"We need to talk." Kara said entering her sister's office.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked looking up from her desk, frowning when Kara shut the door.
"Martin just skipped chess practice to talk to me." Kara said pacing.
"Is Steve okay?"
"Yes. This was about Alex and MJ."
"What about them?"
"According to Martin, MJ has been bullying Alex all year."
"What has Alex said?"
"She's still at school, at chess practice. I wanted to be calm when I spoke to her. Actually I wanted to talk to her straight away so I flew to the school, but she looked like she was having fun and then I thought I should be calm then I wanted to know if you think this is crazy. Then I released I don't even know what to say." Kara said pacing.
"So it may not be true?" Alex asked hopefully.
"That's what I'm hoping, but why would Martin lie? Also, thinking about it Alex has dropped so many hints. Like MJ always being angry with her, the fact she thought he was a shapeshifter and I ignored all of them." Kara said pacing.
"You know six months ago I would have denied it, probably said quite a few nasty things to you while defending MJ. But I feel like I barely know him now." Alex said.
"Alex should be home soon, I'm going to talk to her. But from what Martin said she has been trying to protect MJ. So I don't know how much she will tell me."
"I'll talk to MJ. But this time I am using J'onn." Alex said.
-00-
"Alex." Kara called entering the apartment. As soon as she saw her daughter she engulfed her in a hug.
"What's wrong?" The teenager asked.
"You tell me." Kara said.
"Well right now you are freaking me out." The teenager said as her mother clung to her. "Has something happened?"
"I'm so sorry I didn't do more about it." Kara said holding her tightly.
"More about what?" The teenager asked feeling lost.
"MJ. Why didn't you tell me?" Kara asked before immediately apologising. "I'm sorry. You did tell me and I ignored it."
"What are you talking about?" The teenage Alex asked confused.
"Alex, I know what has been happening with MJ." Kara said pulling back.
"How?"
"What matters is you start telling me everything." She said ushering her to the couch. Once they had sat down Kara impatiently waited. When her daughter said nothing she asked.
"When did it start?"
"I don't know. I mean it didn't have a start not really. After he started dating Jess he didn't want to hang out any more, which I thought was just because he had a girlfriend. Then he started to hang out with a different group of friends and to start with they'd invite me to hang out with them, but then MJ kept talking about things that happened five or ten years ago, that he knew I didn't know about. They they all mocked me for being stupid. Then his friends, his new friends, started to make fun of me, but that wasn't that different to Holtz and his friends when I first arrived. Only MJ was on their side. Then they started stealing my homework or my books or my stuff. I ignored them but that only made them angry and that's when MJ started to join in."
"Join in how?" Kara asked.
"Comments and stuff."
"What kind of comments?"
"Does it matter?" The teen asked.
"Yes." Kara said. "I know you are trying to protect MJ, although right now I don't understand why, but I need to know. What did he say?"
"That I was a burden, no one wanted me here. Everyone would have been better if J'onn never brought me to Midvale. Things like that. Then they went after my friends, well MJ's old friends and made it clear they had to pick a side. To start with they were with me, but after Tom came in really bruised they backed off, apart from Martin. And then we had the fight, when I refused to help, MJ really changed and things started to get worse. But I could cope with the constant being told I wasn't wanted and everyone either ignoring me or making fun of me. And I thought they'd get bored eventually. But the less I reacted the more they did stuff."
"Stuff?" Kara asked.
"Stealing my things, spreading rumours, trying to trip me up. And then when every I saw MJ he would just blame me for everything."
Not knowing what to say Kara just held Alex tightly.
00
"What's going on?" MJ asked when she saw his mother and J'onn in the lounge.
"We need to talk." Alex said.
"Great." MJ replied. "Now what?"
"Sit down." Alex instructed.
"I'm fine standing."
"Sit." Alex repeated causing MJ to roll his eyes and sit.
"Happy?" He asked.
"Not really. I heard something today which I pray is a lie. But I worry it's true. So I am going to ask you a question and it is a yes, no answer. One word two choices. Do not lie to me."
