Title: The End Is Near
Author: InBetweens
Rating: PG-15
Plot: Kara encounters one of her craziest enemies yet. Takes place in an alternate version of season 2.
Part 1 of 1
Kara was slow to rise this morning. Normally the morning sunlight rejuvenated Kara in ways that sleep could not. These slow mornings usually were reserved for the winter when the sun was covered with clouds and rain for a week at a time. She didn't understand why today she felt so groggy. She had gone to bed early the night before after an eventful and odd night.
It had started last night when Kara had just been heading home. She decided to do another sweep of the city before she returned to her apartment. She had spent a majority of her evening with Cat Grant on her personal penthouse balcony. They had been talking about everything that had happened in the last six months—Myriad, Connor arriving, Superman, Cat knowing she was Supergirl, her promotion, the future. They had been opening up to each other on a new level. A level that had led to something…stupid, on Kara's part. So stupid that she'd tucked her tail between her legs and ran.
Kara was just finishing her secondary sweep of the city—ignoring Cat's texts and missed calls—when she'd heard a scream. She followed the noise and found a young girl—a few years younger than her—being attacked by three others. Two men and a woman.
The young girl had been cornered in an alley way a few blocks off any main street and she was just pushing the woman off of her by hitting her with the top of a garbage can when Kara touched down. The perps didn't pay her much mind. Not until she'd grabbed one of them.
Their eyes were glassy, almost white, and they were foaming from the mouth. It had shocked Kara enough to take a step back—right into a fourth perp that came up from behind her and stabbed her with something. And it hurt! Kara yelped in pain as she backed up at super speed into the wall, knocking the guy unconscious. Whatever he'd stabbed her with leaving an ache in her shoulder as she faced off against the other three perps. They were strong. Stronger than Kara had expected. It had taken a little longer to incapacitate them until the EMTs and police arrived to bring them to the hospital.
The cops that arrived told Kara that these four were the sixth case of 'rabies' popping up in the last two nights. The cop who took her statement blamed a new street drug that people were taking recreationally that was causing a small percentage that took the drug to get sick.
The girl that Kara saved was thankful, but she'd been injured already. One of the perpetrators had bit her. It wasn't bad. Just a flesh wound on her forearm, the doctors would easily be able to take care of it, so all in all it had been a successful night. If she didn't count her major screw up with Cat.
It wasn't until Kara was flying home talking to Alex about the strange way the perps had been acting that Kara noticed how much her shoulder hurt.
Alex had already said she would check out these drug cases the cop mentioned under the guise of it being connected to a drug trafficking case the 'FBI' was following.
"You're okay though?" Alex asked, as if she could sense when Kara was in pain. And maybe after so many years of being so close she could.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Kara had assured, only slightly lying. "My shoulder's a little sore." Kara admitted as she rubbed at the area, wincing at the sting of her fingers touching it. No blood, but the area was certainly sore. "They were stronger than they looked. One of 'em stabbed me with something hard enough for it to hurt. It didn't break skin or anything though." Kara sighed as she landed three blocks away from her apartment and changed back into her pedestrian clothes in the blink of an eye. She left a few pairs tucked away in a bag behind a large pile of debris that sat in this alley for as long as Kara had lived in her apartment. "It was hard to keep them at bay, Alex. I think this really is a DEO case. There's just something…not right."
Alex sighed on the other line, "I'll check them out. Drugs offering super human strength and animalistic tendencies isn't something we can have running around. I'll make a few calls. You take it easy for the rest of the night."
"Okay. See you tomorrow for movie night?" Kara asked with a hopeful tone. She needed to talk to Alex while they were both 'off duty'. She needed her sister's advice.
"If this doesn't keep me. Yes you will. Wouldn't miss it." Alex promised.
Kara smiled, "Great. Night, Alex."
"Night, Kar."
They'd hung up as Kara entered her apartment.
It was as if being home sapped whatever energy Kara still had right out of her. She looked at her phone and cringed as she saw three missed calls, one voice message, and four unread texts from Cat.
She promised she would deal with this tomorrow. Tomorrow would be better. She just needed to sleep. Sleep sounded sooo good.
The second Kara's head touched the pillow that night she'd passed out. She hadn't even made it to her bed, just the couch.
And that's how the morning started. With Kara falling off the couch and slow to come to a rolling stand. She didn't even have the energy to use her super powers to get dressed. Her shoulder was throbbing, and there was a heat rising from the area. But she didn't have time to look at it. She was already late. Kara knew, just from the glimpse of herself she'd gotten from the mirror; she looked terrible.
