Note: For some reason, all the formatting was deleted, I apologize
Girl of Steel
The Past, is Prologue
It was another late night at CatCo WorldWide Media. Then again, when the biggest event in history was going down, of course the biggest Media Mogul had to be hard at work. Even when the rest of her work force was already home and watching the news, the CEO was still focused and dedicated. What the woman couldn't tolerate, however, was that Lois Lane was part of the biggest scoop, and she had no way of getting involved. Cat Grant stayed behind the safety of her glass walls, but it wasn't as though she did it by choice, not like she had one in the first place.
"You seem rather . . . chipper, Kira," the woman remarked, soured at the fact that her assistant was, against all odds, happy. "Can you not be the stereotypical blonde at this moment, when Doomsday is upon us?"
"I'm sorry Miss Grant, but I can't," she replied, fidgeting with her glasses, smile still in place as she brought over more documents for the older blonde's final approval. "I mean, Superman is there to save us," she stated with a shrug, "there's no way he isn't making it."
"Overconfident much?" She received the files and began pouring over them.
"I would think that, by now, you would trust him with the fate of the world." The millennial remarked, going to the bar to fill a tumbler with M&Ms.
"I only trust myself Kira," Cat stated cynically, giving her a pitying look, "but I guess there are worse people to whom leave the world to. Luthor Jr., Maxwell Lord, Dirk Armstrong, and I'm just calling on those to name a few."
"Like that . . . Batman," the younger woman muttered darkly, frown turning into an adorable pout as she placed the glass with chocolates on the desk. The older woman immediately returned to the task at hand, grateful that her heart didn't speed up at the pout's sight.
"Doesn't he do the same as your precious Superman? He has also been around in this, hero business for longer. True, only in Gotham City but, oh well." At the lack of response, she raised her hazel eyes and noticed the girl looked as though she had eaten something foul at her remark. Her assistant seemed to be restraining herself from answering, from saying something. "Now's not the time; speak up Kira."
"Miss Grant, Batman takes justice into his own hands, Superman doesn't." It would have been a valid point, if the Man of Steel didn't already have a rap-sheet to prove otherwise and the woman took some chocolates.
"So what you're saying, is that the story I ran about him murdering all those people in Nairomi — with plenty of sources might I add, was wrong?" And she did double check her sources when Lois Lane began speaking about a conspiracy; had the woman gotten in touch with her assistant? She munched on the treats, narrowing her eyes at the girl.
"No, I'm just implying everyone got played and nobody noticed," Kara stated back, worry marring her features. It would be different, had Lois actually done something about it. "Superman has no right to judge others, and he shouldn't have to. He would never turn into judge, jury and least of all, executioner."
"How very noble." Cat drawled, not impressed. "Words are different from actions — I thought you'd learned this by now."
"Hasn't he proved as much with his?" The millennial asked in refute. "Well, he has only been around for two years already and he didn't do much but cause destruction in Metropolis, but he was trying to stop the last of his own people, for the sake of Earth.
"I mean, he even returned there to try his best to help them all out of it, though he also took to aiding the world at large," Kara shrugged and looked at the news being broadcast, "who knows how long he has lived among us, so maybe he feels more . . . human, than alien."
He did confess to being alienated, but she knew he loved Earth very, very much. Although in Krypton, they weren't aliens but humans, she was still having trouble not thinking in terms of Earthlings vs. Kryptonians, although in her mind they were all humans.
"Why do I bother arguing with you?" The woman inquired with a sigh, rubbing her temples.
"I might have yet to earn the right to have an opinion, but this is a certainty that transcends opinion, Miss Grant," she looked back at the broadcast before sighing and going back to the bar, needing to do something else with her hands other than wringing them in worry. Kal-El will call if he needs help, she soothed herself, or if Ma were to be in danger. Maybe I should go see her, maybe I shouldn't have left the farm after Zod — she shook her head. "We all grow up with the ideals that we live in America and that this is the best thing in the whole world, and I'm sure he grew up hearing this as well."
