"The spiders have come back." Vasquez said entering the briefing room the next day.
"All of them?" Supergirl asked unenthusiastically.
"No. So far just one, but they need you down there."
"Looks like the training is off." Alex said to the meta squad. "Get down there and help."
"Yes ma'am."
Alex then turned to Vasquez and asked.
"How easy will it be to contain them?"
"The police are already evacuating the area. It shouldn't be too hard."
"Good. Let's make best use of this situation."
00
"Man that is ugly." Cork commented when they saw the spider.
"And dangerous." Supergirl warned. "The webs are really strong."
"So what do we do?" Reeves asked.
"That's for you to decide. The area is sealed off and no one is in danger. So the Director said this will act as your training."
"Can we use you?" Kepler asked.
"Yes. I'll do what you tell me." Supergirl said.
"Is it the same as the ones you have fought before?" Dodds asked.
"Markings are different but I'm not enough of an expert to say if it is a different version." Supergirl replied. "So what do you want to do?"
"Can you give us overhead intel and scan the area for any spiders we don't know about?" Sure Supergirl said taking to the skies.
00
"The question is are they not using Supergirl in the fight as they want to prove themselves or because they know this could be the first of many and Supergirl can give them the best onsite intel?" Alex asked as they watched the screens in the control room.
"No way to know for sure. But this group does think things through." Vasquez said. "And no one is acting rashly." She added as they watched the group attempt to drop a net on the spider, only the razor sharp hair that covered its body cut straight through the net. However, the attempted use seemed to anger the spider and it started to move at speed.
Knowing they couldn't contain it Cork radioed Supergirl for an assist and she flew down and used her freeze breath on the spider. Once it had stopped moving Supergirl said.
"I can't hear or see any other spiders."
"That's something." Reeves said.
"Maybe." Kepler said. "But that one came from somewhere. There's spread out and look for where it came from."
00
"That wasn't a spider." The DEO doctor said as a large group sat in the conference room later that day.
"Yeah it was a mutant spider." Supergirl said.
"No. Technically it wasn't a spider-like. But technically it wasn't a spider."
"Is this like The Fly?" Supergirl asked. "If so, I am so not arm wrestling with it. That still makes me feel sick." She added losing most people in the room.
"No, there was no fly." The confused doctor said missing the reference. "Part of this is spider like, but the underlying DNA is wrong." The doctor said missing the reference altogether. "In fact part of it is alien."
"So there are alien spiders? From where?" Alex asked looking at her sister.
"No idea." Supergirl said.
"We have a part match." The doctor said putting an image up on the screen.
"That doesn't look like a spider." Supergirl said as a small humanoid figure appeared on the screen.
"Let me clarify. The body I just dissected had the DNA from this creature in it." The doctor said.
"So the spider was a spider spliced with a …"
"Omifec." The doctor said.
"So these aren't the spiders I fought before?" Supergirl clarified.
"No."
"That's all we need." Supergirl grumbled.
"I will add spiders to the training." Alex said.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't." Her sister said.
"You'll thank me for it one day."
"You and I live in very different worlds." Kara replied.
Ignoring her Alex turned to the scientist and said.
"Find a way to contain those spiders."
"Yes ma'am." He said leaving.
Alex then turned to her sister and said. "Get some food, you'll need the energy."
"For what?"
"It's the big training session with Alex tonight."
"I thought we'd take it slow." Kara said optimistically.
"No chance." Alex replied. "I may be a little late, but J'onn will set everything up for you."
"Can't wait." Kara said with no enthusiasm.
-00-
"How is it going?" Alex asked as she joined J'onn in the observation room that evening.
"Probably too well for Kara's liking." J'onn said.
"What do you mean?"
"Alex adapts to the new drills very quickly and is gaining confidence."
"Which will lead to over confidence." The older Alex guessed.
"I was about to try and put a stop to that." J'onn said.
"How? I mean Kara gave very firm instructions on the maximum difficultly level." Alex asked.
"I know. But she didn't say I couldn't join in." J'onn smiled.
"Good luck." Alex said. "I'll watch from here." She added as she looked at the screen where her niece was skilfully dodging laser blasts from various robots, while following her mother's instructions. Just as it looked like the teenager was in complete control J'onn suddenly phased through a wall and snagged the teen who was so taken by surprise she let her guard down and was shot by a laser bolt.
"You lose." J'onn said.
