A/N: Hey, y'all! I'm sorry I haven't updated. I've been away from Wi-Fi for the past 2 and a half weeks, but I'm back now! Last chapter was pretty sad, but things are gonna get better. I've had a lot of time to contemplate where I want this to go, and I've got a more specific game plan. I'm excited! This chapter is very long, the longest one yet, so consider it an "I'm sorry" apology chapter. Let's get to it!
Chapter 8
Alex panicked. The monitor dragged the agonizing beep out, making her want to scream. Her sister was about to die forever, and the fate of her life was in Alex's hands. Their conversation before Kara had passed out had shown that Kara was not fighting to live. For one reason or another, involving Maxwell Lord and whatever the Dominators were, Kara had been convinced she was going to hurt those around her. It broke her heart, and she knew that her job resuscitating her had just become infinitely harder. She hadn't managed to repair the extensive damage to the artery, and any second now it would become impossible to save her without enough blood pumping through her heart. She stopped the bleeding and sutured the wound, fixing it. She saw a defibrillator in the corner of the room where Barry was and motioned for him to grab it.
In less than a second he had handed her the paddles and traveled back to the other side of the room. She charged the paddles to 200 joules.
"Clear!" she shouted, causing Oliver and Clark to back away from the table.
Kara's body shook at the electrical current, and Alex could hear the slow, steady beep of the machine again. Her chest shuttered in a shaky breath as she set the defibrillator down and continued stitching.
Clark's eyes were dark as he sat down with a needle sticking out of his arm. His body regenerated slower than usual with the small amount of Kryptonite, and he was feeling slightly light-headed at the loss of blood. Alex turned towards the sturdy man in a chair beside them and noticed the glazed look.
"Oliver, unhook the line. Let Clark heal and then take some more blood," she commanded. Oliver nodded and did as she said, detaching the needle and placing it far away from both Kryptonians.
Alex finally removed the first bullet from where it severed the vena cava and yelled for Barry. She placed the bullet in his hand, and he raced from the building to place it somewhere. He returned a minute later to his designated spot at the other side of the room.
Alex was worried about how long Kara's intestines had been open. She was afraid that the radiation in the bullet may have spread and a more dangerous, contaminated Kryptonian version of Peritonitis may have spread. If the Kryptonite managed to infect her body even the slightest bit, it would slow down her healing factor as it spread through her blood stream. It would be a painful death and one she did not want her sister to have.
Ignoring the worst case scenario, she shut off the sister part of her brain and continued working on removing the second bullet.
Barry paced from the other side of the room. He couldn't believe that this had happened. Months ago with Team Flash's fight against Savitar, the looming threat against Iris had motivated them to move against the time gradient. They had spent so long discussing ways they could change the future even a minute. The possibility of losing Iris felt like losing a limb. He thought he couldn't go on without her constantly in his life but seeing Kara made him feel like a fool. He had asked himself if he loved her and now, seeing her on the metal table being operated on while he sat by, there was no doubt in his mind. He loved her. Barry had endured so much loss in his life. His mother, father, Eddie, Laurel, and H.R. He had dealt with their deaths. Moved on with the help of his friends and time, but he didn't think that he could do that if Kara died. He didn't know if he would have the strength the continue in the life of a superhero if all that happened was death to the ones he loved the most.
He'd be lying if he said he didn't consider time travel. He thought about it each time Alex cursed as she peered into the insides of Kara. The repercussions and judgements that he had just faced from changing the past before seemed like a consequence that he could shoulder as long as Kara lived. She was a gift to Earth. Her humility. Her compassion. He admired everything about her, and he couldn't think of a happy world without Kara Danvers in it.
He consoled himself as he paced the room with thoughts of how he would murder the woman responsible. Barry had always shied away from killing, wanting to refrain from becoming those he had hated the most, but he understood that revenge was a powerful motivator. He wanted to kill her. He wanted to see the look on her face as he cut her heart with his own hand.
Joe had always been baffled by the friendship that he and Oliver had due to the difference in their methods. Oliver had killed many people before. Despite changing, Barry knew that if it came down to it, he would still kill if it meant he would save lives, and now Barry began to understand how he could do it. It was a way to cope with loss. It was a way to redeem.
Barry rubbed his face and continued his pacing. He knew that Kara wouldn't be able to look at him if he killed Lillian. She always found a way around murder and so would he. He wouldn't kill her, but he would not rest until she was thrown in a cell to rot for the rest of her pathetic, miserable life.
He had heard what Kara had said before she passed out. Something about a man named Max and the Dominators. Her voice had shaken from terror just speaking about it. She had begged her sister to let her die because she was afraid to hurt her. He couldn't understand why Kara would say that. She would never hurt her sister voluntarily. His eyes widened, and he pulled Cisco out of the room.
"What's wrong, Bar? he asked, concerned.
"It's just something Kara said. She wanted to die, Cisco," he said, his voice cracking.
"What? Why?"
