Well . . . it's always fun when you really underestimate how long your original content parts are going to be. It's over half this chapter, I think.

So, at just shy of 7.7K words, this is the longest chapter I've written for this series, guys. Here you go. <3

The final fight against Purity, its aftermath, and several discussions - some pleasant and some rather horrifying. What's Lena's decision regarding Sam this time around?

Enjoy, guys!

***

Kara caught up to Purity's subway quickly, dropping down through the top of the car and behind the Worldkiller. "Purity?" she called to get her attention.

"You finally learned my name," she sneered, turning around and holding out her hands.

Kara watched everything vibrate around her, then smirked and lifted her hair slightly, revealing Winn's sonic device attached to her ear. She flew forward, barreling into Purity and knocking them out of the subway and onto the tracks.

Purity rose to her feet, eyes narrowed angrily, then turned as heels clacked on metal. "Not a nice feeling when you're overpowered, huh?" Laurel sneered, eyes narrowed as she and Malcolm walked out, Malcolm with his bow raised.

Purity turned and saw Mon-El and Oliver come from another direction, Oliver's bow raised as well, and when she rotated again, Slade and Alex practically melted from the shadows on Kara's right, both with their guns drawn.

She was completely surrounded.

Purity held her hands out to the side, starting the vibrations again. Alex just smirked when she felt no effects, and Laurel laughed in relief. Purity's eyes widened in shock, then turned when she heard a warping sound. J'onn walked through the wall on Kara's left, waving the cuffs Purity had worn earlier in a taunting way. Purity screamed at him desperately, but J'onn's body flickered red, and he phased right through the scream, smirking when she stopped.

Purity's eyes were wide in panic, and she turned around, breathing heavily as the eight closed in from all sides. She finally screamed again, but Laurel tilted her head when nothing happened to any of them.

Then they all heard the cracking under their feet, and Laurel swallowed hard. "Uh oh."

Purity's scream crumbled the ground beneath them, and all nine went tumbling down into the subway station below, landing in the rubble as civilians screamed and fled around them. "Why did you say that, Siren?" Malcolm seethed.

Purity managed to stand and scream again, but it wasn't directed at any of them. Kara, J'onn, and Mon-El turned as the scream went past them and slammed into one of the concrete posts, splintering it and making the ceiling rumble and dust and plaster fly. J'onn quickly flew over to support the post, Mon-El speeding after him a second later. "Guys!" Kara urged, looking around at the civilians.

"On it," Alex nodded, running to start evacuating civilians.

"Archer?" Oliver turned to look at Malcolm.

"Up?" he guessed.

Oliver nodded, and the two fired grappling arrows up into the ceiling. They went up into the air as Slade went in the opposite direction of Alex, Laurel slinking forward so she was with Kara against Purity.

Purity sneered, and Kara fired her heat vision, hoping to hit her. Purity dodged, and Kara fired again, gritting her teeth when Purity again avoided the hit. The shot narrowly missed a civilian, who dropped to the ground to avoid being hit. "Everybody, out!" Slade's voice roared through the station, startling everyone into action.

"Hey," Alex dropped by the fallen civilian. "It's all right. Get up. Up, up, up. Everybody, get out!" she yelled as she hurried the civilian off. "Out!"

"Go!" Slade continued to shout.

Mon-El looked around, watching a mixture of green and black arrows shoot from the rafters and knock falling debris off course, Slade occasionally doing the same with his sword as he helped civilians who were too slow. "We've got to get these people out of here!"

"Go!" J'onn told him, adjusting his hold on the post. "I've got this."

"You sure?" Mon-El asked.

"Yes, go!" At J'onn's confirmation, Mon-El carefully backed off, then sped away to help the evacuation.

Kara finally came to blows with Purity, the Worldkiller holding her own and then some. Kara got a few hits in at Purity's stomach and face, but Purity retaliated with a few uppercuts and a punch Kara blocked with her forearm, only for Purity to grab her arm and bend her over backwards. Kara tried to fly out of Purity's grasp, but Purity gritted her teeth and forced Kara back down, and Kara cried out when Purity bent her far enough for it to really hurt. "Supergirl!" Oliver yelled.

Laurel swallowed hard, inhaling as much as she dared. As Purity smashed Kara into the ground, she left herself wide open; Laurel took full advantage of that, screaming as hard as she could. Purity was more prepared for it this time, but she still staggered backwards and away from Kara.

Purity left herself right in the path of the charging Mon-El, and she whirled to meet the Daxamite's fists with her own. Laurel ran to check on Kara, bending down. "Kara?" she whispered quietly.

All she got was a pained whimper in response. "Siren, look out!" Slade suddenly shouted.

Laurel looked up, then quickly ducked as Mon-El went flying over her head, crashing into an electronic newsstand behind her. Laurel's eyes widened as Mon-El collapsed with a groan, slow to get up. Purity came storming towards her next, and Laurel swallowed, rising to her feet. "Julia?" she asked tentatively. "Please, don't."

