"Is it possible we've made a miscalculation?" Brainy queried while Nia paced her apartment.
"I saw him in my vision!" she insisted, her movements getting more and more agitated while her gut clenched threatening another round of vomit.
"I know, we saw it too" he reminded her, reviewing the recording he made of the nightmare once more. "But the question must be asked, is it possible we made a miscalculation? Jon did correctly warn dreams are interpretive. Perhaps we took the imagery too literally."
"I was sure. He was laughing, it was his face behind the devil mask. It was him who…" she doubled over again fighting the sickness, feeling like her head was spinning. Brainy rushed over and assisted her onto the sofa and sat beside her until she regained her breath. Her face fell into her hands, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. "I thought I was sure. Now I don't know what to think."
Brainy's back was straight as he turned to face her, cautiously narrowing his gaze placing a hand on her knee. "Nia, I must. Is it possible we made this mistake because you wanted the red devil to be Maxwell Davies?"
She looked up at him confused. "Why would I want it to be him?"
"Forgive me, I should've been clear" he corrected. "is it possible that it didn't matter who you saw behind the mask, as long as there was someone?" she narrowed her eyes failing to understand, so he cautiously stood up and put his hands behind his back. "Consider this; you've been seeing visions of Supergirl and an unknown individual, both acting as harbingers for a calamity approaching. With little evidence to go on, your…emotions have led to a sense of desperation as you try to make sense of these dreams in order to prevent them."
"Are you saying you think I made this up in my head?" she interrupted.
"No" he assured her. "I think your visions are very real. But I must consider is that your interpretation was…flawed, misguided." Before she could object to his he knelt down and looked into her face. "You wanted answers to what this dream is telling you, desperately so. So the moment an identity was revealed to you your impulse was to latch onto it and believe they were responsible, when in fact Maxwell was just another clue to the puzzle your dreams are presenting you with. So please, tell me… is it possible Maxwell isn't the man you want him to be?"
Nia stared at the coluan, feeling like he didn't believe her. But she understood how he worked, how his mind thinks. He was logical, cynical. What he was asking for was a logical question. She didn't like the questions because she'd been too afraid to ask it off herself. Now that she had, she was forced to confess "It's possible I got it wrong." His expression softened and he nodded, taking her hands understanding how hard this was for her. "If he's not the red devil, that means he's still out there. All of this was for nothing."
"On the contrary" Brainy told her, rising to his feet returning to his tablet. "You're investigation into his dealings have already uncovered much. We may have interpreted your dreams incorrectly but they still steered us in the right direction. We have a new name for your Red Devil, and a new lead" he said, already submitting email requests for everything TITAN Industries had on the Samaritan prototype models code named "The Reckoning".
Meanwhile, Kara's date with Jake kept getting better and better as more people were called up to the stage to sing a variety of pop songs. Some were fun and lively, most were butchered mess of screeches and mumbles. Jake kept cringing whenever someone ruined one of his favourite melodies while Kara just laughed. When it was her turn to go up on stage, she kept an eye on him to gauge his reaction to her voice talent. Fortunately for her, singing was one of her hidden talents and she delivered a near perfect rendition of Moon River. She found the young man transfixed on her throughout the song, right up till the moment she finished where he turned away from her to rub his eyes.
Returned to their table with a wide smile, waiting for him to compose himself before asking "How'd I do?"
"I don't know, I fell asleep after the first verse" he replied mockingly.
Her eyes widened in mock outrage. "Wow, like that is it? Okay, you are not invited to my birthday party" she said jokingly.
He laughed, sipping his drink before letting his eyes fall back on her. "Seriously though, that was… that was my mom's favourite song" he said.
"Really?"
"Really" he nodded. "And you were… it was beautiful. You were beautiful."
Now it was Kara's turn to well up. She wasn't expecting him to open up with something that emotional. She wiped her eye and leant forward so their hands to meet in the middle of the table, their gazes locking together enjoying the intimate moment together. Tonight had just felt so perfect for her. She couldn't remember the last time she had a night like this. "Would it be too forward to say I really want you to kiss me right now?" she asked quietly.
Jake held her gaze as he quietly replied "I shouldn't think so. Because I've wanted to kiss you since you sat back down."
