A/N: Thank you for the comments.
Guest - Holtz definitely deserves more than what he is getting. But he will get what he deserves before the end.
"What's going on?" Eliza asked as J'onn and she walked into the lab.
"Mom." The adult Alex said hugging her mother. I'm so glad you're here."
"What's going on?" Eliza repeated as Lena and J'onn shared a silent exchange, ending with J'onn nodding and disappearing.
"Alex and Ruby collapsed an hour ago." Alex explained. "We can't figure out why. But since then they have been feverish and their breathing is bad and getting worse. Both my kids are fine, despite being with Alex and Ruby when they got ill, and so is Kara. They also both have powers, which makes getting blood samples kind of hard." Alex said.
"Currently we can't find anything that links their conditions." Lena added.
"Ruby and Alex do have something in common." Eliza said as Alex's phone rang in the background.
"Kryptonian blood." Lena said. "But so does Kara and she's fine."
"Kara's blood is one hundred percent Kryptonian, Ruby and Alex are only half Kryptonian." Eliza said.
"Yeah, but Ruby is half human, Alex isn't." Lena said.
"Maybe it is the fact they are mixed species that's important." Eliza said before looking at Alex and saying. "Shouldn't you get that?" But when the phone silenced Alex said.
"It's fine." But a moment later the phone rang again.
"What?" Alex snapped down the phone. "When and where? … How many? … Where's Vasquez? ….Yes, put her on….Vasquez? Yes I know … Alex and Ruby … We don't have much at the moment, but based on our limited sample it may have something to do with mix species … Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can … start gathering samples."
As she ended the call Eliza looked at her and asked.
"What's going on?"
"Several aliens across the city are showing the same symptoms. I have to get to the DEO. But, I'm going to see Kara first."
-00-
"She's burning up. Can't you do anything for her?" Kara pleaded as Alex looked at some of the screens by her niece's bed.
"We still don't know what is wrong with her." Alex said. "For now we have to keep her comfortable."
"I knew I should have done something about Lobo." Kara said
"Lobo?" Alex asked confused.
"He wanted to make me angry and for me to lose more and now Alex is ill and-"
"Firstly you are not losing anyone. Secondly this isn't Lobo. This isn't about Alex. Vasquez just called and it's not just Alex and Ruby."
"Who?"
"Several aliens have collapsed. So far there have been at least fifty reported. I have to go to the DEO. The extra cases there may yield some clues. But mom and Lena are here."
"Eliza's here?"
"J'onn brought her. She is just reviewing the scans. She'll be in soon. Until then hang in there." Alex said squeezing her shoulder before leaving the room.
As Alex left her niece's room and entered the main lab area she saw J'onn leading a stressed looking Sam into the area.
"Where is she?" Sam asked.
"Just through there." Lena said nodding to another room.
"What's happened? J'onn said she was sick."
"Ruby collapsed. We think it is some type of virus." Alex explained. "Whatever it is causing her systems to degrade. Right now we have no cure, but we are doing everything we can."
"Ash. Ash should be here." Sam said.
"Ash is in a radio blackout zone." Alex said.
"Ruby asked that we didn't tell them." Lena added.
"Can I see her?"
"Of course." Lena said.
"I'll be back soon." Alex said to Eliza. "When you have a moment, I think Kara needs to see you."
"Okay." Eliza said.
"J'onn, can you come with me?" Alex asked.
"Of course."
-00-
"Ieiu?" The teenage Alex croaked as she opened her eyes.
"Right here." Kara said.
"Wh what's happening?"
"You're sick. But Alex, Lena and Eliza are going to make you better." Kara said squeezing her hand. "How are you feeling?"
"Hurts."
"What does?"
"Breathing."
"It'll be better soon." Kara said.
"Ieiu?"
"I'm right here." Kara said.
"Stay with me?" Alex pleaded sounding much younger than her actual age.
"I'm not going anywhere." Kara assured her kissing her forehead.
-00-
"How's Alex?" The teenage Kara asked when her mother entered the house with J'onn.
"The same." Her mother said. "You two okay?"
"I guess." Kara said.
"Do you have any symptoms of anything?" Alex asked.
"No."
"I need to know what happened today. Start from when you met up with Ruby."
"We met outside school like normal and she walked back with us." MJ said.
"Okay, well on the walk did anything strange happen? Or did Alex and Ruby drink or eat anything?"
"No." MJ said. "Well, when we got home Alex dunk some water, but so did Kara."
"I'm fine." Kara jumped in.
"No other food or drink?" Alex asked.
"No." MJ said.
"Wait. Maybe something strange did happen." Kara said.
"Think very carefully." Alex said. "Tell me what happened in as much detail as you can."
"It's not much, but we were outside Luigi's when one of the drains started venting steam, like all the pictures from New York. But I don't remember it happening before. Ruby said they had probably installed a new steam system or maybe it as an after effect of the explosions yesterday."
"Okay, we'll look into it. In the mean time think about anything else strange that has happened." Alex said. "I know this is hard. But I need you to stay here."
"We know." The teenagers both said.
"I also need a sample of your blood."
-00-
"What have we got?" Alex asked entering the control room.
"So far over one hundred reports of people collapsing." Vasquez said. "However, we think there will be far more cases that aren't being reported. Seventy six have been confirmed as mixed species. There have been no confirmed non-mix species. The others we are still trying to determine."
"Any idea on how this virus spread?" Alex asked.
"Not yet, but the doc may have more ideas by now. Because we are so stretched I shared your drain theory with Aptil and he has sent a team to look."
"Let me know if he finds anything. I'm going to head to the infirmary." Alex said.
"I'll come with you." Vasquez said following Alex. When they were out of earshot of everyone she asked. "How are Alex and Ruby?"
"Deteriorating." Alex said. "My mum is at Lena's lab trying to figure out what is happening."
"Does she need any files or samples?"
"As many blood samples as we have." Alex said.
"I'll get them sent right over." Vasquez said.
"Thanks."
"Of course. I'll see you back in the command room."
-00-
"Hey Sweetie." Eliza said approaching Kara.
"Eliza. Do you know what is wrong with her?" Kara asked hopefully.
"We are still working on it. How are you holding up?"
"I'm scared." Kara said looking at her unconscious daughter who was wheezing.
"I know how hard this is." Eliza said. "Just remember you aren't here alone. Anything you need just ask."
"I know." Kara said.
-00-
"Listen up everyone." Alex said when she came back into the command room some time later. "We still don't know who is behind this attack, but it may not be over. Until we know how the contagion is being spread it is going to be hard to contain. We need to figure out where it came from."
"I may be able to help with that." Agent Aptil said as he was brought in carrying a box. As he put the box down he removed a large sealed bag containing a cannister. "I may have stretched the truth a little and told my AD that there may be a link to Kai and he has now ordered we put everyone on this. So after your tip off about the steaming drain I sent a team to look. They found this. We think it is dispersal device. I have sent teams through the network looking for others. So far two more have been found. This one had no fingerprints and we are looking at CCTV footage, but they are likely to entered and exited somewhere else. But if we find more cannisters at least that might tell you where there will be sick aliens."
"Thank you." Alex said gratefully. "Right now we need to find everyone who has been infected. Finding a cure won't help them if we can't get it to them."
"We can set up shelters and clinics." Aptil suggested. "My concern is though if we do that they will become targets."
"It's a risk we are going to have to take." Alex said.