"That's not fair!" The teenager argued. "You weren't meant to be in this test."
"You have to expect the unexpected." J'onn reminded her. "Out there, the bad guys don't play by the rules."
"But I have to?" The teen asked.
"Yes." Her mother said.
"That sucks."
"Sometimes." Kara agreed before looking carefully at your daughter and asking. "Are you okay?"
"Sure." The teen said still not happy with the surprise attack.
"That's enough for today. Go get changed." Kara said causing her daughter to stomp off.
"You never took defeat well either." J'onn smiled when the teen had gone.
-00-
"You okay?" Kara asked her daughter. "You're not hurt are you?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Then what's with the gloomy expression?"
"Just thinking about what I could have done differently?"
"In training?" Kara asked.
"Yes."
"Well if you remain in control you probably aren't training hard enough." Kara pointed out. "What matters is you learn from it. You only lose in defeat if you don't learn."
"I guess."
"Is that the only thing bothering you?"
"Sure, why?"
"You have been a little quiet recently." Kara pointed out. "So what's wrong? You still stressed about school?"
"No. Not really."
"Not really isn't actually no." Kara pointed out.
"I'm fine. There's just lots of homework and stuff."
"You need to not stress." Kara said. "You're smart, you'll be fine. Plus I love you regardless of grades." She added wrapping an arm round her daughter.
00
"Has Alex recovered from last night?" The older Alex asked her sister the next day.
"She is still on the grumpy side." Kara said. "But hopefully she'll learn from it." She added as alarms started to sound.
"That's the portal room alarm." Alex said standing.
"It has its own alarm?" Kara asked confused as she followed her sister out of the office.
"We have ten different alarms. Weren't you listening in the briefing?"
"Which briefing?"
"The one six months ago on the direction of the DEO."
"The one that started with a huge Health and Safety section?"
"Yes." Alex confirmed.
"Might have dozed off." Kara confessed as they entered the Portal room, which was full of DEO Agents.
"What's going on?" Alex asked just as Kara saw a newcomer by the portal.
"Filau? What are you doing here."
"Kara Zor-El, it is good to see you, but I bring bad news."
"My mother?" Kara asked.
"She is sick."
"Can't you bring her here? Alex suggested.
"No. We have laws that prevent it." He said before turning back to Kara. "I have come to collect you so you can be with her."
"How bad is she?" Kara asked.
"Bad."
"What about a solar grenade? Can I take one?"
"Things are complicated on Argo and I know it won't make sense to you, but we can not accept help. They are your mother's wishes."
"Okay." Kara said frowning.
"Go. I'll let Alex know what is happening. If you want her to join you send a message and I will send her through." Her sister said.
"Okay. But can you give her this?" Kara asked writing a note at superspeed.
"Sure."
"Give her a hug for me."
"Of course."
-00-
"Hi Alex." The older Alex said entering the apartment that afternoon.
"Hi." She replied. When her aunt sat opposite her she immediately guessed something was wrong and asked. "What's wrong? Mom?"
"Your mom is fine. But, today, someone from Argo came through the portal. Alura is sick. Kara has gone to see her. She left this note for you. But in the mean time you are going to stay with us." Alex said passing her the note, that the teen then read. The second the teenager stopped reading it she asked.
"Can I go to Argo?"
"Not yet. Kara doesn't want to risk you getting sick, so you need to stay on Earth."
"Who is going to look after mom?" The teen asked.
"She'll be okay." Alex said. "And if I start doubting that, Lena will go to Argo." She paused again before saying. "I know this is hard and I know you are worried about your mom and grandmother, but the best thing you can do right now is keep going normally. But you won't be doing that alone. I'll be right there with you."
"Okay." The teen replied.
"Good. Then go pack a bag." The older Alex said.
00
"What's going on?" MJ asked when his mother, Chewie and his cousin entered the house, his cousin carrying a bag.
"Alura is sick so your aunt has had to go to Argo and Alex is staying with us for awhile." His mother said.
"Okay." MJ shrugged as he headed to the door.
"Where are you going?" His mother asked.
"Out."
"Where?"
"Practice." MJ said. "I'll see you later." He said leaving.
"I thought practice was Tuesday?" Alex asked confused but the door was already shut. Shaking her head she looked at her niece and asked. "So what do want to do?"
"I need to finish my assignment." The teenager said walking off to her temporary room.
"Well it looks like I get you for company." The older Alex said to Chewie.