Kara felt butterflies in her stomach as they leant forward and met in a sweet and powerful kiss that melted her heart. The world seemed to fade away until there was only the two of them, their fingers interlaced, their heartbeats pounding. Kara could hear his thumbing in time with hers, like a unified symphony. She felt the warm heat behind her eyes glow as passion engulfed her senses. The kiss became something more, signalling something more than friendship or courtship. She didn't want to say it yet, but she believed in her heart this was a connection she'd wanted for a long time. Not quite love, not yet. But close. Their lips parted and they opened their eyes, and she could tell he felt the same way about her.
"okay, I hope you guys have having a good time tonight" the DJ asked the audience, the questions triggering a small giggle fit with Jake and Kara as they both muttered definitely. "Now let's welcome our next singer…Jake White!"
Jake's face went pale as he spun with alarm to the sound of rapturous applause, the spotlight turning on him just like it did for every newcomer to the stage. He stared at the waiting audience and then turned to see Kara covering her mouth hiding the grin. "You didn't" he whispered.
Kara couldn't contain her excitement. "I might have done" she confessed.
He looked back to the waiting stage and turned red from embarrassment while the audience began chanting his name. "No" he said, but his objects were drowned out in the noise. Kara gave him her best puppy dog eyes and he scowled. "You are not invited to my birthday party" he whispered, reluctantly climbing out of his seat to shuffle through the tables and chairs grumbling under the clapping and cheering. Kara cheered him encouragement as he took to the stage. He read the song he was singing and rolled his eyes, glaring at her with a bemused scowled. She giggled. She thought he'd find it funny. Luckily he was good enough to go along and Sing the lyrics to Suspicious Minds for her.
Despite his claims, Jake wasn't a terrible singer. He wasn't perfect, but he could hold the tune. Kara swayed her head as he sang the lyrics, his voice captivating the audience as they fell silent. But halfway through the song Kara felt a knot begin to tighten in her gut as the song reminded her on the biggest flaw in their growing relationship; the fact he doesn't know he biggest secret. And once again, that flaw made her wonder how long they could last with him in the dark to her identity. Pushing the concern out of her mind for the moment, she willed herself to simply enjoy the rest of their date.
A couple hours later the two of them were walking hand in hand through the dark streets, the street lights humming quietly above them as they passed beneath at a leisurely pace. When they finally left the car Jake offer to give Kara a ride back to her apartment on his motorbike, but she suggested they walk instead. He seemed pleased at the suggestion, taking her hand as they strolled into the streets watching the bustling cars and pedestrians drift by.
Kara tried to enjoy the walk, but every step seemed to grow heavier as her gut pulled tighter and tighter. She knew she'd have to come to a decision about her secret identity at some point. Being Supergirl was a major part of her life and she learnt from experience she couldn't hide it from people she cared about, especially if she wanted to be romantically involved with them. But given how tumultuous her history with sharing it with her friends was she remained hesitant. She liked who she was with Jake. With him she could be Kara Danvers. She could be herself. Once she told him the truth his view of her would change. That didn't mean he'd be accepting of it, and it would put him at risk from her enemies. Everything would change. She didn't want it to change. She isn't ready to open herself up to him like that, not yet. And yet every day she kept it a secret she was reminded of the hurt Lena was when she found out, how Nia looked at her different the day she learnt she was Supergirl. They were better friends now, but could she expect the same from Jake? Will he forgive her for lying to him? It felt selfish keeping her secret, but too dangerous to risk telling him.
"Is everything okay?" Jake asked her, yanking her out of her turbulent thoughts a moment.
They were still walking, a cyclist cutting across their left towards an intersection they were approaching. They paused at the red light waiting for the traffic, giving him a moment to address her directly. "I'm great" she lied, putting on a fake smile as the green light signalled them to continue walking. She held his arm with both hands as they crossed the street, her eyes scanning the pedestrians recognising a few from her block returning home.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" he asked.
"Talk about what?"
"Whatever it is that has you gripping my arm so tightly" he replied.
Kara looked at her hand on his arm and realised he was holding it too hard, letting go with a blush apologising. He waited for her to talk, patient as ever while they walked in silence. Kara couldn't meet his gaze, her silence feeling like a betrayal. "I really like you" she said after a few minutes of agonising walking, her gaze on the pavement watching their feet. "I haven't felt like this for a while. I guess I'm just worried…" When she trailed off, Jake didn't say anything. He was waiting for her to continue, listening. "There's things you don't know about me" she said cautiously. "I'm worried that, when you learn about them, about me, that things between us will change. I'm worried you won't…" she fell silent, unwilling to risk saying more. She must sound crazy, she thought.
