A/N: Thanks for the reviews.
Baratta jennifer -Kara may be too stubborn to listen.
"Alex what are you doing here?" Kara asked as her sister approached her as she stood in the desert base the next day.
"I was going to ask you the same question." Alex said.
"I wanted to see how everyone was doing?" Kara said staring into the many iso cells, each containing comatosed modified aliens and metas.
"Like everything else, no change." Alex said.
"I can see. How come you are here?"
"I wanted to make sure you weren't taking responsibility."
"I'm okay."
"Really?"
"No." Kara said leaning against her sister's shoulder.
"Is this an Alex thing, a your dad thing or a Tycho thing?" Alex asked.
"All of the above." Kara said. "But mainly an Alex thing. I really thought I was raising her to be strong and independent. But she is terrified of leaving home."
"It's a big change for her." Alex reminded her. "But she'll be okay."
"How can you be so sure?"
"She's strong like you."
"She wasn't wrong about the cost though. I thought it was expensive when we went, but compared to now …"
"With Alex's grades she'll probably get a scholarship and if she doesn't we'll figure something out." The older Alex said just as one of the desert base DEO agents walked into the room.
"Ma'ams." He said looking confused at them being there.
"Relax Simpkins, this isn't a surprise inspection." Alex said. "We were just checking on the drug victims."
"Oh right. Well as you can see no change." He said. "But the new drug should be ready next week. It is looking more promising than the last one, but no way to tell for sure if it will work."
"Keep me updated." Alex ordered.
"Yes ma'am." He said leaving.
"Well, this surprise visit has freaked enough enough agents. Want to go grab lunch?" Alex asked her sister.
"Sure."
00
"Hi." Kara called as she entered the apartment and saw her daughter sitting on the couch using a laptop.
"Hi." The teen said looking up.
"Not hanging with MJ?"
"No, he has basketball practice."
"What about Martin?"
"Steve is working days so he is having dinner with him."
"So what are you up to?" Kara said moving to her daughter. As she saw the screen she asked. "Are you looking at colleges?"
"Yes."
"So you're going?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Of course you have a choice, but if you aren't going to go it needs to be for the right reasons. Not because you are scared."
"How am I even meant to decide where to go?"
"Well, you can decide on subject or location first and then narrow it down." Kara said as the doorbell rang.
"Hi Lena." Kara greeted. "Did I forget we were meeting?"
"For a change, no." Lena replied.
"Well, then why are you here?"
"I'd like to speak to Alex."
"Um, sure come in." Kara said moving to one side.
"Thanks. Hi Alex." Lena then greeted the teen.
"Hi Lena." The teenage Alex replied from the couch.
"Mind if I interrupt your homework?" Lena asked.
"I wasn't doing homework, I was looking at colleges."
"In that case my timing is perfect." Lena said sitting down.
"What's going on?" Kara asked feeling confused
"I, well L-Corp, would like to sponsor Alex."
"What do you mean sponsor?" Kara asked.
"Just that." Lena said. "L-Corp will pay all of Alex's applications and tuition and provide a stipend for her entire time in college, be that undergrad or postgrad as well. But on completion Alex will work for three years at an L-Corp branch of her choice."
"And after three years?" The teen asked.
"You can stay on or move on." Lena said. "The choice is yours."
"Thank you." Kara said.
"You don't need to thank me, I know Alex will be a good employee who will make L-Corp a lot of money."
"You know that sounds a little sinister right?" Kara asked.
"Well I am a Luthor. But regardless the offer stands." Lena said. "So what do say?" She asked Alex.
-00-
"Ma'am." Rose said approaching.
"I may have found something."
"What?"
"We still can't date the ink exactly, but we do know that the journal with the House of El markings, had those markings added at a different time to the other journals. We think later. But there was another layer of text we hadn't seen before."
"As in invisible ink?" Alex asked.
"Kind of. Well to humans anyway. We don't know much about it, but we can extract what looks like text. Translating and aging will be hard, but it might lead to something. In the mean time here is a copy of some of the text."
"Keep working on it." Alex said taking the paper.
"Yes ma'am." Rose said leaving.
"Know of any aliens that see a different part of the spectrum than us?" Alex asked her sister.
"Plenty." Kara said as she her sister handed her the sheet of paper.
"Any that use these symbols?"
"Noooo, maybe, no. Don't think I have seen this alphabet before. I can ask the professor." She said as her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID she said. "Need to take this." She then stepped outside of the office as Alex took the paper back and looked at the symbols.
"That was Steve." Kara said returning to the office.
"He okay?" Alex asked.
"He wants to meet."
"Go." Alex said. "I'll call you if anything comes up."
"See you later." Kara said leaving, only to be replaced by Vasquez.
"Problem?" Alex asked.
"No, well maybe. We have the latest sewage scans and we have detected several areas where the drug is being used."
"And apart from the sewage any sign of the drug?"
"No. That is what is confusing me."
"Could be a lab." Alex said. "Or a prison."
