Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Seeing Red

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 08: Withdrawal

Kara woke up, feeling many things, none of them good.

Her head was foggy and she couldn’t seem to think clearly.

Her eye sight was blurred.

Her stomach felt like it was being twisted inside painfully.

Her heart was racing and she was sweating, clammy and cold.

Her head felt like it had split.

Her skin felt like it was being poked by thousands of needles, all over her body, even her scalp.

Lying still for a moment, the bad feelings did not go away but her eyesight did clear. She was on her back, staring at the ceiling of a room, a room lit by fluorescent light builds with a… red tint.

Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Wayne had set her up, lured her in a trap and drugged her. She remembered he had given her some reason but could not remember what it was. What had it been? Did it matter? A guy she considered one of her best friends, one of her few friends, a guy she would and had gone to war with, who she had sat up at nights with, talking about the darkness inside them, he had turned on her, betrayed her.

Why hadn’t he killed her? He was keeping her here under red sunlight. She was weak, drugged, and sick. Was the man going to keep her in a cage? She had no doubt she was in a cage. He wouldn’t have put her under red sunlight if she could be able to walk out of wherever she was.

Deciding that lying there was not going to get her anywhere, Kara sat up slowly, propping herself on both elbows. To her horror, she saw Alex sitting beside her. Alex was in a chair next to the bed she was on.

“Alex?! He got you too? How did he get you? Do you know where he is? Where are we? Just relax. We have been in worse situations. I made most of his tech and I know how he fights. If he thinks I am less dangerous without my powers… I’m going to kill that man. I… look, I don’t feel so good right now. He drugged me with something… if we can find a way to turn off those red lights I should feel better. Can you reach them? If you stood on my shoulders, could you bust them?”

Kara tried to stand and nearly fell. Alex moved out of the chair quickly and caught her. Standing up, but still holding onto Alex for support, she looked around. The room was strange. It appeared to be a hotel room of some sort but everything was padded. There wasn’t a head board to the twin bed, the legs were wrapped in some sort of white padding.

“Be careful. Let me help you. You have been asleep for ten hours.” Alex told her. “How do you feel?”

Kara took stock of her situation. She noted that someone had changed her into a t shirt and pajama bottoms of all things. Alex was wearing the same clothes she had seen her in… was it last night? Why had Wayne changed Kara and not Alex? Did Alex change her? Where did she get the clothes from? This set had been… over at her parents’ house.

“Alex, what is going on?” the girl asked. Alex was calm, too calm. Not that her sister ever panicked in tough situations but Alex seemed to know a lot more than Kara at this moment and the blonde did not like it.

“We had you brought here. Bruce brought you here because I… we, Mom, Dad and me, asked him to. Would you listen to me? Let me explain?”

Explain? Kara must have been hallucinating, because Alex would never have her drugged and brought her anywhere.

“What is going on, Alex?”

Alex took a deep breath. Kara’s face was shifting constantly, going from confusion, fear, anger and now a mixture of all three.

“Kara, the shaking, the drinking, you were killing yourself. You wouldn’t let us help you so we had to take matters into our own hands. We brought you somewhere you could get help, get the alcohol out of your system and think clearly.”

Kara pushed Alex away from her, backing up to the bed then walking around it.

“Who are you? Are you a White Martian? Lex cloned my sister? J’onn? Is it you, J’onn?”

Alex walked around the bed with her hands up.

“It’s me, Kara. Its Alex.”

Kara pushed the woman away again.

“My Alex, my sister would never do something like this! Who are you?! Where am I?! I want to know now! Stop lying to me or I will kill you!”

“Take me to Church. It was the last song you played, two months ago. I came over and you were playing on your guitar. You love that song. You…”

“Stop!” Kara screamed. “You are a White Martian! You read her mind or something! Where is she? I swear I will burn you. You better kill me because if you don’t, when I get out I will fly to Mars and wipe that planet clean of you scum! I will burn you all! What did you do with her?!”

“I’m not a damn White Martian, Kara! Why would Bruce be working with White Martians? Ask me anything. I will prove to you…”

“You could have learned anything about me. My Alex would never trap me in a cage. Never!”

Alex flinched again, and she supposed the guilt must have shown because Kara stopped moving back, understanding dawning on her face.

“Alex? Why… why would you do this? You of all people? You are the only… no… there must be some reason. There has to be some reason. Does Bruce have our family? Did he tell you to take me?”

“Kara, please calm down. You are getting worked up and right now you really don’t need to be. You haven’t had alcohol in fifteen hours. I gave you a sedative but they will only work so long. I’m lucky it’s even working a little on you. Despite not having your powers, your blood type is different and you are going to be going through…”

“You have been keeping me sedated?! No! No, I refuse to believe that. You are… you are… not you. Anybody but you. It couldn’t happen, isn’t happening. I… if you are Alex then get me out of here.”

“Kara…”

“Right now, damn it!” the blonde screamed.

“Okay, just try and calm down. Mom and Dad are outside and want to talk to you. Will you listen to us? Just please listen.”

Kara caught that quickly. Mom and Dad? Their parents would never leave Clark alone. Deciding she really had no other option if she wanted to escape, perhaps if she played along, she could find an opening, anything to get away from these impostors and find her real family.

“Fine. I am calm. Please take me to our parents, Alex.” the blonde agreed, catching Alex off guard for a second with her change in tone. Kara would appease her and look for a chance to escape the first chance she got. Having no other option, Alex decided to take her outside.

