Chapter 5 – Hidden truth
It's a Thursday when Cat walks past Kara's office to find her laughing and flirting with Lena Luthor. Glaring at Lena she mutters "Why is she always here- doesn't she have a company to run?" Filled with uncontrollable rage Cat rushes to her office and immediately blacks out her windows. Stripping down to her underwear she wraps the coat around her, as she leans against the edge of her desk she dials Cynthia's number. "I'm thinking about jumping!" Cat can hear Cynthia silky laugh through the phone "What's there to think about- do it!" Cat laughs "Thanks CC" "Any time Kit-kat!" Cat hangs up the phone and walks out to her balcony. Leaping up on to the railing with surprising grace and agility Cat looks over her beautiful city...
A week ago Saturday.
"So what exactly do you do Cynthia?" Eve asks as she eats her lychee ice cream. They are on a park bench and Cynthia has her arm around her. Cynthia caresses Eve's curly mane absently, while trying to think of a way to explain to Eve what she 'does'.
"Do you know the story behind the garden of Eden?" Cynthia asks. Eve shakes her head "I've only ever heard the story of Adam and Eve" Eve smiles shyly. "The garden of 'Eden' was an example of powerfully intelligent vegetation. It proved too much for the first prototype of species on this planet so they had to start over. They found that by making a breath based species that the transmission of information was better assimilated."
Eve looks at Cynthia alarmed "Are you saying that you're conducting experiments humans?" Taking in Eve's horrified reaction Cynthia shakes her head. "No, but I do represent certain companies that are researching the enhancement of humans. I'm a lawyer." Eve relaxes slightly "Oh. Well why didn't you lead with that?" Eve snuggles in to Cynthia side, and rests her head on her shoulder. Cynthia chuckles at the thought of explaining that she is actually a weaver of the universe...
Present day
Eve is on her lunch break. She is texting Cynthia furiously and chuckling to herself. She wanders over to the window and catches Cat Grant on the railing the balcony. She watches as Cat rocks back and forth on the railing. "Kara you need to get over here!" she yells voice quivering. Kara walks over with Lena in tow. Lena sees Cat first 'are you f-ing kidding me?' she thinks to herself. She knocks on the window and mouths 'what the hell are you doing?' to Cat.
Cat smiles at Lena and jumps. For the first time since becoming Supergirl Kara lets shock and fear get the better of her- she hesitates for 3 agonizing seconds. Finally coming to her senses she speeds through Cat's office doors ripping them off their hinges in her haste. Already in her super suit she is flying towards Cat. On her way down Kara can see Cat reaching for her, then suddenly Cat vanishes. Kara catches her now empty fur coat. Frantic she flies around the CatCo building several times.
Visibly distraught Kara lands on the CatCo balcony. Still clutching the fur coat she mumbles to herself, her eyes scanning Cat's office desperately. The DEO has arrived and has shut down CatCo. Kara, unresponsive and paranoid, won't let anyone touch the coat or her. Kara's nose is buried deeply in the coat searching for some obscure clue. Her ears listen for Cat's heart beat and find nothing but deafening silence.
Alex finally arrives and manages to get Kara to talk "If I hadn't been distracted" Kara keeps saying to herself. Pulling her to a secluded corner Alex says "Kar you have to tell me what happened." Kara, about to give Alex the details, is distracted by Cynthia Marlowe coming out of the elevator. Kara's eyes glow red, and she clinches her jaw- walking over to Cynthia she pins her to the wall. "This is your fault Rhoomjhemz – tell me were she is!"
Cynthia not flinching at the ethnic slur pushes Kara off easily. In a tone only Kara can hear she says "Tell me exactly what happened". Kara finally acknowledging Cynthia's concern for Cat tells her in excruciating detail what happened. When Kara is finished Cynthia states "I know who took her."
