"How is it going with Clare?" Kara asked her sister the next day.
"She has given us lots of information, but it will take a while to go through all of it." Alex said.
"Any sign she is in danger?" Kara questioned.
"Not so far, but I'll keep the guard in place."
"We may have a problem." Vasquez said entering the office.
"What?" Alex asked.
"An army convoy was attacked on Route 95, near Tonopah, Nevada."
"Attacked by who?" Alex asked.
"We don't know for sure, but there are reports of fog in the area."
"In a desert?" Kara asked.
"That's the first strange thing." Vasquez said.
"And the second?" Alex asked.
"The army are adamant they don't want help from Supergirl."
"Are there injuries?" Alex asked.
"Yes."
"Sounds like I should go." Kara said.
"Wait. I don't want you going alone." Alex said. "Take two Agents with you." She then looked at Vasquez and said. "Send a squad using our new transporter."
"Okay."
00
"We said we didn't need help." The Colonel said approaching Supergirl and the two DEO Agents who Supergirl had just flown there.
"I saw there were injuries." Supergirl said. "Lives matter more than politics."
"We have this." The Colonel said. "You should go."
"We will when we have the injured." Supergirl said.
"No, you should go now."
"Was that a threat?" Agent Monroe asked from Supergirl's side.
"It was a suggestion." The Colonel said. "A very strong suggestion."
"Well while you argue about semantics I'm going to help the injured." Supergirl said moving towards one of the trucks.
"Wait." The Colonel said looking worried, but Supergirl walked away. "Stop." He called, a command that looked like it was being ignored by the caped hero, until she slowed and stumbled.
"Supergirl?" Agent Monroe called. As Supergirl dropped to her knees Monroe ran over to her to help asking. "What's wrong?"
"Don't know." She said feeling dizzy and unable to concentrate.
Looking up and seeing the Colonel look guilty Monroe asked. "What have you done?"
"I said to stay away." The Colonel pointed out as Supergirl started writhing in pain.
"What have you done?" Monroe repeated.
"That's classified."
"Director Danvers." Monroe called over the radio. "We have a problem. Supergirl has been exposed to something that was in the truck. It has made her sick. The Army won't say what it is."
"Back up will be there in two minutes." Alex said as she heard her sister groan in the background. "I'll find out what was in the sample." She then turned to Vasquez. "Get the lamp room ready." With that she stormed off to call the President.
00
"What happened?" Vance asked as he ran towards Monroe and Reid who were trying to drag Supergirl away from the convoy.
"She's been exposed to something. We need to get her back to the DEO." Monroe said as Supergirl groaned in pain.
"The engines need five minutes to recharge." Vance said as he helped move Supergirl to a seat in the craft. Noticing her strange colour and clear distress he questioned. "What did they give her?"
"No idea and they aren't talking." Monroe said.
"Get samples of everything." Vance instructed as he tried to get Supergirl comfortable before hitting some buttons on the side and the whole cabin started glowing. However, as the light hit Supergirl she started screaming in pain.
"Turn that off." Monroe shouted. Immediately Vance did, but still Supergirl cried in pain until she passed out.
"She's alive." Vance said feeling for a pulse.
"You need to get her back." Monroe said.
00
"Alex?" Kara asked feeling confused as she opened her eyes and saw her sister.
"Hey. How are you feeling?" Her sister asked from her side.
"Better than I was. What was that?"
"We don't know. The army seems to have a case of collective amnesia."
"What aren't you telling me?"
"You got sick because you inhaled the fumes from some that leaked. The actual substance was stolen."
"By who?"
"We don't know." Alex said.
"It hurt so much." Kara said.
"I know, but it is out of your system now."
"How do you know?"
"The lamps are on." Alex said pointing to them.
"What?" Kara asked confused.
"Whatever that was it became more potent when exposed to the solar lamps."
"What? Why?"
"Don't know. But we will figure it out."
"Alex, you have a visitor." Vasquez said entering the lamp room.
