Chapter Text
Kara didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know where she was. She didn’t remember hardly anything. It was dark and quiet. The only thing that broke the silence was this cold and cruel voice. It told her that she had killed people. She was a killer? It told her that everyone she loved was gone. Who did she love? Where had they gone? She came to realize that it was a woman’s voice. The voice told her that she should just stop fighting and give up. What was she fighting? Where was she? Who was talking to her?
What had she done?
It took longer than Alex was comfortable with for the DEO equipment to arrive at Harley’s house. The one thing she was grateful for was the fact that J’onn didn’t ask questions when she sent the call out over the coms. It took them about 10 minutes to set up all of the equipment in the basement where Kara had passed out and another 15 trying to get Kara on to the sun bed and hooked her up to the machinery. Harley had not left Kara’s side since they found her in the basement. Alex was silently admiring the former villain. Once Alex had done every test she could think of, she decided to gather up all four of them, including Harley because she seemed like a prime source of information and she was previously a neurologist.
“Guys.” She said with a lowered voice.
They all gathered around her, seemingly paying rapt attention.
“I think I should just do a visual examination.”
All of them looked at her, dumbfounded.
“Wait, So you mean you didn’t start with an visual examination?” Harley asked, clearly using the doctor part of her brain.
“No, we jumped straight to technology because with Kara we usually don’t have on the surface injuries.”
Harley nodded in understanding. “I guess we should all give both of you some privacy then.” She tried to move Winn and Lena upstairs. Lena was more reluctant, but they eventually got back upstairs.
Alex approached the makeshift hospital bed that kara was currently sleeping on. She hated herself for having to wake her up.
She nudged the kryptonian’s shoulder. “Kara.” She said with a light voice. “Kara, I need you to wake up.”
Kara shot up. “What? Is something wrong?”
Alex held her hands up to calm Kara down. “No, I was just going to tell you that I’m doing a visual exam. And it would be much easier to do with you awake.”
Kara lightly nodded. “Ok.”
“I will be careful with your ribs. I’m just letting you know; this is going to be really fuckin weird, cause it’s a full exam.”
“Yeah, I got it Alex. If it will help you, do whatever.”
Alex eventually just got over it and thoroughly examined Kara, and she was starting to get frustrated when nothing was obviously wrong. She moved up to Kara’s head and put the blonde hair in a ponytail so she could look at Kara’s neck. She froze when she noticed something strange at the base of Kara’s neck, right below her hairline. A needle mark.
Lena would rather step on a Lego than leave Kara’s side right now, but she trusted Alex to do what she needed to. She let out a huff as she stomped up the stairs and plopped down on the couch. Winn followed in suit.
“Ugh. I hate this.” She propped her feet up on the coffee table in annoyance.
“Yeah, well you’re gonna have to deal with it, Luthor.” Harley said, crossing her arms. “We gotta be patient. For Super’s sake.”
She nodded. “For Kara.”
Winn scratched the back of his head. “Yeah…” He paused for a long minute, eyes flicking between the two girls. “How long do you think it’s gonna take?” He didn’t ask anyone in particular.
“I’d say about an hour, maybe more if she’s really thorough and doesn’t find anything” Harley said, playing with her hair. “But, for all of our sakes, I hope it’s over soon.”
Lena nodded. She may not like Harley, but she has something in common with her. They both care for Kara. “Hey.” She caught the platinum blonde’s attention. “I know I haven’t really been super welcoming towards you, but thanks.”
“For?”
“For taking care of Kara. You could have just left her. You didn’t have to take her in.”
Harley snorted. “How could I not? You know how Super is. Those damned puppy eyes-” She looks off with a smile. “I don’t see how anyone could say no.”
Lena smiled for the first time since they had started their mission on bringing Kara home. “Yeah, she’s just like that.”
“I mean, she sees the best in everyone… Everyone except herself. There’s so much doubt in her actions. Something tells me it didn’t always used to be that way, though.” Harley sighed, now messing with the hem of her shirt, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
“Actually, she has her moods. Sometimes she’s this insufferable know-it-all who is overly confident-”
“Somehow that’s not difficult to imagine.”
