"Morning." Kara said as she entered the kitchen with her daughter. Noticing Diz wasn't there she asked. "Has Diz run away already?"
"Left for school already." Eliza said passing Kara some coffee.
"Unlike these two he actually seems to be punctual." Alex said looking at her kids who were rapidly eating breakfast.
"Careful, that almost sounded like praise." Her sister said.
"We'll see you later." The teenage Kara said taking one more bite of toast before dumping her plate on the side.
"Bye." Kara said kissing her daughter goodbye as the trio left the kitchen.
"So how did it go last night?" Kara asked.
"How do you mean?"
"Diz living here."
"It was fine." Alex said before glancing at Eliza as Kara drank her coffee.
"What?" Kara asked when she noticed both her mother and sister were watching her drink her coffee.
"We want to run some tests." Alex said.
"Is this about last night?" Kara asked.
"No Sweetie." Eliza said.
"Then what?"
"I'm worried we missed something. I think we overlooked what happened to you and that maybe the plan was not to get you to inject that compound, it was actually to interact with the molten Kryptonite." Alex explained.
"Why?"
"We don't even know what was in it. Maybe it wasn't Kryptonite? Maybe it was a way to get something into you. You said stopping Tycho was too easy." Alex reminded her.
"So what do you think is in me? I mean you already tested for Red K."
"We don't know. But we want to run some tests."
"Okay." Kara said not sounding enthusiastic.
-00-
"Anything?" Eliza asked as she joined her daughter at Lena's lab, where Alex and Lena were staring at a computer screen.
"No. I mean some of her readings are a little off, but nothing jumps out."
"There's something else we need to consider." Lena said. "And you aren't going to like it."
"Alex." The older Alex guessed frowning.
"They had her for a while, they could have done anything."
"Didn't she share her memories with you?" Eliza asked her eldest.
"Yes, but she was passed out for some of it. But that was before they put the collars on." The older Alex said. "But to be safe we should run some tests."
"What are we going to do about Kara?" Lena asked.
"We need to figure out what is in her. Or if it is in Alex, what she is being exposed to." Alex said before looking at her mother. "This is more your field than mine."
"You can use all these facilities." Lena offered.
-00-
"Hi J'onn, Sam." The DEO director smiled when they walked into her office.
"Hi Alex." Sam greeted as J'onn nodded.
"How did it go last night?" Alex asked.
"Didn't Kara tell you?" Sam asked.
"No. When she got back we teased her about Steve and she snapped."
"Well Veronica definitely upset her." J'onn said.
"How?" Alex asked.
"Went on one of her anti-Supergirl rants." Sam said. "Although Steve defended Supergirl and ended up upsetting Veronica, which was kind of sweet. But off topic."
"Did you learn anything?" Alex asked.
"I don't know. I mean Veronica was saying what she normally says. But something was different. And I know this isn't helpful, because I can't put my finger on it. But something was off."
"Did you get anything?" Alex asked looking at J'onn.
"No. I couldn't get close enough for long enough." J'onn said. "But her acting differently may not be anything sinister, I mean it could be due to something in her personal life."
"Ot it may be that she is being controlled." Alex said.
"Do you have reason to believe she is?"
"No. Not exactly. It's just that Barry said she gave up on exploiting meta powers years ago. So why the change of direction?"
"Have you actually connected her to the drugs?" J'onn asked.
"No, it is just a hunch. But something is telling me she is involved."
"Well let me know if you want me to investigate anything." J'onn said.
"Thanks." Alex smiled. "Before you two go. How did Kara seem last night?" Alex asked.
"Okay." J'onn said. "Well until she spoke to Veronica Cale, after that she seemed pretty angry."
"She's been getting angry a lot recently." Alex said.
"You're worried?"
"Yes. To start with I thought it was because of what she had been through. Then I thought there was something behind it, I even tested her for Red K. But found nothing."
"Perhaps she should go to Argo for awhile. Maybe spend some time with the priests." J'onn suggested.
"Maybe." Alex agreed. "I just feel like we are missing something. It may not even be related to Kara. But I am sure something is wrong."
