Once, when Mon-El was a boy, a servant’s son had dared him to climb to the palace roof. Mon-El made it only ten feet or so before he lost his footing and fell, striking his head on the wall.
That skull-throbbing pain was exactly what he felt now.
He, Supergirl, and Alex were back at the DEO being debriefed by J’onn after their disastrous attempt at recovering the orichalcum. After Supergirl discovered it gone, she’d scoured the area for the supercitizens, but they’d vanished without a trace, leaving their captured friends (the horned Hard Charger and fiery Flamethrower) behind.
Luckily, Supergirl and Alex were both slouching in their chairs, disappointed, so he could hide his headache by burying his head in his hands and mirroring their sentiment.
“The strike team did as directed,” Alex told J’onn. “It’s my fault for not paying more attention.”
Supergirl squinted at her sister. “You’re not a screwup, Alex.”
Mon-El sucked in his breath and sat up straighter, despite the pain. Where had that comment come from?
“What? I never said I was.” The color rose in Alex’s cheeks.
“No, but you’re thinking it,” Supergirl said sagely.
Mon-El frowned. How could she know what Alex was thinking?
“And you’re wrong,” Supergirl continued. “You’re brilliant and tough as nails and—”
Alex didn’t seem cheered by her sister’s pep talk, but Supergirl appeared to be oblivious, continuing to rattle off Alex’s best qualities.
“I’m sorry I let such a huge mistake happen on my watch.” Alex turned her attention back to the DEO director.
Supergirl tugged at Alex’s sleeve. “You’re not listening. You didn’t make a—”
“Yes, I did, Kara!” Alex whirled on her sister. “And talking about how great I am just reminds me that I shouldn’t have let this happen.”
Supergirl held up her hands. “Jeez, sorrrry. I thought you could use a pick-me-up.”
Mon-El leaned toward Supergirl and whispered, “I’m gonna guess that’s not what she wants.”
Alex grunted in exasperation and faced J’onn once more. He regarded Alex with a stern but fatherly expression.
“A mistake was made,” J’onn said, “but we learn from it and improve our tactics. Correct, Agent Danvers?”
Alex’s shoulders relaxed a little, but she nodded curtly. “Yes, sir. It won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t,” said J’onn with a tight smile. “Now, Mr. Schott, any progress on tracking down the orichalcum or our nefarious friends?” J’onn turned to Winn.
“Nada,” said Winn, frowning at his screen. “Whoever’s creating portals for them is really good. I haven’t found a single trace of virtual particles.”
“We have to steal that orichalcum back,” said Supergirl, getting to her feet. “Now that they have all that potential power and Dr. Wanabi—”
“Actually, they don’t,” said a familiar voice.
Mon-El and the others turned to see Guardian walking down the control room steps, pushing a bedraggled Dr. Wanabi before him.
“I found him hiding in a coffin at the museum,” said Guardian.
“Oh, when I’m finished with him, he’s gonna need a coffin all right,” growled Supergirl, storming toward the scientist.
“Wait.” Mon-El leaped out of his chair and grasped Supergirl’s hand, using it to steady himself for a second. “Let’s see what he can tell us first.”
Supergirl faced Mon-El. “This whole mess is because . . .” She trailed off and her forehead wrinkled. “Are you OK?”
Mon-El stood as tall as he could. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, even as the edges of his vision darkened. “Why do you ask?”
“You don’t look very good.” She placed a hand to his forehead. “And you’re burning up.”
“I feel fine,” he repeated, closing his eyes and focusing on a connection with Supergirl. When he opened his eyes, he caught his reflection—or rather her reflection—in a monitor. “Do I look better now?”
“Not really.” Winn pointed at his face. “Now your nose is bleeding. Like your greatest weakness is low humidity.”
“What?” Mon-El wobbled on the spot, and Supergirl reached out to steady him.
Behind them, there was a clatter and thud.
“James!” Alex rushed over to where he’d collapsed on the floor. She pulled off his helmet to reveal blood spilling from his nose as well.
Dr. Wanabi stood frozen in place, watching in horror as Alex pried James’s eyes open and studied his pupils. “Not again,” Dr. Wanabi whispered.
“You’ve seen this before?” Supergirl asked, letting go of Mon-El long enough to grab him a box of tissues.
“Of course he has,” muttered Alex. “It’s happening to all the supercitizens, isn’t it?”
Dr. Wanabi swallowed hard and nodded.
J’onn pointed at Winn. “Mr. Schott, have the infirmary prep two cots for Mr. Olsen and Super . . . uh . . . Mon-El,” he corrected himself.
“Already on it,” said Winn, a phone to one ear.
Mon-El shook his head, blond hair bouncing, as he blotted his nose with a tissue. “I’m fine. I don’t need the infirmary.”
“Mon-El, you may heal faster than James, but you’ve still got orichalcum in your veins,” said Supergirl.
“So do you,” he shot back.
She smiled bitterly. “Yeah, but my collapse isn’t scheduled until tomorrow.” She glanced at Dr. Wanabi. “That’s right, isn’t it? The poison doesn’t hit you for about twenty-four hours?”