"She was talking to Alex and mentioned someone named Max. She said she was afraid of hurting her, and then she said Dominators," he explained.
"Whoa, man! You mean those—"
"—yeah those," he completed.
Cisco crossed his arms and squinted his eyes in thought. "Well, during our time with the universe's suckiest aliens, she had been controlled by a machine built by the Dominators. Is that what she was talking about?"
Barry bit his lip. "I don't know. We have to figure out who this Max guy is, but I think Cadmus might have done something to her."
They both heard Alex scream Barry's name and he rushed back into the room. She was brandishing the final bullet she had managed to extract in the air. Barry ran other to her and grabbed the bullet, zipping away once more. Alex turned on the sun lamps and commanded everyone to leave the room. She cut the rest of the suit away so that she could soak up as much light as possible. Alex had to stand a few feet away from the scorching hot rays, but her eyes did not stray from Kara's limp body.
All their life she had taken Kara's amazing healing factor for granted. Her first response was to stick her under the lamps and pray everything would be alright. She had left most of the assessments and solutions to Dr. Hamilton while she got back in the field to catch the person who hurt her in the first place.
Seeing Kara laying still on the table made her wish she had spent more time in the infirmary discussing with the doctor how to fix her. She was sure she had done a good enough job to gift her sister with enough time to heal. Alex's only worry was that Kara would have a severe version of Kryptonite poisoning throughout her body.
Hours passed as Alex just stood there staring at her sister. Her eyes had not shifted once, and she had not even moved. She could see the scars of her rudimentary surgery slightly shrinking and healing, but they weren't healing at Kara's normal rate, making Alex suspicious. She had removed the stitches as the wounds began to heal over, and now she stood next to the table with the lamps on low and holding her hand. An hour later, Alex could find no traces of her ever being shot. Thankful, she quickly dressed her sister in a nightgown and opened the door.
The people on the outside nearly fell on top of each other from crowding not even an inch from the door. They group stumbled inside and took in the surroundings. Alex looked haggard as if she hadn't slept in days, and her clothes were stained with Kara's blood. Quickly, they walked over to the unconscious Kryptonian.
There were no signs of her ever being shot, and her face looked normal besides a ghostly paleness touching it. She was wearing a nightgown and looked the most fragile she ever had since each of these people had seen her.
Barry pushed through the crowd and grabbed Kara's hand. Her had waited for so long without news and had nearly burst from happiness once Alex had opened the door. Oliver had tried to persuade him to take a nap, but he had refused, wanting to be the first person to walk through the door once Alex opened it. His heart broke at the sight of Kara. He wanted to be there. He wanted to have been able to catch the bullets before they shot her as if initiating an execution. They had strapped her down and tortured her and then shot her. He couldn't wait until they caught the people who nearly killed the light in each of their lives.
Bruce walked in the room, knocking slightly before entering anyway. His face fell as they reached Kara, and he gestured outside the room.
"I brought a Wayne Enterprises Ambulance around back. We can move her to a more comfortable place in one of the rooms in my house tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to stay there. I'm sure we all have a lot to discuss. Cisco can take everyone back, and we'll move Kara the old fashioned way later. There's no telling what hopping through portals will do to someone in critical care."
The group nodded slowly as if in a trance. Each of them had known the possibilities as soon Kara was taken, but none were truly prepared for what they saw before them. Kara had affected each of their lives in a drastic way. She showed them what it meant to be a hero. Her personality and innate goodness was a beacon to all who aspired to become superheroes and to those who already were.
The group gathered together, dazed and distracted. Alex and Barry stood by the table where Kara was laying. It was sickening that the person they both loved most didn't even have the dignity of being put on a proper surgical bed.
Cisco entered the solemn room and raised his hand. The rest of the group walked through the glowing breach. He turned around, grabbing Barry's shoulder with his other hand and smiled. Taking one last glance at the three devastated people, he sighed and jumped through the portal.
Bruce cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "I'm going to go set up a place to sleep. We can move her in the morning. I'm assuming the two of you will want to stay with her for the night?
The two nodded, and the man exited the room. Alex traveled to the other side of her sister and pulled up a chair beside her. Barry released Kara's hand and copied Alex's action, finding another chair so that he could sit. The two said nothing, leaving the lone beeping of the monitor to be the only sound in the room. Alex saw the skin where Kara had been shot pulse green, and she immediately sat up straighter. The scars that had faded now began to open back up and spill blood across the table. Barry stood up quickly, the chair skittering across the floor. His haunted look sought Alex's, and she shook her head at the man.
"I-I don't know! I don't know what's happening!" she yelled, her voice raising in panic.
Barry dropped her hand as Kara's back arched and the monitor's beeps became more erratic. Tears streaked down Alex's face and her hand shook as she brought it Kara's head, stroking her hair.
"I was too late! I was too late!" she cried.
"What do you mean you were too late, Alex? What's happening?"
"I'm not sure, but I think the Kryptonite spread before I was able to get both bullets out! It must be spreading through her blood stream! It's contaminating her body and if I can't fix it in time, her organs will give out, and she will die!"
