"Alex? What are you doing here?" Supergirl asked as she returned to the DEO with the last of the captured metas a couple of hours later.
"You disappeared into a portal, again." Alex pointed out, her frustration clear. "What were you thinking?"
"That I had to stop a bloodbath and seeing the kidnapped metas were on the other side of the portal it was the right call." Supergirl argued. "And in my defence I was told not to go into the building alone and I obeyed that I went in with the DEO team. But more importantly do you know what is wrong with all the metas? I mean they looked like zombies."
"No not yet. We have no idea what they did to them. But they do have lot's of Kryptonite in them."
"Can they be saved?"
"Maybe. But you can't go anywhere near them without your suit. It is the only thing protecting you from the Kryptonite cocktail inside them. And for now we need to run some tests to ensure you have not been exposed."
"I know. But when it is safe I want to talk to them."
"Of course."
"Can they have visitors?"
"Not a great idea. Why?" Alex asked.
"Maybe if Fatigue, well Tess, saw her mother she could break through whatever is controlling her."
"It's worth a try." Alex said. "Where's Lobo?"
"When he didn't find who he was looking for he went to his cave." Supergirl said. "Whoever took him in the first place disappeared, but there was no obvious exit. That means there is probably another portal creating Meta, they could cause us big problems." She added as J'onn approached.
"What are you doing here? You should be under the lamps." He said to Kara.
"Why?" Alex asked frowning.
"A cave collapsed on her." J'onn said.
"What?" Alex asked.
"I'm fine." Her sister replied.
"Lamps now." Alex ordered.
-00-
"How are you feeling?" Alex asked when she returned home as saw her sister on the couch watching a movie with the kids.
"I'm fine. Just like I told you an hour ago." Kara replied as Diz put space between himself and the teenage Kara.
"Why wouldn't she be fine?" The teenage Alex asked looking from her aunt to her mother.
"You aunt is just being over protective." Kara said, knowing that with Diz in the room her sister couldn't say too much more. She then looked back at her sister and asked. "Should you be standing?"
"No." Her two kids said in tandem.
"Where's mom?" Alex said ignoring them.
"Kitchen." Kara explained.
"Okay." Alex said limping off to find her. As she went Kara noticed her daughter staring at her.
"I'm fine." Kara said. "Let's watch the movie."
As the movie played Kara started to think about events of the day, including Lobo. As she replayed events she came to a realisation.
"He lied." She exclaimed as she stood. Not explaining further she walked out of the house.
For a moment the four teens looked at each other before the teenage Alex stood and went to find her aunt.
-00-
"You lied." Supergirl said entering the cave.
"Supes. Come for a little night time fun?" He asked grinning.
"You lied." Supergirl repeated. "You know exactly who it is you are after."
"Never said I didn't. I said I needed help getting to them." Lobo said.
"You implied you didn't."
"You read too much into it." He shrugged as he offered Supergirl a bottle, which she ignored.
"You were helping us. Why?"
"If he found out I was after him, he'd run. Teaming with you made it look like he wasn't the target. I don't care about anyone else. But always happy to kill for a little fun. Although you stopped that."
"Who exactly are you after?"
"Serfa." Lobo said drinking from the bottle. "Crazy ass scientist. Wants to create."
"Create what?" Supergirl asked.
"Anything. He likes experimenting. Some of them even I find sick. He is working with your guys. He's smart so he'll stay hidden. I thought you'd smoke him out while chasing someone else, then I'd kill him. Whereas if you went after him directly he would have run."
"Why's he's helping them? Why are they letting him?" Kara asked. "I mean there is no history of Stagg or Tycho working with aliens"
"Serfa is a shapeshifter. They probably don't know. And why I can't find him, no idea what he looks like now." Lobo said as he took another drag of his cigar before washing it down with a drink. "He will go anywhere where he can work. Earth is the only place sick enough to have people who'll employ him." He added puffing on the cigar again before adding. "Have I mentioned how much I like this planet? Maybe I'll stay."
"You'd get bored."
"Watching your pain in the mean time stops my boredom." He said crushing his cigar under his foot before picking up a gun.
"What are you doing?" Supergirl asked.
"Going to get my mark."
"We had a deal." Supergirl said. "And you keep your word. So you are stuck working with me. And no killing. I'll be back tomorrow to discuss the new plan."
-00-
"I'm sure she'll be okay." The adult Alex said as she and Eliza sat with the teenage Alex, after Diz had gone home and the other teens had gone to bed.
"She isn't answering my messages." The teen said.
"I know. But she's probably busy." The older Alex said.
"With Lobo?"
"I don't know. But probably. But if she thought she'd be in trouble she would have called for backup."
"Doesn't normally." The teen muttered.
"That's not entirely true." Alex said trying to defend her sister.
"When she came to rescue me she didn't and she nearly died."
"When it comes to looking after you she will always act without thinking." Eliza pointed out.
"I know. But Lobo is … Mom is too trusting. She's going to get hurt."
"Hey, is Alex here?" Kara asked walking into the lounge. Seeing her daughter looking upset as her sister and foster mother consoled her she asked. "What's going on?"
"You flew off without telling anyone to see Lobo." Her sister reminded her.
