Saturday, January 2, 2016
"I don't like this," Cat said.
"I know, but it will be fine," Kara said as she adjusted the fit of the plain black suit Bruce had insisted on.
"They're criminals," Cat said.
"So? Your girlfriend is an illegal alien," Kara said.
"You've been legal for weeks," Cat said.
"I also blackmailed the Mayor," Kara said.
"Who was plotting to kill every alien in the city," Cat said.
"I forged the building inspections for this building," Kara said.
"This building would survive a direct hit from an ICBM," Cat said.
"Leslie will be with me," Kara said.
"Leslie is even more of a reckless child than you are," Cat said.
"You sure you're not just jealous?" Kara asked.
"Don't be ridiculous," Cat said.
Kara smiled and pulled Cat into her arms. "You don't have anything to worry about," she said.
"Of course I don't," Cat said. "Because I don't do jealousy.'
Kara laughed, which earned her a glare from Cat, so she leaned forward and kissed the adorably grumpy little pout off Cat's lips.
"Feel better?" Kara asked.
"No," Cat said.
Kara pretended she didn't notice the grin tugging at the corners of Cat's mouth and leaned in, kissing her again, letting her hands slip down to cup Cat's ass. Cat moaned and lifted her left leg, hooking it around Kara, who suddenly wasn't so eager to rush off to Gotham, which was probably exactly what Cat had intended.
Kara broke the kiss and gave Cat a playful glare. "That's cheating," she said.
"Is it working?" Cat asked.
"Yes," Kara said, "Which is why I'm leaving now, so our first time isn't a quickie where we're both worried about Leslie or Carter walking in on us."
"We could go to the bedroom" Cat said. "Lock the door…"
Kara groaned. "You're killing me," she said. "You know I have to go. If I don't, they might move, and it could take months to find them again."
Cat gave a dramatic sigh. "Okay," she said, putting her foot back on the ground, and stepping away from Kara. "Go. Have fun in Gotham. I guess I'll just have to take care of myself."
Kara stared at Cat for a moment as her brain processed what Cat had just implied. It took longer than it should have, because she was pretty sure her brain had to reboot at least three times before coherent thought was possible again.
"You know, Gotham can wait one more night," Kara said.
"No, no," Cat said. "Off you go."
"Why do we have to wear masks again?" Leslie asked as she crouched next to Kara and Barbara on the rooftop across from their target.
"Masks are a thing here," Barbara said.
"Whatever," Leslie said. "You know we could have gotten here a lot faster if we'd flown."
"There's no flying in Gotham," Kara said.
"Says who?" Leslie asked.
"No one," Kara said, "but I'm pretty sure Batman would take it as a personal insult."
"You're not wrong," Barbara said.
"McBroody can kiss my ass," Leslie said.
"I'm say Selina might object to that, but honestly, she'd probably offer to help," Barbara said.
"Oh, ewww…" Leslie said.
"Batgirl, stop tormenting Livewire," Kara said.
"Sorry," Barbara said. "I didn't know you had anyone straight in your crew."
Kara didn't answer her. She figured if Leslie wanted to correct the assumption, she could handle it herself. It wasn't Kara's business to tell people what Leslie was or wasn't. She felt a little guilty over having warned Susan off, and she'd only made that exception because she remembered how close Winn's crush had come to destroying their friendship. If Susan had made a similar mistake, she wasn't sure if Leslie would put in the effort to patch things up, and she wanted to keep both of them from getting hurt.
"Are you sure they are down there?" Kara asked.
"Yeah," Barbara said. "They've been holed up there for at least five days, and Bluebird spotted them going in about two hours ago."
"Makes sense," Leslie said. "Crazy plant lady living in an abandoned greenhouse."
"Ivy's about as close to functional as any of us," Kara said.
"She wants to feed every man in the world into a woodchipper, and use their remains as fertilizer," Barbara said.
"You do have a point," Kara said. "The fertilizer thing is a bit weird."
Kara raised her hand just in time for the high five from Leslie.
"You sure you want to do this alone?" Barbara asked.
"Yeah," Kara said. "I'd rather go in my regular suit though."
"I know, but I'm pretty sure Batman would have a stroke if you wore the colors in Gotham," Barbara said.
"He lets Clark and Diana do it," Kara said.
"He lets Diana do it," Barbara said. "He pouts for weeks every time Clark comes to town."
Kara shook her head. "They're both a couple of babies," she said as she stepped off the roof.
Kara moved slowly through the greenhouse, taking in the sight of the dozens of exotic plants and inhaling their perfume, enjoying her own memories for a change.
When Harley and Pam had joined the Waverider, Pam had turned one of the cargo holds into a hydroponic garden. It had been one of Kara's favorite places in the whole multiverse. The quiet of the Temporal Zone outside, the low hum of the Waverider's engines, the soft trickle of water through the hydroponics system, the sweet perfume of the plants, and the warmth of Sara in her arms. A small, peaceful place in the middle of the hellscape of the war.
Kara had been a little bit afraid that Pam would resent their intrusion into her domain, but she seemed to understand Kara and Sara's need for a quiet place. As long as they didn't pick the flowers, Pam had left them in peace. Sometimes, when Sara was sleeping, and Kara's mind was running too fast for her to doze off, she would slip down and help Pam tend the plants. It had reminded Kara of working in the garden with Eliza on Saturday mornings, and much like she had during her time with Eliza, she'd started talking. Pam hadn't replied at first, but Kara kept at it, talking about plants and horticulture and biology in general until Pam had eventually started answering her. Over the years, the two of them had formed a quiet, low-key friendship that had reminded Kara of her friendships with Susan. It had been something she'd treasured when she had it and missed terribly when it was gone.
Kara and Harley had tended the garden for years after Pam had died, right up until a hull breach during a fight had destroyed it.
Kara was so absorbed in her memories she didn't notice the enormous wooden mallet until it slammed down onto her head.
"Damn it, Harley," Kara shouted. "That hurt!" She turned around to find a very confused Harley staring at a mallet with a broken handle.
"That shoulda killed ya!" Harley said. She squinted at Kara. "Hey, Red! I think Batsy is sending robots after us!"
"I told him the suit was a dumb idea," Kara grumbled. She touched one of the preset studs on her bracer and the plain black suit and domino mask melted into her default leotard, skirt, cape and boots outfit.
"I am not a robot," Kara said in an annoyed tone.
"You look just like Supergirl in that outfit," Harley said.
Kara sighed. "I am Supergirl, Harley."
"Oh!" Harley said. "That makes sense then." Harley stared at her for a moment. "Hey! How do you know my name?"
"The same way I know you're stalling me while Ivy sneaks up behind me," Kara said. She spun around to find Pam about two steps away from her.
"Hey, Ivy," Kara said.
"Supergirl," Pam said. "If I'd known we had company coming I'd have dressed for the occasion."
Kara gave Pam a quick once over, taking in the dirt-stained jeans, the worn hiking boots, and the red flannel button-down. It reminded Kara a lot of what Pam had worn during her off hours on the Waverider.
"Honestly, the whole lesbian farmer look is working for you," Kara said. "You should stick with it."
"Well," Pam said, stepping closer, "whatever floats your boat." She leaned in, hooking a hand behind Kara's neck as she laid a kiss on her, and Kara was too shocked to pull away. It probably shouldn't have surprised her. She's heard enough stories about Pam before the Waverider. She'd just never expected to be on the receiving end of it.
Pam stepped back, giving her an expectant look, and Kara just rolled her eyes.
"Poison lipstick? Really?" Kara asked.
Harley came around in front of Kara.
"It didn't work," Harley said. "That always works." She tilted her head. "Let me try!" She jumped on Kara, and Kara reacted out of years of habit. She caught Harley around the waist with one arm as Harley's legs wrapped around her waist, and Kara's other hand cupped Harley's ass, and when Harley kissed her, hard and deep, it wasn't even a little bit surprising, because this was Harley. Kara did feel a little guilty, because she enjoyed the moment a lot more than she should, but there was something comforting about the fact that Harley still tasted like cinnamon apples.
After a moment, and more tongue than was strictly necessary, Harley pulled back.
"You're not dead," Harley said.
"You aren't wearing poison lipstick," Kara said, not quite able to keep the amused tone out of her voice.
"Red left some on your lips," Harley said. "I thought maybe if I rubbed it in…"
Kara shook her head. "You're lucky you're cute," Kara said. "You can get down now."
"Don't wanna," Harley said. "You're warm."
Kara looked over Harley's shoulder at Pam. "A little help here?"
Pam sighed. "Hop down, Harley."
Harley put her feet on the ground and let go of Kara. Kara found it harder than she expected to let go of Harley in return, but she forced herself to do it.
"You aren't one of Batman's usual subcontractors," Pam said.
"No," Kara said. "I don't work for him."
"Well, maybe you don't know how this works," Pam said. "We lay low and don't hurt anyone, and the bats leave us the fuck alone."
"Again," Kara said, "not a bat."
"We haven't done anything," Pam said.
"You mean aside from the two counts of attempted murder?" Kara asked.
"One count," Pam said. "That was mind control lipstick. Not poison."
"Mind control?" Kara asked. "I think I'm insulted."
"It works on your cousin," Pam said.
"Spitballs work on my cousin," Kara said. "He's a lightweight."
Harley laughed. "She's funny."
"You know if you lock us up, we'll be out in a week," Pam said.
"You'd be surprised," Kara said. "LCorp just got a contract to upgrade Arkham's security with Kryptonian tech. But I'm not here to lock you up."
"Then why are you here?" Pam asked.
