Supergirl ~ Of Two Evils ~ Part Two

***

"He's gone," Kara announced as she walked back into the main office, Lena cradling her face in her hand, James pacing restlessly. "And security knows better than to let him in again."

"He's not gonna come back and try again in person," Lena said. "This was an uncharacteristic outburst. I've never seen him so angry. He's gonna come back at me twice as hard. This is never gonna stop!"

"But you're not the one who's trying to kill him," Kara pointed out.

"No," James agreed. "He's tried to kill Lena plenty of times and she's never retaliated."

"So someone out is trying to kill him," Kara nodded.

"He's got no shortage of enemies. But, like you said," James addressed Lena, "this is uncharacteristic for him. Edge is too good at covering his tracks to have somebody build a case against him."

"I mean, we don't even have enough for a damning story," Kara added, glowering at the thought. Oh, how she would love to write that story to get her friend closure.

"We should really be focused on this car hack," James decided.

Kara frowned. She really wanted that story, damn it. "Yeah," she finally nodded. "You're right."

"I'm just tired of this cycle of violence, OK?" Lena threw her hands up in exasperation. "I just want these threats, these attacks, these recriminations – you know, I've seen it ruin my mother's life and my brother's. I just want it to stop."

"Well, that's what we're here for," Kara stood up, walking over to Lena. "Let your friends help you."

Lena stared at her long and hard before nodding silently. Kara smiled back and gave her a hug, which Lena tentatively returned. As she did, she exchanged a look with James, who looked just as worried as her.

***

"So what do you see?" Sam asked as Alex watched the scans load.

"Nothing," Alex answered after a moment.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Well, it's neither good nor bad," Alex looked closer at the images. "It just means that whatever's causing the blackouts isn't showing up on the images."

"OK," Sam sighed, looking down at her hands. "So where do we go from here?"

"We send the images to an expert along with some bloodwork," Alex turned to her, pulling on plastic gloves. She raised an eyebrow, taking a closer look at Sam's face. "Are you OK? What are you thinking?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired of all the lying," Sam nodded. "Lies to Lena about my whereabouts, about the press conferences and the board meetings, and the earnings calls, and just . . . all of it. I lie and I tell her that everything's fine."

"I thought you told her about the work trip?" Alex asked, wrapping a band tightly around Sam's arm.

"I told her that my adopted mother was in the hospital," Sam admitted. "So, that's a lie on a lie on a lie."

"So maybe it's time for some truth," Alex suggested.

"The truth is that I'm becoming a burden," Sam told her. "To Lena, to L-Corp, to you, to my friends, to my daughter. I don't wanna be that person." Alex nodded somberly, and as she took off the cap of the syringe, Sam gulped. "I'm afraid of needles," she confessed quietly.

"It's really not that bad," Alex assured her. "I'm gonna make it painless."

Sam winced, turning away. "Can you go quick?"

"OK," Alex nodded, inserting the syringe into Sam's vein. She watched the woman's reaction as she drew the blood, then grinned when it was done. "Hmm? See? Painless. Your being sick isn't a burden to anyone. Lena might be your boss – hang on to that," she added as she put a cotton ball on where she drew the blood. Sam nodded, reaching over to hold it in place. "But she's also your friend. So, maybe you should try letting her in."

"Alex, I've handled everything on my own since I was sixteen," Sam told her. "Ruby, college, work, everything. Been white-knuckling my whole life. It's bad enough I included you in all these problems. So, I'm . . . I'll be fine."

"I know what it's like to be afraid to let other people in," Alex informed her as she wrapped gauze around Sam's arm. "I have always been used to dealing with things in my life on my own. So, after Maggie and I broke up, the thought of talking about it was terrifying. But Kara being Kara, she wouldn't let me shut down. She forced me to let her in so that we could figure things out together. That's the only way that I'm getting through any of this." Well, she wasn't about to add that being the Black Wolf was a nice way to let out her emotions as well. "And I am not about to let you make the same mistake that I almost made."

Sam swallowed, then nodded jerkily. "OK," she whispered, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'll talk to Kara and Lena today."

"Now Alex grinned, holding up a plastic-wrapped orange candy. "Is a good choice."

Sam giggled. "I get a lollipop?"

"You get a lollipop," Alex confirmed.

"I'll take it," Sam decided, taking it and unwrapping it, popping the sweet in her mouth. "It's my favorite."

***

"She's got them?" Oliver demanded as he returned to the D.E.O.

"Not only that," Laurel nodded grimly. "She's them."

"And James just confirmed that it's already affecting Kara," Lucy sighed, hanging up her phone. "Morgan Edge just accused Lena in front of everyone of trying to kill him, and Kara not only threatened him, but physically made him leave."

Oliver, Slade, Malcolm, and Laurel simultaneously groaned. "Can this guy seriously lay off her for once?" Malcolm rolled his eyes to the sky.

"Well, here's what he looks like," Lucy flipped her phone around, showing him the whole picture.

Winn's eyebrows shot up, and Laurel grinned. "Tell me who did that to him. I wanna give them a thank you present."

"Warn James and Lena," J'onn told her. "General Lane could happen at any moment. And recall Alex to the D.E.O.," he added to Winn. "The closer all of us are, the less of a target there is out in the open."

"Dad wouldn't try to hit anyone here," Lucy agreed. "That's too much noise."

"What about James and Lena?" Oliver asked in concern.

***

Kara growled as she hung up. "OK, that was my source at NCPD," she said, turning around. "They just salvaged Edge's car and there's no sign of tampering."

"You think Edge did this himself?" Lena asked incredulously. "Why? To frame me?"

But James was shaking his head. "Edge is crazy, but he's not suicidal."

"Well, whoever hacked his car, it's above and beyond anything the NCPD has ever dealt with," Kara shrugged.

"What about the guy who hacked Maxwell Lord's limousine and tried to drive him off a cliff?" James suggested.