As the adult Kara started to wake she recognised the aroma of pancakes. Opening her eyes she saw her sister asleep at the other end of the couch so she quietly stood and moved towards the kitchen and the smell of pancakes.
"Morning Sweetie." Eliza greeted.
"Morning." Kara replied. "Where are the kids?"
"At yours. They pulled an all nighter so they will probably be cranky later."
"Is Alex okay?"
"She's fine. It wasn't a deliberate act not to sleep, they all got too engrossed in some movie trilogy."
"Thank you for looking after her."
"Of course." Eliza smiled passing Kara a plate stacked high with pancakes. "How are you doing?"
"Okay I think." Kara said before stopping eating and asking. "Wait, if the kids didn't get any sleep, does that mean you didn't get any sleep?"
"Not much." Eliza confirmed.
"Sorry." Kara apologised.
"Why? I said I'd go. Besides they even let me watch one of the movies. Although that might have been because they knew I'd hate it and leave them in peace rather than watching the next one."
"They can be clever like that." Kara agreed.
"Are you fighting Lobo again today?" Eliza asked, suddenly changing topics.
"No. Unless the plan goes wrong."
"That is not reassuring." Eliza said. "Please be careful."
"I will." Kara said. "And if it makes you feel better, Alex has already made me promise her the same."
"As long as you keep that promise I'm happy." Eliza said. "But don't push yourself."
"Of course." Kara smiled just before her phone buzzed. Seeing the message she looked at Eliza and said. "I have to go. Can you look out for Alex today?"
"Of course." Eliza said before watching her youngest disappear.
-00-
"What have we got?" Kara asked Vasquez.
"We were watching Lobo's cave, and a strike force just attacked it. Despite some very dubious acting by Lobo they seemed to believe the weapon worked and he was carried off. We are tracking both him and the vehicle. And thanks to some magic, invisible, slightly radioactive spray we set up at the cave entrance we can track the strike force."
"Is that safe?" Supergirl asked.
"No worse than having a few chest x-rays." Vasquez said.
"Where are they now?"
"Still moving at speed out of the city." Vasquez explained. "We are looking at potential buildings they might be heading to. Now they are out of the city we can narrow down the options. Our own strike teams are heading to the general area so they will be ready to move in. How do you want to play this?"
"We need to make sure he doesn't kill anyone so we need to act quickly."
"But carefully." Vasquez said. "Remember this could be a trap."
"I know. I will listen into what is happening before I make a move."
"And you will only go in with the DEO." Vasquez added.
"You are really channelling your inner Alex there." Supergirl grumbled.
"Remember if anything happens to you, it is us who pays the price." Vasquez said.
"And we did by extra crullers today." Rose pointed out.
"I will be careful." Supergirl said. "Where is your best guess?"
"There is an old bottling factory sixty three miles from the city."
"Okay, well I can get there in two minutes max so I can hang here."
"How far does your hearing work?" Vasquez said.
"Depends on how much noise there is."
"But if it is in the middle of nowhere, how far from the factory can you be and still hear what is happening?" Vasquez asked.
"I don't know. I've not tested it recently. But five miles maybe, if it really was in a quiet area. Within one mile probably fine with most background noise."
"Okay. When we think we know for sure where they are going meet up with the DEO team and use your hearing to figure out what is happening. No going in until we know it is safe and no going alone."
"You sure Alex isn't controlling your mind somehow?" Supergirl asked.
"I'm serious." Vasquez said.
"I will stay with the DEO squad." Supergirl confirmed.
"Ma'am. The truck is pulling into the factory grounds." Harris called.
"I'll meet the DEO team." Supergirl said flying off.
-00-
"Ma'am." Anderson greeted on the radio as he saw Supergirl flying overhead.
"Have you seen anything?" Supergirl asked.
"No ma'am."
"I'm going to listen. I'll let you know what's happening." Supergirl said flying higher and shutting her eyes as the DEO squad kept moving towards the factory.
After several moments during which Anderson hoped Supergirl hadn't flown onto the factory Supergirl dropped down to fly over the convoy and said.
"Lobo is definitely there. We need to get in there."
"We are two minutes out." Anderson said.
Feeling that was too long to wait Supergirl picked up the leading vehicle and flew it to the factory.