For a minute she thought about calling out sick, but just as the thought entered her mind she got a text from Cat.
"We need to discuss last night."
Sighing, Kara texted her back that she was on her way.
She also sent a text to Alex. 'Something's wrong. Need to swing by DEO after work.'
Alex's text was immediate, 'What's wrong? Can you get here before work?'
Kara: 'Can't. Already late. Not feeling well. I think I have a fever.'
Alex: 'Kara, forget work. Get here now.'
Kara: 'Can't. Cat needs me.'
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kara was late. Later than she wanted to be or even expected to be. She felt sick. Her skin was warm and clammy and she was sweating. Sweat was soaking into her clothes for the first time in months.
The last time she'd felt this gross was when she blew out her powers helping Kal-El fight off Brainiac. She'd caught a cold and hadn't been able to come into work. Alex had showed up to take care of her but her sister had left on an antibiotic run when Cat had showed up at the apartment. Cat had taken one look at Kara and whatever insult had been about to leave her mouth dried up and died on her tongue. Instead Cat pushed Kara towards the bathroom and turned on the tub and filled it with nuke warm water.
She'd told Kara to get in, and had disappeared into the apartment only to come back into the bathroom to see Kara still in her nightgown, eyes and nose runny. Cat had sighed and just helped Kara strip down to her underwear—because she hadn't been wearing a bra—and helped her put one foot and then the other into the tub. Kara was sick, had no superpowers, but she would have needed to be blind not to have seen the red hue to Cat's cheeks as Cat's eyes caught sight of Kara's bare breasts and almost completely naked body. There was also the way that Cat kept stealing glances at her and seemed to berate herself every time she gave in to that desire.
The bath was nice, and Cat put an icepack against her neck to try and help bring down the fever. She only kept the water cool so she wouldn't send Kara's body into shock, or so she explained.
It was when Kara was falling asleep in the tub that Cat helped her out of it and back into the living room. Kara had been too weak to stand on her own or even dry off. Her arms just kept falling, her hands unable to grab or support any weight within them. She felt so useless that she'd started to cry. Which only made it hard to breathe as she fell into a coughing fit. She was pathetic and Cat Grant was seeing her like this. It was humiliating and embarrassing and all around terrible.
Except, Cat Grant was amazing. She was treating her wonderfully. She was taking care of her. Dried her tears just as she did her body, and supported her weight as she brought her into the bedroom. She tucked her in and sat with her—helping her eat some vegetable broth.
Kara had fallen asleep to Cat sitting at the end of her bed holding onto her hand. When she woke up—almost ten hours later—Alex was in her place. The first thing Alex did was take her temperature, made her drink her body weight in water, eat some jello and more soup, before giving her medicine. She was still too weak to feed herself and could barely lift her head up enough to drink. So Alex helped her, and as she did, she spoke about how Cat had stayed—only leaving when she had to go take care of Carter—and that Alex approved.
At the time Kara hadn't understood what Alex approved. But now, nearly five months later, she understood just what Alex approved of.
How it had taken her so long to figure it out was beyond her. But it had. Kara wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to human courting rituals and crushes and what certain actions could mean if not a desire for a friendship.
Now, Kara just hoped she hadn't ruined what was her most treasured friendship. She valued her relationship with Cat Grant almost as much as she valued her relationship with Alex. Though Alex would always be above everyone else. Alex and Cat Grant were her two favorite people in the world.
She would be devastated if she lost Cat because she had been silly enough to kiss her last night.
It had been an accident. Well, not in the sense that she tripped and whoops her lips landed on Cat's. No, it wasn't that type of accident. It was the type of social accident where she got so involved in the moment, and what it would be like to taste Cat's lips…that she'd done something she shouldn't have.
She'd actually kissed Cat. And Cat hadn't kissed her back. Cat had just stayed still, very still, like she was frozen from Kara's ice breath. Except, she was perfectly capable of moving and talking, because Cat had pulled away and stared at her, blinking. There was something in Cat's eyes that scared Kara. So she'd stumbled away, apologizing, her voice caught in her throat as she took several steps away from Cat, each step lifting her up higher and higher into the air until she was hovering almost three feet off the balcony floor, well past the end of it.
When Cat's mouth had opened to speak, Kara turned and flew away. She pushed herself so fast to get away that she could barely hear Cat's cry of her name. Barely.
"There you are!" James and Winn both jumped up from where they'd been standing by her office door, waiting for her to arrive.
"Are you okay?" Winn asked, immediately moving towards her when he saw how unsteady she was on her feet.