Kara's back straightened, and she fell back onto the table. The heart monitor returned to normal, allowing the both of them to take a deep breath.
"She's still fighting," she whispered. Barry's head turned, and he raised his eyebrow in question. She shook her head and continued stroking her little sister's head. "She doesn't have long. The radiation poisoning is spreading, and there's no way to prevent it."
Barry shook his head at the brunette, unable to accept the news. "I don't believe it. No. There has to be something! Why can't we just put her under sun lamps?"
"Kryptonite prevents Kryptonians from absorbing the rays from our yellow sun. Not only does it do that, which takes away their powers, it displaces the radiation in the cells with the radiation from Kryptonite," she explained.
"What can we do?"
She frowned, a tear sliding down her cheek. "We'd have to buy her time to figure out a solution. The most we can do is to lower her body temperature—"
"—so that her cells will slow down, effectively slowing the rate of the radiation poisoning," Barry finished, gaining an understanding of what Alex planned to do. "Won't that kill her?"
"It might. We'd have to be careful in our measurements to make sure we don't accidently send her into shock," she answered.
"I have a friend that can help on both fronts. She's a brilliant scientist and a metahuman too with powers that fit right into what we need."
Alex grabbed Barry's forearm and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Barry. I don't know how I could have gone through this without your help."
He nodded at her and gave a slight grin. "Let's save Kara."
The two called Bruce in from the other room and pulled Kara into the back of the ambulance. Shutting all the doors, they began the slow drive to Gotham and the Batcave. Alex picked up her phone and punched in J'onn's number. The phone beeped once before he answered, and she bit her lip unsure of what to say.
"Alex? Alex, are you there? How's Kara?" he asked frantically.
"Hey, J'onn. There's been a change of plans. I believe Kara has a form of Kryptonite poisoning. We're bringing her in now. Have Cisco open a breach to Earth-1 to bring a Caitlin Snow to the Batcave and anyone else he thinks will be useful. I want anyone on with even a slight understanding of how the body work. I need doctors, scientists, anyone who can help. Bring my mom and uncuff my dad. They're the only ones beside me who understand Kryptonian physiology."
"Alex, are you sure? Your dad may still be under a telepath's control," he said, cautious of the situation. His heart was beating faster than it ever had, and he found himself short of breath. He couldn't bear to lose another daughter, but he didn't want to make any rash decisions that they might regret later on.
"J'onn, you have to help me. Get through dad's mind and erase whatever Cadmus did," she pleaded.
He sighed into the phone, pulling it from his face and gathering his composure before slipping it back to his ear. "Alex, I already told you I can't read his mind."
Alex punched the wall of the ambulance, making both Barry and J'onn wince at the noise. "Dangit, J'onn! My sister is here fighting for her life! You have been holding out on us ever since you were caught as the Martian Manhunter by the DEO, but we can't afford it anymore; Kara can't afford it anymore!"
J'onn's face fell, and he nodded to himself. "You're right, Alex. I'll get through. I'll get through, I promise."
"Thank you," she breathed.
The two groups rushed off to their tasks, J'onn gathering everyone he could think of and running to Cisco to organize a breach to his earth to get Caitlin Snow. Barry, Alex, and Bruce sped through the traffic, breaking about a billion laws, trying to save the woman in the back.
Barry's leg bounced up and down almost at the speed of sound, making Alex raise an eyebrow. He caught her chilled glare and stopped, only to start again a few seconds later. His mind raced at amazing speeds, running through all the possible outcomes. He couldn't keep spectating from the sidelines as Kara fought for her life.
He remembered the weeks he spent with Kara when he had accidently skipped earths. He knew he had to return to stop Zoom, but he couldn't help but want to stay with the enrapturing blonde that was National City's hero. He kept up his front as the wise man who had to get back home, but the more he got to know her, the more he wanted to stay. It was almost painful when he had to leave once he had finished helping NCPD construct metahuman jails. It had taken a month in all to get the materials he needed to make power dampening cells and then incorporate it in the jails around town. Earth-38 was less advanced than his earth, and Barry had to practically teach a group of people how to operate the technology. He had stayed with Winn but spent most of his time at Kara's. They were so similar and each had found it easy to talk to the other. Their similarities were astounding and made it even harder for them when Barry finally left.
To Barry those three weeks he spent with Kara might as well have been three years. They didn't waste time with trivial topics but instead conversed about things that were important to them. Kara relayed her best and worst memories of Krypton, some that only Alex had known, and Barry told her of the night when his mother died, the days he spent getting bullied, and the wonderful moments his family spent happily together.
The inevitable reason that made it impossible for them to become anything more than friends always remained at the back of their minds. They pushed it further and further down until they didn't care that it was doomed from the start. When they were with each other, they didn't think of the relationships they were pining over. James for Kara and Iris for Barry. James and Iris didn't matter when they were talking, and it was a feeling of reciprocated love that made the two more and more interested.