He had certainly lived there longer than Kara.
Cat looked at her assistant, the first competent one she had had in ages, having lasted two years for a reason. The girl was what she had promised: extremely committed, hardworking, caring . . . and also more than initially expected: persevering, highly capable and extremely intelligent. She also declined the first promotion Cat tried to give her, not even offering an explanation, which had left her at the bottom of the feeding frenzy. The older woman guessed it might have something to do with the little man who orbited around the blonde; she had noticed their amicable relation. Although millennials were always nice, Kara seemed to be genuine and with a cheery disposition towards everyone, but clearly had a soft spot for the hobbit.
Ever the good assistant, she prepared a glass of water and two Advil, the pills beautifully placed in their little, porcelain tray. When she turned and faced her boss, she stopped. Her hands began trembling, her strength reacting to the news, her hold on the glass enough to cause cracks on it and when the glass slipped from her grasp, it shattered at the impact with the floor. The sound it made pierced through her shock and pulled her back from the result of Superman's battle, but she couldn't keep herself from shaking. Managing to place the tray back on the bar, she took a deep breath and got control of her emotions. She finally realized her boss was speaking, but she held a hand up, bowed her head, and swallowed audibly. Another inhale of a shuddering breath — she didn't realize she hadn't exhaled — and she kneeled to pick the pieces.
Of the tumbler? Yes, but also of herself. Some of the fragments were small, so she decided to put her microscopic sight to some use; good thing her glasses were at the tip of her nose, and she could use her sight without much trouble. Suddenly, she noticed the woman besides her, and blue eyes zoomed back to the normal lens with which Earthlings saw their world. Cat Grant, her extraordinary boss and amazing woman, was kneeling besides her, a tissue on her open hand to hold the broken pieces. Kara gazed into hazel orbs and without words, accepted the help.
Because the Queen of All Media didn't offer help to anyone.
Because the woman was above helping others, especially lowly assistants, to clean up a mess they made.
Because she was beyond anything Kara knew of the world she had lived in for twelve years, continually surprising her with a gentleness and soft care, she had witnessed her do only with Carter, her son.
It was enough to also let her know not to say a word about it, not even thanks. She didn't think she would have been able to say anything, anyway.
So, she picked up the pieces with care, picked the pieces of herself, but just like the broken glass, no one would be able to piece either of them back together.
"Kira, I expected better," Cat chided her, standing as she wrapped the tissue, walked towards the wastebasket and letting go of the pieces over it. "Really, what has you upset? Superman will likely make a reappearance in — oh I don't know, say five years, give or take?"
"Despite what everyone may think," Kara began, now filling two glasses with water and later gave the woman one with the pills, downing the other herself before going to sit on the couch, needing the support, "he isn't exactly indestructible. Invulnerable to almost everything, yes. With a superlative constitution that offers him his amazing strength and incredible resilience, yes. But not even he can escape death."
She placed a hand on her chest, making a conscious effort on breathing calmly and like an Earthling, the pattern being enough to reassure and calm her since it was a motion she might no longer have to do, but that was developed in her own home planet. Kara might not have her brother's constitution yet, but her lung capacity was still higher than a normal human's.
Blue eyes opened in surprise at the hand on her shoulder, the dip of the spot besides her, and they blinked quickly to shed the water within. Alarmed, she realized she was crying, but unlike anything she expected, her boss simply dried her tears with another tissue. Their eyes met, and the older woman smirked a bit at the surprise she found.
"I am a mother, I keep tissues on my person out of habit," she remarked dryly, "and besides, while I don't mind others believing my cold persona, I thought you knew me better by now, Kiera."
"Oh no Miss Grant, I'm surprised by you forgiving my tears, considering your rules," the younger blonde replied, the surprise overriding her inhibitions. She slapped her mouth at her own words, the sound almost washing over the dry chuckles, but not quite. "Miss Grant?"