"No." Kara answered miserably. She felt terrible. How did humans feel this way and still get up in the morning and go to work and do the millions of things they did? She could barely get her feet to move one foot in front of the other.
"You look…" James stopped himself from saying anything more.
"Oh my god! You look terrible!" Grace, Cat's new assistant exclaimed as she covered her mouth and took a step away from Kara.
Kara had the energy to tilt her head up and glare at the redhead. She was well aware that she looked terrible.
"Half the staff has come down with something. HR has had over twenty people—twenty-seven to be exact—call in sick. From all different departments. Six from the bullpen alone! It's like it's some kind of epidemic." Grace ranted, pulling out a face mask from her back pocket. She had three extras and passed them to James. Once she gave him the masks she pulled out hand sanitizer and rubbed it into her skin. The smell made Kara want to vomit. She actually gagged a little, pushing away from Winn so she could lean on the wall and face away from the overpowering smell.
"I think you should go home. You can't be getting the rest of us sick."
"That's a great idea!" James agreed quickly.
"Yeah," Winn nodded, "We'll just get her things and help her into a cab."
"Alright…" Grace said, fixing her face mask. "Put those on though and wash your hands before you come back into the bullpen." Grace turned to leave but then stopped, turning around to stare at the three. "I'll just tell Miss Grant that you're going home with the plague like the rest of the staff." Grace cringed, realizing she would have to tell Cat that Kara was going home when she'd asked her to bring her into her office specifically—no matter what.
But her protective instincts to keep germs of all kinds away from Ms. Grant overpowered the need to do as the woman said. Cat would thank her in the end. Especially when Grace explained that Kara looked like the walking dead—her skin as grey and lifeless as those zombies from that AMC hit TV show. What was the name again? Oh well, she'd remember it later.
"I hope you feel better." Grace whispered, "Really. Get some rest." She offered gently, she liked Kara. She just couldn't risk getting sick. Not when her six-month probationary period was just coming to an end.
Kara waved her hand in goodbye, unable to say anything. She pushed against her door—forcing it to open—and she ran towards her desk, tripping at the last second. Even as she tripped she reached her arm out and grabbed her garbage can and vomited, over and over again into the bin.
James was already on his phone while Winn kneeled beside Kara and rubbed her back and held back her hair as she got sick, her body heaving over and over again until there was nothing left to throw up. And even then she kept gagging, her muscles spasaming as her body rejected everything inside her.
"Alex, we've got her. But, she's not doing well. She looks really sick. Her skin is grey, and she's currently throwing up every last thing she's eaten in the last week."
Winn glared over his shoulder at James for the comment and the way he was holding the mask that Grace gave him over his face. Winn understood he was still bitter over Kara breaking up with him, but Winn thought he was taking it a little too far. His attitude even bothering Winn.
"Lucy? Yeah, what do you mean get away from her? We can't just leave her."
"James, listen to me. She's infected with something that is highly contagious. You need to get away from her."
"What? What is she saying?" Winn asked from his spot next to Kara, who was still heaving. Winn's attention torn between wanting to know what Lucy was saying to James and helping Kara. "It's alright, Kara. Just get it all out. I know it sucks. We'll get you some scope or something to wash the taste away. It's always better out than in. Trust me." Winn soothed as best he could. His eyes traveling back to James who was whispering feverently with Lucy on the other end of the room.
"Kara, when I send my useless assistant to come and fetch you it is because I do not have the time to do so myself. Not today, of all days, when the world itself seems to be ending. There is too much going on for you to be playing these games now…"
Cat stopped ranting when she noticed the door hanging off its hinges and James standing in the corner on the phone and Winn kneeling beside Kara who was still vomiting, loudly. The smell alone was putrid and made Cat's stomach roll a little. She forced herself not to gag at the retching noises and her eyes—although they had been glacier daggers before—softened as she realized Kara was sick.
"What's wrong with her?" Cat asked of James, who looked at her but remained focused on his conversation. His face going pale as he fixed the medical mask more tightly on his face. James tossed Cat the other two masks and pointed for her to put it on, and for her to give the other one to Winn.
Cat put it on as instructed, though she rolled her eyes as she did. She even handed one to Winn who put it on only after looking over Cat's shoulder at James—who must have mouthed something or made a motion that had him putting it on quickly.
"We don't know, she came in sick, Alex called and warned us that we needed to get her out of the office and to a doctor but before we could do that she came running in here and hasn't been able to stop getting sick since." Winn explained, all in one breathe. He was nervous and worried.
