"What are you doing here?" Supergirl asked her sister as Alex walked into the DEO control room.
"I work here."
"Not today. I'm taking you home."
"Try that and I will find Kryptonite and shoot you."
"You don't mean that. Do I need to tell Eliza you are threatening me?"
"You wouldn't."
"Yeah I would."
"Fine yes you would. But I am meant to be here. I have a check up."
"Oh okay." Supergirl said turning away only to turn back and ask. "Are you lying?"
"When did you get so cynical?" Alex asked.
"That wasn't a denial." Supergirl pressed.
"Director, the infirmary is that way not here." The doctor said approaching the pair.
"Be right there." Alex said. For a moment the doctor looked at Alex before finally heading to the infirmary.
"You were telling the truth?" Supergirl asked.
"I was."
"Oh sorry."
"Seeing I heard you had to eat vegan food last night, I will forgive you."
"Did you put Alex up to choosing that restaurant?"
"No. That was all her."
"That's what worries me." Supergirl said.
-00-
"Okay, I have done it." Lena said before seeing the elder of the two sisters and greeting. "Alex? When were you allowed back?"
"Today. Desk duty only."
"Isn't that what you are meant to do anyway?"
"What have you done?" Alex asked, ignoring the question.
"Figured out a way to power the gem to allow comms, without sucking the life out of people."
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked.
"Vasquez can fill you in." Supergirl said before walking up to Lena. "Ready?"
"Yes, but we're not flying." She said moments before Supergirl grabbed hold of her and flew her to the desert base.
"Vasquez!" Alex shouted annoyed by how much she didn't know.
"You called?" Vasquez asked entering the office.
"What is Lena up to at the desert base?"
"Supergirl didn't tell you?"
"If she had would I be asking?"
"Right, we have a bit to catch up on." Vasquez said.
-00-
"Anything else I should know?" Alex asked when Vasquez had finished.
"Nothing major, but I have been looking into something."
"What?"
"One of Supergirl's ideas."
"Which one?" Alex asked. "There have been several."
"Sinestro Corps." Vasquez said. "What if they are trying to influence things on Earth? What if they are actually linked to Sloane Syndicate."
"And?"
"The only proof we would have is if one of them had a Lantern ring. So I have set up an algorithm to look for Lantern rings in CCTV footage. Obviously there is a lot of footage to go through so it will take awhile, but it is running in the background. If that ring has passed in front of a CCTV camera, we'll know."
"Unless the owner is wearing gloves." Alex pointed out.
"That would be an issue." Vasquez said as Harris knocked on the door.
"Ma'ams, Supergirl just radioed in, they are ready."
"Get Alpha, Delta and Foxtrot team ready."
-00-
"So, even if this works, how exactly do we use it to track them?" Supergirl asked Lena.
"It's a theory, but I think it was cause a resonance, which we can measure in this signal and then search for in the others."
"How is that different from our current gem tracking sensor?"
"Each of these let off low levels of radiation, that can be track. However, a lead box would stop us seeing it, as would enough absorbing material, like a cave. Once we power it up and it starts to resonate, it should have a different, stronger signal associated with. Either it will communicate with the other gem stones over air, or more likely with quantum entanglement. And if it is the latter it means whatever resonance we detect here will be identical to the one produced in the crystal and in theory should not be limited in range. The hard part will then be detecting that signal. But this time we'll know what we are looking for." Lena said as she typed on a keyboard. "Ready?"
"Yes." Supergirl said.
"Okay, here we go." Lena said pressing a button.
"Doesn't quantum entanglement have an infinite reach?" Kara asked.
"In theory." Lena said. "We are years away from testing that theory."
"Or maybe not." Kara said looking at the gemstone.
"Indeed." Lena said as the gem started glowing. Immediately she started scanning it before reaching for her phone and dialling the DEO. "We have a new resonance." Lena said. "I am sending you the details can you try scanning for it?"
"Yes." Vasquez said. "But it was take a few minutes to configure. Can you leave your one powered until we can detect it with our systems?"
"Of course."
"Remember they could track you in the same way we are trying to track them." Alex warned.
"Every one here is on alert." Supergirl said.
-00-
"Assuming this works, which order to you want to hit the targets in?" Vasquez asked Alex. "I mean if our prisoner told us the truth, we know roughly who is in each area."
"Take out the threats first and hope that the groups that turned on the Lieutenants aren't hostile." Alex said. "Of course, there's a chance we won't find those groups anyway anyway. I mean they took the gem but not the suit so unless they have another suit they won't be able to power it. But I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Alex said. "At the very least hopefully we can round up four groups."
"Six teams are on standby, just in case." Vasquez said as the computer started to bleep. "Okay, we know what signal to look for. Starting scan now."
"Lena, we have the signal." Alex said over the radio. "Stay vigilant."
"Where do you want me?" Supergirl asked.
"I'll let you know." Alex said as she watched the screen with Vasquez.
"You know this could take awhile." Vasquez pointed out.
"Yes, I know." Alex said. "But when it comes in we need to act quickly. Have the teams head out." Alex said.
"Where?"
"One North, one, East, one, Sou-"
"Okay, I get the pattern." Vasquez said.
"It may reduce the response time." Alex said. "And we will still have two teams on standby." She added as there was a bleep from the computer.
"Is it them?" Alex asked.
"Give me in a minute." Vasquez said as she typed. "It's a match." Vasquez said just as there was more bleeping followed by more typing. After what felt like an eternity Vasquez said. "Four confirmed signals."
"Send the teams to the closest one to them." Alex ordered before hitting her radio.
"Supergirl, we have them."
