Alex is hunched over the kitchen counter, drinking one of the ridiculously expensive bottles of scotch Lena has given her at some point because she needed to drown her sorrows. I am alone so who cares, she thought.
Kelly is gone because after Obsidian Tech tanked with the whole Leviathan corrupt CEO thing, she didn't have a job and got a good offer closer to James. Her exact parting words, in true Kelly fashion, "We are good but not great and not what you truly want". The only thing I want is kids, Alex thinks, which we were looking at. Hell, we met when I almost adopted a kid until it fell apart. We are what I want but Kelly says there is something else more important to me. Maybe the bottom of this bottle. Yep, there it is and no I'm not any happier.
Normally she'd go over to Kara's and eat pizza and potstickers and switch pints of ice cream but she's still in Phantom Zone. Oh yeah, that's when the drinking binge started, she thinks as she opens another bottle, Kara's stuck there in her literal worst nightmare short of seeing Krypton explode (I would know I held her through most of them, Alex thinks) and I'm fucking useless. I'm not spacey sciencey smart, I have medical training and can kick ass but not the way I'm feeling right now. Besides, I can't shoot the Phantoms without being there so… again pretty useless.
At this point, Alex has reached the sad drunk no longer angry at herself but at the world and everything that has gone wrong in her life and everyone who has left. Flunked out of med school until J'onn saved her. Then, Jeremiah comes back only to sacrifice himself again. All the times Kara has gotten hurt, or when she didn't even know Kara was Supergirl because of stupid Col Hayley.
Then her dating life, nothing could be worse than thinking about this. She finally realizes she's not into guys, the whole no interest in any guy but thinking Vicky from high school was hot should've tipped her off. Then the whole thing with Maggie, maybe she was right about not being with baby gays. Then the one night stand, on another Earth, with Sara, then Kelly leaving. Even Sam left, she thought, although we weren't dating but I wish we were and I loved hanging out with Ruby and Sam, and even though she was Reign, or like possessed by Reign, but I saved her.
At this point, Alex is cognizant enough to realize she's rambling in her thoughts which only brings her full circle back to how Kara is in trouble and she has no idea how to help. Deciding to end it here before she passes out, Alex poured one more glass of scotch, knocked it back, and crashed on the couch too dizzy, drunk, tired, and upset to make it to the bed.
The next morning, the only thing Alex remembers is opening the bottle and then the current loud ringing and vibration of her phone on the coffee table beside her. Even if she doesn't remember, she is definitely feeling the effects of the high amounts of alcohol. Finally able to open her eyes against the sun streaming through the blinds, Alex finds her phone and sees that it is Brainy calling her. "Brainy it is too fucking early for you to be calling me" Alex growls into the phone.
"Well, actually it's almost noon…" Brainy starts but Alex interrupts him, "I don't care what time it is, I was still asleep".
"Ah yes there was an 89% percent probability you would be asleep at this time because of the 98% chance that you would drink after the news from yesterday but there is a 65% chance you will forgive me for waking you after I tell you what I have found".
"Brainy I'm severely hungover and don't need a reminder of the news from yesterday just tell me what you've found".
"Right, of course, Alex. Well after our last attempts failed, Lena stayed up last night at the Tower and called me when she found something…".
"Brainy just spit it out what did you all find".
"We have a way to get Kara back. Come to the tower and we can explain."
"I'll be there in 30 minutes".
By the time, Alex gets there, Lena and Brainy who have been at it for a while are still working and rerunning calculations from what Alex can tell. Nia and J'onn are also there attempting to understand what Lena is saying. Brainy spots Alex and gathers everyone. "Thanks to Lena's tenacity and inhuman ability to not need sleep we have figured out a way to save Kara. We just need her blood."
Upon seeing everyone's confused looks, Lena steps up and says, "We figured out that the Phantoms tracking abilities are based on instinct, making them literal bloodhounds, if we use some of Kara's blood we can use the phantom we have in captivity to find where in the phantom zone she is and go get her."
Alex still skeptical and afraid of losing hope again asks, "Are you both sure this will work and how do we even get to the Phantom Zone?".
Brainy answers, "I can do some upgrades to the Legion ship".
J'onn steps up and says, "No need. When I first acquired the tower, I installed some upgrades", as he pushes a button on the side of the console, proud of his ingenuity and happy at being able to keep the technology his people created current and helpful.
Nia jumps in excitedly, "The tower is a ship!".
Alex winces from the volume and then adds, "I love Martian technology".
Lena says, "I can do a couple of upgrades for shields and set up the tracking program to take Kara's DNA input and the Phantom Zone projector so we can fly straight in grab her and get out. I just need a day or two and Kara's blood."
