Kara looks around quickly to get her bearings. She is standing in front of CATCO but everything seems slightly different. Unsure of which Earth she has entered and not knowing if she even exists in this universe, she decides to go to Noonan's and get a sticky bun until she figures it out.
"Ms Danvers, your assistant was just here. She picked up your order already," the barista says nervously.
"Oh," Kara replies. Inside she's screaming, I have an assistant! Oh wait, Kara Danvers exists here, she realizes next.
"Ms Danvers?" a familiar voice calls out from behind her.
"Oh hey Lucy," Kara replies turning around to see the petite brunette.
Lucy Lane flinches at the familiar use of her name, that's new and why is Kara Danvers dressed casually, she wonders.
"Ms Danvers, I just wanted to say thank you for agreeing to meet with me later. I have those changes that Ms Grant requested and I knew that you would want to review them before I sent them to her this afternoon," Lucy replies professionally.
"Oh right, sure that sounds good," Kara answers wondering why anything would need to go through her before it goes to Ms Grant.
Having gone to her loft and finding that her key still works Kara entered but was surprised to find that Alex lives there. Apparently she's been there since college, because everything is the same, even the surfboard is still in the corner.
Opening up the closet, she grabs a floppy hat and sunglasses to disguise herself. Satisfied that people won't recognize her, she decides to return to Noonan's to try to figure out what's going on.
"How's it going up there?" The guy asks.
"You have no idea. I cannot wait for Ms Grant to get back. Ms Danvers is impossible," the woman replies.
"Any idea how long before Ms Grant will return?" He asks.
"No, she's in the Paris office and last time she went there, she stayed for three months," the woman points out.
"Well, she's been gone two months already, so at least she'll be back before Christmas," he counters.
The woman groans, "God forbid she's not back by then, Ms Danvers hates the holidays as it is."
Kara squirms uncomfortably wondering what is going on with herself and Cat in this universe. Curious, she heads out of the restaurant and crosses the street to sit in the park where she can get a better look at what's going on at CATCO. She's surprised to see herself in Cat's office sitting at the desk.
"Ms Teschmacher!" Kara yells from inside Cat's office.
"Yes, Ms Danvers," the young girl says clambering into the office.
"Cancel my two o'clock with Lucy Lane and block out the rest of my afternoon," Kara says to the girl without looking up.
"But Ms Lane said this was really important that she meet with you," the assistant reminds her.
"Tell her that she can put it in a memo. Oh and bring my lunch in but then no interruptions, I am on deadline," Kara announces abruptly.
On the bench at the park, Kara flinches. Why am I so grumpy? And why would I blow off Lucy Lane? She wonders, then she zeros in on Lucy's office to see her reaction.
"I'm sorry Ms Lane, but she just asked me to cancel your meeting. She's on a deadline and can't be interrupted the rest of the day," Ms Teschmacher explains.
"Perfect," Lucy grumbles still curious about running into Kara Danvers this morning at Noonan's. "How is she today? I saw her earlier and she seemed different, does she seem different to you today?"
"Not really. Only different because she hates that office. She says that there are too many distractions," Evie replies nervously. "Oh, she did ask that you send her a memo with the changes highlighted so she could review it."
"A memo?" Lucy exclaims angrily, then realizing that it's not the girl's fault she adds. "Thank you Evie, I'll just write this up, but can you make sure that she sees it today?"
"I'll try Ms Lane, but you know what she's like when she's on deadline," Ms Teschmacher answers.
Kara gasps as she realizes that they are talking about her like people used to talk about Ms Grant.
Torn between wanting to find out more about her alter ego and wanting to see how her sister's life is going on this Earth, Kara decides to go to the DEO.
Walking into the building, Kara is surprised when she is stopped at the door by security. Removing the hat and sunglasses she smiles at the guard and identifies herself as Kara Danvers, DEO agent.
"Is there a problem here?"
"Hey Hank, I was just coming by to see Alex," Kara explains as she flashes the DEO Director a big smile.
"It's Director Henshaw, Ms?" He asks by way of introducing himself to her. Although he's certain that he knows who she is, even if he doesn't know why she is here.
"I'm Kara. Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers is my sister," Kara answers before realizing that in this universe Kara doesn't know Alex is a DEO agent. "I'm sorry. I must have made a mistake, I should go," she adds backing up to leave.
