As the teenage Alex walked through the almost deserted corridor she saw the school bully pinning one of her class mates to a locker, while a group stood around and laughed.
"There are charity programmes that can help." Alex said approaching the lockers.
"What?" The bully asked turning to face her.
"If you can't afford lunch, there are organisations that can help. I mean that is why you are trying to steal his money right?"
"This doesn't concern you." The boy said trying and failing to intimidate Alex with a stare.
"Poverty concerns everyone." Alex went on.
"You think I'm poor?" He asked getting angry.
"Why else would you steal?" She asked as some of the bully's friends started to snigger, only making the bully more irate.
"I said this doesn't concern you. Leave or end up in a locker." He threatened.
"You want me to get a teacher?" Alex asked.
Releasing the other child the bully looked at Alex and said. "You will pay for this." He then tried to shoulder barge her out of the way only to find himself almost bouncing off her.
"That's physics." Alex said. "It's all about moments."
"I don't care who your cousin is. You will pay." The bully threatened before storming off followed by his friends.
"You okay?" Alex asked her classmate.
"You shouldn't have done that." He said avoiding all eye contact before scampering off.
-00-
"Portals still follow physics." Lena said. "They have to be powered. And all power sources give off some form of radiation."
"But if it deep enough underground we wouldn't see it." Alex countered. "Same is true if it is shielded."
"Precisely." Lena said. "If we aren't seeing a signal it is either because there isn't one or it is being blocked. If it is the latter there should be evidence that blocking is happening. I mean it won't just be the portal's energy that is concealed it will be everything. Including the standard 60 Hz signature associated with everything. Let's look for areas where we don't see that. We probably also want to look power for drain and heat signatures. Although if they know what they are doing the heat could be regulated. But apart from time we have nothing to lose by looking." Lena said before offering. "If you would like I can task L-Corp's NanoSat fleet to look."
"Thank you." Alex said.
"I can also offer you these, to help with your other problem." Lena said sliding some contacts over to Alex. "They may allow you talk, well interface, with your telepathic Agent."
"I appreciate that, but we can't risk anyone. Not until we know the cause." Alex said. "If someone did something, linking up to Rashid could effect whoever links with her. I can't put anyone else at risk."
"I understand. But if you change your mind let me know."
"I will." Alex said.
"What's happening with the Kai gang?"
"No new leads. And according to the FBI despite the raids and arrests they are already back up and running, just with new local leaders. And we still have no idea who is pulling the strings."
"I hate to suggest this, but what if the two are linked?" Lena said.
"What do you mean?"
"Say these portals exist, and the Kai have access to them, either due to a collaboration with Mongul or they found one, then all their weapons and tech could be made off world and transported back. No one would know."
"We had considered that. But all the weapons seized during the raids are made of materials from Earth. There was no sign of anything alien about them." Alex said.
"Would there need to be? Let's say they just make them off world. If all the materials came from Earth originally then would you be able to tell?"
"Maybe not." Alex said. "We need to figure out if there is link between Kai and Mongul." Alex sighed. "That means I need to make a trade."
"With Krej?" Lena asked.
"Yes." Alex said not looking happy.
"Or you could lie." Lena said.
"The President does not approve of that approach." Alex said.
"But the President is a politician." Lena said confused.
"With low approval ratings." Alex pointed out.
-00-
"What are you doing?" Kara asked when she entered her apartment and saw her daughter sitting at the kitchen table.
"Homework."
"Why are you doing it here?"
"Because it is home. Unless you are telling me we have moved." Alex said without looking up.
"What's with the attitude?" Kara asked.
"There is no attitude." Alex protested.
"Hmm. I meant why are you doing your homework here alone, when you normally do it with MJ."
"He has basketball."
"Okay." Kara replied. "Are you doing better?"
"Yes. You were right. All I had to do was forget about my powers."
"You're controlling them?" Kara asked lost.
"No. I meant with the bully. I just had to think outside the box."
"What did you do?" Kara asked frowning.
"Nothing much. Just suggested a few charitable programmes to help with his money issues."
"What money issues?" Kara asked lost.
"The ones causing him to steal from the other kid."
"He's stealing because he has to?" Kara asked.
"Doubt it, but I suggested that is why he was doing it."
"To who?" Kara asked.
"Him. His friends."
"And what did he do?"
"Stomped off."
"That's it?"
"More or less."
"And the more part?" Kara asked.
"He said Kara couldn't protect me. But don't worry, he can't actually hurt me. My powers stop that." Alex said calmly as Kara's mind went to worst case scenario.
"What happened to keeping a low profile?" Kara asked.
"He annoyed me."
"Because he was bulling the other kid?"
"No. Well yes, mainly. But that wasn't all of it."
"Then what?"
"He had been saying bad things about MJ and Kara and Alex."
"Like what?"
"It doesn't matter. The point is he is a bad person." Alex said before asking. "Am I in trouble?"
"Why would you be?"
"Because I am sticking out."
"You are, but you are trying to do the right thing. Just please be careful." Kara pleaded. "And tell your cousins what you are up to."
"Why?"
"So they have your back."
"This is my problem not theirs."
"It doesn't work like that." Kara said. "Besides it is possible that your actions will result in the bully going after Kara and MJ, so at least warn them."
"Okay."
-00-
"Geez." The teenage Kara exclaimed when she looked up and saw her her aunt tapping window. "Ever heard of doors?" She asked before moving to the window and unlocking it.
"Sorry, but we need to talk." The older Kara said.
"Mom?"
"She's fine. It's about Alex."
"What's happened?"
"She waging a war against a bully and I'm worried."
"She's being bullied?" The teenager asked.
"No. Someone else is and she tried stopping it and now I'm worried."
"Who is the bully?"
"Don't know." The older Kara confessed.
"I'll talk to her."
"Thank you."
-00-
"You have come to make the trade?" Krej asked.
"I have come to talk." Alex corrected.
"Without your bodyguard?" He asked noticing Supergirl wasn't there.
"She's not my bodyguard." Alex said sitting down. She then waited for him to sit opposite her before starting. "We know there are portals on Earth." Alex said. "But I don't know how many are yours. Tell us how many and where they are and we will consider a trade."
"I will give you the locations of fifteen portals in return you let me go through one of them."
"And after that?" Alex asked.
"You hope you never see me again. We both know there is no point asking me to commit to anything once I am through. I mean I am proving that I will sell myself to the highest bidder."
"But you trust me to keep my side of the bargain?" Alex asked.
"No. But Supergirl and Superman are both sanctimonious. If one of them agrees we have a deal."
"I'll need the location of all the portals." Alex said.
"I will give you fifteen. But I will tell you how many we have." He said.
-00-
"I'm not sanctimonious." Supergirl complained when Alex joined her in the observation room.
"He was talking about your cousin." Alex said.
"No, he said me." Supergirl replied. "Are you doing the deal?"
"I don't know. I will recommend it to the President though. I mean fifteen portals is a huge security threat." Alex said chewing on her lip before saying. "If he was willing to offer them up so easily it makes you wonder how many others he isn't telling us about. But if we can find these ones and figure out how they are staying hidden, maybe we can find others."
"Careful, that almost sounded like optimism." Supergirl said.