"Who?"
"A Captain Tindell."
"Who?" Alex repeated.
"He's army. Says he has some intel."
"Stay here." Alex said to her sister.
"Don't worry. Not going anywhere." Kara said.
00
"Captain." Alex said walking into the briefing room. "I'm Director Danvers. You have something you want to say?"
"Yes ma'am." When he remained silent Alex said.
"If this is some stalling tactic by-"
"It's not." He said quickly. Seeing Alex's glare he then said. "When Supergirl returned and beat Superman in that fight General Furbank got worried and ordered some new research. He gave the questions, if the DEO were taken out how would it have happened and how would this county defend itself? One of the scenarios was the DEO was taken over by hostile internal Agents, such as Supergirl and then more recently Metas. My team was tasked with finding a solution."
"And by solution you mean?"
"Neutralising the threat posed by aliens or metas."
"And how did you do that?"
"The work was done by Major Hutber. He was a genius."
"Was?"
"He went MIA two weeks ago. Then yesterday his body was found. He'd been tortured. The assumption was people wanted his work. So when his body was found it triggered a security protocol."
"Which involved moving his research?" Alex guessed.
"Yes ma'am."
"I need you to tell me everything about that research,"
"I can't." He said. "I mean I would, but I'm not a scientist. My role was a leading the security squad. No one really knew what was happening apart from Major Hutber. I mean no one could keep up with him."
"But he had notes."
"Not really. It was all in his head. He was always getting written up for that. But because he was a genius he got away with it."
"Who took the chemical this morning?"
"I don't know. I wasn't there. After Hutber went MIA I was relieved of my duties. A brand new security team was used."
"You know who was on that detail?"
"No ma'am. They were brought in from outside our squad."
"I'm assuming you don't want anyone to know you were here?" Alex said.
"Ideally. But finding that compound is more important than my career."
"I'll do what I can." Alex said leaving the room.
00
"When did you get back?" Kara asked opening her eyes a while later and seeing her sister sit by her side.
"A while ago."
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"After what happened I thought you'd need the rest."
"Did you figure anything out?"
"The chemical was a weapon designed to attack aliens and metas. But we don't know how. And the man who designed it is dead. Possibly killed to trigger a protocol that caused the chemical to be transported, which backfired and actually allowed it to be stolen."
"This has Tycho written all over it." Kara said as she sat on the bed in the lamp room.
"It is too early to say that" Alex countered. "But he is on the suspect list."
"So what now?"
"One more batch of tests to make sure you are okay, after that you can go home. But take it easy tonight."
"We need to find it." Kara said.
"We will."
"You don't understand, if it harms me it will harm Alex. We need to find it."
"We will. And my team are going to find it." Alex promised her. "But for now you need to rest. Alex needs you at full strength."
"Okay." Kara conceded.
"How are you feeling?"
"Less bad than I was."
"So still not perfect?" Alex guessed.
"No." Kara admitted.
"Then I am going to run some more scans and if they look ok I will take you home."
"Fine." Kara agreed.
00
"Hi." The teenage Alex greeted when her mother entered the apartment.
"Hey, how was your day?" Kara asked.
"It was fine." The teen replied before looking up at her mother and seeing the crinkle. "What's wrong?"
"There's a chemical out there that can hurt me. Which means it can hurt you." Kara started only for Alex to cut in.
"Are you okay?"
"What? I'm fine."
"But you were exposed, that's how you know it can hurt you-"
"Alex, I'm fine. Yes I was exposed, but I am okay now. Your aunt made sure of that. But I need you to be careful."
"Okay." The teen agreed, a frown etched on her face.
"Relax, I'm fine." Kara said hugging her. When she finally released her daughter she said. "Why don't we go to the desert and you can show me the powers you worked on with Frax?"
"You need to rest." The teen said. "How about a movie night?"
"Okay." Kara replied. "Seeing you are worried about me does mean you are not going to complain when I order a stuffed crust four cheese pizza?"
"No."