It was fine, until it wasn't. 'All good things must come to an end', and the fact was proven true when Barry finally found a way to return home. The pair had known the day would come but didn't want to accept it when it did. The two had plastered fake smiles on their faces and said goodbye knowing that they probably wouldn't see each other again.
The dominators' attack on Barry's earth had brought the two together again but they never truly had the chance to catch up. Battle plans were drawn and teams were forged, and their relationship had been sidelined. Before they could even have a proper conversation, Kara found the roles reversed and she was forced to leave and return home.
Days passed as they went through their daily lives, desperately trying to forget the whole experience and the associated pain, but Barry never forgot. He often wondered what the beautiful heroine was doing and if she was thinking of him. It was maddening not being able to return to her earth to have a conversation with her. He found himself captivated by her every word, and he didn't know if it was her voice or that fact that she was the best conversationalist he knew. It was probably a mixture of both.
The same was true for Kara. She knew she felt attracted to James, but the lingering wonder that she was only so into him because of Barry's sudden absence was always at the back of her mind. Mon-El had been a different story altogether. She knew that their love was real, and it was a pairing she never dreamed would happen. However, it was love. It was a love she thought she might have with Barry but one fully attributed to the allure of the handsome Daxamite. Her heart was torn in pieces when he was forced, or rather, banished from earth due to her actions, and she didn't know if she could find someone as amazing as him.
Barry smiled at the unconscious blonde and rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of her hand. It was a calming action that kept his mind off what could happen. It kept his mind free from the fear that was quickly settling in his stomach as they pulled into the garage of Bruce's mansion.
The three worked in silence to pull Kara from the back of the ambulance, into the house, and then into a room. A group of people quietly entered the room and stood off to the side as they worked, hooking up wires and setting up machines. When they had finally finished, they sat facing the people eagerly waiting for an update at the circular table that was now bulging with people.
Alex looked from Bruce to Barry who both nodded towards her to start the conversation.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Alex Danvers. I haven't met a lot of you, and I know this is a lot to ask of you all, but I need your help. Four days ago, a government agency, with the help of Supergirl, was given a lead to a possible alliance between Cadmus, solo act criminals, and someone else with deep pockets. They forged a group of sorts that unites anyone who ever ran into trouble with the law and gave them a common goal. Three days ago Barry Allen jumped universes and told us of his earth having more or less the same problem. Two days ago at 1800 hours, we were attacked in four different places leading to Supergirl being kidnapped by Cadmus at 2200 hours. She was held by them and tortured at their hand." Her voice caught in her throat, and Barry slipped his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her, continuing the debriefing himself.
"While she was taken, we were united with some of you all from Earth-1. After a slight misunderstanding, we picked up signatures matching Kryptonite. We took a group to investigate and found Supergirl shot with two bullets and tortured at approximately 1700 hours last night. Before she passed out, she mentioned something about Dominators and Maxwell Lord. We have yet to figure out the connection between the two, but we will find out. As of right now, Supergirl's condition is critical, and she has a fatal form of Kryptonite poisoning. Due to her alien physiology and the mineral's unknown composition, we don't have any leads on how to help her. However, we are going to lower her body temperature to prevent the radiation poisoning from spreading further. We need anyone with scientific background to help. Those of you who can't, can assist Oliver and Bruce to find Cadmus and the person who's in charge. Let's go!" he yelled, prompting them into action.
Two groups splintered off down the middle of scientists and those who were not. Barry and Alex gave each other a slight grin, and led their group to a lab next to the room where Kara was. The two rooms were only separated with a pane of glass, allowing them to keep an eye on the incapacitated heroine.
Alex turned to look at the group in front of her. She didn't recognize a lot of them, but she didn't care. She found that Kara's safety trumped any other feelings she might otherwise feel. Alex saw a woman with white hair who looked young, probably about her age. Her eyes were kind, and she gestured to her. The woman stepped towards the secret agent and held out her hand. Alex nodded and shook it.
"What's your name?"
"Caitlin Snow. Cisco said you needed my help," she started.
Alex's eyes brightened. "Yes! I need you to lower Supergirl's body temp. We need to basically freeze her. I was told you can do that?"
She nodded. "Yeah. It's a long story. I can, but it's a risky thing to do. If I'm even one degree off, I could kill her."
"Then don't be one degree off," she stated, ending the conversation. She was on edge, not sure who most of these people were and if were competent for the job ahead. It was nerve racking, and tiring to worry this much. She pulled her parents off to the side as Barry organized the others.
"Mom. Dad. I'm so sorry," she began, her voice cracking.
Eliza tugged her daughter into a hug with Jeremiah wrapping his arms around the both of them. "Shh, shh, it's okay! Alex, honey, I know you're doing your best," Eliza said, rubbing her back. "Kara's strong. Both my daughters are."
Jeremiah sucked in his lip and turned his eyes down in shame. "Alex, don't blame yourself. It's my fault. I should've been able to fight it. I should've been able to do something," he argued.