The two walked out into a hallway and to Kara’s frustration even the damn hallway was doused in red sunlight and she still felt like hell. She had not felt like this in… a while. Opening a white door, the two walked into a larger room with a circular red couch in the middle. Seated on it were her mother and father, or aliens impersonating them, a woman with amber eyes and long, flowing red hair, who Kara did not recognize. This must be the leader of the group, whoever they were. There was also a man seated whose back was to her but she recognized the hair. Bruce Wayne was here. The girl could not decide if someone had impersonated him and Alfred to take her out or if he was working with new aliens now. In the past Bruce and J’onn would be the two people outside of her family, she would absolutely trust. She had her therapist and her friends who had always looked out for her as well but they weren’t here.

The door opened and to Kara’s shock, J’onn walked in, in his true Martian form. She met his eyes and something about them…

Kara had always been able to read J’onn’s moods. If this was an impostor he was doing a great job, because J’onn did not look stoic or angry. Today, right now, he looked sad.

That was J’onn. He would never work with White Martians. That meant this had to really be her family. She walked into the one opening and stood in the middle of the circle. Bruce Wayne met her eyes, and as usual she could read nothing in them. A shapeshifter would at least pretend to have some emotion. Only Bruce Wayne had that poker face.

“Kara, why don’t you have a seat next to me?” Alex asked, touching her arm. Kara flinched and moved away quickly.

“Don’t touch me.” the girl hissed. She then walked to the one section as far away as everyone. Taking in her family and who she thought were her friends, she realized it was all real. Bruce had drugged her, they had been in on it. They had captured her and brought her to a very nice red sunlit prison.

Alex sat as close as she could, which wasn’t very. Looking at her parents, hoping one of them would explain what was going on, she was very relieved when the Doctor they were relying on took the lead.

“Hello, Kara. My name is Dr. Shay Veritas. Feel free to call me Shay.”

“What can I do for you Dr. Veritas?” Kara asked coldly.

The woman met the blonde’s eyes and did not appear effected by Kara’s cold tone.

“It is what your family and friends are doing for you that we are here to talk about. They are concerned…”

“They should be.” Kara interrupted.

“They are concerned you are a danger to yourself. I understand you have been drinking every day, quite a lot. I have learned that if you had lost your powers last night you would have died. I also know that you have a history of depression, anxiety, PTSD…”

“I’m impressed, Doctor.” Kara interrupted once again. “You have done your homework. Trust me, when I get out of here I will find everything about you. You have all my attention now. There might be a dagger in the wall of your residence when you return home one day. You are going to let me out of this place or I will find a way out on my own and you will wish you had never heard my name, much less researched me. When I feel yellow rays, I am coming for you, whoever you are.”

“Kara!” Eliza snapped.

Veritas held up her hand. “Its fine, Eliza. Kara is upset. She is confused and not feeling well, are you? You need help before you purposely or inadvertently kill yourself.”

Kara stood up and looked around the room.

“So this is an intervention? All you had to do was ask! You thought you would drug me?! Take me against my will and place me in a prison?!”

“We have asked several times and you avoid talking about it every time.” Alex told her.

“Shut up.” Kara hissed. “Don’t talk to me. I trusted you the most. I have trusted you with my life and this is what you do?! You want an intervention? Fine! Let’s have an intervention and then I am getting the hell out of here! All of you can stay the hell away from me! Clark and I can live in the Fortress where Kryptonians belong! That’s what I am, right? That’s what he is! Is he next? Is he here now?!”

“Would you sit, please?” Veritas asked.

Kara clutched her stomach and suddenly felt as if she would vomit. She was also shaking and the tremors were becoming worse. Deciding she couldn’t take Bruce Wayne in this condition, the blonde would bide her time.

“Say what you all want to say.” she ordered as she sat.

Jeremiah cleared his throat.

“I made a promise to you when I met you. I told you I would always protect you. Kara, you need help. You are becoming out of control. The drinking, not sleeping, the anger problems, the suicide attempt two years ago and another I am sure is not far off. It has to stop. We didn’t want to do this, but you wouldn’t come here on your own.”

“It was my decision!” Kara shouted. “At least all Zor El ever did was ignore me, not trap me! You… you let this happen? You planned it? You think this is protecting me? You are supposed to be my father, not my jailer! Some promise! You betrayed me and captured me and are saying you did it for me? You are supposed to be my father?! Am I that much of a disappointment that you want to lock me away?”

Jeremiah took a deep breath. He remembered what Veritas told him. Kara would lash out, say hurtful things and if they argued, she will have succeeded in changing the subject.

“It was your decision until you became incapable of making good decisions. We have looked the other way, pretended not to notice when you were drunk, watched you get beaten on television because you were drunk. I said I would protect you and I am. If you hate me for it I understand but I will always love you. You have always wanted to be human. When humans are in the condition you are in they are hospitalized until they are no longer a danger to themselves. That is what is happening here. I won’t apologize for it.”

Kara listened, shocked at his words. He thought he was doing her a favor?

“You should have let Henshaw have me, if you were just going to lock me up whenever you wanted.” she told him. “Congratulations Daddy. You have your science experiment where you want her. I hope Clark never tries to lead his own life. I had hoped he would never know what a cage felt like but I doubt that is the case. Just make sure he has an X Box in his cell. Can you put him next to mine so we can talk?”

To Jeremiah it felt as if she had slapped him in the face. He knew she was terrified of cages, terrified of Clark being in one and just threw it in his face.

“I don’t want this, Kara. I want you to participate and get better so you can live. The sooner you get better, the sooner you can leave. I don’t want to watch you die.” he continued. “I love you. I will always love you and nothing you say is going to change that. No matter how you feel about this or me, I won’t apologize.”

