Hello, abandonment issues, my name is Kara. But no, seriously. Kara and Lena (Kieran) and Alex are so complicated to write. They're very complex and awkward. It's also canon in my mind that Alex and Eliza (and Jeremiah before all that fun stuff went down) understood Kara wasn't human, and that they only wanted her to have control over her abilities. It was about restraint, not restriction.

But I'm happy to be temporarily moving away from National City. Next, we have the man of the hour.

Alex dropped her coffee when Kara flew into the DEO. Her eyes went between Winn and Kara, and she stammered out some form of a sentence as Kara got closer. Winn snuck away while Alex was distracted, and Kara smiled genuinely at her sister. She struck her Supergirl pose.

"What do you think?"

"I leave you alone for twelve hours, and you come back with a haircut and a new suit? Wait, is this why J'onn put me on comms instead of cams today?"

"I wanted to surprise you. The haircut was spontaneous, but the suit was thought out. I had Winn come in and make it last night. I did promise food and free lunch for a week in the process, though."

"Kara."

"Alex."

"You changed your suit," Alex said.

"I did."

"No, I mean, you changed it. Like wow. This is a lot to process."

Kara's pose faltered, and she asked, "You hate it?"

"No!" Alex waved her hands in front of her. "I love it! But it's very odd to see my sister look so…." she trailed off awkwardly.

"Nia said I was giving 'Daddy' vibes, but I don't know what that means."

Brainy, who had been passing them when he heard the statement, said, "Oh. Being called Daddy means-

"Nope, not happening," Alex interrupted.

Brainy shrugged and continued his walk. Kara folded her arms, which caused her biceps to flex dangerously, and Alex shook her head. She knew her sister had another side. The golden retriever attitude wasn't fake, per se, but sometimes it was exaggerated. Alex remembered when Kara hung a boy upside down by his ankles for touching Alex inappropriately. She would've dropped him had it not been for Eliza calling them for their curfew. Kara had a different type of confidence that came with being a Kryptonian.

Plus, it wasn't like the suit was awful. It was a little darker than before. Kara wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a blue stripe going down both sides. She switched out the red skirt for a pair of blue pants, and she kept the red boots. Her cape was blue at the top and faded into white toward the bottom. The biggest thing that caught Alex's attention was the lack of 'S' on her chest.

"How are people supposed to know you're Supergirl now?" Alex asked, slightly teasing.

"Through my actions."

Alex grinned. She could tell it was a better fit for Kara in more ways than one. Her sister had an easier smile on her face, and Alex wasn't going to take that from her.

"I do love it," she said. "I promise."

Kara relaxed completely.

"Thanks, Alex."

"Of course. I still think you didn't have to cut your hair."

"It's not like I'm bald!"

"Mom's going to freak. Has she seen you yet?"

"No, I've been busy."

"Busy procrastinating, yes, I can tell."

Kara huffed and folded her arms, looking like the rebellious Kara that Alex remembered most. Alex turned when something heavy fell on the floor, and the agent responsible groaned at the broken remnants of whatever he was carrying. Some of the other agents helped him pick up the pieces when it was clear Kara wasn't going to do it. Alex snorted when she realized why. Kara had her phone out, her face scrunched in confusion before she blushed and put her phone away.

"Did you seriously just google the word 'Daddy'?"

"Yes, but I don't think Nia knows what that word means. I'm not- I'm nothing like that!"

"Wow. Look in the mirror once or twice, okay?" Alex cringed and held up her hand to stop Kara from responding. "Don't. I heard what I said, and I'm as disgusted as you are. Plus, I'm one-hundred percent positive Nia is the only one who knows what that word means."

"I think she's wrong. I-

Kara tilted her head to the side, and she shot into the sky. Alex heard the alarm a second later, and she glanced at her coffee on the floor. She stepped over it and grabbed the closet agent.

"Can you get that for me? I'm in a hurry."

"What? But I-

"Thanks!"

Alex ran off before he could continue and hurried to find Winn.

Kara barely remembered to slow her descent enough, so she didn't leave a crater on the balcony.

"It's Supergirl!"

"Really? Where?"