Alex shook her head and rubbed at her eyes. "No. No. This is Cadmus's fault. We can't blame ourselves. We can't. We can only help Kara." She turned to her father. "Did J'onn get rid of whatever Cadmus did?"
He nodded and smiled. "Yes. He did. I'm free." His eyes softened. "Alex, have you considered maybe it's her time to travel to Rao's light?"
Alex stepped away from him, shocked. "No, dad! And I refuse to believe that! I can't lose her! We are going to find a way to save her! She's going to be smiling at us like this whole thing never happened!"
The two nodded at their eldest and pulled into one last hug. They shared one last saddened smile before they moved to a computer to run simulations. The main issue was to rid her body of the Kryptonite. They needed to neutralize its effects so that Kara's body could absorb the necessary yellow sun rays, but there was currently no way to do it. The Kryptonite was basically a virus of its own and was hijacking the cells in her body. They needed a canceling factor.
Oliver stared at the screens in front of him, the words jumbling together in a confusing fashion. He couldn't think straight. Oliver had lost people he cared about time and time again, but it never got easier. The pain. The loss. It stuck with him each night he decided to risk his life as a vigilante, and he could never forget the sacrifice his loved ones had made for him. The sacrifices they had made for others. Kara was no different. She had the inner goodness that he had known only a few to have. It seemed to be the root of her personality. The two had never had a deep conversation, but that much was evident just from her being in the same room as him. He wished he could have put everyone on the task of finding Cadmus and their benefactor. However, he wasn't stupid. Wally and Jay had stayed to watch over Central City along with Jesse, Julian, and the Hawks who had decided to assist. He had Rene, Curtis, Nyssa, and Dig in Star City, and the rest were here.
They had quite the group to work with on both sides. With him and Bruce they had J'onn, Mick, Nate, Amaya, Sara, Thea, Clark, Felicity, Stein, and Jax. Alex and Barry had taken the others which consisted of Caitlin, Cisco, Eliza, Jeremiah, and Ray. The two teams were well supplied and eager to help on both sides. Felicity, with the help of someone named Winn, had set up an algorithm that would detect any sudden radiation bursts, attacks, or anything out of the normal activity. They were currently combing the traffic cameras for anything that could give them a lead while Bruce and Oliver discussed plans for attack.
"What exactly can your people do?" he asked, curious.
"I have a team of people who are masters in hand-to-hand combat, a few metahumans, and one pyromaniac," Oliver answered.
Bruce's eyebrows shot up. "Alright. If we go on a mission, who would you want with you?"
"I would take Kara's cousin, you, Sara, J'onn, and I would pull Barry away. The rest I would leave to hold down the fort and protect Kara."
Bruce nodded. "Okay. That's who we take. I don't know most of these people, but I trust your assessment. I need to call a few people. If this gets out of hand, I want to make sure I have backup."
"Who?" he questioned.
"Let's just say the world saving type. I'm going to propose an idea to them." Seeing the curious look in the other man's eyes, he continued. "I told a few others that I think it would be best if we joined together under a united front. You could establish something similar on your earth."
"And if something like this happens?" he countered. "What if it affects both of our earths?"
He laughed. "You have someone who can open breaches to different earths. I'm sure it won't be that hard to figure out."
Oliver pondered the logistics of forming whatever Bruce had in mind. Barry had been given the hanger that they had used to fight the dominators by the late Harrison Wells and there was an endless amount of things they could do with it. It could be formatted to be their base of operations if they wanted. It was a good idea, and as soon as this horror show passed, it would be beneficial for them to explore it some more.
They both stood up and shook hands, moving to check up on the two tech geniuses that were monitoring the world for any sign of trouble.
Alex twirled her pen thinking of possible scenarios. Kryptonite. It was radioactive. A mineral from Krypton. Her brain made a list of the factors and characteristics of Kryptonite, hoping to find some kind of answer. She didn't know if the minerals were made radioactive after the explosion, if they were radioactive before the explosion, or if they were just minerals on Krypton. She couldn't ask Clark because he wasn't born on the planet and the archives in his fortress only brought him so far. They only person who could help her was Kara. It was a frustrating process that made her want to claw her eyes out.
If minerals from Krypton were made radioactive from the explosion, then she would have to find a mineral of the opposite effect. Her brain was fried from the past couple of days, and she knew she wasn't at her best. She could hear Barry and Cisco fighting in the corner about what the effects of dousing her in red sunlight would do. Everyone was on edge and ready for this nightmare to be over, but it wasn't that easy.
They didn't have nearly enough knowledge on Kryptonian physiology and any of Krypton's technology was light-years ahead of Earths. She thought that between her, Eliza, and Jeremiah they would be able to navigate the biological factors in Kara, but they were grossly out of their league. They had never delved deep into research of Kryptonite because agents were forbidden from even looking at it. They had kept it under lock and key as a precautionary measure not a scientific experiment. The only time they had been able to study Kryptonite was when the DEO has needed to find a cure that would neutralize Bizarro.
