Willow Greene // Supergirl //

//Book 4// ~ Phantom Menaces

"Alex went home last night to get some rest." M'Gann says

"I need her here." J'onn says. "This man needs help." He looks over at Marvin who was still examining Silas' injuries. "Marvin, can you fix him?"

"I can definitely try." Marvin says, looking at the gash in his cheek. "I can stitch him up but I can't do anything for the hypothermia." He says, looking at J'onn. "I can keep him alive until Alex gets here."

"Do it." J'onn tells Marvin as J'onn is pulled to the side by M'Gann

"Go easy on her." M'Gann sasy. "She was crushed when we couldn't save Supergirl from the Phantom Zone."

"So was I." J'onn says. "But you were the one who reminded me to act like a soldier not a father. Alex needs to do the same right now."

"You both need to be honest with your emotions..." M'Gann tells J'onn

"I acted on my emotions yesterday." J'onn says. "And not only did we fail to save Supergirl, but I let a Phantom escape into this world. I won't make the same mistake again."

***

"You said a Phantom did this?" Alex asks as she looks at Silas' still body on the medical bed. Marvin hands Alex the medical file on Silas on the tablet

"Or as they are originally known, a Zulian Melatarian." Brainy says. "Originally from a dark planet on the outskirts of the Roa system, they were forced to flee, seeking a new home planet to repopulate. Unfortunately, their method of populating is to infect the planet's existing inhabitants by turning them into soulless, hive-minded, minions. They were very successful. Until the Kryptonians stopped them, imprisoned them in the Phantom Zone. Their powers were diluted and they were unable to multiply. They were, however, able to continue spreading misery, making them excellent prison guards."

"But when this alien escaped, all its powers returned." J'onn reasons. "It can now infect people? Essentially, make new Phantoms?"

"And it only gets stronger, the more it preys." Brainy says

"Will it possess people like Silas?" J'onn asks. "No, I believe that was purely a means of escape and evasion. When the Phantoms attack, first they do so psychically, paralyzing their prey with misery. Then they strike using their venomous talons. After a short incubation period, the victim's life-force leaves the body and migrates to the Phantom's nest."

"Life-force?" Alex asks

"In the 31st century, we discovered a formula to quantify the intangible substance that makes a human unique." Brainy says. "You call it a soul."

Silas begins to seize on the bed. "Alex!" Marvin calls, alerting Alex to what was going on

"Temperature is crashing." Alex announces. And Silas' body goes still as a glowing orb leaves through his mouth. "What was that?" And suddenly, Silas morphs into an alien creature, a phantom like creature

***

"That's Silas?" M'Gann asks, looking at the creature in containment. "And a Phantom's attack did this?"

"Yes." J'onn says. "And with that Phantom still on the loose, it could be infecting other victims. We need to find that Phantom and anyone he may have turned. M'gann, you and I will keep searching the city, scanning for cold-energy signatures. We can use Silas as a baseline template. Brainy, get into Silas's social media, scan for facial recognition. We need to find those roommates."

"What do we do if they've already been turned?" Alex asks

"Act very carefully." Brainy says. "These progeny will be just as powerful as the Phantom, but they're still innocent people. A remote activated kinetic inhibitor can be triggered from up to a mile away. Keeping us at a safe distance so that we don't also become infected. I'll begin constructing one now along with some additional Phantom containment units."