Kara reached down and unclipped a box from her belt. She held it out to Pam.
Pam frowned as she took it. She opened it and saw the two injectors inside. One labeled Pamela Isley, and the other labeled Harleen Quinzel. She looked up at Kara.
"What is this?" Pam asked.
"Medication," Kara said. "Custom-formulated mood stabilizers that your biochemistry won't reject and that won't interfere with or dampen your powers."
"That's not possible," Pam said.
"Krypton's tech base is about fifteen thousand years ahead of Earth's, so we have a different idea of what is possible," Kara said. "The injection will also take care of the bomb in Harley's head."
"Really?" Harley asked, the childish, high-pitched voice gone, replaced by a deeper, more adult-sounding tone.
"Yeah," Kara said.
"What's the catch?" Pam asked.
"No catch," Kara said. "You can tell me to fuck off right now, and I will walk out of here and do my best to never cross your paths again. That's not what I want, but both of you have had to many people force things on you that you didn't want, and you may not understand why, but I care too much about you to force something on you, even for your own good.
"Those injectors are my way of honoring people I lost. Good people, who were my friends, and who died way too young, after living lives that were far harder than they should have been.
"But if you would like, I can offer you something else, too."
"What would that be?" Pam asked.
"I kind of need a gardener, and I thought you might like the job," Kara said. "Good pay, full medical, diplomatic immunity."
"Did I get all the lipstick off?" Kara asked as she stood in front of Barbara and Leslie.
"Yes," Barbara said without looking up from her phone.
"The hickey's going to take some explaining though," Leslie said.
"WHAT?" Kara asked. Before Barbara could say anything, Kara took off for the bathroom at super speed.
Barbara glared at Leslie. "You know you just cost us thirty minutes, right?"
"Worth it," Leslie said.
Monday, January 4th, 2016
National City Tribune
Supergirl and LCorp Announce A New Transit System
By Siobhan Smythe
In a stunning announcement today, Supergirl and Lena Luthor announced a partnership between the newly-formed Krypton Incorporated and LCorp to build a nation-wide transportation network consisting of Matter Transportation Centers. These centers will allow near-instantaneous transport for both goods and people between locations anywhere in the country.
Built by the Kryptonians using technology from their home world, the Transmat Network will initially focus on human transportation, but LCorp is promising that high-volume freight centers will follow within a few months.
When asked about international service, LCorp CEO Lena Luthor said that international expansion of the network is already in the works, but that timetables will depend on how quickly policies and procedures for customs and immigration enforcement can be worked out.
The network is expected to go online on Monday, January 18th, with locations in National City, Gotham, Metropolis, Gateway City, New York, Washington, Atlanta and Los Angeles, with additional cities rolling out in the weeks and months to follow.
LCorp is a subsidiary of Danvers International which also owns CatCo Worldwide Media, the Tribune's parent company.
Tuesday, January 5th, 2016
"Where is she?" Kara asked as she touched down on the landing deck of the DEO.
"They've got her in the women's locker room. They're using one of the whirlpools as an ice bath," Leslie said.
"Go get a red sun grenade from the armory and meet me there," Kara said. She took off at super-speed, zipping through the halls of the DEO to get to the women's locker room. When she got there, she saw Alex and Maggie dumping buckets of ice into a steel bathtub full of Lucy Lane and rapidly boiling water while a gorgeous redhead in a lab coat pointed an infrared temperature gauge at Lucy's head.
"It's no good," the redhead said. "Her temperature just topped five hundred Kelvins."
"Take her out of the bath," Kara said.
The redhead looked over at her. "That ice bath is the only thing keeping her alive right now."
"Alex, put her on the floor," Kara said.
Alex scooped Lucy up and set her down on the tile floor, then stepped back. Lucy immediately started convulsing, and Kara hit her with a hard stream of freeze breath. The redhead pointed the thermometer at Lucy again.
"It's working," she said.
Leslie came running in carrying two red sun grenades. Kara snapped her fingers to get Alex's attention, then signed a series of instructions to her in sidespeak.
"Doc, she says to tell her the moment Lucy's core temp drops below three thirty Kelvin. Leslie, as soon is it does, set off the grenade," Alex said.
"Got it," Leslie said.
It took almost a minute of freeze breath before the redhead shouted, "Now!" As soon as she did, Leslie triggered the red sun grenade and a bright flash of red flooded the room. Kara's stream of freeze breath died instantly, and Lucy stopped convulsing and settled into what looked like a relaxed sleep on the floor.
"Temperature steady," the redhead said.
Kara walked over and picked up one of the buckets still filled with ice and dipped it in the hot tub, getting it full of water as well, then turned and dumped the ice water on Lucy, who immediately woke up sputtering and cursing.
"What the fuck!"
Kara tossed the bucket aside and knelt down next to Lucy.
"What did I tell you about the Torquasm Vo mantra?" Kara asked.
Lucy shrank down and gave Kara a sheepish look.
"Only use the meditation to reduce the draw of solar energy from my cells."
"And?"
"Turning up the draw is an advanced technique, and it will be a while before I'm ready to try it," Lucy said.
Kara let out a frustrated sigh. "You could have leveled the entire city."
"Really?" Lucy asked, a horrified look on her face.
"Yes, really. You do realize that sun is a giant nuclear reactor, right?"
"Yes."
"And you realize that your Kryptonian body collects, *concentrates* and stores massive amounts of solar energy, which is *nuclear* energy."
"Yes," Lucy squeaked.
"Lucy, what do you call a sudden, rapid, uncontrolled release of energy?" Kara asked.
"Bad?"
"I was going for 'explosion', but yes, bad. Now, what do you call a sudden, rapid, uncontrolled release of *nuclear* energy?"
"Really bad?"
Kara let out an exasperated sigh. "Was she at least hot?"
"Who?" Lucy asked.
"Whoever you were showing off for," Kara said.
Lucy turned bright red. Kara smiled and looked up at Alex, Maggie and the redhead.
"She'll be fine," Kara said. "She just needs a few minutes in the sun."
"And to get laid, apparently," Leslie said, making Lucy groan, and Alex, Maggie and the redhead glare at her.
"What?" Leslie said. "I don't want to get vaporized because she's so horny it makes her stupid."
Kara shook her head and stood up.
"I don't think we've met," she said, holding her hand out to the redhead. "I'm Supergirl."
"Dr. Shay Veritas," the redhead said. "Nice to meet you."
"It actually worked?" Lillian asked as she walked into the lab.
"I admit, I'm as surprised as you are," Max said. "But go on and have a look."
Lillian walked over to the cell in the far end of the lab where Indigo was testing the cage she was in, looking for a way out.
"It makes sense, if you think about it. Her body is essentially a supercomputer made up of a techno-organic nanite swam. I honestly suspect the EMP from the massive electrical discharge did more damage than the actual lightning bolt Willis hit her with."
"And you're sure she's fully functional?" Lillian asked.
"Yes," Max said. "The containment cell is Nth Metal, which is resistant to super-strength, and I've also got an Nth Metal Faraday cage so she can't escape into the digital world either."
"Can the Project Brain nanites control her?" Lillian asked.
"We don't even need the nanites. When I hooked up one of our computers to the corpse, the nanites were kind enough to create an interface with the computer, complete with a programming primer. I was able to use that and the Coluan language primer available on Supergirl's website to translate the control code Simon wrote into a language the nanite swam would understand, and insert it directly into her operating system," Max said.
"Very impressive, Max," Lillian said.
"Our little friend here has been an absolute treasure trove of information, too," Max said. "For example, did you know what every building in Little Krypton is an off-the-shelf design?"
"No, but I'm not surprised, given how quickly Supergirl went from 'community center' to 'building a city'," Lillian said. "How does that help us?"
"Well, for one thing, it confirms our suspicions about the building everyone has been calling 'the temple'," Max said. "It's definitely a Genesis Chamber. An exact duplicate of the one from Argo City."
"So, they're breeding?" Lillian said.
"There's no way to tell for sure if they've started yet, but the intent is definitely there," Max said.
"Does she have the schematics for the chamber?" Lillian asked.
"Yes, she does," Max said.
"Show me," Lillian said.
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016
Leslie sat in the ready room off the landing deck at the DEO, sipping coffee as she read through another policy manual. It was her fifth time through, and this pass was more to make sure she had it memorized than to absorb anything new., She was paying more attention to what was going on down on the floor of the command center than to what she was reading.
Susan was down there and watching her was always fun. She sat in the ops chair, legs crossed at the knees, left elbow on the arm rest, chin resting in the palm of her left hand, with her fingers curled and the tips resting against her cheek bone as she stared at the screen in front of her and worked the mouse with her right hand.
As Leslie watched, Susan sat up and stretched, tilting her head to each side before lacing her fingers together behind her lower back and lifting her arms until they were parallel to the floor, leaning her head back and arching her whole upper body as the muscles visibly tensed.
Leslie shifted in her seat, her mouth suddenly dry as the desert she'd grown up in. She drank in the sight in front of her, every curve, every ripple of muscle, the soft, warm color of Susan's skin. She couldn't stop herself from reaching out and feeling the faint tug of the electrical currents trickling through every nerve, every muscle and every cell of Susan's body.
When the stretch was over, Leslie pulled back, letting the awareness of the electricity within Susan's body fade. She stared as Susan settled back into her seat, wanting to be down there with her. Susan seemed to sense something and turned towards her. Their eyes met, and Susan smiled up at her. Leslie smiled back, even though it suddenly felt like there wasn't enough air in the room.
