"Morning Sweetie." Eliza greeted when her granddaughter entered the house.
"Hi."
"Where's your mom?"
"She went to work."
"Already?" Her aunt asked.
"She was still mad." The teen said.
"How mad?" The older Alex asked.
"She's talking about going to Argo." The teen said.
"She'll calm down." Eliza said. "I am sure she is just trying to protect you."
"How are you doing?" Alex asked her niece.
"Okay."
"Why didn't you say anything?" The older Alex asked her.
"Because I knew mom would get like this and then cut herself off from you and that's when she gets into trouble."
"I'll keep an eye on her." The older Alex said as MJ entered the kitchen. On seeing his cousin he quickly looked for his aunt.
"It's okay she's gone to work." His cousin said.
"You two get to school." The older Alex said before looking at her niece. "I'll talk to your mom."
00
"Problem?" Vasquez asked as Alex sighed having put her phone down.
"Kara isn't answering."
"Which one?"
"The older one."
"You think she is in trouble?"
"I hope not. But she is mad and has shut herself off."
"Does this have something to do with the spike last night?" Ruby asked.
"What spike?"
"Energy spike in the desert. Signature normally associated with heat vision. Only it was one big spike."
"Probably." Alex sighed. "She was angry last night."
"Anything I can help with?" Vasquez offered.
"No." Alex replied. "Unless you have a time machine."
"Well there is that-"
"I was joking." Alex cut her off. "If Supergirl turns up let me know."
"Will do." Vasquez said.
"Have you found anything on Jess?"
"No. The trail is completely cold, but we'll keep looking."
"Ma'am, we have something." Kepler said entering the office.
"What?"
"We started to look into the possibility that whoever stole the chemical wanted to make more of it. So we have been tracking orders and we think we have found evidence that someone is buying enough to make a lot it."
"Who?"
"Well there isn't one company and on the face of it all the purchases seem legit. However, several of them have increased the quality they have been buying over the last three months. And if we follow the trails we think we can find a very weak, and in no way useable in court, link back to Tycho." Before that news had time to sink in Kepler added. "Also one of the components is pretty rare and the order only arrived last week."
"Which will be enough time to make it." Alex said taking out her phone and trying her sister again.
00
As Kara waited in the reception area her phone started ringing again. Taking it out of her bag she checked it wasn't her daughter before silencing it and tossing it back in the back.
"You can go in now." The man on the reception desk said.
"Thank you." Kara said walking towards an office door.
"Ms Thorn." Kara said walking into the office.
"Ms Danvers. I was surprised you reached out. Normally you prefer to throw stones from a distance."
"Excuse me?"
"For nearly a year you have run a smear campaign against my employer."
"So you are saying the claims are false?" Kara asked.
"If I did would you believe me?"
"You have proof?"
"I thought in this country we were innocent until proven guilty." Thorn countered. "Which is why your treatment of Mr Tycho seems unjust. I mean if you had proof the authorities would be dealing with it, but they are not."
"It was my understanding that Tycho hasn't been in the country for a year." Kara stated.
"But he has still answered all questions that have been put before him." Thorn said. "Ms Danvers, based on your call this morning I thought you were genuinely interested in uncovering the truth, if you just want to mud sling perhaps you should go." Not giving Kara a chance to answer she offered. "Or you can ask questions like an adult."
"Fine. I believe you are his personal assistant."
"Not exactly accurate, but I am sure we can go into details in a bit." Thorn said.
"So what can you tell me about Tycho?"
"He is good man, he has a clear vision, which he can sell to his employees. Maybe that is why he is so rich."
"So you are saying there are no skeletons?"
"Everyone has skeletons, whether they are literal or trying to hide something about themselves, their identity maybe. We can discuss yours if you want."
"The readers are more interested in your employer."
"I don't know." Thorn smiled. "Imagine how many of Cat's readers would love to know your connection to Supergirl. But I am not in the gossip column business." Thorn smiled. "So please go on."
"Does you employer want people to have powers?"