"She can't come to the phone right now," Purity sneered, unleasing her scream.

Laurel braced herself and screamed back, already knowing what this result would be. Sure enough, when the screams collided, she was thrown back as her scream rebounded onto her. She didn't feel her back hit the ground, though. A familiar grip went around her, and her body jerked as her direction changed quickly. Then a surface was under her feet, and Laurel swayed, almost falling from the rafter she was now on, then the grip around her readjusted itself. "Easy," Malcolm warned, his voice still recognizable even with the voice modulator in place.

"Let her go!" Oliver's voice snarled.

Both whipped down to see Purity had Kara in a chokehold, Kara desperately yanking at Purity's arm even as she choked. "I'll tell you a secret," she whispered. "Julia's here."

"No!" Kara gasped out, eyes wide. "No!"

"And I'm going to make her watch while I kill you," Purity declared.

"No, Julia!" Kara croaked, clawing even more at Purity's arm, Slade and Alex running back. "Julia, please! Please, don't let her hurt me!" Purity's grip suddenly went a bit slack, and Alex slowed, eyes widening when she saw Purity's white eyes change to Julia's dark brown. "Julia!" Kara cried again, and Purity's eyes went back to white as she tightened her grip. "I know you're there!"

"You have a chance, Alex," Slade said quietly, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "You're the one who didn't see her before," he reminded her. "You can see her now. Make her see it, too."

Alex took a deep breath, then slid her brass knuckles off her hands and approached. "Julia!" Kara tried one last time before she had to gasp for breath.

"No, no, no, Julia," Alex held out her hand, and Purity looked at her in surprise. "Julia," Alex insisted, keeping her attention on her as the three vigilantes in the rafters dropped down. "You stood in front of a car to save your friend Vinita because you love your friend. And you know that Supergirl wants to help you. You can fight this because you . . . " She swallowed hard. "You are stronger than you think." Slade silently held out a hand to stop Oliver from raising his bow any higher, knowing one wrong move could make this end horribly. "I know you can hear me, Julia," Alex continued as Purity tried to tighten her grip further. "I see you in there . . . and I am so sorry that I didn't see it before. But I swear to God, I am gonna help you beat this. We all will," she gestured around to the circle of heroes and vigilantes around them. "But you have to fight."

Purity's head suddenly jerked, and Kara gulped as the Worldkiller doubled over. "No!" she howled. "No!"

"Julia?" Slade called, fingers wrapping more securely around his firearm.

When her head raised, her eyes were flickering between white and dark brown and white again. Dark brown ultimately won, and Julia looked in horror at the hero in her arms before dropping her like Kara was a hot potato. "Supergirl!" Oliver rushed forward to check on his fiancée.

"Julia?" Alex asked, walking forward, seeing she was still doubled over.

The ceiling caved in again, and Malcolm's eyes widened. "Look out!"

"So the Supergirl kneels," Reign smirked as she took in the scene in front of her. "Good practice."

Oliver's eyes darkened, and he squeezed Kara's shoulder before standing. "No," Kara shook her head desperately. "Don't!"

Alex, too, had a murderous look in her eyes as she reached up and tapped the metal collar around her neck twice. It activated with a whir, and she planted herself in front of Julia and screamed at Reign, the eerie howl of a wolf echoing in the station. Reign planted herself like a tree but grimaced, reaching up to hold her ears. Oliver drew an arrow and fired it, already reaching back to draw another one as Reign caught his first arrow. It exploded in her face, making her jerk back more in surprise than pain. Alex screamed again, she and Oliver approaching faster and faster, then she drew her alien gun and started adding that as well.

Still, nothing made a scratch on the Worldkiller. "You two, I kill," Reign declared, swatting Alex away like she was a fly.

"No!" Kara yelled as Alex landed on her back, skidding across the floor. Reign grabbed Oliver by the throat next and slammed him down into the floor, Laurel quickly looking away when she heard the sickening crack of concrete breaking under the force she used. "No!" Kara screamed desperately, her voice mixing with Slade's as Oliver cried out in pain when Reign's foot landed on his chest, the Worldkiller steadily applying more pressure.

"Stop!" Julia cried out, and it drew everyone's attention to her – even Reign's. She gulped and slowly stood, eyes slowly meeting Reign's. "Take me," she whispered. "You can have me."

"Julia," Slade said quietly, but he cut off with a wince as Reign applied more pressure to Oliver's chest, the archer gritting his teeth to avoid making another noise.

Julia squared her shoulders, then walked towards Reign. The first Worldkiller smirked triumphantly, stepping off Oliver, and he immediately rolled over, eyes shut as he grimaced. Reign ignored the clatter of the heels on Laurel's boots as she ran to help Oliver, Slade maneuvering to check on Alex. "Purity," Reign said slowly, as if savoring the word on her tongue. "Sister. We will find our third, our Pestilence. Once we're finally together, there will be nothing but unstoppable power."