"Where do you want me?"
"The furthest one is outside of the city. Our team won't be there for another 20 minutes. I've sent you the coordinates, but if anything looks off, wait for back up."
"And if it doesn't feel like a trap?" Supergirl asked as she flew.
"Then you can go in." Alex said. "But back up won't be with you for several minutes."
"Understood." Supergirl said.
As she approached the location she slowed down and looked for signs of a trap. Not seeing anything obvious she used her x-ray vision on the abandoned building and saw approximately twenty figures, some human like shapes, some very alien."
"Okay, there are twenty ish in an old factory. There is no lead in the factory and I can't see anyone else anywhere near here."
"What are they saying?" Alex asked.
"Hang on." Kara said closing her eyes and listening after a minute she said.
"I don't understand the language they are speaking."
"Did they sound agitated?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, but so to the Klingons, even when they're not. Where is the DEO team?"
"A few minutes away."
"Okay, I'm going in." Supergirl said. "If it looks bad I will leave straight away."
"To be fair she held out for two minutes." Vasquez said, seeing Alex's expression.
-00-
As Supergirl landed in front of the group and prepared to fight, the conscripted army suddenly turned on the Lieutenant and they mobbed and attacked him.
"Stop." Supergirl shouted, but the soldiers either didn't hear of didn't care Sighing Supergirl flew into and through the group and extracted the Lieutenant and flew him skywards, ripping the gem from his suit as she did so.
"Why do you save him?" The soldiers below demanded as s DEO task force arrived.
"Because I do not support murder." Supergirl said. "This is over and he will be punished."
"And us?" One of the aliens asked.
"You'll have your chance to tell us what happened."
-00-
"All four groups were taken in a similar way. As soon as we showed up the soldiers turned on the Lieutenant in charge. Kind of like they were waiting for an opportunity to rebel. All the prisoners have been split across our bases and are being processed and going through medical. When they are done we will start the initial interviews. We won't be ready for full interviews until tomorrow." Vasquez reported.
"In which case I'm going home." Alex said.
"You are?" Vasquez asked, unable to hide her surprise.
"Well, I'm meant to be taking it easy." Alex reminded her. "But call if anything comes up."
"Did Alex just go home early?" Supergirl asked confused.
"Yes."
"By choice?"
"It seemed that way."
"Then I will ask you my question." Supergirl said.
"Is this a question Alex has already said no to?" Vasquez asked.
"No. I have only just thought of it."
"Okay, ask away."
"If I record a message could you transmit it at a frequency outside of human hearing?"
"I can. Why?"
"Well there are two groups of aliens out there somewhere, chances are at least some of them have ears tuned to different frequencies than human ears, like me. So maybe I can send them a message asking them to come in."
"It's worth a shot." Vasquez said.
-00-
"Where are the kids?" Kara asked when she finally arrived back at Alex's that evening.
"Gone bowling with mom."
"Why?"
"I wanted to talk to you." Alex replied.
"About what?"
"Today and the last few days where you haven't told me key information."
"You've heard about the message already?" Kara asked confused.
"What message?"
"I sent a message to the other two groups." Kara said.
"How? When?"
"This afternoon, after you left, by using frequencies humans can't hear. But if that isn't what you are talking about, what are you talking about?"
"Everything else you've not been telling me. The message is a great example though."
"You were meant to be resting." Kara argued. "If I told you, you would have just gone back to work earlier and endangered your health."
"Or if I had the full picture I would have relaxed more knowing you and Vasquez were dealing with everything." Alex said before adding. "You used to trust me."
"I do trust you. But if you want this conversation, it goes both ways."
"What do you mean?"
"Since coming back to the DEO it feels like sometimes you keep me at arms length or you deliberately don't tell me things. Like the lead J'onn gave us. You waited until backup was there before telling me."
"Since you have come back you have been flying into danger without considering the fact it might be a trap. So yes I waited, to ensure that you would be safe."
"And not giving me updates on the investigation?"
"You are raising Alex, being Supergirl, working at CatCo and helping at the DEO. It's too much, I am trying to lighten the burden."
"And that's okay, but me not telling you all the details of the investigations isn't?"
"I never said I wasn't a hypocrite." Alex said. "I am your big sister so I will always protect you. But if you promise to cut down on the fly first, think later approach I will tell you everything."
"Thank you." Kara said.
"But that also goes two ways."
"Vasquez told you everything."
"I didn't mean about the DEO. I meant you. What's going on with you?" Alex asked.
"What do mean?"
"Something feels off. I don't know what, but it has for a while. Are you still worried about Lobo?"
"No. I mean yes, kind of. You and Cat have kind of convinced me that I shouldn't fear the ring. But I'm still worried about him turning his attention towards Alex, or you and the kids."
"But that isn't the main issue?" Alex guessed.
"No. I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Not going to that stupid dinner."
"What?" Alex asked lost.
"If I had gone to the dinner with James, none of you would have been taken. And then to compound it I couldn't find you quick enough." Kara said. "I was so scared when you were taken and I felt so useless."
"You found us." Alex reminded her.
"Not soon enough. You were so badly hurt. I should have stopped that. And I can't help feeling bad about that. Everytime I see your injuries I just want to punch something."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
"You needed to worry about the kids and then J'onn told you about those chips. The last thing you needed was to worry about me."
"This is stupid." Alex said. "We used to manage to protect each other and tell each other everything. In fact maybe that is why we were able to protect each other. What changed?"
"I don't know. I guess I just got used to not having anyone to tell." Kara said.
"Well you do now."
"I know, it'll just take time."
"From now on, we'll tell each other everything." Alex said hugging her sister.