Kara spun around as if she were looking for herself, and she heard someone snicker under their breath. Kara stepped through the broken glass and winked at Sam and Jess. The three men had them at gunpoint, and Kara was a bit disappointed. She looked up in time to catch a bullet before it hit her forehead. She flicked it at the guy who shot her. He yelped and went down, holding his leg. The other two turned away from Sam and Jess and started shooting at Kara. The bullets tickled when they hit her skin, and Kara laughed. The guys stopped when they realized it wasn't working. Kara blew a strand of hair from her face.

"Are you done or- okay, you're running. Why do you guys always run?"

Kara caught the two men before they made it to the hallway and dragged them back into the office. She smacked their heads together as softly as possible. They were unconscious when they hit the floor, and Kara put her fingers against their necks. She noted they were still breathing, and she moved away from them. Kara heard the DEO agents in the hallway and stepped back as they burst into the room. Alex glanced down at the two men warily, and she checked their pulses. Kara shot her a look.

"What? Standard procedure," Alex said.

Kara clicked her teeth and went to the guy currently crawling his way toward the balcony. Where would he even go? They were almost thirty floors off the ground. Kara sighed and picked him up.

"It was pathetic watching you crawl, and I was trying to save you from further embarrassment." Kara flicked some glass off his jacket. "Now, this is the second time this week someone has attempted to kill Miss Luthor. Would you mind explaining why?" she asked.

"Screw you!"

The guy spat in Kara's face, and she used his shirt to wipe it off.

"I'm glad you did that. Because that way, I can say I did the diplomatic option first."

"What are you-

Kara tossed him out of the open window and off the balcony.

"Supergirl, please, go get him," Alex sighed heavily.

"Fine."

Kara lazily threw herself backward, smiling as she fell through the sky, and she caught up with the guy. She grabbed him when they reached the tenth floor and changed directions. Kara dropped him on the floor once they got back to the office, and he was having a hard time catching his breath. The entire room seemed confused by the change in attitude, but Alex seemed more bored than anything. Sam and Jess were 'secretly' recording. Kara didn't care, seeing as they weren't the type to post it online.

"You can't do that!" the guy shouted.

"Why not?"

"Supers aren't supposed to kill humans," he exclaimed.

Kara cocked her head tapped her chest where the infamous symbol no longer rested.

"Do you see an 'S' on my chest?" she fake-whispered.

"But- but you're still Supergirl!"

Kara picked him up and slammed him against the wall. She looked him in the eyes. "To the people of National City, yes, I am Supergirl. But to you?" she dragged him close and whispered in his ear, "I am the only thing standing between you and a cell or a coffin."

"Wait, wait, wait! Look, Lex said was that we had to kill his sister because she sullied the Luthor name. That's all he said, I swear!"

"Really? How unoriginal."

Kara carried the man over to the agents, and she handed him off. They slapped cuffs on him and dragged him out of the room. Alex waited until everyone else was gone before she started poking Kara in the center of her forehead repeatedly.

"What are you doing?" Kara asked.

"Trying to find the off button for that side of you that will eventually get me fired or worse, arrested."

"I would break you out. Plus, you do know that I can control myself, right?"

"Did you not just throw someone off a balcony?"

"I did give him a warning."

"You did not give him a warning! You said something and then threw him- you know what? No. I am not doing this with you."

"Thank you for your diligence, Director Danvers."

Alex hissed at her, and Kara chuckled as her sister left the office. Alex did stop and say hello to Sam and Jess before she left. Sam stared at Kara for a long time before she snorted.

"I can't believe the glasses work on some people."

"Eh, people see what they want to see."

"Right. Well, K- Lena is downstairs in the lab, and I doubt she wants me to interrupt her."

"Is she building a death ray to kill every man in the world?"

"That's her Wednesday project."

"I see. Well, give your friend my well-wishes. She has once again avoided becoming a martyr for Lex's insanity."

"Am I saying it's from you or the other you?" Sam asked dryly.

"I'm the same person, Miss Arias." Kara turned to Jess. "And I still expect you to chase me when I attempt to enter her office without an appointment," she said.

"I'll be wearing my Kryptonite shoes to give me an advantage," Jess said flatly.

Kara laughed and walked toward the balcony. She heard a familiar heartbeat coming up the stairs and didn't want to make things awkward. Kara hovered in the sky for a minute, listening to the city, and she sighed when she heard the sound she'd been dreading. Kara headed toward the DEO with her cousin right behind her.

Kieran entered her office and froze when she saw the mess.

"I was only gone for an hour."

Sam and Jess turned around.