She grabbed Julia and flew off through the hole she made in the ceiling, and Kara slumped to the ground, inhaling sharply, then started crawling over to reach Oliver. Alex accepted Slade's hand with a wince, the man supporting her as she got to her feet. J'onn finally settled the post as Mon-El braced his hands on the ground, forcing himself to get to his knees. Kara finally let herself slump when she reached Oliver's side, the two leaning against each other for support, Kara hugging Oliver tightly and burying her face in his neck as his arm went around her shoulders.

***

"And you wonder why I still call you kid when you pull stupid stunts like that one," Slade growled as he paced the medbay like a caged animal.

"I apologize for my first thought being 'protect my fiancée,'" Oliver rolled his eyes as he pulled his shirt back on, minding the bandages around him.

"We're some of the deadliest people in our universes, and we don't stand a chance against Purity or Reign, let alone both of them," Malcom muttered bitterly, shaking his head.

"You're lucky you only got away with bruised ribs," Kara mumbled, scooting in closer to Oliver's side, minding said ribs.

"I think I would prefer those instead of what feels like a giant hematoma on my ass," Alex remarked as she pulled on a sweat jacket. "But, it could have been worse. It could have been rugby."

Oliver snorted his opinion of that. "You both could have been killed," J'onn scowled.

"Don't joke," Kara agreed.

"I didn't," Oliver shook his head, kissing the side of her head and stroking her hair as Kara closed her eyes, tucking her head under his chin.

"Winn, please give them something else to think about," Alex tried to deflect.

His eyes widened as everyone looked at him. "Uh . . . "

"How about this," Max walked into the room, tucking a tablet under his arm, Lucy stopping by him. "We lost track of Reign and Julia minutes after they flew away."

"Great," Laurel buried her face in her hands. "More bad news."

"It's only a matter of time before Reign forces Julia back into Purity," J'onn sighed.

"All due respect, J'onn, I don't think that's helping," Lucy winced.

Alex, however, was shaking her head. "Julia . . . she's tough. Maybe she can hold out."

"Well, the Worldkillers might be too hard for us to beat, but maybe we're not supposed to beat them," Kara thought out loud.

"Well, how are we supposed to win?" Winn frowned.

Kara exchanged looks with Alex. "We save them."

***

Oliver walked down the hall of the D.E.O., checking his phone to see if William had texted any updates on what was going on with Ruby when he heard a call behind him. "Oliver?"

He stopped and turned to see Mon-El back in casual clothing. "Mon-El," he nodded, slipping his phone into his pocket as the Daxamite caught up to him. "You look better."

"You . . . don't," Mon-El winced.

"Well, not all of us are aliens," Oliver rolled his eyes, continuing to walk with Mon-El. "Which I'm getting the feeling I will not stop hearing from Slade for quite a while."

"His mask hides his face, but he was worried," Mon-El told him. "And Kara . . . "

He trailed off, and Oliver slowed, realizing what this was about. "You want to talk about Kara."

"OK, that came out wrong," Mon-El cringed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "J'onn and I talked earlier today, and . . . it's something I want to tell you, too." Oliver narrowed his eyes, but leaned against the wall and nodded. Mon-El took a deep breath, starting to pace. "Being back in this time hasn't been easy," he began. "And I feel like if I'm around Kara . . . alone around Kara . . . it'll be worse."

"So what are you saying?" Oliver frowned.

"I was a jerk," Mon-El turned to him. "I told you back at the bar when Reign first appeared, but I was. And maybe it was the stress of being back, me trying to come to terms with how little time had passed for Kara in comparison to me . . . but you retaliated for her. I deserved that."

"Yes, you did," Oliver agreed.

"I just . . . I don't want to be the ex who shows up and expects the girl to come back to me," Mon-El stopped in front of Oliver. "I see Kara with you, and I see her happy. She was terrified Reign was gonna kill you back in the station. Frankly, I'm surprised you're away from her right now."

"She and Alex are going out after extreme urging from Slade," Oliver snorted. "Otherwise I wouldn't be."

"That's my point," Mon-El nodded. "You took on Reign for her, and she was terrified when she thought you would die because of it. What I'm trying to say is . . . " He took a deep breath. "I won't get in your way while I try to figure this century out again."

Oliver blinked once, then twice, then shook his head. "You make it sound like I'm going to kill you if you even hint that you may still have feelings for Kara."

The look of surprise on Mon-El's face made it clear he had thought exactly that. "Is it that obvious?" he asked meekly.

"Mon-El," Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting a grin. "Do you honestly think I'm going to kill you just because you still care for my fiancée?"

"Considering how terrified you made me when we first met, a bit," Mon-El admitted.

"The first time we met was after I already wasn't in a good mood after one of the longest nights in a while with my team and I got voicemails from Winn saying I needed to get back minutes ago, and I came here to find out my then-girlfriend's ex returned when he was supposed to be allergic to something in the atmosphere and didn't seem to care about her," Oliver deadpanned.

