A red tornado

"Ms. Mercer?"

Tess looks up from the files she's browsing, even if she's still not supposed to be 'working' per doctor's orders, and regards George with vague disinterest. "What is it?"

"Those stores of meteor rock we've been monitoring across the country. We found a new one," her assistant explains. His employer merely raises an eyebrow.

"And?" So Chloe and her cohorts created a new stash of kryptonite weapons. Nice to know, but it's certainly not urgent information. Nowhere near urgent enough to disturb her when she's been in the mood she's been in for the last few weeks.

George clears his throat and continue. "It appears to be somewhat more isolated than the others and-- it's been radiating."

Oh, now that's interesting. "It's glowing?" Tess motions for him to pass the computer monitor over to her so she can see this herself. Very, very interesting. Definitely the same signature as the others, but the energy level is different. Almost as if a Kryptonian were present. "How long ago did you find this?"

"Three days ago. The patterns of radiation were deemed steady enough to bring to your attention today."

"Three days," she echoes quietly, not really wanting to think what that could actually mean. The glowing image garners another brief glance before she turns her attention back to her employee, ready to dish out instructions. "Get a team together. Small, capable and expendable. Then go to the Kandorians and tell them we have a lead on the Major. Let them think they're in charge if it'll make them co-operate easier." Tess passes the monitor back. "And then have them bring him home."

George simply nods and leaves the room.

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" --It's A Wonderful Life

At the moment, Tess Mercer would kill for a massage and a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, she's well aware neither is going happen anytime soon; there is simply too much work to be done. A meeting with Edge Monday morning, the youth literacy program proposal needs to be finished for Thursday and then there's the pages-long list of materials the Major will be expecting her to start looking for.

And when her assistant enters the study, she knows it isn't going to get any better. “The report from Strykers, ma'am,” he says, dropping a file folder onto her desk.

“Good.” More work to go over, and this is somewhat high priority. “And the labs? The room has been dismantled?”

Her assistant nods and fishes a palm drive out of his suit pocket, handing it over to his employer. “Marcus took care of it himself. That's the only copy of his research.”

That makes Tess smile. Marcus was a good boy. “How was he feeling about his … vacation?”

“He took it like a champ.”

“That's my boy,” Tess sighs, stepping away from her desk toward the wall unit that more generally served as various sized vaults. “Where are we on locating Dr. Groll?”

There's a slight hesitation. “Still looking. I'll inform you the minute we have any leads.”

Tess glances at him. “That had better be soon,” she replies sharply. “I don't pay you to fail.”

“No, ma'am.”

“You can go.” She waves him off and leave he does. Once she's alone again, Tess chooses a hidden vault and stores the palm drive inside. Such a small thing, yet it means so much. They're all such little things, but together, they'll take Tess where she wants to go.

Because Tess knows that just one change can make a big difference, even if she's just a little thing herself.