Chapter Text
“Alex, calm down!” Kara said.
She squeezed herself between a man and a swinging glass door, nicking him with her elbow on her way through. Gripping her purse and pinning her phone between her cheek and shoulder, Kara jogged to keep up with the bustling foot traffic of early commuters. She sighed, hearing Alex continue to lecture her.
Their last few calls had been like this and Kara had been trying to be understanding. “You don't need to worry, I'll be fine.”
“Have you been watching the news?!”
Kara fished her wallet from her bag and pulled a handful of singles. She shifted her phone back to her hand and turned the corner leading to Noonan's. “Of course I have. I work at CatCo. It's the only thing anyone in the office has been talking about.”
A woman with her child exited and held the door for her. Winn waved at her from the line of customers queueing to wait for their daily fix of caffeine.
She cut in line next to him. “Really, I'll be okay. I promise I'll be careful. I have to go.”
Winn waited for her to put her phone in her bag. “Alex is freaking out over the news too?”
“She’s worried I’ll end up being one of her patients at the hospital.”
“I don’t blame her. Vampires come out of the coffin, so to speak, and everyone panics. I mean, it's like every nerds’ wet dream, but boy, are they still terrifying!” Winn read the cafe menu hanging above the cash register and stepped forward as the line moved. “You’re taking the news better than everyone else seems to be. Would you like to invest in a pitchfork? I’ve heard it’s the latest fad.”
Kara tightened the grip on the strap of her purse. She didn’t like the dark humor Winn used to cope, but she knew that by nature he wasn’t violent and wouldn’t even hurt a fly.
There had already been attacks the previous night. It had been a little over 24 hours since the announcement and people were being reactive.
Since the reveal yesterday morning, Kara had received calls from Eliza, Jeremiah, and Alex. All were similar in nature‒they were concerned for her safety seeing as she lived alone. National City was much more populated than Midvale, which most likely meant a higher population of vampires.
The line moved again and Kara and Winn shuffled along with it. He faced Kara, his arms crossed over his chest. “Did you hear the news this morning?”
“I caught last night's broadcast,” Kara answered, picking up a chicken wrap from the shelf.
“No, the one about Lena Luthor holding a press conference in, like, two hours. The rumor is that it's about vampires. I wonder if she'll show this time. I mean, no one even knows what she looks like. Her company has been here for years and she just moved into National City like six months ago.”
It was strange that there wasn’t even a publicity photo of L-Corp’s elusive CEO on their website. Lena was a reserved woman who avoided all public events and interviews.
Of course, everyone knew that she regularly donated to children’s hospitals and public schools. She was presumed to have good intentions. It was a striking contrast to her family's reputation. From what Kara had heard, Lena lived alone in her family manor. There were rumors that she also purchased a penthouse in the city.
“I wouldn't blame her for wanting to stay away from the press. She runs a massively successful tech company. That's got to be stressful enough.”
Winn let Kara approach the cashier and she put her items on the counter. “I mean, yeah, but one can still hope she'll show.”
Lena leaned against the cushion of her chair, her legs crossed and her hand loosely holding a mug of coffee. She tapped her finger against the side of it, examining the crowd and basking in the sunlight from the window beside her. She usually had her assistant, Eve, get her coffee, but she figured she could get some fresh air before the press conference began. Gain a little peace of mind before she had to deal with the clamoring nosy reporters. Eve shifted in her seat across from Lena, her shoulders bunched up and her coffee untouched.
“You're nervous,” Lena stated, her eyes still on the crowd.
Eve brushed a finger through her blonde hair and sighed. “Are you sure about this?”
Lena faced her, taking a sip of her coffee, staining the rim of her mug with her crimson lipstick. Eve always worried. She cared for Lena and L-Corp which was something Lena was grateful for. She trusted Eve’s decisions and she had proven herself a useful asset to the countless projects and experiments they ran in the L-Corp labs. Lena knew that finding a person like Eve was both admirable and a rarity. Right now, Eve needed to trust her.