Mon-El let out a startled laugh, leaning back against the wall. "Yeah, when you put it that way . . . "

"Since then, you volunteered your technology to save Kara when she was in her coma, helped fight Reign at the cost of your own lives, volunteered yourself and your team to help me and my team just because I need help, and saved my life," Oliver counted off. "I think it's an understatement when I say we started off on the very wrong foot."

"Yeah," Mon-El agreed, still chuckling.

"I appreciate you telling me your concerns," Oliver stepped closer. "If that's not a sign of respect, I don't know what is. I admit, I was a bit wary when I found out you were back." He looked Mon-El in the eye. "I'm not anymore," he told him. "Whatever happened during those seven years in the future, I'm happy to work with who came back."

Mon-El smiled, looking much more relaxed. "Thank you," he told Oliver gratefully. "And it's an honor and a pleasure to work with you, too."

Oliver extended his hand, and Mon-El reached out, choosing to grasp his forearm. Oliver nodded at the added sign of respect Mon-El gave him, clasping his forearm in return. He then tilted his head, smirking. "You wanna bet someone's checking security cameras to make sure we aren't actually trying to kill each other?"

"No," Mon-El grinned, releasing Oliver's hand as his phone buzzed. "Because I'd lose."

Oliver laughed, continuing to walk down the hall, leaving Mon-El to see the message he received. "You probably would."

***

When Mon-El saw the message, he raced as fast as he could to the Legion cruiser. "Winn, hey!" he rushed into the main room. "I heard you fixed it. How did you – ?"

"I mean, I assisted," Winn began.

"That was a little more than an assist," Imra stood up from where she was working, walking over. "He researched Moran math. They currently run their entire measurement system on a scale of 12 instead of 10."

"Yeah, sort of how in America, we use inches instead of the metric system," Winn explained. "They must have switched over before this here battery was invented, which, actually, you know, gives me hope for America."

"So we were overloading the fuel cells," Mon-El realized.

"Bingo," Winn nodded.

"Thanks, Winn," he smiled gratefully.

"I mean, if you really wanna thank me, you could let me take this out for a test drive," Winn smirked conspiratorially as he walked off. "Just saying."

Mon-El shook his head fondly as Winn left the ship, then realized he was left with Imra, who looked at him in trepidation. Mon-El took a deep breath, not sure how to start this conversation, when she did. "I'm sorry you lost the Worldkiller," she said. "But I . . . you didn't think to call me about the fight?"

"I know," Mon-El sighed, looking down. "I, uh . . . " He cleared his throat, then looked up at her. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. It's just, being back here, it's . . . " He sighed. "It's been very confusing for me."

That was an understatement, and Imra knew it, too, because she gave him an incredulous look. "You don't think I already know that?" she asked. "I mean, that fight last night, Mon-El, was so stupid!"

"What, about the Legion manual?" he asked.

"You think I'm bothered that you misplaced the manual?" Imra's voice raised in pitch as she stormed up so they were on the same level, and she leaned against one of the other consoles. "I was upset before that! We were sitting in the D.E.O. Supergirl was talking about Reign, and you got this look in your eye, one that I know so well. You had the same look the first time you told me you loved me."

Mon-El took a deep breath. He had just gone over this with J'onn and Oliver, and he wasn't entirely sure how this would go a third time. "Spending time with Kara again has been," he said slowly. " . . . more difficult than I could have imagined."

Imra looked down, seeming to brace herself. "Are you still in love with her?" she whispered.

When she looked back up, Mon-El was fully prepared to meet her eyes. "No," he answered. "Not like I used to be."

Imra let out her breath slowly, nodding. "Thank you for being honest. It's why I fell in love with you in the first point."

"Imra, I swear to you that I will always be honest to you," Mon-El assured her, walking forward and taking her hands. "OK? I respect and love you. This is more difficult than anything I could have fathomed, but we will work through it, OK?"

"Mon-El . . . " Imra swallowed. "I'm . . . " She pulled away, walking a few feet back and turning to face him again. "I haven't been completely honest with you," she confessed, making Mon-El look at her in confusion. "I always knew there was a risk when Brainy and I planned this mission."

Mon-El blinked rapidly. "What mission?"

Imra took a deep breath. "It's time for me to tell you the truth about why we're really here."

Mon-El stared at her, feeling dread sink into him.

***

"OK," Kara marched over to the table Alex sat at, putting a basket of food down on the table and eyeing the tumbler Alex held. "Start with this, and then I'll try to talk you out of tequila."

"Hmm," Alex smirked. "There's a bold move."

Kara sat down, then looked at her. "Are we OK?" she asked.

"We are OK," Alex nodded.

"Do you wanna tell me what's going on?" Kara raised an eyebrow.

Alex fiddled with her straw, then sighed. "I just thought that it would get easier," she answered. "But it's not."

"Alex," Kara sighed, shoulders slumping.

