Author's note: Hey all! It's been a minute. I was in the process of moving, but now I'm settled and back to being able to write more regularly. Let's see what's in store for SuperCorp!
Kara's article on Lena ran at the end of that week. During the process of writing the cover story, "L-Corp's Unflappable Heir: Lena Luthor Respects, Not Rests On, Her Family Legacy," the reporter hoped to convey something different than the previous features on the Luthor. After their two-hour interview - during which Jess had to ring Lena to inform her of an upcoming meeting, interrupting her story about intentionally losing to a Swiss dignitary in chess (then schooling him later in beer pong) - Kara saw more to her subject than power poses and buzzwords.
"Even with the Luthor name," Kara wrote, "the CEO's story reveals diligence, a staunch avoidance of complacency. Yet she also expresses a desire to distance herself from the spotlight despite being raised within its confines."
The reporter's line about Lena "utilizing her platform in the least self-serving way, making a difference without craving the credit" didn't make it to publication. It was called too speculative by the editors, which Kara agreed with from a journalistic standpoint, but not her personal one. During their interview, Lena was quick to direct the conversation to amplifying L-Corp's ethos and shifting focus away from herself. Kara found Lena's humility endearing, but also suspected there was more to it. Aside from Lena's response to Kara's adoption comment, the reporter could recall other moments that caused Lena to tense throughout the interview. Her eyes would darken momentarily any time the subject approached her pre-Luthor life. Kara didn't push it as much as her reporter instincts advised her to, favoring the banter with Lena over the scoop. Yet Kara was still able to convey much about the Luthor in her article, leaving readers with a shrewd conclusion: "Ms. Luthor's public image is a paradox: she's surprisingly anonymous for someone whose net worth, career, and adopted family is so easily Googled. Speculation may abound, but this under-30 titan appears self-assured and unbothered by the periphery. That which impacts her vision for L-Corp, the potential to contribute something remarkable, she asserts, is all she wishes to consider."
Kara passed the bodega on her morning commute (Fridays were walk-to-work days to blend in), the stand bearing several dozen copies of CatCo Magazine's latest issue. She couldn't quell the flutters in her stomach. Dozens of pairs of the same emerald eyes followed her with a defiant stare. The reporter noted something new about them with each glance, such as the right eye bearing a slightly bluer hue than the left, or the way they crinkled at the corners with something unidentifiable. Mischief? A hint of earnestness? Though Kara wouldn't let it show in front of her sister, or Winn, or any of the DEO agents, the harbor attack wasn't the only thing competing for real estate in her mind.
Halfway through the workday Cat Grant called Kara in for a meeting, pulling the reporter from her musings and assigning her to Morgan Edge's gala. The indomitable Ms. Grant was flattering in her review of the Luthor piece - which is to say she was lukewarm in her delivery and ended her praise with a critique of Kara's blouse. More importantly, she indicated that Kara was ready to take on another high-profile piece. Kara was ecstatic, brainstorming every possible angle until the gala the following day.
The event was every bit as pretentious as Cat said it would be, but Kara was more concerned with getting the scoop than impressing the likes of Edge. As soon as she arrived she began mingling, receiving a few friendly nods from some past story subjects, as well as brushoffs from others. Kara attempted to make small talk with Arabella Van der Waask who, despite three prior meetings and an interview, introduced herself to the reporter as if they were never acquainted.
"Ms. Van der Waask, it's a pleasure to see you again," Kara attempted to hint, but the woman had already floated past her to air-kiss a silver-haired airline mogul. The reporter shrugged and rebounded quickly, scanning the area and spotting Jack Spheer across the courtyard. As a key player in National City's booming tech industry, Mr. Spheer was an ideal subject for Kara's assignment. She started making her way towards the mogul in hopes of securing an interview, until the boisterous clanging of a platter a few yards away interrupted her plan.
"Watch out! Spill on this suit, you owe me more than you make in a year."