"How do you know about the DEO Ms Danvers?" Henshaw questions.
Alex returns to the DEO and Hank pulls her into his office. "Explain to me how your sister knows about the DEO?" He grumbles.
"I have no idea, sir. I haven't spoken to her in months," Alex replies. "Why do you think that she knows about the DEO? Did she write about it?"
"No, she's here. I've detained her until we can sort this out," he answers.
"Detained her? Here?" Alex blurts out. "Now she will write about us!"
"I don't think so. There's something off," he admits. "Just go talk with her and see what you can find out." He demands.
Nodding Alex leaves the office and heads to the detainment room. Taking a deep breath at the door, she looks around nervously before entering. She and Kara were close at one time, but college took them each in separate directions.
Alex enters the room and is surprised to see a nervous and anxious Kara waiting for her.
"Alex! Oh thank god, I really need your help," Kara gushes when the slim brunette enters the room.
"Kara, why would you come here?" Alex questions taken aback by her sister seeming relieved to see her enter the room.
"To see you, but I can tell now that it was a mistake," Kara answers pouting a little.
Alex flinches, Henshaw is right. This isn't her sister, although she looks identical to her.
"How did you know that I work here?" Alex asks next.
Kara gulps and motions for her sister to come closer to the glass wall of the detainment cell. "I'm from a different universe and in that one we both work here. I just took a chance that you'd be here in this one," she explains.
"A different universe?" Alex questions. "Like a parallel one?"
"Exactly, I exist on Earth 38," Kara replies.
"Earth 38? There are 38 other versions of Earth?" Alex inquires her mind reeling with this information.
Deciding to answer cautiously, Kara just nods. "But so far all that I know about this Earth is that it's not Earth 1 or 38," she adds.
The two sisters talk for a bit and eventually Hank Henshaw enters the room and they agree to let Kara out of the detainment cell, but they decide that she should probably stay at the DEO and not be out walking around National City.
Eager to confirm this crazy story, Alex steps out into the hall and calls her sister's cell phone.
"I am on deadline, are you hurt or in the hospital?" is how her sister answers her call.
"Can't a big sister just call her little sister to see how her day is going?" Alex offers.
"We don't do that Alex. And I'm on deadline," Kara informs her bluntly.
"Maybe we could meet for dinner this week?" Alex suggests.
"Alex, this isn't a good time. With Cat in Paris, I am working around the clock to do her job and mine," Kara answers. "Is that really why you called?" She asks.
"It's fine Kara. Another time then," Alex replies before ending the call and turning to reenter the detainment room.
"My sister is still at CATCO and isn't planning on leaving there anytime soon," she announces to Hank and Kara. "Now let's talk about how you were able to travel here from this other Earth? Can you come and go whenever you want?"
"Well that's kind of why I'm here. I was given this device by someone on Earth 1 and I used it there and it took me home to Earth 38. But this time when I used it, it brought me here and I don't know why or even which Earth that I am on," Kara explains hesitantly.
"And since you don't know why you're here, you don't how to go back home. For all you know using this portal could send you to yet another Earth," Alex replies following her train of thought.
Over a few pizzas and sodas, Kara informs Hank and Alex of how she was able to travel to this Earth and she admits that she doesn't understand how the interdimensional device works.
"So this Cisco Ramon gave you the device so that you could travel from Earth 38 to Earth 1, but instead you ended up here on our Earth?" Hank questions and Kara nods yes.
"Have you checked to see if Cisco Ramon exists here on this Earth?" Hank asks.
Alex taps her comms link, "Vasquez, can you locate a Cisco Ramon in Star City?" She asks.
"Yes Ma'am," Vasquez replies immediately.
Kara smiles at the familiar voice. "This is so weird, you all are here. Oh! I should look up my cousin while I'm here," she adds excitedly.
Alex and Hank look at each other nervously. She doesn't know about her cousin.
"Uh Kara, that's not a good idea," Alex replies hesitantly.
"What Agent Danvers is trying to say is that you shouldn't interact with too many people from this Earth as yourself, it's confusing and it could affect our lives adversely," Hank points out.
"Oh right, but I'm sure that Kal-El can handle it," Kara counters.
