As Alex was wheeled into an isolation lab Kara watched on helplessly as the doctors swarmed round her sister, desperately trying to save her life whilst the Black Mercy sat on her.
"Talk to me." Hank ordered the doctors, feeling as useless as Kara.
"We can stop the blood loss from the leg wound, but as far as I can tell she has severe internal bleeding and we need to operate. Only we can't with that on her."
"If we take it off it will kill her." Hank reminded him.
"If we don't her wounds will kill her." The doctor countered.
"How long?"
"Two, maybe three hours." The doctor clarified causing Hank to curse.
"I need to help her." Kara said. "I have to get inside her dream. Where is the VR headset thing?"
"It is in a lab. But we don't know how to use it. Lord modified it last time and the only other person who came close to understanding it was Alex." Hank said.
"Then we use Lord. I'll get him." Kara replied.
"Kara." Hank started to argue, but it was too late she had already gone.
-00-
"If it isn't the self proclaimed queen of the media." Max Lord said as he saw Cat enter his office. "What brings you out of your empire this evening? Well technically it is morning now"
"I wanted to see you." Cat smiled.
"How flattering. So what would you like? An exclusive interview with the man who has warned the city for months about Supergirl. Perhaps you should do the interview, admitting to everyone you were wrong about her."
"I'm not wrong. It has gone midnight, we are all still here, so clearly she met the demands of whoever it was that left the message."
"A fellow alien, who is only a threat to the city because of your hero." Max shrugged. "So what do you want?"
"Information." Cat said.
"From me? I find that hard to believe. What exactly are you after?"
"What did you show my assistant?"
"You mean your former assistant." Max corrected. "I heard she gave quite the resignation speech. I heard rumours that you were a hard boss, but I always assumed that deep down you had some compassion, but obviously not."
"What did you show her?" Cat pressed ignoring Max's jibe.
"A video."
"Of what?"
"Betrayal."
"Kira does not have enough of a life to be worried about a betrayal that would cause her to quit. Why are you laughing?"
"Because you, the great Cat Grant, is completely oblivious to what is right in front of you. I have no doubt that one day you will find out and when you do I want you to remember this conversation and know that I knew now."
"You are talking in riddles."
"Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything else. But, I am really going to enjoying watching you not know. Goodbye Cat."
"This isn't over." Cat warned as she left the office. Max merely smugly smiled and leaned back only to see a familiar figure outside his window.
"Supergirl. This is a surprise. I thought you had gone." Max commented.
"You're coming with me."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because I need your help."
"So?"
"So I freed you because I thought there was an ounce of humanity in you somewhere. Right now I need to see it."
"Still not made up with your sister then?" He said smugly.
Not in the mood to verbally spar with Max Supergirl grabbed hold of him and flew him to the DEO.
-00-
"Lord." Hank said as Supergirl finally put him down.
"Director Henshaw. What can I do for you today?"
"We need you to set up the VR technology again."
"Again? You really need to employ a better gardener to take care of all these freaky plants." Max said. "So who has it got this time and why would I want to help?"
"It has Alex and if you don't help I am not going to stop Supergirl taking her temper out on you."
"Where is she?" Max asked.
"This way." Hank said as he and Supergirl led Max to the isolation lab. "All of the equipment is there already."
"There seems a certain urgency about this." Max said intrigued.
"If we don't get it off in an hour she probably won't make it." Hank said as they entered the lab. As Max saw the broken figure of Alex under the Black Mercy he turned to Supergirl and commented.
"Some would say you have an anger management problem."
"Supergirl didn't do that." Hank said.
"If you say so." Max replied as he set up the VR technology. As he went to work Kara warned Hank.
"Do not pull me out. No matters what happens, promise me you won't pull me out."
"Kara," Hank started only for Supergirl to grip his hand and say.
"I mean it. If I come back without her we are through."
"I promise." Hank conceded as Kara looked at Max who just shrugged and smiled.
"Trust me if it looks like you are going to die I'm not going to stop it."
-00-
When Kara woke up in the dream world she found herself on a beach in what looked like Midvale.
