"Where are we with the portal?" Alex asked entering the control room with Supergirl the next day.
"We have images that may suggest there is portal." Vasquez said. "But it is not powered up and for all we know it could just be a fake with a few footprints to distract us from the real one. Unless we get in there we won't know."
"But we can't risk going in there and getting sent to somewhere else in the Galaxy." Alex said.
"What about sending in an army of robots?" Supergirl suggested.
"Great idea. Do you have any?" Alex asked.
"No, but surely you do." Supergirl countered.
"Why would I have an army of robots?" Alex asked.
"This is the DEO and you have cool toys and the brains to create Skynet."
"Well Skynet isn't our thing." Alex said. "If Lane was still in business I'd say he might, but since his retirement there have been fewer sinister ongoings"
"So no army of robots?" Supergirl asked.
"No." Alex confirmed.
"Well what about sending in more robotic critters?" Supergirl asked.
"Earl and co didn't trigger it so sending in more won't either." Alex said. "We need something bigger and probably with living cells."
"So we need cyborgs." Supergirl said.
"You may be on to something." Vasquez said.
"I am?" Supergirl asked sounding surprised.
"Not you so much, I meant the Director. If there is a plan to activate the portal when you get near it, chances are it will be based on some sort of biological sensor." Vasquez said. "So if we send in robotic anything, it won't trigger it. But we could send in something living."
"Like?" Supergirl asked as Vasquez pointed to the map.
"There is a goat farm a few miles from where the portal is. What if there was an escape and the goats happened to wander over to the portal?" Vasquez asked. "Chances are they could trigger the portal. They should be big enough."
"That's so not what I thought you were going to say." Supergirl said.
"I mean they aren't so different from you." Vasquez argued.
"Are you calling me a goat?" Supergirl asked.
"I meant in terms of mass. A pre adult goat probably weighs about the same as you."
"You want to use goats?" Alex asked, convinced she was being pranked.
"It wouldn't be the fist time they had been militarised." Supergirl said. "the first one was accidental at the Siege of Boston 1755."
"Have I missed a movie?" Alex asked confused.
"Eliza made me learn all the boring US history at school." Supergirl reminded her sister. "The goat story seemed more interesting so I guess it stuck."
"We can't just use goats." Alex said. "Although, we don't have a better plan." She sighed. "Do it. But you can sort out the paperwork." She said to Vasquez.
-00-
"You okay?" Supergirl asked her sister when she entered her office later.
"No. I have clearly cracked. I mean I agreed to recruit a squad of goats."
"You've done crazier things." Supergirl said.
"I'm not so sure."
"You jumped off a skyscraper." Supergirl reminded her.
"Yeah, but I knew you'd catch me." Alex countered. "In fact all my crazy schemes to date I've always had to to back me up."
"And you do this time too." Supergirl said.
"I'm not sure the defence 'because Supergirl told me to do it' will cut it." Alex said.
"Technically it was Vasquez not me. But if it works you'll be legendary."
"I'll be legendary either way and not in a good way." Alex pointed out before noticing the time. "Maybe it will look better tomorrow." She said shutting down her computer.
"You heading home?"
"I am. Unless you want to go over the plan for the Sloane Syndicate event."
"Has it changed since the last briefing?" Supergirl asked.
"No."
"Then it can wait until tomorrow."
"Somewhere to be?" Alex asked.
"The dinner with Steve and Martin. And Alex obviously."
"I forgot about that." Alex said wondering where the days were disappearing to.
"You are welcome to come." Kara offered.
"I'll pass. I am going to take the kids out. MJ and Kara have pointed out I've not been great company recently, I'm hoping to change that."
"So what are you doing? Karaoke night?" Supergirl asked.
"Have you met my kids?" Alex asked.
"Karaoke is fun." Kara said.
"There's fun and there's fun with mom. And Karaoke does not fit into the latter." Alex explained.
"So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know. I'll let the kids decide."
"That's brave."
"I'll maintain veto rights." Alex pointed out. "So where are you going with Steve?"
"And Alex and Martin. Don't know. What I do know is I am not letting Alex choose."
"What if Steve and Martin are vegans?" Alex asked.
"Don't mess with me."
-00-
"Hi Steve." Kara greeted as she and Alex joined him and Martin at the table.
"Kara. Hi." He said standing. "And you must be Alex."
"Hi." Alex said.
"I hope this place is okay." Steve said. "I thought you can't go wrong with pizza. Unless you are vegan."
"Are you?" Kara asked.