"What is it?" MJ asked aware J'onn was watching him.
"Have you been bullying Alex?"
"No." He said causing Alex to look at J'onn who said.
"He's lying."
"You going to trust him over me?" MJ asked angrily.
"Scan him." Alex said to J'onn.
"No. You can't do that." MJ said standing.
"Yes I can." Alex said as J'onn stood in front of MJ and placed his hands on his head.
"Get off me you freak." MJ said.
"There's something wrong." J'onn said after a moment.
"What?" Alex asked.
"I don't know. But we need to get MJ to the DEO." J'onn said grabbing hold of the teen and Alex before flying him to the DEO.
00
"What's going on?" Vasquez asked as she entered the infirmary and saw MJ strapped to a bed, struggling against the restraints and shouting expletives at his mother, as J'onn stood over him and Alex stood to one side looking distraught.
"Help me sedate him." J'onn said. Nodding Vasquez rushed to MJ's side and injected something into his arm. Moment's later MJ stopped struggling.
"What's going on?" Vasquez repeated.
"I read MJ's mind and he was full of anger, but it wasn't normal anger. It felt like he was being controlled." J'onn said.
"Let's run some scans." Vasquez said pulling out a handhold scanner and running it over the teen. As it reached his neck it started to bleep loudly.
"What's that?" J'onn asked.
"I don't know." Vasquez said exposing MJ's neck where there was a necklace. Holding the scanner over it she got angry bleeps. "There is something weird about that necklace." Vasquez said removing it from MJ. "We'll get it analysed." She then looked at the doctor who had just entered the room. "Get blood samples. Run every test we have and get the results sent to my account."
"Yes ma'am. First results should be ready in a few minutes." He said drawing blood.
"Good." Vasquez said as she sealed the necklace in a container.
"I'm going to try probing his mind more, but there is only so much I can do when he isn't awake." J'onn said.
"Then in that case, why don't you help me with this?" Vasquez said waving the container with the necklace. "You too Alex."
"I shouldn't leave him." Alex said not taking her eyes off her son.
"Alex, the best way you can help him is to figure out what is going on." Vasquez said. As Alex silently stood watching her son Vasquez said more forcibly. "Alex, let's go. You'll do more good out there. Besides he'll be out for a couple of hours."
"Okay." Alex said allowing herself to be guided to the lab next door. As Vasquez and J'onn started to run scans Alex said.
"Wait, if they've got to him, what about Kara?"
"I'll get her." J'onn said flying off as Vasquez's computer bleeped.
"Alex look at this." Vasquez said.
"What?" She asked.
"This is a sample of MJ's blood, does it remind you of anything?" Vasquez asked showing the sample on the screen.
"Are you sure this is MJ's?" Alex asked.
"Yes." Vasquez confirmed.
"How? I mean is that even possible?" Alex questioned.
"It is definitely possible, but I have no idea how." Vasquez said. "But my money is on that necklace." She added as her computer bleeped. Having read the email she looked at Alex and said. "The good news is, that is definitely MJ."
"Mom?" Kara asked entering the lab with J'onn. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Alex said hugging her daughter.
"We need to take your blood." Vasquez said to the teen. "And scan you."
"Sure." The teenager said looking confused but allowing Vasquez to guide her to a gurney. "But what's going on?"
"We don't know for sure, but your brother has been infected by something that causing him to act aggressively." Vasquez said.
"Did he hurt you?" The teenager asked her mom.
"No." Alex replied, as Vasquez took the blood sample back to the workbench.
"What happened?" Kara pressed.
"I found out he's been bullying Alex. After that J'onn read his mind and figured something was wrong."
"What do you mean bullying Alex? For how long?"
"I don't know the details. Martin went to see your aunt and tell her about it. She's talking to Alex now."
"You're clear." Vasquez said to Kara.
"Can I see him?" The teen asked.
"He's asleep." Vasquez said.
"Can I wait in there?" She asked.
"Not alone." Alex said. "We'll go together."
"Alex wait, you need to see this." Vasquez said.