As Alex walked down the stairs the next morning she saw Max causing her to immediately ask.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Alex, please watch your language." Eliza chastised.
"You're right." Alex said before looking at Max and saying. "What the fu-" Only to be cut off by Eliza.
"Alexandra!"
"Good to see you too Alex." Max smiled. "And no need to thank me."
"Thank you for what?" Alex asked.
"Saving Supergirl." Max said smugly.
"You stood by and watched her get tortured." Alex spat.
"Unlike you, who only managed to achieve being beaten and locked up, I got the evidence Cat needed to expose General Lane and get your sister freed." Max countered.
"And what did you get out of that I wonder?" Alex asked.
"Why is it that everyone thinks I have an ulterior motive?" Max asked.
"Because you invariably do." J'onn said.
"What are you doing here Max?" Alex asked wearily.
"We've uncovered some information that you and your sister need to hear." J'onn said.
"And you had to bring him?"
"Technically I brought him." Max said pointing to J'onn. "Not the other way round. I thought it would be safer for me to have your alien here, he does seem better at keeping you in line than most."
"He's the one who made the discovery." J'onn explained.
"Of course he was." Alex sighed.
"Also he will be able to answer your questions, I won't."
"Questions about what?" Alex asked, her head and body aching.
"Kara should hear this as well." J'onn said.
"She's sleeping." Alex said.
"We can wait. I'm in no rush." Max said. "Plus I like being here, learning about you, seeing the photographs. I feel like it brings us closer. If you want we could go for a stroll along the beach."
"She doesn't." Kara said as she walked down the stairs.
"Kara." J'onn greeted her before embracing her. "How are you?"
"I'm okay." She said pulling away.
"No hug for me?" Max asked. "I get it, you just don't want Alex to get jealous. That's sweet."
"Why are you here?" Kara asked.
"You may want to sit." J'onn said.
"That sounds bad." Alex said as she sat on the couch next to Kara and Eliza. "So what is it?"
"It wasn't General Lane." Max started.
"What wasn't?" Kara asked.
"What happened to you, technically it wasn't Lane." Max said. Seeing Alex was about to voice an opinion J'onn said.
"Hear him out."
"We have evidence that a smaller scale Myriad has been created."
"How small? Who?" Alex asked.
"Rather than using a wide area transmission, the signal is sent through one of these." Max said holding a device out to Alex. "It's okay, we deactivated it."
"It is just a miniature transceiver." Max explained. "Due to its size it is obviously limited in what operating frequencies it can use, not to mention power and bandwidth."
"Surely this would only work if you were wearing one of them." Alex said.
"Precisely, this isn't being used control the masses. It is targeted. In this case Lane was the target. We found that on him." Max said. "As soon as it had been removed he snapped out of it."
"This doesn't make sense." Alex said. "Myriad turned everyone into mindless drones. Lane was functioning. Apart from the whole torture thing, which wasn't that much out of character, he was acting normally."
"That's the subtle difference. The purpose of Myriad was to turn everyone into a processor. This version, is just about control. Whoever is behind this doesn't want a mindless drone as they would be detected a mile off. This is more like brain washing. That device seems to transmit simple commands or triggers, that the wearer responds to. Lane was being instructed to interrogate Supergirl and that is what he did. It is like the parts of his brain that should have stopped him had been turned off."
"Why attack Kara?" Alex questioned.
"They obviously need information or they just hate your sister or maybe, they wanted to test the technology against someone they viewed as expendable."
"Who could do this?" Eliza asked.
"Someone who is intelligent, has money and hates aliens." J'onn suggested.
"So you?" Alex said looking at Max.
"Cute, but I'm not behind this. If I was I wouldn't be here."
"So who is?" Kara asked.
"We're working on it." J'onn said. "But, it means that whoever did this is still out there. You could still be in danger." His words causing Eliza to pull Kara into a hug.
"We need to trace the signal." Alex said immediately focused.
