Chapter 41 - Red Protocol

Alex arrives at the DEO with Alura still in her arms, about 15 minutes after she left Kara's apartment. Alex decided to just briskly walk the short distance to the DEO, instead of driving. As much as Alex would have loved to have driven, she didn't have her car with her, nor did she think that requesting a DEO agent to come pick her and Alura up, would be a good idea. Alex didn't think that Alura was in a state to be separated from her arms for even a second. So, Alex just decided to keep Alura tucked close to her, trying to comfort her niece, and reassure her that everything is going to be okay, while trying to get to the DEO on foot as quickly as possible.

When Alura and Alex arrive at the DEO, it is close to 6PM. Usually at this time in the evening the facility would be mostly quiet, with a large bulk of the agents having come off of their shifts a while ago, but that isn't the case currently. Currently Alex can see many agents all making themselves busy with their assigned tasks, preparing the DEO facility. This is all because red protocol isn't just as simple as being an alert to the DEO to let everyone know that Supergirl has been exposed to red Kryptonite, but it also puts certain measures in place, both for Supergirl's safety, and the DEO agents as well as the general publics too. These measures include, locking Supergirl in a specially built cell, with sun light emitters, which are turned red, stripping Supergirl of her powers. Then this cell is guarded by two fully armed DEO agents, with non-lethal weapons of course. Then after that, if Supergirl were to escape and get through the two guards, she would then have to break through a nth metal lined door and wall. But as the whole cell, and guard area is lined with several censors and cameras, by the time Supergirl would have a chance to make an attempt to break through the door and wall, DEO agents would have been put on alert and gather on the other side of that wall, this time with kryptonite lethal weapons. This is obviously the part of the protocol that Alex is the least comfortable with, as at the end of the day, no matter how out of control Supergirl may be if she were to break out, she is still her sister, she is still Kara. So as a measure to make sure these weapons are only used in an extreme last resort, J'onn and Alex are the only two people who can access the vault to allow the DEO agents access to arm themselves with the Kryptonite weapons. Then outside of the measures to keep Supergirl contained, red protocol puts the DEO into complete lockdown, with the only people being allowed in or out having to be approved by Alex or J'onn. Several agents are also placed on standby in the armoury to deploy out into National City at a moments notice, if any threat occurs while Supergirl remains incarcerated, while all tech and research is put into complete lockdown. All in all, red protocol just really puts the DEO into a crazy state.

Alex walks through the DEO facility with Alura still in her arms, her head tucked into her neck. Agents are crossing in front of Alex's path, going from room to room, moving various things about, all focused on their own tasks. Alex just makes her way to the control hub of the DEO where she sees Winn sitting, looking very worried. "Winn!" Alex says.

Winn looks up and a flash of relief appears on his face upon seeing Alex. Winn then however notices Alura, and how she clearly has been traumatised by everything, and then sadness crosses his face.

"Alex." Winn says, standing up from his seat and walking over to the older Danvers sister.

"How is she?" Alex asks.

"She is still unconscious. J'onn is currently staying by her side in the cell with her, with the red sun lights turned on." Winn explains.

"Okay good." Alex nods, "Has anyone began to examine Kara?"

"J'onn has been waiting for you, as no one is more qualified in regards to Kryptonian biology than you, or perhaps your mother." Winn explains.

"Right." Alex nods again. "Could you take Alura?"

"Sure." Winn replies with a sad smile.

Alex then tries to move Alura from her arms, but Alura just clings tight to her neck, not wanting her aunt to let her go.

"Alura, honey, I need you to let go, please." Alex says, in a caring tone.

"No... I don't wanna." Alura says, tears can still be heard in her voice.

"Please Alura. I need you to let me go so I can go help mommy." Alex explains.

"No." Alura moans, "I lost momma.... and now mommy too.... I don't want you to go too, Alex."

Winn and Alex's eyes both go wide, realising just how much pain Alura is in, and what this situation has led for Alura's thoughts to go to.

"Alura, baby, you haven't lost mommy, I promise. Mommy is just ill.... She has been exposed to something..... something she was exposed to before.... But it's good she was exposed to it before.... because I know what to do to fix her now." Alex explains.

"Alex." Winn says, trying to get Alex's attention. Alex ignores him however.

"So as soon as you let me go, the sooner I can go and help fix mommy, and then the sooner mommy will be okay and you can see her again." Alex says, caringly.

"Alex!" Winn says, more firmly.

"What?" Alex snaps, in a bit of a harsh tone.

Winn doesn't allow the tone to get to him, he knows Alex's is under a lot of stress with everything that is going on.

"I told you that J'onn has been waiting for you to begin examining Kara, but he did allow me to just run a scan on her body, to just scan her for Kryptonite, and look." Winn says as he turns the tablet in his hands to face Alex.

Alex looks at the tablet and just gets a bad feeling in her stomach. The tablet shows a scan of Kara's entire body, which shows that there is red Kryptonite flowing through the entirety of Kara's body, most likely in her blood stream.

"It's everywhere." Alex says, shocked.

"Yes, but that isn't what I was trying to show you." Winn says.

Alex gives Winn a confused look.

Winn then taps the tablet a few more times and shows a close-up scan of the Kryptonite in Kara's body. "I've looked at this scan and compared it to our previous scans of when Kara was infected with red Kryptonite, and it's not the same." Winn explains.

"So..... this isn't red Kryptonite?" Alex asks.

"No, it is... it's.... it's just been altered." Winn says.

"Altered how?" Alex asks. "That I do not know. You are the bio engineer. I believe to figure that out, you'll probably have to draw some of Kara's blood and run some tests." Winn explains.

Alex lets out a deep nervous breath.

"Okay." Alex nods at Winn, before then looking down at Alura again. "Alura, please go with Winn... I promise I'll be back as soon as I can." Alura is silent for a moment before she moves her head and looks up at Alex.

"Promise?" Alura asks, sweetly, but still teary eyed and sad.

"Yes, I promise." Alex says with a nod.

"O... okay." Alura says, nervously.

Alex shoots Alura a sad smile and then takes Alura out of her arms, and gives her to Winn.

"Hey there, Alura. Why don't we go somewhere quieter, away from all this noise?" Winn suggests.

Alura nods, not speaking.

"Okay, I'll go to see Kara now." Alex says to Winn.

"Right." Winn nods, "I'll keep my tablet on me so you can contact me, and track my location."