CJ entered the top level of the building that was well known for Catco magazine and especially for the woman who owned it: Cat Grant. Now 12:30am, CJ wasn't at all surprised to see Cat still behind her desk on her laptop. Just as CJ opened Cat's glass office door she heard her Mother's voice from behind her laptop screen. "Shouldn't you be with Kara doing" she grimaced "I don't even want to finish that sentence."
CJ let out a gruff laugh "Yeah. Well, it didn't exactly go how I imagined it would." CJ said giving a flash of a sad smile.
Once Cat saw CJ's defeated look she immediately put her laptop screen down and walked over to her giant child putting her arm comfortingly on her arm. "CJ, what happened?"
Taking a deep breath CJ sat on Cat's white leather couch next to her Mum "Well for the most part it went great. The air between us was like magic and the sexual tension between us …woo don't get me started!"
Cat made a 'move past the dirty details' motion with her hand and CJ gave another laugh as she skipped ahead in her retelling of her date with Kara.
"So I ended up taking her to the fair at the docks, downtown. I had such an amazing time with her Ma. Did you know she's never been to a fair before! I couldn't believe it." The more Cat listened to CJ gush about Kara, the more her smile grew, as she saw her daughter truly happy as she talked about the woman she was head over heels for.
"Every time she would score on a game she would do this little cheerful hop and let out the cutest little yay I've ever heard. After we spent an obscene amount of money on the games we got some food and ate by the docks, just looking out at the ocean as we talked. After we ate we still had some room for desert so we got some ice cream and walked through the nearby park and… that's when it happened." CJ closed her eyes as she let out a deep sigh.
"Bizzaro came down and swooped up Kara taking her to god knows where." Cat gasped in shock. "Luckily I was able to find them just by heading in the direction I saw Bizzaro fly off in."
"Is Kara ok?" Cat asked concern lacing her voice.
"By the time I got there Bizzaro was gone and the FBI were already there. Kara seemed ok but she looked really weak. Her sister Alex said the FBI are going to get her checked out at the hospital and then get her to take a witness statement at the station I think. God Cat I was so scared I felt like I was Fourteen again and I was just as helpless." CJ leaned over putting her head in her hands as her PTSD started giving her flashbacks of her nightmare childhood.
Cat rubbed her daughter's back, not sure of what to tell her in a situation like this.
"Well the good thing is Kara seems to be ok from what you told me and I know you feel crappy because you couldn't do anything in her time of need, but CJ you're only human. Sometimes situations like these are out of your hands and there's nothing you can do about it, but what you can do is be there for her when she calls, give her the comfort only you can provide and make her feel like she's safe in your arms. I know I do." Cat gave CJ a small smile as the latter looked up at her giving her mother a small nod in agreement.
"Well my dear I should head home and make sure your little brother is in bed and sleeping, it's a school night after all. Although I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one who ends up giving me the lecture about working so late on a school night."
CJ slowly stood up from the couch "Would it be ok if I stayed back for a while? I really love the view from up here."
Walking up to her daughter, coat and bag in hand, Cat reached up on her tippy-toes to kiss CJ on the forehead "Of course Sweetie, just remember to lock up ok?"
"Of course" CJ smiled back. "Love you Mom" she called out to her Mother's retreating form.
Cat waved back "Love you too CJ!"
Once Cat was out of sight CJ let out a deep breath tilting her head back as she massaged her aching neck whilst making her way out onto the balcony. CJ took multiple deep, calming breaths of the fresh, cold night air that surrounded her as she lent down onto the balcony railing. Closing her eyes, reveling in the feeling of the wind blowing through her short hair. Please be ok Kara.
CJ stayed like that until she heard a familiar whooshing sound followed by feet landing on the ground "Hey Supergirl, any news on th-" when CJ turned around she wasn't met with the face of Supergirl but with the degraded face of Bizzaro. "Oh no" was all CJ got out before everything went black and CJ fell to the floor, unconscious. Bizzaro's fist still in the air from where she hit CJ in the head as she glared at the unconscious mass on the floor.
