"Well?" Kara asked as she paced in the corner of the lab the next day.
"She's fine. Everything is looking normal." Alex said.
"Told you." The teen said. "Can I go?"
"Fine, but no powers." Kara said.
"You know I'm not promising that."
"Fine. Minimal use of powers." Kara said. "And if anything feels wrong you call me immediately."
"Okay." The teen said hopping off the gurney before hugging her mother goodbye.
"She'll be okay." The older Alex said once the teen had disappeared.
"I hope so."
"How are you doing?"
"Okay I guess."
"Very convincing." Alex said dryly.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologise." Alex said as her phone buzzed. Seeing the message she sighed and said. "I have to go, I forgot about a meeting. But we will continue this later."
-00-
"Hi Steve, sorry I am late." Alex said walking into her office.
"It's fine. I know you are busy."
"So are you." Alex said sitting down. "Do you want a coffee?"
"Already got one. Your team has looked after me."
"Good." Alex said. "The reason I wanted to talk to you was to give you an update on the drug. As you know you were right. You were seeing side effects of it at your hospital. Fortunately the usage seems to have been quite constrained." Alex said. "The way they seem to work is release a batch, then stop, re-engineer it and release another batch. The good news is we aren't expecting anymore victims from the batch you helped identify. But there could be another batch, with new side effects and new victims. Seeing you picked up this one, I was hoping you'd keep your eyes open."
"Of course."
"It is unlikely the new batch will hit the same part of the city, but just in case you do see something, please let me know."
"I will."
"But Steve, if you do see something, don't investigate it yourself. It will be dangerous. And the way these people act, it may put Martin in danger as well."
"I understand." He said. "I'm guessing that is why your kids have a constant shadow?"
"Yes." Alex said.
"I'm sorry, that must be hard." Steve said before changing subjects. "Can I ask something not related? At least I hope it isn't related."
"Sure."
"Are Alex and Kara okay? Martin said Alex missed school yesterday."
"They're fine. Alex was felling unwell and we were worried it might be flu, but I think it was just a twenty four hour bug. She's fine today."
"Good to hear." Steve replied. "And Kara is she okay?"
"She has a lot going on." Alex said carefully before adding. "Right now she could use a friend."
-00-
"Why are we at Lena's lab?" Kara asked when her sister parked up by the tower block later that day.
"So we can meet Lena."
"Why?"
"Because you need to talk."
"I need to get back to Alex."
"She is catching up on school work with MJ, so you have time. Let's go." Alex said getting out of the car.
"Does Lena have time for this?"
"She does." Alex said as they entered the building and were waved through by security.
"What if I have nothing to say."
"Then you eat." Alex said as they stepped into the elevator.
"What if -"
"Kara, this is happening."
"Fine. But it's not needed."
"We'll see." Alex said as the doors pinged open.
"Go right through, she's expecting you." Lena's assistant greeted.
"Thanks." Alex said guiding her sister to the office.
"Hi guys, take a seat. I'll just save this and will be right over." Lena said without looking up.
"Who else is coming?" Kara asked as she saw the large spread of food on several tables.
"It's just us."
"Even I would struggle with all that food." Kara said.
"Pretty sure you don't have to eat all of it." Alex replied as Kara sat on one end of the couch before Alex sat next to her.
"You can start." Lena said walking over to them and sitting opposite them. She then asked. "How's Alex?"
"She says she is fine." Kara replied.
"But you don't believe her?"
"No. How can she be?"
"And her lack of honesty is frustrating you?" Lena went on.
"Yes."
"Excellent. Then you understand how we feel with you." Lena said reaching forward and picking up a cup of coffee.
"Wow, I walked into that one." Kara said picking up a muffin.
"Yes you did. But now you have you must know we aren't going to let you go until you start talking."
"About what?"
"You pick." Alex said. "Or if you can't, how about you tell us what happened to you after they took you through the portal?" Alex asked.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes." Alex and Lena said.
"They tested my limits." Kara said picking at the muffin.
"Which means what?" Lena asked.
"They injected me with something and turned on red lamps and then saw how much pain I could take. At some point I'd pass out then I'd wake and it start again. Rinse and repeat."
"Kara." Alex said pulling her sister in for a hug.
"It's okay." Kara said.
"No it's not." Alex said firmly.
"What exactly were they after?" Lena asked. "I mean what did they want to achieve?"