"I really like you too" Jake said after a moment, his voice soft as he squeezed her hand tighter. "And there are things I haven't told you either. We're still getting to know each other, so I get it. So unless what you're holding back is really, really bad, then I think we'll be okay."
"It's not bad" she told him, lifting her gaze up to face him. "I just… I just feel bad for not telling you, wondering if…when…"
He smiled. "Tell you what" he suggested. "If I promise to be patient and wait, you can take your time and tell me when you're ready. Then then in return, maybe I could let you in on my secrets when I'm ready too" he promised.
She looked at him and nodded, feeling a weight of her shoulders as her patient boyfriend put his arm around her and held her close. He let out a deep breath grateful to have him in her life.
They got to her apartment block and stopped outside, the two of them standing side by side. "I had a good time tonight" Jake said, admiring Kara's face as they turned to face each other. "Despite the karaoke."
"You're not as bad as you think you are by the way" she remarked.
"I think you need your hearing tested" he scoffed in disbelief. She laughed, her face splitting into a wide smile, her worries once more vanishing. He stepped forward and pecked her on the lips, reluctantly stepping back saying "goodnight Miss Danvers."
But Kara refused to let his hands go, holding him in place as she took a step forward to kiss him back. "Would you like to come up with me?" she asked nervously. "I don't want tonight to end."
He stared back at her, their noses inches apart as their bodies pressed together at the entrance of the building. "Neither do I" he replied, returning to the kiss falling into her embrace. She closed her eyes and let him catch her, giving in to the primal attraction she'd been feeling all evening.
The door swung open as Kara led the young man into her apartment by the hand, letting the latch swing shut giving them both the privacy they sought in the darkness. Her bag fell to the floor and her keys were thrown to the counter, the clanging sound indicating they travelled too far and landed on the floor. She didn't care, her focus only on the lips she was kissing and the warm body she was touching. Their feet dancing in an impromptu waltz as they manoeuvred around the furniture in the dark living room, her eyes still closed as they enveloped each other with their arms. Kara felt her calf brush against her sofa, opting not to fall into it and instead pull her boyfriend deeper into the darkness trying to memorise the path to the bedroom. She found her back pressed against the partition instead, the entrance to the next room a few inches on her right.
Jake didn't mind as they used the pause to make out more intently, their lips moving with each other as heavy pants escaped their mouths, their tongues meeting within to intertwine. Their bodies began rubbing against each other more intimately as their hands roamed over themselves. Kara's took a life of their own pushing Jake's jacket off his shoulders so it could fall to the floor. His hands went for her blonde hair, dislodging the headband keeping it behind her ears, his fingers getting tangled in it massaging her scalp. She inhaled deeply when they pulled on it, her body pressing against him further as his weight pinned her to the wall, her hands ripping the cardigan from her shoulders tossing it aside. She felt like she was burning up with desire and these clothes were suffocating her.
She held onto her faculties long enough to pull herself out of the kiss and grab his hands, turning her head so she could guide him into her bedroom as quickly as possible. She stopped at the foot of her bed to turn back and look at him, his eyes trained on her intently. She felt his desire for her as she stepped closer, their mouths open breathing heavily, their skin warm to the touch. They didn't leap back into each other's arms yet, basking in this primal state of want and lust admiring their eyes inhaling their scent. Kara could feel the heat behind her eyes burning, the memory of her first time unleashing heat vision accidentally during puberty filling her mind. She didn't consider the consequences of arousal anymore, she could control the physical manifestations. Everything except the ache in her groin. Jake seemed to share similar constraints as he reached out to her, his palm brushing over her blouse fondling her breast. She gasped closing her eyes, her nipples becoming hard against his hand as he squeezed them, waiting for him to close in and kiss her flesh. His lips met her neck making her sigh, her arms running over his back tugging on his shirt. He pulled away so she could lift it up, staring at his muscled chest while he discarded the shirt over his head dropping it to the floor. She stood transfixed as her fingers caressed his skin, tracing his abs and shoulders lifting her eyes back to his, gazing at him with intent.
Their moths moved closer, their noses brushing together, yet something made Jake hesitate all of a sudden. "Are you sure you want this" he whispered to her, opening his eyes to look at her.
She stared back in surprise, her mind second guessing what she was doing suddenly. "I'm sure" she concluded. But then she considered this would be the first time Jake had done this since his ex-girlfriend passed. She never thought to ask "are you ready to do this?"
