"Why the mass tree murder?" Supergirl asked entering the briefing room and seeing it to see it crammed with files.
"Well as much as I trust Lena's expertise I trust Tycho less. So just incase Lena trapping the programme was to lure us in a false sense of security the system at L-Corp is completely isolated and the only way to see what's on it is to be there or have print outs."
"Have you found anything?"
"More than enough to prosecute Tycho, if he were real. The illegal activities ran far deeper than we thought."
"Including the drugs?"
"Well, the research he conducted to get to you revealed a way to unstably give humans powers."
"Unstably?"
"The subjects died after a short time. He handed all his research to Stagg, who seemed to be the one wanting humans to have powers."
"You think Stagg is still pulling strings on the drugs?"
"I don't know." Alex said. "Seeing this is less than point zero zero one percent of what we have it is going to take a while to go through it."
"I have a staff meeting at CatCo, but I'll come by after and help."
"Thanks. And Kara, be careful."
-00-
"I bring food and coffee." Supergirl said as she showed up in the briefing room a few hours later.
"Thanks." Alex said looking up. "But you look like you need it more. You okay?"
"Last night is catching up with me." Kara said sitting.
"The in-law encounter?" Vasquez asked.
"No. Alex still isn't sleeping."
"What about seeing Kildunne?" Vasquez suggested.
"Who?" Kara asked.
"The DEO shrink." Alex said.
"There's no way she could talk without giving away who she is though." Kara pointed out.
"Yeah, about that, I am pretty sure everyone here knows. But they have made it very clear that they know nothing." Vasquez said. "But at this stage if they don't know we should probably fire them for incompetence."
"We have an issue." Harris said entering the office.
"What?" Alex asked.
"The store that we think is selling the shoes that contain drugs just had a customer, well several customers, who are known to us. They left with several boxes." He said showing Alex a photo.
"That son of a – I thought he was out of State."
"Apparently not."
"On it." Supergirl said flying off.
-00-
"Hi guys." Kara said approaching her niece and Diz who were sitting in cafe.
"Is mom okay?" The teenage Kara asked.
"She's fine."
"MJ?"
"Everyone is fine." The older Kara assured her.
"Then why are you here?" Diz asked.
"Holtz is back in the city and we think he purchased drugs that can give people powers."
"You think he is coming after me?" The teenage Kara asked.
"We don't know. But I'm here to keep an eye out." Her aunt explained.
"Wouldn't your mom be better?" Diz asked the teenage Kara.
"I heard that." The older Kara said. "But if you'd prefer Alex to be a third wheel on your date I'm sure she'd be happy to comply."
"No." The teenage Kara said quickly. "But what about Alex? I mean doesn't Holtz hold a grudge against her as well?"
"She is with J'onn and Frax. And MJ is with Ruby and Eliza. This may be nothing, but there is no harm in being careful. I take it you've not seen Holtz?"
"No." The teenage Kara said before a slightly awkward silence fell.
"Why don't you go to my apartment? You two hang out there and watch movies and whatever else it is you do. I'll wait at your place." The older Kara suggested.
"Won't that freak mom out?" The teenage Kara asked.
"Absolutely. But she'd prefer to be freaked out than you to be in danger."
-00-
"Hey boss." Ruby said entering Alex's office.
"Ruby? Weren't you with MJ?"
"Yes, I switched, because I found something."
"What?"
"I have being going over the security footage of the tunnel the trucks take to the city. It shows every truck entering and leaving. Most trucks take five to ten minutes to transit. However, some took an hour. No other trucks took that long so it couldn't have been caused by a breakdown or accident as that would have delayed everyone. So we think some come early, enter the hidden part and then wait for the truck with the container they are switching out to arrive."
"Makes sense." Alex agreed.
"So the good news is we can work out which those trucks were. Bad news is there were twenty on the day the switch happened, which implies there are nineteen other dodgy trucks out there somewhere. Now the plates are fake so we can't easily track them, but we do have photos of the drivers and that is where it gets interesting."
