"What percent am I at, Lena?" Sam wonders, eyes trained on Alex from across the sparring mat.
"280 percent," Lena replies casually.
It's been eleven days since Sam woke up. Lena has finished the scanner allowing her to dive deeper into Sam's brain and found no trace of Reign. Sam's daily trainings with J'onn have assured her of her power over her own brain and so she has been allowing them to lower the inhibitor, which means new training.
"You're sure I need to do this at a level above human strength?" Sam asks Alex.
"Trust me, she sparred with me at almost full strength before I had formal training, and kicked my butt," Kara laughs, answering the question.
"Are we just going to keep talking or are we going to get this started?" Alex taunts.
Sam sighs unhappily and raises her fists. She doesn't even know if she has it in her to try and fight someone, especially Alex. That's what made Reign and Sam so dichotomous.
"That's what I thought," Alex chuckles moving forward.
"Space your fists out more, more center of body, pull them closer in," Alex begins shouting instructions at her. "Protect your center, defend against any strike."
Sam makes the adjustments as Alex continues to advance towards her. She expects to dodge or block a blow when her feet are kicked out from under her and she lands flat on her back with a huff.
"Never lose focus on your opponent," Alex tells her, while hovering over her prone body. "Anticipate their next move."
Sam growls and gets herself back together before she stands and faces Alex again.
It continues that way over and over again, Alex noting all of Sam's weaknesses by exploiting them and taunting the brunette.
Sam lands on her butt or her face. A few times she is pinned against the wall or ends up with her arms in a hold. She takes several blows to the abdomen and many below the knee that quickly reintroduce her to the ground.
Alex bests her in every bout and Lena, Kara and Alex quickly see the anger and frustration rising in Sam.
She goes from defensive stances to attempting to strike. Alex easily thwarts her efforts each time and continues to ground, pin and disable the brunette, all while adding insult to injury.
She calls Sam sloppy and tells her she's begging to be injured or hurt. Alex insults her precision, her patience and her resolve. She calls her weak and insults Reign along the way.
"Power means nothing if you can't control it. You cannot rely on strength without technique," Alex tells her sternly before deflecting a blow and flipping Sam toward the mat. "That's why even with much more strength, Reign and Supergirl were equally matched."
She continues to call Sam weak and demands she try harder. Tells her she will never make it out of here to Ruby if she doesn't try. She goads her attacks and scolds her for letting anger fuel her and cloud her judgement.
"Focus and hit me," Alex demands as they continue their bout around the mat. Alex continues driving in insults, hoping to piss Sam off enough to prove Reign won't emerge.
Finally, Sam moves in quickly, and dodges Alex's attempts to restrain or disable her. She looks skilled for the first time out of dozens of prior attacks. Everything halts as Sam lands a powerful blow to Alex's jaw.
Alex whips back and falls to her knees as she attempts to recover while Lena and Kara run onto the mat. Sam's hands go up to her mouth as she gasps, realizes what she's done and falls to her knees in front of the redhead pleading for forgiveness.
"Alex, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she repeats over and over again. She realizes she has landed a full strength blow to Alex's face and may have just broken the woman's jaw. She can't believe what she's just done and it was all her. Reign had nothing to do with the harm she just inflicted. She begins to sob as she reaches for Alex, mumbling sorry repeatedly.
Kara and Lena join the pair while trying to get a look at Alex's jaw to assess the injury.
Lena puts an arm around Sam and tries to quiet her distressing pleas. She reassures her Alex will be fine while Kara removes Alex's hands from her face.
A loud pop is heard before Alex groans. She moves her jaw in several directions to ensure it's fine, then she grabs one of Sam's hands and begins assuring her it's alright.
"Sam, I am okay," she tries to console the distraught woman. "You did exactly what I asked. I goaded you into attacking me."
"I shouldn't have done that. I should have been able to control myself. I'm no better than Reign," she cries.
"Sam, I train new recruits all the time and tell them not to hold back. I expect hits like that in the sparring room. You did nothing wrong," Alex assures her.
"I hurt you again," Sam replies glumly.
"It's not any worse than any other sparring injury I've had happen to me. I'm okay. I'm better than ok. I'm so proud and happy," Alex exclaims as she pulls Sam into a hug.
"Happy? I could have broken your jaw," Sam says, confused how that is anything to be proud of.
"Sam, Alex riled you up enough for you to strike her. You were steaming mad. Did you ever feel as if Reign was going to emerge?" Lena asks.
