"Welcome back." Vasquez greeted when Alex entered the DEO the next day.
"Tell me we have something."
"If by something you mean a summons to meet the President, then yes." Vasquez said.
"Not what I meant." Alex said. "Why does he want to see me?"
"The unmitigated disaster that the DEO is connected to." Vasquez said. "Although they were the Chief of Staff's words so could be for something different."
"Have you got anything that will saved me from being fired?"
"No. Sorry. But if you are still allowed in the building after your chat, it turns out Robinson is an excellent chef."
"Pretty sure that won't save me." Alex said. "When does he want to see me?"
"ASAP. He said he assumed Supergirl could take you. His tone implied it was more of an order than an assumption."
-00-
"Thank you for coming." The President greeted as he waved towards some chairs. Once Alex and Supergirl had sat down he looked at Alex and said. "If you don't mind me saying so, for someone who just came back from vacation you don't look well rested."
"I have two teenage kids." Alex said.
"Well that would explain it." He smiled. "I'm sorry to call you over here on your first day back, but I wanted to discuss some things in person."
"Of course." Alex said.
"The DEO is lucky, most of the contractor roles you have managed to cover in house. While there are exceptions to that, you pretty much have it sorted. Other departments aren't coping so well. Even the White House. And there is pressure to resolve the issue in a timely manner. And there are some who are wanting instantaneous and accurate results."
"You are talking about using a truthseeker?" Supergirl guessed.
"That is what my leading Generals are recommending. Your expression tell me you disagree?"
"Yes. Truth seekers are invasive. And using them is wrong." Supergirl said as the President looked at Alex.
"It would be the fastest way to the truth. But where does it stop?" Alex asked.
"Precisely. If we use a truthseeker now, for this, what happens next week when there is a new problem?" The President agreed. "I can think of plenty of senior officials who would be happy to use it under the guise of national security. But tomorrow's ethics questions doesn't solve today's problem. So what would you suggest instead?" The President asked.
"Sir?"
"I don't like the idea of truthseekers either, but we need answers. So find me a solution. Or to put it more simply, find the people responsible and put an end to this."
"I thought you had passed it back to the FBI?" Alex said.
"Officially yes, but unofficially I know the DEO are still working on it. So figure it out before truthseekers seem like the best option."
-00-
"At least you aren't fired." Supergirl said as she flew her sister back to National City.
"I don't know, maybe that would have been better." Alex said miserably.
"Of course it wouldn't." Supergirl said before changing direction midair.
"What are you doing?" Alex asked.
"Pit stop." Kara said before landing in an alley somewhere.
"Where are we?" Alex asked as Kara changed back into normal clothes.
"Arizona."
"Why?" Alex asked as she enjoyed the heat warming her up after the flight.
"There is a food truck here that I think you'll like."
"I'm not very hungry." Alex said.
"You've not been eating. And you need to eat." Kara said joining the queue.
"Probably not burgers though."
"They have protein." Kara said before placing an order.
"And carbs and fat." Alex pointed out.
"You are losing your edge." Kara said.
"And by eating this my waistline." Alex replied as Kara passed her a burger and fries.
"After all the weird stuff you were doing in the woods, you need the calories." Kara shrugged.
"We should get home."
"You need to eat." Kara reminded her as they walked to a nearby bench. "We'll eat then we'll head home. Or you can not eat and I'll leave you here."
"You wouldn't."
"I would."
-00-
"Welcome back. You fired?" Vasquez asked.
"No. But we have to figure out who is behind everything and stop them." Alex said.
"So fired next week then?" Vasquez asked.
"How about a bit of optimism?" Supergirl asked.
"That's your thing, not ours." Alex shrugged.
"Although I do have something. Not really on Tycho, but on some of our escaped bad guys." Vasquez said. "We have been working with the metas that were taken and we have identified six metas that we think were working with Stagg and are unaccounted for. They are Fog, Bombardier, Malaise, Osmose, Bunny-"
"Sorry what?" Supergirl asked.
"Bunny." Vasquez said.
"I assume you don't mean cute thing with floppy ears?" Supergirl asked.
"More like the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog."
"That's not good. Who is the sixth?" Supergirl asked.