Susan gave her a small wave and turned back to her work, breaking the spell. Suddenly, Leslie could breathe again. She fell back in her seat as the heart that was pounding like mad in her chest started to return to a more normal rhythm.
"Shit," Leslie whispered, muttering under her breath, wondering why the fuck this had to happen to her.
She'd gone her whole fucking life looking at women and men and not feeling a thing. Not a hint, not a tingle, not a single fucking impulse to let someone stick their tongue down her throat.
Then Cat had come along, and Leslie hadn't understood it at all, but she'd wanted to be around her all the time. She'd lived for the moments when Cat had come into her studio. It had never mattered whether it was for praise or criticism, as long as Cat had delivered it in person. Just being around her had made Leslie feel wonderful and alive. Right up until the day she'd been at some idiotic event, mostly because she knew Cat would be there. Except Cat had walked in wearing the most incredible dress. Leslie had taken one look at Cat and it had felt like getting slapped by the hand of god.
Which was exactly how she felt right now, and it fucking sucked.
That night had been the beginning of everything starting to go to shit with Cat. She wasn't sure how she'd given herself away, but she had, somehow, because Cat had started pulling away after that. It had taken years and a near-death experience before things had started to turn around, and it still stung in odd moments, knowing Cat had chosen Sunshine over her.
She couldn't lose Susan. She couldn't. As pathetic as it was, Susan, Cat and Sunshine were all she had, and the thought of losing any of them felt like ripping her own heart out.
She just had to make sure she didn't give herself away. Had to make sure that Susan never found out she'd developed a crush.
Fuck her life. Fuck the fact that she could never seem to feel this way for someone who actually wanted her.
Because Susan clearly didn't. She'd never once made so much as a suggestive remark in Leslie's direction.
She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to calm down, but it didn't work. She was having difficulty breathing for an entirely different reason, and she could feel the walls start closing in around her. She needed to put some space between her and Susan before she gave herself away.
She got up and went over to her ready room locker and stashed her tablet before heading out onto the landing deck.
She tapped her eat piece. "Livewire to control," she said.
"Control acknowledges," Susan said. "Go ahead, Livewire."
"I'm stretching my wings," Leslie said. "On comms if you need me."
"Understood," Susan said. "Watch out for pigeons."
"That was one time," Leslie said, "and the pigeon was fine."
"Medium well, but fine," Susan said.
Leslie laughed as she lifted off, heading for CatCo.
Susan watched Leslie lift off from the landing deck and head off towards CatCo with a smile on her face. She knew she was going to end up making herself miserable, but it didn't seem to matter. She was so far gone, it was actually a little embarrassing, and she had no idea how Leslie hadn't figured it out yet.
"Hey, Wentworth, I'm in need of caffeination. Take ops for a bit?" Susan asked.
"Sure, boss," Wentworth said.
Susan got up and headed to the cafeteria with a stupid grin on her face. She walked in and waved at the drone behind the counter.
"Large café mocha and a blueberry scone," Susan said.
"Of course, Agent Vasquez," the drone said.
Susan waited patiently as the drone fixed her order, humming softly to herself.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Chase asked.
Susan turned to see Chase standing next to her, giving her a curious look.
"Private joke," she said.
"Ah," Chase said.
"I thought you were out on a call," Susan said.
"False alarm," Chase said. "Another case of 'existing while alien'."
"Fuck," Susan said. "Again?"
"Yeah," Chase said. "Poor girl was just trying to buy her textbooks for the semester, and some jackass called the DEO on her."
"What happened?"
"I wrote the asshole a two-hundred-dollar ticket for a false emergency call and told him next time, I'd arrest his ass," Chase said. She held up a business card with a hand-written phone number on the back. "I think the girl was impressed."
Susan smile as the drone set a tray on the counter with her coffee and her scone. "Was she cute?"
"Yeah, oddly enough. She had these weird ridges on her face, but it kinda worked for her. *WAY* too young for me though," Chase said.
"Yellow eyes, hoop earrings, cute but looks like someone's younger sister?" Susan asked as she picked up the tray and started heading towards an empty table.
"That is both oddly specific and frighteningly accurate," Chase said.
"Yeah," Susan said. "She hangs out at Darla's. She's got a thing for cops." Susan sat down, and Chase sat down across from her.
"Darla's is the alien bar in Little Krypton, right?" Chase asked.
"Yeah," Susan said.
"I didn't realize you hung out there," Chase said.
"M'gann's one of the bartenders there," Susan said.
"Oh," Chase said. "I don't think she likes me very much."
"She's a little gun-shy around cops, DEO agents, FBI, anyone connected to government, really," Susan said. "Given what we've done, you can hardly blame her."
"I suppose not," Chase said. "Maybe you could introduce me, sometime? Put in a good word for me? It's always easier to work a case if you know people on the ground."
"I could do that," Susan said.
"How about tonight?" Chase asked. "I could pick you up around eight."
Susan stared at Chase for a moment, completely caught off guard.
"I'm sorry, are you asking me out on a date?" Susan asked.
Chase did this weird thing where she shrugged her shoulders, rolled her eyes, and kind of bobbed her head back and forth, all at the same time.
"Would it be terrible if I said yes?" Chase asked.
"No… Just very, very confusing," Susan said.
"Look, I know we kind of got off on the wrong foot because of the whole Willis thing," Chase said.
"That's putting it mildly," Susan said.
Chase nodded. "Yeah. It was my fault. You're right. This isn't the FBI, and I might have let my personal baggage lead to a snap judgement about Willis."
"Personal baggage?" Susan asked.
"I don't like metas," Chase said.
"And you came to work *here*?" Susan asked.
"I figured I could do more good here than in the FBI," Chase said. "Besides…" Chase waved her fingers, and Susan's eyes got big as she watched her scone float up about six inches off the plate before settling back down. "I thought I might fit in a bit better here."
Susan closed her eyes. "I don't get paid enough for this shit," she said, before opening her eyes and looking at Chase. "You're a meta who has a problem with other metas? What, was hating yourself for being gay too trendy?"
"I don't have a problem with metas because they're metas. It's the costumes and the other bullshit. Captain Evil, and Doctor Justice, and Lady City Ordinance and all of it. My dad was a meta, and he got caught up in all of that costumed crime-fighting bullshit. Got him and a lot of other people killed. That's why I went into the FBI. So I could take down assholes like that."
"And you came here, because we're in charge of dealing with aliens and metas," Susan said. She shook her head. "There's going to be so much paperwork."
"What?" Chase asked.
"Reclassifying you," Susan said. "The paperwork."
"Um…"
"Look, for the record, you developed psychokinetic powers after being exposed to a radioactive blueberry scone, which I then ate," Susan said, picking up the scone in question, and biting into it grumpily.
"That's what you're going with?" Chase asked.
"Do you know how much paperwork there is if you've had powers all along?" Susan said. "Radioactive scone, or I will kill you and hide the body in the towel hamper in the men's locker room. It's not like anyone would notice the smell."
Chase laughed.
Susan stared at Chase for a minute as she took another bite out of her scone and thought about what Kara had told her. That she and Chase had been together in the other timeline. That they'd apparently been happy together.
Maybe it would be good for her. Get out, have fun. Maybe give her vibrator the night off if things went well. Chase wasn't bad to look at, and when she wasn't bitching about Leslie, she was actually smart, insightful, even funny.
Except Susan kept coming back to a rule she'd had ever since she first started noticing girls.
"I'm going to pass," Susan said.
"Oh," Chase said.
"Yeah," Susan said. "I don't date people who shit all over my friends."
"You're turning me down because of Willis?" Chase asked.
Susan leaned forward, staring right into Chase's eyes. "I told you before, you're replaceable. She's not. Be somewhere else."
"Hey, Leslie," Kara said as she stepped out onto the balcony outside her and Cat's shared office.
"Hey Sunshine," Leslie said as she stared out over the city.
Kara closed the door behind her and walked over to the railing, taking a spot next to Leslie.
"You okay?" Kara asked.
"Just needed a quiet place to think," Leslie said.
"Want to talk about it?" Kara asked.
"Not really," Leslie said.
"Okay," Kara said.
"That's it? Just okay?" Leslie asked.
"I'm one of two surviving veterans from the worst war in fifty-three universes," Kara said as she rested her arms on the railing. "You really think I don't know how it feels to just want to be left alone with my thoughts?"
"I'm not very alone, am I?" Leslie asked.
"Do you want to be?" Kara asked. "Because this is not where I come when I want to be alone."
"No, it's where you come when you want to make out with your girlfriend," Leslie said.
"Well, it does have that advantage these days," Kara said, "but in the old timeline, it's mostly where I came when I needed advice, or just wanted a quiet place and good company."
"Good company," Leslie said. "Been a long time since I thought of Cat that way."
"That's because I was a complete bitch to you," Cat said, surprising them both. Kara looked back and watched as Cat stepped up on Leslie's other side and leaned against the rail.
"You weren't," Leslie said. "At least, you weren't any more of a bitch to me than you were to anyone else."
"You say that like it makes it better," Cat said.
"Honestly, it made it worse," Leslie said, turning away from Cat to look back out on the city. "It wouldn't have hurt so much if you hated me. It was the indifference I couldn't stand."
"Oh, Leslie," Cat said, "I was never indifferent. I was terrified. From the moment I realized how you felt, I was scared out of my mind."
"Why?" Leslie asked.
"Because I felt… Not the same way," Cat said. "I don't know if I was even capable of feeling that way at that point in my life. But God, I wanted too."
"You did?" Leslie said.