“I am,” Lena confirmed. “Now is the right time more than ever. People are panicking, Eve. That is what we all predicted would happen after last night’s announcement. Hopefully, this press conference will ease the panic and fear.”
Eve took a deep breath, trying to soothe her nerves and nodded. “You're right.”
Lena turned back to the crowd, her ponytail swishing behind her. She cupped her hand around her coffee absently, her ruby ring scraping against the mug. A fragrance filled Lena’s senses. It was alluringly sweet, like warm chocolate and cinnamon. The scent conjured memories of ice skating and cocoa and ignited a spark of curiosity in her.
She glanced back at Eve. “Excuse me.”
She left the booth. Lena felt the hairs on her arms rise and her stomach fluttered. The tantalizing spice pulled her through the crowd like a rope looped around her neck and it reeled her in. Lena licked her lips. The sweet aroma grew stronger as she followed her nose, now so potent it washed out the smell of everything else around her.
Kara stood at the pick up station waiting for her coffee with Winn. She checked her watch for a second time. She had a few more minutes before she was late.
A barista approached the counter with two cups of coffee in hand. “Kara and Winn?”
Kara picked up her cup first and sharply spun around. She yelped as she bumped into another customer standing too close behind her and caused the hot contents of her drink to splash down her pink blouse and the woman's crisp white button up.
She jolted, feeling the heat of it coat her shirt and tugged on it to soothe the burn. “Oh, I am so sorry!” Kara took her three flimsy napkins and impulsively started wiping the drops of coffee on the woman's shirt. It did nothing to get rid of the stains.
“Are you alright?!”
The woman stood, still a little close, watching her without a word. Kara looked up and froze, staring into icy green eyes.
“It's alright,” the woman said with a quirk of her dark brow, “it’s my fault. Besides, it looks like most of it spilled on you.”
Kara swallowed hard. The gorgeous brunette stood, her eyes taking in all of Kara’s flustered fluttering. Kara managed to choke out a few garbled syllables only to release a small embarrassed chuckle.
The woman’s lips were still ticked upwards in amusement as Kara’s eyes dropped back down to the stained shirt. It looked far more expensive than anything Kara owned, this woman was so far out of her tax bracket. “I'm terribly sorry about the coffee. Let me get you a new one.”
Kara's brain finally connected with her mouth again as she realized she was being spoken to. “Uh, n-no it’s fine.”
Those perfectly red lips split from a smirk to a full smile and Kara felt a shiver run down her spine. “Please, I insist. My name is Kieran.” She reached her hand out for a handshake.
A woman with blonde wavy locks marched over and cleared her throat, breaking their eye contact. “Miss, we need to go. We’re on a tight schedule. Oh, your shirt!”
Kieran turned away from Kara, taking her hand with her before Kara could muster the brain function to shake it. “I have a change of clothes in the car, it's alright.” She smiled back at Kara one last time. “We'll have to do coffee another time.”
Kara watched the two women leave, utterly speechless. She stopped staring once they were out of sight.
Winn whistled from beside her as he too watched them leave. “Man, that girl gave me the creeps.”
Kara broke from her daze and went back to get in line.
“Are you alright?” Winn asked. “Did you know that woman?”
Kara gulped, rubbing the back of her neck. She knew her face was flushed by how hot it felt against her palm. “No.”
She cleared her throat, still reeling about the entire encounter.
Kara got off the elevator twenty minutes late with her second cup of coffee in hand and a fresh change of clothes under her arm. She spotted Winn standing in a cluster of their co-workers, watching a news show talk about the upcoming press conference and what it might have to do with the announcement from the previous day. It seemed everyone agreed that the timing indicated it would have something to do with vampires. She was relieved that everyone was too busy to see the coffee stains on her outfit before she could change.
“What do you think this conference will be about? Do you think Lena Luthor will finally make an appearance?” the host asked.