"Not that easy." Max explained. "Unlike Myriad the orchestrator does not have continual access to the target. Instead that device seems to transmit a single message, well command. For Lane something along the lines of extracting information at any cost. Once the device is set up there is no need to send any more signals."
"So once this is placed on whoever, the commands can never be changed?" Alex asked.
"Not quite. Via a simple WiFi link new commands can be issued. But that means the problems is firstly identifying there is a spurious signal on the WiFi connection and then effectively try to find a hacker who is going through who knows how many nodes."
"There has to be something we can do." Alex said frustrated causing Max to pull out his laptop.
"All the info is on here. Feel free to look."
-00-
"Are you sure you can't trace this signal?" Alex asked two hours later.
"Impossible, even for me. The fact the device is so rudimentary makes it much harder, I'm sorry."
"There must be something we can do?" Alex asked feeling miserable.
"I promise you I am working on it." Max said before reaching across the table and taking hold of Alex's hand. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." Alex said withdrawing her hand.
"I can tell that you're not." Max said.
"You really want the truth?"
"That's why I'm asking."
"I feel like a failure. I am meant to protect Kara and I let her down. I promised my mom we would find my dad and I haven't."
"I may be able to help with that." Max said before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a thumb drive. "But first you have to promise you won't do anything stupid and you'll wait for your wounds to heal."
"I didn't know you cared." Alex shot back.
"I'm serious Alex." Max warned.
"Fine, I promise I won't do anything stupid."
"I heard about your father and Project Cadmus and well, you know how I like a challenge. Anyway on this drive is information about Cadmus including it's location."
"How? Where did you get it?"
"Best not to ask." Max smiled.
"Why are you giving this to me?" Alex asked torn between ripping the disk from Max's hands and being suspicious enough not to take it.
"Because I am not the monster you believe I am. I know what it is like to lose parents."
"Thank you." Alex said taking the disk.
"You're welcome. Any chance of a Dr Pepper now?"
-00-
"You're scowling." Eliza commented as she watched Kara watch Alex and Max.
"It's not a scowl." Kara said.
"What's wrong with Max?" Eliza asked.
"Seriously?" Kara questioned.
"I mean he seems charming enough, but Alex clearly has issues with him. Did they use to date?"
"No." Kara said quickly. "Alex's issue with Max is the fact he hates me and keeps trying to kill me as well as threatening you."
"He what?" Eliza asked as Max and Alex walked towards them.
"Has the temperature dropped in here?" Max asked fully aware that Eliza was glaring at him. "Oh I see, you have had a little chat about our history. Rest assured I don't hold a grudge about being illegally detained by your daughters. It did seem a little extreme, all I did was wine and dine Alex."
"I thought you said they hadn't dated." Eliza said looking at Kara.
"We haven't." Alex said as Max corrected.
"Technically that's not true. You asked me out as I remember. We had a lovely evening eating De Jaeger."
"You ate De Jaeger?" Eliza asked Alex, surprised by the revelation.
"Only until I found out what they were."
"Then she spat them out." Max smiled. "Good times. As fun as it has been, being here, I need to go. There are a lot of politicians worried about being mind controlled. I have been asked to set up a screening regime before finding a permanent solution."
"Can you?" Kara asked before clarifying. "Find a permanent solution."
"To be honest I don't know. It will be a lot of work."
"For which you will undoubtedly be well paid." J'onn commented.
"Capitalism at its best." Max shrugged before turning to Alex. "You want to come with me? My private jet is a lot more comfortable than open air flying with these two." Max said before turning to Kara and asking. "Actually do you even fly any more? Do you still have powers? Because if you don't there are going to be a lot of happy people out there."
"I think it is time you left." J'onn said to Max, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You've caused enough disruption for one day."
"Alex, remember your promise." Max said before walking out of the door.
"What promise?" Kara immediately asked.
