"What are you doing here?" Alex asked when Kara entered her office the next day.
"I thought you might want some help?"
"Sure, but wouldn't you prefer to be with Alex?"
"The kids have gone Go-Karting so I am surplus to requirements, until this evening." Kara shrugged.
"I thought you were meeting Frax?"
"We did, for lunch."
"It's after lunch?" Alex asked looking at her watch. "Already?"
"What are you working on?" Kara asked.
"That pile is full of test results on the army who took Cale's drugs. And that pile is the test results of some of dead bodies we found in the tunnels."
"What happened to a digital office?" Kara asked.
"I don't have enough screens to see all the photos at once." Alex said.
"Budget cuts?" Kara asked.
"More like the DEO has taken a lot of damage recently and we ran out when we had to replace them."
"Anything I can do to help?" Kara asked.
"I'm assuming you don't mean a bank robbery to fund better IT?" Alex asked.
"No." Kara confirmed.
"To be honest, I don't know." Alex said. "I don't even know what I am looking for."
"Then I may as well look as well." Kara said.
"Some of the pictures are kind of sick." Alex warned.
"I'll cope." Kara said taking the first stack and going through them with superspeed. After a moment she stopped and said. "These people are sick. Who would do that to a person?"
"I don't know yet, but we figure it out. However our first priority has to be figuring out what happened to them. If what happened isn't contained we are screwed."
"But after that, you won't even be able to ID half these guys will you?" Kara asked.
"Not unless we have their DNA in our system." Alex confirmed.
"All these guys will have family out there somewhere." Kara said sadly.
"We will do whatever we can." Alex promised.
"Can I try?"
"How?"
"Through CatCo. Appealing for people to come forward."
"Um, sure, but you can't for a few weeks. Until we know for sure what happened no one can know about this."
"Hi guys." Vasquez said walking into the office.
"Hey." Kara smiled.
"I've got the first batch of results from the water in the canals."
"And?"
"Plenty of stuff that makes you not want to wade through or drink it. But nothing that should have killed everyone like that."
"How are the teams that went in yesterday?" Alex asked.
"Still showing no signs of anything. But still locked away in bio containment."
"That's something I guess." Alex sighed.
"And don't forget you have a VTC with the President in an hour."
"Thanks." Alex said wearily.
"What do you want me to do?" Kara asked.
"Right now there isn't anything." Alex said. "Actually that's not true." She then looked at Vasquez. "If you are right and this is a distraction we can't drop the ball on the other things." She then turned back to Kara and said. "So carefully I need you to get to the bottom of the drugs."
"I can do that."
"But you need to be careful and I am assigning you some agents."
"Don't you need them?"
"They are fresh out of training and not assigned to anything yet." Alex said.
"Which translates to they follow orders." Vasquez added.
"Let them protect you." Alex added.
"Fine." Kara replied. "I'll let you know what I find."
"Thanks."
"I'll see you at dinner." Kara said.
"Actually, I'll be working-"
"Not with your blood pressure. If you aren't home by six I will pick you up." Kara said walking out.
"I am sure she is getting more bossy." Alex said.
-00-
"Hi mom." The teenage Kara called when her mother walked into the lounge.
"Has something happened?" Alex asked.
"No, why?"
"You are home." Alex pointed out.
"You'd prefer us not to be here?"
"No. Just surprised to see you. Where's your brother?"
"Upstairs with Alex." The teen said as a message came through on her watch. Having read it she asked her mother. "Have you had a fight with aunt Kara?"
"No. Why?"
"She's asking me if you are home."
"I'll already told her I was." Alex said as her daughter sent off a reply. A moment later another message came through and the teen said.
"She says she didn't believe you."
"Seeing you are the chosen communication tool do you want to ask her when she will be back?" Alex asked.
"Sure." The teen said sending off the response.
"Grandma is out with J'onn so we need to order takeout or get food." The teen said to her mother while waiting for a response.
"Takeout." Alex said as her daughter's watch buzzed.
"Aunt Kara says an hour."
"Tell your aunt that all the potstickers will be gone in thirty minutes." Alex said.
"Are you sure you haven't had a fight?" The teen asked.
"We have not had a fight." Alex confirmed as the reply came through.
"She says you aren't allow potstickers too much salt. So hands off." Kara read out. "Wait, why aren't you allowed salt?"
"Your aunt is trying to go on a health drive on my behalf." The adult Alex said.
"Why?" Kara asked frowning.
"She likes worrying." Alex said.
"Should I be worrying?" The teen asked.
"Not unless your aunt switches my coffee for decaff again." Alex said. "I'm going take a shower then I will go get dinner."
"Want us to go?" Diz asked.
"That would be great, thanks." Alex said.