"God no." Steve said before quickly adding. "Not that there is anything wrong with that. I just like steak and cheese and well real food too much. But if that is your thing this place also does vegan pizzas. And gluten free. Plus there is a retro games centre attached for when we aren't cool enough for Martin and Alex to hang with. From their faces I'd say that ship has already sailed."
"You have covered the bases." Kara smiled.
"I tried. Although to be honest we don't get out much, so if this place is terrible, I'm sorry."
"It looks great." Kara replied as she noticed both kids had the look of teenagers who wanted to be somewhere else.
"To be honest I haven't been out for dinner socially for a long time. And the last time was a disaster."
"What happened?" Kara asked.
"It was a date and she insisted on going to Starbucks. Not because she loved the coffee, but so she could figure out my name. It was three hours into the date."
"Ouch." Kara sympathised. "Don't worry, I have written your name on my hand." She said causing him to laugh in a nervous and over the top way. "But surely that wasn't bad enough to keep you locked away at home?"
"No. But work keeps getting in the way."
"What do you do?"
"I'm a trauma surgeon."
"Wow, impressive." Kara said.
"But creates issues, I work unpredictable shifts."
"I can imagine."
"I have been trying to encourage Martin to join more clubs so he doesn't come back to an empty house. But so far it is only Chess that he is interested in."
"Chess club? Really?" Kara asked looking at her daughter.
"I'm not as good as Alex though." Martin said.
"Do you play?" Steve asked Kara.
"Not recently." Kara said. "You?"
"No. I mean I tried when Martin showed an interest, but it isn't for me. So I am a useless practice partner for Martin."
"I'm sure you're not that bad." Kara said.
"I am worse." He said as the waitress came.
As Kara ordered a cheese feast pizza Alex asked.
"Really?"
"What?" Kara questioned.
"You couldn't have a vegetable on there?"
"The sauce is tomato." Kara shrugged.
"You're a doctor." Alex said looking at Steve. "Aren't you going to say something?"
"Like?" He asked confused.
"A lecture about how bad cheese is for me and my heart." Kara guessed.
"No. You look amazing." He said before correcting. "As in you look in great shape. I'm sure your heart can cope with a bit of cheese. Besides I just ordered enough processed meat to cause several coronaries." He then paused before saying. "So Martin said you you recently moved here?"
"Yes, around Christmas."
"Where were you before?"
"All over. We did a lot of travelling."
"Where abouts?"
"Well, you know it really isn't that interesting." Kara said wishing she had thought her backstory through a little more. "Your job sounds much more interesting." She said trying to change topics.
"It really isn't." He said as an awkward silence fell. Eventually he asked.
"So you like cheese?"
"Yes, my favourite is Gouda."
"She's the Man." Steve said, as the two adults lost the teenagers.
"You've seen it?" Kara asked surprised.
"Well yes, it's a modern classic interpretation of Twelfth Night." Steve said.
"You like rom coms and Shakespeare?" Kara asked surprised.
"No and no. I remember someone told me it was based on Twelfth Night, but they could have been lying. But it's one of my favourite it's so bad it's good movies." He said before wincing and asking. "Did I just insult one of your favourite movies?"
"No."
"You sure, because if I did I can give you my top five movies and you can unleash hell on them. Of course if you are in the same camp as me as to why you like it you are probably feeling insulted that I suggested it was one of your favourites. Should I quit while I'm behind? God this is awkward. Well you're not awkward. I'm awkward. You're amazing. I'm shutting up now. But before I do, in my defence I spend most of my time with patients who are unconscious. Okay, that sounded creepy, I am really stopping."
"Can we go to the games area?" Alex asked not wanting to watch the pair any longer.
"Sure." Kara said. "Be back in ten minutes."
"Sorry." Martin said as he and Alex entered the games area.
"For what?"
"Uncle Steve."
"Mom was just as bad." Alex said.
"You think we have to go back?" Martin asked.
"Probably."
-00-
"You told me you were joining chess club for you." Kara said as she walked home with Alex.
"I did."
"So Martin being in it was coincidence?"
"I wanted to help him and you said becoming his friend was the way to go. He likes chess so I joined the club so I could help, which is what I wanted to do." Alex said.
"Why didn't you say that?"
"Because you would have got weird and jumped to conclusions like you did with Tom."
"I did not. I do not act weird."
"Yeah you do. Like tonight."
"What do you mean?"
"Really?" Her daughter asked.
"Yes really. But if you don't want to answer, let's get back to chess club."
"Or not." The teenager said.