Jake looked down at her, admiring her body and analysing what they were about to do. He took a deep breath and kissed her, the kiss soft and gentle. "I'm ready. I want this. I want you" he whispered.
Kara exhaled, her fear melting as she took his face and kissed him back, gently turning them towards the bed. Once he was in position she gently pushed his stomach so he fell back onto the mattress, looking up at her as she stood over him affectionately. Moving with newfound confidence she slowly unbuttoned her blouse in front of him, keeping her eyes trained on his face as he watched her undress agonisingly slowly. The animal in her wanted to tear her clothes off and pounce on him, but she resisted and took her time to peel the blouse from her skin and let it fall from her shoulders before moving to her pants to lower them down her slim legs. Jake found himself hypnotised by her as she stepped out of her clothes and walked towards him in her underwear, climbing onto his lap combing her fingers through his hair. Their eyes met as she leaned in to nuzzling his cheek until her glasses got in the way. She hesitated momentarily before reaching up to remove them, relying on the shadows to obscure her true face from him tonight. But to her surprise he reached up to stop her, taking her hands gently straightening them on her elegant face. He didn't offer a response, didn't say anything at all as he looked at her silently caressing her cheek. She decided not to address it as she returned to the kiss, letting his arms embrace her as they fell to the bed together.
The kiss went from intimate to passionate as Jake rolled her onto her back, falling atop her as her legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer, their bodies becoming one as they made love into the night.
In a large carpark Maxwell Davies shoved the last box into the boot of his car, the final remains of his belongings from his former office stacked inside the cardboard container. He let out a frustrated sigh as he slammed the boot shut, planting his forehead against the glass. He closed his eyes and scowled, fury building in his chest driving his fist into the back windscreen. He slammed into it again and again, over and over screaming and furious rage. Years of his life to this company discarded in an afternoon, his position ripped from him due to accusations and suspicion. He'd dedicated most of his career to helping people only to be tossed out into the street like a criminal. Officially he had been suspended, but he knew the board were quickly preparing his termination. Possibly waiting to see if the police arrest him for abusing their company's assets first. The DOD already pulled out, along with many of TITAN industries investors and partners. The company will survive, but only once he was offered up as a sacrificial lamb. He knew the game well, he'd played it before. He never thought he'd be the one who lost.
Someone has to pay for this, he thought. It wasn't just the indignity of being forced out of his job, it was the removal of his greatest achievement. The Samaritan was everything he'd ever strived for, a means to make the world a better place. He was succeeding, he was helping, and even Supergirl was on his side. He had saved people and made their lives better. And how do they repay him? By ripping this gift out of his hands and giving it to Lena Luthor! Oh Lena, how good we could've been together he fumed.
She stomped over to the driver's side door and slumped into the seat, pulling his keys from his pocket looking for the ignition key. He found his security pass still attached to the key chain, his ID printed on one side. In all the rush to force him out the door the security guard appeared to have forgotten to remove it from him. He stared at it for a long few minutes, pondering about responsibilities and consequences. The responsible thing to do would be to return the pass before they came asking for it. But what consequence would he have to face should he use it one last time. He was already facing convictions for his crimes. After another minute of pondering, he flung his car door open and stormed back to the building.
The side door was unguarded as he let himself back inside. He didn't look at the security camera recording his illegal entry, but he didn't hide from it either. He walked defiantly through the hallway towards the lobby, pausing at the corner checking to see who was in the security booth. The man at the desk appeared to be distracted with the receptionist coming off shift, the two of them chatting and flirting giving Maxwell the opportunity to slip into the nearest lift and close the doors. He inserted his security pass into the slot and pushed the button for his floor. It was a miracle he got incompetent security on his final day.
The lift doors opened silently revealing the clean and empty corridor stretching before him, the office doors closed along the walls to his left and right. he walked forward with purpose, estimating he had possibly five minutes for security to reach him when they realised he was still in the building, which could happen at any time. Fortunately he knew the path he was taking like the back of his hand, memorised from years walking these halls. He strolled into his office finding it bare and empty, an alien space to him now. He ducked to the left and approached a smooth unassuming wall. His predecessor showed him this compartment on his first day, telling him it would serve him well keeping his greatest secrets. He flipped open the lid on the small touchscreen and inputted the same code he was given, the wall sliding open revealing the secret compartment in his office.
He heard footsteps running down the corridor in the distance, heading in his direction. Maxwell paid them no heed as he stepped up to the prototype battle suit on display before him. He had what he came for. Now he had one more place to visit before he turned in for the night.