Barry was more than confused as he followed Alex towards an elevator that required her handprint and her retinal scan to access.  She didn’t speak as the explanation of where they were headed was better seen and not heard.  For the whole elevator ride, Kara remained unconscious as Barry watched the numbers by the doors decrease and the lights inside cycled through the colors green and red.  When the elevator finally stopped the last light lit up with letters and not numbers.  Four letters that read S.B.R.S.  Before the doors could open, Alex finally spoke again.

“Barry, what you are about to see is something only two members of the D.E.O. know about and those same two are the only agents who have access to this room. Those two agents are J’onn and myself.  Years ago it was designed and constructed for the purpose of containing any Kryptonian life form that got out of control.”

“I’m not sure I like where this is going Alex.”

“Trust me, you aren’t the only one.  The room has been used only once before today.  But in light of Kara attacking you, I can only assure you that this room is necessary.”

Alex once again used her handprint and retinal scan to access the room.  She led the way in towards a gurney in the center of the room as red ultraviolet lights activated.  She helped Barry gently lay Kara down on the gurney before she strapped her sister’s arms and legs down.  Anger started to fill Barry’s heart at seeing Kara treated this way, but Alex’s hand on his shoulder only slightly calmed him down.

“I’m sure you’re wondering what the letters for this level stand for; Barry.  They stand for Sub-Basement Red Sun.”

“Is this going to hurt Kara?  I know what simulated red sunlight did to Clark.”

“No.  Lex Luthor has wanted to kill Clark for years.  This red sun simulator is only going to take her powers away.  The only way I can find out what’s wrong is to conduct a thorough examination.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Blood tests…X-rays…I’ll need to perform an E.E.G., and an E.K.G.  I want to be sure that I can rule out Red Kryptonite being the cause of her outburst.  But I need you to tell me, what exactly did she do when you were fighting?”

“She was unstoppable.  Her speed nearly matched my own.  She was throwing punches that I could just barely dodge.  She came close to catching me and almost had her hand wrapped around my throat before I ran up a building.”

“What else?”

“Her heat vision…isn’t it normally blue-white in color?”

“Yes.  Why?  She used it against you?  What color was it?”

“Red…just like blood.”

Alex was shocked and knew she was in uncharted territory with whatever caused Kara to lose control like this.  Back when Max Lord had used Red Kryptonite on her the first time, it only seemed to lower her inhibitions and increase her rage.  This was something totally different and would take time to diagnose.  As such, Alex turned back towards Barry with a concerned look in her eyes.

“Barry…I’m not sure what I’m going to find out, but I’ll do whatever I can to figure out what’s wrong.  Maybe you should go back to Central City and I promise that I’ll call you when I know something.”

“I’m not leaving her, Alex.  She didn’t leave me when I came back from the Speed Force and I won’t do that to her now.”

“How do you know she didn’t leave you?  Kara said you were barely aware of your surroundings then.”

“She and Cisco told me.  So do what you have to.  I’m staying right here.”

Barry began to pace as Alex set up every piece of equipment in the room before a series of panels rose up from the floor and down from the ceiling.  Soon the gurney he had placed Kara on was locked in place with clamps allowing Alex to begin her tests.  Under the light of the red sun, he watched as his sister-in-law injected a needle into Kara’s arm, a feat that would be impossible if she still had her powers.  It was clear that Alex was taking a blood sample and what she saw in the blood was confusing.  Hours passed as she continued running tests, the X-rays showing the same substance in Kara’s blood coating isolated spots of her lungs, in her nasal passages and the lining of her stomach.  When she had run every test she could think of, she came out of the room.

“What is it Alex?  What’s wrong with Kara?”

“I’m still not sure.  This is her blood sample.  I managed to isolate a few of the particles that were in her blood.”

“Can I see them?”

“Of course.  Here.”

Alex handed a test tube over to Barry and he quickly examined the contents inside.  He had no idea what he was looking at except for the fact that they looked like black dust.  Upon looking up at Alex, she nodded in confirmation of his assessment.

“Yes, Barry.  This substance is some sort of black sand or pulverized rock that’s gotten into her system.  If my hypothesis is correct, this is what caused Kara to lose control.”

“But how did it get in her body in the first place…she…”

The answer hit Barry out of nowhere as he remembered that before they left for their honeymoon, Kara had battled a sand meta-human and had some of the sand particles in her hair and on her uniform. 

