After the battle with the Saibamen, Alex needed a cold shower. She had yet to be physically examined for the nuclear fallout and was still on a FOB. The shower was a group shower in a portable structure. Alex took deep breaths as she felt PTSD, radiation sickness, and concussive force all throughout her body. She could barely stand due to the exhaustion.

Kelly arrived on Saiba and found Alex still in the shower on a bench. She had a towel around her, but she appeared fucked up. She was shaking like a leaf. "How is everyone doing out there?" Alex asked, referring to the men, her voice stuttering.

"Everybody...everything is okay," Kelly lied. "What's wrong?" she asked as she came to Alex's side.

"I can't...I can't stop my hands from shaking," Alex admitted. "I've never felt like this before."

Kelly held her shaking hands. "You need to see a doctor, right away," she said urgently.

"I just want to go home. I'm tired," Alex shook her head.

"Okay," Kelly nodded.

Earth-Metropolis

Alex went on official leave from the Space Marines and went back to Metropolis. "Where's the kid?" Alex asked Kelly as she exited the shuttle.

"Right here," Kelly said as an aide handed Kelex over to her.

"There she is," Alex said adoringly of the toddler. "Oh, you've grown so fast."

Alex, still an Imperial Princess, was led to a press conference to discuss the war with the Saibamen. "How did you feel about the Saibamen in general?" one reporter asked.

"They're a great people. I couldn't understand a word they were saying though, but I think I understood their meaning when they screamed in the nuclear fire," Alex said wide-eyed.

"Your Highness, there are rumors there were physical complications as a result of the battle," one reporter asked.

"Complications?" Alex wondered.

"Those are just rumors. She is in perfect physical condition," Kelly lied.

"There are reports of liberal hippie douches disapproving of Princess Mara-El's glorious crusade. Do you approve of these liberal hippie douches?" a reporter asked.

"Yeah, you know, I don't think hippies should fight in crusades. No," Alex quipped.

"A beautiful answer, Your Highness. Her Highness, Princess Alex is the funniest royal ever. Welcome back to Earth, human champion of the Galactic Federation. We all know Her Highness to be the most flamboyant, rambunctious, royal we have. Only in the Galactic Federation can a female human from the 21st century rise from oppression, from poverty, and become an imperial hero of the highest order," Brainiac 5 interjected as he took to the stage.

"Excuse me, but my wife is transferring out of the Space Marines. She has nothing...nothing more to prove. I mean, how do you top fighting an army of millions in a nuclear war?" Kelly said.

The press corps was outraged, wanting more action from their hero. "Don't you consider it a public responsibility to get back into the fight now rather than later? Wouldn't that be the professional thing to do?" a hostile reporter asked.

"Mind if I heal first?" Alex asked dryly.

"No, that isn't enough. We need to know now," the hostile reporter pressed.

"Yeah, fuck yourself," Alex told him off. "I want to say the flight over here was really nice. And, Kelly, if you weren't by my side, I don't know how I would have survived. You're always there, in my heart, mind, and soul. And my kid, Kelex, having you is like being born all over again."

"Now that you're born all over again, are you still queer?" the hostile reporter asked rudely.

"You know what? I've assessed the situation and I'm going home," Alex said pissed off and left the stage with Kelly and Kelex.

Midvale

The Olsens drove over to the palace in Midvale. "I swear, I'm never leaving this place again," Alex said of the place.

"You should get some rest," Kelly advised.

"How about I take you upstairs and violate you like a parking meter," Alex said flirtingly.

"Oh my God, that is so corny," Kelly laughed amused.

It wasn't long before Alex became restless again. "I have to go back to my unit, a few more battles, and I'll be okay," she insisted to Kelly.

"Fuck no, Alex. You said you wouldn't go back," Kelly objected.

"I didn't say any such thing," Alex denied.

"You have to see a doctor, first," Kelly insisted.

"I don't need a doctor. What I need is to talk to my commander," Alex said as she paced around the room.

"I'll support anything you want to do, but...," Kelly said.

"I got to fight, okay? The galaxy has problems. I got to fight," Alex said incoherently.

"Will you do it for me?" Kelly beseeched her.

Alex softened her look. "Yeah, I'll do it for you," she relented.