"Do you really think it's normal for the CEO to drop into the studio and discuss the morning broadcast with a radio host?" Cat asked.
"I did at the time," Leslie said.
"I was an idiot," Cat said. "I met you when I was alone, and hurting, and you were magnificent in every way. Young and beautiful and talented and smart and sharp-witted with a gift for destroying over-inflated egos and pompous windbags. I was smitten with you from the first day, and it was a safe little fantasy, because you never seemed interested in anything more than friendship, up until that launch party for the nationwide syndication. That was the night I knew I was in trouble."
"It was that dress," Leslie said.
"Mmm… The black one that was open down to my navel, with the laces across my chest?" Cat asked.
"That's the one," Leslie said.
"That was a good dress," Cat said.
"What gave it away?" Leslie asked.
"The way you looked at me," Cat said. "I'm seen that look before. I saw in the mirror every time I thought of Lois for almost a year."
"You and Lois?" Leslie asked.
"No," Cat said. "It was a close thing. I loved her. Oh, god, did I love her. But she cared more about getting the story than she did me. When I found out what she did, it hurt worse than any of my four divorces."
"Why wasn't I good enough?" Leslie asked.
"You've got it backwards," Cat said. "Leslie, it was never about you not being good enough. It was about me being a coward. Lois hurt me so badly that the thought of ever exposing myself like that again scared the life out of me. I pushed you away, because I was afraid you would destroy me, and I was so determined to protect myself, to never be that vulnerable, that I didn't care how badly I hurt you.
"If anyone wasn't good enough, it was me. And I'm sorry. I just expected you to move on, at some point. Find a girl, fall in love."
"I never wanted a girl," Leslie said. "My whole life, you were the only one I ever wanted."
"Leslie…" Cat said.
Kara watched as Leslie shook her head. "It's okay," she said. "Susan said something. Called it demisexual." She shrugged. "Someone who only experiences sexual attraction towards someone after a deep emotional connection is formed. I thought maybe that was me, but I think I need to get tumblr to invent a word for someone who only experiences sexual attraction towards people who will never, ever want them back."
Cat reached up and put a hand on Leslie's shoulder. "You'll find someone," Cat said. "If that's what you want."
"That's the god-damned reason I'm out here on your balcony reliving the latest issue of Emo Bitch Weekly," Leslie said. "I found someone, and she just isn't fucking interested."
Kara stared at Leslie for all of two seconds before she made the connection, and so many little moments over the last few weeks suddenly made sense. Leslie's sudden change of attitude about moving into the Solarium the moment Kara mentioned Susan was moving in. Her restlessness at the Christmas party until Kara had assured her Susan was coming.
"Did she say she wasn't interested?" Kara asked.
"No," Leslie said, "but she didn't really have to. The profound lack of interest was a pretty big clue."
"Maybe-"
"Just drop it, okay," Leslie said.
Kara shut up, but she was absolutely screaming inside and when she met Cat's eyes, she could tell that Cat realized something was up. And then, because Cat was Cat, she did the most Cat thing ever. Kara watched in amazement as Cat's hands moved in the quick, graceful motions of sidespeak.
'What is it?' Cat signed.
Kara's eyes flicked down to Leslie to make sure she was still staring out at the city before she signed back, 'I know who it is, and she is in love with her too.'
Cat rolled her eyes. 'Of course she is.'
Kara nearly laughed, because she didn't even know it was possible to express that much annoyance with sidespeak.
"The bitch of it is, I knew it was happening," Leslie said. "Just like it did with you. I just got up in the morning, and it felt like nothing was right until I was in the room with her, and once I was, it didn't matter if we were talking about frequency-hopping or lighting up bad guys. I just kept hoping it wouldn't happen. That moment that I had with you when suddenly, all I could think of was how much I wanted to touch you. And then, today, all the sudden I'm sitting there, leering at her like a teenage boy, and I had to get out of there before she figured out that I'm a complete loser who can't keep it in her pants."
"Oh, for the love of God," Cat said, in a tone that she usually reserved for emails from board members. Kara and Leslie both turned to look at her. "You're right. You do sound some emo teenager with her first crush, and it's annoying."
"Cat-" Kara said.
"What?" Cat snapped at Kara before turning back to Leslie. "Are you Leslie Willis, or aren't you?"
"What are you talking about?" Leslie said.
"I'm talking about the woman who had a wall full of framed reviews calling her everything from a hack to a blight on morning radio," Cat said. "I'm talking about the woman who cooked Hank Henshaw with a lightning bolt and was ready to throw down with Superman thirty seconds later. I'm talking about the woman who figured out how to disarm a nuclear bomb on the fly. I'm talking about Leslie Fucking Willis. You are amazing. You are astonishing. And you are going to march into the DEO and tell that attractive little lesbian who orders everyone around like she's Napoleon that you love her and dare her not to feel the same way."
"I-"
Cat thrust out her arm, pointing in the general direction of the DEO tower. "NOW!" she roared, making Leslie jump slightly. She held up the blue ring. "You have ten seconds before I take up sky writing."
Kara couldn't see Leslie's face, but she knew Leslie was trying to decide if Cat would make good on her threat. She apparently decided Cat would definitely make good on her threat, because Leslie floated up off the balcony, and shot off towards the DEO without another word.
"Do you think that will work?" Kara asked.
"Of course," Cat said as she took out her phone and started typing.
"What are you doing?" Kara asked.
"Texting Susan," Cat said.
"Why?" Kara said.
"Because Leslie is an even bigger idiot than you are," Cat said.
Susan frowned as the text alert she had set for Cat chimed. She reached down and pulled her phone out of her pocket.
Cat: Meet Leslie on the landing deck.
Cat: NOW!
Susan shot to her feet. "Wentworth, you got ops," she called as she raced towards the landing deck at a dead run. The doors slid apart just as she hit the top step and she was barely through them when Leslie dropped out of the sky and landed in front of her.
"Hey," Susan said. "Are you-"
She didn't get to finish her question, because Leslie reached out and grabbed her and kissed her.
It was terrible. Really terrible. It was wet and their noses mashed together and it was too rough and it was just really, really obvious that Leslie had never, ever kissed anyone before and when she pulled back, she had a look of pure terror and complete embarrassment on her face. She started to back away and Susan knew exactly what was about to happen, and she would be god-damned if she was going to let it. She grabbed Leslie's jacket and pulled her back in. One hand went around Leslie's waist, and the other cradled Leslie's face as Susan pulled her back down into another kiss.
This one was better. So, so much better. It wasn't rushed and desperate and hopeless. This time, Susan was in control. She tilted her head just so, and it was light, and it was gentle and when she moved her lips against Leslie's it was practiced and the small whimper that came from Leslie was perfect and Susan felt the world fall away and for a moment there was nothing but her and the beautiful, amazing woman in her arms.
She pulled back from the kiss, smiling at Leslie, who was looking back at her with an expression of pure wonder on her face.
"Why didn't we do that sooner?" Leslie asked.
"I was just waiting on you," Susan said before she leaned in for another kiss.
"Do you think they know the entire command center is watching them?" Lucy asked.
J'onn, who stood next to her, with his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose, just said, "I swear this place is worse than a high school."
"Stuff like this never happened before the Danvers sisters showed up," Wentworth said.
Lucy looked around, a frown on her face. "Where are Danvers and Sawyer?"
"Making out in Sawyer's office last I saw," Wentworth said.
"I'm too old for this shit," J'onn said.
Thursday, January 7th, 2016
The breakfast rush was finally over, and it was getting on towards the end of her shift when Sally stepped out of the back door of Noonan's carrying four large bags of trash. It had been a pretty good morning for her. Good tips, Kara, who'd been MIA for a while, had stopped in and they'd gotten a few minutes to chat. She hadn't had a single customer who was rude enough for her to notice, which was something close to miraculous for a weekday.
That's probably why the whole thing came as such a surprise. The man grabbed her from behind, and before she could scream, he pressed a mask over her face. She heard a hissing sound, and tasted something metallic, and the fight went out of her.
Harper released his grip as the woman stopped struggling. He waited a few moments, just to make sure she'd breathed in all the nanites before he lifted the mask away from her face.
"Look at me," he said. The woman turned towards him. He held out a small box. "Take this. Put one spray in the coffee of anyone who is wearing a DEO badge or a CatCo ID."
"Okay," the woman said.
"Good. Forget any of this happened, but remember your instructions," he said. Then he turned and walked away.
Sally shook her head, feeling a little dizzy. Maybe she'd gone a little too long without eating. She might grab a bagel when she went back inside.
"Out with it, Sunshine," Leslie growled as she and Kara drifted high above the city.
"Out with what?" Kara asked.
"You're been grinning like someone gave you a barrel full of ice cream all morning," Leslie said. "So, spit it out already."
Kara grinned even wider and Leslie rolled her eyes.
"So, you and Susan?" Kara asked.
Leslie looked over at Kara and tried to be annoyed, tried to come up with some biting remark, but she couldn't. Even the thought of Susan put a smile on her face.
"Yeah," she said in a voice so soft it was embarrassing. "Me and Susan."
Kara let out a squeal so loud a passing flock of birds turned suddenly out of fright and plowed into each other, falling a few dozen feet before they recovered.
"Oops," Kara said.
Leslie shook her head. "Cat's right. You're twelve."
Kara stuck out her tongue.
"I keep telling you I'm not interested."
"Jerk."
"Bitch."
"Bitch who wants details!" Kara said.
Leslie laughed. "Will you stop grinning like an idiot?"
"I make no promises," Kara said.
Leslie shook her head. "It was nice."
