Issue#4 Tough Day at CatCo Part 2

But Kara didn't immediately fly home to take a shower but went to 2nd and Market Street. The little boy who had been threatened by Muscle-Alien earlier was still there. The fight had barely taken three minutes and the police and ambulance hadn't arrived yet. The boy was sitting on the pavement and cried. Supergirl thought he was around eight years old.

"Hey there, it's OK. She's gone now." Supergirl sat down next to the boy.

He looked up.

"I lost my mom", he said with tears in his eyes. He was in shock. He had just faced a scary-as-hell alien, alone.

"Oh, I'll help you find her again. How did you two get separated?"

"The flying monster... ", the boy tried to explain but he started crying again.

"Don't worry, it's over. Hey, what's your name?"

The boy sniveled. "Tommy", he said.

"You know, Tommy, this reminds me of something that had happened to me when I was about your age or a little older. I was at a mall with my mom and we got separated too. It wasn't my mom's fault, she was busy with something else and I went exploring and got lost. I looked for my mom for a long time until a shop assistant noticed something was wrong and helped me. Together we found my mom at the ...information point. So my mom and I went home and she explained that I didn't need to be scared because she would always find me if I got lost."

Actually, this had been a little more complicated than the story Kara was telling the boy. It was on Krypton and she was with Alura in the biggest shopping center on Argo City. Some things were very different in kryptonian malls, like they didn't have 'information points' but a surveillance room you can go to. It had a hologram of the entire building that helps you find the right places for what you need to buy. It was commonly used as a meeting point for people who wanted to go shopping together. The shop assistant who had found Kara had brought her to that room where Alura was already waiting for her.

"I know it's the same with your mom. I promise we will find her because she's looking for you too!"

"Alright", said Tommy. He had stopped crying and sat up straighter.

Together they went back to where Tommy had last seen his mom. He told Supergirl that he thought his mom had gone further along Market Street but they couldn't find her until Supergirl used her superhearing and noticed a woman's voice yelling Tommy's name. Supergirl lifted Tommy up off the ground to fly towards the voice.

"There! That's mom!" Tommy yelled as he pointed her out.

Supergirl landed carefully a couple feet away from the woman.

"Tommy!" she yelled. "You're alright. I'm so sorry I lost you!"

"It's alright, mom. Supergirl helped me."

"Yes. Thank you so much for bringing him back." She smiled at Supergirl as she hugged Tommy.

"I'm always happy to help." Supergirl smiled at both of them, then flew up into the sky.

S

She arrived at home and took a superspeeded shower, dressed, and flew to an abandoned alleyway next to the sandwich diner.

She found Winn on the sidewalk and went to him.

"Thanks", Kara said after Winn had given her her half eaten sandwich back.

"Did you fight the alien?" Winn asked.

"Yes I had to. The DEO is taking her to the alien prison now."

"You look pretty good for someone who just took on an alien on her own. Was it, like, a very easy win?" he grinned.

"No, she swung some pretty good punches. I had a shower afterwards though."

They continued talking like that on the way back to CatCo and Kara finished her sandwich. They entered the elevator together with another man and had the awkward silent elevator-situation until arriving at their floor.

The adrenaline from the battle had subsided and Kara felt the wave of tiredness swoop over her again. She got to her desk and continued to work. From time to time she caught herself getting distracted with other thoughts like 'Will Muscle-Alien get fair treatment at the DEO?' or 'How is the DEO going to find the renegade Sterregoi?' She quickly got her attention back to her computer screen because, as Cat would say: 'These emails aren't gonna write themselves, now, are they?'

By the end of the day she had come to the conclusion that she had to find a way to manage her personal life, her work, and her time as a Superhero better. She couldn't keep going like this, fighting aliens at night and work during the day. Sleep is important. Kara imagined being Supergirl as a full-time job. "Hello, you have reached Supergirl-Services phone number. We are currently unable to process your emergency. Our working hours are Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Please leave a message after the tone." Kara had to smile at her silly thoughts. Of course a Superhero can't take money for saving the city. Even Supergirl had to earn money the old-fashioned way and besides: she liked her job here. Mostly. This job keeps her human and Kara knows that.

She finished work and took the public transit to get to her apartment. Kara likes taking the bus. It is another way for her to feel connected to humans, to feel ordinary, to feel normal. Even though she was probably the only one to enjoy the ride, Kara assumed. Few people liked taking the bus.

She got out at her stop and went to her apartment.

At home Kara made herself spaghetti with tomato sauce for a relaxed evening. She opened her laptop to check weather there were any new messages for her. Alex had written her something, twenty minutes ago:

Hi Kara. I wanted to give you a quick update on the Sterregoi-case.

So far we haven't been able to locate it, but we're starting to get some leads. The molecular structure of this alien is very strange. It's very difficult to explain since we don't really understand it either but the Sterregoi and anything from its world is affecting the surroundings of itself. The temperature of the room with things the Sterregoi had brought with him changes rapidly, but without any pattern. Sometimes it gets 20 degrees warmer within 10 minutes, then the temperature drops down to almost freezing in the next hour.

Our scientists that are working on this say, the Sterregoi, wherever it is, must have the same effect on the air in the area. They believe we could track it, if we find these irregularities in temperature around the Strerregoi. The problem is: we don't know how. My idea was to use weather-satellites that measure temperatures but apparently the Sterregoi doesn't have enough of an impact for our computers to notice it.

Anyway. All I'm saying is: we're working on it.

Have a nice evening,

Alex

'I just might know someone who could help you there', Kara thought as she finished reading Alex's message.

Kara called him and explained the situation on the phone. He agreed to come to the DEO with her the next day to see weather he could set up a computer program the is better at detecting these irregularities in temperature to find the Sterregoi.

S

End of Issue #4

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