A/N: Thanks for the reviews.
Baratta jennifer - They'll need it.
"MJ?" Kara asked looking round for her brother.
"Here." He said trying to get his bearings.
"You okay?" Kara asked.
"Think so. You?"
"Yeah."
"Kinda boring isn't it?" MJ asked his sister as he continued to look round.
"What?"
"Alex's dreamscape."
"What did you think it be like?" The younger Kara asked.
"I don't know. Alien. I mean an alien planet with cool tech, not Midvale."
"If it is Midvale, maybe that means Alex is in charge, I mean it is kinda like a safe space for her." The younger Kara reminded him.
"Only if she was in charge, she wouldn't be a coma." MJ said. "Which means something bad is going to happen."
"Keep your eyes open." Kara said.
"Always. So house or beach?" MJ asked.
"Let's head to the beach." Kara said before the two started walking towards the waves.
"What if it isn't Alex in here, what if -"
"We aren't giving up." Kara said as they saw the water.
"There." MJ said pointing to his cousin who floundering in the sea. "I think she is in trouble." He said running to the water, taking off his shirt and shoes as he did so before running into the water and swimming towards his cousin. However he had only made a couple of strokes when his sister felt the ground shake just as a huge wave rose in the distance.
"MJ!" Kara shouted, trying to warn her brother. But before he could react the huge wave washed him and his cousin onto the beach.
Reaching her spluttering brother first Kara once again called for her brother.
"Fine." He coughed. "Help Alex."
Nodding she ran towards her cousin who lay unmoving on the sand.
"Alex!" She shouted. As Alex continued not to move Kara ran faster before finally dropping down by her cousin and rolling her over. As she did so she saw dark bruising on her cousin's neck and face, and blood stains on her top. "Alex, wake up." Getting no response she said louder. "Come on Alex, wake up." Then suddenly Alex's eyes opened and looked at her cousin. But rather than seeing recognition in her cousin's eyes, Kara saw fear. Moments later Alex pushed Kara away and started to sprint down the beach.
"Alex wait!" Kara said taking off after her.
"What did you say to her?" MJ asked as he approached his running sister.
"Nothing. We need to stop her."
"On it." MJ said increasing his speed and closing the distance to his cousin.
"Alex, it's us." MJ said.
"Stay away." Alex said as she kept running.
"Alex!" MJ said reaching her and grabbing hold of her wrist. "It's us. We're here to get you out of here."
"Don't lie." She said tugging her arm free and running, only to stumble and fall to the sand.
"Alex, we're real." MJ said.
"Nothing here is real." Alex said just as MJ pinched her. "What are you doing?" Alex asked confused.
"See proof it is not a dream."
"I know it's not a dream. Been through the pain cycle." Alex said.
"Alex, listen to me. We managed to use a device to get into your head." Kara said reaching them.
"What?"
"There's some weird device, it lets us get into your dreams. We are here and we are real."
"You're real?" Alex asked, clearly doubting the statement.
"Yes, we're real." Kara said.
"I mean we're in your head, so not exactly physical. But it is us in your head not your version of us." MJ said.
"Not helping." His sister said.
"How?" Alex asked.
"You sent us a message saying Worldkiller-1 was in here. After that mom got a machine. Your mom tried to use it but she was too old but we aren't."
"Mom?"
"She's okay." Kara said. "Sorry, should have led with that."
"She's alive?"
"Yes." Kara said.
"And you're real?" Alex asked.
"Yes." MJ said. "But we need to get back, we don't know how stable it is here." Seeing his cousin's doubt he said. "Look you could believe we aren't real and keep fighting alone, or you can believe we are real and can get out of here together. So you may as well take the path of least resistance and work with us. At the very least we are good company, well I am." MJ went on.
"You're real?" Alex asked again.
"Yes." Kara said before Alex grabbed hold of her and cried.
"It's okay." Kara said. "We're here to help. We're going to get you out of here." She added as Alex continued to cling to her.
"What's happened to you?" Kara asked.
"Worldkiller-1 keeps trying to kill me."
"But you keep surviving." MJ said.
"We have unwelcome guests. And weak ones at that." A familiar voice said from behind.
"Aunt Kara?" MJ asked confused turning round.
"It's Worldkiller-1." Alex said.
"How did you get here?" The older Kara looking figure asked as the younger Kara saw the fear in her cousin's eyes.
"Stay away from her." The younger Kara, blocking her cousin from the newcomer.
"Or what? You have no power here. I do." She said pointing at the younger Kara moments before she was hit by bolt of electricity that sent her flying a few.
"Hey." MJ said launching himself at the figure only to suffer the same treatment.
"That really hurt." MJ said sitting up. As she did so he saw the older Kara strangling Alex.
"Alex!" He shouted running towards her.
"Perhaps I'll just kill you two instead." The older Kara said.
"Leave her alone." MJ demanded as Worldkiller-1 sent him flying again, giving Alex a brief respite.
"Or maybe I'll let them watch what awaits them, then kill them." The older Kara-like figure said before turning back to Alex and choking her once more.
Just as Alex started to black out she found herself being thrown into the water, landing with a huge splash.
Immediately the younger Kara ran into the water and tried to find her cousin. Finally seeing a flailing arm she grabbed Alex and half swam, half dragged her back to shore, where the Kara like figure had disappeared.
"New power?" MJ asked as he helped his sister bring Alex further up the beach.
"What?" Alex coughed.
"The flying just now to escape."
"I'm not. She, it, tossed me. It lets me live."
"Makes sense. If you die, it dies." MJ said.
"What?" Alex asked.
"We are in your head. But if we die here, we die out there. Same is probably true for you. But Worldkiller-1 needs you alive right, else there is no body." MJ explained.
"You can die here? You have to go." Alex said.
"Not happening." The younger Kara said. "Especially when you have that look."
"What look?" MJ asked. "Oh that one. What crazy ass plan are you thinking of?"
"If I die here, Worldkiller-1 will leave my body." Alex said.
"Yeah, only you'll be dead." MJ said.
"Not if your mom can bring me back."
"Real life isn't like those hospital dramas." Kara said. "It's not that easy."
"We can't beat Worldkiller-1 in here." Alex argued.
"Why not?"
"They have powers."
"Shouldn't you also have powers?" MJ asked.
"Well I'm not as strong as them."
"That's bull." MJ argued.
"Even if I did have powers, it wouldn't help. They aren't held back by morals. So you need to go."
"Look Alex, we aren't leaving you." Kara said. "We are in this together. But you may be onto something."
"Dying is not being onto something." MJ argued, unsure of what they were hatching.
"Don't worry you'll be gone before then." His sister said to him.
"Still not comforting."
00
As Diz watched the three teens strapped to the machine from the observation room, he felt his chest tighten as Kara's heart rate kept spiking. He was so busy losing himself in his fears he barely registered the footsteps approach until he heard a familiar voice say.
"She's too tough to not be okay."
"Rice?" Diz asked turning. "Should you be walking?"
"Could ask you the same thing." Rice pointed out as he leaned on a crutch. "But I won't."
"What are you doing here?"
"Thought you'd be a lonely place right now. Plus I am really bored." He said looking through the window. "For the record your fiancee is nuts, brave but completely insane." Rice said before asking. "Is it some sort of competition between you?"
"What?" Diz asked confused.
"I thought you were crazy and brave when you proposed, but she is way worse. You trying to out do each other?"
"It feels like it." Diz said as alarms sounded from the lab.