"He believes in equality and equal opportunities. If he can make the world more fair he will."
"So his obsession with Supergirl is what?"
"There is no obsession. The world does not revolve around Supergirl or Cat Grant for that matter."
"If you employer has nothing to hide, why is he overseas?"
"We are a global business and he does not have trust issues. He trusts me to keep things running here."
"So it's not that he is running?"
"He is running." Thorn said. "He is running towards success. Perhaps it isn't something you recognise."
"Does your employer have any connection to the drugs that provide powers to people?"
"Probably. I mean everyone on this planet is connected in some way shape or form, so I am sure he knows one of the victims."
"If you didn't want to answer my questions why agree to the interview?" Kara asked.
"An opportunuty arose."
"Opportunity?" Kara asked.
"There are many things I don't understand. You being one of them." Thorn said standing and walking to the far side of the office.
"What do you mean?"
"Are you as arrogant as people like Veronica Cale suggest or are you just stupid?"
"What do you mean?" Kara asked confused.
"You believe that my employer is obsessesd with you, wants you in his pocession. Yet you have just walked into his lair completely alone. Not even the DEO know you are here. On the off chance it is stupidity rather than arrogance, let we clarify you have just walked straight into a trap." Thorn said as gas filled the room.
As Kara fell to the floor in agony Ms Thorn pressed a button causing four men to enter the room.
"Take her to the facility then move onto phase two."
-00-
"Want some help?" MJ asked as he approached his cousin who was packing away some sports equipment.
"It's fine."
"Isn't Myron meant to be helping you?"
"Yes, but then again this is probably easier without him." She said picking up some more equipment to carry back to the shed. Seeing MJ do the same she said. "You really don't have to help."
"It's not like I have anything better to do." He said just as they heard a loud roaring engine. Turning they saw Lobo's bike skid to a stop moments before the bounty hunter got off his bike. As he stood and stretched he looked at Alex and grinned before pulling out a cigar and lighting it. He then walked towards Alex as a large group of students started to approach the area.
"Stay away from her." MJ said stepping in front of his cousin.
"No." Lobo said confused by the intrusion. When MJ didn't move alien asked. "Don't yer know who I am? I'm Slayer of Supes. Destroyer of Drilando. Killer of .. well anything."
"You can't have her." MJ said glancing back at Alex and saying. "Run."
"Wouldn't do yer or her any good." He said as Alex erected a small forcefield round her cousin. However when Lobo swatted MJ like a fly the teen still went to the ground.
As Lobo stepped towards Alex he pointed to her necklace and said. "That won't help neither. Skirt won't be coming for you."
"What have you done?" Alex asked.
"Nothing." He said reaching out to grab her. "Let's go."
"No." She said wanting to use her powers, but knowing that most of the school was now watching she couldn't.
"It's not like you can stop me." He said as a branch hit his back and snapped. Turning he saw MJ standing behind him with the remnants of the branch in his hands.
"Seriously?" Lobo asked punching MJ, who was once again saved from serious damage by Alex putting up a weak forcefield round him, small enough so her classmates wouldn't notice, but big enough to save her cousin from serious damage.
As MJ hit the deck, landing awkwardly on his wrist, Lobo walked towards him and put his boot on MJ's ribs.
"You are nothing." Lobo said as he started to apply pressure, which was repelled by the forcefield.
"Stop it." Alex pleaded as she ran towards Lobo and kicked the back of his knee hard enough to cause him pain. Angered he struck out with his fist landing a punch on Alex's jaw, sending her to the ground unconscious. As she fell the forcefield round MJ disappeared and he could hear a crack as Lobo's food pressed down on him.
"Alex-" MJ cried as Lobo released pressure and walked to Alex. Bending down he picked up the unconscious teen and started to walk to his bike only to find MJ crawling towards the bike.
"You wanna be croaked?" Lobo asked.
Getting to his feet again MJ lunged at Lobo who once again batted him away. This time MJ went down and didn't get up while Lobo put the unconscious Alex onto his bike and rode off moments before two DEO Agents ran to the scene.