"Morning Alex." Eliza said hugging her granddaughter when she entered the house the next day.
"Morning." She said.
"Everything okay?" The older Alex asked.
"Sure."
"Want some breakfast?" Eliza offered.
"Yes please."
"Pancakes or cereal?"
"Pancakes." She said surprising everyone. Seeing their expressions she explained.
"What? I'm hungry. I used my powers a lot last night."
"You did?" Eliza asked.
"Mom took me to blow up some rocks."
"Why don't we get to do cool things like that?" MJ asked.
"Your mom okay this morning?" Eliza asked.
"Seems to be. She said she'd be over in a minute." The teenager said smothering the freshly cooked pancakes in maple syrup.
"Do you want a Twinkie?" MJ asked.
"No. Why?" The teenage Alex asked confused.
"Good news is her weirdness is not silver Kryptonite." MJ said to everyone else.
"What's weird about eating breakfast?" The teenage Alex asked.
"If it were your mom, nothing. But you eating that. Weird." MJ said.
"Well I don't want mom to have anything else to worry about." The teenage Alex explained.
"Why can't you two be that considerate?" The adult Alex asked her kids.
"You're right. We will do our best not to make aunt Kara worry." Her daughter said, earning a stare from her mother.
"Morning." The older Kara said entering the kitchen while carrying Chewie.
"Hi Sweetie." Eliza greeted.
"Hi." Kara smiled before seeing what her daughter was eating. "You feeling okay?"
"Told you it was weird." MJ said.
-00-
"How are you doing?" Alex asked her sister once the kids had gone.
"Better, I guess."
"Not very convincing." Eliza said.
"I feel like a hypocrite."
"Why?"
"Last night we went and blew up some rocks."
"Alex mentioned that." Her sister said.
"Well I was trying to help her find the anger behind the anger. But as I was blowing stuff up I released I am no better. I have this anger inside me and I don't know why."
"Tycho? Being tortured? Alex being in danger?" Her sister listed.
"I know. But this feels different. "
"Kara you have been through a lot. You need a break." Alex reminded her. "You need to have some fun."
"Do you actually know what that is?" Kara asked.
"That's not funny." Alex said as Eliza suggested.
"Why don't you and Alex go to Argo for the weekend? Or Midvale? Or Metropolis to see your cousin."
"Maybe" Kara said.
"Just think about it."
"I will." Kara said. "As soon as I have finished my article. I'll see you later."
-00-
"We've been searching for the missing metas and we may have a lead." Harris said.
"What?" Alex asked.
"Remember we were chasing up the lost pet stories incase they were linked to the spiders?"
"Yes, I thought that was a dead end?"
"It was. They accessed it from an adjoining basement. But after that we got another hit of missing pets about ten miles away from the first. Only with this one there was also strange weather patterns. A lot of fog. Seeing one of the missing metas is meant to be able to control fog that seemed too much of a coincidence. So we looked at the city's subway's plans again, we still found nothing so we dug further and may have found something." He said rolling out some plans on the table. "Back in 1890 Charles Hyatt owned many of the mines outside of the city, or what became National City. To transport the mining products to the coast for shipping he built canals. And there are rumours he built underground canals. The records from back then haven't been digitised so it is not easy to find information. But we did find some early plans." He explained. "As you cans see in the original plans the underground canal would have run between the two places we have seen animals go missing."
"They go a lot further than that." Alex said looking at the plans.
"These are early plans. We don't know if they were built or where the access points are."
"Start looking." Alex instructed.
-00-
"Hi Steve." Kara said as she approached the front door and saw him on the doorstep.
"Hi." He said turning. "I was just picking Martin up."
"Is no one letting you in?"
"No."
Shaking her head Kara put her hand on the pad and the door opened.
"Come on in." Kara said. "They are probably engrossed in a game."
"Probably." He agreed as they entered the lounge and saw five teens. Kara, Diz and MJ standing watching Alex and Martin, who were sitting seemingly looking at something invisible between them causing Steve to say. "Or not."
"What are they doing?" Kara asked her niece.
"Air chess."
"What?" Steve asked.
"Air chess. You know where you play on an imaginary board." The teen explained.
"But there is a real board right there." Steve said confused seeing the real board on the coffee table.
"MJ said it couldn't be done and now they are proving him wrong." Diz added.
"Couldn't they just be making the whole thing up?" Steve asked.
"Yes. That is why this is their tenth game. MJ is still searching for proof they are pretending."
"And you are standing round watching them play air chess?" The older Kara asked.
"No." Her niece said. "MJ is watching them play and we are watching MJ's head look like it is going to explode."
"Want to go grab a coffee while they are playing imaginary chess?" Steve offered to Kara.
"Sure." Kara smiled following him out of the house.
-00-
"So how are you doing?" Steve asked Kara as they walked down the street. "Martin said Alex had been sick recently."
"I think she is back to normal now." Kara replied before changing topics. "How about you? Still escaping the PTA?"