“Thank you, Jeremiah.” Shay told him. “Bruce, would you like to say something?”

Kara turned and stared at the man. Of course he looked back at her. The two had staring contests often when goofing around after making some gadget or another. This time Kara would not be making goofy faces, trying to make him smile.

“Yeah, Batman. Have something to say?” the girl asked, standing up and crossing her arms.

Bruce stood up as well and stepped near her. When he was in arms reach, Kara struck, hitting him in the jaw. The man took the shot but did not show any effect from the strike.

“There was a time, even without your powers, you would have floored me with that shot. You look like hell. You’ve lost weight. You aren’t supposed to lose weight, Kara. Your eyes are always bloodshot. You look like someone who is dying.” Bruce told her.

“We have, to your father’s great disapproval, always understood each other. You have been one of the few bright spots in my life. You are my friend and my friend is dying. I can’t stand by and lose more family. I couldn’t do anything about my parents, but I can do something about this. I would say the world needs you, but they don’t matter anymore. The world existed before you landed. Your family needs you. You can stay here, look for opportunities to escape or you can get better, be the person I know is in there. Be that person, that eighteen-year-old girl who despite all her power came to me and asked me for help. I have asked you for help. There is no shame in asking for help. You taught me that. It takes courage, something I know you have. If nothing else would you do it for your cousin, if not for yourself? You may hate me for the rest of my life, the rest of yours, and I can take that, if it means you get what you need here. I made the decision to do what I did…”

“With their approval.” Kara told him, pointing to her parents and Alex.

“And I would do it again. We always have said we have to make the tough calls. I made one.”

“You made the wrong call.”

“No, I didn’t.” he told her and went back to his seat. “When you see someone jump off a building, trying to commit suicide, you catch them. You caught people twice last year. I see you jumping off a building and I won’t let you fall.”

“Go to hell, Bruce Wayne. I suppose since you are all so friendly now they will let you keep having access to the Fortress. That’s good. I would hate to see you without your toys. If it weren’t for your weapons you are just a rich guy with anger issues that are as big as mine! Kelex needs visual confirmation that I am unable to command the Fortress before the next in line takes over. Just saying I am not ambulatory doesn’t matter. I will never give it to any of you. I will never let you in that place, any of you! You can all go to hell. You may have me in cage but you won’t have my tech.”

Eliza stood and walked to her daughter. Kara threw up her hands and backed away quickly, then doubled over as her stomach cramped.

“Don’t touch me.” she whispered.

Eliza ignored her and took her face with both hands, making the girl look at her.

“I am your mother. I realize you are angry, I expected you to be. I wish it hadn’t come to this but…”

“But nothing!” Kara told her, pushing her hands from her. “I can drink what I want! I am 24 years old. Bruce, we had a deal. We handled humans your way and we handled aliens my way. I haven’t killed any humans.”

“Except Ra’s Al…” Bruce started.

“That thing was not human! Neither was Malcolm Merlyn. They were monsters who got what they deserved!”

Eliza and Jeremiah looked at each other astonished. Neither had heard that Kara had killed whatever a Ra’s was and both thought Malcolm Merlyn had been killed by the Arrow. Taking a quick glance at Alex, they could tell she knew what was going on and would be asking her about it later.

“That’s not all.” Alex interrupted. “You don’t think you are a danger to yourself? Let’s talk about the zip lock bag under the toilet cistern cover. A box cutter? You keep a box cutter in a waterproof bag under the toilet cistern? What about the powder you keep in the bathroom closet, the loose ceiling panel you removed to use as a hiding place for your alcohol? I figured it was some alien drug but then thought, no, it looked familiar. I took it the DEO and guess what I found? It wasn’t anything alien. It was just good, old fashioned heroin.”

Kara paled more, whatever color she had in her skin gone.

“I… I can explain that. A drug dealer left it on the streets after he got arrested. I… I didn’t want any kids to get a hold of it… and…”

“And you thought you would find out how being a heroin addict felt?” Jeremiah asked. “Let me guess, it didn’t matter because all you needed was yellow sunlight and you would be back to normal. What about the damage to your body while you are using it without your powers? What if isn’t just flushed out by sunlight? You have lost weight. Sunlight can only repair so much after years of abuse. Are you saying you have never tried it?”

“No I haven’t, not that it is any of your business. None of this is your business! You got your son, you don’t have to deal with me anymore! Just let me walk out of here and Clark is all yours. He always has been! I was never enough for him! I was just his crazy sister, it’s all I ever was! Leave me alone and I will be glad to be crazy on my own! I won’t stay in this cage!”

Kara turned away from all of them, walking to a wall where a painting of a lighthouse hung. The blonde thought she could have done it better back when she used to paint. It was beautiful though, the different shades of gold…

“Kara?” her father asked again. “You really haven’t tried it?

“I don’t want to talk about it. You drugged me and brought me to this place against my will. I don’t owe you a thing. Not anymore.” she told him, not meeting his eyes or even turning around to look at him.

“I checked the blade for DNA and blood. Yours was on it.” Alex told her. “You have been cutting yourself again, staying in a constant state of intoxication and you still don’t sleep.”

“Shut up.” Kara told her sister. “Maybe if you paid as much attention to your own life as you do to mine you wouldn’t be in and out of a horrible relationship. I hated her. She was the best you could do? You never even tried because you wanted to play vigilante and super-agent! Your life is better than mine? You get to judge me now? I’m done listening to you. You have said enough.”

