Kara returned to work in a good mood, humming the same song Jake had been singing as she typed up her article and caught up on everything Jimmy had been waiting on, sipping her coffee still relishing in the memories of last night almost forgetting about the traumatic ordeal. Nia was the one to remind her off it when she sat down by her desk to ask how she was. "You raced off so fast when I got back we didn't get a chance to talk."
"I know, and I'm sorry" Kara replied, printing her article and turning to face her. "I had to get home. But I'm fine."
Nia narrowed her eyes at her seeing the upbeat expression on her face. "Yeah, I can see that" she muttered. Kara raised her eyebrow so Nia explained "sorry, after what happened I assumed you'd still be shaken. But instead you're…smiling?" she asked, staring at the way Kara lips kept tugging upwards. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" she replied, rising from her seat to walk to the printer. "I guess a good night sleep helped a lot. I mean, I'm not happy Maxwell is dead but I guess…" she trailed off lost in thought. There honestly wasn't much to be happy about with the situation. Their best lead had been murdered, the man who killed him was still out there and they were still without answers. Yet Kara refused to let that knock her off her cloud as she returned to her desk to find Olsen approaching her. "Mr Olsen" she greeted with a spring in her step, showing him the article she just typed up. "I took the liberty of finishing up the Samaritan follow up you wanted. We'll still need to release the story about his…"
"His shocking death whilst attempting to murder Miss Luthor, I know" he nodded. "I can give that assignment to someone else if you need the day to recover" he offered sympathetically."
"No, I'm sure Nia and I can handle it" she replied, looking to her eager protégé who stood to attention nodding. "We started this story, we should get to finish it."
Jimmy looked at them both and smiled. "Okay. I'll need a draft by this afternoon and a statement from Miss Luthor." He looked at Kara inquisitively, folding his arms remarking "you're in a good mood."
Kara shrugged. "I had a good night's sleep."
"This wouldn't have something to do with Jake would it?" he asked.
Nia's head snapped to Kara seeing her cheeks suddenly turn red as she brushed her hair behind her ear. "You spoke to Jake?" she asked.
"This morning. He gave me the heads up about driving to coast city to get a part for my bike. Mentioned he was leaving your place at the time."
Kara felt both Jimmy's and Nia's inquisitive gaze on her as she averted her gaze, slipping back into her chair. "He may have made me pancakes" she said.
Their eyes sparkled with amusement as they walked around the front to speak to her. "Pancakes? Very romantic" Jimmy noted with amusement.
"He came to see you so early to make you breakfast?" Nia asked. "I guess the date last night went well then."
"Date?" he echoed, his mouth stretching to a grin. "That explains it."
"Explains what?" Kara asked awkwardly.
"The glow about you" he smiled. When he saw Nia semi-clueless he explained "I think Jake White stayed the night with our friend here."
Kara blushed as Nia's eyes widened in amazement. "No way! Wait, does that mean you two…" she asked until Kara's stern glance interrupted her. She laughed leaping back into her seat to pepper her with questions. "Wow, this…how did it happen? Was it his idea? Was it yours? How was it? How many times did you..?"
"Oh Rao, can you not! We're at work!" Kara begged, glancing around the office red from embarrassment.
"I'll leave you two to it" James laughed, skulking away feeling Kara's glare on the back of his bald head.
Nia proved relentless for her need of details. "I have to know, was he as hot as we all think he is?"
"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Kara chided.
"I can imagine. I can definitely imagine you two together. To think you two were…"
"Okay, okay, just stop" she pleaded.
"Sorry" the excited young woman apologised, falling back into her seat. "But seriously, how good was it?"
Kara stared at her, and then cast a glance around the room before replying under her breath "it was pretty fucking fantastic." Nia covered her mouth to hide her glee as they both broke into giggles and smiles in the middle of the workplace.
Early afternoon came quickly, allowing Kara to finish work and change into her costume to visit the DEO and check in with her sister. The HQ was bustling with activity as Alex finished her debriefing on last night's shocking events. Agents surrounded her war table as she relayed what little information they had and assigned each of them tasks to keep the investigation into the stranger they can now call The Reckoning.
Kara walked down the stairs in time to see Alex dismiss her team and see her approaching, excusing herself from the agents to meet her sister halfway. "Any news?" Kara asked scanning the busy floor.