"Any preference?" The teenage Kara asked standing.
"You can choose." Alex said before heading up to take a shower.
-00-
"I don't smell potstickers." Kara said when she came into the house thirty minutes later.
"Kara and Diz aren't back yet." Alex said. "They should be here any minute."
"With potstickers?"
"I don't know. I told Kara she could decide." Alex said as they heard footsteps come down the stairs. Moments later the teenage Alex and Chewie entered the kitchen.
"Hi." Kara said hugging her. "How was Go-Karting?"
"It was fun."
"Good." Kara said pulling away.
"Where have you been?" The teen asked.
"Just at work." Kara said. "I want to get everything finished before we go to Midvale. Speaking of which have you finished your homework?"
"Yes." The teen replied.
"Has MJ?" Her aunt asked.
"Depends on your definition of finished." The teen said as the front door opened and the teenage Kara returned with Diz and the food.
"What took so long?" Alex asked as they entered the kitchen.
"We had to make an extra stop to get potstickers." The teenager Kara said.
"That's why you are my favourite niece." The older Kara smiled taking the bag off the teen.
"Can one of you get MJ?" The older Alex asked.
"Sure." Her teenage namesake said before disappearing as Diz put the food on the table.
"You okay?" Alex asked her sister who looked lost in thought. Not getting a response she said. "Kara."
"Sorry what?" Her sister asked looking at her.
"You okay?" Alex pressed.
"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about work." She said as her daughter came back into the kitchen. "I'm just a little tired."
-00-
"What's going on?" The older Alex asked her sister as she walked Chewie with her that evening.
"Nothing."
"Try again." Alex pressed.
"I just keeping thinking about all those people who died. And it just seems like such a waste. And what if they aren't the only ones and could we have stopped it?"
"Kara, nothing could have stopped it. Either Vasquez is right and they are random bodies, although I don't think so as no morgues have reported missing bodies, or those people were involved in the illegal distribution of drugs that killed people. I'm not saying that makes it right, but they weren't innocent."
"I know that. But no one deserves what happened."
"I know." Alex said. "But what happened was not your fault. The only person to blame is the person who ordered it."
"Who is still out there. And if they can do that think about what else they could do."
"Trust me, I can't stop thinking about that." Alex said as she sat on a bench.
"You think this is Tycho?"
"I don't know. It could be Tycho was just a decoy and the person behind its coding is now flexing their muscles." Alex said. "Or maybe the person who assumed Cale's identity was behind everything and is now cleaning up or maybe Cale herself was behind everything and is now desperately trying to cover her tracks."
"What if it is Lobo?" Kara asked.
"He left."
"But before that, he could have killed them. Killing is what he does." Kara said. "He is smart, homicidal and obsessed with me. What if he created Tycho? What if he made the drugs?"
"I guess it is possible." Alex conceded.
"If he is behind it, that makes it my fault."
"No it doesn't." Alex said. "If he is behind it, Lobo and no one else is to blame."
"If he is, how do we stop him? I mean he is immortal."
"I don't know." Alex said stroking Chewie. "Maybe we could try selenium."
"Selenium?" Kara asked confused. "Why does that sound familiar? … wait did you just reference Evolution?"
"Maybe."
"At this moment I have nothing better to go with than anti dandruff shampoo." Kara said sadly. "Although he would probably think I was hitting on him."
"I know it sounds hollow right now, but whoever is behind this we will figure it out. And no matter happens we are in this together."
"Thanks." Kara said leaning against her sister's shoulder.
-00-
Waking to a bark the teenage Alex wearily said. "Not now." In response the dog licked her face and barked again.
"Sush, you'll wake mom." Alex said opening her eyes as Chewie licked her again. Now fully awake she became aware of noises coming from the apartment.
"Mom?" She called getting out of bed and following Chewie to her mother's room where the noises were coming from.
Seeing her mother thrash in her sleep she stepped into the room.
"Mom!" The teenage Alex said loudly as she tried to wake her mother who was lost in a nightmare. Getting no response she stepped closer and again called to her mother who suddenly sat up, eyes glowing, causing Alex to step back but again she called. "Mom!"
"Alex?" Kara asked looking round. "Are you okay?"
"You were having a nightmare." The teenager said stepping back towards the bed. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine." Kara said.
"You're trembling." The teen said looking at her mother's shaking hands. "Should I call Alex?"
"No I'm fine. But I could use a hug." Kara said causing her daughter to move closer and hug her.
"What was it about?" The teen asked.
"It doesn't matter. It's over." Kara said holding her daughter tightly. Finally she released her and said. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"You didn't, Chewie did." The teen said. "Are you really okay?"
"I'm fine, it was just a bad dream." Kara said.