Alex shook her head and walked up to Kara, forcing her to turn around and look at her.

“I haven’t said enough. That’s the damn problem. I don’t say anything. I let you get away with whatever you want, I don’t confront you about it, I don’t tell Jessica my suspicions. I’ve been enabling you and I have to stop it. You must stop the abuse. I am not going to watch you slowly kill yourself.”

“So don’t watch. I told you before I could speak English that I was bad news, that I wasn’t safe to be around. What I do with my life is my business, not yours. We aren’t little girls anymore. Now let me out of here!”

Alex shook her head and crossed her arms.

“No. You are going to get clean, get the alcohol out of your system and then when you are thinking more clearly…”

“What?! I am going to forgive you for betraying me? For helping capture me?”

Alex closed her eyes to fight back the tears.

“Maybe you never will, but you aren’t leaving this place until you are dry. Families have the right to place a loved one in confinement and treatment for the person’s own protection. I haven’t said anything. We tried to talk to you last night but you wouldn’t stay around. We didn’t want to have to do this. I know you are angry, I knew you would be angry but you didn’t leave me a choice. You need help, Kara. You promised me you wouldn’t leave me when you were 14 and you tried to break that promise when you were 22.”

Kara laughed almost manically.

“Yeah, you are doing me a great favor. Stripped of my powers and I feel horrible. Whatever sedatives you have been giving me have made me sick. I need a drink soon. I am hurting. I need something. You did this to me. Wanted to make sure I didn’t leave you? We are sisters. We trained together. You know what I am capable of. This place won’t hold me, Alex. Then, I am leaving you. You will never see me again.”

Alex shook her head and walked back to her seat, Eliza following. Kara continued walking around the room, not looking at anyone.

“I’m going to be sick.” she finally said and grabbed a nearby trash can, practically falling into it and vomiting what was left in her stomach from Jessica’s the night before.

Kara stood up shakily, brushing Alex off who had grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

“Don’t touch me! They will come for me. You think you have me? They will come for me. Nyssa is coming and she is going to get me out of here. She already knows where I am. When I do get out of here you will never see me again. Except you Bruce and whoever the hell you are I promise you will both see me again and I will cut your throat!” she said, looking at Veritas.

“I promise you, the League of Assassins is not coming to this place, Kara.” Wayne told her.

Jeremiah and Eliza looked at each other once again, very concerned about this development. As if this wasn’t the worst night of their lives it had gotten weirder. When the hell had Kara acquired an army of assassins?

“Talia trained you. You couldn’t stop her any more than you can stop Nyssa. My army is coming for me, Bruce Wayne, and if I were you I would run back to your League of Shadows and hide under Talia’s robes!”

“I’ll take it under consideration.” Bruce told her. Apparently, his sarcasm was not lost on Kara who scowled at him.

“We are bound to one another. Nyssa will not let you keep me. She is already here, looking for a way in. I don’t even know where we are but I know she is.”

“Then I guess I will have to talk to her reasonably.” Bruce told her.

Kara bent back over the trashcan and vomited, then heaved, her stomach empty but still cramping. Alex touched her arm gently and when Kara tried to jerk away she would not let her.

“Let’s get you back to bed. The next two or three days are going to be bad. You have become dependent on alcohol and the withdrawals are going to be rough. I will be with you the entire time.”

“Stay the hell away from me. I won’t tell you again. I don’t want to see your face again.” Kara told her coldly and staggered out of the room, back towards the bedroom she had left before. Once she reached the room, the blonde collapsed on the bed, curling up into a ball. Her skin was beginning to feel strange. She didn’t feel needle pricks any longer, but the feeling of something brushing her skin wouldn’t go away.

“Kara…”

“Get out of my cell, Alex, now! You betrayed me! I’m hurting and trapped because of all of you! I’ll stay here until she comes and when she does, take your parents and run. She isn’t allowed to hurt any of you. She is sworn to protect you, but I don’t want you to get caught in the crossfire when they come for Bruce. Clark needs you all. I never want to see or speak to any of you again. I am done with you!”

“I am not…”

“Go away, Henshaw! Go back to your precious DEO!” Kara screamed then buried her head in a pillow.

Alex couldn’t stop the tears and walked out quickly, leaving Kara trembling, curled up on the bed. She was sweating profusely and had to be close to dehydration. An IV would have to be set up soon, and the three had to decide what drugs they could give her to help with the DTs.

Right now all she wanted to do was cry privately. Instead she was stopped by Veritas and her parents. Veritas touched the wall and a window appeared.

“We can watch her, but she can’t see us. She won’t even know a window is there. As soon as she loses conscious thought, she will have to be strapped down to prevent her from harming herself. IVs will have to be set up and we can’t risk them being pulled out. She will also likely have seizures. Once her situation worsens to the point she can’t resist it will be necessary to do so. I have staff who can handle it.”

“Nobody touches her but us.” Eliza told the woman. “She will not be strapped down or constrained at any time. One of us will hold her if she has a seizure.”

Veritas shook her head. “I’m afraid seeing you may be detrimental right now. You would both do the best for her in our labs. She is going to need medications, the ones you have designed to assist her during withdrawals and the anti-depressants and anxiety medicines you are developing. Time is of the essence.”

“You seriously expect us to leave her?” the mother asked, surprised.

Shay nodded. “Until she asks for one of you, or all of you, it will give her more distress now. Soon she will ask for you.”

“It doesn’t matter. One of us will always be with her. There will be no straps. This is enough of a nightmare for her.” the mother said once more, leaving no room for argument.