"We haven't picked up any leads to the reckoning's whereabouts yet" she replied. "I'm still coordinating with the FBI and Captain Sawyer while they dig into TITAN Industries. So far all we've manage to confirm is Maxwell was the man behind Kronos Limited, who coerced Axis Environmental into reproducing Metallo."
"Which we already know about" Kara noted. "Any link to Hank Henshaw?"
"Not so far, which may suggested Maxwell was indeed telling the truth about not working with him."
"What about the suit they were designing?"
"As he said, the lead engineer's name wasn't on the schematics" Lena report, appearing from the nearby lab dressed in a white lab coat. Kara was surprised to see her here. "Until the police are finished cleaning up my office I'm working for home. So I thought I'd lend assistance to the DEO in apprehending the guy. And their resources are helping me work on something that might help next time you face him."
"I'm glad you're here" Kara smiled.
Alex cocked her head curiously, noting "that's not the only thing you're happy about." Kara tried to hide it but her older sister saw the blush instantly. "You've been smiling since you got here. Which is odd considering how shaken you were last night."
"It's nothing" Kara told her, but Alex persisted. "That's not nothing" she said teasingly. "I recognise that look. You had that same face when we were kids, the first time you came home after that boy kissed you."
"What?" Kara squeaked, amazed Alex remembered that. She saw Lena's eyebrow raise and her embarrassment intensified. "That was my first kiss" she told her quietly. "And as for today, I…"
"Got laid" Alex interrupted. When Kara turned as red as a tomato she burst into a grin. "I knew it. I wasn't sure, but I have a guess."
"Alex!"
"This wouldn't have anything to do with your date last night, would it?" Lena inquired, turning Kara's cheeks even redder. Lena laughed enjoying the look and anguish on her face. "Was that why you were a few seconds late when I signalled you? You had to excuse yourself?"
"Lena!"
"Hang on, you had a date last night?" Alex beamed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Lena cocked her head to her. "I thought you met him last night?" Kara's eyes widened and she tried to shush Lena but the woman bluntly explained "she was meant to introduce Jake to you during your dinner date."
"I had to cancel at the last minute" Alex explained, her eyes narrowing as she turned back to Kara. "Wait, you've been dating someone and didn't tell me?"
"I was going to" she replied defensively, glaring at Lena for dropping her in it. She averted her gaze realising she'd made a miscalculation. "I was hoping you could meet last night."
"You should've told me that. I would've changed my plans if you had…" she paused momentarily before asking Lena "wait, did you say his name was Jake?" she nodded, so Alex turned back to Kara. "Is this the same Jake you told me about a month ago? The guy you spilt coffee over upon your first meeting? That's the guy?" Kara nodded and Alex laughed hysterically. "Oh wow, and you slept with him? Please time last night was the first time!"
"And was he as much a gentlemen as he made himself out to be?" Lena added playfully.
Kara groaned in embarrassment. "Rao, you two are worse than Dreamer!" she complained.
Alex put her hand on her shoulder, softly saying "as your sister, I need to be sure he was respectful. So you have to tell me, how was he?"
"I am not having this discussion here" she replied, shaking her red face unable to even look at them right now. Fortunately her ears picked up the sound of gunshots in the distance and screams of panic. "Oh dear, there's a robbery in progress" she reported in a mock display of dismay. "I should go and deal with that."
"I'm sure the police can handle it" Lena noted with a smirk.
"No, I think I should. I hear hostages, so lives need saving" she told them retreating up the stairs. "Anything to get away from this conversation" she mumbled as she turned around and flew out of the open balcony.
"We will be discussing this later" Alex called out knowing she could hear her. She then turned to a chuckling Lena Luthor and put her arm around her elbow. "Right, we should get back to working on this prototype you told me about. And while we're at it, you can tell me everything you know about this boy my sister's dating."
"I'll be happy to" Lena smirked, willing to suffer Kara's wrath for the chance to gossip about her love life.