"You know," Alex pulled out her cell phone. "I have two speed dials on this phone. It's you . . . and Maggie. And every day, every single day, I look at this phone, and I wanna call her . . . and then I wanna delete her . . . but I can't do either because I am scared, and I am weak."

"No," Kara shook her head. "That's not true."

"No, but, I mean, it is," Alex argued. "Because otherwise, I would be better. And I keep willing myself to just get over it, but I can't. And that's why I've lost hope. That's why I was angry and why I refused to see Julia the way that you saw her."

Kara sighed. "You know, I stopped believing, too," she told Alex, making her look up. "I didn't think I would ever get through the heartbreak of losing Mon-El."

"And then you got Oliver," Alex smirked.

"Yes, I got a boyfriend and later a fiancé," Kara conceded, pink staining her cheeks as she blushed. "But the point is, I got through it. And you are far stronger than I am."

"See, you're always hopeful," Alex gestured to her.

"So are you," Kara countered. "You were hopeful when you made the decision that you could have more. And you know what? I think you're right. I think there is another person out there for you, and I think you will be a mom. You will have all the things."

She made a grand gesture with her hands to finish, and Alex finally cracked a smile. "I'm glad you're the way that you are," she said.

"You, too," Kara smiled back.

***

Lena looked up from her computer when she heard heels click on the floor, and the moment she was in the door, Sam headed for her. "Where's Ruby?" she asked, eyes wide with panic. "Your text said you picked her up!"

"She's fine, OK?" Lena assured her, standing up. "She's at my apartment, William's there, too. She's sleeping." Sam's breath shook as she turned away, burying her face in her hand. "She called me when you disappeared," Lena rounded her desk to walk over. "She thought you'd come in to work, but you hadn't."

"My God, how could I do this to her?" Sam whispered, turning around to look at Lena. "What if I'd been driving at the time?"

"She's safe, all right?" Lena soothed. "She did the right thing. She called for help."

"Was she scared?" Sam asked nervously.

"Yes," Lena admitted. "We all are." Sam closed her eyes, shoulders slumping, and Lena cautiously walked forward. "Do you . . . do you remember any – ?"

"No," Sam shook her head. "I don't, I – same as always."

"Ruby told me about the other times," Lena told her.

"What?" Sam frowned. "No, she doesn't know."

"Sam, she's a smart kid," Lena told her. "She knows something's wrong. She knows that you go places and then you don't remember where you've gone."

Sam's frowned deepened, realizing where Lena was going. "You told her I was sick?"

"I told her that we didn't know what was wrong yet," Lena corrected.

"You told a twelve-year-old her mother has a disease no one could diagnose?" Sam narrowed her eyes, her voice suddenly much more even.

"I reassured her that you didn't abandon her," Lena began.

"You had no right to tell her anything," Sam cut her off, storming past her and turning to look at her. "Just because you're my boss does not mean you can make decisions for my family."

"No," Lena shook her head, trying to help Sam understand. "No, it wasn't like that!"

"No one makes those decisions but me!" Sam insisted, her back to Lena.

"Sam, your blackouts are coinciding with something," Lena tried to change the subject. "I just need to ask you a few – "

"Silence!"

The inhuman bark from Sam made Lena freeze, her eyes widening at the unfamiliar tone Sam used. When she turned around to glare at Lena, she swallowed hard, seeing her totally void of expression, eyes dark. "Sam?" she whispered.

When Sam's eyes flickered between their normal color and devilish red, Lena swore her heart skipped a few beats.

The red was gone after a few seconds, and Sam's face morphed into one of horror. "Sam?" Lena hesitantly stepped forward, moving quicker when Sam's breath turned shaky and she backed up. "Sam, did you just have a blackout?"

Sam swallowed hard, clutching the desk for support, then sank down into one of the chairs. "Yeah," she whispered.

"You don't remember anything you said?" Lena asked ,just to make sure.

"No," Sam shook her head, looking on the brink of a panic attack.

Lena swallowed hard, and trying to keep her own voice from shaking even as her heart thudded in her chest, Lena sank into a crouch, putting her hand on Sam's knee. "Sam, honey, it's OK, all right? I know what's wrong with you," she told her, taking a deep breath. "I'm gonna make you better."

Sam just nodded jerkily, looking down in her lap, which gave time for Lena to look away herself, finding a large lump in her throat as she tried to swallow again.

What . . . the hell . . . was she going to do now?

***

The lights had long since gone out, but she sat like a statue against the back wall, just staring at the shattered doorframe in front of her.

At least, until a shape moving through the doorway made the sensors turn the lights on again, and she winced, holding a hand up over her eyes, blinking sudden spots away. "I didn't expect to find you in here," Malcolm tilted his head.

"I didn't really want to be found," Laurel muttered, lowering her hand and letting it drop with the other into her lap, returning to staring at the remains of Purity's cell.

Malcolm frowned, folding his arms and walking over, turning to take in the cell as well. "She really did a number on this place, didn't she?"

"You don't say."

Malcolm paused and turned back to her. "You're laying the pessimism on really thick, you know that, right? It's not a good look on you."