“She hates us.” Alex said quietly.

“No, she doesn’t.” Veritas assured her. “You are her family. I told you she would lash out, say whatever hurt the most. Right now she wants alcohol and thinks of she angers you enough you will let her go, just to get rid of you. She is also feeling very betrayed, which is natural. She will understand in time that what you are doing is necessary to save her life.

Alex snorted. “You don’t know Kara. She can hold a grudge. Was I too late? Is she really gone? I… I need some air.”

The brunette took one last look at her sister and ran towards the elevator at the far end of the hall. She used her hand print to access the elevator and took it five stories to the top, where it opened into a cabin. The cabin was nice, decent sized and set in the middle of a large forest in Kentucky. It was a front, built by Bruce Wayne for this purpose. Shay Veritas had been recruited by the DEO but Bruce Wayne made her a better offer. She was not a therapist per se but a brilliant doctor, with many specialty fields including psychiatry and the drugs associated with them. The woman was discreet and well paid, as were her staff. They were also all vetted by J’onn. She did not know J’onn was the Director of the DEO, only having seen the man in his alien form.

Stepping into the fresh air, she immediately felt guilty, knowing Kara was not getting any fresh air, instead trapped in her own personal hell.

Alone, she let the tears flow freely for ten minutes. She hadn’t heard him as usual and was surprised by his hand on her shoulder.

“We did what we had to do, Alex.” Bruce assured her. “We knew she would say those things. She didn’t mean them. You know she loves you.”

“She has never run away from my touch, never.” Alex told him, her voice breaking.

“This is different. Give her a few days, be there for her like you always have been whether she likes it or not…”

Bruce’s advice was cut off when he heard the familiar pull of a bowstring and caught an arrow before it struck his eye.

The man showed no reaction. He suspected who had fired it and she knew he would catch it. It was just Nyssa’s way of saying hello.

The head of the League of Assassins, the feared Nyssa Al Ghul, stepped from behind a tree, shrouded in her black robes, a hood covering the top of her head and a scarf covering all but her eyes.

“Nyssa.” Bruce greeted her. “A simple greeting and handshake would have sufficed.” he told her, snapping the arrow in his hand.

“But it would not have conveyed my true feelings. You will bring Al Malak to me or we will take her and burn Gotham to the ground. Talia and I have an agreement to stay out of each other’s way. She does not consider you one of her own, therefore she will not interfere. You know what we are capable of, Bruce Wayne. Bring her to me or consider yourself and Gotham at war with the League of Assassins.”

Bruce grinned, as always enjoying Nyssa’s presence. She was as far different from her father as one could believe, not that she would admit it.

“Al Malak? So you call her the angel. Is she the angel of death, vengeance or is it because she can fly?”

“She is my general and a part of us. Her enemies are mine and mine are hers. I had thought you might have taken both sisters and their parents were flying to you, under duress. I see by Alex’s face that she is a party to this.”

Alex shook her head, trying to focus on the woman’s words. From the moment Bruce caught the arrow her eyes were scanning the trees, trees that seemed to be coming alive with figures dressed as Nyssa was.

“How did you know we were here?” Alex asked, trying to count exactly how many assassins had them surrounded and wishing like hell she hadn’t left her weapons down below.

“Your parents guard followed them. I checked with Clark’s guard who reported he was with the neighbors. I tried to contact Kara and she was did not answer. I instructed your parents guards to inform me of their location. It appears I was right. You have betrayed your sister? You should have killed her. It would hurt her less. Bring her to me, now. I will not leave without her.”

“My sister…” Alex stopped, what the woman just said, striking her. “Wait, my parents and brother are watched by you?”

Nyssa nodded her head.

“They are protected by our League. Her family is my family. Those are our oaths. Your parents and brother are in constant danger because of who she is, who they are and what they know. Kara did not want to rely on Government employees to protect them. She wanted our own protecting them. A League member is assigned to each of your parents and brother always. They are to be protected at all costs. Bring Kara to me. I won’t ask again. Do you have enough sharp metal bats in your vest pocket to kill us all, Bruce?”

Bruce shook his head. Wearing suit pants and a vest over a white shirt, he only had three on him, plus a small grenade in his left pocket. a knife strapped around his left calve and a small grappling gun attached to his right ankle.

“No, I don’t Nyssa. I only have three and Alex is unarmed. You are asking the wrong question. The question you should be asking is if your assassins body armor can stop the ten thousand rounds my drones are about to fire into the forest in your general direction.”

Nyssa tensed, seeing the four bat shaped drones rising from the roof of the cabin. They were large, and most of their size was due to the massive guns on each bat shaped wing.

“Kara has many enemies. I would not leave this place defenseless. Even if you and your League would survive, you have no way of getting into this facility. I would hope we know each other enough for you to realize this is true. Perhaps you and Alex can speak and she can explain the situation. While you and Kara are close, Alex is her sister. No one is closer to Kara and we both know that. What’s it going to be? Ten thousand rounds against forty or so arrows or we all talk about this before unnecessary blood is spilled? You know I do not approve of killing but she will not be moved from this location, no matter the cost.”

Nyssa and Alex stared at each other for a moment. Alex did not see the playfulness the woman exhibited the last time she saw her and Nyssa was sizing up Alex as one of two enemies she would have to face.

Looking at the drones in the sky and the likelihood Alex could be hurt, which would go against one of her oaths, Nyssa decided talking may be best for the moment.

“Shall we go somewhere more private?” Nyssa asked. Alex shook her head and walked closer to the woman.

