"Here." Vasquez said passing Supergirl a vanilla latte and a sticky bun.
"Thanks." Kara said taking them.
"Sorry you had to pull an all nighter."
"It's okay." Kara said eating the bun. "Eliza is checking up on Alex."
"Which one?"
"Both."
"Well I have some good news." Vasquez said.
"What?"
"A way to detect the body doubles."
"That's great."
"Well not so much for the people being tested as they will need weekly blood tests." Vasquez said.
"Isn't that how you were doing it before?" Kara asked.
"Yes, I haven't got to the new part yet." Vasquez said.
"Sorry, go on."
"We are also prototyping two non evasive tests. The first Lena came up with, it is similar to her alien detector. The other was inspired by Chewie. It is a sniff test. The body doubles might be able to look identical, but they can't smell identical."
"You think Chewie sniffed the differences?"
"No idea. For all I know he is a telepathic dog. But smell seemed the most logical." Vasquez said. "Anyway it is not fully tested, but we are starting to trial it."
"Well let's hope we don't need it." Supergirl said.
"Ma'am." Rose said approaching them.
"Yes." Supergirl said.
"There's a massive pile up, they need your help."
"Thanks." Supergirl said flying off.
00
"Hey." Kara said entering her sister's bedroom that evening. "I bring food and company."
"I'm a little insulted I wasn't the first in that list." Lena commented.
"Hi Lena." Alex said.
"Hi. I'd ask how you were feeling, but I can practically see the anger cloud over you." Lena said.
"Maybe I would be less angry if I could do something, like work."
"Do I need to get Eliza up here again?" Kara asked.
"No."
"Maybe we can brainstorm together?" Lena suggested.
"Anything beats staring at these walls." Alex said miserably.
"Want to know what gets me?" Kara asked.
"What?"
"Steve. I mean you getting switched makes sense as they were after Warehouse 13, but Steve?"
"There are two reasons I can think of." Alex said. "Firstly his work on Clare may have uncovered something they wanted access to."
"Only Steve has been on leave so no access to the hospital and Clare is fine." Kara pointed out.
"Option two is they know you are close and it was a way at getting to you." Alex went on.
"So you agree it is my fault?" Kara asked.
"That's not what I said." Alex countered.
"There's a third option." Lena said. "One you won't like." She said looking at Kara before turning to Alex and saying. "But one I know you have thought of."
"What?" Kara asked.
"What if Steve is a plant?"
"What?" Kara asked confused.
"What if Steve actually works for Tycho? What if the kidnapping was to make him look innocent or so that when you rescued Steve he'd have access to the DEO?"
"That's crazy." Kara said.
"Is it?" Lena asked.
"Yes. I mean there is Martin for starters."
"Perfect cover." Lena shrugged. "Look I am not saying that is the case, but it is a possibility."
"Why aren't you arguing?" Kara asked looking at her sister.
"Because she has a point and it is a theory I had considered." Alex said.
"And dismissed?"
"Not quite there yet."
"Wow, you two are paranoid. I'm going to leave this paranoia and check on Alex." She said leaving.
"Well that went well." Lena said dryly.
"Did you really think it would go differently?" Alex asked.
"I guess not." Lena conceded.
"What did you two do to upset Kara?" Eliza asked entering Alex's bedroom moments later.
"I may have suggested that Steve was working for Tycho." Lena said.
"Do you really think he is?" Eliza asked.
"It's a possibility I'm not ruling out." Lena replied.
"You ever consider your paranoia is why you are still single?" Eliza asked.
"Being a Luthor is a bigger obstacle." Lena shrugged. "Which is not an excuse that Alex or Kara has."
"Thanks for throwing me under a bus there." Alex shot back.
"You're welcome. But back to Steve, there is an easy way to see if it was a ruse to get access to the DEO."
"How?" Alex asked.
"The security footage will show if he did anything he shouldn't. I could review it."
"Do it." Alex said. "But let's not tell Kara."
-00-
"I thought you were with Alex and Lena?" The teenage Alex asked when she saw her mother sitting in the apartment working on a laptop.
"Change of plans. How was chess?" Kara asked.
"It was fine." Alex said before asking. "Can we talk?" Alex asked. Knowing from her tone it was important Kara closed her laptop and asked.
"What's wrong?"
"I was thinking about Steve and not saying anything to you about him acting strangely. And the thing is, he's not the only one. But I don't know if it is something bad. But if it isn't I think I'd be betraying them."
