Let's get her home."
"You can't." Zor-El said. "If you leave they win. Stay with me iinah."
"You aren't real."
"I am right here." Zor-El said touching her cheek.
"No you're not."
"You cry for me. Your heart knows I am real." Zor-El argued. "Come with me."
"Kara!" J'onn snapped. "We need to go."
"You would really betray your family?" Zor-El asked.
"They are my family." Kara said looking back at J'onn who lifted Alex into his arms.
"Kara don't do this." Zor-El pleaded.
"Kara, let's go." J'onn said as Alex called.
"Kara?" As she did so she reached out with her blood soaked hand.
"Alex?" Kara said looking back at here sister before taking her hand.
"I've got you." Alex said as sweat ran down her forehead. "I've always got you."
"Don't do this Kara." Zor-El said again.
"I'm right here." Alex said squeezing her sister's hand.
"Moment of truth." J'onn said pressing a button on the device that Lena had given him. After a worrying second of nothing suddenly a bright flash blinded them. Recovering first J'onn saw the portal and ordered. "Let's go."
"You will die if you go through." Zor-El said.
"I'm sorry." Kara cried as she clung to Alex's hand.
"Move." J'onn ordered as he stepped towards the portal. Moments later all three were engulfed in light.