"Keira, it's after hours, there's no one else in the building, no witnesses to . . . well, kill," she sassed back, shaking her head, leaving her words open to interpretation: was she serious, was she not? "Either way, I can tell those, are genuine crocodile tears, so chop chop, Kera, time for us to leave.
"I'm exhausted and it's clear to me that you won't be able to continue working at this point," a meaningful look from green eyes, and Kara slumped and sighed in defeat. "Good. Come now, chop chop."
"Miss Grant?" She began as she stood after the woman, who stopped her walk to her desk and turned. "Thank you."
"You can go to Superman's memorial in Metropolis, I believe a vigil will be held tonight," Cat waved her hand in dismissal of her assistant's words. "I do expect you back at work Monday, bright and early."
"Of course Miss Grant," the hand still by her heart clenched. "I'll call your driver."
"You do that," was the offhanded scoff, and although the woman was already packing her things by her desk, Kara could see those hazel eyes rolling.
She smiled and went back to her desk, packing her things with super speed and moving about with tense and an excess of energy; it was amazing the building wasn't shaking. The young blonde called her boss' private elevator over and stood by, waiting for the woman to enter and for them to part ways. Keeping up with expectations, the woman didn't indicate that Kara could join her, and the girl didn't ask. The doors of the elevator closed and she reminded herself that it would be useless to simply jump off (she hadn't flown since her brother discovered the ability) the building or leap her way back to Kansas. With that thought, she rang her own elevator that she and the other commuters used. It opened a few moments later, she pressed the button for the ground floor before running to the roof and deciding not to care anymore. It was a dark night, and the skies were free of lights. She would use the cover to jump from building to building, and go to Kansas, to Smallville.
To her ma, her aunt, and demand to learn the truth, to see the body, and if the heart was, in fact, still, she would beat it back until it worked as normal. Taking off her glasses and tying her sweater around her neck, she was glad her purse could also be used with strings and wasn't only a hand bag. Using the flexibility of her accessory, she placed her shoes within it, cramming it and not caring over how much dirt got inside it; she needed to get a new one, anyway. She would never understand what fashion had to do in the face of comfort and practicality, but she had given up on her rationality and logic being understood by the people of Earth.
While she didn't fly, she used the principles of takeoff and landing to good use. The aerodynamics that she knew perfectly, after learning the way aircars and airplanes worked on both, Krypton and Earth respectively, she had condensed the knowledge. She knew as well her physical body and how it changed while under the yellow sun, and all of this gave her the way of grasping flight in a way it made her brother jealous. Unlike him, she didn't leave craters, and while particles of loose materials (aka, dirt) did rise, she could center her own magnetic force to not affect things around her.
Maybe it was part of being a woman, as Martha had said when he had complained about it with a laugh, her attention to detail and all her knowledge were big contributing factors. Things Kal-El didn't possess. But Kara did her best to teach him, and at least he was quick to grasp the concepts. Not really surprising, seeing that the influence of the sunlight on Kryptonian cells made it so that their learning process was insane. They both knew more than Kryptonese and English, they also knew German and French, both learned through interactions with others while Latin had been a surprise after a few tv shows on the dead language. It had been a History Channel special that she had managed to get after a make-shit satellite dish that later her ma would make her take away, but her and Clark had enjoyed feeding their inner nerds.
Oh Kal-El, brother, she looked at the clearing skies, feeling her tears burn. She finally felt the buzzing of her phone and with trepidation, stopped, hopeful that it was the man in her thoughts checking up on her, as he usually did after world-related events. It was Alex, and her heart dropped. Firing a quick text message, she steeled herself to continue her journey, now crossing the Kansas' state line. Why? Why did you have to sacrifice yourself? I was sent to protect you, but how can I when you so willingly risk your life for them? It was the one subject they had been unable to agree upon, the one topic they never fully discussed.
"Kal!" She called immediately, as soon as she entered the house, but it was empty. "Martha? Ma!?"
