A/N: Thanks for the reviews.
Baratta jennifer - It will be a rough ride for some in the coming chapters.
"Need a new sparring partner?" Max asked when Supergirl and Alex landed in his office.
"We need your help." Alex said.
"That's normally why you visit. That or to arrest me." Max said. "So what is it this time? Another alien invasion? An army of Indom-"
"We don't have time for this." Supergirl said causing Alex to jump in.
"Remember you had that machine that allowed me to jump into Kara's dream?"
"My memory is a little hazy, which may be due to you slamming my head into a desk."
"Despite my very strong desires, I only threatened that."
"I remember it differently." Max said.
"If you want to bring up history, now is the time for your better angels to show themselves. So do you remember that machine?" Alex replied as Kara got more and more agitated.
"Yes." Max said.
"You still have it?"
"Well not that one, but an upgraded version should be in storage. But the project was shut down ten years ago after it proved to be unstable." Max said.
"How unstable?" Alex asked frowning.
"Most people who used it died, or ended up in comas."
"But you still have the machine? So we could use it?" Supergirl asked.
"Did you miss the part about it being incredibly dangerous?" Max asked.
"So is not using it. Besides I survived it once." Kara said. "
"Okay, I am going to talk to you, as the slightly more sensible crazy person." Max said facing Alex. "Whatever it is you are doing, this machine is not the answer."
"You were happy for us to use it before." Alex said.
"Back then I was less risk adverse and I didn't know how dangerous it was. Plus I really didn't like Supergirl. But after what she has just done, I do feel slightly indebted, which is why I am warning you this is an incredibly bad idea."
"We may not have much choice. Please can we borrow it as well as all the reports of the patients who died?" Alex asked.
"Your funeral, probably literally." Max said. "But I can't just give it to you, you will need my help to set it up."
"Fine, please will you help us?" Alex asked.
"With what exactly?"
"I need to go into my daughter's head and stop an insane killer parasite." Kara explained.
"Never a dull day with you two." Max said standing. "But you have piqued by curiosity."
00
"How is she?" Alex asked as she approached Vasquez a few hours later.
"Still unconscious. She hasn't crashed again, but there have been two incidents of her heart rate spiking." Vasquez said before asking. "You really going to do this?"
"Kara wants to go in. She understands the risk from Worldkiller-1 more than anyone."
"What about Max's warnings?"
"Don't think Kara cares right now." Alex said. "Where's Max?"
"Setting up next door while giving a monologue on why it won't work." Vasquez said.
"To think he used to be such a maverick." Alex said.
"Well he has been on the wrong end of several law suits in the last twenty years." Vasquez pointed out before saying. "You may want to read this."
"What is it?" Alex asked taking the tablet.
"The trials results. It is pretty grim reading. But I guess not surprising. I mean we thought we were going to lose both of you during the Black Mercy incident."
"Kara won't be swayed by stats, especially when Alex is in danger." The older Alex reminded her.
"What about you?" Vasquez asked.
"I can't stop Kara."
"Not what I meant." Vasquez said. "Go to page thirty eight."
"Okay." Alex said scrolling down to the page.
"It's not much, seven point four percent in fact. But it is something. Ruby has already volunteered."
"No, I'll do it." Alex said. "Let me know when it is ready."
00
"Is it ready?" Kara asked as her sister approached.
"Nearly. They need another ten minutes. But before then we need to talk."
"You can't talk me out of this." Kara said.
"I know. But I am not letting you go alone." Alex said. "Especially as chances of success are higher if two people transfer in."
"I'm not asking you to come with me."
"I know. But I am going. I've been in before so it makes sense." Alex said. "Besides I'm not letting you go in alone."
"Are you sure?" Kara asked.
"Yes." Alex said causing Kara to hug her.
"Thank you." Kara said into the hug.
"I'll always protect you." Alex said before pulling away. "But if we are doing this, we need to get ready. Go get prepped, I'll be right in."
00
"Any change?" The younger Kara asked as her mother entered the room they were waiting in.
"No, but we have a plan." Her mother said.
"Aunt Kara is jumping into her head?" MJ asked before explaining. "We heard people talk about it."
"Kind of. But I'm going in too. I've done it before so I can be some help."
"Is it dangerous?" MJ asked.