Twelve blocks away in a quaint little supermarket a man dressed in a hoodie, tracksuit bottoms and trainers was pointing a 9mm pistol at the cashier waving it frantically in their face shouting through the homemade mask obscuring his face. It was made out of a pillow case with a red cross drawn hastily across it and two tiny eye holes cut into the fabric. Across his back was a black scabbard with a katana sheathed within. Nothing about this criminal's outfit was consistent, giving the frightened family huddling in the corner that this young man made it in a rush that morning. But they saw the frantic desperate look in his eyes as they darted around the market stalls in a panic, his hands shaking, and the hole in the ceiling where he fired a warning shot still leaking plaster over his hood. "Hurry up!" he shouted loudly, pointing the gun at the terrified man across the counter scooping the dollar bills from the register into a plastic bag. "Those too" he added, pointing his weapon at the prescription drugs behind him. The cashier hesitated until the gun went off shattering the wine bottle next to his head. Everyone in the room flinched, the sound ringing in their ears scaring the ten year old girl in her daddy's arms. The gunman stood his ground, adjusting his aim hurrying the man to throw as many of the drugs into the bag with the cash. After a few seconds the masked criminal snatched the bag from his grasp and bolted for the door, only to stumble to a stop when Supergirl landed in front of the entrance to the shop.
Kara rose from her crouch and stepped calmly through the exit to confront the gunman, her gaze focused on the gun in his hands when he brought it up to her. She quickly scanned the room, counting three family members in the corner and the cashier ducking behind the counter. No one else was inside. "Anybody hurt?" she asked them. They all shook their head.
"let me go!" the masked man shouted desperately, the gun shaking in his hand as he eyes darted to the exit behind her.
She examined the young man in the mask, reading the pounding heartbeat and the trembling hands, the terrified bloodshot eyes darting this way and that. This wasn't a career criminal. He seemed just as scared as the family. She used her vision and peered into the bag, noting the drugs and the cash. This wouldn't be her first encounter with a desperate junkie. She scanned his body with her x-ray vision and found the needle marks to confirm it. "Its okay" she said, softening her approach a little. "Nobody's going to hurt you."
"I don't want to shoot you! Just get out of my way!" he cried, almost begging.
The family covered their faces, except for the daughter who had her gaze fixed on Supergirl seeing her calmly approach the man. "I don't think you want to hurt anyone" she said cautiously. "Just put the gun down and let me help you. You don't have to do this."
The gun went off again, the boy's finger spontaneously squeezing the trigger. Kara heard the gunshot the same instant she felt the bullet bounce off her chest. She reflexes enabled her to watch the slug crumple against her indestructible skin, springing from her chest and ricocheting into the ceiling above her. A second later the boy's fear overtook I'm and he fired rapidly and wildly at her, unloading the entire magazine at the superhero. Kara suppressed a sigh of disappointment as she watched the bullets ricochet around her, bouncing off her torso hitting cans and shelves around her. She felt one bullet hit her cheek, barely flinching as her eyes tracked it from her skin on a trajectory towards the frightened family. She knew the velocity would carry it across the room and hurt one of them so she fasted faster than the bullet, easily plucking it out of the air. When the gun clicked empty, the man staring at it still frantically pulling the trigger, Kara dropped the slug to the floor harmlessly and sighed.
A split second later she was standing in front of him, the gun in her hand yanking it from his grasp sending him stumbling back in a panic. "I just want to help you" she reiterated, crashing the weapon in her palm before tossing it aside. The boy fumbled for the sword across his back, dropping the bag and pulling the scabbard from his shoulder. "Seriously?" she asked in disbelief, walking towards him confidently. "Bullets don't hurt me. I doubt a sword is going to make things better."
The moment the blade was pulled from the scabbard Supergirl froze, her eyes widening as she was met with a weapon glowing green being revealed. She instinctively backed away, her lungs already struggling to breathe as her muscles tightened. The masked junkie dropped the scabbard and held the sword in both hands uncertainly, pointing it towards her seeing her hesitate to get closer. He lunged forward, thrusting the blade at her clumsily. Kara stepped back, dodging the swipe. He swung more wildly, cutting through the cans on his left spraying produce everywhere. Kara blocked with her arm and cried out in pain as the blade cut through her skin, blood leaking through the costume from the cut. He swiped again and she ducked, stepping on a fallen can tripping backwards while his sword got stuck in the shelf. She gasped, he skin turning pale and she felt a familiar burning sensation in her veins. She sat up and found the junkie pulling the sword free, darting towards her with the sword pointing down, chasing her as she shuffled backwards. It stopped a few inches away from her face where she could see the green material the blade was made out of glowing, it's painful aura bringing nails through her insides let it was twisting everything up. She panted painfully staring up at the desperate boy, who looked apologetic as he brought the weapon over his head ready to strike her with it.
