song and steel
a Supergirl / Glee crossover event
chapter four
The members of New Directions were understandably enthusiastic, if not quite boisterous, as they spilled out of the elevators and into the lobby to meet up with Mr. Schuester, Ms. Corcoran and Ms. Pillsbury for dinner in the beautifully appointed hotel restaurant. Kara stood with the three adults, fidgeting in discomfort, acutely aware of the three pairs of eyes that were focused squarely upon her. Mr. Schuester – Please, call me Will! - regarded her with a guileless sort of wonder, as though he hadn't met anyone older than 18 in the last decade that wasn't a fellow teacher. Ms. Corcoran – Call me Shelby; Ms. Corcoran is too formal and stuffy, don't you think? - reminded her of some kind of bird of prey examining its potential dinner from above, wondering whether to play with it a bit before snapping its neck. And Ms. Pillsbury – Emma is fine. - just seemed nervous and apprehensive, although that might well be her natural state, considering her earlier comments about germs.
Mike and Sam wheeled Artie out first, all smiling and cheerful, followed by Kurt and Blaine, happily chatting with each other as though no one else was around. Santana and Brittany came next, pinkies linked, both girls' cheeks flushed; a listen to their heart rates told Kara that they had most likely been interrupted in the act of "getting their mack on," as Santana had wanted to do. It didn't seem that Santana was the least bit upset about it, though, which Kara supposed was good. She had a feeling that the intense Ms. Lopez was not the type you wanted to deal with when angered, in contrast to her perpetually sunny blonde girlfriend, who whispered something in Santana's ear that made the girl break out into a peal of laughter.
Kitty, Tina and Mercedes came after them, the short blonde cheerleader marching a little ahead as though she were leading the trio into battle, a determined, focused look on her face. It made Kara think that this show choir competition meant a lot more to the girl than she ever let on to her fellow club members. On the other hand, Tina and Mercedes appeared to be quite confident and at ease with themselves. Kara reasoned that this was because Kitty was new to the group, having joined only this year, while the other two girls had already proven their worth many times over, based on the many YouTube videos of the group she had watched.
Finn and Puck followed the trio of girls, animatedly joking and high-fiving each other. Puck exuded the charm and easy charisma of the guy in every high school that all the girls wanted to date, and all the other guys wished they could be. Although, that Mohawk – really? Kara shrugged internally. She hadn't thought that was a good look back when she'd been their age, and it certainly hadn't aged well since then.
When Quinn and Rachel came into view at last, Kara felt her heart stutter for just a moment as Rachel's large brown eyes found her own and the girl's incandescent smile weakened her knees as effectively as a Kryptonite rock. Then she noticed the hard gaze that Quinn directed her way and felt compelled to straighten her spine and square her shoulders. It became clear to Kara that while Kitty thought herself a leader, Quinn was born to lead, and it was only because Rachel was so extraordinarily talented that she deferred to the little starlet. Where Santana was volatile, Quinn was deadly calm. Where Santana was the type to yell in someone's face, Quinn would eviscerate them with a few perfectly chosen words. Both were dangerous if not handled correctly, but Kara felt compelled to make a good impression on Quinn for some reason.
It was also clear, from the way Quinn and Rachel smiled at each other with genuine sweetness, that the two were very close friends. They chuckled softly and shoved playfully at each other's shoulders as they walked into the lobby to join the rest of the group, and Kara didn't need super-vision to see the honest affection each held for the other. It was equally easy to see that this closeness was shared by the team as a whole, and that it played as much of a role in the New Directions' success as their undeniable musical talent, Kara realized. She could feel the unity in their easy camaraderie; they were strong individuals, to be sure - but together, they were a virtually unstoppable force. They were more than a team. They were family.
The three adults standing alongside her positively glowed with pride as their young charges made their way towards them. They looked at these diverse, gifted kids as though they were their parents, and it made Kara think of the happy looks her own adopted parents had given her whenever she'd done something special, whether it was getting a good grade on a paper or a test or mastering one of her powers. She felt her own breath catch in her throat at the pure, palpable emotion that rolled off the group in waves. Love, her mother had told her, was the most powerful thing on Earth, if not the entire universe. Feeling the love this group of people had for each other was a reminder of how true those words really were.
"Right on time," Mr. Schuester beamed. "And looking good, guys. Now, I know you know how important it is for you to eat well and get enough sleep the night before a performance, so I don't have to tell you that I expect everyone to be in their rooms, in bed and with the lights out by eleven o'clock, right? We'll meet here in the lobby at nine tomorrow morning to rehearse, and then we need to be in the auditorium by ten-thirty for the first round of competition. Ms. Corcoran and I should have the order in which all the teams are scheduled to go on stage e-mailed to us no later than eight-thirty, so we'll know who's going on before and after us."
