A/N: Thanks for the reviews.
Baratta jennifer - Thanks.
"What happened?" Lena asked approaching Alex at the DEO, where Alex was prowling outside the lamp room.
"There was an acid spewing alien. The acid chewed through Kara's suit and then when the acid mixed with water the gas effected her."
"Who mixed acid with water?" Lena asked.
"There was a rain storm."
"What rain storm?" Lena asked.
"What?" Alex asked confused.
"There's no rain outside, not even a cloud."
"In the desert, or on route to the desert. The point is the suit failed." Alex said.
"Where is it?"
"What's left of it is there." Alex said pointing to a box.
"Where's the alien?" Lena asked.
"Containment in the desert. You have full access."
"I'll get right on it." Lena said before asking. "Where's Kara?"
"Under the lamps. The gas caused a lot of chemical burns, fortunately the lamps are helping." Alex said as a doctor came out of the lamp room.
"Well?" Alex asked.
"You can see her, but she should minimise talking."
"Thanks." Alex replied.
"I'll let you know when I have something." Lena said walking off as Alex stepped into the lamp room.
"Hey, how are you feeling?"
"Okay." Kara croaked.
"Anything I can get you?"
"No." Kara said. "Yes. Look after Alex."
"I will." Her sister assured her.
"Anyone hurt?"
"Nothing major." Alex smiled. "Get some rest." She added before asking. "Want me to stay with you?"
"No. Alex."
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." Call if you need anything.
00
As Alex entered the house she was met by silence. Guessing the teens were upstairs gaming she climbed the stairs and opened the den door.
"Hi mom." MJ called pausing the game as Chewie jumped off the couch and scampered to the adult.
"Hey. Everything okay?" The older Alex said patting Chewie.
"No more Jess sightings." MJ said.
"Good." Alex smiled.
"Where's mom?" The teenage Alex noticing her aunt was alone.
"She's at the DEO." Alex said.
"Is she okay?"
"Yes, but she did get hurt. She'll be fine, but I want her to stay under the lamps tonight." The older Alex said. Seeing the emotion sweep across her niece's face she added. "I promise you she'll be okay. But I want you to stay here tonight."
"What happened to her?" The teen asked.
"She reacted badly to a gas." The older Alex said.
"Was it Indomitable?" The teen asked.
"No, an alien." Her aunt said.
"Is she okay by herself?"
"She's fine and adamant I came back." Alex smiled. "Besides, she isn't by herself, J'onn is staying with her." Seeing her niece was not looking appeased she said. "I need to go pick up dinner, want to come with me so we can walk Chewie?"
"Sure."
00
"She'll be okay." Alex assured her niece as they walked. "Your mom does not want you stressing about this."
"Things aren't getting better are they?"
"How do you mean?"
"With Indomitable."
"Not yet, but they will."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Experience." Alex smiled. "And like I said, tonight wasn't Indomitable."
"But next time it might be." The teen said.
"What exactly are you worried about?" Her aunt asked.
"Next year when I am at college mom won't have anyone to come home to. So what if she starts taking the reckless option more often?"
"We both know your mom is driven to do good." Alex said. "Most of the time her decisions, although insane are balanced."
"And when they aren't?"
"I yell at her." Her aunt said. "I will look after her."
00
"Morning boss." Ruby greeted the next morning.
"Morning. How's Kara?"
"All healed." Ruby said before asking. "Doesn't it seem a little strange? I mean that there was a rain storm at just the right time over where that alien was. A rainstorm that resulted in Kara getting some nasty burns."
"Are you suggesting the rain wasn't natural?"
"There are metas who can control the weather." Ruby reminded her.
"Any sign that that is what happened?"
"Not yet. But we are checking." Ruby said.
"Something else bothering you?"
"Yeah, what are the chances that an alien that can actually hurt Supergirl turns up?"
"It's happened before." Alex reminded her. "But I agree the timing works too well for Indomitable. Has anyone figured out a way to talk to the alien?"
"No. But J'onn is trying, with last night's and Gizmo. I was going to go down and help."
"Let me know what you turn up." Alex said before walking to the infirmary where she found her sister preparing to leave.
"What are you doing?"
"I got the all clear."
"Not from me."
"I'm fine."
"Kara, until Lena gets back and confirms there was no weird Kryptonite in that compound we are keeping you here." Alex said before her tone softened. "You'll be out before Alex gets back from school."
"How was she?"
"Worried about you. But no nightmares last night."
"Thank you."
"I think that was more MJ than me." Alex said. "You sure you are okay?"
"Don't want to go through that again, but yes."
"On that note, Lena thinks she can make the suit more acid resilient. She'll be round later with the latest version, although it won't be fully tested. Until then you can stay under the lamps."
"But-"
"No arguing. I may have sugar coated it for Alex, but we both know how badly you were hurt." The older Alex said. "Get some rest, I'll be back at lunch. I'll bring food."
00
"Hi." Vasquez greeted as she entered Alex's office. But as she shut the door Alex feared the worse and asked.
"What's happened?"
"I have an answer to one of the many many questions."