"Assassins," they said.

"More? Lex is getting desperate," she mused.

"Your future baby Daddy was here."

"I told you to stop calling her that. Why are you calling her that, anyway?"

"You haven't seen her up close," Jess said.

Sam nodded in agreement before she added, "Also, you did tell me, but I was playing Candy Crush."

"Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me."

Kieran pushed Sam to the side. She picked up her tablet and said to Jess, "I will give you a raise if you break up with her."

"That is a tempting offer, Miss Luthor, but I might have to decline. Ruby would miss me."

"Hey!"

"What? She would."

Sam pouted until Jess kissed her on the cheek. Kieran cleared her throat and pointed outside, and Jess got the hint.

"I'll reschedule your meetings because I know you only came up here because you forgot something," Jess said.

Kieran was too distracted to respond, and Sam blew Jess a kiss. Sam waited, and waited, and finally-

"How did she look?"

"She might shake up your emotionless demeanor if you see her."

"I have emotions," Kieran argued.

"You're a robot with a poor sleep schedule and a dependence on red wine."

"Am not!"

"Whatever. Oh, your baby Daddy also threw a man off your balcony."

"She did?"

"Why do you sound so excited?" Sam asked warily.

"I have a thing for bad girls, remember?"

"God, you get on my nerves."

"Love you too."

Sam knocked a pencil cup over on her way out. Kieran smiled and made a noise of triumph when she found what she was looking for and headed back downstairs.

"I cannot believe you!"

"Hello, Clark. How are you? How's Lois?"

"Kara, this is no time for your games."

"I did not know we were playing a game. Who's winning?"

Clark growled under his breath. Kara did an about-turn toward the meeting room when she heard Alex and Winn talking from that direction. DEO agents moved out of the way, and Clark fumed silently behind her. Kara walked into the meeting room to find not only Alex and Winn in the room, but James, Brainy, Nia, and J'onn in the room as well. The group went silent as they entered, and Kara drew strength from the subtle support of her friends.

Well, everyone except James.

"I demand that you put it back."

Kara spun on Clark and said, "Excuse me?"

"We wear the symbol of our House, Kara, for a reason. We are a symbol of hope-

"Oh, spare me the speech I have heard it before. Hell, I even gave it a few times, remember?"

Clark rose to his full height, but Kara wasn't fazed.

"You are dishonoring our family by removing that symbol."

"And you are embarrassing our family by wearing it."

"I am just as much of the House of El as you are!"

"You cannot even speak our native tongue."

"I was an infant when I left Krypton!" he shouted. "It is not fair to put an entire culture on my back that I didn't even know!"

"But who is Superman, if not a survivor of Krypton? Who is the Man of Steel, if not an alien from a planet that no longer exists? Who is Superman when he does not wear the suit? Is he still that alien? Or is he an alien pretending to be human, so the populace won't notice that without the suit, Superman is nothing more than a little boy playing dress-up!"

Clark stepped back in shock and hurt. Kara tapped her chest over her heart.

"The meaning of our House rests in here, not on here," she said, gesturing to her suit. "I do not need to wear it as a symbol. I am the symbol. I represent our House every second of every day, and I honor it more than you ever did. I landed on a strange planet after our home was destroyed. Something went wrong, Clark, we know that. I expected the last of my family to take me in and take care of me, but he gave me away instead. And what was it you said to Jeremiah? What was the statement you whispered under your breath because you assumed I was too overwhelmed to hear you?"

Clark's face fell, and Kara clenched her fists.

"Go on," she gritted out. "Say it the same way you did all those years ago."

Clark swallowed and said, "I am not my cousin's keeper."

"Exactly, Clark, you are not my keeper. Yet you pushed me to be human so that I could fit in. You made me want to be you because you never gave me a chance to be anything but you."

Kara pushed him out of frustration.

"But I was never meant to be human, Clark! The only good thing you ever did was to put me with the Danvers. They let me make mistakes and taught me what it meant to be loved unconditionally. They have proven to be more worthy of that crest than you ever have. So, fuck you! Fuck you and all that you stand for, Kal-El. You don't get to come in here and make demands of me when you couldn't be man or alien enough to protect me when I needed you the most! I watched our planet disintegrate. I was lost in darkness for decades while you were down here playing Farmer John. So do not stand here and accuse me of being anything less than what I am. I am Kara Zor-El, a survivor of Krypton and the daughter of Zor-El and Alura Zor-El. I am the one with the hero's heart. Me, not you, and yet you dare to question me over the very thing that I am?"