"Why are you here, Malcolm?" Laurel gave him a nasty look.

"Because you've been off the entire day," he answered, leaning against the wall next to her. "And I would like to know why."

Laurel huffed, looking away from him. "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

Malcolm snorted. "So we're gonna play this game, huh." He shook his head, sliding down the wall effortlessly to sit next to her. "Now, Slade and I may know each other pretty well, but what some people don't seem to keep in mind is that, while we are close . . . he's not the one I've often partnered with since we arrived on this Earth. Or the one who I've shared living spaces with the longest. That's you. So . . . " He pretended to take an interest in his gloves. "I think I know you well enough now to know that something's bothering you, Siren."

Laurel couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Sometimes I think you just like listening to yourself talk."

"Laurel."

The steel in his voice when he said her name made Laurel shiver, and she took a deep breath, tearing her eyes away from the cell to look in her lap. "When we were in the subway," she began, fiddling with the rings on her fingers, "when we had the sonic devices to block her frequency so we weren't affected . . . I taunted her about it."

"Well, she did kick your ass a few times earlier," Malcolm pointed out. "No offense."

"None taken," Laurel's lips quirked up, going back down just as quickly. "It's just . . . then I saw her face. It wasn't Julia's . . . it was Purity's. And she was terrified because nothing she was doing was working. Her powers didn't affect us. And it made me think . . . if she didn't have super strength, if the scream was her only power . . . she would have been helpless." She looked up from her hands, staring back at Purity's former cell. "You know what that reminded me of?" She took a deep breath. "Me."

"You?" Malcolm repeated, frowning.

"I mean, I can fight," Laurel elaborated. "But these powers? I've had them for so long that they're a part of me. They're like another limb." She took a deep breath. "And then to be put in a place where it's suddenly gone . . . "

She knew when it clicked for Malcolm when he inhaled sharply. "The pipeline."

"Nothing worked," Laurel nodded. "For the first time . . . since I can remember, my powers did nothing to help me. I was trapped in an unfamiliar world, in an unfamiliar place, with familiar faces yet unfamiliar people looking back at me . . . and I lost the one connection I had to my previous world. It was like that limb got chopped off. When Chase freed me and I screamed for the first time . . . my God, the rush I got from that . . . " She swallowed, closing her eyes. "Purity was in a new world, too," she went on. "Maybe faces she had seen before, but she was on an opposite side now. And then to have the one thing that could have given her the advantage at that moment not work . . . "

She cut off, her head falling back against the wall, wincing when she felt how hard her nails were digging into her palms. Two hands, one gloved, took them and uncurled her fingers, and Laurel took a deep breath, looking back as Malcolm took a closer look at her hands, making sure she hadn't cut herself. "You saw yourself," he guessed.

"I basically taunted myself," Laurel nodded. "And I just . . . wonder how I could have done that."

"Because you are not Purity," Malcolm answered. "That's not who you are."

"Maybe not," Laurel shook her head. "But I've been where she's been. Whether it's in a cell to dampen your powers . . . " She sank her teeth into her lip. "Or it's a dog collar to dampen them . . . " She looked up at Malcolm. "This just hit close to home for me," she said quietly. "I needed to sort this out for myself."

"I probably didn't help earlier, did I?" Malcolm grimaced, recalling his comment about Earth-X.

"Not really, no," Laurel admitted.

"Look," Malcolm released her hands, then held out a hand, raising an eyebrow. Laurel gave him an incredulous look, then caved in and scooted closer so they were shoulder to shoulder, knees touching. "I know how it feels when something hits close to home. Whether it affects a family member and therefore you, or affects you directly, it takes a toll. And it can be a big one." He looked at her, nodding slowly. "Like I said, we've been in the same living quarters for over half a year now. You don't need to carry a toll like that by yourself."

Laurel let out her breath slowly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he nodded.

They sat staring at Purity's cell for a bit longer, then Laurel frowned, scrunching up her nose. "What's that?" she wondered, sniffing.

Malcolm smirked. "I was wondering if you'd finally notice."

Laurel sniffed again, then slowly turned back to Malcolm. "You didn't."

"Well, I distinctly remember you saying Alex was paying," Malcolm smirked wider, holding up a paper bag. "She didn't, but I figured if it helped bribe you into opening up . . . "

"You bastard," Laurel grinned.

"Ouch," Malcolm scoffed, handing her the bag.

Laurel shook her head in disbelief, opening it up and taking out the carton of fresh mozzarella sticks inside. "I hate you."

"No, you don't."

Laurel popped one in her mouth, chewing and savoring the taste, then smiled at Malcolm and offered him the carton. "No, I don't," she agreed.

Malcolm chuckled, taking one of the mozzarella sticks, just as his phone trilled. A second later, Laurel's did the same thing. "Huh," Malcolm frowned, reaching into his jacket pocket for his phone, Laurel picking hers up from the floor. "That's Lena's tone."