Nia jumps in, "then we have to go back in time, to Midvale High".
Nia and Brainy take the Legion ship back to Kara's high school days while Lena and J'onn work on the upgrades. Alex takes a few aspirins, drinks some water, and uses her Kryptonian biology knowledge to make a device that will take Kara's blood and track her once they get to the Phantom Zone.
With a plan she hopes will work, Lena has found a new sense of hope, after the dreariness of yesterday's news, that they actually have a chance to get Kara back. Thinking back, she regrets how long she allowed her anger and pride to drive them apart. The one person that she confided in, who knew how many times she had been betrayed only to turn around and do it to her too. She finally swallowed her pride and they finally reconciled only to have Lex of all people, screw up her life again and take Kara away from her, after she had just gotten her back.
Lena spent the first 16 years of her life on her own under Lillian's wrath and Lex's manipulative schemes until she met Sam and had a true friend. Her only one until Kara came in with her notepad, hiding behind Clark Kent. Lena knows, whether she admits it or not, that that day when Kara looked up at her, fixing her glasses, in what she later coined as Kara's signature fidget move, she had met the most important person in her life. Kara kept coming, again and again, making good use of the unrestricted access that Lena had granted, bringing lunch, to make sure she ate, and laughter into her boring CEO life. Kara was always there for her, as Kara and as Supergirl, even when she didn't want to see it or see her. Kara never gave up on her and that's why she couldn't give up now.
Hours later, Lena has made decent progress on updating the Tower's defenses and other upgrades in preparation for their journey to the Phantom Zone, in between texts from Sam telling her to go home and sleep. How Sam knows she didn't go home last night is beyond Lena but it doesn't matter anyway since even when she does go home she still can't sleep. Truthfully, she hasn't slept more than an hour since Lex shot Kara with the Phantom Zone Projector, but what Sam doesn't know won't hurt her and will keep her from flying to National City to force Lena to go home and sleep.
Lena has finally acquiesced to Sam's demands and agreed to go home tonight after she finished her upgrades to be well-rested for the trip to the Phantom Zone when they will get Kara back. She had just laid down her phone with a smile on her face when Alex walks into her lab with a Big Belly Burger bag and a smirk on her face. "What's finally gotten you to smile?" Alex teases.
Lena's head snaps up and sees Alex and the food. "Sam ordering me to go home, somehow she knows I didn't last night, and well it all just Sam's motherly protection and guilt-tripping to get me to rest" Lena explains as she takes the bags from Alex's hand and walks over to an empty table, turning away, not seeing the way Alex's face falls at the mention of Sam. Alex recovers quickly, although confused at her own reaction and follows her to the table leaving Lena none the wiser as to her reaction.
They sit down to eat and Alex explains the biological interface she created to take the sample of Kara's blood and allow them to use the Phantom's tracking abilities, then Lena shows her the ideas she has for upgrades to the ship. Once they finish eating, Lena who a few minutes ago was excitedly explaining her ideas has a solemn look on her face. Alex notices her down mood and asks, "What's up". Lena shrugs not used to sharing feelings, or even showing them, to anyone but Kara. Alex slings an arm across her shoulders and says, "I know I'm not Kara but you can talk to me. I know we didn't really trust each other before but it's clear how much you care for her and the lengths you are willing to go and I have to say I'm glad she has you in her life and I, selfishly, don't have to worry about her as much when I know she's with you."
Lena tears up at this, leans into Alex, and says, "I just… what if this doesn't work. I don't think I can handle failing to get her back again. I can't sleep, hell I can't eat, even though I know she'd want me to, simply because I don't have the time to cook and every takeout place she's brought me for lunch before and I can't do anything without thinking about her and regretting being mad at her for so long. Even getting blackout drunk on scotch doesn't work because I feel guilty because she wouldn't do that if it were the other way around, she'd be trying to help me. I haven't left the tower in a week other than to shower and get clothes or check-in at L-Corp and I … I can't lose her." At this point, Lena breaks into sobs and Alex wraps both arms around her and tries not to lose it herself.
"I know, I know. But we'll get her, you're a literal MENSA genius with multiple degrees and patents and Brainy is a twelfth level intellect, I don't know which is higher," Lena chuckles at this, "but you guys have a solid plan and we will get her back no matter what it takes." Alex doesn't tell her that she shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to drink because she did and she does feel guilt for wallowing and not just for Kara but because she was worried about her own problems while Kara is her own personal hell.
"Thank you, Alex".
"No problem now let's show J'onn your ideas so we can get the ship ready to go as soon as Nia and Brainy get back." Lena nods and they walk back to the command center of the ship.