"Kara…darling, are you…" Cat reached out to touch Kara's right shoulder and the second her hand touched the skin Kara jerked away from her with a pained whine.
Kara was confused. Her mind was racing. She didn't understand what was going on. Where was she? Who were these people? Why did she feel this way? Her body hurt. It ached in places she didn't realize could ache.
Everything was foggy and unclear and she was scared and in pain. And it hurt. Everything hurt. Her chest hurt almost as bad as her shoulder and she couldn't stop her stomach from revolting. She just kept gagging as if air itself was something to make her sick.
Winn saw the way Kara jerked away from the touch on her shoulder and frowned before he reached out and moved the shirt away from it. Kara continued to whine but she couldn't stop getting sick long enough to voice a protest.
As Winn pulled back the shirt his eyes widened. There, red, black, and pussy was a large bite mark, teeth marks clear as day even around the incredibly infected and enflamed skin.
"Uh…guys…" Winn slowly stood up and stepped away from Kara.
"Is that a bite mark!?" Cat exclaimed, horrified at the discoloration of Kara's skin.
"Yeah, you heard that right. She's been bit. What, what should we do?" James asked, clearly uncertain as he stared at Kara in shock.
"It's a bite mark. A BITE mark…" Winn began to freak out. He knew what that meant. Bite marks and a sick superhero were clear indicators that the world was coming to an end. Add in the fact that twenty seven people had called out sick today and there were reports on the news of outbreaks of rabies and Winn knew exactly what this meant.
"Zombies…" He whispered, feeling faint that zombies were an actual possibility. But in a world where aliens and meta humans existed, of course there was a possibility of zombies. That didn't mean he wanted them to be a possibility. At least aliens and meta humans were cool and far far less deadly.
Cat spun around and stared at Winn as if he'd lost his mind. "Don't be ridiculous! Zombies aren't real." Cat turned to James hoping he would offer facts rather than some twisted fantasy creature. "Mr. Olsen, are you speaking with her sister?"
"No, Lucy. Alex is on her way here. She wants us on the helipad in five minutes."
"Do they know what's wrong with her?" Cat asked, her hand rubbing soft circles on Kara's back, away from the bite mark. Although there was nothing left for the woman to throw up she was still retching into her garbage pail. Anytime Cat got too close to the bite mark on her shoulder or the inflamed area Kara would whine and shift away from her touch.
"Put me on speaker phone!" Lucy demanded and James was quick to comply.
"Cat, Winn, this is Lucy. Kara got into a fight last night when saving a woman who was being attached. She obviously got bit by one of the perps that's infected with this new virus that's going around the city. It's a genetically engineered virus. We don't know who or why but it was introduced to the populace by a new street drug. Some people are susceptible to it just by being in contact with those that have it. Other's get the infection through being in contact with saliva from the person. The cases are varying in severity but the worst cases we've seen are where people become rabid and their baser instincts are taking over."
"Zombies!" Winn exclaimed his hands flying about in the air before he pulled himself together and wrapped his arms around his middle.
"In a way, maybe." Lucy admitted with a deep sigh and an obvious cringe in having to admit it. "Most people don't go out trying to eat other people. But there are those that are hunting and gathering food. Then there are those that are...well...mating."
"Mating?"
"Baser instincts, hunt, eat, mate. Seem to be three stages we've seen. We're already developing an antidote to the virus and we'll administer it to the city by helicopter and sending it to the hospitals and jails where the more severe cases have been taken."
"So there's a cure?" Cat asked, pointedly looking at Winn.
"Yes."
"So not Zombies?"
"Not in the typical horror movie sense of the word, no. Not zombies." Lucy admitted; even though she herself and the agents had been calling those infected zombies from the get go. "But it can be spread by being bitten." Lucy cautioned.
"Great…" Cat growled under her breath, wondering what else this city could offer in terms of apocalypses.
Her growl was answered by a deeper more pronounced growl that rumbled and shocked all occupants of the room. Kara kept growling low in her chest as she slowly turned and looked at Cat, her eyes were a glassy grey, but the intensity within them was not lost on anyone. Cat felt her heart rate spike as Kara looked at her like she was her next meal. And maybe a small part of her worried that Kara did actually want to eat her and not in the pleasurable way she'd been imagining for the last several months.
Kara growled again and turned around. Cat took that time to slowly stand up and back away from the infected young woman. As attracted Cat was to Kara she wasn't about to be eaten by a zombified Supergirl.
"Alex will be on the helipad in five minutes?" Cat asked, not taking her eyes off of Kara, who had turned to rest on all fours, her back raised and lips turning into a snarl the closer Cat got to Winn and James.
