"Alex, I may have something." Vasquez said walking into Alex's office the next day.
"What?" Alex asked.
"If Tycho's mind, soul, whatever we are going to call it, was transferred we should be able to figure out who it was transferred to from our sensors." Vasquez said. "The problem was the lead camera, which was on Pope, had a fault, which means the images are blurry, even after it has been cleaned. However, Pope's IR was fine as were the rest of the team's cameras so we have been trying to build a picture of what happened." She said before typing on her tablet before sending the images to the screen on the wall.
"Okay, so this is the IR picture. We can see Kara here, Tycho there." Vasquez said pointing to some red, white, blobs on the screen. We know that Ms Thorn is this one here. And these three are other coma guests. But these two." Vasquez said pointing. "We don't have."
"Okay." Alex said, already knowing two had escaped.
"This is where is gets interesting." Vasquez said pulling up different images onto the screen. "It's almost out of frame but watch this." She said as she played the video. "This is where they cut the link between Kara and the machine. And this is where the machine activated." She said as all the images saturated with white light.
"Not sure what that is telling me." Alex said.
"That is why we took so long to get to the bottom of it. But after a lot of cleaning we extracted this." She said as the video changed to something that seemed to show a bright white arc going from the machine to one of the other figures.
"Those lenses are so saturated it could just be hot pixels." Alex pointed out.
"Which is why I didn't come to you before, we have been doing a lot of analysis and we are ninety percent sure that arc is real. Obviously that doesn't mean Tycho's consciousness got transferred into him, but if it did get transferred, he seems the most likely candidate."
"I don't want to sound really negative, but all we have is this guy's back. Even if this video shows us something, we still don't have anything to go on apart from we may be looking for a white male who is about six foot and has brown hair, and that doesn't exactly narrow it down."
"I know, but I haven't got to the good part yet." Vasquez said.
"Sorry, go on." Alex said trying and failing to hide her impatience.
"While something weird happened with that guy, the one standing next to him is also missing. And yes I am aware we still only have his back. Except, in one frame, we also have his hand. A hand that has a tattoo on." Vasquez explained. Before Alex could jump in with statistics on how many people have tattoos Vasquez went on.
"Now look at this CCTV footage from about three miles from where we found Kara, a few minutes after the escape." Vasquez said changing the image to that of a van, and in the front a white man with the same tattoo. "We ran plates and got a hit."
"But stolen?" Alex guessed.
"Nope." Vasquez said. "It belongs to a company called Sevo. They are a small maintenance company with twenty employees. One of whom is Raylan Morgan, who has the same tattoo as our mystery man." Vasquez said pulling up a picture. "The bad news is he has gone to ground. But at least we have a name and a picture."
"How is this Sevo company connected to Tycho?"
"They maintained that warehouse where we found Kara."
"What else do they maintain?"
"They are providing a full list which we will go through."
"You're right that does sound like progress." Alex said.
"No need to sound quite so surprised." Vasquez said.
"How are we doing with those other potential alien landing sites?"
"There are many, many to go through. But if we find something I'll let you know."
"Thanks." Alex said, but seeing Vasquez wasn't leaving she asked.
"Something else?"
"Yes, the team are wondering if the weekend is still happening?"
"Yes. I have arranged for security." Alex said. "Besides the team deserves a break."
"So do you."
"I'll be there."
"As bait?" Vasquez asked.
"No, as Director."
"Are the kids coming?"
"MJ isn't, but Kara is."
"And is she coming with you or Diz?"
"Diz, I'd guess."
"So who is looking after you?"
"I don't need looking after." Alex countered. "Besides my job is to go round and make everyone feel uncomfortable so that once I'm gone they'll believe they are having a good time."
"You have a weird view of family fun days." Vasquez said leaving.
00
"How's the story going?" Alex asked her sister as they ate lunch together.
"Badly."
"Well I have good news for a change."
"What?"
"We think we have identified one of the men who escaped the warehouse."
"How?"
"Long story short, one of the cameras captured a tattoo and we believe that was Raylan Morgan."