Her eyes lit up. Bizarro. The opposite Kara. The Green Kryptonite had made her stronger unlike with Kara, and they had constructed Blue Kryptonite to incapacitate her. Maxwell Lord had assisted them making it, and it had done the job. They had never known what it would do to Kara, but if her suspicions were correct, it might make her stronger. If that were the case, Kara would be able to heal quickly as if under sun lamps. Excited, she ran from the lab and down the hall towards the room where J'onn was. Pushing her shoulder on the door, she ran inside and dragged J'onn out.
"What is it, Alex? Did you find a cure?" he asked, hope brewing in his mind.
"I think so. I need Blue Kryptonite," she said.
"Blue Kryptonite?"
"Yes she said," nearly hopping from excitement. "I have an idea. Do we still have some from when we took down Bizarro?"
He shook his head. "No. It was a rush job and Max Lord only had time to make just enough to take her down. We do have the chemical makeup written in the DEO archives. It was high risk information so only I have the authorization to search for it."
Frustrated, Alex waved her hands trying to get him to hurry up. "What is it, J'onn? Are you really pulling rank right now?"
"No, Alex. I mean that I need to give my fingerprint to you in order for you to access the information, and you can only access it on a DEO computer," he explained.
"Are you kidding? We have to go to National City to get the information on how to make Blue Kryptonite," she repeated, incredulous.
"Yes. I can fly us there."
She chuckled. "Why can't we just have Cisco open a breach to the DEO?"
"After Barry left, I had metahuman power dampeners built into the walls of the structure to keep anyone from popping in and out of our facility."
"Great. That's just great. Let's go."
J'onn nodded and grabbed onto Alex's waist. The two took to the air, rushing to National City. They made it to the DEO thirty minutes later, anxious to get the instructions and save Kara already. They sprinted to the computer where Vasquez was typing and motioned for her to scoot back. J'onn pressed his finger to the panel and unlocked the data, printing off a sheet for Alex. Relieved, the two rushed back to Gotham City, making it back to the Batcave and opening the door to the lab.
Alex's eyes widened when she saw that the room was empty. Turning around, her eyes connected through the glass with the group of scientists that were trying to save Kara's life. Pushing through the door and the room of people, she gripped the piece of paper hard, almost ripping it.
"What the hell happened?!" she screamed to anyone, hoping for an answer.
"She just started seizing and her skin started turning green. We're running out of time! She doesn't have long before her heart gives out from the strain!" Eliza responded, her eyes wild.
Alex pulled Barry and Cisco aside and handed him the crumpled piece of paper. "Barry, I need you to make this as fast as possible. Cisco, I need you to run simulations based on this and tell me what it's going to do to her." The two nodded and ran off to the other room, Barry only slightly visible to the human eye. Alex pushed her way to Caitlin. "How much longer does she have?"
"I'm amazed she's already survived 12 hours! She's definitely fighting. She doesn't have long. I'd say she has an hour left before her heart gives out from the poisoning," she answered, torn at what she was relaying to Alex.
Alex nodded and pulled up a chair. "Alright. I'm going to stay here with her just in case. Everyone else needs to help Barry and Cisco with the simulations and chemistry."
They galvanized into action, leaving Alex alone with her sister. She turned around, making sure she was alone and put her mouth close to Kara's ear.
"Kara, you need to fight. We're doing all we can, just hang on a little longer." A tear slipped from Alex's eye, dropping onto the bed. "You have made me so happy. I couldn't imagine a life without you as my sister. I remember resenting you, and now the memory seems so ridiculous. You made my life better. I know what I said. I know what we've been through, what you've been through. I didn't mean what I said when Dad came back. You mean so much to me, Kara. So much. Please. I can't live without you. The world needs you. Your family needs you. I need you." Her voice cracked, and she paused. "Kara, I can't imagine how hard it was to live your life, but I know that you are the most important thing I have in mine. I love you, Kara, but I can't do this if you won't try. Try. Live. There is so much to live for."
Tears were flowing freely down her face as she stroked the hair away from Kara's eyes. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to lose her. Minutes passed as she just sat next to her little sister, waiting for what came next. Her brain flicked through each memory she had with Kara, good and bad, that had shaped them to be who they were today.
"Alex, you'll always be there for me, right? I mean, I know you're heading off to college while I'm stuck here, but-" Kara started."Kara! I'll always be there!" She stood up and wrapped her ams around the girl who had become her best friend. "Just call me and I'll be there to fight off all the stupid people who don't even try to get to know you better before picking on you."She smiled at her. "Thanks, Alex. I know it's kind of pathetic, but my greatest fear is being alone."Alex's heart broke at the vulnerability that Kara was showing her. "Oh, Kara. There are going to be times when I can't be there for you. It's just life. It's what's going to make you who you are, but I promise you. I'll always be there when it counts the most.""Alex, I love you," Kara said, squeezing her. "I hope college goes well for you."She smiled and squeezed her back. "Thanks. I love you too, Kara."
