"What do want?" Kara asked as she lay in a medical gown on a metal table, pain radiating through her body.
"You. Well your powers." A male voice said from the shadows. "You were the cause of me losing everything. And you don't even know. Every day the stories are on who you saved. As Kara you talk about a free, open, non-biased press. But as Supergirl you control the media. They never report on the collateral damage. About the injuries and deaths that are caused behind the scenes. I have lost count of the lives you have ruined. But I'll never forgot what you did to me. How could I? You cost me my body." The voice said before an electric wheel chair rolled closer to Kara, allowing her to see Tycho's face scarred face.
"But then, one day, lying on the bed I was confined to, an opportunity arose. Someone told us what Cyberwalk was." Tycho went on. "Since then I have spent so much time working on it. My fortune went on researching it. For years there was one failure after another. I almost gave up. But when you returned, it gave me a new lease of life. Figuratively and literally." He said, before having to stop for oxygen. He gave himself a moment and then went on.
"But still the breakthrough proved elusive. And then it came to me. For this to work we need to break you mentally and physically. Physically is easy. I mean I already have." Tycho said his electric wheelchair moving forward so Kara could clearly make out his smiling face as she writhed in pain.
"So many people want you dead. There were so many options and then I found out about this chemical. It will take you to the brink. It would kill you if not for the antidote. Obviously you'll never see that, you'll be long gone. But for me, it is vital. But like I said physically breaking you isn't the problem. But mentally breaking you, that is more of a challenge and the key. And I don't know which way to go." He said looking at his assistant who pressed a button causing a door to open. "The question is do I kill your daughter in front of you or do I play to your sacrifice complex and let you do this to save her, knowing full well if it fails I will use her."
"Leave her alone." Kara ground out, barely staying consciousness because of the pain..
"Perhaps you should see what we can do to her when we aren't really trying." Tycho said as Thorn pressed another button. Moments later the teenage Alex was dragged into the room
"Alex." Kara cried.
"It burns." Alex screamed as the chemical filled her lungs.
"Alex!" Kara screamed, ignoring her own pain and trying to crawl to her daughter.
"By my estimation she has several extremely painful minutes to live." Tycho said smiling as Supergirl fought the pain to keep crawling to her screaming daughter.
"Alex!" Kara cried as she hugged her daughter.
00
"Where am I?" The teenage Alex asked as she woke up and saw a figure standing by a window, with their back to Alex.
"Dakran." The woman said.
Blinking a few times to focus her eyes Alex saw the source of the voice and immediately recognised her as her grandmother.
"Why have you brought me here?"
"Lobo is paid to keep you safe. If he brought you here it is because you were in danger."
"Where's mom?" She asked.
"On Earth."
"He left mom?" She asked sitting upright.
"You are our priority. As such you are Lobo's priority." Her grandmother explained.
"I want to go home."
"Not until we know it is safe. Your safety is also your mother's priority." Her grandmother reminded her.
"You can't force me to stay."
"That is where I am afraid you are wrong."
00
"Alex no." Kara cried, trying to comfort the screaming teen, not knowing it was in fact J'onn. Kara's pain was so bad she didn't even notice when J'onn started to lose his ability to maintain Alex's form. A sign that was also missed by Tycho and his group.
All Kara was really aware of was the pain and her daughter's screams as well as her own pleading. All she wanted was the pain to stop and Alex to be okay and she prayed her sister would find them. But hope turned to fear when she felt herself being ripped away from her daughter.
"Your daughter is gone. I won't waste the antidote on her." Tycho said. "Soon you will be gone too." He said as Kara was strapped to a table, with every point of physical contact to cause more pain.
"No." Kara cried as Alex's screams suddenly silenced, although Kara couldn't see why.
"She's dead. You failed. Don't worry I will not put your powers to waste." Tycho said as someone attached more wires to him.
"No." Kara sobbed before the pain became so bad she passed out.
"We're almost ready." Ms Thorn said to her employer who was now fully hooked up to the Cyberwalk machine.
"There's a breach." One of the men in the room said.
"We should leave." Ms Thorn said.
"No. Not when we are this close. Do it. Do it now." Tycho ordered.
"But-"
"Now Ms Thorn." He ordered as the DEO breached the room.
Seeing what was happening one of the Agents threw a knife cutting through the cables that attached Kara to the machine just as Ms Thorn activated it. Moments later a bright light engulfed the room.
00
"You do not have to stay in your room." Alex's grandmother said. "You may explore the house and the grounds. And if you desire I can take you into the city."
"I want to go home."
"Not until we know it is safe."
"I would be safe with mom."
"I am sure your mother will be here soon. Until then, why not explore your father's home? I can show you round and take you to meetings. Although I can see why that would not be appealing. I could arrange for you to meet people your own age." Her grandmother suggested. "Although maybe that is not a good idea."
"Why?" The teen asked.
"Things are very different here. This family is rich and that results in people wanting to exploit us. They may view you as an easy target."
"Sounds like I'd be safer on Earth." The teen argued.
"Here your fortune can be damaged, on Earth, you could be damaged." The grandmother said.
00
"What the hell is going on?" Alex demanded as she stalked round the control room. Every step causing her leg to throb and remind her how useless she was.
"We have just heard from Team Alpha." Rose said. "They are on route with Supergirl and J'onn. Both are in a bad way. But the infirmary is ready for them. The chopper is landing on the roof now." They added causing Alex to limp towards the infirmary. As she limped she heard a commotion behind her. Turning she saw the team rushing towards her.