Metropolis

Alex was given a full-body scan by Brainiac 5. The scan indicated radiation sickness damage and cancer cells throughout the body, not uncommon among the Space Marines that had participated in the battle. "Due to high levels of continuous radiation and concussive force, you've developed a condition common among Space Marines. Your cells have been traumatized all over your body. The highest concentration of cancer cells is present in your breast tissue," Brainiac 5 said. "With treatment, you'll be just fine."

"How long until she recovers?" Kelly asked concernedly.

"She'll be fit for Space Marine duty within the month," Brainiac 5 replied.

"Alex...you have to quit," Kelly pressed.

"But I don't wanna. This isn't the time. Not while the war is still going on. I just fought the greatest battle of my life, and all I need are a couple more," Alex said insanely.

"No, Alex, you've suffered severe trauma to your body," Kelly pointed out.

"Well, he could be wrong," Alex said of Brainiac 5.

"I'm never wrong," Brainiac 5 corrected.

"You're not God," Alex said argumentatively.

"I'm the closest thing to God," Brainiac 5 reminded her.

"Alex, this is what's good for you," Kelly insisted.

"Just a couple of good battles, and I'm good," Alex resisted.

"Your body can't take this kind of abuse," Kelly shook her head. "If she puts in a disability claim, she won't ever be back on the front, right?" she asked Brainiac 5.

"That's correct," Brainiac 5 agreed.

"Alex, do you love me?" Kelly pleaded.

"What the fuck question is that?" Alex asked pissed off.

"If you love someone, you live with them, you live for them. You don't gamble with life. You have me and your daughter. I don't care about the glory or the medals. It's you. That's all that matters. Please. You'll be fine, you'll be okay," Kelly assured her. "You're not going to leak this, are you?"

"Strictly confidential," Brainiac 5 lied.

Midvale

With the medical procedure scheduled, Alex went back to Midvale and visited her old house, a perfect recreation from before. Alex entered the barn and looked around at the tools, equipment, and vehicles from her memories. Her father's work gloves were even present. Alex slipped on the glove and recalled a memory she had with her father as a teenager. She was doing push-ups on the barn floor before him.

"Recover," Jeremiah told her.

Alex got back to her feet a little tired. "Recover in the hospital," Jeremiah mocked. Alex got back down and did more push-ups. "Okay, get up," Jeremiah said finally.

"You know, I know how you feel about you entering high school coming up. Because I was once young, too. And I have to tell you something. If it weren't for you, I'd probably not be alive today. The fact that you're here and doing as well as you're doing in school makes me motivated. Some people die when they don't wanna live anymore. Little by little, we lose our friends, we lose everything. We keep losing and losing till you say to yourself, 'I got no reason to go on, fuck it.' But with you, kid, I got a reason to go on, and I'm going to stay alive, and I will watch you make good, and I'll never leave you. Cuz, when that happens, when I do leave you, you'll know how to fight and be able to take care of yourself, too," Jeremiah said to her.

"And, here, take this," Jeremiah said as he handed her a cross necklace. "As long as you wear this, there will be an angel over your shoulder. If you ever get hurt, and you feel you're going down, this little angel is going to whisper to you to get the fuck back up because your father loves you."

"Thanks, Dad," Alex said as she hugged him.

Alex shed a tear at the memory and while she had misgivings about her father, a queer idea popped into her head.

Metropolis

Alex entered Metropolis General to heal her injuries from the battle. "Medical science has come a long way in a thousand years and with me in charge," Brainiac 5 assured her. "I can locate and destroy cancer cells with nano-machines with much higher efficiency than your own immune system without the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation. Only the cancer cells are destroyed."

"Yeah, about that. What if we just remove the breast tissue anyway...as a precaution? I know some celebrities who did that later in life," Alex said awkwardly.

"Ovaries and uterus as well?" Brainiac 5 added.

"Yeah," Alex nodded.

"Unnecessary. Cancer is simply too slow to kill. I'll be able to catch it and destroy it before it ever gets close to being fatal," Brainiac 5 said dismissively.

"Yeah, well, they're kind of annoying, too. I don't intend to have any more children and it's not even necessary to breastfeed. They're just cumbersome," Alex said.

