Conversations on a Balcony

56


"Nobody move or I'll open fire!"

In her office, Kara's eyes jerked up and she stood as she tilted her glasses down and peered through the wall. She watched a man, holding a pistol, make his way down the hallway and into the bullpen.

"What the actual hell?" she muttered as she rounded her desk to slowly open the door and peek out through the crack. The man was already moving between desks, heading for Cat's office, and Kara's eyes narrowed as she heard her wife's no-nonsense tone.

"Why are you all standing around with mouths hanging open? Don't you people have…"

At Cat's gasp, Kara slipped out into the hallway and made her way quietly to the corner.

"Miss Grant. Long time no see," the man said, and Kara startled as she recognized him.

"It's Danvers-Grant," Cat said automatically as her hand moved to her throat to touch the locket Kara had given her for their wedding anniversary. "And you have me at a disadvantage, Mr…" She raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Rogers," Kara said quietly as she stepped into view and slowly moved across the space. "Hi, Mike."

"Kara Danvers," the man said with a chuckle. "I heard you're moving up in the world. Congratulations."

"Thanks," the hero replied, her eyes moving to Cat. "You ok, Cat?"

But before the older woman had a chance to answer, Rogers shook his head. "Wait…" he said looking back and forth between the two women. "DANVERS-Grant? Are you two…?"

"Two years yesterday," Kara said with a smile. "How are Maria and the kids?"

Rogers didn't reply but instead pointed the gun at Kara. "I like you, Kara, and I'm not here to hurt you. How about you just back off, ok? In fact, everyone get back behind her. I'm just here for Cat."

"Everyone do as he says," Cat said, voice more confident than she felt inside. Even with Kara's extraordinary speed, she didn't know if everyone could be saved if this man decided to open fire. "Take the stairs down to the lobby." She breathed a sigh of relief as Rogers just let her staff go with no protest.

"You know I can't leave without my wife," Kara said quietly. "How about you put the gun down and we can talk about this."

"Why have you come here today, Mr. Rogers?" Cat asked just as calmly.

"I want to know why," the man said, pointing his gun at Cat now. Her eyes moved to Kara's again. She had no idea what he was talking about. "Why did you lay me off? I was with CatCo almost since the company's inception and one day, I came in to find a meeting invite from human resources. They laid me off with a pittance of severance. I found it hard to get another job. My wife left me and took the kids to her mother's. My life was destroyed after twenty-six years of service." Tears streamed down the man's face and his hand trembled with upset.

Cat nodded and pulled out two chairs. She sat in one and with a wave of her hand, indicated he should take the other. "Please sit." She looked at her wife. "Kara, would you be so kind as to bring us some coffee?"

The hero frowned. "Cat… I…"

"Darling, please," Cat interrupted as Rogers slowly dropped into the chair. "Mr. Rogers doesn't want to hurt anyone." She focused back on him. "Isn't that right?"

The man nodded tiredly.

"Besides, you're only one call away, right?"

Kara understood and nodded her agreement. "I'll be right back."

Cat smiled as her wife headed for the break room. Then she focused back on Mike. "I'm going to be one hundred percent honest with you. Firstly," she said. "I owe you an apology. I had no idea that had happened to you. Human resources operates independently of the CEO, however, that doesn't mean that I'm not ultimately responsible for what happens at my company. You should have received two week's pay for every year you worked here which is a year's salary. Was that not the case?"

"No," Rogers replied, setting the gun on the desk beside him. "I should have received just over two hundred thousand dollars. I got forty."

"Forty?" Cat repeated, bristling. "And what was the justification?"

"I had a warning on my record from twenty years ago. They said it was because of that," Mike replied.

In the breakroom, Kara closed her eyes and shook her head disgustedly as she set cups, creamer and sugar on a tray. Then she added cookies and the coffee pot before carrying the bounty back into the bullpen.

She watched as Cat stood. "Come with me please," she said to Mike, briskly turned and led him into her office. He left the gun on the desk behind him and Kara quickly used a Kleenex to move it into the desk drawer out of sight. Then she followed her wife into her office, bringing the coffee tray and setting it on Cat's desk. The CEO was accessing human resources files. "Rogers, Michael," she said absently as she typed a search and waited for the results. "Laid off June 4th of twenty-eighteen?"

"Yes," Rogers replied.

Cat nodded and then leaned back in her chair, eyes meeting Kara's as she blew out a breath in disgust. Then she looked back at Mike. "Mr. Rogers, why did you not contact CatCo about this sooner? Or try to get a lawyer to file a lawsuit?"

Rogers shook his head. "Ms. Danvers-Grant, I've been trying all this time," he replied. "No one at CatCo would take my calls and I couldn't find a lawyer willing to go up against your legal team. Showing up here today was my last resort."

Just then, the stairwell door slammed open and police officers filed in, weapons raised and shouting warnings. Kara quickly moved back out into the bullpen, holding up her hands. "Officers, the situation is under control. Mr. Rogers has surrendered his weapon, and no one got hurt."

The officers approached warily. "Sergeant McAuley," the lead officer said. "Where is he?"

"Kara Danvers-Grant," Kara replied. "He's in the CEO's office talking with her. She's not in any danger."

"The weapon?"

"I stashed it in a desk drawer." She pointed. "There. I made sure not to get my fingerprints on it. Now if you'll follow me…"

Kara turned and led them to Cat's office where she was still talking to Mike. "You understand that I can't make this go away, Mike," she said softly. "You came into my office and threatened my wife and staff."

"I know," the man nodded, tears rising in his eyes.

Cat nodded back. "But what I can do is make sure that your wife and kids get the severance pay you should have received in the first place, with interest, and that you get a lawyer to represent you."

The officers moved into the room and took him into custody, but all Mike could do was smile gratefully. "Thank you, Ms. Danvers-Grant. And I'm sorry for all this."

"I'm sorry too," Cat replied with a sigh. "I promise I'll get to the bottom of this."

As the police took Mike away, Cat growled angrily and slammed out through the doors onto her balcony where she paced back and forth, hands on her hips. Kara followed her out to lean back against the wall with her arms folded. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Cat replied with a slight smile. "But Kara…" She shook her head and looked down. "I think someone has been cooking the books."

"What?!" Kara straightened in shock.

"Mike's file said that he received the full amount of severance pay, which mean, if HE didn't get it… which I believe him when he says he didn't… then someone else did."

"Embezzlement," Kara said softly. "Oh Cat."

"I'm going to find out who did this and I'm going to destroy them the way they destroyed him."

And Kara just nodded grimly.