"Three. Why, what's that sound?" Lucy asked from the small phone speaker.
"Three minutes might be too long." James admitted as he watched the way Kara zeroed in on Cat. "Why don't we get you out of…" James reached his hand out to touch Cat and step in front of her but found himself tossed in the air and thrown into the wall before his fingertips even grazed Cat's skin.
Winn eepped and moved to see if James was okay, but stopped the second Kara turned to him and growled low in her belly at him, her lips pulled back in a snarl. Winn couldn't get to James without moving around Cat, and apparently, Kara didn't want anyone near Cat at all.
Cat tried to go towards James herself, the man was groaning as he tried to get up. But the second she moved towards James Kara grabbed a hold of her hand and squeezed. She advanced on Cat, forcing the older woman to step back until her back was flush up against the wall. She swallowed, as much as this very same scenario had played through her mind over and over again for longer than she'd like to admit, this wasn't exactly how she wanted it to happen.
"Kara!" Cat exclaimed, pain lancing through her wrist at the grip Kara had on her. "No. No, let me go." Cat insisted as she tugged on her wrist but didn't get anywhere. "You're hurting me. Let me go!"
Kara let go almost immediately, her eyes downcast and the constant growl turned into a soft whine.
"She's a super powered puppy…" Winn whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "A super powered zombie puppy!" He eeped and made sure to walk several feet away from Kara and Cat, taking a large oval shaped path to get to James and help him up.
"We need to get her to the DEO." James groaned as he stood, his hand rubbing the back of his head as he gave Kara and Cat a wide berth.
"Yeah, but how?" Winn asked, supporting James' weight when he tried to walk but stumbled.
James didn't answer; he stared at Cat, hoping she knew a way to get Kara up to the helipad so they could get her to the DEO before she hurt anyone else, or bit one of them when she got hungry.
Cat rolled her eyes at the expectant look upon James and Winn's faces. Of course she was the one to have to figure this out. It wasn't as if she had anything more pressing to worry about handling than an infected and infatuated super powered employee.
"Kara, we need to go up to the helipad." Cat explained, her voice soft and gentle as if she were talking to a child.
Kara didn't budge, her head was still bowed and she issued a whine every few seconds.
Cat tried again, "Kara, darling, we need to go." Cat touched Kara's shoulder, softly, her hand still aching from the grip Kara had on it moments before.
Kara's head rose and she met Cat's eyes. Cat found it infinity strange to be staring into Kara's eyes and not see their gorgeous blue hue.
"Kara…" Cat squeezed Kara's shoulder, her good one, before trailing her hand down the blonde's arm to take her hand. "…you need to come with me."
Kara whined as she pulled her hand away from Cat and held it tightly against her stomach.. Cat sighed at the action. They didn't have time for Kara to feel guilty for hurting her.
"Kara, please. You need to come with me." Cat stepped to the side, her back still against the wall. Kara followed her slowly, but kept her hands where they were in front of her, her head tilted down as her lips formed a deep pout. "That's it. Just follow me."
Cat led Kara to the elevator bank and stood impatiently waiting for the elevator to come. The fact that she was taking a public elevator when there was a viralized epidemic made her feel faint. But as the doors opened she stepped into the elevator and Kara followed.
When Winn and James tried to get into the elevator with them, Kara's pout turned into a snarl and she growled menacingly at them. Both men quickly backed up and decided it was best to take the stairs.
When they made it to the helipad there Alex was already making her way out from the helicopter towards Cat and Kara.
"I've got it from here." Alex assured Cat as she took Kara's arm before Cat could warn her.
"Don't!"
It was too late. Kara was snarling and pounced on Alex before the agent had time to gasp. Kara hovered above Alex on the ground, her eyes a dark black as she snarled and snapped her teeth towards Alex's neck.
Alex was winded from the impact of being knocked down onto the ground just to have her sister land on top of her. Her snarling and animalistic super powered sister.
"Kara, get up this instant!" Cat grabbed ahold of Kara's arm and tried to pull the younger woman off of Alex, knowing it would be useless unless Kara wanted to be moved.
Kara ignored Cat and brought her teeth down towards the juncture of Alex's neck and shoulder. The move making Cat think she was more vampire than zombie.
Just as Kara was about to sink all of her teeth into Alex's neck, the agent trying futilely to push Kara off of her, she stopped. Her nose twitched and she took a deep breath. Then she took another one, and another. Her mouth closed and she rested her forehead against Alex's shoulder and the tenseness in her muscles seemed to ebb away the more she breathed in Alex's scent.