"You do?" Alex asked sitting forward.
"Yes, it may not help, but at least it is an answer." Vasquez said.
"What is it?"
"As ordered we have been keeping an eye on Rice."
"And?"
"I think I know the cause of his issue with Diz and why it has got worse recently."
"What is it?" Alex asked.
"Every month he visits a cemetery. He goes to this grave." Vasquez said showing Alex a picture.
"Tell me it is not a drop."
"It's not." Vasquez said. "The grave belongs to Patrick Bamford. His high school best friend. His friend committed suicide six years ago."
"I remember seeing that in his background check." Alex recalled.
"What that check didn't show was eleven years ago Patrick Bamford's sister was killed when gang violence spilled over. She was killed by a bullet attributed to the Los Zetas."
"Diz's old gang." Alex said.
"Right. From the sound of it the sister had been taking Patrick to a hockey game that day and he blamed himself. He and his family never got over it and it resulted in his suicide. Rice blames the Los Zetas. Apparently a few months ago Rice found out Diz had been part of them and that is when his behaviour towards him started to get really bad."
"Get Rice in, I want to speak to him." Alex said.
"Thought you'd say that. He's due in in ten minutes."
"Thanks." Alex said as there was a knock on the door.
Turning Vasquez opened the door and revealed Ruby.
"Sorry. Am I interrupting?" Ruby asked.
"It's fine. What have you got?"
"You know I was bothered by the rain."
"Yeah." Alex said trying to get her brain to focus on the new topic.
"Well I found something." Ruby said approaching Alex's desk.
"What?"
"These are the radar returns." Ruby said.
"Okay." Alex said not sure what she was looking at.
"Normal rain clouds don't move that fast." Ruby said.
"Even freak fronts?" Vasquez said.
"Maybe, but they don't normally have a solid body in them." Ruby said changing the image to an IR sensor.
"That looks humanoid." Alex said.
"It does, so I am thinking a meta deliberately started a rain storm."
"You think they were working with the alien?" Vasquez asked Alex.
"More like exploiting the opportunity. But have another go at getting intel from the alien." Alex replied.
"Will do." Vasquez said as there was another knock at the door.
"Rice, come in, sit down." Alex said before looking at Ruby and saying.
"Keep digging." She then turned to Vasquez and asked.
"Can you get Lena to come in?"
"Sure." Vasquez said leading Ruby out of the office and shutting the door.
Once they had gone Alex turned her attention to Rice.
"Thanks for coming down." Alex said.
"Sure. But what's this about?"
"Diz."
"He complained?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"Like I said the DEO requires your working in a team and trusting your team mates. No matter who they are or what their background is. The DEO is made up of many reformed characters." Alex explained. "If you can't handle that, the DEO is not the place for you."
"His gang were murderers."
"Diz isn't the Los Zetas. You don't know why Diz joined the Los Zetas. All you know is he left." Alex reminded him.
"No one leaves a gang." He said earning a wry smile from Alex.
"I said the same thing. Diz proved me wrong." Alex said.
"So I am meant to trust someone who sided with murderers?"
"Trust has to be earned. But that goes both ways." Alex said. "No matter what you think of Diz he has earned the respect of the people here. Where as your actions have lost their respect. That said you were selected because we thought you had potential. But only you can decide if the DEO is right for you."
-00-
"It looks the same." Kara said trying on the new suit.
"You want me to change the colour? Add some stripes?" Lena asked.
"No. I just meant are you sure it is different?"
"Of course I am sure. I had to rush the acid fix, so don't go jumping in acid baths, but the alien acid doesn't work on it."
"Thank you." Kara said.
"Of course. How are you feeling?"
"Guilty."
"For?"
"Causing Alex stress. Again."
"She's probably used to it."
"Doesn't make me feel better." Kara said miserably.
"Well this might, Alex has given me permission to drive you home."
00
"What is the point of finals?" MJ asked throwing his pen down in frustration.
"So you can graduate." His cousin said. "Or do you want another year of high school?"
"No." MJ sighed. "But when is any of this going to be useful?"
"College?" Alex suggested.
"So not helpful." MJ complained as Kara entered the den.
"I bring study snacks." Kara smiled.
"The only good thing about studying." MJ muttered.
"Mom!" Alex said jumping up and hugging her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I missed you though." Kara smiled.
"Are you sure you are okay?"
"I'm fine. You have more important things to worry about, like stopping your cousin's head implode." She said looking at MJ.
"He's a lost cause." Alex said.
"Hey!" MJ said throwing some scrap paper at his cousin.
"I'll leave you two to study. Let me know if you want anything else." Kara said before going back downstairs, reaching the hallway as her sister returned home.
"Hi." Alex said. "Where's MJ?"
"Upstairs with Alex, they are studying." Kara said.
"Even MJ?"
"Even MJ. Although just now they were debating the point of finals and graduating and college." Kara summarised.
"And how are you doing?" Her sister asked.
"Me?"
"Yes you. Ignoring the acid bath, I know you hate not doing anything."
"I'm not exactly doing nothing."
"You know what I mean."
"I'm okay."