"Control. That's what they said, well it is what Tycho said. Some of them I think just enjoyed it." Kara said staring at the muffin in her hands. "A few times I thought I was going to die. But then I woke up back in that cell and it started all over again. Like groundhog day, but with sharp pointy things." She paused and then said. "But it doesn't matter does it? I mean it wasn't Tycho that defeated me. It was Worldkiller-1." She paused and then went on. "Worldkiller-1 took control of me. Made me do things I didn't want to do."
"But you beat him." Lena said.
"Just. And only after I hurt Alex." She said a tear running down her face.
"But you still overcame it." Alex reminded her. For a minute Kara said nothing, then she abruptly stood and went to the window.
As she stared out over the city she said. "Maybe you are right. Maybe we should be focusing on Tycho, I mean if he or it did what he threatened to do there would be no way back from that. And if I became a mindless zombie for him, think of the damage I could do."
"We'd stop you." Alex said.
"How? I mean my body gives me so much protection, and then the suit gives me some. Then there are nanites. Everything you have done to protect me, could be used to create danger." She said turning to face them. "I need your help."
"Anything." Alex said.
"I need you to make a failsafe."
"What?" Alex asked.
"A failsafe. One that you could operate if needed."
"What type of failsafe?" Lena asked.
"To stop me. If something happens and I become a danger, something to stop me. Kill me if needed Maybe a Kryptonite injection hidden in my suit. You figure it out, but don't tell me as if I know I can defeat it. But if done properly that failsafe could guarantee I will never harm Alex or you or Kara or MJ or anyone."
"A failsafe that could be hijacked." Alex pointed out. "A failsafe that could be used to murder you."
"It's a risk. But a bigger risk is not having anything." Kara said. "I know the President must have discussed this with you."
"He did and I told him it wasn't viable."
"But it is." Kara said. "And as the DEO Director you need to do this."
"And as your sister I am not putting you in danger." Alex said.
"You asked me to open up and telling you what is bothering and the truth is I am terrified of losing control and hurting people. I need you to help me stop that happening." She then turned to Lena and said. "I know you agree with me. I mean you used to have Kryptonite for this very reason."
"Something you passionately argued against." Lena reminded her.
"Well now I am agreeing with you." Kara said. She then turned to Alex and said. "If not form me, do it for Kara and MJ. You have to keep them safe."
"Kara, I understand what you are saying." Alex said. "And you are right, we need a way to stop you. And to do it properly, you need to not know. That means secrets."
"That's why I hate asking, I hate secrets between us, but it is for the best." Kara argued.
"We'll think about it." Alex said.
"Thank you." Kara said.
-00-
As Alex pulled up on the driveway Kara turned to her sister and said.
"Thank you. And I am sorry that I am putting this on you. But I trust you. And you are the only person strong enough to do what is needed."
"I just hope we never need it."
"So do I." Kara said. "I don't want you to ever use it. But at the same time if it was that or me hurting Alex. There is only one choice."
"I know." Alex said. "But if we do it, no one will know about it apart from Lena and me. That includes mom and J'onn. Although the latter might be harder."
"Hasn't he learned to avoid your head by now?" Kara asked.
"Apparently not." Alex smiled. "Come on let's get inside."
-00-
"You guys sound like you are having way too much fun." Alex said as she and her sister walked into the lounge.
"Wow, that is the most you thing you have said in ages." Her sister pointed out.
"We were watching some old home movies Alex found on my laptop." Eliza said causing the two sisters to look at the screen.
"I remember that trip." Kara said as she moved to the couch and sat next to her daughter she then looked at her sister, who remained standing behind the couch, and said. "You were sulking for at least three days of it and refused to talk to Eliza."
"It was not three days." Alex said.
"Closer to four." Eliza agreed.
"It was not." Alex argued.
"It so was." Kara said.
"Why were you sulking?" The teenage Alex asked her aunt.
"I wasn't sulking." Alex said as the video played in the background.
"She wanted to go to the Kennedy Space Centre to watch a launch." Kara explained.
"But seeing Kara had just crashed to Earth and lost everyone we thought that would be a little tactless so went to DC instead so Kara could see the Capitol."
"I'm with mom. That sucked." MJ said.
"Thank you." The older Alex said as Jeremiah suddenly appeared on screen. His appearance causing the older Alex to fall silent as she watched the film.
"I don't think I have ever seen this video." The older Kara said as she reached up to the back of the couch where Alex's hand was resting and squeezed it.
"After Jeremiah died, well was presumed dead, everything got put away." Eliza said. "I don't think anyone ever watched this video."
Sensing the video watching was taking a different turn the four teens quietly slipped out of the room and the adult Alex replaced her niece at Kara's side.