Kara heard a chopper and turned. Using her telescopic sight, she saw her aunt and ran to be right underneath. The voice of the pilot was blurred by her tears and need to hold the woman, and the brunette knew this. She saw her speak to a man who was there, then the door was opened and the woman allowed gravity to take a hold. They needed each other, now more than ever, and Kara didn't realize she had used her flight to catch the woman or to land them safely, while the chopper searched for another landing ground. But the action was enough to tell the blonde the truth; her baby brother didn't make it. If he had, he would have jumped out in greeting at the very least, or would have been flying along its side.
"Ma!" She bawled, crying as she held the also tearful woman in a tender embrace. "Why? Why didn't he call?"
"He had to protect you, as well as the world," the woman replied, exhaling in a shudder; she needed the young blonde as much as she herself was needed. "You know how he is — was Kara, love. I'm sorry."
"Why? I should have been there!" Kara realized something, pulled the woman back and began looking at her, before sighing in relief and holding her close again. "They took you, didn't they?"
"You mean, him," a man with black hair, the sides turning gray and brown eyes, said, giving her a curious look. "Alexander Luthor Junior tried to use Martha against Superman, in an effort to have us, me and him, battle to death."
His curiosity rose as she took a protective stance between him and Martha Kent.
"Kara," Lois began, stepping from behind the man and going to the young woman with a placating look, cradling the girl's face between her hands and drying her tears, "he isn't an enemy, he actually fought along your cousin's side to defeat the menace."
"Why didn't he call me, Lois?" She asked, sniffling, looking very much like the lost thirteen year old girl Martha met twelve years ago. "Why didn't he? Why did he call that woman and Batman, and not me?"
"He actually didn't call me," the man offered, "I was already part of the fight."
"And I jumped into battle," another woman, the one who had joined them, said, "I wasn't called."
"No Kara, you know very well that if you had jumped in as well, he would have been besides himself and unable to help, trying to protect you," Lois began.
"I was sent here to protect him!" Kara interrupted vehemently, furious tears running down her cheek.
"Kara," they all turned to face the mother of Superman, but she had eyes only for the younger blonde, "even if you had a purpose, it was void when you arrived; he was already a man and you were a child. Being the last of his family, he wouldn't have been able to risk you, and you know this love. Even if you weren't meant to be protected, he wouldn't have been able to live on, had you died. Helping him, no less."
"Ma, I need him," she whispered, tears falling. "I need him."
"She wasn't in the files," the woman whispered to the man, still strangers.
"I know, I saw them as well," he replied, catching her attention.
"Files?"
"I should have known you had super hearing," he said with a sigh. "I'm —"
"Bruce Wayne is Batman," she gawked.
"I see Cat Grant's assistant is well deserving of remaining in her employment for two years," he winked as he stretched his arm, and his hand was taken in a shake. "This is Diana Prince.
"The man who is responsible for this, Luthor, had a file of meta-humans. Humans who were capable of amazing deeds."
"You weren't in the file," the woman, Diana, remarked, eyeing the blonde alien.
"She has kept a low profile, at her brother's insistence," Martha answered with a laugh, "you see? He knew best."
Kara dried her eyes, clenching her fist. "Until I find a good enough reason, I won't make use of my own powers," she said, giving Bruce a sad smile. "I'm sorry, I must decline the offer."
"Very well," he sighed, "I understand. I admit it would be easier with you on board but, maybe it can't be helped."
"I think I just lost trail of the conversation here," Diana stated, looking between the two with narrowed eyes.
"Oh good, I thought I might have been the only one," Lois said, sighing softly.
"When is the funeral?" Kara asked, turning back one of the most important person still in her life and ignoring the rest; not many people knew how brilliant she was, but now Bruce Wayne did, and it unnerved her. Not even Maxwell knew, and she liked keeping things that way.
"We'll discuss that tomorrow," Martha replied, mother hen heightening at how late it was and how her child (because no matter the age, that was Kara for her) was there, "come along, it's late and I have a hungry daughter! I'll prepare some dinner."
"Okay," the blonde knew she was going to be bossed until she had nothing to think about, nothing to do but sleep after eating her weight.