She reacted quickly, kicking at his knee to interrupt his attack making him scream in pain. She followed up with another kick to the stomach, knocking him back unsteadily into the shelves. She sucked in a painful breath and threw herself to her feet, reaching behind herself to take hold of her cape. When the junkie leapt at her again she whipped it around, wrapping it around the blade and yanking it from his grasp. It clattered across the floor of the supermarket disarming the junkie, who she hit with an open palm to the chest throwing him in the opposite direction. He landed on his back with a wind knocked out of him, staring at the ceiling until Supergirl stumbled forward and released the breath she was holding, blowing cold air over his body freezing him to the spot. He tried to get up but found himself unable to move, resigning to defeat weeping pitifully.
Kara heaved uncomfortably clinging to the stack of shelves nearby, satisfied the criminal was neutralised. She turned her head and fixed her gaze on the sword he was carrying, needles piercing her blood vessels beneath her skin. Though reluctant to get closer, she forced her body to walk and nearly stumbled over her own feet. She knelt down and took hold of the handle, her hands trembling as she reached for it. She saw green veins spreading on her skin as she dragged it closer, her muscles on fire unable to pick it up. Her breathing turned to wheezing as her vision became blurry. She wasn't even sure what she was going to do with it. that's when she glimpsed someone standing over her, looking up to find the ten year old girl looking back holding the scabbard in her hands. Kara looked at her mutely as she reached out with her other hand, feeling just as heavy as the other, gently taking the scabbard from the girl. With trembling hands she drunkenly slid the sword back into his scabbard, the green glow vanishing behind the holster.
The moment it clicked shut Kara's breathing got easier, panting heavily as she slumped against the shelves waiting for the pain to pass. The little girl waited with her as if to watch over her, seeing her skin return to normal as her strength returned. Kara reopened her eyes and looked at her, cradling the sword against her chest. "Thank you" she wheezed. The girl nodded, happy to help as she ran back to her mother and father. The parents hugged her tightly mouthing the same words to Supergirl with tears in their eyes. She sighed with relief, grateful nobody died.
Once she was able Kara climbed back up to her feet, pushing herself on aching limbs walking back to the whimpering young man on the floor. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt anybody, I didn't want to hurt anyone, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he stammered, choking on sobs behind his mask. Kara crouched over him pulling the face from his face finding a spotty snivelling teenager underneath. "Don't hurt me, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry" he whined.
She didn't have time to feel compassionate for the man who tried to shoot her, who held a family at gunpoint, anymore. She needed answers. "Where did you get this?" she asked him. He kept stammering apologies so she shook him to alertness. "This sword? Where did it come from?"
"I don't know" he replied through tears and snot. "I just found it."
"Where!" she said more sternly.
"With my uncle's gun! I swear, I didn't want to…I thought I could sell it, but they wouldn't…I just needed something to help with the…shit, don't tell my uncle. He'll kill me?"
"It's important" she insisted, pulling him up to keep his snivelling face on her. "Your uncle, where did he get this sword?"
"I don't know" he stammered. "He just brought it home. Said a friend gave it to him. I don't know who, I thought it was cool. Thought I could sell it, but… please don't tell him I stole it. Don't tell him I stole his gun. He'll kill me. I didn't what to hurt anybody. Please don't tell him…"
Kara realised this junkie wasn't going to be of any help to her, dropping him to the ground exhaling in frustration. She jumped back to her feet carrying the sword with her, tapping her earpiece calling up the DEO. "Alex! We have a problem. That robbery I told you about…"
"I thought you were making that up to get out of talking about your boyfriend" Alex replied teasingly.
"No, it was real" Kara told her, her tone indicating she wasn't in the mood for games. "I stopped it, he was just a junkie out of his depth."
"See, the police could've handled it" she interrupted. "Now we really need to talk about this guy you're sleeping with…"
"Alex, just listen!" she said. "This junkie had a sword made out of kryptonite! I don't know where he got it, but he just tried to kill me with it."
She heard Alex drop whatever she was holding, indicating she had her full attention now. "Are you being serious" she asked. Kara confirmed she was. "Okay, we're on our way" she said.