Her eyes were still blue. That's what Alex kept telling herself. Her eyes were still blue, the same hue even. Then, why did they look so different? Her hair was… well, they'd shaved her head. That soft blonde hair was gone, replaced by patches of fuzz. And she sat… God, why did she look so calm?

Alex felt anything but calm. But Kara, the one who was always on edge, who would jump at every loud noise, sat with her shoulders relaxed and hands resting limply on her thighs.

The convoy jumped as it hit a rock and even Alex gasped. Kara remained still, hands frozen on her lap. There was no fidgeting, no ear covering, no eye avoidance; she just sat there staring into the wall.

"Kara?" Alex tried but even she could hear her voice was quaking.

Kara didn't respond.

"What's wrong with her?" Alex turned to J'onn.

J'onn sighed. "CADMUS was in the middle of a procedure." He paused. "It's a new kind, but we're seeing it more and more. They put a chip, one of those Lexochips you've seen on the news, in her head."

"But those are… Why would they…" Alex was beginning to feel like she was underwater.

"We don't know how far they got with the procedure, but at the least she must be pretty traumatized."

Alex gulped. "Then why isn't she crying? Or screaming? Or something?"

Alex leaned forward, reached a hand across J'onn's lap, and took Kara's in her own.

Kara showed no sign that she noticed the contact.

"Kara," Alex's voice was gentle. ", It's me. It's Alex. You're safe. You're okay."

Kara's eyes were a million miles away. Her skin was clammy.

When it became clear that Kara wasn't answering, Alex refocused on J'onn.

"Who are you?"

"I am J'onn J'onzz…"

"I know that. But who is that? What do you do?"

J'onn's lips turned up in a halfhearted smile. "You are just like your mother." He paused. "You look more like your father, though."

Tears sprung to Alex's eyes before she could stop them. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. Kara was supposed to be okay. They were supposed to be hiding out, keeping out of sight. Alex was supposed to keep her promise.

"You knew my parents?" Alex's voice was watery.

"It's impossible to work for the Underground without knowing me, but your parents were special. They were friends of Clark's."

Visions of green tinged veins popped before Alex's eyes. She could see Clark now as clearly as the day she'd met him. His visit had been the day that everything had changed. It had been the day she'd gotten a sister and the day her parents' fate had been sealed.

Clark Kent was a man who could lift a building into the air, her mother had said. Clark Kent was a good man, her father had said. But Clark Kent, hero, good man, had gotten her parents killed.

"What do you do for the Underground?" Alex swallowed; it was all she could do to keep her voice steady.

At this, J'onn cocked his head and his small smile disappeared. She saw it then, the flash in his warm brown eyes. Just for a passing moment they weren't brown, but red. Red like Kara's had been.

"I'm its leader." He said.

They sat Kara down with a blanket- it was wool, Kara should have hated it- over her shoulders. Dreamer sat by her side as J'onn and Alex moved to a corner of the convoy.

"My name's Nia." Dreamer said. "You'll be safe in Parthas. And I think you'll like it there. We don't have much, but it beats the streets."

Kara watched as Alex conversed with J'onn. Her arms were flying everywhere and she frowned like she only did when Kara spoke of her parents. Her real parents.

"I saw you guys," Nia continued, seemingly undisturbed by Kara's lack of response. ", I get these… visions. I dream stuff that's going to happen. Prophetic dreaming they call it. The women of my people can do it sometimes."

Kara continued to stare at Alex and J'onn's discussion.

"I'm Naltorian. Or half-Naltorian. My mom's one. My dad's human. My sister, Maeve, and I are both."

Alex had stopped waving her arms around and now held them close to her chest like she'd been hit.

"We only got here about a year and a half ago, when the government found out my mom's an alien. I was really scared but it's so much better down there than hiding up here." Dreamer paused. "So, uh, what kind of alien are you?"

Kara opened her mouth. She knew the answer to this one. She just had to collect her thoughts…

"Maybe stop yapping her head off, Dreamer." Guardian had removed his mask to reveal a kind, completely normal face.

Nia stuck her tongue out at him.

"Just introducing myself. You ought to try it with the people you save. It builds a rapport."

Kara opened her mouth again. She didn't mind Nia's talking. It had been too long since she'd had someone to talk to besides Alex. And those were conversations she didn't want to think about.