Her hand was taken and she was led into the house. While the others said their byes, the older brunette didn't allow any to leave and demanded that they stayed for the meal.
Back inside, Kara began helping to cook. Since she was going to eat most of it, she always made sure to help. The others tried for the smart remark of making enough to feed a small army when the two women, familiar with the alien's metabolism, informed that this was usual when it came to feeding Kryptonians.
"Be glad she's making enough for all," Martha remarked from the kitchen, smiling sadly; the house hadn't felt so alive since . . . . The irony wasn't lost on her, but it only served to make the loss more prominent and made her heart ache.
Sadly, no one could shake Kara from her stupor, and once the guests left, she was sent for a shower and to get dressed in fresh clothes. She chose one of her Kal-El's old shirts and sweatpants of her own, sat on the couch, and stared at the sky, at space. That's how the women found her, numbed and unresponsive. Until they each sat besides her, and with their comforting scent, so like Superman's, she finally allowed herself to be pulled to sleep. Once she was gone to the world, they helped her get settled on the couch and sleep there. Covered in his scent, nightmares were kept at bay.
Dusty, who had been hiding and had only come when the strangers had left and he had some food, climbed to sleep besides the blonde alien. Martha brought Clark's old blanket, and covered the young blonde with it. She then guided Lois to her son's old bedroom, and she went to her own.
The reporter stayed at the Kent's farm to help with the small funeral. Only Pete and Lana, his childhood friends, came along to pay their respects, but didn't stay. Not like Diana and Bruce, though they kept a respectful distance. Once the casket was lowered to the ground though, Kara, who had remained shell-shocked, finally broke. The tomb stone stood as real as Jeremiah's, and while that one had been painful, this one felt like a knife plunged deep: Clark Kent - Beloved Son, Beloved Brother, Forever Loved. Only this time, those who could help her pick up the pieces, had been too out of touch with her to fully help.
"No . . . ." She looked within the wood, and there was her brother, and beneath his layer of skin and ribs, she found his unbeating heart. "No!"
"Kara —" Lois tried to stop her, but wasn't able to prevent the young blonde from jumping into the grave and hitting the wood.
"Wake up Kal!" She demanded, not seeing the wood, focused on his heart and lungs, reverting to Kryptonian now that she was upset. «Wake up! You can't leave me! I swear I didn't chose to get stranded on my way here — wake up!»
"Kara —!" Lois tried again but she was crying as well, and found herself unable to stop the young blonde; part of her wished the girl would succeed.
«Kal, don't do this, please,» Kara begged, a sob breaking through. «Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again.»
"Kara . . ." Martha called, extending a hand, the only person who finally got through to her; eyes that were, against all odds, the same shade of blue as the man being mourned, met soft caring deep brown, "stop."
The request was done so softly, the whisper barely heard by those around. Bruce and Diana had begun moving at the display from the blonde, hurrying over, knowing that they would have to intervene should the girl truly snap and lose it.
"Ma!" It was still the day, and Martha was unclear in the nickname usage. Was Kara calling her 'mother', or was it the diminutive of her name? The girl's sobs were heartbreaking; there she was, the Last Daughter of Krypton was now the last survivor of said planet. She was losing everything, again. She jumped lightly back to the ground (the priest had long since spoken and left, with Pete and Lana) and took the woman in a soft, yet tight embrace. "He was my «Nightwing», I was his «Flamebird». Meant to always be inseparable, watching each other's backs. I should have been there, should have protected him."
"Kara, my Little One, my Baby Girl," the term was used tenderly, nicknames she used before the girl even knew proper English, and when she learned those were the same the girl's mom and dad used, she refrained from using them unless she thought there was no other way, "you know he was also battling to protect you.
"Would you deny his sacrifice?"
"No," sniffling some more, tears being dried as they were shepherded back towards the car by Lois, "I just — I want him back."
"Stop honey," Martha whispered tenderly, giving her a kiss to the forehead, "don't search for him, or his heartbeat, you'll only hurt worse."