"Still working on a name." Vasquez said. "They called him Shadow as he lurked in the dark, but we don't know if that is their actual alias."
"Do we have real identities on any of them?" Supergirl asked.
"No. Not yet. And before you ask they have all gone to ground. But we are monitoring all the news feeds as well as CCTV. If they pop up we will find them."
Noticing her sister was being unusually quiet Kara turned to her and saw her staring at the photos. "You okay?" Not getting any response Kara said. "Alex?"
"Sorry what?" Alex said jumping back to the present.
"You okay?" Kara asked frowning.
"Yeah, sorry, just had a weird deja vu." Alex said. "Don't worry, it's nothing."
"A glitch in the Matrix is never nothing." Kara said.
"Really, it's fine." Alex said. "Let's get back to figuring out where the six are. And shouldn't you be at CatCo?"
"Shoot. Yes. I'll see you later."
-00-
"Hi guys." Kara said when she walked into the den where MJ, the teenage Alex and Martin were staring at a games console.
"Is Mom with you?" MJ asked.
"No. Isn't she back yet?"
"No."
"Where's Kara?"
"Debate club and then Diz." MJ answered succinctly
"Have you guys eaten?"
"No. No food in the house." MJ explained while hitting buttons on the controller.
"Why don't we go out and get some food?" Kara suggested.
"Or we could get pizza and finish the game?" MJ countered.
"Have you done your homework?" Kara asked.
"Would it make you happy if I said yes?" MJ asked.
"Sure." Kara said.
"Then yes." MJ said.
"Good." Kara said before noticing the expressions on Alex's and Martin's faces and asking. "Are you lying?"
"I think you want me to answer no." MJ said.
"We'll start after pizza." The teenage Alex cut in.
-00-
"Sorry it is so late." Steve said as Kara let him in the house. "Surgery over ran."
"It's fine." Kara smiled.
"Let me make it up to you. Dinner and movie? Or Dinner and bowling?"
"That's not necessary." Kara smiled.
"That's good as with my schedule that is a month off." Steve said. "But how about coffee with a sticky bun? If it is during school time Alex needs never know about the sugar."
"She always knows. But a sticky bun is worth the stare of disappointment." Kara said. "But can we leave it a few days, I am really behind at work."
"Of course." Steve said.
"So how are things going?"
"Good I think. Why has Martin said something?"
"I'm not sure he has said anything to me since I got back. They are all engrossed in a game." Kara said as Alex finally returned home.
"Hey Steve." She said.
"You okay?" Kara asked.
"Fine." Alex responded as sirens sounded in the distance.
"You know, I just remembered I left a really important file on my desk. I need to get it. So I need to go." Kara said rushing out of the house.
"Is she okay?" Steve asked.
"Yes, just feeling the pressure of having had time off." Alex shrugged.
-00-
"You're late." Alex said as her daughter entered the house later that evening.
"By five minutes." Her daughter responded.
"The deadline was ten. Not about ten." Alex countered. "And it isn't five minutes late, it's more like twenty."
"You need to stop stressing so much."
"I'll stop stressing when you start following the rules and take school seriously."
"I do take school seriously."
"So why are you spending all your time with Diz rather than your study groups?"
"Wow, I'm amazed you noticed seeing how little you are here. But I should have guessed this is an attack on Diz."
"If there is some other explanation now would be a great time."
"You want to know why I don't go to study groups anymore? It's because no one wants me in their group because I am the freak who screwed up the football team and the freak with the psychotic mother who has her kids followed by armed guards and have so many rules in place her kids can't do anything."
"The rules are there for your protection."
"So is the DEO guard and every thing else that stops me having a normal life."
"You'd prefer to get kidnapped?"
"Sometimes I wonder if you'd prefer that." The teen shot back.
"What?" Alex asked lost.
"So I wasn't such an inconvenience to you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Really?" The teenage Kara asked.
"I'm going head home." The teenage Alex suddenly said from the doorway.
"Are you sure?" Alex asked. "Your mom isn't back yet."
"I'm tired." The teen said.
"Well it is late." The older Alex said pointedly looking at her daughter. "I'll walk you over." She added standing. She then looked at her daughter again and warned. "We'll talk later."