"She loves you so she'll come for you. She has to."
Kara woke up on the familiar sun bed. The dizziness she was experiencing now gone and she had all her strength back. Slowly leaning up she was met with the wonderful sight of her beloved sister next to her. "Hey there sleepy head. How are you feeling?"
"Refreshed" she said as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.
"I'm glad to hear that, and you'll be glad to hear that your tests came back clean." Alex announced as she handed a piece of paper to Kara with her results on it, which she had no idea how to read so she just nodded along like she could read it like Alex could. "Seems like you just got too close to the kryptonite for a little too long, but on the bright side you're definitely building up a tolerance to it." She informed as she moved to a small fridge getting a bottle of water out.
"So tell me. How did your date go with the muscly-hot giant?" Alex asked as she handed Kara the bottle of water. Kara's face now blushing as a smile grew wider and wider as she thought about CJ, letting out a geeky giggle like a teenager.
"It was amazing Alex. She took me to the fair I've been wanting to go to down by the docks, she taught me how to play all the games there, spending Rao knows how much on me." Kara gushed, "She really loves physical contact, we held hands everywhere we walked and when she was teaching me how to play the games she would come up behind me and talk to me right in my ear, she really knows how to treat a girl!" Kara paused as she looked down at the water bottle in her hands, playing with the label. "Alex I'm really falling for her."
Alex walked up to her little sister and sat beside her on the sunbed "I think you both have it bad for each other. Even I admit it was cute how she cuddled you before I had to tear you away. God I need to get laid. But in all honesty I'm just glad to see you this happy. I've never seen you react like this over anyone, and from what I'm hearing CJ treats you right so she's all good in my book. Which reminds me you need to call CJ asap!"
"That I do" Kara hopped off the sunbed with glee. (ha glee, get it?)
Kara went to her things on the nearby shelf grabbing her phone and happily tapping on CJ's contact info. Anxiety creeping its way up as each ring passes until she was met with dial tone. "Hmm that's weird. She's not picking up."
Both Alex's and Kara's eyebrows crinkled with confusion.
"With how desperate she was to know you were ok before we left, that is weird." Kara nodded along with Alex's statement.
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this." As Kara was saying this Alex took out her phone and started tapping on it. "Alex can you track the GPS on CJ's phone I just want to know if she's home or not."
"Her phones at Catco."
"Ah… wow that was quick."
Alex chuckled "I know what Supergirl is like, and from my experience when you get a bad feeling you're usually right." She said with a smile as she handed Kara the phone that pinged CJ's location at the building Catco.
"You're amazing!" Kara cheered as she jogged off to the launch pad.
Kara landed on the Catco balcony, worry ridden on her face. The lights were on in the foyer but Cat's office lights were off. What were you doing here CJ? Kara wondered as she scoped out the office. Everything was pretty much left the way it should be, nothing was out of place.
With a sigh Kara went back out to the balcony to make her leave until a light on the floor caught her eye. Long and behold CJ's phone. Lit up, screen cracked with a display picture of Kara on her screen. Picking up the phone for further inspection Kara looked closer at the photo on CJ's phone. The cracked screen made it difficult to make out the details but from what she could make out it looked like CJ snagged the photo when Kara was looking out over the water at the fair. It was a good shot too. The light from the moon was perfect lighting for both Kara and the water and in the middle of the photo was a notification 'Multiple missed calls from Kara Danvers'. This isn't good. CJ always makes it a point to always have her phone on or close to her. Kara thought closing her eyes and clearing her mind, she concentrated and focused on trying to find that voice that she longed to hear again.
CJ awoke, groaning as a headache hit her with full force. Attempting to hold her head CJ was taken back when she realized her hands were tied above her to a massive pipe she was sitting against. "What the fuck?" she breathed out quietly to herself.
"NO MOVE." Bizzaro commanded. CJ's head snapped up in the direction of the voice.
Bizzaro was standing in front of her a few meters away. CJ physically relaxed letting her arms sag (as much as they could while tied up) now that she knew where the threat was she could at least expect where the danger was coming from. CJ let out a breath of laughter "Don't worry I've been in worst scenario's than this. I won't give you trouble. But ah… since we're talking, why am I here?"