"Yes," being held by the two women, she felt a bit better, inhaling as to calm down, and return to the calming habit of breathing. "Ma? Thank you. You too, Lois."
"We're here for you, Kara," Lois stated, "always."
Back at the farm, the younger woman looked even more lost than when Clark had found her. Martha prepared the food with Lois' aid, the other two heroes having left to attend their own business. Kara had to constantly avoid searching for her brother beneath the ground, stop her ears from searching his specific heartbeat. Something she clearly learned from her acute hearing, was that each heart had a signature beat, something inherently basic to each individual, and while these could synchronize, there was a single particularity that came with being Kryptonian. Kal's and hers, their had a unique trace, and it was that theirs was louder than an Earthling's beating heart. It was why, when Lois had arrive and Kara knew her brother was back in town, when her Nightwing had found the colonization ship, she had gone to greet the reporter thinking it was the man.
"Hey there Dusty! Come 'ere boy, there we go," she remarked with an empty smile at the black-and-white dog, the mutt going to her side and sitting besides her on the couch; he had gone out before she had woken up. "Ma, can I lay down with him?"
"You always can," the woman replied from the kitchen.
Thus, when they returned with the food, they found the girl within a tightly wrapped blanket, the dog besides her and outside the red fabric. The women chuckled, decided to have their meal in the living room as a way of keeping the girl company, even if she was asleep.
"This reminds me of the first time you dropped by," Martha remarked with some amusement, placing a blonde lock behind an ear, semblance turning sad from the tear stains on the young woman's face.
"I do remember the eager blonde who suddenly appeared, blinding smile on her face before realizing I wasn't the person she expected." Lois actually chuckled softly. "Then she frowned in what looked, adorably, like a pout."
"Oh, I bet she perfected her puppy-eyes on Krypton," the older woman remarked with a deep sigh, "I can see her being spoiled, and in turn, spoiling Clark, had things worked out differently."
"Hmmm, certainly, since even despite the age difference, she was protective." The older blonde had a ghost of a smile on her face, remembering, and they ate in silence for a while. "I was briefly scared when I looked at her after mentioning Clark."
"He became like that as well, especially after coming out as Superman," Martha said with a firm nod. "He had wanted someone else to bond with, who truly knew his father, who could be a teacher, because despite it all, Kara was still a child when she came." It was the reason why he had been unable to kill Zod without feeling the loss keenly; the girl could only offer her own limited knowledge and experiences, not what the other man had to offer.
"That seems like an interesting story," the reporter remarked, laughing a bit; it sounded hollow, somehow.
"I'm sure she'll tell you," the woman looked at the sleeping girl, smiling sadly. "I actually thought they had."
"The spring break she spent with us was, mostly, teaching her," Lois said dryly, and the other woman laughed brightly and the blonde shook her head. "I swear, her appetite for knowledge can't even begin to rival her physical hunger."
"I know! She took joy in farming, much to Clark's chagrin," the brunette smirked, "that first year . . . she'll tell you, she will want to share her memories of him, and will want to learn about yours."
"How can you be so sure?" The reporter placed her plate down on the coffee table; suddenly food lost its appeal, "she has no reason."
"Because, Lois Lane," Martha placed her own plate down as well and passed the woman a small, jewelry pouch, "he wanted to give you this."
The woman opened it, and found a pearl ring within. She immediately knew it was an engagement ring and tried it on right then. It was a perfect fit.
"Do you think she'll come see me in spring break?" Lois asked, choking a bit.
"I am sure."
"I can only hope she doesn't try to join the hero business."
"She promised to help me out on the field every summer," Martha began vehemently with a light frown, "and her mother will also want her the first month of summer as well as Thanksgiving. With her job though, she might only be able to take a week to truly come over and help, or come at night and help out."
"I must admit, her constant happiness and cheerful disposition makes her one of the most charming individuals," they took their plates and resumed eating. "I just hope this doesn't affect her too much.