“I'll tell you what it means. She's one of them! Why else would she have a conference right after the vampires’ broadcast? That's no coincidence!” the man who was turning purple in the face snarled.
The second guest speaker scoffed, “Even if that were true, and we have no indication that it is, does that somehow discredit all of the good she’s done for humanity? She has a successful tech company that has revolutionized countless industries in biomechanics and environmental engineering to name a few.”
Kara barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the people bickering on the screen.
Winn chuckled. “Looks like the radicals are all fired up today.”
She knew from the night’s broadcast and today’s spontaneous press conference that this was going to be a busy day.
James stepped out from his office. “Okay, everyone listen up. We’re all well aware of the press conference. Catco was issued two passes. I've decided I will be going as our photographer and Kara will cover the story.”
Their co-workers muttered amongst themselves, displeased, but returned to their desks. James motioned Kara into his office. She looked to Winn, who had a smile of pride before patting her on the shoulder and leaving. James stood beside his desk, waiting for her arrival.
“Oh, thank you so much,” Kara said, grinning with excitement.
James noticed the speckles of coffee stains on Kara’s blouse. “Your shirt.”
She gripped the hem of her button up, glancing down and exhaled. “I uh… I have fresh clothes, don’t worry!”
She showed him the folded clothing in her right hand. James crossed his office.
“You've been here for two years, you’ve grown a lot as a reporter and as a writer.” James picked up his camera and laid it on the end table beside the couch. “Show me what you can do.”
“I promise I won't let you down.”
James gave a curt nod. “We have very little prep time. The conference starts in an hour. Get what you need and let's go.”
“Okay, right. I'll be right back.” Kara rushed out of the office.
“This way Ms. Luthor,” a security guard said, opening the door to her conference room.
Lena smoothed her black blouse and approached the tech that sat at the table checking the mics and video for L-Corp’s recording system.
The technician stood. “I've run diagnostics twice, Ms. Luthor.”
Lena leaned down, checking for herself. Pleased, she faced the tech and he handed Lena an earpiece. She strode over to Eve, who was getting a few touch ups on her makeup, and handed her the earpiece. Eve put it in and exhaled.
“No need to be nervous. You’ve never let me down before,” Lena said, “I checked the systems myself; everything is running smoothly. Have you rehearsed?”
Eve bit her bottom lip trying to ease her anxiety. “Yes. I’m up to date on all the project details and have practiced the speech.”
Lena nodded. “Then this should be easy. I'll be here watching and listening, as always. I’ll help you out if they slam you with any curveballs.”
One of the PR staffers rushed up and handed Lena a second earpiece. She slipped it in.
“Ms. Luthor you have a visitor,” a security guard announced.
She turned around to see a man with brown hair in a black Armani suit and a smug smile. Lena sighed. “Let him through.”
Lena waited with a scowl and crossed arms as he approached.
“What do you want, Maxwell?” Lena hissed.
He chuckled and handed her a bottle. “Nice to see you too, Lena. I should have known gifts would do little to quell your hatred for me. If it helps, it's the good stuff.”
Lena glared at him for a moment, but took the bottle, reading the label. He smiled and they moved over to the couch along the side of the room. She set the bottle on the table and took a seat.
“What are you doing, Lena?” Maxwell asked, his face stern and irritated. “This isn’t going to make things better. Maybe it's better that people remain scared.”
Lena shook her head. Maxwell straightened his already perfect cuffs. They had been at disagreements since with what feels like the dawn of time. She had known Maxwell longer than she liked. He had always been bold about expressing his thoughts, no matter how vile. This was just another thing Maxwell wouldn’t let go. Lena wasn’t willing to put up with it at the moment.
“That isn't how I see the future, and it shouldn't be what people have to settle for either. They need to have peace of mind. Besides, it’s already been decided.”
Maxwell scoffed. “Only because you stacked the deck in your favor.”
“The others see it for the lucrative business opportunity it is. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re not on board. As for stacking the deck, it’s much easier gaining favor when you’re not an insufferable ass.”