"I'll look for anything that could be used for either of those in those areas." Vasquez said.
"Thanks." Alex said.
"Everything okay?" Vasquez asked.
"I guess. I just feel like we are missing something obvious." Alex said. "Have you found any trace of the person we think Tycho transferred into?"
"No. Absolutely nothing. Which I don't like." Vasquez said. "But we'll keep looking until we find him. We are still looking for Cameron as well, but once again, nothing."
"Thanks. Oh, has the weekly Lex check happened?"
"Yes, he is still locked away and it is still him." Vasquez said. "You have reason to believe it wouldn't have been?"
"Just general paranoia." Alex said.
00
"You look terrible." Kara commented as she sat opposite Steve.
"Thanks." He said dryly.
"So what's wrong?"
"Martin is debating colleges, which involves long, long, monologues. And all my responses are wrong. It was a long night."
"Where's he considering?"
"If it's Ivy, it's on the list. Seeing they are all on the other side of the country, maybe he is sending me a message." He said. "What about Alex, is she looking further afield? Martin said her first list was very local."
"Yes, she has expanded, but still hasn't narrowed it down." She said as they heard screams from outside.
"I'll be back." Kara said rushing to the exit. Meanwhile Steve looked out of the window at the bank opposite as police cars, sirens sounding, pulled up outside the bank, just as several shots cracked in the area.
He then watched as Supergirl appeared a few minutes later carrying three bound men, who he assumed were the robbers. Moments later Kara retook her seat opposite him.
"Sorry about that." Kara smiled.
"No problem, everything okay?"
"Yeah, just run of the mill bank robbers. Although they did shoot me."
"Are you okay?"
"Well, yeah, I mean bullets aren't an issue, I'm just surprised anyone tries any more."
"Never discount human stupidity." He said.
"So how come you wanted to meet?" Kara asked switching topics.
"Oh right, I saw Cory this morning."
"Is he okay?"
"Yes, he was going to go to see Lena."
"Really?"
"Yes, but he was still a little skittish, so if you have time to go visit him while he is there, I am sure he'll appreciate it."
"Of course, I'll head over there after my staff meeting."
"Thanks. Oh and later, if you want to demonstrate you can bowl, Martin and I will accept the challenge."
"That sounds nice. See you there at six?"
"Perfect."
-00-
"Hi Cory." Kara smiled walking into the lab.
"Hi. Have you found out anything?" He asked looking over at her.
"Not yet."
"He's dead isn't he?"
"There is no reason to believe that." Kara replied.
"Your friend disagrees." He said nodding at Lena who stood behind a clear barrier looking at a screen.
"Well she is a cynic." Kara said. "But I'm not. And I am not giving up on him."
"Thanks." He said playing with his sleeve.
"Hey Kara." Lena said walking into the room.
"Hi. How is it going?"
"It will take awhile before we have anything useful." Lena said. "But I'll keep working."
"Is it okay to wait in here with Cory?" Kara asked.
"Sure." Lena smiled.
Taking a seat Kara looked at Cory and said. "Why don't you tell me about Cam? Not about his powers, but about him?"
-00-
"Alex was right, you do suck." Steve said as Kara threw down another gutter ball.
"I could win."
"Not without using your powers." Her daughter chipped in.
"Want to talk about your sudden ability to get strikes?" Kara asked.
"What?" The teen asked.
"Don't think I don't know what you are doing." Kara said.
"What?" The teen asked trying to look innocent.
"We missing something?" Steve asked Martin.
"Telekinesis." Martin replied.
"Wow, that is cheating." Steve said.
"Can't prove anything." The teenage Alex said.
"That's it, no more hanging out with your aunt or Lena." Kara said as her daughter bowled again. Once again the ball was going straight down the centre when Kara let out a sharp breath sending the ball to the gutter.
"Hey." Her daughter protested.
"Can't prove anything." Kara said.
"Aren't you two on the same team?" Steve asked.
"Technically yes." Kara replied.
"So self sabotage another power?" Steve questioned. "Because thanks to that we have just won."
00
"You mad about the cheating?" The teenage Alex asked her mother as they walked home.
"So you are admitting it?" Kara asked.
"Maybe."
"I'm not mad. In fact what you did was pretty impressive. Just be careful people don't notice."
"I will."
"Good." Kara smiled. "So any more thoughts about college?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"I have no idea. There are so many and how am I meant to figure out what is a good one?"
"Well pretty sure Martin would have done loads of research."
"Yeah, but he wants to do economics or business."
"And you are more science?"
"Or robotics maybe."
"Well your cousin did loads of research not so long ago, why don't you talk to her?"
"I don't want to bug her."
"I'm sure she'll love talking to you." Kara said. "And if you want to take any trips to see the campuses or cities we can do that. In fact why don't we do that every weekend?"
"What about your work?"
"I don't work weekends at CatCo."
"I meant Supergirl."
"Well the DEO can cover for me."
"Won't you feel guilty?"
"I'd feel more guilty letting you down. So what do you say?"
"I'd like that."