"Nice?" Kara raised a hand and pointed at the DEO building. "I saw the look on Susan's face this morning, and it was a lot better than nice."
"Okay," Leslie said. "It was amazing, alright. We didn't even do anything more than kiss, but I finally get it. All the fuss, the giggling, the swooning, the drama. Like, right now, all I can think about is getting home at the end of the day so I can curl up with her arms around me."
"Oh my god," Kara said. "You've got it so bad."
"Yeah," Leslie said. "I swear if you tell anyone I will cook your tits."
Kara laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."
"It better be. Otherwise I'll tell Cat about your little make-out session in Gotham."
"Woah!" Kara held up her hands. "No need to go full on supervillain."
"Oh, please," Leslie said.
"Can I ask you something?"
"If I say no, you'll pout until I give in and let you ask anyway," Leslie said.
"See, this is why we're such good friends. You get me."
"And now we're back to cooking your tits."
"Okay, okay," Kara said.
"Ask your question, Sunshine."
"What made you realize how you felt?" Kara asked.
"I don't know," Leslie said. "I was just sitting in the ready room, reading through a procedure manual and watching Susan down on the ops floor and she glanced up and waved at me and I just couldn't breathe until she looked away, and it just sort of clicked. I could feel her, the currents running through her, and I just wanted so much to reach out and touch her."
"You can feel the electricity in Susan's body?"
"Yeah. I can actually feel it in everybody, but it's different with Susan."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone else just sort of fades into the background unless I'm actively paying attention, but Susan is always there now."
"I get it," Kara said. "Cat's heartbeat is like that for me."
"Really?
"Really," Kara said. "I'm happy for you, Leslie."
"Thanks. I don't actually hate that you and Cat are together."
Kara smiled so brightly that Leslie knew Kara understood what she was really saying, and it made an already good day that much better.
Friday, January 8th, 2016
National City Tribune
A Fuel Free Future?
By Siobhan Smythe
Following the surprise announcement earlier in the week of the Transmat Network, LCorp announced today that they are entering full production on three new environmentally-friendly power sources derived from Kryptonian technology licensed from Krypton Inc.
The first power source announced in today's press conference is called the Omegahedron. It is being touted as a drop-in replacement for existing power plants. According to LCorp CEO Lena Luthor, a single Omegahedron, a device roughly the size of a baseball, could power National City for two thousand years at current usage levels, and would require no fuel of any sort during that time period, and contains less hazardous material that the average smart phone.
The second power source announced is called the Betahedron and is described as a smaller version of the Omegahedron, intended as a backup power source for use in facilities which require uninterrupted power in the event of a disruption to the power grid, such as hospitals and emergency services facilities which currently rely heavily on generators for backup power.
The final power source announced, and the one that will likely be within the reach of most consumer's budgets, is the Jara crystal. These will be available in a variety of sizes from a small crystal about the size of a watch battery, said to be powerful enough to run a typical American household for a decade, up to crystals the size of a D cell battery that could power a small town for about the same amount of time.
Luthor declined to discuss price points for the Omegahedron and Betahedrons at this time but did say that prices for the Jara crystals would be comparable to rechargeable lithium ion batteries.
In addition to announcing the new power sources, Luthor brought Wayne Enterprises CEO Bruce Wayne on stage for a final announcement: a partnership between LCorp and Wayne Automotive to introduce Jara crystal-powered electric cars to replace Wayne Automotive's entire fleet by the beginning of the 2017 Model Year.
LCorp is a subsidiary of Danvers International, which also owns CatCo World Wide Media, the Tribune's parent company.
Saturday, January 9th, 2016
Eliza couldn't help but smile at the huge grin on Kara's face as Kara pressed the security disks to her, Alex and Maggie's wrists. Both Alex and Maggie kept looking around a little wide-eyed at the interior of the building, taking in all the technology on display and the details of the alien architecture, but Eliza was focused entirely on Kara.
They had sat down and had a long talk a couple of days after Jeremiah's little stunt. She had been horrified by what she'd heard. Alex's reaction, her willingness to not only cut her father off, but to erase his memory entirely had been incredibly disturbing, but she'd found Kara's willingness to let what he'd done pass every bit as disquieting as Alex's rage. Both though, had paled in comparison to the fury she felt towards Fendra and how heartbroken she'd been when she'd heard Kara talking about her spiral on Krypton, and her decision to stay and die with her world.
What had disturbed her the most was Kara's decision to keep the child. Not because she believed any nonsense about the child being tainted by the circumstances of her conception, but because of Kara's reaction to what Fendra had done.
Eliza knew that she wasn't the best mother in the world, but she had loved Alex and Kara so, so much. Whatever mistakes she had made, she had made entirely out of love and a desire to do what was best for her girls, and she couldn't imagine ever living a single moment of her life when she didn't want and love both of them. She had been terrified that Kara's decision to keep the child had been motivated by some sense of obligation or duty, and that she would end up resenting the girl.
She should have known better. She had never met anyone else with the capacity for love and forgiveness that Kara had. The sheer joy and enthusiasm on display as she led them into the Genesis Chamber put to rest any doubts she had about whether or not Kara wanted the child.
Eliza did get a surprise when they entered the actual Genesis Chamber. Cat Grant sat in a chair the center of the platform next to what Eliza assumed was a birthing matrix sitting on some kind of pillar, with a tablet in her lap, reading to the birthing matrix.
In Kryptonian.
As they approached, Cat touched the tablet, then looked up at Kara with a huge smile on her face.
"Hello, love," Cat said.
"Hey there," Kara said before leaning down and giving Cat a kiss that definitely wasn't a chaste peck on the lips and went on until an uncomfortable cough from Alex made Kara pull back with a look on her face that was just a tiny bit smug.
"I didn't expect to find you here," Kara said.
"Carter asked if he could go ice skating with Sam and Ruby, so I had some free time," Cat said. She finally looked away from Kara long enough to greet the rest of them. "Eliza, Alex, Maggie."
"Afternoon, Cat," Eliza said as Kara stepped around Cat to get to the birthing matrix.
"Ready?" Kara asked, bouncing cheerfully on the balls of her feet.
"Yes," Eliza said.
Kara waved her hand and a hologram of a fetus appeared above the birthing matrix.
"This is Kiera El," Kara said, and the beaming smile on her face spoke volumes.
Cat walked through the market square in Little Krypton beside Eliza, watching Kara, Alex and Maggie walk ahead of them, bickering and laughing and giving each other playful little shoves like a bunch of teenagers. It probably should have made her feel old, but it didn't. It just made her happy to see Kara so carefree, even if it was only for a little while.
"It's amazing what Kara has done here," Eliza said.
"It really is," Cat said, still a little amazed by it herself. "Aliens living openly side by side with humans. Free housing for the poor and underprivileged. Every home comes equipped with an attendant which is a live-in doctor, teacher, cook, babysitter, maid, handyman and bodyguard. Free power, water, sanitation and even free food for anyone who needs it. It's a miracle."
"Is it sustainable?" Eliza asked. "She's got to be hemorrhaging money."
"Not as badly as you might think," Cat said, "but yes, she is. In the short term, the city has about two years' worth of operating capital, so yes. In the long term, maybe. It's not sustainable as a single enclave in a capitalist economy. But if she can grow the model and move the whole world into a post-scarcity economy, then yes. It won't be quick, and people will fight her every step of the way."
"It's going to be hard for her," Eliza said.
"Hard is an understatement," Cat said. "But she's strong, and she's going to have a lot of help."
"You love her," Eliza said, and Cat glanced over at her, wondering where this was going. Unfortunately, she had a bit of an idea.
"Desperately," Cat admitted. She took a deep breath, steadying herself for what seemed like an inevitable confrontation. "Is this where you tell me you don't approve?"
"No," Eliza said. "She loves you, and after what she's been through, I think she's more than earned the right to have people respect her choices."
Cat found herself smiling as she realized she and Eliza were going to get along better than she'd expected. "You're doing better than her cousin," Cat said.
One of the weariest sighs Cat had ever heard came from Eliza. "Clark means well," she said. "He's just a complete idiot."
"I wish it was that simple," Cat said, "but I've known Clark long enough to know that he's actually brilliant. Not as smart as Kara, or at least, not as in command of his raw intelligence as she is. He's something far, far worse than an idiot. He's a self-righteous man who has had the profound misfortune of almost always being right."
Eliza looked over at her and laughed. "That is probably the best description of Clark's problem I have ever heard."
"Well," Cat said, preening just a bit, "I am the Queen of All Media for a reason."
"I can see why she likes you," Eliza said.
"My excessive self-confidence?" Cat asked.
"The way you refuse to admit fear," Eliza said. "She has always admired bravery."
"That explains her friends," Cat said. "I'm not so sure about me."
"Most people would have run away screaming long before now," Eliza said.
"I won't," Cat said.
"I hope not," Eliza said, "but I can't help but wonder if you've figured out yet just what you've gotten yourself into."
"What do you mean?" Cat asked, just a touch of trepidation creeping in.
"I admit, it took me a while to put it together," Eliza said, ignoring Cat's question. "I mean, we all sat there and watched her do it, and it still took me weeks to realize what she'd done. As well as I know Kara and the way she thinks, I really should have figured it out when she made Alex the Head of a Great House of Krypton, but everyone was distracted that night."
"A little," Cat admitted.
"Well, you have all the same clues I do, and you used to solve mysteries for a living. Think about it. Kryptonians don't age under a yellow sun. Kara said it that night. They could all live long enough to see the Sun swell up into a Red Giant. That's a long, long time to watch everyone you love grow old, wither and die. Especially when you have the power to stop it."