"Kara, there's something you should know about our Earth," Alex begins. "We don't have superheroes running around in capes here. We have rogue aliens who have banded together and tried to take over the planet. It's the DEO's mission to capture and contain them. Your cousin Kal-El was one of the ring leaders."
"I don't understand? What do you mean by was? Was he captured? Is he here? Can I see him? Who were the others?" Kara asks rapidly jumping up to pace the room.
"Kara," Alex begins calmly. "You should probably sit down for this," she adds worriedly as the girl returns to her seat at the table. "Kara, General Astra In-Ze and her husband Non raised Kal-El and he fought alongside them until he was captured. We used him as bait to get all three of them, but there was a war and Kara, Kal-El was killed and so was General In-Ze. Only Non remains and he's is in hiding," Alex explains.
"Kal-El and Aunt Astra are both dead?" Kara gasps shocked at this turn of events. "But wait, if they raised him why didn't they raise me too?"
"My father found you first and brought you to our home in Midvale, we've hidden you from them all this time," Alex replies.
"So your Kara doesn't know about any of this?" Kara questions.
"She knows everything except she doesn't know that I work here and that I killed them to protect her," Alex answers exhaling slowly.
"You killed Astra and Kal-El?" Kara asks softly.
"I didn't mean to kill Kal-El, it was self-defense. He would have killed me if I hadn't have shot him in the chest with Kryptonite bullets," Alex answers worriedly.
Kara looks past her stunned by this information. "And Astra? Did you kill her too?" Kara asks.
"I did, but only because she was about to kill Director Henshaw," Alex explains.
"Oh Rao," Kara exclaims tearfully.
"I'm sorry," Alex blurts out placing a hand on her sister's back. As soon as she touches her, the girl launches into her arms and Alex wraps her arms around her and comforts her. "Hey, hey," she says softly into her hair. She hasn't comforted her sister like this in a long time.
After a few minutes Kara pulls away, "I'm sorry, it's just that on my Earth Kal-El and I are really close," she explains.
"When Kara found out about her other family, she was quite upset and worried that if people found out that she was a Kryptonian too, that she would be put in prison or killed," Alex remarks.
"If she's hiding, then why is she sitting in Cat Grant's office at CATCO Worldwide Media?" Kara points out trying to understand this other version of herself.
"Well, she is hiding in plain sight as an investigative journalist. She has been embedded with troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. And she's back now and running CATCO while Cat Grant is in Paris hiring and training a new division chief," Alex answers. Although they aren't close, she does keep close tabs on her sister's life. Mainly because it's part of why she's at the DEO and also because her dad wouldn't forgive her if anything happened to her sister after everything they've gone through to keep her safe.
Hours later Kara is laying on the sofa bed at Alex's loft unable to sleep after all that she's learned today about her alter-ego's life on this Earth. For the last several hours, Kara's been reading her articles and watching her other self report from all over the world. Instead of beginning as Cat Grant's assistant at CATCO, this Kara began as a reporter and she quickly made a name for herself by investigating the rogue aliens and exposing them, earning herself multiple awards and recognition.
Realizing that the intense young journalist was a natural, Cat Grant didn't hesitate to put the young woman in front of the camera launching her into another career in broadcast journalism.
Sighing, Kara rolls over again. Unable to stop wondering about this version of herself. Is she lonely? Does she have any friends? Climbing out of bed, she goes over to the window and in a flash she changes clothes and goes out the window. Flying always helps her think.
Flying high to avoid detection, Kara searches out her own heartbeat. She tracks it to a high rise apartment, apparently she can afford a penthouse on this earth.
"That's bullshit and you know it Cat."
Kara overhears herself arguing and can't believe the language coming out of her mouth.
"Kara, please just hear me out," Cat pleads with her.
Kara scoffs and takes another large sip of her drink.
"You said two months, Cat. Now you are dragging your feet. I'm beginning to think that you're doing this to avoid me, avoid us," Kara argues.
"Kara darling, I want to be there. I am not avoiding anything. This is business, you know how important the Paris bureau is to CATCO. If I don't stay and hold Michele's hand through his first month, then he may decide to quit and then I'll be here longer finding another new division chief and staying to train them," Cat replies leaning in closer to the camera.
"Okay, I just worry that this is some sort of game you're playing to test me," Kara grouses.
"You've assured me that it was a one time thing, so I am trusting you, but I won't say it's easy when I'm here and you're there, at the scene of the crime, as it were." Cat retorts with just a trace of concern.