“Alex…is it possible that the these particles came from her battle with the meta-human?”

“The sand one?  Possibly.  But those particles looked like normal sand.  None of them were black.”

“But what if Kara’s Kryptonian D.N.A. interacting with the particles is what turned them black when they got into her bloodstream?”

“Then we could have a serious problem.  If there’s more of this type of sand, Alura, Clark, and Kara are all still in danger…”

“Can you get her system cleansed of these particles?”

“Already working on that.  It will take time though.  What are you thinking?”

“Where is the sand meta she fought?”

“He’s here.  We’ve got him in a containment cell that keeps him from turning his body into sand.”

“How?”

“You know Barry, for a genius, you’re a little slow on the trigger.  We douse him with a continuous spray of water that makes his sand into mud.”

“Come on Alex…I was just attacked by my wife and I’m…”

“I know.  I was trying to lighten the mood.  I take it that you want to see him.”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’ve got to stay with Kara, but I’ll have an agent escort you to his cell.”

Alex spared a quick glance back as Barry walked away.  Since she would still be in the sub-basement her access would still be active until she left.  Barry got in the elevator that took him back to the first floor control room of the D.E.O. where an agent was waiting for him.

“Flash, Agent Danvers called ahead while you were en-route to the main building.  She’s instructed me to take you to see the sand meta-human Supergirl fought.  This way please.”

Barry followed the agent to another cell block, one designed for what the D.E.O. referred to as alpha level threats.  Currently there were three occupants in this wing of the building.  One was Live Wire who sneered at Barry as he walked past.  He remembered Kara telling him that he had soundly defeated her while being composed completely of energy, but she wasn’t who he was there to see. The second was Despero. He ignored them both and moved on to the cell containing the other meta-human.

“So you’re the sand monster Supergirl fought a couple of weeks ago.”

“I am not a monster.”

“Tell that to the people you nearly killed before Supergirl stopped you.”

“What do you want Flash?  That’s right, I know who you are.  I thought you only protected Central City.”

“I go where I’m needed.  I want to know what you did to Supergirl.”

“What I did to Supergirl?  What makes you think I did anything to her?”

“She’s unconscious right now, and her bloodstream was filled with black sand.  Since you’re the only sand powered meta-human, it had to have been you.”

“Interesting.  But I still wonder how I could have been the cause of her health issues.  Maybe she’s not as strong as she thinks she is.”

The meta-human looked out of his cell at Barry with a smug smirk on his face.  While he didn’t think he had done something to Supergirl, he was enjoying watching Barry’s face go through a plethora of emotions.  Confusion, curiosity, and finally anger.  Barry got right up against the cell door and glared daggers at the man who had caused his wife pain before pulling the vial from inside his uniform jacket.

“Bet these tell a different story.”

After unscrewing the top of the vial, Barry set it down on the floor and the particles slipped under the door of the cell.  While the water spray was cycling back up, the sand particles attached themselves to the prisoner’s foot.

“Those particles say otherwise.  Care to change your answer?  Let’s start with something easier.  Who are you, and how did you get your powers?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Barry slammed his fist against the glass as lightning sparked around his entire body.  He was being taunted and with how close Kara had come to killing him, he was in no mood for games.  Especially not when his wife’s life was on the line.

“Answer me!”

“Touched a nerve there, didn’t I Flash?  Whatever happened to Supergirl, perhaps she deserved it.”

Lightning sparked in Barry’s eyes as he phased through the glass of the cell door.  It only took seconds for this Meta to make him lose control.  The agent that had taken him there stood there in shock before regaining his composure and attempted to call Alex.  As she was still in the lowest levels of the D.E.O. her phone could only receive partial messages.

“Guard!  You’re supposed to keep him away from me!”

“You really think he can stop someone who can phase through solid matter?  This is your last chance to answer my questions before I send lightning through the water that’s keeping your body in a congealed muddy state.”

Just to prove his point, Barry snapped his fingers, sparking up a lightning bolt.  The action had the desired effect as he saw fear in the eyes of this prisoner.  While Barry wasn’t going to follow through on the threat, this meta-human was about to learn the answer to the question: what drives a man, threaten the people he loves and you’ll find out. 

“All right!  Don’t hurt me!  I’ll tell you what you want to know!”

“Start talking.”