"Oh," Cat said as the pieces began to fall together. The way Kara had blithely ignored any mention of Cat's own mortality. The Chrysalis Chamber. What had happened to Lucy.
"Lucy was the big clue," Eliza said.
Cat looked across the market square to where Kara, Alex and Maggie were arguing over which color of cotton candy they wanted to buy.
"Forever suddenly seems a lot longer, doesn't it?" Eliza asked.
"With her, it doesn't sound so bad," Cat said, because it didn't. For the first time in her life, she had someone she could really imagine forever with.
"I know it must sound like I'm trying to scare you off, but I'm not," Eliza said. "I just wanted you to be prepared."
"Prepared for what?" Cat asked.
"Kara has this bad habit," Eliza said. "I'm not sure if it's something she picked up on Krypton, or if it's a response to Krypton, but she puts off conversations if she thinks they'll upset people. Waits until it just can't wait anymore. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, because most people's immediate reaction is, 'why didn't you say something sooner?'. She's going to wait until she's scared, or hurt, or until you have another close call, and then she'll spring it on you while emotions are high. I just thought you'd both be less likely to hurt each other if you had a chance to think about it before she popped the 'hey, you want to be a Kryptonian?' question on you."
Cat laughed. "God, that sounds like a bad pickup line," she said.
"Which is probably how it's going to sound when Kara says it," Eliza said.
Cat looked over at Kara who was juggling six pomegranates one-handed while she ate a huge cotton candy flower.
"Why would she think that's a conversation that would upset me?" Cat asked.
"Think about how Kara would feel if someone asked her to give up being Kryptonian and become human," Eliza said.
Cat didn't have to think about it. She knew Kara would be devastated by the very idea.
"She doesn't realize that we wouldn't look at it the same way," Eliza said. "Kryptonian culture is fifteen thousand years old and was a global culture before the first stones were laid at Damascus and Jericho. The entire planet was a culturally homogeneous ethnostate. Multiculturalism isn't a concept that comes naturally to her, and as much as she's tried, I don't think she's ever quite divorced culture and biology completely in her mind. For her, on an emotional level, stepping into the Chrysalis Chamber would be as much a renunciation of her culture and her heritage as a daughter of the House of El as her biology, and on that same level, she believes that asking you to become Kryptonian would be asking you to give up your culture and your heritage."
"I could see why that would make her hesitate," Cat said. "How long did it take you to decide?"
"About five minutes," Eliza said. "There's no way in hell I'm going to leave my girls if I can help it."
"I guess I have some thinking to do," Cat said, but as she watched Kara, she knew there was only one choice.
Sunday, January 10th, 2016
"I don't know about this, Kara," Winn said as Kara practically dragged him into the Genesis Chamber. "I'm not really good around kids."
Kara looked over at Kaldur'ahm, who had an amused look on his face, and gave an eyeroll worthy of Cat.
"You're fine with Carter and Ruby," Kara said.
"Carter and Ruby are old enough to play video games and pack-hunt people in the nerf arena," Winn said. "Babies are different."
"Well, you're lucky she's not a baby yet," Kara said as they reached the central platform. She smiled as she saw that one of the attendants was already bringing the birthing matrix down to them.
"That's not making this any less scary," Winn said.
"Quit being a big wuss," Kara said. "You stood up to Batman *and* Superman. You can meet my daughter."
"Yeah, I can't accidently break Batman or Superman," Winn muttered.
"It will be fine, Winn," Kaldur'ahm said in such a serious voice that Kara almost burst out laughing.
She waved her hand over the birthing matrix, and the hologram of Kiera appeared, and whatever Winn was about to say died on his lips as he took in the sight in front of him.
"Oh," Winn said.
Kara waved him forward. "Come closer."
Winn took a step closer, and Kara smiled at the look of wonder on his face. She reached up and waved a hand, switching from the live hologram to the projected appearance at birth.
"Wow," Winn said. He looked over at Kara. "She's beautiful."
"Isn't she?" Kara asked. "I-" She cut off as her text alert sounded. "Just a second."
She stepped back from the birthing matrix, turning away as she took out her phone. There was a message from Cat.
Cat: I'm working on tomorrow's press release and can't find the list of conditions for the pilot program.
Kara: It's not on the Sharepoint?
Cat: Obviously not.
Kara: I must have forgotten to upload it. Give me a moment.
Kara switched applications and remoted into her work computer long enough to grab the file Cat needed and upload it.
Kara: Check the Sharepoint again.
Cat: Got it. How are Jacob and the Hobbit doing with Kiera?
Kara started to type a reply when the sound of a soft voice singing caught her attention.
"The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried"
Kara turned around to see Winn resting her hand on the birthing matrix as he sang softly.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
He glanced over, and saw her looking at him, and he blushed.
"Ah…"
"It's beautiful," she said.
"My mom used to sing it to me when I couldn't sleep," Winn said.
Kara smiled again as she looked back down at her phone.
"I'll always love you and make you happy
And nothing else could come between
But if you leave me to love another
You'll have shattered all my dreams"
Kara sang the verse as she typed out a message to Cat.
Kara: Our girl is going to have the best uncles.
Monday, January 11th, 2016
National City Tribune
Supergirl Announces 'Molecular Surgery' Center
By Siobhan Smythe
In the latest in a series of Kryptonian technology-related announcements, Supergirl announced that the Kryptonian Medical Foundation would be opening The Center for Molecular Surgery in the Kryptonian Medical Halls in the City of Hope effective Monday, January 18th. The Center is intended to host a clinical trial for FDA approval of a technology called a Chrysalis Chamber.
Originally developed on Krypton several thousand years ago to help colonists adapt to life on Krypton's sister planet Daxam, the Chrysalis Chamber is capable of modifying or rewriting a person's physiology all the way down to the genetic level. This capability will allow the new Molecular Surgery Center to offer treatments for a number of debilitating diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Fibromyalgia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy and other genetic disorders.
In addition, the Kryptonian Medical Foundation also announced that the Center will be offering gender transition services, including procedures for both transmasculine and transfeminine patients which will result in an anatomy identical in form and function to cisgendered men and woman down to the genetic level, including full reproductive function. Procedures will be available to patients whether or not they have already had gender confirmation surgery.
Once the Chrysalis Chamber technology is approved for widespread use, it will become the centerpiece of a chain of clinics that will open nationwide, owned and operated by the Kryptonian Medical Foundation, which readers may recall was founded as a partnership between the Thomas Wayne Foundation, The Wayne Medical Division of Wayne Enterprises, Themyscira Enterprises, and the Artemis Society. Krypton Inc. and LCorp will both be joining the Kryptonian Medical Foundation as full partners. Krypton Inc. will supply the Chrysalis Chambers for the clinics, while the Thomas Wayne Foundation and the Artemis Society will staff the facilities, and LCorp will provide physical security. In addition, the Wayne Center for Legal Aid will have offices and legal staff on site at all facilities to assist patients with any legal issues that may result from their treatment.
During the pilot program, all treatment will be provided free of charge. The Kryptonian Medical Foundation plans to have pricing, payment and coverage details worked out with all major insurance providers as soon as possible but have promised that absolutely no one will be turned away due to inability to pay.
Olivia was in the middle of reviewing the latest position paper from one of the Republican think tanks, trying to find words to respond to the idiocy when her intercom buzzed. She reached over and answered, glad for the break from the stream of stupidity, classism and casual bigotry she'd been slogging through.
"Yes, Elizabeth?" Olivia asked.
"Ms. Nal is requesting a moment of your time, ma'am," Elizabeth said.
"Do I have anything in the next twenty minutes?" Olivia asked.
"No, ma'am," Elizabeth said.
"Then send her in," Olivia said.
"Of course, ma'am," Elizabeth said.
The line went dead and a moment later, the door opened, and Nia walked in looking even more nervous than usual. Olivia smiled as she stood up and walked over to greet the girl.
"Good morning, Nia," Olivia said.
"Ma'am," Nia said.
"Please, have a seat," Olivia said as she sat down on one of the couches.
Nia sat down next to her. "Thank you for taking the time to see me," she said.
"It's always a pleasure," Olivia said. "Do I have a speech I've forgotten about?"
"No," Nia said. "This is actually personal."
"Oh?" Olivia asked, more than a little confused. She liked Nia a lot. The girl had a way with words that was simply amazing, and she'd quickly become Olivia's go-to speech writer in the months since she arrived at the White House, but they weren't at all close, and she couldn't imagine why the girl would come to her for a personal issue unless it was with one of her staffers.
"Is everything okay?" Olivia asked.
Nia gave her an uncomfortable smile. "Yes. Of course. It's just… Have you seen the press release Supergirl put out this morning?"
Olivia felt a small lump of dread. Surely someone would have told her if Kara had done something that was potentially damaging.
"No," she said. "Should I have?"
"Oh! No, it's nothing bad. Well, I mean, the Republicans will probably think it's bad, because they think anything that involves people getting free healthcare is evil and should be illegal, but it's not really bad. In fact, it's going to help a lot of people, and I think it's great, and I'm rambling," Nia said. She stopped and took a breath. "This is why I prefer to write. It lets me organize my thoughts."
"Why don't you tell me what the press release was about," Olivia said.
"Supergirl announced something called 'The Center for Molecular Surgery," Nia said. "It's a pilot facility designed to let them get FDA approval for a medical device called a Chrysalis Chamber that she says will be able to cure all sorts of conditions."