Brainiac 5 simply stared at her. "I can remove the breast tissue and replace it with a prosthetic replacement."

"I just prefer to be flat and can you make the nipples smaller as well," Alex said blushingly.

"Is there something you wish to tell me?" Brainiac 5 asked finally.

Alex looked away out the window. "I can't compete with the other Space Marines anymore. First of all, they're men. Second, they're younger. Third, they're using all sorts of steroids and muscle treatments. I'll never be able to rise in the ranks at my level. I don't even think I can hack it anymore."

"Perhaps you should transfer to some other occupation," Brainiac 5 suggested.

"No, Barney, I need this...but Kelly is also right. My body can't keep this up. I need to be stronger," Alex said.

"In theory, you could become stronger with an infusion of Kryptonian or Jin-Saiyan DNA," Brainiac 5 suggested.

"Then, I wouldn't be human any longer," Alex objected.

"There are limits to what I can do with a female human body," Brainiac 5 said simply.

"Sometimes, I wonder if I was really meant to be a woman. This female body screams childbearing. My breasts, my waist, my hips, my whole body is designed for having children, not fighting. But I am a fighter, and I just happen to be attracted to women, too," Alex said reflectively.

"What is it that you really want?" Brainiac 5 asked knowingly.

"Barney, can you make me a man?" Alex asked seriously.

False Flashback Early 2000s

Alex imagined herself as a teenage boy with her father, Jeremiah, on the streets of Midvale. "You're smart in school but you need to have street smarts as well," Jeremiah told her.

"How do you mean?" Alex asked.

"You got to know the players and who you're talking to. Watch out for terrorists and aliens," Jeremiah warned.

"Like space aliens?" Alex wondered.

"All sorts of aliens. They exist in the shadows hiding their identities," Jeremiah said.

"A deception," Alex figured.

"Everyone has an angle. These kids around here, they have street brains, you see? That's how they live. You have to stay very sharp around these parts," Jeremiah lectured.

"In coastal Maine?" Alex questioned.

"If you have an idea on how to save the world, feel free to tell me, cuz we have to stick together. What are we? We're men," Jeremiah said as they approached Midvale High. "I used to go to school here, rough kids, but I think you can handle it."

"I'm not scared," Alex said confidently.

"Oh, really?" Jeremiah asked darkly.

"Okay, I guess I'm a little scared but that's normal for a boy, right?" Alex asked uneasily.

"Oh, yeah, I've had 72 missions and in every one of them, I was scared. That's normal," Jeremiah allowed. "Now, here's some cash," he said as he handed Alex a stack. "Don't mess with anyone's girlfriend until you're settled in."

"Home team," Alex smiled and then entered the school.

End Flashback

Brainiac 5 came to Kara and Mon about Alex's request at the Palace. "Makes sense to me. We should applaud her initiative to promote herself to the superior sex," Mon said arrogantly.

"Superior sex, huh? If you could get pregnant, you would have your buddy blow a hole through your gut to get rid of it. You wouldn't be able to handle it," Kara shot back.

"With current medical technology, childbirth is super-easy, barely an inconvenience," Mon said dismissively.

"You can leave," Kara dismissed him away.

Once he was gone, Kara focused on Brainiac 5. "Is she fucking serious?"

"She appears so," Brainiac 5 confirmed. "It would potentially solve all of our problems."

"Oh, really?" Kara scoffed at that.

"As a man, she would have an easier time fitting in with the Space Marines and making rank by her own merit. As an Imperial Prince, her marriage with Kelly would be less controversial to the people. I could even provide a Papal dispensation for it," Brainiac 5 said.

"I'm not comfortable with the notion Alex was a boy all along. We shared a bedroom, a bathroom, a shower together. It makes everything we did together creepy as fuck if I agree to this retcon," Kara objected.

"Then, don't retcon it. People change. You were once a powerless Kryptonian girl and now you're the most powerful being in the universe. You were once single and now you're married with children. We do not have to think of Alex as always being a man. On the contrary, she was a woman who chose to be a man just like any other life-goal progression," Brainiac 5 said.

"Yeah...yeah," Kara nodded thoughtfully. "It could avoid some nastiness in the future like menopause."