Dr. Wanabi frowned. “No, it doesn’t work that way. It spreads faster the more people use their powers.”
“The cots are ready.” Winn pointed down the hall.
Supergirl ducked under one of Mon-El’s arms while J’onn hoisted James over one shoulder. Dr. Wanabi stayed rooted to the spot until Alex snapped a pair of handcuffs on him.
“You’re coming with us,” she said. “You’ve got a lot to answer for.”
Supergirl staggered to the infirmary with Mon-El while J’onn walked behind them, carrying James. Alex followed, escorting Dr. Wanabi, and Winn brought up the rear.
“This is different,” said Dr. Hoshi while Supergirl helped Mon-El onto a cot. “Two Supergirls.”
“I was trying to prove I was healthy,” said Mon-El.
Dr. Hoshi shrugged. “Hey, I don’t judge . . .”
She dragged a special sunlamp over to Mon-El and flipped it on, soaking him with intense solar waves.
“Let there be light!” she said.
Within moments, the throbbing in Mon-El’s head lessened.
“Your nose stopped bleeding,” said Supergirl with a sigh of relief.
“Now for the real test,” said Mon-El.
He closed his eyes and focused on connecting with his true self. His scalp began to itch as his hair shrank to its normal length, and the pressure of wearing Supergirl’s costume eased as he felt his own clothes return. The best part was that he didn’t feel any worse for it.
Mon-El opened his eyes and saw Supergirl smiling.
“You’re getting better at that,” she said.
Mon-El glanced at James, who was struggling to keep his eyes open. He, unfortunately, didn’t get the same healing benefit from the sun.
“Don’t look so worried,” Dr. Hoshi told Mon-El as she hooked James up to an IV. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
“What’s in here?” Alex thumped the IV bag. “Saline?”
“EDTA,” said Dr. Hoshi. “For chelation.”
“EDTA? Chelation?” Supergirl shook her head in confusion.
Before Dr. Hoshi could answer, Dr. Wanabi chimed in.
“EDTA’s a synthetic amino acid,” he said. “So it can bond with other molecules. Chelation will basically drag whatever the EDTA bonds with out of the body. I’m guessing orichalcum, in this case.” He gave Dr. Hoshi a questioning look, and she smiled at him.
“That’s right. I figured I’d try it since it works for lead poisoning,” she said.
Alex nodded. “It’s worth a shot.”
“But won’t that mean James loses his powers?” asked Winn.
Supergirl gave him an incredulous look. “Would you rather he be like this?” She gestured to their semiconscious friend.
Winn brushed a hand over the top of his hair. “No, but he’s probably gonna freak. He’s always wanted powers.”
“Well, if this doesn’t work, he may just get to keep them,” said Dr. Hoshi.
Alex turned to Dr. Wanabi. “You’re a scientist. And you were probably a decent person at one point. So why mess with an unknown substance in a building full of people? What were you thinking?”
Dr. Wanabi took a deep breath and wriggled in his handcuffs. “I was thinking of my sister. She has cancer, and I was hoping the orichalcum would help.”
Alex blinked at him. “By killing her quicker?”
“Alex!” Supergirl smacked her arm. “The man’s sister has cancer.”
J’onn lifted a hand to halt the sisters’ argument. “How did you think it could help, Dr. Wanabi?”
He settled onto a chair next to James. “I like to dive in my spare time, and among divers there are always myths and legends: mermaids, sirens, the lost city of Atlantis.”
“Oh, that last one’s actually a real thing,” said Winn.
Dr. Wanabi nodded. “At first I didn’t believe it, but a friend told me about a man who had failing kidneys and weeks to live. He went for a dive and”—Dr. Wanabi clapped his hands together, and everyone jumped—“his kidneys were healed.”
“Let me guess,” said Alex. “He happened to be diving near Atlantis.”
Dr. Wanabi held up a finger. “My friend and I visited a different dive site nearby and heard another story. This one was about a woman who hoped to find enough treasure to pay off her debt. She went for a dive and a week later had all the money she needed.”
J’onn leaned back against a counter. “The orichalcum was leaching into the water. The divers weren’t getting what they wanted; they were getting powers that gave them what they wanted.”
“Yes,” said Dr. Wanabi. “But I didn’t know that. I figured they’d found a”—he flexed his fingers, as if plucking the words from the air—“magic lamp or wishing coin.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I know that sounds ridiculous.”
Supergirl snorted. “A magical imp once tried to make me his bride. Trust me. We get a lot of ridiculous around here.”
“So, Dr. Wanabi, you and your friend decided to search for Atlantis?” prompted J’onn.
“Yes,” said Dr. Wanabi, “but we needed money for the expedition, so we partnered with a diving company that provides exhibits to museums.”
“Sea Kings,” supplied Winn.
Dr. Wanabi looked taken aback. “Yes! You are good.”
Winn shrugged and grinned. “I have a very particular set of skills.”
“With funding from Sea Kings,” Dr. Wanabi continued, “we bought sonar equipment to find Atlantis and special dive equipment to explore the entire city, including a vault of treasures.”
Supergirl leaned forward. “The entire city? I’m surprised nobody stopped you.”