"Hers for mine, too," Laurel frowned, unlocking her device. Her eyes widened when she saw the message she received. The entire team needs to meet at the D.E.O., now. "Malcolm," she began, scrambling to her feet.

"Yeah, we need to go," he nodded, getting up as well, Laurel tossing the paper bag into a nearby trash can as they ran from the room, leaving Purity's cell behind.

***

"OK, I had to take potstickers to go," Kara frowned as she and Alex returned to the D.E.O., seeing J'onn, Winn, Max, and Lucy already waiting. "What's this about?"

"We don't know," J'onn shook his head, finishing dismissing the few agents that were still there so they could talk alone.

"Yeah, all we got were texts from Ms. Luthor saying we needed to meet," Max added.

"It wasn't just you," Slade said as he came from the direction of the training rooms, holding up his own phone.

"No," Laurel said, she and Malcolm walking down the steps, James coming down the opposite staircase. "We got them, too."

"Hey, are those mozzarella sticks?" Kara pointed to the carton in her hand.

"You're not getting any," Laurel scowled, taking a bite of one.

"Does anyone know what this is about?" James looked around.

"That was what I was going to ask," Oliver came from the direction of the Legion cruiser, Mon-El with him, though Mon-El looked a bit shaken for some reason.

"No, we just got here," Alex shook her head.

"Thank God you did." Everyone turned as Lena hurried into the room, face void of color, looking a bit unstable on her feet. "Thank you for coming."

"Whoa," Winn straightened off the console as Kara hurried to help balance Lena. "You look awful."

"Thank you, Winn," Lena closed her eyes. "I really needed to hear that right now."

"I'll shut up, then," Winn cleared his throat.

"He's right, though," Lucy frowned. "Are you OK?"

"We can do this later," J'onn offered.

"No," Lena shook her head rapidly. "It needs to be now."

"What happened?" Oliver asked, stepping forward in concern. "Are William and Ruby OK?"

"What about them?" Alex's head snapped up.

"William asked me earlier in the day if he could go with Lena," Oliver answered. "Something about helping Ruby."

"They're fine," Lena assured him, swallowing. "It's not them I'm here about."

"Is Sam OK?" Laurel frowned.

If possible, Lena got even paler. "No," she shook her head. "No, she's really not."

"What happened?" James asked worriedly.

"Did she have another blackout?" Alex asked.

"She did," Lena nodded. "That's why I asked William to come with me earlier. I told Sam to take today off, spend some time with Ruby after everything that's happened to her. Ruby called from the ice rink, saying Sam had disappeared. I took her and William back to my apartment. Thank you for letting him come, Oliver, he really helped Ruby."

"Of course," Oliver nodded.

"Poor Ruby," Laurel whispered.

"Did Sam come back?" Malcolm asked.

"She did," Lena slowly nodded. "And then she had another blackout when she was there."

"You saw her have one?" Winn asked in surprise.

"I did," Lena swallowed. "And it was like Ruby told me today . . . it's like she's a completely different person."

The way she said it made everyone look around at each other. "By a completely different person," Mon-El began slowly.

Lena took a shaky breath, then pulled a flash drive out of her coat pocket. "Pull this up," she told Winn quietly, holding it out to him. "It's the security feed from my office showing Sam's blackout."

"OK," Winn frowned, going over to his station and putting the drive in.

"We're not going to like what we're about to see, are we?" Oliver looked at Lena, he and Kara instinctively stepping closer to each other.

Lena's voice cracked when she answered. "No."

"Here we are," Winn said, bringing up the video.

"Poor Sam," Alex sighed, watching Sam panic about leaving Ruby behind.

Kara frowned, shifting uneasily as she watched Sam storm past Lena, her voice changing as she grew more angry. "That's not like Sam."

"Not at all," Alex whispered.

When Sam suddenly shouted, all the blood drained from Kara's face. "No," she whispered, starting to back away, shaking her head even as Lena nodded miserably. "Lena, no."

When Sam turned on camera and her eyes flickered red, Kara rapidly backed away further, shaking her head and dropping into a crouch, burying her face in her hands. "No," Alex breathed in horror as Laurel's jaw dropped, Slade and Malcolm exchanging startled looks as Oliver rushed to Kara.

"Oh, my God," Lucy covered her mouth with a hand.

"Sprock," Mon-El closed his eyes as James swallowed hard, Winn quickly turning the video off, his face tinged green.

"I think that may be an understatement," Malcolm ran a hand over his face. All of them knew it took a lot to shake the man, but even he looked unnerved by what he had just seen.

"No," Kara whimpered, trembling as Oliver took her glasses then hugged her tightly. "No, no, no, no, no . . . "

"One of my best friends, one of the kindest women I know, is the one who almost killed my other best friend at Christmas," Lena turned to look at the others, having to brace herself on the console. "Sam is Reign."