"Just ignore him." Alex said squeezing the thumb drive in the palm of her hand.
-00-
As Kara sat on a bench in the garden J'onn walked over to her and sat down.
"How are you doing?" He asked.
"Okay, I guess."
"So why are you here rather than National City?"
"I'm not sure I'm ready to be Supergirl again." She said quietly. "Ever since it happened, every time I close my eyes I relive my last moments on Krypton. I lose my parents again and again and again. I feel so angry at Lane for making me go through that. Even if he isn't responsible, thinking about him makes me angry. How can I be Supergirl when I am so scared and angry all the time?"
"You could just be Kara for awhile." J'onn suggested.
"Isn't that what I am being here?"
"True, but you could be Kara back in National City. James Olsen is inundating Lucy with requests for information about you."
"I will go back." Kara promised. "But I just need a little more time."
"I'm not trying to pressure you." J'onn said. "I just don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. When I got here I was so angry, so scared. I was in so much pain. I wanted to forget everything. I hid from the world. Then, after Jeremiah saved me, I hid as Hank Henshaw for years." J'onn reminded her. "I'd like to think I did a lot of good pretending to be someone I wasn't and being Henshaw helped me forget what I had lost. But if you have taught me anything it is you can't hide from who you are. Maybe you don't need to be Supergirl to be the real you. Don't get me wrong I would be more than happy if you came back as Supergirl. But I also know what burden you carry. Do what is right for you. Find your path and walk it. I will always be here for you."
"I know. Thank you."
"So is that the only thing keeping you here?" J'onn asked.
"No." Kara confessed. "Alex got hurt again, trying to protect me. She needs time to recover. Here Eliza can take care of her and hopefully she won't be in as much danger. If I stay, she'll stay, at least for a few more days."
"Whilst I admire your optimism over your sister taking it easy, you know she won't properly rest until we find out who was behind it."
"I know, but a little rest is better than no rest." Kara pointed out.
"I'm heading back to the city. I promise I will get answers. In the mean time look after Alex."
-00-
Two hours later Kara was still sitting on the bench watching the waves as the sun shone on her. Worried that her sister seemed to be shutting herself off Alex limped over and sat next to her.
"What you doing?" Alex asked.
"Just enjoying the Sun." Kara said looking over at Alex.
"Well I hope you're hungry, mom has been cooking all afternoon. I told her you would probably prefer take out but she insisted on home cooked food, your favourites of course."
"All afternoon?" Kara asked confused before looking at her watch. "Wow, it's late."
"Yes it is." Alex agreed. "So how are you doing?"
"Okay I guess. You?"
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Alex asked confused.
"Well you did spend a couple of hours with Max."
"For once he was trying to help." Alex said. "Although mom has been oscillating all afternoon between criticising me for dating him, criticising me for spitting out snails in front of him and criticising me for not dating. Could have used a little back up." She added smiling softly.
"Sorry." Kara said.
"No you're not." Alex pointed out.
"True. I agree with her that you should be dating and spitting out snails is probably not going to help that." Kara said resting her head on Alex's shoulder.
"Was that a joke? Because if it was it was terrible." Alex pointed out. "I think you've spent too long in the sun."
"It was a little funny." Kara said with a small smile.
"It was not funny in anyway." Alex said. "And if you dare tell mom that you think I need to date I will not forgive you."
"Yes you will. You always do." Kara pointed out.
"Fine, I will forgive you, but not before I...I..."
"Yeah?" Kara asked curious.
"I don't know right now, but I will think of something." Alex promised relieved to see Kara smile again.
Before Kara could respond Eliza called them in for dinner. Hearing her foster mother Kara stood and helped Alex to her feet. As they started walking to the house Alex asked.
"So what do you want to do this evening?"
"Game of Thrones marathon?" Kara suggested.
"No. I am not watching that with mom." Alex said.
"Humans are such prudes." Kara commented as they entered the house.
-TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.