"No, that's why I feel so terrible. Striking Alex was all me," Sam laments.
"That's why I'm happy Sam. This is further proof that you have control over Reign. This is a big step," Alex says happily.
"Nothing out of the ordinary appeared on the monitor," Lena adds. "I think it's safe to assume she's gone now, Sam."
Sam nods at the realization but she still isn't so sure.
"With all the tests we have performed that have appeared negative and all the training you and J'onn have been through are you confident enough for us to release more power and begin your strength training?" Kara asks.
Sam looks to Lena and Alex who both have pleading expressions on their faces. They have continuously believed in her and she knows they are exhausted by how much effort it has taken to get Sam to trust herself. She knows she hasn't been easy to deal with.
She doesn't want to disappoint them anymore. "I'd like that," Sam replies, never breaking eye contact with Alex as the words leave her mouth. She sees the relief flash across her face and instantly decides it's worth it.
They decide Sam's training schedule will include a daily session with Kara. These trainings would fall after J'onn's to ensure Sam's hold over her mind was fresh and sharp. Sam would also continue sparring with Alex two mornings a week.
Sam's first training with Kara falls a few hours after a sparring session with Alex.
Alex waits outside of Sam's room until Kara emerges. The sisters exchange nods before Kara opens the door to let Alex through.
Alex walks in and finds Sam assembling playing card houses in her cell. She tells the agent watching Sam that he can step outside until she leaves. He doesn't look happy about it but listens to his superior.
Alex walks up to the glass and giggles when Sam huffs after the second layer of cards fall and collapse the whole stack.
"So this is what she decided to start you off with," Alex chuckles.
"Right?" Sam laughs back before standing and joining Alex on the other side of the glass. "She has me at 180 percent right now," Sam explains worriedly.
"She did these things when she was learning too," Alex says softly. "I promise they help."
They smile at each other for quite a while before Alex speaks again.
"I have something for you," Alex says.
"You do?" Sam asks, beaming as she says it.
"Yes, but I want to give it to you in person," Alex tells her.
"Well we will spar again on Wednesday-"
"No I have to give it to you now," Alex interrupts.
"Alex-"
"I need you to trust me and yourself right now," Alex cuts her off again as she begins to shut down all security measures holding Sam back. Sam who is at almost the strength of Supergirl.
Sam feels fear bubbling up inside her as Alex enters the room. This is the third time the agent has endangered her life to enter the same space as her.
"Trust me and trust yourself," Alex continues to say as she walks through the door and up to Sam. "You won't hurt me," she assures her.
Sam stares at her a moment before noticing the purpling of the skin already developing on the redhead's jaw. She raises her hand to stroke the spot instinctually and resents herself for doing that to Alex. "I already have," she replies sadly.
Alex grabs her hand and continues to press it towards her jaw and cheek. "I'm okay," Alex promises her for what seems like the hundredth time. "You have control," Alex notes softly and encouragingly. "You aren't hurting me now. You aren't too strong or too dangerous."
Sam sighs deeply before retracting her hand. "I am calm and rational right now, Alex. We cannot be sure I will always be in control when my emotions themselves are not as controlled."
"You will learn all of that in time, Sam. You can't keep punishing yourself," Alex says. She pulls a pair of glasses out of her jacket pocket and steps closer toward the brunette. She fastens them onto Sam's face and then looks at her triumphantly. "Do those help?" She pushes away the thoughts of how beautiful the brunette looks in glasses.
"Are they supposed to make my vision stronger?" Sam asks, squinting through the lenses as she tests them.
"No, no. Do they drown out noise, stop you from accidentally using X-ray vision? That must be driving you crazy even at only 200 percent. Focus on those powers and tell me if this hinders them."
"Alex, I don't have those powers," Sam says, confusion lacing her voice.
"What do you mean you don't have them? You're Kryptonian," Alex exclaims. "You just need to focus."
"I can't do that. I've been focusing for hours with Kara. Practicing patience and steadiness. Before that I focused with you and for hours with J'onn still at 280 percent. My senses never went haywire," Sam explains.
"So you don't have all of Kara's powers?" Alex ponders. "How could that be?"
Sam takes the glasses off and shrugs. "I'm only half Kryptonian."
Alex realizes why Sam is so much stronger than Kara. Strong may be the only thing she is. "So instead of being half as powerful as Kara, you may have only half as many powers at varying strengths," Alex muses.
"Seems like it," Sam sighs with relief as she hands Alex the glasses back.
