"Alex? What are you doing up?" Kara asked when her daughter walked towards the table with Chewie.
"It's a school day." The teen said.
"Yeah, but it is only- oh Rao it is seven." Kara said looking at her watch.
"What time did you think it was?" The teen asked.
"I don't know. Two maybe."
"Wait, have you been to bed yet?"
"No." Kara said. "I need to get ready for work. Can you make breakfast?"
"Sure." The teen said as her mother walked off. But before Kara made it to her bedroom she stopped and walked back to the kitchen.
"Actually breakfast can wait. This is more important." Kara said.
"What?" The teen asked.
"J'onn told me that you were able to project memories."
"Yes, but it is hard and I don't think I can really control it."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No. Not really. It's just another freaky power." The teen shrugged. "I should make breakfast or I'll be late for school."
"Okay." Kara said hugging her daughter before going to her room to get ready.
-00-
"You okay? You are looking kinda tired." The adult Alex said as her sister walked into her kitchen.
"I didn't get much sleep last night." Kara confessed.
"How much is not much?" Alex asked.
"I'm okay." Kara said dodging the question. "Bigger news is J'onn confirmed Alex definitely has that memory projection power."
"That's pretty big." Alex commented.
"Yes it is. But he doesn't know how to help train her. He doesn't even know if he knows anyone who may be able to help."
"Mom and dad helped your cousin with his powers. Maybe mom can help Alex."
"Maybe." Kara said, although she didn't sound fully convinced. "Anyway I better get to work. You still want help with that prisoner transfer later?"
"Yes, but if you aren't up to it we can do it without you."
"I'll be fine." Kara smiled. "See you later."
-00-
As the teenage Kara burst into her aunt's apartment early that evening the adult Kara looked up from the table and saw the teen disappear into the spare room moments before the door slammed shut.
Looking down at Chewie the older Kara said. "You know as much as I do." When Chewie scratched at her leg she added. "I'm sure she'll talk when she is ready. You never know, by then I may have finished this." As Chewie continued to scratch at her she looked away from her screen at the dog. "You want me to talk first? Come on then." She said standing.
"Hey Kara, can I come in?" The older Kara said from outside the door. Not getting a response she added. "Chewie really wants to come in." Still not getting a response she added. "Okay, I'm coming in." Carefully she opened the door and when it was open enough Chewie scampered into the room and jumped up on the bed.
"Want to talk?" Kara asked approaching the bed.
"No."
"Want to not talk and eat ice cream? Or if you'd prefer you can not talk, not eat ice cream, but watch me eat it."
"You have mint choc chip?" The teenager asked from the bed.
"Of course." Kara smiled. "I'll get it out. See you on the couch in a minute."
"How about you do the talking for me?" The teenager asked looking at Chewie who licked her face. "Let's go." She said getting off the bed. But as she walked out into the lounge she didn't see her aunt. But she did see a window was open moments before her aunt flew in carrying to tubs of ice cream.
"I thought you said you had mint choc chip." The teenage Kara said.
"Alex must have eaten it." Kara said.
"If you are going to lie, you should try to make it believable." Her niece said.
"Thank you for the advice." The older Kara said before adding. "I also got cookie dough ice cream." She then grabbed a couple of spoons as well as the tubs and moved over to the couch before passing her niece the mint choc chip ice cream.
"So what's going on?" Kara asked her niece.
"Mom and I got into a fight." The teenager said.
"I guessed." Kara replied. "What was it about?"
"Diz."
"Your former gang member sparring partner?"
"Why does everyone focus on the gang part?" The teenager asked.
"It kind of stands out." The adult Kara said. "Your mom loves you so much and she wants you to be safe. Any boy you bring back she is going to see him not as a boy, but as someone who could hurt you. Diz being an ex-gang member gives her something to focus on, but she would go crazy regardless."
"I guess you do freak out over Tom." Kara said.
"Yes I do and he doesn't even have tattoos and a record."
"And Alex doesn't even like him."
"She doesn't?" Kara asked.
"No. You are stressing over the wrong guy."
"Who should I be stressing over?" The older Kara asked.
"Perhaps you shouldn't stress and just trust Alex."
"I do trust Alex, it is everyone else I don't."
"Wow, you really sounded like mom there." The teenage Kara said.
"Yeah, I'm a little disturbed by it." Kara said. "But before we got distracted I was trying to say your mom will worry about anyone who may hurt you and all dates fall into that category."
"We're not dating. He's just a friend." Kara said. "A friend who listens."
"Have you told your mom that?"
"She never gave me a chance."
"Well when you have both calmed down I am sure you can talk." The older Kara said.
"And until then I can stay here?" The teenager asked.
-00-
"Hi Alex. Kara and MJ aren't here." The adult Alex said when her niece walked into the kitchen.
"I know."
"You want to hang out here?" The adult Alex asked when her niece didn't say anything else.
"Do you want me to go?"
"Of course not." The adult Alex said before saying. "Why don't you sit down and we can talk."
"Okay."
"You still dealing with the Red K?" Alex guessed.
"What if it happens again and what if I hurt somebody?" The teenager questioned.
"I can't promise you won't get exposed again." Alex said. "But I can promise that if that does happen again we will fix it."
"That's what mom said."