She twitched as a buzzing reverberated through her skull. Her hands were on her ears as her whole head seemed to quake, but that only made the buzzing louder.

"Ow. Ow. Ow." She repeated, knowing that was what you said when you were hurt.

Alex came running like she always did, nearly got knocked off her feet as the vehicle made a sharp turn.

"Kara?" Her hands were on Kara's. "It's okay. I'm here. I promise. You're okay. What hurts?"

Kara wanted to respond. She really did. But something in her head told her not to. It was too hard. It was too much. She needed to relax. She needed to listen.

The buzzing disappeared and Kara's voice with it.

Alex swung her head around and snarled at J'onn. "What is wrong with her?"

J'onn shook his head. "We won't know until our doctors can take a look at her."

"Could you just phase in and short-circuit the chip?" Guardian offered.

"Not unless I want to fry her brain right along with it."

"Oh my god. Oh my god." Alex was sitting again, back against the wall. Her breath was quick and heavy.

"Hey." Nia's hand was on her shoulder. "It'll be okay. We have great doctors and they're used to treating aliens."

"The only danger will be if we can't get the chip out before her powers completely manifest." J'onn's voice was cold, strategic.

"Excuse me?" Alex's heart jumped in her chest.

"The last experts on Kryptonian biology were your parents. But I do know that once her powers come in…"

"The chip will be permanently lodged in her head." Alex finished.

"Wait," Nia's eyes were wide. ", Kryptonian? Like… from Krypton?"

Alex nodded.

"Oh."

Alex watched as Nia crept back to the seat next to Kara. Her first impression of the girl had been right; she was younger than Kara. Her eyes bright and suit, a blue and silver jumpsuit, just slightly baggy, like it wasn't quite made for her. She stood out from the rest of the group; the only one not dressed in black or grey.

She looked down at her hands in her lap, before biting her lip. Then, she glanced up at Kara.

And muttered something entirely unintelligible.

But for a moment following its utterance, Kara's eyes opened wide. Bright with recognition. It was smothered all too quickly.

But still Kara reached out a hand, not towards Nia, but towards Alex.

"Ie." She said, her voice carrying none of its usual trill.

That word Alex recognized.

She rushed to Kara's side and took the girl's hand once more.

"That's right, Kara. Ie. It's Alex."

Kara nodded. Slow and steady.

"You just need to hang on a little longer." Alex squeezed Kara's hand. "We're almost there."

She turned to J'onn.

"We are almost there, right?"

Before J'onn could answer, one of the drivers called out. "J'onn, we need you."

J'onn nodded before approaching the side of the van. With a deep breath, he placed his hands against its side.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked.

"I'm taking us to the Underground." J'onn grunted.

Alex almost spoke. She almost got a full word out of her mouth before it hit her. A wave of… not nausea, something lighter, something that caused her to look down, just to check that her feet were still there, still working. She turned toward J'onn, but he looked the same. He was hardly moving, but his teeth were gritted, his eyes closed.

Kara looked a bit green.

Alex looked up, hoping that someone would explain. That's when she saw it. The wall. That they were headed straight for. She threw her arms around Kara and braced herself.

This was it. This was going to be it. A year of running around National City with Kara in tow. A year of living on the streets. A year of taking care of an honest to goodness alien. A year of making up for her parents deaths all for nothing. All to die in a stupid accident with the people who were supposed to keep her safe. Warm tears hit her cheeks and dribbled down onto Kara's head.

Kara didn't even react.

But Alex did when a hand was suddenly on her back. She whipped her arm around on instinct, but met nothing but air.

"Alex, open your eyes." It was J'onn's voice.

Alex shook her head.

They were going to crash. They were going to die. It was finally going to be over.

And then Kara started whimpering.

Alex sighed. Fine. Just for laughs. Just for kicks. Just for Kara, she could do this. She opened her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked without removing herself from on top of Kara.

Kara gave a muffled nod.

Finally, Alex released her. She turned to face the front of the vehicle. The wall was gone. So was the road. So was National City.

Splayed out in front of her was a warehouse size compound with brick running up rounded walls. There were other vehicles parked all around them. Vans and bikes. Hoverboards. A few military-grade vehicles. And there were people everywhere. Well, not people at all. Or people like Kara.

They paid the new vehicle no mind and continued walking through the compound, bags in hands and children under feet.

"Welcome to Parthas." Nia smiled.