"Aside from what I am sure will be an epic amount of screaming from the biotech and big pharma lobbies, that does sound like good news," Olivia said.
"It is," Nia said enthusiastically. "The thing is, I know you're going to speak with Supergirl when you go to National City at the end of the month, and I wanted to ask a favor."
Olivia nodded, surprised at how bold the usually shy girl was, though she supposed if there was a medical issue at stake, it would make sense. "Go on," she said.
"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I'm a transgender woman," Nia said. "I started my transition before puberty, which makes things a lot easier, medically speaking, and I really lucked out that my parents were supportive. But even with all those advantages, there's a limit to what our current medical technology can achieve."
"And Kryptonian medicine can do more?" Olivia guessed.
Nia nodded. "The press release said that the Center will also be offering full transition services, all the way down to the genetic level. And that the procedures would also be effective on people who've already had confirmation surgery."
Olivia stared at Nia for a moment, processing the implications. It wasn't a subject she was especially well-versed on. Transgender rights, yes, but the actual day-to-day realities of the medical side of it weren't something she'd delved into. She had advisors to know those kinds of things for her when it came time to deal with legislation that might impact transgender people. She did know that Nia would be on hormones the rest of her life, and that she couldn't carry a child. If Kara had the technology to fix that, Nia's presence in her office suddenly made a lot more sense.
"What, exactly, are you asking?" Olivia asked, more to confirm what she suspected than anything else.
"I'd like to be in the trial group," Nia said. "I thought maybe if you spoke to Supergirl when you were in National City, I might have a shot at getting in."
Olivia smiled. "I think we can do better than that," she said. "Come with me." She got up, walked over to her desk and sat down, gesturing to the chair next to her desk for Nia as she opened her desk drawer and took out her cell phone. She dialed Kara and put the call on speaker.
"Hey, Olivia," Kara said.
"Hello, Supergirl," Olivia said. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"You are, and Cat is very put out," Kara said.
Nia's eyes got big as saucers and Olivia closed her eyes, wishing not for the first time that Kara had a little more respect for the office, if not the person.
"You're on speaker," Olivia said.
"Oh," Kara said. "Damn. A little warning next time."
"I'll try to keep that in mind," Olivia said.
"What can I do for you?" Kara said.
Olivia opened her eyes and looked at Nia with a smile. "I just heard about the press release regarding the surgical center," she said.
"Really? Kara asked. "I figured you had an alert set for every time I made the news by now."
"There's a recap in my morning briefings," Olivia said. "If I checked the news every time your name popped up, I wouldn't have time to run the country."
"I'm not that bad," Kara said. "Am I?"
"Yes, you are," Olivia said. "I have one of my staffers here with me. Her name is Nia Nal. She's one of my speech writers."
"OH! Did you write the one she gave at the amnesty signing?" Kara asked.
"Yes," Nia said. "I also wrote the one she gave later that night."
"Want a job?" Kara said. "I promise I can pay better than Olivia."
Nia laughed, and Olivia sighed and stepped on the urge to murder Kara in her sleep.
"I didn't call for you to steal away one of my best people," Olivia said.
"Yeah, sorry, I've been spending too much time with Ms. Grant," Kara said. "What. Damn it. Nia, forget I said that."
Nia laughed again, and Olivia just rolled her eyes.
"She's got a cute laugh," Kara said. "Ouch! Hey! What was that for?"
"Supergirl!" Olivia said.
"Yes?" Kara asked.
"Can I ask you a small favor?" Olivia asked.
"If you're going to ask me to punt Miranda Crane into orbit, the answer is yes," Kara said.
This time Olivia couldn't help but laugh along with Nia.
"Sadly, no," Olivia said. "Much as I think all of us with enjoy that, I'm afraid punting Senators into orbit is bad for the public image."
"Okay, but if you ever change your mind, you have my phone number," Kara said.
"I do," Olivia said. "Nia was wondering if she could be included in the trial group for your new surgery center."
"Oh," Kara said, her tone suddenly much more serious. "I think we can do that. Nia?"
"Yes?" Nia said.
"Is it okay if I ask which course of treatment?" Kara asked. "If you'd rather not discuss it in front of Olivia, I could give you my phone number, and we can talk later."
"No, it's okay," Nia said. "I'm a transgender woman. Five years post-op."
"Okay," Kara said. "Give me your cell number and your email address." Nia quickly rattled off the information. "Got it. You'll get a call from someone named Nimda in about an hour. She will tell you what medical records we need. I'm not sure if we can fit you into the actual clinical trial group, but if Olivia brings you with her and can spare you for the day, I'll make sure you get treatment."
"Thank you!" Nia said.
"You're welcome," Kara said. "I look forward to meeting you."
"Likewise," Nia said.
"Olivia, is there anything else you need right now?" Kara asked.
"No, thank you," Olivia said. "That was everything."
"Okay. See you soon," Kara said, and the line went dead.
Almost immediately, Olivia found herself being hugged tightly by Nia. "Thank you, so much!" Nia said.
Tueday, January 12th, 2016
"Okay, that settles it," Winn said. "We are definitely getting you a Warcraft account. With reflexes like that, you'd make an amazing healer."
"I have an account," Kaldur'ahm said. "My main was an elemental shaman, but I stopped playing after we downed Arthas."
"You raided Icecrown?" Winn asked as he opened the door to Noonan's.
"Yes," Kaldur'ahm said. "Donna was our main tank, Dick was our off tank, Gar and Barbara were our healers, Raven, Kori, both Cass's, Virgil and I DPS'd."
"Okay, we have been dating for a month and a half, and I'm just finding this out?" Winn asked.
"It never came up," Kaldur'ahm said.
Winn glared for a moment before turning to the woman behind the counter. "Morning, Sally," he said.
"Hey, Winn," she said. "The usual?'
"Yeah," Winn said.
"Jackson," Sally said, "I'll get Ms. Grant's order, too."
"Thank you," Kaldur'ahm said.
Winn turned back to Kaldur'ahm to ask another question, so he never saw the odd, glassy-eyed look Sally gave the CatCo badge hanging from his laptop case. He also didn't see her remove a spray bottle from her pocket and spray a dose of Tycho's Brain nanites into his coffee.
Thursday, January 14th, 2016
National City Tribune
Toyman Tries to Leave the Box
By Siobhan Smythe
Winslow Schott, the bomber known as The Toyman, is back in the news today. Guards, acting on an anonymous tip, conducted a search of Schott's cell yesterday and discovered a key to the cell, a weapon built into a yo-yo, and most of a guard's uniform. Further investigation revealed an accomplice, prison guard Jacqueline Nimball.
This is Schott's third escape attempt since his incarceration, and in light of the danger he poses to the public, officials have announced that Schott will be transferred to the Federal Supermax Prison Facility known as ADX Florence.
There is no word yet on what charges Jacqueline Nimball will face for her role in Schott's escape plan.
Kara looked up from the contract she was working on at the sound of a polite cough from the doorway of her and Cat's shared office.
"Hey, Winn," Kara said. She didn't really have to ask why he was there. She just turned to Cat. "I'll be upstairs."
Cat just waved her off without looking up, which was her way of respecting their privacy.
Kara stood up and led Winn out of the office and over to the private elevator. As obviously upset as he was, Winn hesitated a moment before stepping into the elevator with her, which brought a small smile to Kara's face.
The ride up to the forty-second floor was as quiet as it was tense, but Kara had been expecting this. She led Winn into her office and closed the doors behind them.
"You knew?" Winn asked.
"Yes," Kara said.
"You made the call?" he asked.
"I had Nimda make it," Kara said.
Winn stepped forward and pulled her into a hug so tight she worried for a moment that he would hurt himself.
"Thank you!" he said.
Kara wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, more than a little confused by his reaction. She'd been expecting him to be upset that she hadn't given him a heads up on what was going on, but honestly, she'd been a little afraid to. Any time Winn's dad came up in the old timeline, he'd been a wreck, and the whole thing had led to one of the worst periods in their friendship the first time around. She hoped that their relationship was on a lot more solid footing this time around, but Winn's dad poked Winn's crazy in unpredictable ways.
"You're welcome," she said.
"Never, ever tell me what he did in the other timeline," Winn said.
"I think I can manage that," Kara said.
"Can you hide me from Siobhan?" Winn asked.
"Tell me you didn't find out about this because she came after you for an interview," Kara said.
"I could, but we both know I'd be lying," he said.
Kara sighed and squeezed Winn a little tighter. "I'll talk to Vicki," she said. "I'm sure we can find a puppy wedding or a kitten bar mitzvah or something to keep Siobhan busy."
"You're the best," Winn said.
Friday, January 15th, 2016
National City Tribune
Roombas for the Environment
By Siobhan Smythe
Over the past few weeks, Kryptonian robots, referred to their creators simply as drones and attendants, have become a common sight in National City. They serve as the police force in the Kryptonian-built-and-owned City of Hope, and as paramedics, doctors and EMTs trained in both human and alien medicine all over the city.
Now the rest of the world may have to get used to the sight of these mechanical helpers.
In the latest in a series of literally world-changing announcements, LCorp revealed today that they are licensing thousands of the robots from Krypton Inc. These robots will be used for environmental clean-up.
The first items on LCorp's cleaning agenda are fifteen EPA Superfund sites currently classified as extremely high priority. The cleanup of these fifteen sights will serve as a test case for the LCorp project, and if it proves successful, contracts may be awarded for all sites on the Superfund list, as well as numerous other regions which suffer from man-made environmental damage.