"Her blackout coincided with when Purity broke out of the D.E.O. and when Reign came to get her at the station," Oliver swallowed hard, letting Kara tuck her head under his as she tried to keep calm. "Oh, God, Sam . . . "

"Does Sam know this?" J'onn asked, turning to Lena.

"No," Lena shook her head, taking a deep breath. "I haven't told her, and Sam never remembers what happens when she becomes Reign. They're just blanks."

"Where is she now?"

"I have her at L-Corp," she answered. "I told her I know what's wrong and that she needs to stay there for me to help her. I came here because all of you deserved to know . . . " She took a deep breath. "And what I need to do in able to help Sam."

"You think she's safe at L-Corp?" James frowned.

"We couldn't even contain Purity!" Winn gestured around the D.E.O.

"Purity's crystal caused the power to fail," Lucy pointed out.

"And keep in mind that even though I am not my mother or my brother, I am a Luthor," Lena told J'onn. "If I need more help with Sam, I will let you know."

"What do you plan on doing?" Kara asked quietly, standing with Oliver's help.

Uncertainty flashed in Lena's eyes, and she seemed to brace herself as she took a deep breath. "I need to use Kryptonite in case Reign appears again."

The reaction she got was . . . not very comforting. "I'm sorry, I think I misheard that," Winn scratched the back of his head. "Did you say the K word?"

"Winn, don't make this harder than it already is," Lena closed her eyes. "Yes, I did just say I need to use Kryptonite."

"Why?" Alex protested. "You just have it laying around?"

"No, I don't have it just laying around," Lena scowled at her. "I buried it under lock and key after I found it in Lex's vault when I inherited L-Corp, especially after everything that happened with Cadmus. Do you really think I would want anyone to find out I had it and try and steal it to use on Kara?" she gestured to the Kryptonian, who had gone still.

"But you didn't think to tell the D.E.O.?" J'onn frowned.

"When I was still an unknown, when you didn't know if you could trust me?" Lena's voice turned harsh. "When, at the time, I was still a wildcard because of my last name? No, I didn't. And then you started to trust me, and I didn't want to lose that trust because, again, I didn't want to be seen just as my last name." She swallowed hard, looking at J'onn. "Read my mind if you don't believe me."

J'onn frowned, but stepped forward, his eyes glowing red. Lena stiffened for a second, then relaxed. After several tense seconds, J'onn nodded and stepped back, the red disappearing from her eyes. "She's telling the truth."

"Would you have ever told us?" Kara asked quietly.

"Before now?" Lena closed her eyes. "Not unless it was necessary."

"And when would that have been?"

"If another evil Kryptonian came around and more Kryptonite was needed to bring them down," Lena answered. "Like Overgirl."

Everyone who had been involved in the Earth-X attempted invasion grimaced at the memory. "Or if it was just us against one on Red or Silver K," Oliver followed her train of thought.

"Exactly," Lena nodded, desperate for them to understand, walking forward. "Kara, please, I would never have used it on you. Do you really think I want to use it on my best friend who isn't even aware she's a murdering Kryptonian as well?"

Kara swallowed hard, the tears in Lena's eyes making her feel ones that were starting to burn in her own. "No," she croaked.

"Never," Lena's voice cracked. "But if Reign makes a reappearance . . . "

Kara swallowed hard, then nodded shakily. "OK," she whispered. "Just . . . it's Sam."

Lena nodded as well, hugging her tightly. "I know it is," she forced out, Kara starting to cry as well. "I know."

Alex joined the hug, tears in her eyes as well as Oliver rubbed Kara's back comfortingly, sharing worried looks with everyone, Winn looking a few seconds away from tears as well, J'onn, Mon-El, Slade, Malcolm, and Max looking resigned, Lucy, James, and Laurel looking a bit helpless. This had already been personal after Reign had beaten Kara almost to death back around Christmas.

But now that they knew Sam, one of the kindest, most caring women they knew, was Reign . . . that made this even more personal now. "We're going to save her," Oliver decided, remembering how Julia fought against Purity. "Julia's strong, and we know Sam is, too. Reign isn't going to win."

Kara nodded, taking a deep breath and looking at Lena. "Do what you have to do," she whispered. "Just help her."

"I will," Lena nodded firmly. "I promise."

Kara swallowed, looking at everyone else. Winn, James, and Laurel were nodding as well, and J'onn, Slade, and Malcolm had steely, determined looks in their eyes. Mon-El locked eyes with her and nodded his support. While Max and Lucy hadn't met Sam, they nodded as well. They were all in agreement.

They were not losing Sam to Reign when she had a chance to win.

***

Oof. That was a lot. Oliver and Mon-El get a few things cleared up, you Dark Siren shippers got a very nice scene with them . . . and then Lena dropped a huge bomb on everyone.

So, there's your answer to those who were wondering what Lena was going to do. She's known Kara is Supergirl for almost an entire year now, and she's been working with her team for a little less than that time. I don't believe she would have kept this secret from them after all they've done together.

So this was a big canon shift. We'll see how much more canon gets thrown out the window or kept when we return to Arrow next time!