Kara gripped Clark's suit directly over the crest and brought him forward. She could hear the tension in the room growing to an uncomfortable level. Alex's heart was racing out of fear, and that was the only reason Kara pushed Clark away from her. She stood tall and looked him in the eyes.

"You might be blood, cousin, but you have never treated me like family. All you did was try to change me and tell me what I needed to do to fit in like you, and I will always remember that. The lessons you taught me were valuable, yes, but they were as empty as your promise to be there for me when I needed you the most. So, while I will honor our pact to protect this world, I say this with as much emphasis as when you told Jeremiah you were not my keeper. Get the fuck out of my city, Kal-El, or I will show the world who truly represents our House."

Clark was gone before she ever finished. Kara's body trembled, and she felt a familiar presence behind her. Alex wrapped her arms around Kara's neck, and then they were gone. Kara flew blindly, letting her emotions take her to Midvale, and she nearly crashed into their childhood home. Kara managed to land in their backyard without causing too much damage, and Alex jumped down. Kara heard a loud roaring in her ears that grew in volume until everything went silent. She dropped to her knees, and she didn't know she was screaming until Eliza appeared in front of her. Eliza placed Kara's hand over her heart and connected their foreheads. And like the slightest whisper -

"Breathe."

Kara took in a deep breath, and sound returned to her as if she'd been underwater. She heard everything from the wheels of the grocery carts at the market downtown to Alex talking to J'onn on the phone. She listened to the planes fly overhead, the cars on the highway, and the squirrels that sprinted across the trees. Kara whined under her breath, and someone covered her ears.

"Find me," Eliza said softly.

Kara strained to hear her mother's heartbeat. Everything was so loud, but finally, she found it. The familiar rhythm was the only thing Kara heard. Her shoulders slumped forward, and she was exhausted.

"Momma," she murmured.

"I know, baby. Go on and rest, okay? We'll take care of you."

Kara nodded and closed her eyes. The last thing she felt was Alex kissing her on the forehead, and the rest of the world faded into the background.

Kieran opened her balcony door out of surprise. Kara was half-hidden in the shadows, but it was clearly her. Not Supergirl. She had on fuzzy socks, sweatpants, and what looked to be a Pokémon hoodie.

"May I come in?"

"It depends. Are you here to arrest me?"

Kara pushed off the railing and stepped into the light of Kieran's penthouse. Kieran froze at the look in her eyes, and she moved to the side once she collected herself. Kara bowed her head as she walked past, heading into her home toward her couch. Kieran locked her door and shut the blinds. Kara sat down and rubbed her eyes.

"How long have you known?" she asked.

"Since the day we met. I always knew Clark was Superman, and his cousin is the mysterious Kara Danvers who shows up in town at the same time as Supergirl? I have three degrees and graduated from MIT at eighteen, Kara. Give me some credit."

"I always did, even when it seemed like I wasn't."

"You had me investigated because I had a small amount of Kryptonite."

"Wouldn't you have done the same thing if you were me?"

"I would have trusted you to tell me the truth if I asked why you had it. You never asked. And you gave me this big spiel about how I wasn't like my brother, how I could make a new name for myself in National City. Then you turn around and accuse me of being exactly like Lex."

Kara nodded and leaned down over on her knees.

"You're right, and I owe you an apology. You have been nothing but incredible, and I should have extended to you the same courtesy that you gave to me when you first saw me as Supergirl."

"Why didn't you?"

"All my life, I had heard about how your family was bad news. I was wary of you. After all, Clark trusted Lex. But I'm not Clark, and you're not Lex. We're two different people with different beliefs, goals, and expectations. It was wrong of me to put your brother's legacy on your shoulders just as it would be wrong of you to put my cousin's on mine."

"Is that why you changed your look?"

"You could say I'm taking your advice."

"I've said a lot of wise things to you. You have to be more specific."

"Do try to be less humble while you're with me."

"Well, I can certainly try. But seriously, what did I say that caused this?"

"I'm an alien."

"Oh, how disappointing."

Kara grinned and smacked her on the leg.

"I'm being serious, Lena."

"Kieran."

"What?"

"If we're going to have a moment of transparency and vulnerability, I would rather you call me Kieran."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Thank you. Now, please, continue."