"How come they could walk out?" Kara asked.
"We screwed up. I'm sorry."
"That's not what I meant. Everyone else got hit so hard in the blast they are in comas. Why aren't they?"
"Maybe they are metas."
"Who were unaffected by the chemical?" Kara asked.
"So they were made metas?" Alex suggested. "Which would be why there is no record of Morgan being a Meta."
"Lena's watches, you think she can make ones to identify made metas?"
"I don't know. Lena normally finds a way." Alex said.
"You seem hesitant." Kara said.
"Once we use that tech, it is out there. And I can picture lots of ways that tech could be used for bad things."
"Any way to use it in secret?" Kara asked hopefully.
"I doubt it. Secrets have a tendency for getting out." Alex said. "Plus it would probably be a breach of constitutional rights so the President would be against it. Then again, if we have tech that can identify artificially created metas well we could use that for their protection. I mean what we saw they were unstable. We don't know if that problem has been fixed." Alex mused. "But then again, Lena's tech is for close range, no way we can can the entire city. There must be another way."
"Didn't we think the drugs were a long term thing?" Kara said. "As in they'll need to keep taking the drugs."
"Yes."
"So where are they getting their supply?"
"That is another dead end." Alex said. "NCPD are looking out for dealers, but so far nothing."
"Shoot, I have to go." Kara said as her phone buzzed.
"Problem?"
"Cat gave me a deadline, a real one for this story. And I have to go report progress."
"You still okay for the weekend?"
"Yes."
"Really? I can find a different option."
"It's fine."
"Does Alex want to come?"
"No, she is spending the day with Frax, he has to go back to Dakran soon, so she is spending as much time as possible with him."
"Permanently?"
"No, just a few weeks. Some business deal."
"Well, if you want to cut back on Supergirl so you can spend more time with her, let me know."
-000-
00
Trying and failing to write her story for CatCo Kara put her computer down in frustration before seeing the time and sighing. She was about to go to sleep when she heard a crash coming from Alex's room.
"Alex?" Kara called rushing into her room. "Alex wake up." She called as objects flew round the room.
"Mom?"
"I'm right here. It's okay, it was just a nightmare."
"Nightmare?" The teen asked confused.
"It's okay, you're safe." Kara soothed as she hugged her.
"I wasn't having a nightmare." The teen said looking over her mother's shoulder confused by the carnage in her room. "Did I do this?"
"It's okay." Kara said releasing her before using her superspeed to clear up the mess. Having finished she sat on her daughter's bed and asked. "Want to talk about it?"
"What?"
"The nightmare."
"I really wasn't having one. At least I don't remember having one. Did I share it?"
"No." Kara said. "You just sent things flying."
"Sorry."
"It's okay. I'm more worried about the cause. Sure it wasn't a bad dream?"
"Pretty sure." The teenager said frowning.
"Then what's with the frown?"
"Just wondering why I lost control."
"Technically you didn't. I mean you were asleep." Kara reminded her.
"But I thought I got over using powers in my sleep." Alex said sounding frustrated.
"You have been through a lot, it may be stress."
"Great so now I'm going to lose it whenever something bad happens."
"That's not what I said. But stress will have an influence." Kara said before adding. "I still do it too." When the teen didn't respond Kara said. "You have school tomorrow, well today. Try to get more sleep."
00
"What's wrong with you?" Alex asked when she saw her sister yawning.
"Sorry, didn't get much sleep last night."
"Was Alex having nightmares?"
"No. But her powers flared up in her sleep. Then she got snappy about it."
"Any damage?"
"Nothing major."
"She's been through a lot, it might just be stress." Alex said.
"I said that and that is when she got snappy."
"You think something is going on?" Alex asked, fearing the answer.
"You mean do I think MJ is behind it?" Kara guessed.
"It must have crossed your mind."
"It did, but not for long." Kara said. "MJ wasn't entirely to blame for what happened and he has made amends."
"So what do you think the problem is?"
"I'm hoping this is just her not being a morning person."
"The good news she didn't trip any of the sensors so it probably isn't Malaise or Kryptonite."