It wasn't difficult for Kara to picture the type of person that would make such a remark. As she turned towards the source, she found that her mind's image wasn't too far off. Slicked hair, expensive loafers, and an expression that reads "I have two pools and a hot tub," the man was berating a caterer as she attempted to apologize. A tray of bruschetta was splayed face-down on the floor, some tomato splatter coating the nearby tablecloths.
"Sir, I really didn't mean-" the woman began, frantically trying to clean the spill off the floor as the man towered over her. Kara was already closing in on the scene, abandoning her pursuit of Jack.
"Do I look like I care? Do your job and get me a napkin." He sneered, growing louder and attracting some attention from the surrounding guests. The woman looked as though she was close to tears as he gestured toward her. "What are you standing here for? Move your clumsy a-"
"That's enough!"
Kara's hand was inches from grabbing his shoulder when a familiar voice erupted from her left. She whipped around to see Lena striding swiftly towards the man. He guffawed, taken aback by the brunette.
"Leave her alone, William." She scolded, "It was clearly an accident."
"This doesn't concern you, Luthor." William challenged, posturing in response to the group of spectators that paused their conversations to watch the confrontation unfold.
"It concerns all of us when you interrupt our evening over your gaudy outfit."
A few chuckles could be heard from the bystanders, breaking a bit of the awkward silence. William straightened up a bit, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his brow. Spotting Morgan Edge nearby, the man's expression shifted from angry to antagonistic.
"Going through budget cuts, Edgy? Can't let these economy caterers bowl us over!" He exclaimed, earning a sly grin from the host. Lena rolled her eyes and promptly closed in on William, speaking directly into his ear. The Luthor had lowered her voice, making Kara rely on her super hearing.
"Did it occur to you that your sixth scotch might be to blame, not Phoebe here? Walk away. Now."
While Lena's voice was calm, her right eyebrow was raised and, evidently, enough to convey a warning. William recoiled. The surrounding people pretended to busy themselves with conversation, sensing the tension and likely fearing the Luthor's wrath. As William scoffed and shoved his way through the crowd in emasculated retreat, Lena's expression instantly softened to regard Phoebe.
"What a prick." She shook her head. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, thank you, Ms. Luthor. I'll be fine." Phoebe assured her, regaining her composure. "I'm so sorry about the scene!"
"Do not apologize!" Lena insisted, picking up the fallen silver tray and handing it to the shorter woman. Two other caterers had joined to assist with clean up. "I don't know how you manage this gala every year," she admitted, shooting an annoyed glance in William's direction, "you have infinite patience."
Phoebe gave Lena a grateful look, then excused herself to tidy up her uniform. Lena sighed and took a sip of her wine.
"Bet you didn't come here to cover that little spectacle." Lena observed, still facing away from Kara.
The blonde bit her lip, chuckling at the Luthor's perceptiveness.
"Not at all. Too bad your profile went to print already, though. After that incident I would've titled it 'Lena Luthor: Destroyer of Douchebags.'"
"That would be a first!" Lena laughed and swiveled around, the skirt of her black dress flowing with the movement. She tilted her head and smirked, rubbing her collarbone absentmindedly. Kara's gaze instinctively followed the brunette's fingers, then quickly snapped up to her eyes upon discovering that Lena's dress had a plunging neckline.
"As epic as that title is, I'm flattered by the feature." The brunette began, "You did L-Corp justice. The whole initiative, really, plus you made me look a hell of a lot kinder on the page," Lena winked, plucking a champagne flute from a nearby table, stepping closer to Kara and offering it to her. The blonde graciously accepted.
"I wrote the truth," Kara insisted with a shy smile, adding "What you're doing is admirable. Though I think knocking that William guy down a few pegs is Peace Prize worthy."
Lena wrinkled her nose.
"Hardly. But your story on it might earn a Pulitzer." The Luthor teased, then her brow furrowed."Tell me you don't have to suffer through an interview with either him or Morgan tonight. Cat's tough, but she wouldn't subject you to that, would she?"
"Just the techies, thankfully, which may be difficult at the moment." Kara motioned toward Jack, who was now involved in conversation several tables away with a well-known investor.
"I'll introduce you."