Dr. Wanabi stared at her. “What are you talking about? Nobody lives down there.”
Supergirl chuckled. “Sure they do. We’ve got a guyyy”—Alex cleared her throat and shook her head—“who, uh, thinks they do. Hector . . . in Accounting,” Supergirl finished with a weak laugh.
“Well, he’s wrong,” said Dr. Wanabi. “Anyway, most of the treasure seemed ordinary. But when I picked up an orichalcum bar, even with my gloves on, I knew it was something different.”
Alex crossed her arms. “So you saved some for yourself before turning the treasure over to the diving company.”
“A small piece,” said Dr. Wanabi, placing his index finger and thumb close together. “Just enough to see if it could help my sister.”
Mon-El propped himself up on his elbows. “But you didn’t help her. You tried to replicate the orichalcum. We found your notebook.”
Dr. Wanabi jumped to his feet. “You have my notebook?”
J’onn pushed him back into his chair. “Yes, and you’re not getting it back.”
Dr. Wanabi struggled against him. “Please! I was working on my sister’s cure. One that could help many!”
Supergirl picked up the notebook J’onn had left on the table the night before. Flipping through it, she frowned. “You mean the one with ‘Sakura’s Formula’ written across the top and absolutely nothing underneath?” She turned the notebook so everyone could see.
Mon-El squinted at the Japanese characters and then at Supergirl. “You can read that?”
“You can’t?” she glanced at the book. “Hey!” She smiled broadly. “I guess I understand Japanese now, too.”
Dr. Wanabi snatched the notebook from Supergirl before anyone could stop him. “I was about to start work on the cure! I just needed a little more power.”
Alex exchanged a look with J’onn. “You’ve been using the orichalcum on yourself?”
“Your superpower is enhanced intelligence,” said J’onn, a look of understanding crossing his features.
“Yes.” Dr. Wanabi glanced up. “But I’m still not smart enough to cure Sakura’s cancer! I need more orichalcum!”
Supergirl knelt beside him. “Look at what it’s done to my friend.” She pointed at James. “I don’t know how much is already in your system, but it’s poison, and more might kill you.”
“And cancer will kill my sister.” Dr. Wanabi’s lower lip trembled. “I have to find the cure,” he whispered.
Supergirl took his hand. “Not like this.”
Dr. Hoshi approached the team, and everyone shifted their attention.
“How is Mr. Olsen?” J’onn asked, though the expression on the woman’s face didn’t bode well.
“The chelation didn’t work,” she said, “but he’s in stable condition now. His body must be fighting the orichalcum.”
“That’s good, right?” asked Supergirl.
Dr. Hoshi tilted her hand from side to side. “I’ve never worked with this substance before, so I can’t guarantee Mr. Olsen won’t relapse.” She clucked her tongue. “I think the same will be true for other people who’ve been exposed.”
Supergirl nodded and gripped Dr. Wanabi’s hand tighter. “If you can’t help your sister right now, can you at least help the other people of this city?” she asked him. “We need an antidote for the orichalcum.”
Dr. Wanabi wiped at his eyes. “Y-yes. I think I can do it.”
“Agent Danvers, uncuff our visitor,” said J’onn. He bent close to Dr. Wanabi. “I trust you’re a good man, but hurt my people, and I’ll end you.”
Dr. Wanabi swallowed hard but extended his cuffed hands. “I’ll need a work space and a sample of the orichalcum, if you have it.”
Winn stepped forward and passed him the tiny jar. “Right here.”
“We have a lab you can use,” Alex told Dr. Wanabi. “I’ve got a background in bioengineering, so I can help.” She gestured to him, and he got to his feet.
“I’ll take any you can give,” said Dr. Wanabi, following her out of the infirmary.
“And I’ll go back to searching for our little legion of doom,” said Winn.
J’onn put a hand on his shoulder. “Check recent hospital and clinic admissions for bloody noses and fainting spells. The one upside I see to all this”—J’onn gestured around the infirmary—“is that our troublemaking supercitizens might be under the weather as well.”
“You got it,” Winn said, walking out.
“Maybe we’ll have a quiet afternoon,” Supergirl said hopefully.
J’onn smirked at her. “When have we ever had a quiet afternoon? I’ll need you to be on hand if we call.” He looked at Mon-El. “And you, too, if you’re up for it.”
“Of course,” Mon-El said. “I feel way better.” This time he wasn’t lying.
“Glad to hear it from at least one of you.” J’onn gave James one last glance before leaving the infirmary.
With everyone else gone or unconscious, Supergirl approached Mon-El with a winsome expression. “You had me a little worried there!”
She said it teasingly as she pinched his side, but he saw her eyebrows knit together for a split second.
Mon-El reached for her hand. “You don’t ever have to worry about me, Kara. I’ll always be here. Promise.”
Supergirl’s smile softened. “Good. I’ll be back after I talk to Pryll.”
She blew Mon-El a kiss and exited with a twirl.
He grinned and lay back to absorb some more sunlight.
Until something clamped around his arm.
Mon-El jumped and looked down at James, who gaped at him through wide eyes.
“Please,” he whispered. “Don’t let them take my powers.”