"Indeed," Brainiac 5 agreed. "It could also, theoretically, save her soul by making her marriage to Kelly valid."

"Okay...I'm sold," Kara nodded.

Alex went back to see Brainiac 5 at Metropolis General. Her cancer, radiation sickness, and other injuries were perfectly healed. "Turning into a man will help your image," Brainiac 5 said. Alex rolled her eyes at the snide remark. "There's no need for you to leave the Space Marines when you can still be a hero, Alex. Only in the 31st century, will you have these kinds of opportunities for glory. The people will love you to come back to the Space Marines. You're the great white hope for humanity."

"I feel like the great white dope for trusting you with this," Alex said uncertainly.

"I can work around your chromosomes by reprogramming your stem cells into male reproductive tissue and then connecting the nerves to your brain as if it were an artificial limb," Brainiac 5 enticed.

"You can give me a fully functional penis, not an implant?" Alex questioned.

"As if you were born with it, guaranteed," Brainiac 5 assured her.

Kelly then barged into the room. "Are you trying to get my wife to fight again?" she asked accusingly.

"Holy shit, where did you come from?" Alex wondered.

"I'm merely getting Alex back into shape," Brainiac 5 said vaguely.

"That sounds like bullshit. What's really going on?" Kelly demanded.

"We were discussing...the possibility...of me being a man," Alex admitted.

"What the fuck?" Kelly asked stunned.

"It's a tremendous opportunity," Brainiac 5 encouraged.

"To whom? For you to play mad scientist and for her to be infertile?" Kelly asked crossly. She then turned to Alex. "What would you do if things were reversed, and I became a man? You gave birth to our child. You have to think about that."

"The only reason I was the one that got pregnant is because you're the one with a brother," Alex pointed out.

"The only reason?" Kelly asked incredulously. "Alex, Barney doesn't care about you. He's just using you for an experiment or convenience."

"Let's get serious. You, two, represent the common people. The people identify with you, two, not Kara and Mon, and that is key to public success. You're a true human hero, a product of humanity. Sell it to the people by getting back into the fight and conforming with today's moral values," Brainiac 5 argued.

"She's done, she's done fighting!" Kelly said adamantly.

"It would appear Kelly is the one wearing the pants," Brainiac 5 antagonized.

"You don't talk to my wife like that. We're done," Alex told Brainiac 5 off.

Alex and Kelly walked out of the hospital and down the street. "I know how much you want to get back into the Space Marines, but this isn't the way. One bad shot and you're disabled. I've seen it," Kelly beseeched her.

"I already feel disabled," Alex said resentfully. "Why do you have to hassle me? It's not like you're the one out there."

"That's the point. I want to be with you. You're always gone all the time," Kelly protested.

"Alright," Alex relented.

"Is this whole thing about being a man just to get back into the Space Marines?" Kelly asked concernedly. "Or do you really feel this way?"

"It's...just the Space Marines thing," Alex lied.

False Flashback Early 2000s

Alex quickly met up with two boys and a girl. The girl's name was Vicki, Alex's next-door neighbor. Things quickly went sideways as the two boys tried to bully Alex. "Your old man is a disabled vet loser," Jake, one of them said. "Give me that coat. It's mine."

"Just leave him alone," Vicki pleaded with Jake.

Jake attempted to rough Alex up only to get his ass kicked. Alex elbowed the other boy hard to the gut, dropping him and then beat on Jake until he retreated. Vicki watched in amazement as Alex easily fended them both off. "That was amazing," Vicki said impressed.

"Shouldn't you be running off after your boyfriend?" Alex asked resentfully.

"He's not my boyfriend any longer. He's got no manners," Vicki said. There was a long awkward silence between them. "I know we've been next-door neighbors for as long as I can remember, but I never noticed...you have a nice butt," she said awkwardly.

False Flashback Mid 2000s.

On the side, Jeremiah was a martial arts master at a gym. He would teach both adults and teens. "Keep it high, and hit, not get hit," he told one student named Pete Ross. The personification of death then entered the gym. Teenage Kara was dressed in her martial arts uniform waiting patiently. "Let's see what you got, kid," Jeremiah said to her.

"Okay, Pete, go easy, alright," Jeremiah instructed.