“I have no doubt you are very good. To be the head of assassins you must be quite the warrior. I would not underestimate you. I would suggest you do the same in regard to me. My sister needs help. She has not had alcohol for twelve hours and is already experiencing vomiting and tremors. If you care about her, you will understand why we are doing what we are doing.”

“If she needs a place to recover, we can take her to Nanda Parbat.”

“She needs a hospital! This isn’t something you can fix with herbs and meditation! What don’t you see about this? If you are really her friend how can you not be concerned about her?”

Nyssa stepped closer to Alex, their face inches from each other. “I am her friend. I have many followers but she is my only friend. You of all people should know that Kara is absolutely terrified of cages and you are keeping her in an underground cage!”

Alex said nothing for a moment. She wondered where she should strike if this woman made a sudden move. She no doubt had at least four blades under her robe. The bow on her back could be pulled but the arrows in short striking distance were more of a concern.

“Back the hell up. I don’t appreciate anyone in my personal space. We both care for her but I have been with her since she landed. I have been through everything with her. I am not asking you for permission. She is my sister and I don’t know you, and you really don’t know her. Leave, take your ninjas with you and things don’t have to get bloody. Bruce may be averse to killing but I am not, not when it comes to her. I will see you dead before you attempt to get to her.”

Nyssa stared at her for a moment then took a few steps back.

“I want to see her.”

“No.”

“Afraid of what I might see?” the woman asked.

“You should be afraid of me. Are you too stupid or too arrogant? Do you even know the difference? You have four blades on you. Make a move and two will be in my hands. You may have some strange attachment to my sister but this is family business and you are not family.”

Nyssa, to Alex’s surprise, pulled the scarf that was covering her mouth away. The girl could swear the assassin’s eyes were wet but it was difficult to tell in the dark. Nyssa looked back at the tree line and with a wave of her hand, the leaves began to move. Alex tensed until she realized they were moving away.

“We will leave you. I want to see her after she is… better. How long do you believe you will imprison her here?”

Alex clenched her fist and bit her lip. “She is not imprisoned.”

“So she can leave whenever she wishes?”

The sister said nothing for a moment. Finally she decided to ask her own questions.

“Do you have any idea how deep her problems are? Do you really know how much she drinks, the times she hurts herself, her past suicide attempts? Do you know about the days she refuses to get out of bed or the fights she starts when she is drunk against dangerous aliens just because she wants to feel pain and have an outlet for her anger? How much do you really know?”

Nyssa wiped an eye and turned away.

“I know that she talked me into changing. She taught me that freedom was important. Those who wished to leave left, something my father never would have allowed. She talked Maseo into returning to his wife. She and I destroyed the Lazarus Pit together. I know Kara understands what it is to be ashamed of your own blood and to live with those legacies. She has brought heart to our League. She also has the same sense of justice I do. You may believe us to be hit men for hire but that is not what the League is about. We seek to make the world better, just as you do. My father lost his way, but because of her I will not. May I please see her when she is better?”

Alex was surprised by the sincerity in her voice. For the first time tonight she did not sound angry or vengeful. She sounded worried and it was obvious Kara meant a lot to her. Alex wondered how in the hell she could have missed Kara forming a bond with this woman but she had been living with Cameron and their interactions had been at the DEO or on the streets of National City. She supposed Kara had been up to quite a bit in her five months away.

“I will let you know when she is ready, provided you do not try and take her or talk her out of treatment when I think she is ready. Kelex no doubt knows how to contact you.”

Nyssa turned back towards the woman and nodded her head slightly.

“We have Streaky. She will be with us until Kara can take care of her or asks for her. Streaky does not like new places but she is familiar with Nanda Parbat. She will be cared for.”

Nyssa walked off, seeming to melt into the trees, leaving a relieved and slightly surprised Alex behind.

“She is a good person.” Bruce told her, walking up from behind. “She means well. Her father was an evil… but… Nyssa is different.”

“She has our cat.” Alex whispered in disbelief. “How long have you known that Kara killed the head of the League of Assassins?”

Bruce shook his head slightly.

“Since it happened. She didn’t want you to know. Kara needs you. Let’s go back inside.”

Once they had descended five floors underground, the two walked out to find J’onn comforting an emotionally wrecked Eliza. The mother looked at her daughter when she walked in.

“Kara refuses to let us in but her shaking is worse. I am afraid she will have seizures. You know people can have seizures during withdrawals. It’s the highest risk of death. Maybe we should let her have something, just a bit and we can slowly bring her off of it.”

Alex shook her head. “Stay strong.” she told her. “We have to stay strong and we won’t let her die. The drugs Veritas has developed will work. Have you and Dad gone over them, studied them?”

“For months.” she confirmed. “But what if we are wrong? Your Dad is the one who has done the most good for her, making her immune to Kryptonite, but he never would have given it to her if he didn’t have a choice. You know how terrified he is of making something that could kill her. Veritas can’t give us a guarantee!”

“Calm down, please. Losing our cool isn’t going to help. Let’s check on her…”

“She won’t let me in the room! She yells at me to get out! She is hurting, shaking, vomiting and she won’t let me hold her! I always hold her! She tried to bite me! I knew this was a bad idea! I knew it! We thought we were saving her life and she is going to die hating us!”

Alex pulled her mother from J’onn’s large arms and held her tightly while the woman broke down, becoming unintelligible. The girl gently guided her mother out of the room towards the room at the opposite end of the hall where her father and Dr. Veritas were.

“The anticonvulsant would make her worse. I am not happy with the way her blood sample is responding.” Jeremiah complained.