Trying to overcome how disorientated she was feeling she walked along the coast line towards the house she had grown up in on Earth. As she reached it she could hear laughter coming from inside. Pushing the unlocked door open she entered the house and immediately saw Alex smiling and laughing as she sat on a couch with a cat on her lap and herself, or a dream version of herself, sitting next to her. Also in the room were Eliza and Jeremiah. The person she was not expecting to see sitting in the lounge joking with the others was Astra.
As Kara looked at the scene in front of her she couldn't stop the guilt wash over her. She had effectively told Alex that she was dead to her, but despite that in Alex's dream not only was Kara there, but Kara was happy and Astra was alive. Alex's dream world fully embraced Kara in stark contrast to Kara's dream world where no one from Earth existed.
Trying to stay focused in the mission at hand Kara looked straight at Alex and called. "Alex." The second the word had left her mouth all occupants in the room turned and faced her.
"What's going on?" The dream version of Kara asked.
"Kara, get out of her." Jeremiah said moving closer to the real Kara.
"Come Little One." Astra said taking dream Kara's hand and leading her away. The use of her pet name, regardless of where it was directed causing pain in Kara's heart. Trying to ignore it she looked at Alex and said.
"Alex, you are under the control of the Black Mercy. This isn't real. I need you to come home."
"Who are you?" Alex asked.
"I'm Kara."
"Alex, keep away from her." Jeremiah warned. "She is obviously a shapeshifter from Fort Rozz."
"Alex, I am not a shape shifter. I am the real Kara. I am your sister. You and I are the only real things in this place. Everyone else are just dreams created by the Black Mercy."
"Black Mercy?" Alex asked recognising the name but not placing it.
"Alex step away from her." Jeremiah said blocking Kara from Alex. "Whatever it is it dangerous. Get your gun."
ObedientlyAlex reached into the dresser draw and pulled a sidearm which she aimed at Kara.
"Alex, don't do this. Please Alex. Please come home. Eliza needs you. Hank needs you. I need you. I know I said some things I shouldn't and you probably don't ever want to see me again but I need you. Please. I need my sister."
"Shoot her Alex." Jeremiah said.
"Alex you know your dad would never want you to shoot anyone. The Black Mercy is altering this world to keep you trapped. The real Jeremiah Danvers hated violence and guns." Seeing the doubt in Alex's eyes she went on. "Alex I am the real Kara. I am in your dream just like you were in mine when I was under the control of the Black Mercy. Alex, please. You have to fight it. I know you don't want to, but you have to. This isn't real, your dad is dead, Astra is dead. Deep down you know that. I know it hurts but you have to come home." As the house started to shake Kara believed she was getting through to Alex and stepped towards her. "Alex I need you. No matter what I said you are my family. I need my sister, more now than ever."
"Kara?" Alex asked as the shaking got worse and a bookcase fell over.
"Alex." Kara cried holding out her hand. "I love you."
-00-
As Kara suddenly woke she looked round and saw Alex still lying with the Black Mercy attached.
"Why did you pull me out? How could you?" She cried trying to get up but finding herself feeling weak.
"This is like watching a poor remake." Max commented from the side.
"I didn't pull you out, you came out by yourself."
"Then why I am Kryptonite cuffs?" Kara asked, visibly shaking with anger.
"The second you woke up I put them on because I guessed you would react exactly the same way Alex did. I knew I wouldn't be able to restrain you as easily as I did her."
"Then why isn't she awake? Did I fail?" Kara asked crying.
"Just give it time. You took a few minutes to come round after Alex came out of your dream world." Hank said as they watched.
"What if she doesn't wake?" Kara asked as time ticked by.
"Then you are a worse sister than Alex?" Max shrugged.
"Someone take him out of here." Hank shouted immediately causing an Agent to step forward and roughly take Max from the room. Just as he was leaving Hank saw a movement on Alex's chest and said. "It's working."
As the Black Mercy slithered off Alex the doctors immediately surrounded her shouting coded messages to each other as they wheeled her off.
-TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.