“-and sometimes she acts like she can’t do anything right.” Lena rolled her neck, trying to relieve some tension. Her eyes dropped do the floor and her head bowed. “It’s devastating seeing her like that. She’s Supergirl, you know? She’s seen as untouchable, even by people close to her. And even when she’s not Supergirl, she’s usually one of the most confident people I know. It’s scary to see someone who keeps you on your feet fall down.”
Winn hummed in agreement.
“What was it like when she died?”
A seven-word question managed to shatter all of their hearts with it’s saying. Lena felt tears welling up. “It- We- When-” She choked on her own words.
“-It was heartbreaking, of course. It was losing our best friend, our family, our hero. It was as if someone took a dull knife and cut out everyone’s heart.” Winn took over, sensing her incoming mental breakdown. “I’m not sure how we kept going.”
Lena sniffled and took a deep breath in. “We kept going because we knew she would have wanted us to.”
Winn nodded, choosing not to say anything else, as he was on the edge of crying as well.
She gathered her composure once more and caught Harley’s eyes. “Look, I know we haven’t gotten along really, but I really do appreciate you taking care of her.”
Harley let a smug smile onto her face. “Relax, Luthor. I’m not here to replace you.”
Lena was taken aback. “What?”
“I said, relax. I know who you are. Even if we weren’t properly introduced.”
She was still lost, and by the looks of it, so was Winn.
“Look, I couldn’t get Super to talk about her life before she showed up here much. But when I did, she would rave about you. Saying how you are so much more than your family, and on and on.”
Lena was turning red; she could feel it. Unfortunately, she could not stop this from happening. “She probably didn’t talk about me thatmuch.”
Harley straightened up and laughed. “Oh, no. You weren’t the only thing she talked about, but it was probably 85% of the conversation. She would talk about her badass agent sister, her best guy friends, and her absolute best friend and partner in fighting crime. The best friend who she would absolutely be nowhere in life without. The ‘probably smartest and nicest person’ she’s ever known.” Harley used air quotes.
“She didn’t say that.”
“Oh, she did. She really cares about you, and from what I can see, you care about her too.”
Lena snorted, thinking back to all that Kara has done for her. “That’s an understatement. She’s saved me as both Kara Danvers and as Supergirl. I could never repay her for everything she’s done.”
There was a long pause. “You already have.”
Lena shook her head. “No I haven’t, I never can.”
Harley smiled, a glint in her eyes that seemed to be sparked by Kara. “You being her friend is enough, Lena. You know how she is. She needed someone like you in her life.”
“Someone dark?”
“That’s Alex.” Winn said with a smirk.
“Questioning their sanity 90% of the time?”
“That’s me.”
“Always about to be killed?”
“That’s Alex. And James I guess.”
“Then what could I possibly bring to her life?”
Harley lightly kicked her shin from her spot on the couch. “You bring you. It’s not about the individual traits she cares about, it’s just you. Jaded past and all. Believe me, I get it.”
She laughed. “Yeah, our caped idiot sure does have a thing for troubled people.”
“You can say that again.” The former-villain stood up, stretching her legs.
“Yeah, she does seem to bring some interesting people into her life.” Winn said with a smile. “I mean, come on. I’m the son of an insane serial killer. Alex is a secret agent who grew up with a teenaged alien and her father got captured when she was like 16. James is… Normal-ish his father died and he’s best friends with superman. And Harley is a former villain. Quite the team we have here.” He joked, ruffling out his hair.
“Preach… What’s your name again?” Harley smiled apologetically.
“Oh! Winn. Winn Schott. Or if I’m in trouble, Winslow Schott Jr.”
Harley nodded, thinking hard about something. “Ok, thanks Junior.”
Winn’s face of amusement disappeared immediately and was replaced with one of surprise.
Lena just burst out laughing, it felt nice to laugh after all of this. “Oh. My. God.” She was wheezing at this point.
“Woah, I think we’ve killed Luthor.” Harley looked at Winn with faux worry.
