"Hi." Vasquez said entering the lounge the next day.
"Hi." Alex replied. "Thanks for coming down here to do the briefing."
"Of course." Vasquez smiled. "How's the leg?"
"Could be better." Alex said before asking. "So where are we?"
"So as far as the world knows Supergirl is MIA. But the people behind what happened will believe she is so messed up from the Kryptonite that she is out of commission." She paused and then looked at Kara. "Now Tycho will probably want to get you back so he can finish what he started. When you stay missing that will force his hand. He will either assume you are a lost cause and go onto Superman, or he will view you as vulnerable and try to get you back."
"Or he'll think I'm dead." Kara said.
"Maybe. But if that is the case he'll be after your body so he can figure out what went wrong." Vasquez said. "But if Tycho does make a move he may go after Alex again." Vasquez said.
"We can't let that happen." Kara said.
"We have a plan to stop it happening, but it will require Alex to follow instructions." Vasquez said.
"Eliza is still here. She can apply pressure." Kara said.
"Guys, I'm right here." Alex pointed out.
"What about Stagg?" Kara asked ignoring her sister.
"We think Stagg has been using some of Tycho's research to enhance humans, both metas and non metas. Possibly aliens as well. For now we think they are working together, but we are sure it is going to turn into an arms war. Where the arms are modified Kryptonians and modified humans. Right now we believe Stagg has an unlimited supply of test subjects but limited supply of the modified Kryptonite. Where as Tycho has no subjects but we believe plenty of Kryptonite."
"What do they want?" Alex asked.
"Tycho no idea. But Stagg has always wanted money. Well more money. We think he will try selling the super soldiers to, well, everyone."
"Which leads us back to Lois." Alex said.
"Lois?" Kara asked confused.
"Well General Lane." Alex said. 'Maybe Lois can give us a route in."
"Lucy would be a better bet." Kara said. "Which I guess also leads to Lois as I have no idea how to reach Lucy anymore."
"Meanwhile, we have to get Stagg and Tycho to turn on each other." Vasquez said.
"Maybe you can make it look like Stagg is looking for Supergirl? Or fake up a battle between Superman and a superhuman." Alex suggested.
"I'll add it to the things to talk about with Kal." Kara said. "Assuming he'll talk to me."
"Why wouldn't he?" Alex asked.
"He told me to butt out and now I am butting in."
"Well, you were the one taken and tortured not him." Alex reminded her. "If anyone should be apologising it is him." She added as the front door opened and shut.
"I'll leave you to it." Vasquez said when the teens entered the room. "I'll let you know if anything happens." She then smiled at the teens and left.
"What was that about?" The teenage Kara asked.
"We were getting an update." Alex said.
"Based on your expressions it wasn't filled with happy news." MJ said.
"No." His mother agreed. "The bad guys are still out there and we don't know if you are in danger. On top of that there is still a lot of Kryptonite out there and don't have a good way of working out if your aunt or Alex has been exposed."
"No, that's easy, well for Alex anyway." MJ said.
"It is?" His mother asked.
"Yes."
"You going to tell us?" His aunt questioned.
"Twinkies." He said as his cousin rolled her eyes at him.
"What?" The adult Kara asked.
"When Alex was exposed to silver Kryptonite she ate Twinkies-" The teenage Kara started to explain, only for MJ to jump in.
"Well devoured would be a better description."
"You ate Twinkies?" Kara asked her daughter.
"I was sick." Alex shrugged.
-00-
"What?" The teenage Alex asked a little later when she and her mother were walking Chewie, as she noticed her mother was looking at her.
"Twinkies?" Kara asked.
"You aren't going to let that go are you?"
"No." Kara said.
"I was sick." The teen reminded her.
"Uh-huh." Kara said.
"I was." The teen protested.
"How are you doing now?" Kara asked.
"Well I am not binge eating Twinkies, so okay."
"And without deflecting?"
"I'm scared." The teen confessed. "I'm scared you are going to get hurt again."
"I can't promise you that I won't get hurt. But I am doing everything I can to stay safe, while keeping you safe." Kara said as they arrived at the pizza shop. As the door opened they saw a familiar face.