Alex was interrupted from her thoughts when Cisco burst through the door, making Alex jump to her feet. He ran over to her holding a small tablet.
"Alex! I finally ran the simulation you needed!"
"And?" she prompted.
"I mean, I'm not too up to date on the newest in Kryptonian biology, but I think I have a good grasp of it. Well, it's like a sort of grasp of it, not really like you and Eliza and—"
"Cisco!" she yelled.
"Sorry. I mean, this Bizarro you guys fought. I was told that when she was shot with pure Kryptonite, she went berserk, and her face cracked open and stuff." Alex nodded. "Well, the Blue Kryptonite Maxwell Lord made would essentially do the same thing. You know opposites and all."
Alex gave him an exasperated look, urging him to speak faster.
"Alright, alright! Well we tweaked it, and we came up with a safer version. Good news, it will take away the effects of the Green Kryptonite; bad news, it will also take away her powers."
"So that means—" she asked.
"—it means that it will nullify the effects of the radiation poisoning, but she will be healing at a human rate. Green Kryptonite takes away the yellow sun radiation that Kara naturally absorbs and replaces its own harmful radiation. Blue Kryptonite takes away the effects of Green Kryptonite and it takes away her powers by adapting her cells to that of a human. No superhuman powers, no superhuman healing," he explained, his face scrunched in an apology.
Alex nodded at the information. "Alright. We still have to do it." She saw her mother enter the room out of the corner of her eye and shifted her body to make room.
"Honey, Kara has the immune system of an infant. She was never given antibiotics, medicine of any sorts, or a shot of any kind. She really doesn't have an immune system that fits with us. She has some basics, but Krypton was so advanced that no one really got sick. If we do this, she won't die of Kryptonite poisoning, but she might die of something as simple as a fever."
Alex put her fists to her forehead in an attempt to ward off the headache that was inevitably making its way to her brain. "We have to. She doesn't have long. Get Barry in here. I want this place clean and scrubbed clean. I want there to be absolutely no germs of any kind. Anyone who wants to come in has to wear a hazmat suit."
The two nodded at her, agreeing with the course of action she was taking. "How long until we can take her off the Blue Kryptonite and have the Green Kryptonite poisoning be flushed from her system?"
"I don't know, sweetie. We're in uncharted territory. I don't know if it will just delay the inevitable by keeping her around Blue K, or if her body will ever become strong enough that she can fight it on her own. Radiation poisoning doesn't really just go away, and some of her organs were severely affected by it. Her powers allow her to heal completely and thoroughly and without that, there's only so far she will heal before her body can't anymore. She'll be human like us. She'll have the scars of the surgery and the pain, everything. We might be able to liquefy it and flush it through her system. That might get rid of the poisoning, but it also might get rid of her powers forever," Eliza said.
"What if we flush her systems with Blue K and then immediately put her under sun lamps?" Cisco added, an idea coming together in his mind.
"Yes, that just might work. Thank you, Cisco."
Alex smiled at the two, hope stirring in her heart. "Okay, guys. Let's get to it!"
They scurried off, Barry sweeping through the room like a tornado and cleaning while the rest attempted to create a Blue K serum to inject into her system. The sun lamps were set beside her just in case, and the process was run through the simulation technology a dozen times before they were ready. There was no telling what this might do to her, and Alex was almost ready to chew off the end of her pencil in her stressed state. There was a chance that she might be hindered for the rest of her life with the mark of Cadmus forever on her. It broke her heart, and she wished she had never taken Kara's amazing healing factor for granted. Their plan was solid. For the sake of her sanity she had to believe that.
Caitlin dressed in the required suit and carried the needle into the room. She gave a thumbs up to Ray who was monitoring her brain activity and slowly walked to the unconscious blonde's side. Raising the needle, she took a deep breath and plunged its point into her skin. Wincing the entire time, she pressed the end, deploying its contents into her body.
The greenish tint that had seemed to cover her whole body flashed blue for a second before returning to its shade. She started the IV drip in hopes of flushing her body full of nutrients to help rid the body of the Blue K after it had done its job.
Kara looked almost dead, shocking her the most. She remembered the fight against the dominators and how she believed that the pretty new team member was basically indestructible. It was a lesson to all of them that no matter how powerful you were; you always had limits that could throw your life to hell.
It was sickening seeing all the wires and tubes sticking out of her body as if she was some sort of science project. They had to place a breathing tube down her throat once her lungs had faltered slightly to help her body's respiratory functions. She had an IV and electrodes stuck to her to monitor brain activity, and Caitlin couldn't help but think she was dead. Caitlin didn't want to believe that the Girl of Steel had been brought to her knees after being tortured by a ruthless organization hell bent of eradicating any alien that had stepped onto Earth's soil. She didn't deserve any of this.
Caitlin turned on the lamps, placing them on a low setting. She walked back to the lab and shut the door, pressing the button that sealed it. She took off the helmet and stood next to Ray, waiting for his assessment.