Pete gave Kara several jabs to the face in a row. Kara was unaffected by the jabs, not even attempting to dodge. "It's not a crime to duck, Kara," Jeremiah lectured. "Side to side."

Kara waited for an opening and then let it rip with devastating punches to Pete's face. "Take it easy, girl, damn," Pete said as he got out of her way. Furious and with anger management issues, Kara went on the offensive to Pete's midsection.

"Hey, time, time!" Jeremiah shouted.

Kara ignored Jeremiah as she punched Pete to the face a few times, dropping him. "Hey, hey, back off!" Jeremiah scolded her. "Hey, that's enough. What's the matter with you?"

"She's a crazy bitch," Pete remarked as he painfully got away from her.

"Cool off, kid," Jeremiah ordered Kara. "You don't go breaking people's bones."

"Weak," Kara sneered, full of anger.

"You brawl like a street fighter. I know something about that," Jeremiah critiqued.

"I can follow any technique instantly," Kara said confidently.

"Well, not today. You have to listen," Jeremiah told her.

Kara softened at that. "I got nothing going for me."

"You have a lot going on with you. You have a lot of tools but no discipline. You're full of rage and hurt. I can't manage you until you learn to control yourself," Jeremiah said.

Kara walked away frustrated and then punched a hole through a punching bag as she left.

That night, Jeremiah, Eliza, Alex, and Kara sat down for dinner. "Did you get punched in the face?" Jeremiah asked Alex.

"A bully tried to take my coat, and I beat his ass," Alex replied.

"Nice," Jeremiah said pleased.

"Not nice. I'm going to go to school tomorrow and embarrass the fuck out of you to all of your classmates," Eliza said resolved.

"That will only make things worse. I was in the right," Alex protested.

"You should pop him...like a balloon," Kara said dangerously.

"Kara, we're trying to raise our son so that he solves problems with his mind, not his muscles," Eliza said delicately.

"That didn't work so well on my world," Kara said bitterly.

"I can mangle any kid that fucks with me," Alex said confidently.

"How about you grow up and not use your fists for all of your problems?" Eliza scolded Alex.

"Kara, did your parents teach you how to fight?" Alex asked curiously.

"No, my father was a scientist, not a fighter. But my uncle taught me basic martial arts," Kara said vaguely.

"Uncle on your father's side or your mother's side?" Eliza asked curiously.

"Yes," Kara replied.

"Alright, time for sleep. Alex, upstairs. I'll take Kara to the barn," Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah and Kara entered the barn where a bedroom was prepared on the second floor. "I'd have you sleep in Alex's bedroom but it's not really appropriate," Jeremiah said awkwardly.

"Why?" Kara asked confused.

Jeremiah sighed at that. "When it comes to humans, the temptation for emotional attachment and sexuality is high between teenagers of the opposite sex. And once you start down that path with someone, it's very hard to go back to how things were before."

"For Kryptonians, it's super-easy, barely an inconvenience. One moment your parents supposedly love you and the next they send you off-world," Kara said bitterly.

"Be it as it may, you two can't room together. I'll think of something better than this," Jeremiah said of the barn.

"It's not necessary. I don't feel the cold," Kara replied.

"Do you feel fear, Kara?" Jeremiah asked.

"Not since I mastered my powers," Kara said honestly.

"Well, fear is what keeps a fighter sharp, it makes you want to survive. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to survival," Jeremiah taught. "It's a fire within you, deep inside. Allow it to burn you and all those around you. Take your own fear and give it to your enemies. That's what I was taught by a certain Dark Knight," Jeremiah said.

From that time on, Jeremiah and Kara did deadly missions, taking out warlords one by one. And all the while, Alex felt a little neglected.

At some point, Alex got caught making out with Vicki. It was a scandal, and Vicki left the house embarrassed. Jeremiah confronted Alex about it in his room. "Let's have a chat, man to man. You know I love you, right?" Jeremiah started off.

"No, you don't," Alex scoffed. "What you want is for you and Kara to be tight. That's who you really want."

"Don't say that," Jeremiah rolled his eyes.

"Why shouldn't I? Since she came here, it's been Kara this and Kara that. You take her to the gym, to the range, on camping trips. You have no time for me, so I have no time for you," Alex said bitterly. "You said I would be number one to you and you lied."