"It doesn't matter who's going on when – we're gonna smoke 'em all," Puck said boastfully, earning whoops and hell yeahs and high fives from most of the others. Rachel frowned, however, and as she turned to face him, a low murmur rippled through the group.
"Berry's about to blow," Santana whispered to Quinn, who could only nod in agreement as she tried and failed to grasp Rachel by the wrist to restrain her from going off on the boy.
The tiny starlet's expression turned gravely serious as she regarded her cocky teammate. Everyone knew what that look meant. Even Mr. Schuester and Ms. Corcoran knew better than to try to interrupt her now. She crossed her arms and stamped one foot in exasperation, then drew a deep breath before she launched into one of her patented diva rants.
"Noah, while it is important for us to be confident, both as individuals and as a team, I strongly counsel you and everyone else to refrain from being over-confident. Every team here wants to win just as much as we do, and you can be sure that they've all brought their 'A' games to this competition. We should take each and every one of them seriously, and not lull ourselves into a sense of false security by believing, possibly erroneously, that we are the only ones worthy of being here this weekend. Let's respect this competition, and ourselves, by respecting our opponents as we would surely wish them to respect us."
Kara was impressed by the girl's passion, her willingness to stand up and speak her mind, even if it made her unpopular. It took courage for a young person to set herself apart from her friends.
"Oh, come on, Rachel," Finn interjected. "You know everything there is to know about this whole show choir thing. You know every team's strengths and weaknesses, who the best performers on every team are, who their coaches are, even the way they're coached – and as if that wasn't enough, you're the best individual singer in this entire competition. How can we possibly lose?"
"Puffy nips there does have a point," Santana snarked. "Plus you've made us rehearse so much, and for so long, that we could sing the songs and dance the routines in our sleep."
"Actually, I already do that. Dance the routines in my sleep, I mean," Brittany said. "That way Lord Tubbington can't steal 'em and show the other teams the steps."
Santana smiled at her girlfriend. "Good plan, baby." Then she turned her attention back to Rachel. "But seriously, Rachel – just relax already, okay? Puck's not saying anything the rest of us don't already know. Take it as a compliment, for crissakes."
"Yeah," Sam piped up. "We've got this. Why are you so worried all of a sudden, anyway?"
Rachel sighed, her anger suddenly spent. "I'm not worried, Sam – I just...I don't like to take anything for granted. I won't be able to relax completely until they've announced us as the winners and the trophy is in our hands."
Ms. Corcoran, tired of waiting for Will to step in and put an end to this unnecessary discord, spoke up. "Rachel is right, everyone. Just because we're coming into this competition as the favorite - "
"Overwhelming favorite," Puck interrupted, still unwilling to concede the point.
" - yes, that." Ms. Corcoran's eyes narrowed at him, and Puck shrank back from the intensity of her gaze. Damn, she's almost as scary as Rachel when she does that, he thought.
"As I was saying, just because we're favored to win doesn't mean it's automatically fated to happen. You still need to rehearse and perform with every single thing you've got if you really want to win this thing. Now is not the time to get complacent. It's actually the worst possible time for that."
"That's right, guys," Will finally said. "Now, come on, let's go." He motioned to the group to get them moving along, and as they walked forward, he spoke again. "Oh, and Ms. Danvers here will be joining us so that she can ask you a few questions and get to know you all a little bit for the big story she's writing about you. I expect you all to be polite and respectful to her, and answer her questions honestly, okay?"
The group mumbled okay and yeah and sure under its collective breath as they shuffled over to the restaurant. Kara smiled at them reassuringly, knowing that at least some of them were probably not entirely thrilled about being interviewed by a reporter. She could understand why, of course; after all, the media was not exactly viewed as wholesome and trustworthy by most people, even the young, these days. Out of all the New Directions, only Rachel returned a true, full-blown, happy smile to her, and this made her feel simultaneously pleased and unaccountably nervous. While she mused over why she felt this way, she missed Shelby regarding her with a curious expression - one that would have given her pause, if only she had noticed.
The restaurant, like the rest of the hotel, was beautiful and elegant, and the show choirs and coaches all packed into the large, almost cavernous space, ooh-ed and aah-ed over the lush carpeting and fancy décor. The nicest restaurants back home in Lima couldn't hold a candle to this place. Some of the kids worried aloud as to the menu would be so upscale and gourmet that they wouldn't be able to find anything they liked to eat. There was a loud sigh of relief after the menus were passed out by the pretty young server and, upon inspection, proved to contain plenty of items that the typical teenager could enjoy, including burgers, personal pizzas and – much to Rachel's delight - even vegan fare.