"So why is it that this mutt of yours doesn't act like a scared animal with her?" It was something that had always fascinated Lois. "I mean, Clark doesn't seem to have that problem as she does."
"Actually, when he arrived and I had to take him to take care of some of horses we had back then, they always reacted adversely towards him." She took a drink from her glass before continuing. "When he turned five, did they stop reacting, or attracting attention from the other animals. He was happy he could finally pet the animals at the petting zoo."
"Well, who knows what she does, that animals still recognize her as foreign," Lois said sadly, "else I'm sure she would have gone with veterinary."
"For one, I was glad you both dissuaded her from taking on medicine, I can imagine how well that would have gone."
"You're not the only one," the blonde remark, swallowing in a hurry to share, "she could have easily been exposed."
They kept sharing and remembering, lulling the sleeping blonde further into dreams and away from nightmares. Lois said she would wash the plates, telling Martha to allow her the honor of pampering the brunette like her children did, and told her to simply take the plate of extra food to the living room and make sure the little one was still asleep. It took plenty of cajoling and coaxing, but the older blonde managed to miraculously succeed.
Placing the huge plate (which was covered with another) of food down, along with the second biggest glass of the house filled with juice, brown eyes looked at the prone figure of the alien. She could see the signs of a nightmare coming around, having seen plenty of those when the girl had first arrived. The blonde had been weak, and she had feared the little girl wouldn't have been able to survive. Clark would have been devastated if the girl hadn't adjusted. Pressing her thumb to the worry line between the brows, she sighed sadly, wishing there was something she could do, but there really wasn't.
A shrill sound made her jump, and she was glad the sleeping one had turned her senses off. How they did so, was amazing, but obviously much needed when they wanted to sleep. She remembered how badly the child had slept while capable of hearing what happened a few farms over. The noise began again, and Martha found it came from her girl's phone. Looking at it, she frowned at the unknown name that still lingered in the corners of her mind; she knew it, but couldn't quite place it. Tentatively, she answered it.
"Hello?"
The one calling remained silent for a moment. 📲 This isn't Kiera.
"Excuse me, who —?"
📲 I'm looking for Kara, Kara Danvers, – the voice huffed, – I expected her back at work today.
"I'm sorry, during the battle, she — my niece lost her cousin."
📲 I am sorry for your loss, – the tone wasn't sincere exactly, but she could tell the woman meant those words.
"Thank you. This was too sudden for Kara, she probably lost track of time, or I'm sure she would have called you."
📲 Please let her know I won't tolerate if this happens again. – Martha frowned, unsure of what to make of the speaker. – Otherwise, I hope she comes back soon.
"Cat?" Lois asked as she came from the kitchen. "Cat Grant?"
"You know her?"
📲 Lois Lane. – The tone was dry and they turned to the phone that was on speaker; the brunette truly didn't know how to handle the technology.
"Martha Kent," the woman decided to add, still puzzled by everything that was going on, passing the phone to the older blonde.
📲 Now that introductions are over — wait, I had no idea Kara and Clark were related.
"Oh, she's my sister's youngest," the woman said, blinking, "it's a long story."
"Cat, I had no idea she was working for you."
📲 Maybe I now know why she didn't want that promotion.
"Cat, Kara likes helping, and I'm sure she enjoys how much she can learn from you."
📲 How long has she been your spy?
"I just learned she was working for you."
"Oh, you're the one who runs that Media Empire, right?"
📲 I thought CatCo World News was international.
"Smallville doesn't have use for world news," Martha replied, shrugging a bit, "though I do enjoy your National News, coming from National City, but it's not like your name is there at all times."
📲 Fair enough, – they heard the sigh. – Tell Kara she'll be on probation for a month; I want to see how honest she it.
"Well, if you can't catch her lying, that would be on you," Martha remarked.
"Oh, Cat can spot a lie," Lois replied, smirk in place, "and truly, I wish Kara knew how to lie. I would save her some heart aches."
The woman on the end of the line grumbled, and it went dead.
"Well, that's something."
"That, is Cat Grant."