"How?"
"I was going through the photos at your place and MJ saw them. He recognised this man." Ruby said showing Alex a picture.
"From where?" Alex asked.
"He was the fake cop who went to you place after the accident."
"You sure?" Alex asked.
"Yes. And now we have an ID." Ruby said. "He is Jai Burns and is a merc. One with ties to Utkin."
"Any known address?" Alex asked.
"No. But now we have his image we are using facial recognition and are starting to get hits."
"Nice work." Alex said.
"Thanks. And seeing I am in your good books, I'm going to ask, should you still be here? I mean you nearly died."
"I'm just doing paperwork and trying to find where Holtz is."
"Yeah, except we're doing that and you kinda look like crap." Ruby pointed out.
"I'll go home soon, but the kids' safety comes first."
-00-
"Hi guys." Kara greeted as she entered J'onn's apartment. "How is it going?"
"Good." J'onn said. "Alex continues to make progress."
"That's great." Kara smiled at her daughter.
"I should go." Frax said. "But could you show me that restaurant first?"
"Restaurant?" Kara asked lost.
"He means he wants to talk to you without me there." Alex stated.
"Is something wrong?" Kara asked frowning.
"No." Frax said.
"Okay, well I'll walk you out." Kara said. As they stepped out of the apartment Kara asked.
"What's wrong?"
"I wanted to talk to you. I wasn't sure if you wanted to do that in front of Alex." Frax said. "It is about my parents."
"What about them?"
"They want to meet Alex again."
"I won't force her."
"I tried to explain that, but they didn't understand." He said.
"What do you mean?"
"In our family, well our culture, the parents word is law."
"Didn't Fels, I mean Salkor, run away?" Kara asked.
"Yes. He had the same disregard of that rule as Alex." He smiled. "But I suggested that if you wanted to, they could meet you first."
"Okay." Kara agreed.
"Really?"
"Family is important to me and they are Alex's family. But regardless of what happens, Alex still wants to see you."
"I am pleased to hear that." He smiled.
-00-
"What did Frax want?" The teenage Alex asked as she walked home with her mother.
"Your grandparents want to see you again. I told him I wouldn't force you. But he was saying they have this crazy rule on Dakran where the parents' word is law. So if we were on Dakran you could never make me eat vegan food."
"Changing planets is an extreme way to not eat vegetables." Alex said dryly. "Are you saying you want a burger?"
"I am." Kara smiled. "Why don't I order some and you can message your cousin and warn her we'll be back soon."
"Why?"
"She and Diz are at our place."
"Did she fight with Alex again?"
"No. Holtz is back. That means you need to be careful as well."
-00-
Sitting in the lounge late that night the adult Kara mindlessly channel hopped, unable to not think about how close Alex had been to danger. As she channel hopped though she heard her daughter's heart rate accelerate causing her to rush to her room.
"Alex, wake up." Kara said as she sat on the bed next to her daughter who was whimpering in her sleep.
"Mom?" The teen said opening her eyes before hugging her mother.
"It's okay. You're safe. We both are." Kara said holding her tightly.
"I want them to stop." The teen said.
"I know." Kara said. "So do I." She added before pulling away. "Right now you are safe."
"What about you?"
"I'm fine." Kara said.
"What happened?" The teen asked.
"When?" Kara asked confused.
"After I escaped and before Alex found you." The teen clarified.
"They used Kryptonite to try and change me." Kara said.
"What if Alex hadn't had found you?" The teen asked.
"Eliza and Alex would have looked after you." Kara said.
"I meant with you. If you hadn't been found what would have happened?"
"I don't know." Kara confessed. "I love you so much and I will do whatever I can to protect you from everything. That includes protecting you from the pain of losing people you care about. I won't be able to protect you from everything, including that. But I will do whatever I can." Kara said hugging her. "Okay, time to get some sleep." Kara said.
"Will you stay with me?"
"Of course."