"Huh," he muttered.
"What is it?"
"I don't know. For some reason I'm seeing traces of nanobots in her brain," he explained, confused.
"Are they doing anything?"
"No. No. I think Cadmus placed them there for some reason, but the jokes on them. Their circuitry was frozen and destroyed when you lowered her body temp. Whatever they were supposed to do, they can't do it now."
Caitlin sighed in relief. "That's good. Are there still traces of Blue Kryptonite in her system?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. However, anything the Green K was doing, stopped. It's working. Now it's just up to her body to heal naturally until the Blue K leaves her system and we can flood her body with sunlight."
"Ray, how long do you think it will take for her to fully recover in human terms?" she questioned.
"Hard to say. Without any superhuman help, that would probably be a month or so. That would be enough time to heal what could heal. After that, she'd have to have 12 more months of physical therapy, and she should would want to see a trauma specialist. Her organs faced some serious damage, so I would say she would always be in some sort of pain whether she be breathing or even moving. The injuries she came with in addition to the gunshot wounds were pretty extensive too. No one really mentioned them because there were other things that were more serious to deal with, but she came in with 2 broken ribs, a mild concussion, a torn kneecap, extensive bruising along the face, and a hairline fracture to her left radius. She was not in good shape. If she heals the way a human does, she won't be the same. Cadmus tortured her, and then left her for dead." He turned to look at the screen. "But by the looks of this, I'm not sure what their plan was."
They waited hours and hours for her to wake up. Usually it was Barry and Alex by her bed, holding on to her hands and talking to her to keep her company. Barry would leave every once in a while to bring food, but Alex never left her side. She promised that she would be there for her, and she had no intention of breaking it. The rest of the group cycled in and out, coming and going. Bruce and Oliver had not found anything to give them a good enough lead to chase after, and they were getting more and more frustrated.
Seven hours later, Alex jumped when she heard someone cough in the room. Groggily, she pushed her fists in her eyes and rubbed away the sleepy feeling she felt. Her mind quickly woke up as she saw Kara shift in the bed and cry out in pain. They had removed her breathing tube, as her O2 levels slowly rose into a more comfortable level for her to breathe on her own. Alex grabbed at her hand, and her back straightened as she stared into her sister's crystal blue eyes.
"Kara? Kara, wake up," she said, squeezing her hand lightly.
"A-Al-Alex? Where am I?" She coughed and grabbed at her chest, letting go of her hand. "What happened? Why does everything hurt?" She winced and closed her eyes as the pain set in.
"Shh, shh. Calm down, Kara. You were with Cadmus. We found you and rescued you. You've been out for a really long time. How dare you worry us all," she accused, making Kara chuckle and then grab her stomach.
"Oh yeah. That's me. Always trying to worry you." Alex saw her eyes widen in panic, and she quickly grabbed her hand to calm her.
"Hey, hey! Calm down! It's not good to stress yourself out. What's wrong?"
"Alex, Cadmus did things. They put nanobots in my brain, they wanted me to hurt you!" Her eyes narrowed. "Wait, why do I remember that?"
"It's alright. Ray Palmer already found the nanobots. They were flushed out of your system after their circuity was destroyed. You're fine. The only thing you have to worry about it getting better," Alex answered.
Kara glanced at the lamps above her. "Why does everything hurt, Alex? Shouldn't I have healed already?"
Alex's face fell and Kara lowered her head, trying to get Alex to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry, Kara. There's so much I have to tell you."
Maxwell Lord slammed his tablet to the ground in anger. His plan. His ideas. They had all been ruined because Lillian Luthor had gotten too excited while torturing her. She had shot her, and the whole plan he had in mind had crumbled before him. He should have learned that he couldn't rely on others to finish the job when it was so important to him. He should have handled the whole situation by himself.
Max moved to enter a building but was thrown off his feet and onto the concrete ground. His head slammed against the side of the building, and he could feel the blood trickling down his face. He clamored to his feet and faced his opponent.
"Maxwell Lord," the man said, grabbing onto his shirt and lifting him off the ground. "You seem to have failed at your mission. My employer has very high expectations, and you should be thankful that I am staining the ground with your blood. It is fortunate that my employer thought well into the future and has a definite plan for your mishap. Therefore, it is of no consequence that you failed. Despite the fact that we have a better grasp of your limitations and how you have failed, I feel it is necessary to give you another chance and equip you with something that might assist you while you and my mother try not to botch our whole endeavor."
"You're Lex Luthor," he gasped, trying to suck in a breath.
"I am merely a strong believer in what my employer has to offer. I, however, am competent enough to complete my missions." He slammed the man back to the ground, making him grunt at the pain.
Max could only see the back of his suit as he walked away, and he attempted to pull himself back to his feet. He felt something stick onto his head and unfold more parts, each one pressing a needle into his skull. He screamed in pain and fell back to the ground as he grasped at the device, trying to pull it off. His eyes lolled back into his head, and he fell back to the ground, unconscious.