Kara leaned back and sat on her haunches and stared at Alex with her head tilted. It was as if she couldn't understand why Alex's scent soothed her.
"Okay, Kara, time to go." Cat started walking towards the helicopter in an effort to get Kara to get up and off of her sister.
Kara's eyes read clear panic when she saw Cat get so far ahead of her. She raced up to her feet and ran super speed towards Cat to catch up, leaving Alex on the ground twisting to stare after her sister in shock.
"Alex!" Winn and James arrived just as Alex was picking herself up off the floor.
"What the hell is going on?" Alex whirled on the two men coming up to her. Her eyes noticing how James was off kilter and leaning heavily on Winn.
"Kara's a zombie." Winn said matter of factly but with a frown.
"A what!? Not you too!" Vasquez had been calling this event the Zombie apocalypse since they'd learned about the drug and what the effects were. In all honesty the way that Kara had attached her was more like a vampire attack. She'd zeroed in right for the neck and had even pounced on her like in those movies where the vampires floated gracefully before trapping their prey.
"What happened to you?" Alex asked of James.
"Kara didn't like when I got too close to Cat." James smirked, "What happened to you?"
"I touched her."
"Who, Cat?" Winn asked as Alex glared at him.
"No, Kara."
"Yeah, we haven't tried to do that."
Alex rolled her eyes, "I suggest you don't. Come on. You two should come with us." Normally Alex would insist that Cat not join them, even though it had been nearly a year since she'd learned of Kara's 'secret' identity, but it seemed there was no way she was getting Kara to the DEO without Cat being in the helicopter.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
To say that the helicopter ride to the DEO was uncomfortable would be an understatement. Kara was practically curled up in Cat's lap, letting the blonde comb her fingers through her hair. It even sounded like she was purring, but Alex, Winn and James tried to block it out of their minds.
Kara wouldn't go anywhere without Cat. If Cat was still in the helicopter, so was Kara. If Cat didn't walk down the hallway towards the examination room, neither did Kara. And may the powers that be help you if you tried to touch Cat or Kara herself. The poor recruit that had tried to help Cat and Kara out of the helicopter ended up twenty feet away lying on his backside when Kara was through—literally threw-with him.
It appeared the basic instincts for Kara were coming out in full force. She hadn't said a word yet. But she seemed to be communicating her displeasure—or god forbids her pleasure—in sounds. She would whine; purr, or growl.
While walking to the examination room, where Alex hoped Cat would be able to help them keep Kara calm while they inspected her shoulder, they passed the lunch room. Kara had smelled the food inside and had disappeared from Cat's side for the first time. She ravaged through the kitchen, tearing the door off of the fridge to devouring the food that was inside. Apparently, she was hungry.
Winn almost fainted when he saw her eating an uncooked steak.
Cat took that time away from Kara and their entourage to call her ex-husband and make sure that he and Carter were okay. He'd taken Carter to San Diego for the San Diego Comic Con, so she was glad he wasn't in National City but that just meant he was farther away from her to protect.
By the time they got Kara into the examination room most of the group was exhausted, including Kara.
Alex was helping some of the doctors in the corner while Cat sat on the examination bed with Kara beside her.
"This is fascinating. Most of the subjects infected have been violent in nature. She seems to be…docile."
"Domesticated, even" One of the doctors commented, making Cat roll her eyes. Leave it to Kara to be infected with some kind of viral agent that made people cannibals and still end up acting like a puppy.
"Can we stop discussing her as if she's not right here?" Cat's ire grew as the doctors ignored her and continued their conversation. With a heavy sigh Cat had to wonder why on earth Kara continued to work with these people. They seemed less competent than Miranda Priestly's staff.
"Alright, here's the vaccine." Alex turned and walked towards Cat with a growing smile.
"Yes, and what do you want me to do with it?"
"You're going to have to stick it in her shoulder." Alex explained with an even bigger grin.
Cat had gotten a kick out of how no one else could touch Kara, until this very moment.
"You've got to be kidding…"
"'Fraid not. All you." Alex delighted in handing Cat the needle filled with the antidote that the doctors had already created an airborne variation for to be sprayed above the city to help those infected and keep those who weren't infected from becoming infected.
Cat frowned as she took the needle from Alex and held it gently, afraid that if she grasped it too tightly it might blow up in her face. Similar to how this whole situation was about to blow up in her face.
Cat squared her shoulders and promised that she would get Alex Danvers back for this. Everyone, including Cat, knew how much Kara Danvers hated needles.