"Really? You don't have to take time away from y-"
"Nonsense!" The brunette assured her, then added in a low voice. "You're sparing me from making the rounds with these dreadfully boring aristocrats."
Kara felt Lena's hand on her lower back as Lena guided her across the room. Jack glanced up curiously from the conversation as he spotted the two approaching.
"L-Squared!" Jack exclaimed.
"Alright, that nickname, along with our shot-taking days, should be long over by now." The Luthor lightly scolded as the two embraced.
"Well, last year's citations from the National City Arena security guard say otherwise." Jack lectured in a whisper, mindful of the investor standing next to him. They pulled away, but not before Lena corrected him in the same tone.
"You mean your citations. My driver took you home as you shouted 'Box Shots!' from the sunroof." She returned to normal volume as she turned towards Kara, who looked on amusedly.
"Jack, this is Kara Danvers, reporter extraordinaire for Catco. You're doing yourself a favor talking to her."
The blonde blushed and shook his hand, "Mr. Spheer, it's a pleasure. I only want to take a brief moment of your time."
"Of course!" He responded warmly, "I have a few minutes to spare. Morgan is debuting my drones as part of the opening show, so I'll be announcing that."
"Absolutely, I only have a few questions."
"Perfect! Kara, come find me when you've wrapped up." The brunette directed as she sauntered off. "And call him Jack!"
"She's right," Jack confirmed as he pulled out a chair, "Mr. Spheer's my old man."
Kara nodded pleasantly and retrieved her notepad.
Grateful that Jack seemed to be more down-to-earth than the vast majority of guests, Kara wasted no time in getting the scoop about his new business partnership with Edge. After about fifteen minutes of interviewing, an assistant pulled Jack away for his announcement. He thanked Kara and, while getting up from his seat, added, "You must be a hell of a writer. Lena usually hates reporters."
Kara felt a bit giddy at this revelation. As the party gravitated towards the steps in the center of the courtyard, she spotted Lena's bun among the crowd and wove her way over to the Luthor. The blonde tapped lightly on her shoulder.
"Success?" Lena inquired as the crowd filled in around them.
"I'd say so," Kara noted, "Thank you for setting that up, I would've been trying to pester him all night."
Lena just grinned in return, fixing Kara with a sideways glance.
"What's up?" The blonde asked, fidgeting with her notepad until Lena finally answered.
"Wanna get some potstickers?"
"So, L-Squared, huh?" Kara teased as she and Lena grabbed a booth by the window. "You two must go way back?"
"Ah yes," Lena gave a shy laugh while setting their tray down. "Prep school rivals, then beards, then good friends."
The two women were vastly overdressed among the majority of drunken, college-aged patrons of Nat Noodle Express. Yet, they both found the Dumpling King platter more satisfying than Edge's caviar boat. Kara was a bit surprised to see the brunette ditch an important event, but Lena assured her that she made a sufficient appearance for the evening. As they chatted animatedly on the way to the restaurant, the reporter wasn't too upset about missing drone light shows or petite portions of lobster.
"Of course, how star-crossed of you." Kara giggled, taking a swig of her soda. "How long did you play the role of straight for?"
"Not long, because it was critically unacclaimed." Lena joked. "Maybe until my freshman year? It wasn't too hard to figure out, and once I realized how totally supportive Remy and Astrid were, it was smooth sailing."
Lena corrected herself, "Smooth sailing with support, that is. Dating? Well that was a hot mess."
"Tell me, what do prep school dates consist of?" Kara followed promptly, a small smirk tugging at her lips.
Lena tapped her chopsticks together, glancing at the ceiling as she contemplated.
"Let's see, for the normal teenagers: sneaking into the woods, an empty classroom, any dark space at night, really. But, for me-"
"You weren't breaking any rules, were you?" Kara finished automatically, then felt her cheeks redden that she interrupted. Lena didn't seem bothered, in fact she had an amused expression.
"Right. I was too focused on grades and swimming. Probably a reason the dating didn't work out super well."