"For now. But I am sure it is only temporary." He smiled.
"Maybe if you hang out with us, you will be deemed unacceptable."
"I like that plan." Steve replied as they reached the small coffee shop on the corner. As he opened the door he added. "Grab a table I'll get the drinks."
"One hot chocolate with cream, marshmallows and a chocolate stick." He said putting the mug down in front of Kara a few minutes later. "And a banana muffin." He said putting down a plate. He then took another cup off the tray and sat down.
"How did you know this was what I wanted?" Kara asked.
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Yes."
"That's not what Alex says." Steve commented. "But I will tell you anyway. I have a power, to know exactly what people want to drink."
"You do?" Kara asked.
"Yes, see those two. She is a hazelnut latte girl and he is a peppermint hot chocolate."
"I'm pretty sure that is a teapot on the table." Kara pointed out.
"I know what people want, not what they'll order." Steve said. "Like that guy there, wants the chocolate peanut butter iced coffee."
"That guy?" Kara asked pointing.
"Yep."
"As in Bruce who has a peanut allergy."
"So shouldn't have done this in a place you normally go to." Steve muttered.
"So no special power?" Kara guessed.
"No." Steve confirmed. "But don't worry I'm not stalking you either. I just asked the server for your usual." Steve confessed.
"Cunning." Kara smiled. "So are things okay with you and Martin?"
"Yes. No. Maybe. I mean I thought things were going well, but then he started talking in grunts. To me anyway."
"I think that is a teenage thing." Kara said.
"That's what I keep telling myself." Steve replied. "On the bright side it allows me to master the art of having a conversation with myself."
"Always a useful skill to have." Kara agreed. "Keeps loneliness at bay."
"That sounded like the voice of experience." Steve commented.
"Not really. I just don't do well by myself."
"I don't think any human does. Not really anyway. I imagine the same is true for any life form that forms societies." Steve said. "Sorry. Too deep?" He asked before changing subjects and asking. "What's wrong with Tom?"
"Sorry? What?" Kara replied.
"Tom. The guy from the school. He's always hanging out with MJ and Alex. But you look like you don't like him. But as far as I can tell you like everyone."
"Not quite everyone." Kara corrected.
"So what has Tom done to earn your wrath?"
"He has a crush on Alex. Who is so not ready to date." Kara said before noticing Steve was laughing. "What?"
"Sorry. That was just not the answer I was expecting." He grinned as his phone buzzed. As he read the message on his watch he grimaced.
"Problem?"
"Yeah, I have to go back to work, one of my patients has taken a turn. I know it is a lot to ask, but can Martin stay with you tonight?"
"Of course."
"Thank you. You are a life saver."
-00-
"Is the game over?" Kara asked as she entered the lounge again carrying a bag.
"Yes." MJ replied.
"Although Martin offered to play Alex at Air Shogi." The younger Kara said.
"Do you know how to play Shogi?" The older Kara asked her daughter.
"No. Can you buy me a set?"
"Umm, sure." Kara agreed before looking at Martin. "Steve had to go back to work so you are staying with us tonight." Kara said. "He left this for you." She said handing him a bag.
"Hi." The adult Alex called entering the house. When she saw Martin she stopped and asked. "Didn't I just see Steve leave?"
"Work emergency." Kara explained. "Martin is going to stay with Alex and me tonight."
"Although if you want breakfast you probably need to come over here." MJ said.
"Hey." The older Kara protested. "I make excellent pancakes."
"In fact you probably just want to stay here." MJ went on. "That's where the games console is. That's okay isn't?" He asked his mother.
"Sure." The older Alex said, wondering what her son was up to.
-00-
"What's going on with your brother?" Alex asked her daughter when MJ and Martin disappeared to the den.
"What do you mean?"
"Wanting Martin to stay over."
"He's trying to protect Alex." Kara said.
"Has Martin done something to her?" Her mother asked frowning.
"What? No."
"Then what's going on?"
"Ever since you rescued her and aunt Kara, Alex has been have really bad nightmares. If Martin had stayed over there he would have figured it out and she doesn't want that."
-00-
"Why aren't you asleep?" Kara asked entering her daughter's room.
"Not tired."
"That would be a more convincing statement if you could keep your eyes open. Did you have a nightmare?"
"No. Not yet."
"That's not an optimistic outlook." Kara pointed out. "Wait, is that why MJ suggested Martin stayed over the road?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry, I should have thought it through more."
"It's fine." The teen said.
"No it's not." Kara replied. "Come on, let's go."
"Too tired to blow up rocks."
"Good to know, but that wasn't what I was going to suggest. Let's set up on the sofa and fall to sleep in front of some bad movies."
"Okay." The teenager said dragging herself out of bed and over to the couch. Once there Kara wrapped her in blankets as she set up a movie. As the opening credits started the teenager rested her head in her mother's lap and fell to sleep within minutes.