"You should trust your instincts." J'onn said. "They are normally right."
"This time I hope they are wrong." Alex said.
-00-
"What are you doing here?" Alex asked when she saw her sister walk down the DEO corridor.
"I brought in an alien that was causing trouble." Supergirl said.
"Thanks." Alex said, wondering what else she had missed when she had been in the meeting with the FBI.
"I'm going to head off unless you want something."
"Actually yes." Alex said. "Can you stop by Lena's for some more tests?"
"Did any of the tests this morning show anything?" Kara asked sounding agitated.
"Well no."
"Then it can wait." Kara said.
"Kar-" Alex started only for her sister to cut her off.
"You want to go down rabbit holes, fine. But I don't have time. I did your tests this morning and they showed nothing. I have already neglected Alex due to looking after your kids. So tonight I am spending time with Alex. If you want to do more tests you can do them tomorrow." Kara said storming out of the building.
-00-
"Anything?" Alex asked entering the lab later that afternoon.
"We have not seen any major changes. But there are small variations in her blood chemistry. A lot of those could be down to stress."
"But?"
"I don't know." Eliza said. "I am still running simulations."
"But you have a theory?" Alex pressed.
"Maybe, look at this." Eliza said showing Alex her screen.
"It's a virus." Alex said.
"It is a simulation of a virus. A normal cold virus. Well it was to start with. In the simulations I injected it into a Kryptonian body that had been weakened sufficiently that the cells couldn't fight off the virus. In fact the virus had started to take control when I then turned back on the cells' ability to absorb yellow sun light. Only rather than killing the virus, the virus mutated and the capsid mutated and became able to absorb solar energy. Go forwards a few hours, it is expelled from the body. Normally a cold virus dies pretty quickly without a host, but now the capsid is resistant to most things."
"So it doesn't die?" Alex guessed.
"That's the theory."
"So you think she is an incubator?" Alex asked. "And the ultimate virus is growing inside her?"
"I don't know. I have seen no proof that is the case, but these simulations show it is possible."
"But why? I mean what's the end game?"
"I don't know." Eliza said as one of the computers pinged. Eliza then turned to the computer and read something on the screen before pulling up several files as Alex impatiently waited in the background.
"Well?" Alex asked.
"All results negative for antibodies associated with viruses. But that doesn't mean there isn't one in there. We need to run some more tests."
"That's not happening tonight." Alex said. "I suggested Kara might want to come in and she bit my head off. She said she'd come in tomorrow when Alex was at school, but tonight she is spending her time with Alex."
-00-
Waking from another nightmare, the teenage Alex found herself dripping in sweat. What surprised her was unlike other nights her mother was not already by her side. Feeling really cold she pulled a sweatshirt out of her drawer and put it on, before lying on the bed and trying to sleep. But every time she shut her eyes all she could see was her mother dying.
Needing to see with her own eyes that her mother was okay she got out of bed once more, leaving Chewie sleeping on the bed, and went to her mother's room.
Seeing her mother she started to relax and then Kara asked, her voice cold.
"What are you doing?"
"I had a nightmare. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"They are only dreams." Kara said.
"Can I have hug?"
"You need to face them by yourself." Kara said.
"But-" The teen said only for Kara to stand and walk towards her. For a moment Alex thought she was going to be hugged, but instead Kara stopped in front of her and saying.
"It is time you learned to survive by yourself. You are too sheltered. Too weak. You betray your heritage."
"Mom?" The teen asked confused.
"You have been spoilt by everyone. Everyone has pandered to your needs? Why? Guilt. Another weakness. You are unwanted by everyone. You were a mistake that won't go away. Mistakes should adapt and become stronger. But their toleration of you has shielded you. Allowed to be grow weak. So much so you are scared of dreams. You should rule this planet as a god, not succumb to its rules. You are a pathetic mistake. One who should have been terminated years ago. Now is your final chance." Kara said picking up her daughter and flying out of the window into the rain. "Now you must prove if you are worthy." She said dropping her over a park.
"No!" Alex cried as she fell to the ground.