"Missed opportunity for your girlfriends," Kara laughed, "I'm sure some of them wanted to sneak into the pool at night."
Lena diverted her eyes and took a bite of her potsticker. Realization soon dawned on the blonde and she guffawed. Her outburst drew a few glances from a nearby table of frat boys.
"You didn't!?" Kara shouted, then brought her voice down. "Lena!"
"Ok, so maybe the night before graduation…" the brunette kept her eyes fixed on the plate, not daring to look up as her cheeks reddened. "I knew I would be allowed to walk even if I got caught, which we didn't, because the teachers busted a massive party in the dorms that night. And besides, she really wanted to…" She trailed off. Kara silently enjoyed the fact that Lena was being bashful.
"In the water?" She probed, not bothering to hide her glee at this revelation.
"No!" Lena insisted quickly and perhaps a bit forcefully before her voice softened.
"Maybe the locker room."
Kara covered her mouth, eyes wide.
"And bleachers."
"No way!"
"And the coach's office."
"My God, Luthor, you don't half ass anything, do you?"
It was the brunette's turn to burst out laughing, causing Kara to also lose it. Once the two finally caught their breaths, they fell into a comfortable quiet as they ate. Kara was overjoyed at the prospect of her favorite grub (the cashier knew her order by heart), but had to restrain herself from consuming Lena's portion. Kara could see Lena chuckle as the blonde shoveled food into her mouth, then stopped herself and attempted to chew at a normal pace. Despite her efforts, it didn't take long for them to finish their meal. After leaving Nat Noodles, the two walked slowly down the sidewalk, no particular destination in mind.
"So how about you, Lisa Ling?" Kara felt a tinge of excitement knowing that Lena remembered her journalistic idol, a detail she mentioned in passing during their interview. "Does that writing life give you much down time?"
"Here and there. Dated a few people in the city," Kara answered coyly, sensing that Lena was fishing. "But nothing really panned out."
"I see."
"Maybe it's because I never took those girls to the pool."
"Touche." Lena answered dryly, but kept her gaze on Kara. "And your folks? All on board?"
"Oh yeah, my sister Alex kind of paved the way when she came out. No shortage of acceptance there."
The two approached the pier. As usual, the view of the night skyline was stunning, but traffic cones and signs of construction also covered the partially-destroyed area. A normally populated spot on the weekend, the harborfront was rather deserted. Kara scanned the premises, searching for any immediate threats or clues.
"You two seem close."
"Hm?" Kara responded, temporarily caught up in the mystery of the merman.
"You and Alex, you seem pretty tight," The Luthor elaborated, fixing Kara with a concerned glance. "You feeling OK?"
"Oh! Yeah, definitely! Sorry, I just… hadn't seen the damage in person." She fumbled out of her reverie, then turned her attention to Lena.
"Alex is the most loyal person I know." Kara explained, "Her protectiveness gets too much sometimes, but I know that's kind of the gig with an older sibling."
"She gave me this necklace, actually." The reporter untucked a silver pendant from the neckline of her dress.
"Leave it to Alex to help me accessorize for the gala. She knows I need the fashion help."
Kara's laugh caught in her throat as Lena's hand reached her shoulder. Her slender fingers then slid across to lightly graze the necklace. Keenly aware of the proximity of their faces, Kara watched intently as Lena examined the item. She wished her superpowers extended to mind reading, though she could hear a quickened pulse apart from her own. Lena's gaze slowly lifted to meet the reporter's, stepping back as she did so. Kara felt vulnerable - among other things - under emerald orbs.
"Do you want to do this ag-" The blonde inquired, but was cut off by the ringing of her phone. She didn't have to glance to know it was urgent. "I'm sorry, I've got to take this!"
Almost as swiftly as they came, Lena's lips met Kara's cheek in a ghost of a kiss. She pulled back with a smirk as Kara answered her phone.
"I'd love to." Lena said, then strode away from a very surprised blonde.
It took Kara a moment to process her giddiness before she could focus on Winn's voice.
"Fish Man's back, this time in the canals. More rovers. Let's move Supergirl!"