“My name is Eddie Slick.  I used to be the manager for the wrestler King Crusher.  After it was revealed that my steroid scheme mutated people into monsters and the authorities found out, I was buried alive in the Nevada desert by the mob.”

“Shouldn’t have provided P.E.D.’s to people.  Especially when you didn’t know the side effects.  How did you get your powers?  Were you in Central City three years ago?”

“I didn’t become what I am because of the particle accelerator explosion.”

“Then what caused it?”

“The part of the desert I was buried in was the site of a meteor strike.  The land had been scorched black.  As I lay there under the dirt and rock, I felt my body beginning to change.   It took me hours to dig myself out of the hole they left me to die in.  When I finally got free, I could see my hands shifting in the wind, just like the sand.  I found that I could control it, make the particles do whatever I wish, even change density and color.  I only wanted to get revenge on the people who left me to die.  Supergirl got in the way.”

“And now she could be dying because of you!”

“Like I said…maybe she deserves what she gets!”

Slick adopted a sinister smile that only served to reignite Barry’s anger.  He hadn’t gone into the cell to hurt Slick, but his worries for Kara over-rode his better judgement.  Just as the water started inundating Slick’s body again, Barry sparked up another small lightning bolt and let it fly towards the meta-human’s muddy form.  When that small bolt of lightning hit the water, it increased in intensity and caused Eddie Slick to scream out in severe pain.

“And maybe you just got a small taste of what you deserve.”

While Slick was still screaming in pain, Barry phased back out of the cell to see the agent who had escorted him there and Alex, extremely furious at the actions he had taken with the prisoner.  She had been able to read just enough of the message to come back to the containment cells.

“Would you mind telling just what the hell you were doing in the containment cell; Flash?”

“Trying to get answers Agent Danvers.  If you’ll let me…”

“You want to explain your actions.  Fine, but let me tell you something first.  We don’t work like that here at the D.E.O.  This isn’t Star City where your friend the Green Arrow casually gets away with murder.  Heroes have to be better than the people they fight.”

“Alex…”

“Agent Danvers.  Just because you’re friends with Supergirl, that doesn’t allow you the same familiarity with me that she has.”

Barry knew Alex was mustering all of her authority in front of the other agent because as long as J’onn is unconscious, she’s in charge and has to be seen as impartial, even if he is her brother-in-law.  So Barry takes a few deep breaths and resumes his explanation.

“You’re right, Agent Danvers.  But Supergirl could be dying because of him.  We needed answers as to what he did and I think I was able to get them.”

“Then tell me what you know.”

“His name is Eddie Slick; he got his powers after being buried alive in the Nevada desert.  He claims that where he was buried was the site of a meteor strike.”

“Meteor strikes can be a common occurrence; Flash.  So?”

“He says the ground was scorched black…”

“Also not uncommon.”

“What if this meteor was more than just a normal piece of space debris.  What if it came from the…I don’t know…explosion of a planet?”

Alex already had a hypothesis forming and with the effect the black dust or sand had on Kara it is entirely possible that the remnants of that meteor could cause effects similar to kryptonite.  If there is such a thing as black kryptonite, the ramifications of that discovery would be unfathomable.

“Eddie here says when he dug himself out of the ground, his physiology had been fundamentally altered…”

“That’s not what I said.  I said that I could feel my body changing and that I could see my hands shifting with the wind like sand.”

“Which means the radiation from the remains of the meteor fundamentally altered your physiology; genius.  Do you want me to throw another lightning bolt at you?”

“Flash…,” Alex spoke with a stern warning in her voice.

“Sorry, point is that like we thought, this black sand is a danger to Kryptonians.  If I may make a suggestion…you should run some tests on this Sand Demon here and whatever remnants of the sand you can recover from Supergirl’s body.”

“Sand Demon?”

“I’m not sure what else to call him.  Cisco and Winn are better with the naming of new supervillains than I am.”

“We’ll get right on that.  In the meanwhile, I need you to accompany me back to the lower levels.”

Barry was instantly worried for Kara when Alex said they were going back to the Red Sun sub-basement.  He knew that she was angry at having to leave Kara alone, but he did cross a line and needed to be reprimanded even if his actions got them partial answers.  When they were back in the elevator, Alex spoke.

“Barry, I know you’re worried about Kara so I’m going to let your actions slide.  But I better not hear that you did something like that again.”

“I won’t.  Slick just needed a little incentive to talk.  You should know by now that I always regret having to use more extreme methods such as those.”