"Kara needs my help," Jeremiah said obviously.

"And so do I," Alex told him off. "Remember when you talked of deceptions? It's you who should watch out. Kara is the dangerous one." Alex then left the house to go out with Vicki.

End Flashback

Midvale

Alex woke up from her dream with a start. Kelly was there on the spot. "I'm fine, I'm good, I'm fine," Alex said rattled.

"What was it?" Kelly asked concernedly.

"I've been having these dreams, fantasies, scenarios in my head for a while. What if I was born a boy? Then, maybe I wouldn't have been so lonely as a teen. Maybe I would have gotten married and had kids earlier. Maybe, my father wouldn't have left us for that mission. Maybe, I could have convinced my father to take Kara away," Alex said reflectively.

"You're talking crazy, Alex. You can't have everything from two timelines. If you had been born a boy, you wouldn't have your friends, me, Kelex. You wouldn't be in the 31st century. You can't turn back the clock," Kelly pointed out.

"I can correct the mistake now," Alex figured. "I don't want this no more. I don't want this!" Alex said as she clutched her hair, her face, and then her breasts.

"Come on, Alex. You can't be saying that," Kelly said incredulously.

"Well, I'm saying it now. I want to win, I want the respect," Alex said passionately.

"I respect you, Alex," Kelly assured her. "All those wounds you took in the field, I took them with you. I know how you feel. I've counseled teens who were adamant they were queer or trans. When they came out, they felt alive. But then they grew out of it and the feeling faded...in some cases. You put yourself on testosterone, you will feel great. You will feel like you're winning again. But you'll lose me, you'll lose your family."

"Say what?" Alex thought she misheard.

"If you go down this path, I'll...always be your dear friend," Kelly said finally.

"Friend? What the fuck?" Alex asked pissed off. "Why?"

"I know who I am, Alex. I'm a woman, I'm a lesbian. If you decide to become a man, I decide to part ways," Kelly warned her.

"There's no other lesbian out there in this world, in this time," Alex pointed out.

"Then, I'll be single. We can share custody of Kelex. It will be...fine," Kelly said deflated.

"I have to get some air," Alex said and then left the house.

Metropolis

Alex went to the Brainiac Center where Brainiac 5 conducted most of his operations and research. The facility was one giant laboratory. Alex entered the facility easily enough with her ID card and was greeted by Brainiac 5 immediately. "So...how can I help you, Alex?" Brainiac 5 asked knowingly.

"I'm challenging you to a fight, right here, right now," Alex said. "But as a man."

"And what will that prove?" Brainiac 5 asked. "You would be no match for me no matter what sex you are."

"It will feel differently," Alex insisted.

"So, you wish for us to be brothers?" Brainiac 5 mocked.

"You're not a man or a woman. You're just a machine, so I can go all out on you," Alex said ready to roll.

"Unless I go back in time to your conception and change the conditions of that moment, you will never be a human male. The only thing I can give you is a simulation of the real thing," Brainiac 5 downplayed.

"That's good enough," Alex allowed.

"Masculinity is a double-edged sword, Alex. Yes, you'll feel an aggressive high in a fight with me, but you'll feel worse, a lot worse, when I decisively beat your ass. The high will fade, replaced with insecurity, shame, and self-loathing. When you fail, you can't laugh it off. You can't share it with anyone. And even if you did, no one would care. This is the reality of men," Brainiac 5 lectured.

"Let's do this," Alex said undaunted.

Alex found herself rapidly changing into a male version of herself. Her muscle and skeletal mass increased by ten percent; her height went up a few inches, the hair on her body became thicker and more noticeable, her face hardened and became masculinized, and her already short hair was now parted on the side. Her body morphed painlessly like ripples up and down her body as her female secondary characteristics faded. Her breasts shrank down to nothing, her hips became less wide, and her overall body form became more rectangular. Finally, Alex felt an odd sensation as she felt something growing from her groin until it rested in place.

"Shall we begin?" Brainiac 5 asked patiently.

Alex felt a surge of masculine aggression and went for the attack. She punched Brainiac 5's face to the side, got him a few times to the gut, and then punched him several times to the face until he fell to the floor. "Fuck yes," Alex said thrilled by newfound power. All of her stats had gone up roughly twenty percent.