“It will work.” Veritas assured him.

“Are you certain? 100%?”

“Nothing is certain. We are dealing with alien blood. Her blood is different than humans, even depowered and we have no way of knowing what the long-term reactions will be. I do know the damage to her liver is real and if the alcohol use doesn’t stop it’s over. She can recover but on her current path she will die, slowly, yellow sunlight or not.”

“You are supposed to be an expert.” Eliza told the woman. “We made the drugs, you refined them, made them safe.”

“I am an expert in psychiatry and the treatment of various diseases and illnesses. The only one more qualified to develop drugs and treatment methods for her are the three of you. The anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications have to be developed and unfortunately there are no other Kryptonians to test the drugs on.” Veritas told the four in the room.

It was true, she was hired by Bruce Wayne to facilitate the treatment Kara would need and was gifted at developing new drugs but all were experimental until tested through trials, trials that could not be done in this case.

“Maybe you are too close to the situation.” Bruce suggested to the elder Danvers. “Perhaps now is the time to be family and not scientists. You will be afraid of whatever you give her. Maybe you shouldn’t be involved in the process any longer.”

Jeremiah looked up and scowled at the man.

“If I need advice on swinging around on rooftops using grappling guns, I will ask you. Let me decide what needs to be done as far as Kara is concerned.”

A nurse walked in, at least one Alex assumed was a nurse. She wore scrubs but everyone did here except Veritas.

“Doctor, her tremors have gotten worse, and judging by her skin color, her body temperature is rising. I need to check her blood pressure but she is attacking anyone who gets close to her. I would highly recommend we place her in a treatment bed and strap her down.”

Veritas let out a breath. She knew the family here would never let Kara be strapped down but the girl could break bones rolling out of the twin bed, or worse, begin to claw at her own skin.

“We need a Benzodiazepine to help her. In eight to ten hours the symptoms will worsen. She will begin having hallucinations, seizures, unusual heart rates, confusion, greater anxiety. We have been over the symptoms. Once they start they will worsen for the next three days. We need those drugs.” Veritas stressed. “And it is becoming apparent that you two are too emotionally involved to be impartial. She also needs to be controlled or she will hurt herself either purposely or inadvertently.”

Eliza shook her head. “It is too late to bring in someone else and she will not be strapped down. We need to treat her.”

“You need to be parents! You said you would do what it takes to help her! Now I need help and neither of you can give it to me. The last thing I need is someone looking over my shoulder overanalyzing everything.”

“I’ll hold her down.” Alex decided. “She won’t be strapped or she will die from fear. One of her worst nightmares growing up was being helpless and strapped down while being studied. I will hold her and the nurses can do what is needed.”

“She doesn’t want you in there.” Jeremiah reminded her, finally letting the fatigue in his voice. “She hates us all.”

“I don’t give a damn. She will have to deal with me.” Alex decided. “As far as needing help, Shay is right. You two can’t think clearly when it comes to Kara. There is someone else who can help you. Someone who I would guess is very good at dealing with people who aren’t exactly human. She is good and she won’t say anything. Bruce?”

The man pulled out his phone.

“Alfred, send the jet immediately.”

“It will be taken care of.”

“Just ask nicely.” Alex told him, not sure if he would or not.

“Of course. Go to her. All of you. I will be back in six hours.”

Bruce left the room and moved to his quarters on the fourth level. Opening the closet he saw his suit on a mannequin and suited up, wishing he had brought her in sooner. Caitlin Snow. The one bioengineer who had experience treating and developing drugs for meta humans. Convincing her would be easy. Bruce would simply employ his favorite method.

He would pay her whatever she wanted.

By the time the three Danvers had made their way to Kara’s room to watch her through the window, Kara screamed. It was the name she screamed that surprised her. She was calling for Alex.

The older sister ran inside, finding Kara curled up on her side. Her eyes looked wild and her arms were rubbing all over her body.

“Kara, talk to me. What’s going on? Tell me?”

“Something is crawling on me. I can feel them. They are there and then they go away. Please let me out of here. Please Alex. I’ll quit, I’ll do whatever you want, just please let me out of here. I’ll quit being Supergirl, I’ll quit drinking, I’ll do whatever you want, just please let me go.”

Alex lay behind Kara and wrapped her arms around her.

“Kara, the minute you step outside you would fly straight to a bar. We both know it’s true. I can’t let you keep killing yourself.”

“I’m dying anyway! Give me something to kill myself then. Anything! Just not this. I don’t want this. It’s not fair. It’s not fair. Why can’t anything be fair? Give me a knife. I don’t want to do this. Kill me! I’ll do it myself!”

Alex held her tightly as Kara began to squirm. The girl did not fight her so it was progress in Alex’s mind, even if she knew it wouldn’t last.

Kara was in her own living hell and knew if they didn’t let her go soon it would be only the beginning. She knew before she came back to her room what would happen. She had read about alcohol withdrawals before and now the nightmares she had read about were her reality, whether she liked it or not.

You won’t let me go, will you?”

“No.” Alex told her. “I will never let you go. Clark needs all of us. I know you hate us now and you may forever but Clark can’t lose you, none of us can.”

“I will never forgive you.” Kara tried.

“I know.”

“I hate your hair. I’ve always hated it.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You suck at physics and engineering. You can’t even put up a tent.”

“I know.”

“Your feet stink. I’ve smelt Vrangs that smell better than your feet.”

“Yeah, I figured that was why you disappeared when I came back from running.” the older sister admitted.

