"Where did these documents come from?" Kara asks. It's late evening and Kara's day has been exhausting. She was just about to head out when Mala and Ja-Ron entered her office and handed her the tablet loaded with files.

"These are the notes from the meeting between your mother's council and the earthling reporter, Catherine Foster," Mala points out.

"Are you're saying that Catherine Foster is a reporter here to investigate whether a Kryptonian prison ship crashed on Earth?" Kara questions as she quickly scans the file. "That's impossible, I've searched every database for Catherine Foster and there is nothing about her being a reporter," she snaps at her girlfriend. "Not to mention, prison ships are sent to the phantom zone and everyone knows that there is no escaping it."

"Of course you did," Mala replies sarcastically. "But Catherine Foster was the name on the press credentials that she showed at the Judicial Council," she points out showing Kara a photo of Catherine's press badge.

Kara frowns, she still can't understand why Catherine would lie to her. Was the guise of friendship faked too, she wonders.

"How do we really know that there's no escaping the phantom zone?" Ja-Ron asks interrupting her thoughts.

Shaking off the personal thoughts, Kara shifts back to journalist mode, "How did you get these documents from the Judicial Council meeting?" Kara asks her girlfriend, then turning to her assistant. "How did you get access to that?"

Ja-Ron looks nervously over Kara's shoulder to Mala.

"Mala, did your cousin hack into their system?" Kara turns to ask her angrily.

"Kara, Hu-Wu works for the Kryptonian government, he's an official not a hacker," Mala reminds her girlfriend.

"Mala, I can't use stolen documents or information leaked anonymously by a government official" Kara points out.

"Fine, don't use them," Mala counters sullenly.

"Ja-Ron destroy this file," Kara says handing it back to him.

"What if I can verify them independently, then we can use the information?" Ja-Ron asks.

"No. We would still need to explain why we went looking for this information and using stolen documents to guide our investigation would still cause people to question our integrity," Kara points out to both of them. Then turning to face her girlfriend she asks angrily, "Mala, what were you thinking?"

Mala glares at Ja-Ron until he leaves them alone. Then turning back to Kara, she snaps, "Kara, I did it to protect you. You are too trusting. I went to see my father today and I saw that woman there at the Judicial office. She lied to you about being a reporter, what else did she lie about to get what she wanted from you," Mala questions sharply.

Kara paces the office slowly going back over her conversations with Catherine. "Mala, I need to discuss this with Kal-El," Kara says distracted by the myriad of thoughts racing through her head. Would Catherine really use her this way?

"Fine, but just remember that I am the one who looking out for you and I am the one who protected you from this alien reporter, Kara," Mala replies angrily.

Kara returns the angry gaze and takes a deep breath trying to gather her thoughts.

"This is why I don't like aliens. You just can't trust them," Mala snaps back before storming out of the office.

Watching Mala storm out, Kara sighs. She just needs take a moment and think this through. Was this whole thing with Catherine just a set up? And if it was, was it about CATCO evaluating The Gazette and Argo City News or was it about the prison ship?

"Kal-X, contact Kal-El, tell him I need him right away," Kara barks out to the robot.

"Yes, Kara Zor-El," Kal-X replies whirring into the room. "Kal-El is on his way."


"You did what?" Mala went to see her cousin after her disagreement with Kara.

"Catherine Foster person is actually Cat Grant, the Queen of All Media herself," Hu-Wu explains.

"But why would you send her those documents?" Mala questions.

"You wanted her to leave, now she's got what she wanted so she'll leave," he replies pleased with himself.

"It was one thing to give the stolen documents to Kara, Hu-Wu, now you've leaked them to aliens! Are you crazy?" Mala asks flabbergasted. "You could be arrested for that!" she screams.

"Mala, I used one of their own thumbdrives to save the documents on, I even hacked into their system and used it to hack into the Judicial Council, the whole thing can be traced back to the aliens," he says proudly.


"Here's the problem," Winn has been up all night examining the documents and trying to figure out how they were saved to one of CATCO's own thumbdrives. "Whoever stole them did it by hacking into our system and making it look like we hacked in and stole them ourselves," he explains.

"Wait, I thought you said we were on a private server here and linked to our main frame on the ship," James replies.

"Well, he must have gotten access to our ship and hacked the server there, that's also where he would have accessed one of our thumbdrives and probably how he figured out who Ms Grant is," Winn remarks. "There are CATCO media guides there," he reminds them.

"James, I think we have no choice but to leave immediately," Cat says slightly panicked. "We've been framed by god knows who and we are aliens here with no rights. I don't usually run from a fight, but I think we have no choice but to return to Earth and continue this investigation there."

James considers it a moment and then quickly agrees. "I'll notify the government, that we are leaving today due to an emergency situation on Earth."

"Good, good, then I'll start packing everything here and moving it back to the ship," Winn says surveying his makeshift IT room.

"No one make any calls to anyone indicating that we are leaving," Cat remarks. "We don't know who we can trust," she points out sadly.


"You're sure that Hu-Wu hacked into the Judicial Council to get these files?" Kal-El questions for the third time.

"Yes, how else would Mala get them," Kara points out. "I still can't believe that she persuaded Ja-Ron to help her."

"Yes, that is surprising," Kal-El remarks. "However, this issue of the prison ships escaping the phantom zone and turning up on Earth is more troubling," he adds.