Cat sits in a detention cell shivering. An ugly bald man enters the cell. His pale face, covered with creases and red blotches, contorts into a twisted smile. "Comfortable?" he jeers as he watches Cat shiver in the subzero cell. "What do you want" Cat manages to say as she shakes uncontrollably. "The coat. Were is it?" Cat looks at him defiantly. "What coat?" she says innocently. The ugly man losing patience grabs Cat firmly by the hair "The one your night-skinned friend gave you!" Wincing in pain she sputters "I don't know what your talking about, but I can buy you what ever coat you want!"
A short pink haired man with a snout like noise enters the cell. "She was wearing it when we picked her up" he says. "Show me the footage" the ugly man says finally letting Cat go. They exit the cell. Minutes later a hatch in the wall opens, and a white fleece jumpsuit with matching boots tumble out. Cat scrambles to put them on. As soon as she does she knows she has made a huge mistake...
"So you gave her the coat knowing what it was?!" Kara screams at Cynthia. With eyes glowing red, Kara grabs the lapels of Cynthia's suit, and attempts to throw her out the window. Cynthia, using Kara's momentum against her, flips Kara easily into the opposing wall. Kara, recovering quickly, strikes Cynthia in the face drawing blood. Cynthia, manages to get Kara in a firm but friendly choke hold. "Settle yourself Kryptonian!" Cynthia hisses.
Before Cynthia knows what's happening J'onn rushes her from behind and traps her in a bear hug, while Alex aims a gun at her head. Seeing no point in continuing to fight Cynthia relaxes into J'onn's hold. "Draw my blood again Kryptonian and brother Rao himself will come for you!" Cynthia shrugs out of J'onn's hold and walks to the elevator. Eve rushes to her side and they leave together.
"What was that?" Alex says as she patches up a bleeding Kara. "Rao's sister apparently- an Igluziahn. They are part of Kryptonian myths- half sisters to Rao and his kingdom as myth has it." Kara lets the fact that she has just fought an Igluziahn sink in. "I'm lucky to be alive! She must really care for Cat to pass up a bone feast..." Kara says shuddering.
Cynthia paces back and forth in Eve's apartment. Seething with rage she mutters to herself- how dare she draw my blood and attempt to damage my vessel! This is what I get for interfering! If she wants me to be her Rhoomjhemz that's exactly what I'll be! Eve walks over to her and calmly places a cup of tea on the coffee table. She hands Cynthia a damp wash cloth and says "Your blood is purple." Cynthia, wiping her bloody lip self consciously says "It is." She takes Eve in her arms. "And you have two heart beats" Eve says hugging her tightly. "I do. Do you mind?" Cynthia says pulling away slightly. Eve pulling Cynthia back into her embrace says "No but you should have told me..."
Cat can feel the suit choking the life out of her, as she panics it grows tighter. Gasping for air she tries to rip the suit off- it tightens further. Finally laying her self on the ground Cat waits for her last breath. Breathing slowly and mindfully she feels the suit begin to loosen. Soon she is able to rip off the lethal outer lining of the suit. She looks around the cell for clues as to were she is. She spots a camera in the top corner. Moments later the ugly man is in her cell again. He finds her siting meditatively on the floor.
He chuckles when he sees the shell of the jumpsuit next to her. "Cleaver, maybe too cleaver for your own good" he says pulling an iridescent cube from his pocket. Pushing a button on the side of it, a hologram of Cat falling and Kara trying to save her appears. "Who is the mutant?" the ugly man asks. Cat feels an ache in her chest knowing she will never see Kara again. "She's not a mutant. She's National City's resident superhero" Cat says as blandly as possible. The ugly man laughs "So she's a little tart that flies around in a skirt rescuing stranded kittens is she?" Cat closes her eyes and swallows her violent urges. "Since you know who has the coat why don't you release me?" she manages to say calmly. The ugly man picks up the jumpsuit lining and says "We have something she wants."
Cat's laughs dryly "She doesn't want me. I'm afraid you'll have to find another way to get it." The ugly man smiles sadly at her "You really have no idea what she will do to get you back do you?" Before she can answer he is gone, and for a moment Cat considers that her feelings may not be so one sided after all...