"Hi Alex." The older Alex smiled when the teen entered the house the next morning.
"Hi."
"Everything okay last night?"
"I guess."
"You sure? You seem a little down." The older Alex said frowning just as MJ charged down the stairs and hurried to the kitchen.
"Let's go the lounge." The older Alex suggested before guiding her niece into the marginally quieter room. "What's going on?"
"It'll be the first time I've seen Martin since, well, Steve found me in the park. What if Steve told Martin?"
"Is Marin your friend?"
"Yes."
"Then regardless of whether Steve told Martin, it will be okay." Alex said.
"If it's not we've got you." MJ said.
"MJ, we were trying to talk in private." His mother said frustrated.
"There are no secrets in this house." MJ pointed out before asking. "Where's aunt Kara?"
"At home, in bed. She said she's staying at home today."
"I'll sort your mom out." Alex said to her niece. "You get to school. And don't worry both school and your mom are going to be okay."
-00-
"So it wasn't Tycho that lured her to that site?" Vasquez asked Alex, trying to get up to speed.
"Those bodies were probably Tycho's men so he probably did set the trap. It was just that trap was hijacked."
"Maybe that is why Tycho was so easy to take down?" Vasquez suggested.
"I think Lena might take exception to that comment." Alex pointed out. "But I know what you mean., it is possible someone else had sone the hard work for us." Alex said. "But right now Tycho real or not is not the problem."
"Then what is?"
"Worldkiller-1 leads the Diasporans who are ruthless war mongers."
"So another invasion attempt?" Vasquez guessed.
"Maybe. So we need that shield up and running."
"Well I do have news about that."
"Good news?" Alex asked hopefully.
"I guess that depends on your outlook." Vasquez said. "It is up and running."
"How is that bad news?" Alex asked confused.
"The tiger teams, the President ordered, found two cases of sabotage. So your theory was right."
"But it is working now?"
"Yes. And we are running drills every day to test it is working."
"Good."
"Ma'am." Rose said entering Alex's office. "Do you have a minute?"
"Sure. What's wrong?"
"We have been following Ruby's theory and trying to identify trucks that may be involved in smuggling. And we have identified a lot."
"Define a lot."
"Over one hundred a day. Now we don't think they are all used for selling the drugs, but we are pretty sure some are. We are working with the FBI to get to the bottom of it. But even of only a fraction are selling drugs, that is still a lot of drugs."
"So our problems are growing." Alex sighed.
"Yes, but we have managed to figure out how the drugs work and why they have so many side effects. But so far we haven't got a treatment that works. But the metas who we think were got by Osmose are working with us."
"And Malaise?" Alex asked.
"Nothing since your encounter." Rose said before asking. "Do you want me to prioritize that?"
"Yes, but no. Right now there are bigger threats." Alex said before Vasquez explained.
"Fleet of aliens who wants to slaughter everyone."
"Is is January already?" Rose asked.
"What?" Alex asked confused.
"We asked the Magic 8 ball and January was when the invasion was happening." Rose explained immediately regretting it. "I'm going to go."
"How long can Worldkiller-1 live without a host?" Vasquez asked.
"No idea. But I assume long enough not to have died." Alex said. "I mean it survived in molten Kryptonite."
"Okay, so one way or the other he'll get a new host, but does he take time to take control of the new host?"
"Again, no idea. The only reason he took so long with Kara was because he nearly died. Right now there are a lot of unknowns, but I know where we can get answers."
"Where?"
"Argo."
-00-
"Sam? What are you doing here?" Kara asked as she let her friend in.
"I heard you and I have something else in common." Sam said. "And seeing I am the only person on the planet to start to understand how you feel, I thought we should talk."
"I'm not really in a talking mood."
"Then I'll do the talking." Sam said before holding out a box. "I have doughnuts."
"Come in." Kara said. "But I will be really bad company."
"Well, if you get really bad I will start to interrogate you about your handsome doctor."
"What?" Kara asked confused.
"Steve." Sam said. "You made a very cute couple."
"A very fake couple." Kara said.
"That's how they all start." Sam pointed out.
"They who?" Kara questioned.
"Hallmark Movies' characters." Sam said.
"You have been bored recently." Kara pointed out.
"Death by spreadsheet." Sam confirmed as the pair sat down. "So how are you doing?"
"I came so close to killing Alex. I don't think there is a way to get over it."
"You're right. I still have nightmares about what could have been. I think I always will. But here is the really important thing. It is so easy to get lost in the nightmares and the doubt and the guilt. But when you do that you miss so much."
"I want to be there for Alex, but she has shut herself off. She is trying to be so strong and I hate that. She should be being a kid, not worried about me."
-00-
"Alex? What are you doing here? Has something happened to Kara or Alex?" Alura asked when she saw the DEO Director being escorted towards her.
"They are okay, now." Alex said. "But something did happen. And it involves Zor-El's work. I'm here hoping to get answers."
"I'll help anyway I can." Alura said.
-00-
"Hi Alex." Sam smiled as the teen entered the apartment.
"Hi." The teenage Alex said, surprised to see Sam. "Are you getting mom drunk again?"
"That is plan B." Sam smiled.
"Where is she?"
"Over at your cousins' getting some milk. She'll be back in a minute. How are you doing?"
"Okay."
"Can I tell you something?" Sam asked.
"Sure."
"After your mom saved me from being Reign I remembered what I did. Just like your mom does now. And I remembered trying to kill Ruby and how scared she had been. But afterwards Ruby tried so hard to not make me feel guilty, she covered her fear to help me. But no matter how hard she tried to hide it, I could still see it. I tried talking to her, but she was being strong for me and lied. Just like you are doing with your mom. But the thing is, it made me feel even worse because it was a reminder of how I had deprived Ruby of some of her childhood and forced her to grow up too quick. I know you want to help your mom but maybe talking is the best way to do that." Sam suggested just as the front door opened.
"Hi mom." The teenage Alex said hugging her mother.
"Hi." Kara smiled. "Did you have a good day?"
"It was okay." She sad before Lena walked in and said.
"Sorry I'm late. Oh hi Alex." She said.
"Hi." The teen said. She then looked at her mother and asked. "Are you okay if I help MJ with his homework? I kind of owe him."
"Sure." Kara smiled.
-00-
"Hi Sweetie." Eliza greeted as the teenage Alex came into the house with Chewie.
"Have you come to do my homework?" MJ asked seeing his cousin.
"MJ!" Eliza chastised.
"What? Mom wants me to get good grades." MJ pointed out.
"Sam and Lena are with mom, can I hang out here?" The teenage Alex asked.
"You never need to ask that." Eliza said. "While MJ finishes his homework do you want to help me with dinner?"
"Sure."
"So unfair." MJ muttered as Eliza went into the kitchen. Before Alex followed her, she pulled a folder out of her bag and passed it to MJ.
"So how was school?" Eliza asked as Alex entered the kitchen.
"Okay I guess."
"Any problems with Martin?"
"No. It seemed normal. He didn't say anything about Steve finding me in the park."
"Good." Eliza smiled. "And how are you doing?"
"Last night I had a nightmare. And I wanted to see mom, but then I remembered what happened and I got scared and I froze."
"Oh Alex." Eliza said hugging her. After a moment she pulled back and asked. "Did you manage to get any sleep?"
"Yes. Mom came into my room soon after and we talked for a bit then I fell to sleep."
"Alex, I can't begin to imagine how scared you were when you were attacked. How lonely you must have felt in that park. And it will take time to get over what happened. But you aren't alone. We are all here to to help."