Lena was still catching her breath when she heard footsteps approach from behind her.
“Guys, I found something.”
Lena never knew that her heart could fill with hope and drop through the floor at the same time.
Alex padded up the stairs, hearing the youngest Luthor laughing like a maniac. Well, she’s glad that someone is lightening up. She approached the couch. “Guys, I found something.”
All three of them looked at her with worried yet hopeful eyes. Silence stretched on for a few minutes.
“Well?” Lena finally broke the silence.
“A needle mark.” Alex didn’t feel the need to clarify, as it wouldn’t make much difference.
“So? Super’s arms are covered in needle marks and incision scars. What’s the difference?” Harley spoke what they were all thinking.
Alex unintentionally rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know that. But those were all based loosely on Kara’s arm shape, it was basically scars randomly appearing. Plus, those are almost all the way faded thanks to her powers. This needle mark is different.”
“Would you stop with the dramatic pauses and get on with it.” The three girls looked at Winn in surprise. He never snaps, let alone at someone as scary to him as Alex.
“First of all, I’m not being dramatic.” Alex crossed her arms, trying to keep that from sounding childish and failing. “Anyway, this needle mark was at the base of her neck and very precise, as if it was punctured, then healed, then repeated several times. Normally, I would think this would be normal in a-”
“Neuro-patient.” Harley finished. Wheels were turning in the girl’s head. “Her brain. They were using her spine to get to her nervous system.” Harley was now seemingly thinking out loud. “Of course, that must be what’s causing the seizures and hallucinations.”
Alex nodded as the scientist now was muttering to herself. “Exactly. So, I’m guessing that whatever is causing these problems is in her-”
The door was slammed open, causing all of them to jump.
“Her blood. It’s in her blood.” J’onn said, soaking wet from the rain that had apparently started and walking in the house.
Alex tilted her head. “No it’s not. I searched her blood for hours. I even had a program Winn designed check it too, so there’s no human error. Her blood is in pristine condition.”
J’onn pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ok, I should have been a little more specific. It’s in her spine.”
Harley jumped up. “Her spinal fluid! Oh my god how didn’t I think of that! The seizures and hallucinations should have been a dead giveaway! I can’t believe I missed that.” Harley said, now pacing.
Alex grabbed the doctor’s arm. “Hey, calm down. None of us thought of that, and we have two geniuses, two doctors, and a kryptonian. Granted, a mentally and emotionally unstable kryptonian. But we have one.” Turning her head, she gave J’onn a quizzical look. “But how did you know?”
J’onn steeled himself. “We found a CADMUS scientist. I read his mind the instant we took him into custody.”
She was already started towards the door when J’onn stopped her. “Let go of me. I need to see the bastard. I need to make him pay for what he did to Kara.”
J’onn picked her up and put her one the couch. “I agree, but we might need him still. They took a spinal tap and infused some of it with kryptonite and injected it back into Kara. I think that’s our best bet on what is causing these problems with Kara.”
“I mean aside from the obvious PTSD she has.” Winn snorted. He shrank back when all eyes in the room glared at him.
Alex crossed her arms and huffed. She wanted nothing more than to find that asshole who created this disaster and torture him for days. Actually, if she recalls correctly, one Sara Lance has a good technique on things like that.Not yet. Kara still needs us. Not yet.That’s what her thought process was on this. After all is said and done with Kara, he is going to wish he was never born. She brought her attention back to the room. “We need Kal.”
“We are bringing Superman here?!” Winn said, not even trying to mask his excitement.
“Wait, what?” Lena seemed very confused, but also a bit frightened.
“We need him to give an IVIG.” She explained.
Harley nodded with her words. “What she’s trying to say is we are going to take some of Supercousin’s immune system and try to infuse it into Kara in hopes of getting rid of the contaminated parts of Kara’s system.” Harley explained for the non-medically trained people in the group.
Lena’s face brightened a bit. “So, we have a plan.”
Alex nodded, feeling the hope blossom in her own chest as well. “It would appear we do, Ms. Luthor.”