“Your singing voice is horrible. I tell you it’s good but I’m lying to you. You sound like Streaky when I accidentally stepped on her tail.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“I just don’t understand why you would, why any of you would do this. Why would you betray me?” she told her quietly, her shaking becoming worse.

“You know why we did this, Kara. We aren’t betraying you. You are killing yourself.”

“I’m scared.” the girl whispered. “I’m really scared. I don’t want to do this.”

Alex felt tears leaving her eyes once again and squeezed Kara tighter, wishing if she held her tight enough the shaking would stop.

“I’m scared too. But I am going to be with you the entire time. We all are. Mom and Dad aren’t going anywhere. We are going to have some medicines to help you through this. It will be bad…”

“I would rather die. What do you think I will see?” she asked in a small voice. “People who go through this, I know they hallucinate. What do you think I will see? Is Astra going to be there? Am I going to have to kill her again? Is Jor El going to laugh at me? Is my mother going to cry?”

Alex shook her head. It was one of her greatest concerns as well.

“I don’t know what you will see. I do know we will face it together. I won’t leave your side. You tell me what you see and I will tell you it isn’t real. Whatever it is we can beat it. We haven’t lost yet. We won’t lose this fight either. Do you want to talk to Mom and Dad?”

Kara shook her head.

“No, I don’t want to die like this. Not like this. I want you to let me go. If I have to die I want it to be in a fight.”

“You are not going to die. I won’t let you.”

Alex held her tighter, wondering what would come next. Continuous tremors, hallucinations, paranoia, more anxiety than usual, seizures? She knew one thing without a doubt. Kara would hallucinate and what she would see would be terrifying. The woman could only hope her parents did not second guess giving her medication. Alex had a feeling Kara would need quite a bit before this was over.

Central City

Caitlin Snow walked into her apartment after a long day of doing nothing. She had no real projects going on and there were thankfully no metas for the team to defeat. Barry had not made it back from National City anyway and had only texted that he would be back in a few days. She supposed that meant things were going well with Kara but when she asked he refused to answer. Throwing her bag on the couch, she grabbed the remote. Before she could turn the television on her phone rang. Hoping it was Barry, she was disappointed to see it was an unknown number.

“Whatever it is, I’m not buying it.” she answered.

“Dr. Caitlin Snow, this is Batman. We met recently.”

Caitlin stilled, recognizing that voice and wondering if he was at S.T.A.R. again. If so, it couldn’t be for anything good.

“Ye… yes. How can I… what can I… where are you? Please tell me you aren’t inside my apartment.”

“I’m outside. Outside your window. Could you open it so we can talk? It’s a matter of life or death.”

“I’m on the tenth floor.” she said but walked to the large window regardless. Opening her curtains, she nearly jumped back. Outside her window was some sort of large black machine, hovering silently, only feet away from the glass. Perched on the front was the man in black himself. Caitlin lifted the window and stepped back, allowing the man to smoothly enter the small opening.

Of all the things she expected, him taking off the dark mask was not it. Still she stood there in shock as the face of the bat gave way to the face of billionaire Bruce Wayne.

“I can see by your face that Barry Allen has not told you my identity.” he remarked.

Caitlin shook her head. “He is very protective of other superheroes identities. We didn’t even know he knew Supergirl until you two showed… I’m sorry, I’m not used to billionaire vigilante’s jumping off space ships into my apartment window in the dark. Is there something you wanted? Because… yeah just because this is one of those things I never imagined would happen and I have imagined a lot the past two years.”

To Caitlin’s surprise, the man smiled.

“I have a job offer. It will take weeks, maybe a couple months. I know S.T.A.R. barely broke even this year and the patents it has been surviving on will be done soon. If you help me I will give S.T.A.R. funds to stay in business for the next decade. I realize developing tech for a metahuman speedster cannot be cheap. I will give you personally what you want. A million, ten million, it doesn’t matter. This job is important. Like I said, it is a matter of life or death. The decision must be made now though. We don’t have much time. If you accept you have ten minutes to pack a bag and go to a car downstairs that will take you to a private airport. There you will ride with me to our location. You can let your friends know you are on a business trip, tell them whatever you want but once we reach the location they cannot be contacted unless you leave the state. I can’t have cell phones being traced.”

“Uh huh.” Caitlin said, eyes wide and trying to keep up. “And what sort of job is this that I would need to leave my life behind for weeks or months?”

“I have a doctor developing special medications that are difficult to predict because of the unusual nature of the patient. This doctor needs a partner, someone not family of the patient, a second set of eyes and someone who is brilliant and can keep a secret. Supergirl’s life depends on the medications being effective and her treatment will have to be monitored 24 hours a day. Her family needs to be with her. I need you to be her doctor. One of them.”

Caitlin’s mouth open and then closed, thinking about this. Was Barry there with her? Where was she? Cell phones couldn’t be tracked?

“Is Barry with her?”

“No.” he answered shortly. “Only myself, her family, a Martian and the staff.”

“What sort of drugs are these you need?” not quite comprehending he had just mentioned a Martian.

“I need you to check them and make changes to them depending on how her body reacts. They are drugs dealing with alcohol withdrawal, anxiety and severe manic depression. She is already in the first stage of withdrawals and it will only get worse. What do you say?”

Caitlin wanted to think about this. Supergirl, alcohol withdrawal, depression. It made no sense in her mind but she also remembered the look in the blonde’s face when she entered S.T.A.R. right before she discovered Barry was the Flash. They all had their secrets, she supposed.

But the question was not needed. A friend of Barry’s needed help.

“I say I have eight minutes to get a bag ready, so I better hurry.”