"I want this to work with you, it won't happen again," Kara promises, picking up the glass and taking a sip.
"Are you drinking all of my good Scotch?" Cat inquires with a smile, hoping to change the subject.
"Yes, but I plan to replace it with something you'll like even better," Kara answers in sultry voice.
Outside the penthouse, Kara gasps as she realizes that this Kara is in Cat's penthouse and apparently she and Cat are together.
Inside the call has ended, but not before Kara realized someone was outside.
"Who the hell is out here?" The Kara from below asks glancing up.
Nervously, Kara takes off to avoid the confrontation, before she gets too far away someone has grabbed her foot and pulled her back.
"I asked you a question, who the hell..." the other Kara's voice trails off when she sees her face staring back at her.
"I-I'm you, but from another Earth," Kara from Earth 38 stammers.
"Wait, what?" The other asks. "How?"
"I can explain, maybe we shouldn't do it out here though," Kara from Earth 38 points out.
"Oh right," the other Kara agrees as they both turn to go inside. "Why do you look exactly like me?" She asks.
"Because I am you, just a different version," Kara from Earth 38 explains as they enter the room.
"Rao, I need a drink," the other Kara announces grabbing the decanter from the bar and pouring herself one. "You want one?" She asks.
"None for me," Kara from Earth 38 answers. "You're strong, I didn't think you would be since you don't use your powers."
"Who told you that I don't use my powers?" The other Kara asks.
"Uh, I just mean, well in my universe, I am Supergirl and I save people so I use my powers all the time," Kara explains.
The other Kara sips her drink and considers the other version of herself. Somehow she seems younger and immature, but they have to be the same age, don't they, she wonders. But how would she already know that I don't use my powers.
"You saw Alex today didn't you. That's why she called me out of the blue, she was checking to make sure that I wasn't trying to go undercover at the DEO," Kara from this Earth replies.
"You know about the DEO?" Kara from Earth 38 blurts out.
"I am an award winning investigative journalist, of course I know what my own sister does for a living, even if she doesn't trust me enough to tell me herself," Kara announces before taking a large sip of her drink. "Now tell me why you're here and why you were eavesdropping on a personal conversation?"
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop... and I- I didn't know that you and Ms Grant were together," Kara from Earth 38 stammers, blushing furiously.
"Oh Rao, you're like the girl scout version of me aren't you?" The other Kara groans.
"I, uh, you're really different, but then I guess that you've had different experiences," Kara from Earth 38 points out.
The two Karas spend the next couple of hours comparing notes on each other's lives and just as the sun begins to come up, Kara from Earth 38 decides that she should return to Alex's loft before she awakes to find her missing.
Back at the loft, Kara sneaks in and quickly changes back into the pajamas that Alex loaned her and slips back into bed. Now her mind is really reeling after meeting the current version of herself. And trying to wrap her head around the fact that the current her is not only dating Cat Grant, but living with her and running CATCO.
She must of drifted off to sleep because the next thing she knows Alex is making coffee in the kitchen.
"Hey," Alex says when Kara sits up. "I've got an idea about how to control your interdimensional device," she says after taking a sip of coffee.
"You do? That's great," Kara replies jumping up and going over to the chair to pull the device out of her jacket pocket. Not finding it, she quickly rifles through every pocket in the jacket, then her jeans.
"Kara where is it?" Alex asks worriedly realizing what she's looking for.
"Um, it's gone," she says in a panic.
"What do you mean gone? You just had it last night when we were talking," Alex says going over to where they were and looking around.
"Oh Rao, she took it," Kara exclaims.
"Who took it?" Alex asks.
"Your sister took it. That's why she hugged me last night," Kara says slumping down into the chair.
"You weren't supposed to leave the loft!" Alex blurts out.
"I didn't mean to, I just couldn't sleep so I went flying," Kara confesses.
"Well, are you sure that she took it? Maybe you just dropped it at her place, I mean does she even know what it is?" Alex questions.
"She does. She knows everything," Kara admits.
"Everything?" Alex inquires.
"Everything," Kara confirms.
"Oh no, Kara this is really, really bad," Alex says grabbing her phone and calling Hank. "Director Henshaw, we have a situation," she says as she runs her hand through her hair.