Apart from the moment when Shelby shot Puck a murderous glare when the boy tried to order an alcoholic beverage, the ordering process for the energetic group went surprisingly smoothly. Even though Kara technically didn't need to eat, due to her alien physiology, she was capable of it, so she ordered a personal pizza and an iced tea, as many of the others had. The kids laughed and talked amongst themselves so animatedly that she wondered how she'd ever be able to get a word in edgewise. She was glad to see that no one was left out or ignored, that the conversation bounced back and forth between all the members of the group and not just a select few; she could still remember her own high school days, when so many of her peers had either been excluded or engaged in actively excluding others, even when participating in the same activity.
Almost as if she knew what Kara was thinking, Ms. Pillsbury spoke quietly, "You might not be able to tell from looking at them now, but back home in Lima, these kids are considered to be the losers and outcasts in our school. They're bonded so closely together because they're really all they have. Even the football players - Finn, Sam, Mike and Puck -" - she nodded in the boys' direction - " - they're not entirely accepted by most of the guys on that team because they're in the glee club. And the cheerleaders – Santana, Brittany and Kitty – they're the co-captains of their team, so they get more respect, but the other girls on that squad would love nothing more than to take them down so they can be on top of the pyramid. They love Glee because it's not like that. In this club, everyone is not only allowed, but encouraged to be exactly who they are, without fear or judgment. Quinn used to be the head cheerleader, in fact, but she quit the team because she would rather be part of a group that values her for who she really is, and not who they think she's supposed to be - that builds her up instead of threatening to tear her down. If you ask me, that's what your story ought to be about." She paused, smiling softly. "The competition, the singing, the dancing...all those things are wonderful, and the kids are so amazingly talented that it truly takes my breath away – but the best thing about this club is the way it's brought these kids together and taught them how to work together, how to love themselves and each other. Just...just think about it."
Kara pursed her lips at the young guidance counselor's words. She had sensed that there was something special about these kids from the first moment she met them, and the more she observed the proud way their coaches looked at them, the more convinced she became that it was true. She took a pen and small notepad from her purse and used her super-memory to write down everything that Emma had just said. It was just for show, of course; she didn't actually need to write anything down at all, but since it was expected that a reporter would be recording their words in some way, she had to go along with it and look the part.
As she wrote, she became aware of a pair of eyes intently trained upon her. Flicking her own eyes upwards for a split-second, she saw that it wasn't Rachel staring at her, but Shelby Corcoran. The woman had a very thoughtful expression on her face, as though she was measuring Kara in some way. She couldn't quite figure out what the co-director of the New Directions was trying to assess, exactly, so she decided simply to ask.
Putting her pen down beside the notepad, she ventured, "Ms. Corcoran?"
The beautiful co-director of the New Directions frowned slightly at the formal address, but didn't protest, choosing instead to respond in kind.
"Yes, Ms. Danvers?"
"You've been, um, well – scrutinizing me pretty intensely for a while now, and, um, I'm wondering, ah – do you have any questions for me before I start interviewing the kids?"
Shelby laughed her deep, throaty, musical laugh before answering. "Scrutinizing, huh? Spoken like a true woman of words. Well, now that you mention it...yes. Yes, I do have a question. More like an observation, really. You seem pretty young, Ms. Danvers. Yet I can't help but feel as though there's something about you, something that seems...older, somehow. Like you have far more experience than it appears. Like you've been through things. It...intrigues me."
Kara blinked in surprise behind her glasses. More like an observation, really. She felt as though Shelby Corcoran had put her on a slide and was peering at her through a microscope. It took her a moment to collect herself and try to formulate a response.
She was saved, however, by the arrival of their server, joined by two others, all with large trays containing their food. The Glee Club members cheered as the plates were placed in front of them, most laden with typical teenage fare - burgers, pizza, chicken tenders and such; but she noticed that Rachel, Quinn and the cheerleaders had all ordered salads. She figured that the cheerleaders were on some kind of diet required by their coach, as they generally needed to be at or below a certain weight to perform. Quinn and Rachel, however, were under no such dietary restrictions.
Rachel caught Kara's curious stare and smiled. "I'm a vegan," she said simply. "And Quinn doesn't like to eat heavy the night before a big performance. It's a habit left over from her days as Head Cheerio, and not a bad one, really. There's nothing worse than going on stage feeling bloated. Fortunately, most of our team members have a pretty fast metabolism, so it's not really much of a problem."
"I see," Kara replied. "That...that's very smart, actually. You really do think about every aspect of the competition. I'm impressed."
Rachel beamed at the praise. "Thank you, Ms. Danvers." Then, as her eyes raked up and down Kara's upper body, she said, "I suppose you have to eat fairly often to maintain your physique. Most likely you require far more protein than the vegan diet provides, so I won't chide you for putting that pepperoni on your pizza."
