"Mom." Kara greeted as she stepped through the portal with the children.
"Kara!" Alura smiled before pulling her into a hug as MJ and the teenage Kara looked round their new surroundings, while the teenage Alex waited to one side, only to then be hugged by Alura.
"Welcome." Alura smiled at her granddaughter before looking at the other two teenagers. "You are all welcome here. If you need anything please ask." She smiled. "Why don't we take your things to the house and then I'll show you three round?" Alura suggested. "We could start with the old temple then go to the markets."
"What about you?" The teenage Alex asked her mother, aware the invitation hadn't seemed to include her.
"I need to read up on some things. I will see you later." Kara said. "But remember you won't have at least some of your powers so be careful."
-00-
"Any signs of the game?" Alex asked as she paced the DEO control room.
"No ma'am. We expanded our search of the dark web and still aren't finding anything. We also tried to exploit some of the security issues in the server that Aptil brought us, but we have found nothing that links back to Kai." Rose said.
"Keep searching." Alex said. "The second anything looks off let me know. If that game does get turned back on we may have less time to react. We also have to consider they will try to share information in other ways so keep an eye out."
"We were considering that earlier." Vasquez said. "And we think you should have a protection detail."
"Why?"
"In the game you had more points than anyone. If they do come back online you are going to be a target. Maybe the prime target."
"If it comes back on line everyone here will be a target. We don't have the resources to protect everyone." Alex argued.
"That's why we have to prioritise." Vasquez said. "And we think that means giving you protection." Before adding. "Technically, as Director, you are meant to have 24/7 protection."
"I'll be fine." Alex said. "Let's use our resources to shut down Kai." She said, her tone daring people to argue. When no one did she asked. "Where are we on the gems?"
"No more false alarms. We are going back to reviewing the logs in case the system was being tripped deliberately." Rose said. "We have also deployed some portable sensors where we picked up the spurious signals. Maybe they'll show something."
-00-
"You okay?" The adult Kara asked when she saw her niece sitting outside her mother's home that evening.
"I'm fine." The teenager said.
"You don't look it. Argo not what you thought it would be?"
"What? No. Argo is great."
"But?"
"Do you think mom is okay?" The teenage Kara asked her aunt.
"In what way?" The adult Kara said sitting down next to her.
"I remember her being away for odd nights, but never more than two. This will be the first time she will be alone for like ever."
"She won't be alone. Eliza is going to stay with her."
"She is?" The teenager asked surprised.
"Yes."
"Does mom know?"
"I would have thought it'd be obvious by now."
"Don't they need some buffering?" The teenager asked.
"I thought they kind of outgrew that." The older Kara said.
"No. We are the buffer."
"They'll be fine. At the very least it will be a distraction." Kara said. "Seriously don't worry about your mom. Eliza, J'onn and Lena will look after her. And she has Chewie. Besides part of the point of this trip is to help you get over what happened with that stupid Pokemon game."
"Pokemon?" The teenager asked confused.
"It doesn't matter. The point it use this time to focus on yourself. Your mom will be fine." The adult Kara said as the door opened.
"Mom! You're back." The teenage Alex said before hugging her mother.
"Sorry I'm late." Kara said. "How was your day?"
"Would have been better if you had been there." Alex said, guilting her mother, before adding more enthusiastically. "But it was great. We saw the old temples and we went shopping in the market. Alura said there was an old ruin you always used to go to. Perhaps we can see it?"
"Like now?" The adult Kara asked.
"Yes."
"Okay." Kara agreed standing before looking at her niece. "Are you coming?"
"No, I'll protect your mom from MJ who is currently dismantling the house." The teenager said. "Have fun."
-00-
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Alex asked when she opened the front door and saw her mother on the other side.
"I thought you might want the company."
"You didn't have to come down. I'm fine."
"Perhaps I wanted to." Eliza said.
"Thank you." Alex said letting her mother in.
"So how are you really doing?"
"The enjoyment of the peace wore off a lot more quickly than I thought it would." Alex sighed as she sat down, Chewie quickly taking up residence on her lap. "The house feels really empty and I have only been back like an hour."
"You'll get used to it." Eliza said.
"That's not overly comforting." Alex pointed out.
"Sorry." Eliza said before seeing a news report of 'Supergirl' making a save. "That's weird to see. I assume that is J'onn."
"It is. But this trip to Argo has worked out pretty well. As far as everyone at the DEO is concerned, Kara is putting her investigative journalism to good use and is doing a mission for me and is off world, while Supergirl is still here making saves, so no one can link the two. Mind you if she stays away too long J'onn has threatened to bring back the skirt." She explained as Eliza turned off the TV.
"Come on, let's go out."
"Where?"
"See a show?" Eliza suggested. Seeing Alex's less than enthusiastic expression she added. "Or, let's get some food."
"Are you confusing me for Kara?" Alex asked.
"You need to eat." Eliza said.
"I'm not very hungry."
"You still need to eat." Eliza pressed. "Let's go."
-00-
"What are you doing?" The teenage Kara asked her cousin when she found her in a lab the next day.
"Looking."