"We need to figure out what powers you do and don't have," Alex exclaims.
Sam laughs a little and shakes her head. "Not today, Alex. I am actually exhausted even at 180 percent." She strides over to her bed and takes a seat.
"Prolonged exposure to kryptonite will have a prolonged weakening effect," Alex explains, following the brunette. She stops about 5 feet from Sam's bed, giving Sam her space. "I can turn on the sun lamps, they will help."
"I will just let myself heal naturally," Sam argues.
"You probably should get some sun, Sam. Maybe an hour or so, you'll need it to stay healthy," Alex tries to convince her.
"Just one hour?" Sam asks.
"One hour," Alex promises.
Sam stares at her for a moment before nodding her head. "Okay," she agrees.
Alex grins. She wants to hug the brunette. It's taken a while but she is finally willing to face her powers and let go of her fears. "I'm so proud of you, Sam. You're making a huge amount of progress," Alex says happily.
"Only because you're so persistent," Sam replies, rolling her eyes. She gets up from the bed and walks over to Alex. She fears her strength for a moment before she wraps her friend in a tight embrace. "Thank you," Sam whispers into her neck. Alex never wants to let go.
Sam unfortunately releases her after a few lengthy moments.
The two awkwardly stare at each other until Alex clears her throat and breaks the silence. "Okay, I'm going to pick Ruby up from school. I'll turn on the lamps and instruct the agent to turn them off in an hour," Alex says as she leaves Sam's chamber.
The brunette just nods and tells her goodbye. "Tell Ruby I love her," Sam adds.
"Of course," Alex promises and leaves Sam to heal.
It's week three of Sam's constant training schedule. She has finally allowed them turn off the inhibitor key, but Sam refuses to take it off. She also refuses to let them put her in a regular room or let them relieve the guard from his post.
She trusts herself but she's still not 100 percent sure Reign is gone.
"Ready?" Alex asks and receives a nod from the brunette. She turns the key up to 300 percent and allows for Sam to adjust.
Being free from Kryptonite makes being exposed to it again really uncomfortable. Sam always needs a few moments to adjust, before her and Alex can begin their training.
"Ready," Sam announces as she rolls her neck and gets into position.
They run through practiced techniques and combinations. Punching, blocking, kicking, dodging and weaving. The two of them practice them in a skilled dance while they warm up.
Sam has been getting much better. She's bested Alex a few times now and gotten good enough to be evened down back to her partner's strength. Never has she injured the redhead again. Sam has kept her strength in check and held back slightly whenever she feels herself gain a lead over the woman.
When the two begin to spar, Alex notes instantly that Sam is getting good. She dodges several blows and keeps herself righted after Sam pushes her back several times and gets the best of her.
She can't believe how far the brunette has come, opening with the offensive.
She blocks one blow to the left and another to the right before locking her arm around Sam's. She attempts to flip her but the brunette holds tight and pulls Alex towards her center of body.
Alex is eye to eye with Sam, before the Kryptonian attempts to kick her leg out from under her and ground her. Alex grabs hold of her and takes her down with her as she tumbles backwards.
Alex lands with a huff as Sam crashes on top of her. Sam groans as she lifts her head back to eye level with the redhead.
They look each other in the eyes for a few moments before Sam begins laughing hysterically. She rests her head in the crook of Alex's neck, puffing warm air onto the agent's shoulder in between fits of giggles.
Alex notes the arousal she feels holding the woman on top of her, but she attempts to tamp it down. She definitely tries to ignore Sam's thigh pressing between her legs, and the hot breaths against her pulse.
When Sam finally gets herself together she raises her head again and tries to catch her breath. "I can't believe how good I've gotten," she celebrates, wearing the most beautiful smile Alex has ever seen.
"You're doing better than Kara did by this time," Alex confesses, trying to ignore how entrancing Sam's deep brown eyes are.
"Awesome," Sam exclaims happily in a little dance, accidentally driving her thigh into Alex's core. Alex can't hold back the satisfied groan she unconsciously releases.
"Oh my god, Alex," Sam shouts, crawling off of the redhead. "Did I hurt you?" She demands looking over the agent from top to bottom.
Alex shakes her head and takes a moment to recover before standing up. She tries to cool the heat in her cheeks as she turns towards Sam. "I'm okay. I think we should stretch and finish up for the day," Alex says, trying to calm her nerves. "You did great," she adds.
Sam smiles at her and Alex feels something take over, she feels herself fall.