"Kara, I need you to turn your back towards me." Nothing, Kara just looked at her and then looked around the room to make sure no one got closer to them. "Kara…" Cat put her hand on Kara's cheek and pulled the woman's attention back to her. There was a significant heat radiating off of Kara that was far higher than it normally was.
Kara paid immediate attention to Cat, her eyes focusing in on Cat's lips as she spoke.
"Kara, we need to give you medicine. Can you please let me give you the medicine?" She wasn't about to mention the word shot, just in case.
Kara didn't answer; she merely stared at Cat's mouth as it moved around her request. Kara's eyes dilated before narrowing in on the smooth line of Cat's lips, her head moving closer and closer. Cat's eyes widened, her hand suddenly shaking as she realized Kara's intent. As much as Cat wanted to experience the touch of Kara's lips once again she wasn't willing to become infected with whatever virus was running rampant through the young woman.
Cat let Kara get closer, their lips practically touching when she brought her hand down, needle and all, right into Kara's infected shoulder.
Kara screamed as if in agony and flew away from Cat and everyone in the room. Kara put herself in the corner, her back against the wall as she stared at Cat with a pure look of betrayal. She whined and tried to reach the injected area with her hand but before she could do much more than graze the surface of it, she fell forward, collapsing in a heavy heap.
Cat jumped off the exam table she'd been on and went towards the fallen hero, merging into the group that was standing around as J'onn picked her up and carried her back to the table.
Cat stood at the head of the table and brushed away the matted hair from Kara's face. She didn't ask any questions. She was smart enough to realize this was part of the plan. But that didn't stop Winn from asking a dozen or so questions a second in his worry.
"Winn, Winn! She'll be fine. She's just going to be unconscious while the antidote works through her system. But now that she's okay we have other problems to work on."
"Like what?" Winn asked, his shoulders sagging as he deflated, the adrenaline from the day finally starting to wear off.
"Like finding who's responsible for creating this virus to begin with." Cat supplied without even looking back behind her.
Alex gave the back of Cat's head a long look before looking back to the people in front of her. "Exactly. We need to find out who did this and why."
J'onn looked to Winn almost immediately, "Mr. Schoot. We could use some of your help tracking down an IP address which first mentioned the virus."
"Oh, okay, sure, yeah, I'm on it."
Winn left the room with J'onn. James and Lucy followed soon after, which left Alex and Cat standing on either side of Kara's bed.
"She's going to be fine." Alex offered, as she saw how tight Cat's muscles were.
Cat nodded her head once, acknowledging that she had heard Alex but she was too focused on staring at Kara's face to say or do much else.
"She told me what happened…" Cat cringed at the words, her shoulders rising and her body growing more rigid. "…for what it's worth I think it's a bad idea. But she has it in her head that you're perfect for her."
"I'm far from perfect." Cat lamented.
"Yeah, no shit. No one's perfect, and you're well, no one's perfect." Cat glared at Alex, finally looking away from Kara to show her distaste at being insulted by this woman. "But that's not what I said. I said she thinks you're perfect for her. She's terrified what happened is going to ruin the relationship she has with you."
"She's not the only one." Cat admitted as she brushed her hand over Kara's, not quite ready to hold it, but unwilling to not have some kind of contact with her.
"Just, don't hurt her." It was said simply, but there was an underlying threat that made it very clear that great harm would come to Cat if she didn't heed Alex's warning.
When Alex was no longer in the room, Cat whispered, "I won't."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kara woke up feeling as if her head was going to pop right off her shoulders. Yet it also felt like it was so heavy it was going to smush her into nothing but a Supergirl patty on the floor.
With a loud groan Kara brought her hands up to her head and pressed her palms against her temples. There wasn't any sound except her breathing and heartbeat for a moment, which almost made it quiet. Too quiet.
The sudden touch of warm hands on her own made Kara gasp, her eyes shooting open even though the light shining into them hurt.
"Too bright…" Kara groaned, turning onto her side to try and hide from the light shining down on her, blinding her.
The hands on hers disappeared and then suddenly the lights went off and the warm hands were pressed onto hers once again.
Kara blinked, squinting her eyes as she turned to see Cat standing beside her bed. Cat was touching her. Cat was here. But where was here?
The last thing she remembered was going into CatCo and getting sick in her office. Then nothing but this hazy fog of unawareness, like she was present but was locked away somewhere that she couldn't speak or move or make rational decisions. It was like being in a dream, knowing you were dreaming, but being unable to control the actions of your dreamself.