"Do you think your father will send anyone to investigate it?" Kara asks.

"Send them where? To the phantom zone?" Kal-El blurts out.

"No, Kal-El. He needs to send someone to Earth to round up these criminals," Kara replies. "Kal-El, I don't think that you realize how dangerous it is for our prisoners to be on Earth."

"What do you mean, Kara?" Kal-El asks.

"Kal-El, you know that people from Earth have trouble adjusting to the gravity here on Krypton. Well, the Earth's yellow sun affects us, it, uh, it gives us superior strength and stamina," Kara explains carefully.

"Kara, do you mean that any Kryptonian on Earth has these superior abilities?" Kal-El questions.

"Kal-El, I could fly in the air and lift things that were a thousand times my own weight," Kara replies.

"What exactly do you mean fly in the air?" Kal-El asks. "Like those birds that you like to watch from that Earth channel?"

"Yes, exactly like that Kal-El," she replies.


"How will we explain all of this to the Board of Directors?" James asks as they wait in quarantine to be cleared to fly home on the CATCO private jet.

"I'm working on it," Cat says glancing up from her computer. "Just find out how much longer before we can be released?" She snaps.

"Um, there's a slight problem," Winn says glancing up from his own computer. "Our quarantine has been extended for another 48 hours, apparently Krypton has issued a travel alert saying that we were exposed to a virus and they are requesting that we return to their planet for treatment."

"That is not going to happen," Cat snaps back and quickly pulls up Skype to connect to Lucy Lane.

"Cat, I just heard about the extended quarantine. I'm reaching out to a friend, just sit tight. I'm on it," Lucy says confidently as her image fills Cat's screen.

"We're not returning to Krypton, the purported virus is a ruse," Cat explains.

"Yes, I am aware of your extenuating circumstance. Winn sent me a secure file detailing the situation," Lucy replies. She's sure that Cat wouldn't divulge anything over the unsecure connection, but then she's run down from the flight, so Lucy gently reminds her.

"Just get someone to examine us, I assure you that we were not exposed to anything but bad coffee and questionable cuisine," Cat replies impatiently.

"I'm working to get a government scientist there to check you out. She's an expert on alien biochemistry, if there is anything alien in your system, she'll find it. Once she clears you, you'll be free to go, so six hours, maybe twelve," Lucy sighs, she's exhausted both physically and mentally. Closing the laptop, she then closes her eyes. She wants to take a nap, but she's not sure that she has the energy to walk over to a cot to lay down.


"Jor-El, you know that I would never obtain information illegally," Kara says angrily after her father and uncle burst into her office. Ja-Ron didn't destroy the file and Jor-El was able to trace it to the Earthlings and then to Kara's office.

"Explain how you are in possession of these files," Jor-El demands.

"They were sent to the office anonymously. We have done nothing with them," Kara points out.

"Someone in your office is investigating aliens on Earth and cross-referencing them to aliens who have been sentenced to the Phantom Zone," Zor-El counters.

"Father, you know that public records are being used for that research," Kara answers. "And I have my contact with the earthlings was merely social. I was not working with them. In fact, I had no idea that Catherine Foster was even a journalist, I thought she was a tourist."

After much discussion the two men leave and Kara sits worried in her office. This is worse than she thought, she must see Kal-El immediately.


Kal-El looks up from his desk when Kara enters and judging by the look of her, she needs to talk. He jumps up to pull out a chair for her and shuts his door.

"Kal-X, power down please," he commands the robot.

"Yes, Kal-El," the robot whines as his power shuts down.

"What's going on Kara? Talk to me," Kal-El says taking her hand.

"Kal-El, I spoke with Alex early this morning and she says their alien problem is out of hand. She's asked me to come help them. And today your father and mine accused me of using a hacker to get those judicial files," Kara explains.

"Kara, I'll tell them what I know," Kal-El replies quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong," he adds.

"No, Kal-El. I don't want you involved. I have secured a pod and I'm going to Earth. Mala has made a mess of everything here. I need to clear my name and redeem our family name," she replies.

"Then I'm coming with you. You can't fight those criminals alone, Kara," he says worriedly.

"I won't be fighting them alone. I'll be working with their government to help contain them. Alex says that she can clear my way, so I am not detained along with them," Kara points out.

"How can I help you?" He questions.

"Take over The Gazette and keep it going for me?" She asks.

"I am not a journalist Kara," he reminds her.

"You have good instincts Kal-El and you know what In-Ze wanted. He wanted us to carry on his legacy, so I'm passing this to you," Kara replies. "And I have a team working on the prison ship story, they are using reports from earth, I will provide additional reports once I am there. Kal-El, we have to break this story. We've never believed in sending people to the phantom zone, maybe we can finally prevent it," she adds.

"Kara, you can't leave like this? How will I know that you're alright?" He questions.

"In-Ze's office has a secure server with a private link to this," Kara explains pulling back her hair to show a small button-like object clipped to her ear. "This allows us to talk, even when I am on Earth," she says with a smile.

"Oh Rao, that's how he always knew that you were okay? Do you parents know about this link?" Kal-El asks.

"No," Kara replies. "Father gave me a watch with a similar feature, but it also allowed him to track my movements. Kal-El, I'm trusting you with everything," she points out.

"Do not worry cousin, I understand and I will protect you here on Krypton," Kal-El replies, before pulling her in for a hug.