“I may be a businessman and an ass, but even I have boundaries I do not cross.”
Lena laughed. “You and I both know you have no morals.”
A woman with a headset approached them. “It’s time, Ms. Luthor.”
Maxwell stood, smoothed his jacket and aligned his tie. “Good luck out there. We'll talk later.”
Lena moved to the monitors displaying the reporters in front of the stage waiting for them. She smiled at Eve, who was directed by staff to leave the room. Lena faced the screens and watched her be announced before stepping onto the stage and greeted by the flashing cameras.
Kara was perched on the edge of her seat, her hands squeezing her sides and her bottom lip pinned between her teeth. She hadn’t been this nervous since her job interview with Cat Grant, back when she still helmed CatCo. She checked her recorder beforehand, making sure it was charged and running before the conference started. Kara watched Eve approach the podium. As expected, someone else was filling in for Lena Luthor.
“I’ve seen her before,” Kara said.
James turned away from his camera, “Hmm?”
“It’s nothing.” Kara shook it off, but was sure she had seen her back at the cafe this morning with Kieran. She worked for Lena Luthor?
“I apologize on Ms. Luthor's behalf. She was required elsewhere at this time. I’m Eve Teschmacher and I will be delivering our statement and answering all your questions in her stead,” Eve stated.
Kara heard the click of James' camera going off.
“L-Corp was contacted by representatives of the vampires some time ago and they requested that Ms. Luthor and L-Corp create a synthetic blood substitute. After countless hours in R&D and exhaustive testing, we would like to introduce Vita Blood. Vita Blood is a sustainably produced blood beverage that is rolling out in select stores as we speak in a variety of blood types. Our Vita Blood can provide all the nutritional value necessary for a vampire to remain healthy, and we’re told it tastes pretty good, too. In addition, we plan to release additional flavors within the year.”
There was an outbreak of muttering between the reporters.
Eve smiled at the crowd. “Questions?”
Kara raised her recorder in her hand just as all the other reporters did. Eve scanned the crowd.
Kara nearly dropped the device in shock when Eve selected her. She sent a little nervous glance toward James and stood. “What incentive do vampires have to drink your synthetic blood instead of continuing to source their blood however they were before?”
Eve paused for a moment. “They have an alternative option for the first time ever. They also probably don't want to create a mess now that everyone knows about them. Next question?”
The group of reporters shouted at her, all vying to get their turn.
Winn rushed at Kara the second she stepped off the elevator. “I watched the broadcast, you were great! I can't believe Lena has decided to cater to vampires. Do you think it'll make a difference?”
Kara put her purse on her desk. “If vampires want to live with humans I don't see how a safe option can do harm.”
Kara was unpacking her things from her purse when James emerged from his office. Winn made his way back to his desk.
“Kara, can I have a word with you?” James asked.
She finished closing her purse as James approached her desk. “You did a great job at today's press conference.”
Kara smiled. “Thank you. I promise to have my article completed as quickly as I can.”
“I just got off the phone with Lena Luthor's assistant. Ms. Luthor has agreed to do an interview with CatCo,” James stated.
“Really? That’s great!”
James nodded, “It’s an exclusive for CatCo and she asked for you by name. The interview is at her residence tomorrow night at 8pm. So make sure you bang out the announcement article so we can print your interview as a follow up.”
Kara's heart dropped to her throat. She gulped. “W–What–She did? That’s amazing!”
James patted her on the shoulder. “Congratulations on your first huge interview. Ms. Luthor will have her driver pick you up at your residence.”
As soon as James returned to his office Winn raced back over. “What just happened?”
Kara was overcome with shock. “I uh… I just got an interview with Lena Luthor.”
“That’s amazing, Kara! This is a big step for you.”
The final realization of the situation hit her like a wave of cold water. Trying to gather her bearings, Kara’s hands shook. She was going to meet Lena Luthor! She had never been this nervous before.