"Cat?" Kara asked, her voice deep with sleep. "What-what happened?" Kara looked around the room now that the light was off and realized that she was at the DEO. The light that had been shining in her eyes was the light from the sunlamps.
Cat…Cat Grant was at the DEO. Something terrible most have happened for Cat to be here at the DEO.
"What are you doing here? What are we doing here?" Kara asked as she sat up, a little too quickly, because the room started to spin around and around like she was Alice falling through the looking glass.
"Easy," Cat helped Kara sit up slowly. "We're here because you were infected with an alien virus that caused your baser instincts to take hold. You're sister assures me that you're making a full recovery. Your fever is down and the infection seems to have cleared. At least you're speaking in full sentences. Repetitive sentences, but sentences none the less."
"Oh…right…" Kara nodded her head as if she understood exactly what Cat was saying, when she in fact understood absolutely nothing of what Cat was saying.
Cat sighed heavily, "You were bit by a zombie and had to get the antidote. You clung to me like a baby sloth and wouldn't let us get separated. Thus why I'm here, and you're recovering."
Kara's eyes widened, "That perp was a zombie? And he bit me?!"
Cat rolled her eyes, but felt her chest lighten for the first time in the last twenty four hours. Kara was awake, and speaking and her normal nerd like self. "Essentially, yes."
"And I went all cave man zombie on you? Oh my god…what did I do? Did I hurt anyone? Is everyone okay, is the world as we know it falling apart? Where's Alex, what should I be doing? I should be out there helping, not in here. I need to go, I need to…"
"What you need to do is stay right where you are." Cat pushed Kara's shoulders back down, trying to keep the woman on the exam bed. "Yes, you went all cave-woman zombie on us. You did a lot of whining and sniffing and protecting what was yours." Cat blushed at the thought that Kara thought of her, as hers. "You knocked James and Alex around a bit, but both of them are fine. The world as we know it is healing. The DEO has released the airborne antidote to the virus around the tri-state area and slowly but surely all cases are being handled. Alex is in the field deploying the last of the airborne vaccine. And you should be resting because you were infected. Does that answer all your asinine questions?" Cat asked in a huff, feeling out of breathe from just trying to keep Kara situated on the bed.
"Oh…" Kara sat back and stared at Cat for a moment. Protecting what was hers…. Kara felt her mouth go dry as she thought of Cat as hers. A small remnant growl rumbled in her chest at the thought. The sound caused Kara's eyes to widen and her hand to cover her mouth quickly as if by doing so she could stifle the sound before Cat heard it.
Cat smirked, "Yes, did I forget you growled as well?"
Kara nodded her head quickly.
Cat laughed softly, "Seems like there's still some of the virus in your system after all. Too bad…no bedside kisses for you then."
Kara's eyes widened, "Bah-bedside kisses?"
"Mmmhmm…"
"Does that mean…?"
"It means, I wish you hadn't flown away last night. I was scared and I didn't react well to your advance, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested. I am, Kara. I'm just terrified that we're not thinking clearly when it comes to this, and I don't want to lose you."
"You won't! I swear you won't!" Kara felt her heart race rapidly against her chest, the monitor behind her giving her away instantly. "Please, I just want a chance to prove that I can be everything you need. Please, Cat, just give me a chance."
Cat cupped Kara's cheek and the superhero turned into the touch immediately. "How could I possibly say no to you?"
"Don't, say yes."
Cat smiled and leaned forward to kiss Kara's cheek. "Alright, yes. But we have a lot more to talk about."
"That's fine. Dinner. We can talk over dinner. You're favorite Thai place? Friday?"
"Darling, it's already Friday."
"Oh, uhm, then tomorrow?"
"Let's see how you're feeling first."
"Feeling? I'm feeling fine. Great, fantastic even. Never felt better." Kara grinned brightly, honestly feeling 110% as she stared into Cat's eyes and knew the woman had just promised to give them a try, an honest to goodness try.
"Let's wait for your sister to give you the all clear before we start making dinner plans, okay? I just…it scared me Kara. You being sick like that…it scared me. I was worried. Let's just wait, okay? I promise I won't change my mind between then and now."
Kara sighed as a frown developed, "I'm sorry I scared you. I…"
"Shh…it wasn't your fault. And I suppose it's par for the course, having feelings for a super hero and all."
Kara's frown turned into a swift smile, feelings. Cat Grant had feelings for her. "Yes, I'm afraid so."
"We'll work it out. We have plenty of time." Cat promised, her thumb brushing softly over Kara's cheek.
"Plenty of time." Kara repeated, placing a soft kiss to the inside of Cat's palm.
The End