"Yes." Alex confirmed.
"How dangerous?" Her daughter asked.
"There is a chance none of us will survive. But I have done it before and my team know what they are doing." Alex said before stopping and waiting for the argument. Instead she found herself being hugged by both her children.
"Make sure you all come back." Her daughter said into the hug.
"I will." Alex said before pulling away and saying. "I'm proud of both of you."
00
"I assume repeating my warnings won't do anything?" Max asked as he approached the sisters who were lying next to each other on gurneys, the younger Alex a few feet away.
"Only waste time." Alex said.
"Very well." Max replied as he checked the monitors. "Any last wishes?"
"Just get on with it." Kara said glancing at her daughter who was also hooked up to the machine.
"Okay, in five, four, three, two, one." He said before pressing a button.
"Why am I still here? This isn't the dream is it?" Kara asked not feeling or seeing anything different.
"Pretty sure we are in the lab still." Alex said before looking at Max and asking. "What happened?"
"Thought this might happen." Max said. "Turns out you aren't compatible."
"What are you talking about? I got into Kara's dream." Alex reminded him as she sat up.
"Yes you did and that was a long time ago." He said before adding. "Not meaning to be indelicate, but you were young then. Now you and more importantly, your brain is old. Certain parts have hardened and it means you don't interface with the tech any more. It was in the reports I sent."
"So that's it?" Kara asked, her eyes swirling with emotions.
"For you yes." Max said. "You can't go in."
"But I could." Ruby said. "I'm the right age, well righter age. And I know Alex, obviously not as well as you, but you could tell me what I need to know."
00
"It failed." The older Alex said as she approached her children and Diz in the other room.
"We know, we were watching." MJ said. "So what now?"
"I don't know." His mother said. "Ruby has already volunteered, but even if she is compatible, she may not be able to get through to Alex. If she tries and fails there won't be another chance."
"I'll do it." The younger Kara said.
"No way." Alex said.
"I know Alex better than anyone else who is suitably aged." The younger Kara argued.
"You aren't going alone. I'm coming too." MJ said. "Besides I know Alex just as well as you."
"Neith-" The older Alex started only for MJ to cut in.
"You were willing to do it."
"I was, but I know and understand the risks." Alex said.
"Like what?" MJ asked.
"In there you are alone. I can't help you. And if you die in there, you die here." Alex warned.
"Okay, well now we understand the risks." MJ said.
"Alex would do the same for us." The younger Kara argued. "And she needs help and she needs someone who knows her really well to do that. And seeing most of the people who know her are too old, there aren't exactly many options."
"You are getting married. You are sharing you life with Diz. You can't make this kind of decision without involving him." Alex warned.
"I haven't." Kara said. "We spoke about it when you guys were attempting the impossible for the third time."
"And you're happy?" Alex asked looking at Diz.
"I'm accepting." Diz said. "But I get Kar needs to do this." He said as the teenage Alex's heart rate spiked again.
"We need to do this." The younger Kara said.
"Okay." The older Alex said.
"Really?" MJ asked. "Thought we'd have to argue more."
"Well you are both adults and if we are going to do this, we don't have much time." Alex said before hugging both of them. "But you had better come back."
"We will." MJ said.
"Okay, let's go." Alex said releasing them.
As they walked towards the door Diz grabbed Kara's hand.
"I'll be back." Kara said hugging him.
"You'd better." He said, trying not to wince as she squeezed his bruised ribs. "I love you."
00
"What's going on?" Kara asked when the trio entered the room.
"They're going in." Alex said.
"Going in?" Kara asked confused.
"To Alex's dream." The younger Kara said.
"Wow, insanity runs in the family." Max quietly muttered from one side.
"Guys, I appreciate what you are doing, so much, but you don't know what it will be like in there. Alex could try killing you." The older Kara said.
"We'll be okay. We'll look out for each other." MJ said.
"When your mom went into my dream, I tried killing her and I nearly succeeded." The older Kara confessed.
"Well, we'll look out for each other." MJ said.
"Alex needs us." The younger Kara said. "And we are most likely to succeed." The comment causing the older Kara to look at her sister who said.
"If we are doing this we need to do it now." She then looked at her children and reminded them. "In there I can't help you. You are by yourselves."
"We have each other." MJ said.