"How did you know I went to see Lobo?" Kara asked.
"Lucky guess." Her sister said.
"Why?"
"Just to talk to him." Kara said before approaching the couch.
"Everything okay?" The adult Alex asked.
"Yes. But the plan is changing again. I'll fill you in tomorrow. But for now I should get Alex home." Kara said looking at her daughter.
-00-
"I'm sorry I scared you." Kara said as she walked back to the apartment with her daughter.
"Are you going to keep working with Lobo?"
"Yes." Kara said.
"When Lobo took me, he enjoyed hurting those people." The teen stated.
"I know." Kara said.
"When you came for me, he enjoyed hurting you."
"You know that this Galaxy is full of bad people." Kara said. "Lobo is one of them. But right now we want the same thing. It's not for the same reasons and we have different methods. But if we succeed the Earth will be safer."
"What if he tries taking you or makes you wear the ring?" The teen said as they walked into the apartment.
"You can never be controlled by fear." Kara said. "It will be okay."
-00-
"Hi." Kara called as she walked into Lena's office carrying coffees the next morning.
"Hi." Lena replied looking up.
"Are you busy?"
"Yes. But I also need coffee, so take a seat." She said holding out her hand to take one of the coffee's from her friend. Having savoured a sip she asked. "So what do you need?"
"Do you remember you had that alien detector? I think it was the first invention of yours that you ever showed me." Kara asked.
"The one you destroyed?"
"Yes. Do you still have it or something similar."
"Technology has moved on a long way since then so I have something far better. Why?"
"The person Lobo is after is an alien shapeshifter."
"Does Stagg or Tycho know that?"
"Probably not. But no way to know for sure."
"Did Lobo know for the start?"
"Yes, the story he told us wasn't exactly true." Kara said. "His target is a kind of mad scientist who likes to experiment on well anyone. Stagg's goal let's him to that."
"Maybe you should let Stagg and Tycho know so that he finds out and runs, preferably off planet, so Lobo will follow. It might get round some of your ethical issues."
"Technicalities don't really get round ethical issues." Kara pointed out. "But I do think him running is the best option. But if Lobo thinks I deliberately tipped him off I think he'd view it as me reneging on our deal."
"Well there are plenty of technology options you can use." Lena said. "Once you figure out how you are going to meet him we can pick the best option."
-00-
"You know no one ever comes to see me to give me good news." The President said as Supergirl and Alex were shown into his office. "I have a nasty feeling today is no different." He added before looking at the pair. "Especially as you are meant to be signed off work." He said to Alex.
"I'm fine with desk duties, Sir."
"Well, as much as I feel like I should be telling you to stay away, I'm grateful you feel up to working. So what bad news are you bringing me?"
"We have identified Lobo's target." Alex said. "It turns out he is an alien shapeshifter. Lobo was hired to kill him."
"Because of crimes he committed on another planet?" The President asked.
"We think so." Alex said.
"Good." He said.
"Why good?" Supergirl asked.
"It creates a legal complication that may work in our favour."
"I'm not following." Alex confessed.
"Do you believe he has committed crimes on this planet as well?" The President asked.
"We think he is the one experimenting on the metas." Alex confirmed.
"He is an illegal alien. The law is still very grey in this area. He committed crimes in the US so can be prosecuted under US law, but if there was another planet out there that felt aggrieved then we could extradite. Whereas if we prosecute here, what he did will be made public and there will be a backlash against aliens. Also if we don't hand him to this Lobo, what will Lobo do, kill everyone and get him anyway?"
"Probably."
"Then we need to find a planet that wants him arrested." The President said. "Do you still have your two operatives out there somewhere?"
"Brainy and Dreamer are on their way back to Earth, but still a couple of weeks out."
"Good. See if you can redirect them and get them to dig up some intel. A diplomatic solution may be the best outcome."
"We may not have the luxury of time." Supergirl warned. "Lobo is growing restless."
-00-
"You okay?" Eliza asked when her two daughters returned home that evening. She then looked at her eldest and said. "You look like you are freezing."
"Yeah, well someone insisted on flying back from DC really high and really fast."
"You are meant to ice your leg." Kara pointed out.
"But not the rest of my body." Alex grumbled before hearing thumps from upstairs.
"Everything okay up there?" She asked.
"Yes, it's just the kids being kids." Eliza said as there was another thump.
"I'll go say hello." Kara said before jogging upstairs. When she opened the door to the games room she saw tennis balls flying across the room.
"What's going on?" She asked causing most of the balls to suddenly hit walls or drop to the ground.
"Nothing." All four teens said.
"Very convincing." Kara said dryly.
"Where's mom?" MJ asked.
"Downstairs, so you have a few minutes to remove those guilty looks." Kara replied. "And get your stories straight." She added before shutting the door and heading back downstairs.
"Do I want to know?" Alex asked when her sister entered the lounge.
"Probably not. They'll be down soon for dinner."
"How many of them are there tonight?" Alex asked.
"Four." Kara said. "So don't forget to be nice. Although not too nice as that freaks people out. I'm going to help Eliza, do you want any ice for your leg?"
"No, it's still frozen thanks to you."