This is the Spiderman Homecoming AU nobody asked for.
If you peruse AO3, you've probably seen this story floating around! So I was inspired by some amazing headcanon and accompanying fanart by worldkiller and battendownthecrosshatches that was posted on (link is in my profile if you wanna check it out, which you definitely should), and because I definitely make good decisions, I decided to abandon all my other WIPs to write Kara as a clueless teenage vigilante who's just trying to be a hero. Hope you guys enjoy!
The thief stood poised in the doorway of the stop-n-shop, a plastic bag swinging limply in his left hand, half-filled with cash, while the other clutched a handgun. His eyes roamed up and down the masked vigilante before him, sizing the figure up, They lingered on the superman logo splashed across the figure's hoodie. He frowned indecisively, uncertain as to whether he should run or fight.
"Um, aren't you a little small to be superman?"
Kara's lips tugged upwards into a smirk, though she knew the thief couldn't see it under her mask.
"A little small, huh?" She drawled, waiting for the man's eyes to widen in fear. Unfortunately, they didn't. Oh well.
"Oh, you're gonna wish I were superman."
The thief reacted fast, bringing his gun up to loose a spray of bullets, but she was faster. Ignoring the barrage, which hammered uselessly against her, she moved forward faster than the eye could see, drawing up to the man. He blinked and let out a yowl of shock as she appeared in front of him, seemingly out of thin air. He tried to stumble backwards but she grabbed him by the shirt collar and shot up a few feet off the ground, hoisting him up into the air with her.
The sack of money hit the ground, having slipped from the man's fingers, which had gone limp with shock. The gun followed seconds later with a clatter. Kara winced at the sound - she hadn't expected him to drop the gun, and was lucky it didn't go off. He must have used up every round in his useless barrage.
"Hey, kid - let me down!" The man yelped, and hands scrabbled uselessly at her iron grip as his legs pinwheeled wildly.
"You're only going to tear your shirt," Kara said mildly. He didn't seem to hear, and kept struggling.
"This is assault! I'll have you sued!"
"You mean right after I throw you in jail for theft?"
The man's eyes narrowed. "You goddamn vigilantes," He spat. "Thought I left the likes of you behind when I got outta Gotham!"
"Maybe try not following a life of crime!"
"Oh like I'm the only one operating outside the law here!?"
Kara was about to answer with a stabbing retort, but was cut off by the sound of ripping fabric. Unfortunately, she'd been right about the shirt. But before she could react, the fabric tore clean through, and the thief fell like a sack of rocks. He hit the ground with a sickening crack, and let out a cry of pain as he rolled onto his side.
"Ooh," He groaned, all the fight drained out of him. Kara's eyes widened as she took in his leg, bent at an odd angle. Oh no. She hadn't meant to hurt him - just scare him a little, and leave him for the police.
As if on queue, the sound of incoming police sirens blared. As she took in the sound, Kara realized that she only had a few seconds before the cops would arrive.
"Shucks," She cursed, and glanced up the street, towards the oncoming sirens, and then back at the would-be robber lying prone in the street.
"Um, I have to go," She said to no-one in particular. She turned, hesitated, and then gave one last glance towards the thief. "Uh, sorry about your leg."
The man didn't answer, except to let out another groan.
The sirens were screeching now, just one street away, and as the police car turned the corner, lights flashing, Kara took off, blasting into the frigid night sky. She alighted moments later on a rooftop three blocks away, letting out a held-in breath. That was a close one. She racked her brain, trying to think of any possible evidence she might have left at the scene.
Fingerprints? No, her hands were gloved. Her hair was tied back, and tucked into her hoodie, and there was no way the man could have gotten a glimpse past her ski mask.
Kara sighed with relief, and then glanced at her watch. The relief dissolved into horror. Four in the morning! She had to get home, before Alex woke up for work. If her sister caught her out again, she'd have her hide, impenetrable or no.
She stood up, giving one last glance towards the direction of the crime scene she'd left behind, and flicker of guilt ran through her at the thought of the man's broken leg. She had to be more careful.
Kara shivered, trying to shake the guilty thoughts loose from her head, and leapt once more into the night sky, this time in the direction of home.
The cop car spun around the corner and screeched to a halt twenty meters from the man, lights whirling as the sirens still blared. A moment later the sound was cut off and the doors swung open, two figures bursting out.
The officers - a man and a woman - fanned out towards the prone figure, guns raised. The woman in the lead approached swiftly but cautiously, eyes scanning the scene of the crime, from the shop door hanging open to the bag of cash and handgun scattered fallen on the street. At last her gaze fell to the man lying on the floor, and her eyes widened, taking in his obviously broken leg and the expression of utter pain on his face.
"I don't think he's a threat," Her partner commented, and after a moment she realized he was right. Lowering her gun, Maggie Sawyer looked once more over the scene, and then back to her partner, who, from the look on his face, was just as confused as she was. She gestured back toward the would-be criminal, and asked, not really expecting an answer:
"What the fuck happened here?"