"I can't force you to tell me, but you can answer this question. If it turns out this person was a shapeshifter and you did nothing, how much worse would it be if you did nothing, than if they were just themselves and you did something?"
"Bad. And things are already bad so I guess they can't get worse." The teen said avoiding eye contact.
"Sounds like you know what you need to do." Kara said.
"It's MJ. He's changed. He's saying things and doing things that aren't him. He's angry all the time and he's – it doesn't matter. The point is he's different."
"He could be scared at every thing that's happened." Kara said.
"I know, but it's from before that." Alex said. "Way before that."
"All the way back to the fight you had?"
"Actually from before then." The teen said. "And that led to the fight, in part."
"You want to talk about the fight?"
"No. I don't want to betray him. But something is wrong."
-00-
"Shouldn't you be at home?" Alex asked when her sister entered the room.
"We need to talk."
"Is this about what we said about Steve? Because-"
"No. Something else."
"What?"
"MJ."
"What's he done now?" Alex asked.
"Nothing. Kind of."
"What's wrong?"
"Alex talked to me just now. She's worried about him. She said he's been acting differently for months."
"Why tell you now? Did something happen?"
"Steve. When she said Martin had told her and MJ that he was acting strange I told her she should have told me." Kara said. "She's worried. It could be nothing and if it is, then he may feel like Alex betrayed his trust."
"Well seeing what has happened it seems reasonable to have J'onn check everyone is who they say they are." Alex said.
00
When MJ got home that evening he quietly walked up stairs hoping to sneak into his room. But before he got there he heard his mother call.
"MJ, come in here."
"What's going on?" MJ asked entering his mother's room.
"I want you to let J'onn scan you."
"Why?"
"After everything that has happened I want to make sure we haven't missed anything." Alex said.
"You think I am a shapeshifter?" MJ asked.
"No."
"Sounds like it."
"Last year Malaise got your sister and got to me and no one noticed. This year I and Steve have been replaced. I want to check we haven't missed anything. Especially as you were alone with the fake me."
"I'm fine. I don't want anyone in my head."
"MJ, something is different with you and -"
"Did Alex tell you that?"
"What? Alex hasn't told me anything." His mother said, bending the truth slightly.
"Sure. And just like always you take her side. Have you thought that maybe she is the shapeshifter?"
"MJ, no one is saying you are a shapeshifter."
"So you just think I'm what? Nuts? Possessed?"
"I'm not saying anything like that." Alex said.
"Sure." MJ said leaving the room, slamming the door loudly.
00
"What's going on?" Eliza asked entering her daughter's room.
"I told MJ that I wanted J'onn to scan him."
"Why?" Eliza asked.
"To make sure he is him and not a shapeshifter."
"Do you think all these theories might be coming from the fact you have too much time and not enough to do?" Eliza asked.
"This time it's not me. Alex said he's been acting strange. And him storming off like that isn't exactly helping."
"When you were teen you probably wouldn't have wanted anyone in your head."
"I get that." Alex said. "But then he accused me of taking Alex's side and saying she was a shapeshifter."
"Any idea what's going on between those two?" Eliza asked.
"No. Only that they had a fight and since then things have been strained. I take it neither of them have said anything to you?"
"MJ is never here." Eliza said. "And Alex hasn't said anything."
"Okay well there is a back up option. The DEO has a non evasive prototype test and a blood test." Alex said. "If MJ doesn't want to be scanned he could just be tested."
"Sounds like a good compromise." Eliza agreed. "So why do you sound so doubtful?"
"Right now it seems everything I do upsets MJ." Alex sighed. "I know I was bad, but was I really this bad?"
"You had your moments." Eliza said. "Every teenager does."
"Sorry." Alex apologised.
"Well if you want to make amends listen to me for once and rest." Eliza said.
"I will, but first I need to talk to MJ." She said grabbing her crutches and slowly limping to her son's room.
00
"What are you doing in here?" MJ asked when his mother limped into his room.
"Seeing you are avoiding me, I came to you." Alex said. "But seeing that I am not meant to be walking around, I may be here for a while."
"Fine. I can go." MJ said standing.
"Just hear me out." Alex said. "I get why you don't want J'onn in your head, but you need to get why I need to make sure you are safe. And MJ, there is more to this situation than you. That is why we are all being tested. But I listened to you about not wanting J'onn in your head and if you'd prefer you can take another test so we can make sure everything is okay. We are all doing it, not just you."
"And if I don't?"
"Then J'onn will scan you."
"Fine, I'll do your stupid test."