"But something is still bothering you?" The older Alex asked. When her niece nodded she asked. "Have you talked to your mom about it?"
"I can't. She wouldn't understand."
"She's been exposed to Red-K before." Alex reminded her.
"I know and now she is scared of it."
"Aren't you?"
"Yes." The teen said looking at her hands. "But there was a part of me that liked it."
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
"I felt like I was myself, I wasn't being held back. I liked it. Does that make me bad?"
"No." Alex said. "I used to drink. A lot. I did it because it made me feel better, eased the pain, made me feel free. But I could be a mean drunk and I took it out on your mom and I hated myself for doing it, but I kept doing it. After your mom disappeared and Kelly and I decided to have kids I stopped. After that I learned that I didn't need alcohol to feel like that."
"What do you do now?"
"This week it seems to be yelling at your cousin."
"Because of Diz?"
"You know him?"
"Yes. He's nice."
"My point is you need a release. An outlet to let you release all the pent up emotions you are feeling?" The older Alex said dismissing her niece's character assessment.
"So I should slam doors more?"
"Not what I was thinking, but sure that could work. Your mom used to beat up cars. Again, I'm not suggesting that. The point is there will be something out there that works for you. When you find it you can feel those good things with out turning into … "
"Alzilla?"
"That's the one." Her aunt smiled. "You have gone through a lot in these last six months and although I don't know everything you went through before Earth I know it was hard. You need an outlet."
-00-
"It looks like you've not been home yet." Kara said to MJ as he entered her apartment, noticing he was still carrying his school bag.
"No, I have." He said. "But I thought I'd do my homework here with Alex."
"Very convincing." His sister said. "So how was the date?"
"You had a date?" His aunt asked.
"No." He said glaring at his sister.
"Want to get Alex to read your mind to prove you are lying?" The teenage Kara asked.
"That's not funny." He said as the door opened again and the topic of their conversation walked in.
"What's going on?" The teenager asked.
"MJ was lying about being on a date." The teenage Kara said.
"Where have you been?" The older Kara asked her daughter.
"With Alex." Her daughter said.
"Why?" MJ asked, his voice full of suspicion.
"We were talking." The teen said.
"About what?"
"I didn't mention your date if that is what you mean." The teenage Alex said.
"So it was a date?" His aunt asked as he glared at his cousin.
"So I am assuming you still want to hide out here?" Kara asked her niece she then turned to her nephew and said. "And you want to avoid an interrogation?" She then turned to daughter. "And well you live here so are kind of stuck. So what do you all want to do?"
"Well, could you go talk to mom?" The teenage Kara asked. "Maybe make her see reason?"
-00-
"Hi." Kara called entering her sister's house.
"Hi. Is Kara with you?"
"No, she's over the road with Alex and MJ."
"She still angry at me then?"
"She is a little upset with you for not listening to her. If it makes you feel better she and Diz are just friends."
"It doesn't." Alex said.
"Bright side is she ran over to my place rather then sign up for a gang." Kara pointed out.
"Not helping." Alex said. "But thank you for talking to her."
"Always." Kara smiled before saying. "Alex said you talked this evening?"
"We did. She's still worried about the Red-K."
"Why isn't she talking to me?"
"Maybe she still feels guilty about what she said to you." Alex said.
"Maybe." Kara said.
"How long did it take you to get over what happened when you were exposed to Red-K the first time?" Alex asked.
"A while."
"There you go." Alex said.
"I just wish she'd talk to me."
"Give her time." Alex said before asking. "Have you actually got over what happened?"
"No."
"Anything I can do to help?"
"No. Yes. Just keep being there for Alex."
"Of course and I promise I will try not to turn her into a gang member. And I don't want to worry you, but she thinks Diz is nice."
"Maybe he is." Kara said.
"Hmm." Alex said not buying the claim. "Did you get your work done?"
"No. Not yet. But it got me thinking. Do you remember in my first year of being Supergirl how Max set up all those events to test me? Do you think something similar is happening this time?"
"What?" Alex asked lost.
"Hear me out. Someone used Red-K here. Why? And then someone uses Red-K on Kal? Why? Maybe it is a test."
"So far it is just Red-K. Max did a whole bunch of other tests."
"None of which are needed anymore and you can just watch everything we have done online and figure it out. But Red-K, it's personal. Also what if they thought it failed? I mean we kept me getting exposed out of the public eye. Maybe they tweaked it and tried it on Kal."
"To what end?"
"Maybe they wanted us to fight. I know it sounds crazy and maybe it is because I am lacking sleep. But something is wrong."
"Okay, we'll look into it." Alex said.
"We will?" Kara asked.
"Of course." Alex said. "But we need to be careful. Right now we will make more progress if they don't think we are looking in the right direction."
"So?"
"I'm going to let slip to Kendell that we have found something big in National City connected to Joiner and evidence that the Meta trafficking ring has moved to Central City. If he works for them he might find evidence to support our investigation, keeping us distracted."
"What can I do?" Kara asked.
"Worry about yourself and Alex. I'll let you know when we need help."
"Okay." Kara said standing.
"I didn't mean you had to go now."
"I know, but I have to go to CatCo."
"Why?"
"I have work to do and the kids have kind of taken over the apartment."
"You can work here." Alex offered.
"Thanks, but it'll be easier from the office."