"Steve." Kara said surprised.
"Kara. Hi. Good to see you are looking better. Are you better?" Steve greeted as he walked out of the pizza shop holding a box.
"I'm fine. Thanks."
"Good." He said as Kara saw the billboard to the side and commented.
"I haven't seen that in years."
"Seen what?" The teenage Alex asked.
"Chess."
"You were at the tournament a few days ago." The teen said worried her mother was suffering from some sort of memory loss.
"Not the game. The musical." Kara said.
"What?" The teen asked lost.
"It's a musical about Chess." Kara said, the explanation still leaving Alex worrying her mother was suffering from a head injury.
"You like it?" Steve asked.
"Who wouldn't?" Kara countered.
"I am so glad you said that as when I saw it was on I thought it would be a great show to go to. You know as like a chess community. Obviously the Rhodes and the Hancocks would never stoop to such a popular past time, but I thought you might and Helen and Russ as well as Joe and Moira. So I bought tickets. But afterwards I was told in no uncertain term by Martin that I was an idiot. And he might be right, take up has been a little low. And now I have tickets, many, many tickets, do you two want to go?"
"Yes." Kara said excitedly.
"Good. And in case you didn't pick up on it I have a few spare, so anyone you'd like to bring please bring them." Steve said. "Anyway I need to get this pizza back home before it freezes. I'll message you details." He said before adding. "It's good seeing you look well again." With that he turned and walked off.
"See, told you that you had nothing to worry about. I mean a doctor just said I looked well." Kara commented to her daughter.
-00-
"So I can get tickets for Chess. Who's in?" Kara asked excitedly as she put the take out on the table.
"You have another match coming up?" MJ asked his cousin.
"No."
"You are going to watch people you don't know play chess?" MJ pressed.
"No. Not exactly. It's a musical." His aunt said.
"Any idea what she is talking about?" Diz asked the teenage Kara.
"No." The teen said.
"Seriously, how can you not know Chess. I know him so well." The older Kara said.
"You know who well?" The teenage Kara asked.
"It's a song. But fine have it your way I'll find people with an education to come." The older Kara said.
"Does that mean I don't have to go?" The teenage Alex asked.
"You're coming." The older Kara replied.
"Bad luck." MJ said.
"Where's Alex?" The older Kara asked.
"Napping." MJ said.
"Hence you are in the house and looking relaxed." Kara said looking at Diz.
"Yeah, but I should go." He said.
"You can stay for dinner." The older Kara said.
"That's okay."
"I'll see you out." The teenage Kara said.
"Can you wake your mom afterwards?" The older Kara asked before looking back to MJ and asking.
"Where's Eliza?"
"Backyard." MJ said.
"Still?" Kara asked, pretty sure she had been there all afternoon.
"Want me to get her?" MJ offered.
"It's alright, I'll go." Kara replied.
-00-
As Kara stepped out into Alex's garden she saw her foster mother sitting on a bench staring out into the distance.
"Are you okay?" Kara asked.
"I'm fine."
"You don't look okay." Kara said. "And you have been sitting out here staring at that tree for two hours. Which would be fine, only I am pretty sure it is dead. So what's wrong?"
"Are you really asking me that?" Eliza asked.
"So it's the whole kidnapping, being held prisoner, pumped full of poison thing?" Kara guessed sitting next to her. As Eliza turned to face her she added. "We're okay."
"You two went through so much and I was so sure you weren't going-" Eliza started, stopping herself mid sentence.
"We're okay." Kara assured her.
"You two have always been so independent. I've never known how to help you, which normally is okay, because you two have always taken care of each other. But when you get into trouble, you two really know how to get into trouble."
"Sorry." Kara said resting her head on Eliza's shoulder.
"It's not your fault." Eliza said. "But I can't help worrying about you."
"I know. But you don't have to carry that alone." Kara reminded her.
"Does that mean you aren't going to carry your problems alone?" Eliza countered.
"I don't." Kara said. "Okay I do, but I am trying not to." She added as they heard MJ yell.
"There will be none left."
"Come on. Let's get inside." Eliza said.