"Because… Supergirl loves you." Bizzaro said matter-of-factly.
CJ's brows crinkle "Ah…I think you have me confused with someone else. What makes you think that?"
Bizzaro started wondering around the abandoned factory, observing her surroundings. "Me, Supergirl... same."
That makes me even more confused! "Can you come closer? Since you're kidnapping me and all I'd at least like to know what my kidnapper looks like."
"No." Bizzaro stopped, her head facing away from CJ.
"How come?" Work with me here!
"Ugly"
The answer hit CJ right in the heart. Her face softened as she sympathized with her kidnapper. She let out a groan of annoyance. God damn it, why must I be so soft. "You know, I used to feel ugly all the time when I was younger too."
This grabbed the child-like villain's attention. "Why?"
"I'm not like most girls, I was born differently, with a different body. Even some of my biology is different and for a long time I felt ugly, like I couldn't or deserved to be loved for the way my body is. But you know what?"
Bizzaro edged closer and closer, wanting to know more.
"Someone special taught me that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. It's what's on the inside that counts and the actions you make towards people and how you treat them, and if I may be so frank, you aren't ugly. People don't love Supergirl because of what she looks like or because of how powerful she is, it's what she does with that power that makes people like her."
Bizzaro was almost at CJ's feet now. Her mouth trembling as question after question filled her mind, the young girl not knowing what or which to ask next. Her mouth opening as she decided only to be sent flying by a forceful kick by Supergirl.
The newly arrived hero quickly ripping the mountain of duct tape that held CJ's hands. "Quick! Get out of here."
As CJ got up, she grabbed Supergirl's arm to get her attention back as the hero was watching for Bizzaro's return and retaliation. "Supergirl wait! Please try not to hurt her. I don't think she's dangerous, she's just really confused."
Supergirl nodded with determination. "Don't worry I wasn't going to initially hurt her anyway just detain her. Now please run home, I can't have you getting hurt."
"Ok, thank you!" CJ said as she started running. As soon as CJ was out Supergirl turned her full attention to Bizzaro whose yell she could here approaching as their battle commenced.
Alex watched the fight from a higher level inside the factory, trying to get a clear shot with her tranq sniper but as Bizzaro and Supergirl had each other by the throat in the air the two were both trying to get one up on the other causing them to spin at unpredictable speeds. "Come on Kara" Alex murmured to herself just as she noticed a familiar red and black portal appearing near her, and soon enough out strolled Atrocita. The Lantern's eyes never leaving the hovering fight scene in front of her as she addressed Alex. "Stand down Danvers. I'll take care of this."
"We're just here to…" Alex started
"Detain her I know. I ran into CJ Grant on the way here and she filled me in on the situation. Don't worry I have no intention on harming her." Atrocita patted Alex's shoulder in good nature as she hovered over to Supergirl and Bizzaro.
Staying behind Bizzaro, the villain didn't notice the red lantern's presence since all her concentration was on Supergirl, until muscular arms wrapped around her causing her to freeze and release her grip on the blonde heroine who dropped to the ground gasping for breath. Bizzaro felt warm breath next to her ear as she hovered on the spot, not moving.
"I'm not going to hurt you I promise. I'm here to help you. I know you're scared and confused and that makes you angry. You're angry because you don't know if the man who you call master is being truthful with you and is getting you to do bad things for personal gain when in your head and your heart you know that he's doing you wrong."
Bizzaro started sniffling as tears formed in her eyes. "It hurts" she whispered as she floated to the ground starting to feel the safety Atrocita's arms offered. When their feet touched the ground Atrocita released her grip on the young girl. The girl in question slowly turning to face her, tears running down her eyes. "I don't want hurt people. Want be hero. Be like Supergirl, but in much pain."