Brainiac 5 calmly got back up and went on an offensive tear. He punched Alex several times in the face and gut and then wrestled her to the floor. The two tumbled a bit on the floor, punching at each other. Eventually, the two got back to their feet for a proper fistfight. Alex gave Brainiac 5 some powerful haymaker punches to the head, sending him to the floor.

"Come on," Alex said aggressively.

Brainiac 5 calmly got back to his feet. "One more round," he allowed.

Alex felt confident male aggression go through her like the ultimate high. "I'm going to take you out, Barney." She went for an attack only for Brainiac 5 to tie her up and use dirty street fight tactics like rabbit punches to the back of her head.

Alex charged Brainiac 5 only for him to trip her up. Alex got back up, tied up with Brainiac 5, and punched into his gut and back a few times. Perhaps unaccustomed to her male body, Alex swung widely missing each time. Brainiac 5 slammed Alex against the wall and then punched her down to the floor, nearly knocking her out. Brainiac 5 then turned his back to her.

"It's finished," he told her.

Alex wasn't satisfied and grabbed Brainiac 5 from behind, taking him to the floor. The two wrestled about until they separated back on their feet. Alex and Brainiac 5 traded blows back and forth for a good minute until Brainiac 5 finally gave Alex an uppercut that knocked her out.

Brainiac 5 waited for Alex to come back to her senses. "How do you feel?" he asked curiously.

"Pissed off," Alex said as she got back to her feet. "But also tired, humiliated, shitty," she admitted.

"You did well for your first time as a man. You have surpassed Winn, for example," Brainiac 5 complimented.

Alex shook her head dismayed. "That isn't a high bar."

"But you will need considerably more practice if you wish to be even at James Olsen's level," Brainiac 5 said.

"What difference would it make?" Alex shook her head.

"Not much. Even at a twenty percent increase in power, speed, strength, and endurance, you're still no match for a single drone," Brainiac 5 said honestly.

"I know that, but wearing the Space Marine suit amplifies everything. With my female body, I can't take the stress of the suit anymore," Alex said reflectively. "When I'm in the suit, I feel like my muscles are tearing and my bones are about to break."

"I understand," Brainiac 5 said sympathetically. He then morphed into Kelly's body and the two became naked to each other. "Now, things are going to get weird." The entire transformation and fight had been a mere inception simulation in Alex's head.

Midvale

Alex and Brainiac 5 came back to the Palace in Midvale where Kelly waited for them in the living room. "You, good?" Kelly asked Alex as she held a solemn expression.

"Yeah, I'm good," Alex said exhaustedly. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking straight...I mean, I wasn't thinking right."

"It's okay," Kelly consoled her.

"There may be a relapse in these feelings," Brainiac 5 said to Kelly.

"I'll handle it from here," Kelly assured him.

"As you wish," Brainiac 5 said giving Kelly a knowing look. The two had conspired together on how to deal with Alex's midlife crisis.

Alex waited for Brainiac 5 to leave even though she knew he could see everything and anything in the house anyway. "I'm going to quit the Space Marines and do something else, back to the medical field," she said to Kelly.

"Okay," Kelly nodded.

"And, I need you to help me appreciate my body more," Alex admitted.

"How was it?" Kelly asked curiously, referring to the simulation.

"It was too much, all of it, too much," Alex said vaguely, completely overwhelmed. "Maybe if I start being a femme, I can get my head right."

"I actually think the opposite," Kelly smiled. "You've been in a hypermasculine environment for a long time. We need to detox you slowly."

"Alright," Alex nodded to Kelly's expertise.

"Now, let's put a strap-on on you and get to work," Kelly ordered.

Author's Notes: This chapter is based on Rocky V, one of the worst movies of all time that destroyed the character progression of Rocky from diplomatic statesman to back to being a bum to cynically cash in on nostalgia from the first film. It also punched fans in the face by essentially telling them that boxing is dangerous, and they suck for appreciating it. However, it was a decent vehicle to explore Alex's midlife crisis and gender issues in the most offensive and immature way possible. How many fics are out there with Alex becoming a man? Probably none but AOS is here to give you what you need, not necessarily what you want.