Trying to shake off their disorientation the DEO team, once the vehicle was on the ground, jumped out and followed Supergirl into the building.
As they entered a large room Supergirl saw a large portal which several people were running through, while four of them wheeled Lobo's gurney through. Without thinking she flew as fast as she could through the portal moments before the portal disappeared.
"Ma'am." Anderson said, not wanting to be the one to break the news.
"Yes." Vasquez replied.
"When we entered there was a portal and everyone disappeared. Including Supergirl."
"What do you mean disappeared?"
"Just that. She flew into a portal and moments later it shut down."
-00-
When Supergirl emerged from the portal she found herself in a huge cavern. Looking round she saw several people looking at her, beginning to close in.
Seeing their faces she was sure she could recognise some of them, but before she could think about it further some of the crowd stepped forward and started attacking. As she concentrated on the apparent meta, with super strength, in front of her she didn't notice the meta behind her until the electricity hit her and she fell to her knees spasming.
Looking round she half expected to see Leslie. Instead she saw a teenager whose fingers were crackling as electricity arced from one to the other.
Not bothering to get to her feet, she quickly used her freeze breath, spinning her head round as she did so, knocking everyone to the ground.
Temporarily reprieved she got to her feet and saw a familiar figure sitting on a rock smoking a cigar.
"Hey!" Lobo said.
"You going to help?" Supergirl asked noticing the metas were getting up as well.
"You said no killing." He shrugged. "Let me know when you change your mind." He added as he exhaled smoke. Rolling her eyes Supergirl went back to fighting the seemingly endless number of opponents.
"Wait, I know you. You're Fatigue." Supergirl said, recognising one of the group. But instead of getting a verbal response the woman looked at the stone roof above Supergirl, moments before it cracked, then crumbled and then collapsed onto of Supergirl burying her.
-00-
"Where's Supergirl?" J'onn asked when he landed in the deep underground cavern and he saw Lobo smoking a cigar as the dust slowly settled.
"Under there." Lobo said pointing to the huge mound of rocks.
"What did you do?" J'onn asked.
"Nothing. She didn't want my help." Lobo said as J'onn tried to work out the best way to get to Supergirl.
As the rocks started to shake J'onn stood back moments before Supergirl broke through carrying a couple of unconscious metas.
"Are you okay?" J'onn asked frowning.
"Fine." She said coughing up dust. "Do you have the inhibitors?"
"A few."
"Start with these two." Supergirl said before sitting down on the rock next to Lobo. "But we are going to need loads more."
"The DEO team will be here soon. And now that hole exists it should be easier to get in here." J'onn said looking upwards at the very large hole and day light fifty metres above asking. "Where are the others?"
"Other side of the rocks. I guess." Supergirl said seeing that the ceiling collapse had blocked off part of the cave.
She then looked at Lobo who offered her his cigar. Looking at him in disbelief she asked. "You planning on joining in?"
"You want killing?"
"No."
"There you go." He shrugged as he took another puff on his cigar.
"You sure you are okay?" J'onn asked Supergirl approaching her, having secured the two metas.
"Great." She said. "But we should get in there. Warp may be through there as well. If he is they'll all be going."
"Maybe not. He may not be able to generate another portal so quickly." J'onn said. "I'll go through and take a look." He added before phasing through the rocks.
"You're tougher than you look." Lobo said punching Supergirl on the side of the arm, so hard she nearly fell off the rock.
"What exactly is your plan?" Supergirl asked.
"You know me, I am all about the killing and the fun. Whereas you, you are just about killing fun." Lobo said. "But when I get bored I'm going to start maiming." He added as J'onn reappeared carrying an unconscious meta in his arms.
"This is warp." J'onn said, putting the Meta, who was wearing an inhibitor, on the ground. "There doesn't look like there is another way out so it will best to wait for the DEO to arrive before extracting them."
"What about the people running this place?" Supergirl asked.
"They weren't through there." J'onn said looking round.
"I've not seen them." Lobo said standing and stamping out his cigar. "But now the entertainment is over I'll go look."
"I'll keep an eye on him." J'onn said to Supergirl, concerned about if she took damage in the collapse. "Stay here and rest. The DEO team will be here soon."