In addition, LCorp has also announced a partnership with Krypton Inc. called the Recycle Everything Initiative. LCorp has purchased over a hundred commercial landfills across the United States, and starting in February, LCorp robots will harvest the trash, which will be moved using Transmat technology to a new recycling facility built by Krypton Inc. According to LCorp, one hundred percent of the trash in those landfills will be recycled.
LCorp is a subsidiary of Danvers International, which also owns CatCo World Wide Media, the Tribune's parent company.
"I don't even know why you're surprised," Shay said. "I mean, yeah, she's hot, but anyone with eyes could see that she was sniffing around Willis. What did you think would happen?"
"I don't know," Chase said. "The stupid part is, it made me like her even more. I mean, she's hot, she's smart, she's actually kind of scary when you get down to it, *and* she's super loyal to her friends."
"You forgot the part where she's banging your arch nemesis," Shay said as she pulled open the door to Noonan's.
"Please," Chase said. "Willis hardly rates."
"If Willis hardly rated, you wouldn't have shot yourself in the foot with the hottest little butch I've ever laid eyes on," Shay said.
"Okay, I fucking hate Willis, alright," Chase said.
"I don't think there's a gay woman at the DEO who doesn't hate Willis about now," Shay said.
"Can I help you ladies?" the woman behind the counter asked.
Chase glanced at her, noting the name badge that read Sally. "I'd like a large Americano and an everything bagel with extra cream cheese."
"Sesame seed bagel with peanut butter and bananas, and a large mocha, triple chocolate," Shay said.
"Got it," Sally said.
"I hate you, too," Chase said.
"Please, you know you'd hit this," Shay said.
Chase laughed. "You're wrong though," she said.
"What about?" Shay asked.
"Everyone hating Willis," Chase said. "I don't think Danvers, Lane or Sawyer give a damn."
"That's because Danvers and Sawyer are too busy banging each other behind every door with a lock, and Lane is pining over Supergirl," Shay said.
"Can you blame her?" Chase said. "I mean, who wouldn't want to bag Supergirl?"
"Me," Shay said. "Way too much drama there."
Chase glanced over to see how their order was coming along and noted that the espresso was just starting to pour. She turned back to Shay and missed Sally spraying nanites in her cup.
Adam walked into his apartment and tossed his keys and his wallet into the bowl on the table by the door, then started peeling off layers of clothing. It was one of the things he absolutely hated about Opal City in January. Wading through knee-deep snow had stopped being fun around the time he outgrew snowball fights and sled rides.
Once he was down to jeans and a t-shirt, he headed over to the fridge and grabbed a beer before dropping down on the couch and kicking his shoes off. He picked up the remote and turned on the TV, more for the noise than because he cared what was on. He took a sip of his beer and leaned back, watching the news.
The program he had pitched that afternoon had gone over like a lead balloon, and not for the first time, but this time meant he was officially unemployed, unless he could find someone else to pitch to. Not that he hadn't already pitched to every charity in town, but that was the problem with living in a city so steeped in old money. No one gave a shit about a program designed to help convicts re-integrate back into society.
Maybe it was time for a change in scenery. Find someplace where people's idea of charity wasn't donating money to an Opera House that charged two hundred dollars for the worst seats in the house. Somewhere he could put his degrees to good use. Metropolis, maybe. It was possible he could retool the program for Suicide Slums.
"CatCo CEO Cat Grant took a moment to address allegations of bias in CatCo's reporting on news related to Supergirl and the other aliens in National City today as she left CatCo headquarters."
Adam looked up at the TV to see his mother walking out of the front of her building with a tall redheaded woman wearing glasses beside her. The two of them were both smiling as the taller woman talked, but she stopped and stepped in between Cat and the camera as it approached.
"Ms. Grant, what do you say to recent allegations of bias in your reporting where Supergirl and the aliens of National City are concerned?" someone off-camera asked.
"That they're ridiculous and a waste of time," Cat said, stepping around the redhead.
"What about accusations that you traded favorable coverage for access to Kryptonian technology?" the reporter asked.
"Lies," Cat said. "Supergirl offered to upgrade CatCo's security with Kryptonian defensive technology after a terrorist attack - motivated by fear and bigotry- took the lives of nine CatCo employees. I stand by that decision, given that fact that there was recently a second terrorist attack just outside of the CatCo security perimeter that was clearly motivated by our continued association with Supergirl. But let me be clear. This is not the first time CatCo WorldWide Media has been accused of bias, and it's always by people spouting outright lies and claiming they are the gospel truth, but CatCo's reporters all get reminded of something most other news outlets have forgotten. If someone says it's raining, and another person says it's dry, it's not a reporter's job to quote them both. It's a reporter's job to look out the window and find out which is true. That's what CatCo does. We report facts. Yes, like any news organization, we offer commentary and editorial on those facts. Yes, that commentary has always been in favor of people who are kind, people who help others, and people who champion the rights and freedoms of others. Because it damn well should be. Because people who are trying to make the world a better place deserve to have their voices amplified.
"But if the critics and the cynics out there absolutely must have a negative critique of a woman who has dedicated her life to protecting other people and making their lives better, here it is.
"She eats like a child. Her choice in pizza toppings is absolutely revolting and surpassed only by her choice in ice cream brands, and if I catch her eating potato chips on my balcony one more time, I will have her banned from the building.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've wasted enough time on this nonsense."
The video cut back to the anchorwoman in the studio, and Adam stopping paying attention and looked down at the binder lying on the coffee table in front of him.
He had read through it several times, and still wasn't sure how he felt about it. Some of the letters were just crumpled up sheets of paper with some variation of 'Dear Adam' on them. Others were a quarter or a half a page, or sometimes even a full page. A few were even multiple pages. One ran on for almost six pages. Some were crumpled, some were ripped into pieces and carefully taped back together. A few had coffee stains on them. Some talked about how proud she was of him. Others about how much she regretted leaving him. The only thing they all had in common where that they were unfinished.
However much this Kara Danvers tried to spin it, he couldn't get past the fact that Cat had never once cared enough to actually finish one of the letters. In fact, the letters made him angry more than anything else. If she cared as much as she claimed in them, why didn't she finish them? Why didn't she send them?
The most frustrating part about it was that he still wanted to get to know her. He still, after all this time, wanted his mother.
When he had heard the report about the shooting at CatCo, he had very nearly jumped on a plane, but then the news came that she was okay, and he had waited. He had wanted to see if it would finally be enough to make her reach out.
She hadn't.
He leaned forward and sat his beer down on the coffee table and flipped the binder open. He reread Kara's letter, wondering again why the woman she described, the woman in the unfinished letters, was so different from the woman who had absented herself from her son's life.
He flipped to the back of the binder, looking at the flight vouchers.
Maybe it was time he found out.
Nia looked around as she stepped into the foyer of the apartment. She wasn't sure where she was, or why she was there, but she felt a sense of weight to the place. Like it was important. Like the fate of the whole world hinged on this place.
She heard a sound. It was muffled and indistinct, but she felt drawn towards it. She walked further into the apartment. It was beautifully decorated, with burnt orange walls, tan carpet, and sleek, modern furniture with sand-colored upholstery and bronze trim. The sound came again, clearer this time. The sound of a baby crying. She followed the cries down a hall, past an open door that led to an art studio that smelled of oils and paint thinner, before coming to another open door that led to a nursery.
She stepped inside and couldn't stop herself from smiling at the cheerfulness of the room. The walls and ceiling were painted a bright sky blue, with lovingly rendered clouds covering the ceiling and upper edges of the wall. One corner was dominated by a yellow sun with a smiling face looking down at the center of the room. The lower half of the walls were covered in brilliant sunflowers, each one unique, and all of which seemed to spring up from the green carpet. The furniture in the room was all stained white, and all of it looked hand-made. Two heavy-duty rocking chairs with strange symbols carved into the wood. A changing table. A bookshelf filled with baby toys and a Supergirl teddy bear occupying a place of pride. In the center of the room, a mobile hung from the ceiling with a colorful rainbow of dragons hanging from the arms above a beautifully-carved crib covered with more of the strange symbols.
The sound of the crying came from the crib, and Nia went over to it and looked inside. The crib was empty except for a dull gray blanket. Nia frowned at the blanket. It seemed out of place in the cheerful, colorful room. She reached out and picked it up and dull gray dust slid from it, revealing a silky-soft red blanket.
Nia looked up at the sound of laughter. It came again, calling out to her, and she followed it, carrying the blanket with her. The sound led her back to the living room and out onto a rooftop. The roof was covered with grass, and a line of coconut trees ran along the edge.
A boy with curly hair and a girl with a long ponytail ran across the grass, chasing a white dog with a red collar and a golden tag.
The scene might have been idyllic, if it weren't for the red sky and the woman floating above them. She had long, dark hair and pale skin. Her face was covered by a black mask, a menacing mix of curves and angles. She wore a black cape and a black suit like the kind favored by most of the Kryptonians. There was even a symbol on the chest.
The symbol looked like Supergirl's from a distance, but as Nia approached, she realized it was different. The same diamond shaped border, but the S was missing, replaced by a skull with its mouth open, as if it were screaming.
Nia's eyes started to water, and she nearly choked on the smell of smoke. She looked over the side and saw the whole city burning.
Nia opened one eye and glared balefully at the clock. Three AM. Wonderful. At least tomorrow was Saturday, which meant she could sleep, but she really, really wished she could figure out what the hell that dream meant.
She rolled over, fully intending to go back to sleep, when it suddenly occurred to her that she was going to meet Supergirl. The thought brought a smile to her face, because it meant there was a very real chance she might get some answers about the stupid dream.