Atrocita's head sagged as she felt the girl's pain and what the chemicals in her body are doing to her. Atrocita's expression turned to one of determination, turning her head to the hero Bizzaro aspires to be. "Supergirl. I can remove the toxic chemicals in Bizzaro by taking them within my own body but I don't know the toll it will have on my own body and mind. My ring will eventually clear my system but I have to ask you to make sure I don't do anything harmful to anyone, I can't have any more blood on my hands." Atrocita turned back to Bizzaro softly putting her hand against the cracked face. "You'll lose your powers but it will give you another shot at a normal life and you won't be in anymore pain. If that's what you want of course." She said softly.
Bizzaro vigorously nodded her head like an excited little kid. "Please."
A soft smile graced Atrocita's masked face "ok then." She turned back to Supergirl. "Are you ok to do this?" The lantern asked.
Determined as ever she nodded "Of course, this is the best solution. Better than the plan we had." Supergirl said gesturing up to Alex as the 'we', who in turn waved back.
Atrocita casually saluted back. "Ok now Supergirl remember to try and keep me under wraps ok? I have no idea what will happen to me." Kara just nodded, worried her voice will show how concerned she was about this plan.
Atrocita stepped close to Bizzaro the hand that was caressing her cheek now rubbing her head calmly to keep both their nerves at bay. "You ready?"
Determined and excited for her new life Bizzaro gave her answer with all the courage she could master. "Ready!" and with that Atrocita took a deep breath, stepped even closer to Bizzaro so their bodies were touching. She cradled the young girl's cheeks in her hands as Atrocita slowly leaned down and touched their lips together in a kiss.
Kara felt a pang of jealousy go through her that was very much unwanted causing her to look away. She was with CJ, she is more than happy with CJ yet she is feeling like she has some emotional link to Atrocita which didn't make any sense. But Kara didn't want Alex catching on to her feelings so she forced her head back to the duo kissing, watching as the black cracks in Bizzaro's face slowly slithered down to her mouth and out into Atrocita where they grew larger and larger making black vein-like marks on her face.
After a short time Bizzaro fainted, breaking the kiss after which Atrocita slumped forward, her face hidden from Supergirl and Alex. Not sure what was happening Kara's concern grew. She slowly stepped forward, "Atrocita?"
There was no reply except for deep heavy breathing from the Lantern. Her eyes suddenly shooting up staring straight into Supergirl soul, the iris in the Lantern's eyes were gone and all that was left were soulless black orbs. The lantern then released a loud roar that cause both Alex and Kara to cover both their ears.
Atrocita fell to her knees, her body convulsing violently as she spewed up a thick, black tar-like substance. Thrashing her body back up as she groans and screams in pain.
"IT HURTS, BURNING! AHHH! I'LL KILL EM! ALL THE PAIN HE CAUSED ME! ALL THE PAIN HE CAUSED US! HE'LL BURN FOR IT ALL!" Atrocita yelled.
"Atrocita no! Don't do anything you'll regret." Supergirl tried calming her down.
"No Atrocita. Only LYCOS!" she yelled taking off into the night sky.
"Atrocita wait!" Supergirl took off after the red lantern. Flying closely behind but keeping enough distance between them so Atrocita didn't notice, watching how the pain in Atrocita caused her to suddenly drop in altitude drastically only to recover at the last second before hitting the ground as she flew. The fourth time this happened though she hit the tip of a hill making her catapult down into a graveyard below. Crashing down in the cement path of the grave yard leaving a massive crater underneath her limp body. Her suit and coat now torn in multiple places as she crawled ever so slowly her body giving up under the intrusion of the chemicals flowing within her. Kara softly landed behind her with a face full of sadness at how desperate Atrocita looked. Her shaking arms reaching out to pull her breaking body along the path.
"I- I can't make it… I'm sorry…I failed you" Atrocita chocked out before passing out completely in an isle of graves. Kara ran to her body kneeling beside her, moving the lantern so she was holding her against her chest.
"I've got you Atrocita. You'll be ok." Supergirl whispered to her unconscious body then tapping the communicator in her ear. "Alex. I've got Atrocita, she's passed out. We're at the National City Resting Site." She reported.
"Ok I'll send Medical units ASAP." Alex replied.
"We'll be waiting." Supergirl ended.