"I've spent so long attempting to be human that I was starting to lose sight of who I am. I am an alien. My beliefs are of another planet. My culture is not found in any history book down here, and that is something to be celebrated. I was hiding behind that suit, behind my cousin, and I decided to branch out on my own."

"It is a bold decision, I can tell you that. And why the hair?"

"Not you too. I didn't just spend the last two days with my mother giving me the same speech to get it from you also."

"You've been gone for two days? Who's been saving all those cats stuck in the trees?"

"Cute. And I have backup plans for when I need to leave. But yes, I've been home with Alex and my mother. I had what Alex calls a system overload, and my mother is best equipped to handle them."

"What is that?"

"I have moments where everything is too much, and my body shuts down. It only happens when I get angry."

"So, you're like the Hulk just with emotions?"

Kara blinked slowly at Kieran, and she said, "If all you're going to do is tease me-

"No! That was- I was serious," Kieran said shyly. "Sometimes, I have to make analogies in my head, so I can understand someone."

Kara brought her legs to her chest and turned to face Kieran.

"You're an actual dork. Why have I never noticed that?"

"Sam says it's normal for me to be socially inept because of my IQ."

"Did she really call you that?"

"Well, she's not wrong. There are certain things in this realm that I don't always understand."

"In this realm?" Kara repeated, confused.

"You look like Brad Pitt in the early-90s," Kieran said, changing the subject.

"What an odd answer to my question."

"Can we please not talk about it?"

"Are you going to ever tell me what you meant?"

"One day. I hope."

"Are you in danger?"

"No."

"Are you here to steal our crops and take over our meat supply?"

"What? No."

"Are you an alien from a planet that no longer exists with an ego the size of Jupiter?"

"We are still talking about me, right?"

Kara winked and settled back against the couch. A stray curl fell in Kara's face, and Kieran tucked it back where it belonged.

"But the hairstyle works for you," she said.

"Nia said I looked like a Daddy."

Kieran took a deep breath before she responded, and she said, "Nia's rarely wrong about these things. I'm sure some poor teenage girl is drooling over a screenshot of you in your new suit."

"Gross."

"To which part?" Kieran teased.

"I don't want teenagers drooling over me. That's weird."

"Then say you're pro-life or a Yankees fan. That'll change your target demographic immensely, trust me. Lex lost fifty million dollars in one day when he was spotted wearing an anti-planned parenthood shirt. In his defense, he thought it was an anti-alien group. I had to watch him do damage control for a year before he was able to escape it."

Kara laughed and ran a hand through her hair subconsciously. Kieran tried to keep her heart from giving her away, but she could tell it wasn't working.

"Well, it's clear to me that you did a lot of cutting since we last saw one another. But it suits you."

Kara fake-scowled and said, "I didn't know Luthors made puns."

"I didn't know Supers were so sensitive."

"And the dried wine on your wall that you half-heartedly cleaned is from one of your stable moments?"

"Did you come here to apologize or torment me?"

"Both, and to ask if we could give that friendship thing a try."

"You want to be friends with me?"

"I want to get to know you," Kara corrected. "Regardless of the label that comes from it."

"There's that Jupiter ego of yours."

"I'm trying to make a habit of not lying to the people I care about. I want something from you. As for what it is, that comes from time and companionship."

"Is this the version of you that was hidden behind cardigans and skirts?"

"Do you miss it?"

"You're sitting in my apartment wearing fuzzy socks and a Pokémon hoodie. I doubt much as changed about your personality and your wardrobe beyond your suit."

Kara's eyes took on a crazy glint, and Kieran swallowed her amusement. Maybe she shouldn't challenge the very different person sitting on her couch. Kara got on her feet in one fluid movement, and she leaned over until they were at eye level. Kieran's heart did its best impression of a drumline, and Kara smirked.

"Your heart always gives you away," she whispered.

"Doesn't mean I won't make you work for it."

"You're worth the wait." Kara stood up straight and walked backward toward the door. "But I do wonder if you know what you're getting into. My ego can handle whatever you give me. Can yours?" she asked.

"How about you go home, Supergirl? And take your arrogance with you."

Kara bowed and rose into the air.

"Goodnight, Kieran."

And if her heart was doing a drumline before, it flatlined hearing her name come out of Kara's mouth. She was so screwed.