"Both have been exposed." Agent Meers said jogging through the corridors with what looked like two coffins. "I need to get them set up in the infirmary." He said letting Alex know not to ask questions. Instead Alex stood helplessly as the evac team hurried to the infirmary. However, the last agent off the helicopter came to a stop by Alex and said.
"Your sister was hooked up to Cyberwalk along with Tycho. We think we severed her connection before it was activated."
"You think?"
"We have no way to tell for sure." He said apologetically.
"What about Tycho?"
"Dead."
"The others?"
"Alive, but non responsive. The explosion hit them hard."
"I want a debrief as soon as possible." Alex said.
"Yes ma'am."
00
"Alex, you should sit down." Vasquez said joining her in the briefing room.
"I'm fine." Alex said, although her limp was more pronounced.
"No you're not." Vasquez countered.
"You're right I'm not. And I won't be until they pull through." Alex said as the evac team entered the room.
"Well?" Alex asked not waiting for them to sit down.
"The good news is they weren't exposed to the full version, if they were they'd be dead. That said, they may not pull through. They are not in a good way." Meers said letting the news sink in before continuing.
"Supergirl was exposed several hours ago and the damage is extensive. We have put her in a room with a close to zero sunlight as possible, but even then she is in severe pain and her heart rate is erratic."
"What about Cyberwalk?"
"We believe the link was terminated before it was activated." Meers said. "But she has been unconscious since we found her so we can't say for sure."
"I can." Brent said. "We checked the body cam footage and those wires were definitely cut before activation."
"And J'onn?"
"Wasn't exposed for as long, but seems to have been exposed to a stronger dose, or his Martian physiology reacts differently. Currently our issue is he keeps phasing in and out." Meers said. "But ultimately there is nothing we can do for either of them unless we can counteract that compound. And if we can't I'm not sure they'll make it before their bodies naturally break it down."
"Any sign of the others waking up?"
"No. We have confirmed one is Ms Thorn, but she took a really bad blow to the head. It looks likely we'll need to operate in the next few hours." Boyd answered.
"If they wake up I want to know." Alex said.
00
"Have you found Alex yet?" Eliza asked answering the phone.
"No." The older Alex said from the other end. Her voice alerting Eliza to the fact something else was wrong.
"What's happened? Kara?" Eliza asked.
"We have her, but she's in a bad way. I'm not sure she's- …. We could use your help."
"I'll be right there." Eliza said ending the call.
"Is it Alex?" MJ asked from behind his grandmother.
"No, your aunt." Eliza said. "I need to go help your mom. You need to stay here."
"Okay." MJ said watching his grandmother leave. Once she had gone he returned to the lounge where Chewie sat waiting.
"Don't look at me like that. I don't know where she is. I mean Lobo took her and left the planet. And who kn-" MJ said to Chewie before guessing where Alex was. "Stay here." He said to the dog before scribbling a note that he left on the table and running over the road to his cousin's apartment.
As he used the hand scanner he was relieved he could still get access, but didn't dwell on it as he entered the apartment and went to his cousin's bedroom before going through her drawers. Finally he found what he was looking for and pressed a button.
00
"MJ?" Frax called as he teleported into the apartment.
"Good you are here." MJ said.
"It took a while to return to orbit. What's wrong? Where's Alex?" Frax asked confused.
"Lobo took her. I think to Dakran so I need you to take me there."
"What do you mean Lobo took her?" Frax asked confused.
"Your family paid him to protect Alex right? So if she was in danger he'd take her to Dakran. So that's where we need to go."
"Where's Kara?"
"She's hurt. Mom and grandma are with her. But Alex is alone. So we need to go."
"I can't take you."
"Why?"
"Your mother-"
"Is busy trying to save aunt Kara. Alex needs help and probably a friend and I know I haven't been one recently. But I can make up for that."
-00-
"How is she?" Eliza asked returning to the darkened infirmary.
"Holding on, barely." Alex said, her stress obvious. "Anything in the latest bloodwork?"
"I've seen the markers that indicate she'll react badly to the sun's light, but we have no way to get rid them. Also there are no signs that the compound is being broken down. And at the moment there are no signs that her body is trying to repair the damage done in the blast."
"So we've done all we can, but without being able to use the lamps … it is up to Kara now." Alex said squeezing her sister's hand. "What about J'onn?"
"He is showing signs of recovery."
"That's good." Alex said as Vasquez entered.
"Any news on Alex?" Eliza immediately asked.
"No. Nothing. Sorry." Vasquez said before looking at her boss.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked.
"Frax returned to orbit about an hour ago."
"Good. Maybe he can help-"
"Not really." Vasquez said. "He left orbit again ten minutes later."
"For where?"
"No idea. He didn't respond to any radio messages."
"Let's hope he has gone to find Alex." The older Alex said.
"But I do have good news." Vasquez said.
"What?"
"I think I have a way to possibly neutralise the effects."
"What?" Eliza asked.
"Kara mentioned something awhile back about not understanding why they'd use this chemical while trying to give people powers. Only I am pretty sure those with artificial powers aren't effected."
"You think there is something in the drug that protects them?" Eliza asked.
"Maybe."
"I'll look into it." Eliza said following Vasquez out of the room.