Kara's eyes widened. Was the girl actually flirting with her, right here at the table? She couldn't imagine herself being anywhere near so bold when she was that age.
"Never mind the fact that it would be kind of rude to do that, Rachel," Mr. Schuester scolded lightly.
Seeing the pout on Rachel's face – and the rolling of Quinn's eyes – at the man's mild admonition, Kara leaped to the girl's defense. "No, no, it's all right, really. I like the way you speak your mind, Rachel. I don't think I could have put myself out there the way you do when I was your age."
"Believe me, we've all heard the vegan spiel a million times by now," Mercedes said as she sipped at her chocolate milkshake. "She knows that we respect her beliefs, even if we don't agree with them. That's how the Glee Club works."
"It's true," Kurt agreed, speaking around delicate bites of his club sandwich. "Rachel is our star, the leader of our team, but we don't always necessarily defer to her. There's a lot of give and take in a group like this, but at the end of the day, most of the decisions are made by majority vote."
"It's all about what's best for the club as a whole," Blaine chimed in. "If we think a song might be better suited for someone other than Rachel to sing, then we discuss it, then we have all the candidates sing it, and then finally we have a vote. That's why Rachel doesn't get all the solos, and she's fine with it. She knows even a star is is part of a team, and the team does better when everybody gets a chance to shine."
"Although it took me a little time to realize that," Rachel said, shaking her head at an unwelcome memory. "Ultimately, being your friend is even more important to me than being a star - although happily, the two are not mutually exclusive." Everyone laughed at that.
"Preach," Artie said, raising a bicycle gloved hand and waving it in the air. Mercedes and Tina quickly mimicked the gesture, provoking even more laughter from the group. Sam and Mike high-fived each other. Puck and Finn punched each other's shoulders, while Kitty rolled her eyes at the boys' antics before breaking out in an affectionate smile as she looked at her big, goofy boyfriend. Brittany and Santana took the opportunity to share a chaste kiss, to the surprise of absolutely no one. They were always sneaking kisses when they thought no one would notice. Of course, everybody noticed - but nobody really cared. They were just happy that their friends were happy and in love.
Quinn smiled as well, then looked up and down the table at the group before speaking in her breathy, yet strangely intense voice. "Rachel once said that being a part of something special makes you special. Every day, I realize more and more just how special this club is, and how happy I am to be a part of it. I don't know, honestly, if I feel special because of it, but I do know that what we have together is something I'll treasure and cherish for the rest of my life. You guys became my family at a time when my own family was falling apart, and I don't think I said enough at the time, or even since then, how much I appreciate everything you've all done for me. And that's why I want us to win that trophy this weekend – because to me, it's a symbol of who we are and how much we all mean to each other."
"Well said, if extremely sappy, Q," Santana snarked, though Kara clearly saw the caramel-skinned cheerleader's eyes were moist with tears, as were those of most of the others. Then she stood with her glass raised in hand. "I propose a toast – to being the most awesome show choir in the entire freakin' country, and to bringing that big-ass trophy back home to Lima!"
Glasses clinked together all around, and Kara joined in with Will, Shelby and Emma when they all exclaimed as one, "To the New Directions!"
The table was relatively silent for a time after that as the group concentrated on their food, which all agreed was wonderful. Phones were brought out from time to time to snap pictures, like when Brittany and Santana shared long strands of spaghetti from the blonde cheerleader's plate, or when Tina folded her cloth napkin into a perfect origami swan. Or when Rachel bounced out of her seat to hug and plant a quick kiss on Mr. Schuester's cheek. These were the spontaneous actions of a team that was completely at ease with itself, genuinely enjoying the evening and each other's company. Right here, right now, there was nowhere else they would rather be.
Kara's memory served as her camera as she watched this amazing group of kids, feeling her own heart swell with affection for them. She knew that reporters were supposed to keep a certain distance, a kind of detachment from their subjects, yet she couldn't help but begin to feel close to them. They were easy to root for, easy to relate to, and Kara found herself wanting the victory to go to the New Directions as much as she imagined the group itself wanted it.
Caught up in the high spirit of the moment, it was also easy for even Kara's super-senses to miss the slinking shadow that slid from corner to corner in the vast space of the restaurant. A shadow that shivered with hatred at the happy faces and playful exuberance filling the room. A shadow that had come to this place to find the one entity that could disrupt its plans for dominance over this pitiful excuse for a world, and was surprised to find that there was actually not just one such being here, but two. One, the shadow knew, was Supergirl. That Kryptonian scent was known and feared throughout the Known Realms, especially in the dimension of darkness from which it had come, an incalculable distance away. But the other was new, its energy completely unknown to it. The being cloaked within the shadow shrugged away the annoyance it felt at this unforeseen obstacle. No matter. The larger the victory, the greater the glory, after all.