"For what?"
"Information."
"On?" The teenage Kara pressed.
"The lanterns and Lobo."
"Isn't that what your mom is doing?"
"Yeah, like all the time. Maybe if I find something she'll take a break." The teenage Alex argued.
"We are on an alien planet and you are going to the library?" MJ asked.
"Every planet is kind of an alien planet for me." Alex pointed out.
"Always with the boasting." MJ teased as he looked over Alex's shoulder. "Yeah we can't help. Can't read any of this."
"There's an interactive hologram." Alex pointed out. "It speaks english."
"Where?" MJ asked excitedly moments before a small cube flew across the lab into his hand.
"Um, did you do that?" He asked.
"Yeah, telekinesis still works here." Alex said.
"That's awesome."
"What about your other powers?" The teenage Kara asked.
"It only seems to be telekinesis." The teenage Alex said.
-00-
"Director." James said approaching Alex after an oversight meeting.
"Senator." Alex replied.
"How are you?" He asked looking slightly awkward.
"I'm good. You?"
"Yeah good. How are the kids?"
"MJ misses you." Alex said. "He'd like it if you called."
"That's okay?"
"Absolutely."
"Then I will call him tonight."
"He's not actually around at the moment."
"He's somewhere with no cellphone access?" James asked.
"Yes. He's on Argo."
"You sent the kids to Argo?" James asked.
"I didn't send them. They chose to go." Alex said.
"You are meant to be their mother. You are meant to protect them."
"It's Argo and they are with Kara." Alex started to argue before deciding it wasn't worth it. "James, the kids, MJ especially, want to see you. And I support them with that, but I have too much going on right now to put up with your judgement." She said walking off.
"Alex wait-" James called but she had already gone.
-00-
"Where are the kids?" The adult Kara asked when she saw her mother sitting by herself.
"In your father's lab." Alura said.
"Is that safe?" Kara asked.
"There are no longer omegahedrons lying around."
"Once." Kara complained. "I took one once."
"And we learned to lock them away." Alura said. "The lab is safe. How did your searching go?"
"My current grand plan revolves around Space dolphins." Kara replied.
"Lobo is definitely an enigma." Alura agreed. "But there are many reported cases of people appealing to his code."
"That doesn't get round the fact he is psychotic and any alliance will be temporary and probably still end badly." Kara pointed out as she sat down.
"When you are ready Teloth is waiting to discuss the Lanterns." Alura said.
"Thanks. Will he be okay waiting until tomorrow?"
"Of course." Alura said.
"Are you busy right now?"
"Not unless the children need me." Alura said.
"Good." Kara said.
"You seem troubled." Alura said after a moment.
"No. Not exactly. Just overwhelmed."
"About Lobo?"
"In part. But more Alex."
"Has something happened?"
"No not really. I mean she has adjusted much better to Earth than I did. But her powers are still freaking her out. And I am not sure my help is being all that helpful. Especially with the telekinesis."
"How did you learn to control your powers?" Alura asked.
"With difficulty and a lot of help from Eliza and Alex and Jeremiah."
"What did that help involve? Alura asked.
"Mainly listening and supporting."
"Then you have your answer." Alura pointed out.
-00-
"Sorry I'm late." Alex called as she entered the house.
"No problem. Dinner is almost ready."
"Actually, I'm not very hungry."
"You need to eat." Eliza warned.
"I am." Alex said.
"You skipped breakfast."
"I had lunch."
"A bag of chips?"
"How did you know?" Alex asked.
"I guessed."
"Want to talk about it?"
"No I don't want to talk." Alex snapped before quickly apologising. "Sorry it was a bad day and I reached my limit."
"Are you drinking?" Eliza asked frowning.
"No. Of course not." Alex said.
"Sorry." Eliza apologised, feeling guilty for asking. "I'm just worried. You aren't eating, you are barely sleeping, you are a little snappy and you won't talk about it."
"I just feel like everything is so out of control at the moment. I mean I placed the kids in danger. I can't protect Kara. And I have a horrible feeling something bad is about to happen, but I have no idea what and to top it all of I saw James today."
"Ah."
"We made it thirty seconds before things broke down."
"What happened?"
"I told him MJ was on Argo and he accused me of being a bad mother."
"Then what happened?"
"I left. Why is is always so difficult with him?"
"Probably because you are both in pain." Eliza said hugging Alex. "Right now we can't solve the James problem, but we can work on you."
"Me?"
"You need to slow down and take some time for yourself."
"Nice in principle, but I don't have time for that." Alex pointed out. "I have to protect the kids and Kara."
"What good will it to of you drive yourself to the brink of exhaustion?" Eliza asked.
"I'm not on the brink of exhaustion." Alex countered.
"You look terrible." Eliza said as gently as the blunt words allowed. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
"Nightmares." Alex confessed. "About the kids getting hurt, Kara getting hurt, the accident."
"Have you talked to anyone?"
"Kara, a bit."
"You can't run from your nightmares forever."
"I know." Alex said. "I just need to figure them out before I talk about them."
"Okay. But when you are ready I'm here." Eliza said hugging her.