Retirement Ended Up Super

by Rhino (RhinoMouse)

Summary:

Daisy was tired of all the fighting, heartbreak, and being left alone when she was no longer useful. But as long as she was in her universe, there was no stopping. It’d never be allowed. So if she wanted out, it meant going somewhere that’d never heard of Daisy Johnson, Quake, or the Destroyer of Worlds. So a universe where there never was a Daisy Johnson. She wasn’t exactly expecting a world with a brand-new and shiny Superhero. One who clearly had no idea how to protect themselves from being chewed up and spat out.

Notes:

It only took a few years, but back to the world of Supergirl. No idea how long this one will be, but I've already written 44 chapters of it. I'm going to be updating it every other week.

Heads up that I'm kinda iffy on if this fic should be a 'T' or 'M' rated fic. Like the implication of Daisy's suicidal mindset is very much there even if I don't get into it. And like ya know, anything to do with the horrifying things done to non-humans in either universe. So solid chances I might decide to bump up that rating.

Also, Supergirl timeline is a mess, I've tried to whack it into a shape but like...just go with the adjusted timeframe. I also just moved Barry's crossover in s1 of Supergirl to with Bizzaro instead of with Livewire. Like loved the crossover episode but it legit fucks up the fallout from Red K way too much.

Chapter 1

Daisy lay in the crater staring up at the sky, the last vestiges of the serum burning its way into her system, her whole body nearly numb from the horror of almost being absorbed into something terrible, and she was alone. It…even as the agony of the last bits of serum finished the process of absorbing into her, she was alone. She stared at the clouds, the now windowless skyscrapers rising up into the sky, and she’d done it. The world hadn’t ended. She’d won. It hadn’t been her. It’d been Talbot and Hydra and a dozen other things but it hadn’t been her.

Tears of relief rolled down her face. It had never been her. The terrible weight that had been crushing her since Deke had first named her The Destroyer of Worlds. But she hadn’t, she’d won. No Lighthouse, no Kree slave colony, no billions dead. But…as her body, already healing from the damage Talbot had done, told her it had cost what she hadn’t been willing to pay. Coulson.

She was stiff as she sat up. Looking around the crater she grimaced. Without her powers, this should have turned her to paste. And without the serum, she probably wouldn’t be walking. Up above on the street, she could hear the sirens and the chaos of people dealing with what had happened. But..it could have been so much worse. Her eyes closed. They were alive, they were all still alive. Her hand snapped to the side of her neck, yanking the bandage off. So that was healed too.

Daisy swallowed back the bile at the reminder. She got up, she needed to get to Coulson. The rest…it didn’t matter. Her powers easily lifted her out of the crater, her brow furrowed. Her bones hadn’t creaked or felt the faintest strain from that…her powers were still there but…it felt different. She’d figure out how the serum had affected her later. Looking up she winced. Oh, that was…a lot of camera phones. Right, flying the fuck away it was.

Daisy barely processed how much softer the landing on the cement was. The lack of the usual jolt as her legs took her weight again. Because Coulson hadn’t taken the serum. But…the plane wasn’t waiting for her. That made sense, get to the rest of the team for evacs. Made sense. Logical. It still ached to stand there in the street, alone. She’d saved the world alone, and now here she was…alone.

 

Daisy knocked on the door to Coulson’s quarters. Her chest ached as she waited for him to let her in. The dull croak of ‘come in’ was enough. She opened the door and stepped into the bunk. Her eyes found the IV connected to Coulson where he was sitting on the bed. His bags were half-packed. He had the awful pallor of a dying man. His face was unshaven, the clamminess was clear even if he had showered and pulled on clean clothing.

He looked up, and their eyes met. It was kinda horrible how much they understood one another. Coulson sighed. “Bad news?”

“It’s not good.” Daisy let the door close behind her, moving to sit next to him on the bunk, their sides brushing. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. The silence dragged.

Coulson spoke softly. “I’d say take your time, but I don’t have much left.”

She huffed, her lips pulling up and her throat felt thick with grief. “Funny.” It really wasn’t funny at all. She brushed her hair off her face, turning to look at him. “I’m not going to space to find Fitz.”

“Ah.” Coulson leaned back, the disappointment burned. “But you’re not telling Mack that.”

Daisy hated that she couldn’t give him what he wanted. “No, I’m not.” She watched the understanding on his face.

“Know where you’re going?” He asked, watching her with a far too kind face.

She looked away, staring at the dismal Lighthouse cement and metal walls. “I don’t know, can’t stay on earth. Don’t see the government being too happy with me if I’m not SHIELD or like…something with them.”

“No, you’d be on the run with the majority of the Avengers.” Coulson made a sound of amusement. “But you’re done being on the run, aren’t you?”

The trust of it kinda sucked, but if she stayed on earth they’d never leave her to retire. Not as a free agent. “Yeah, I think I am.”

He reached out, laying a hand on her knee. “Ok, we’ll figure something out then.”

“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked slightly.

Coulson’s voice was steady. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

She straightened so she could lay her head on his shoulder. If she looked at him again she would cry. “Well, I did save the world.”

“I knew you could.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a choice.”

“I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” Her voice was wet and rough with sobs she was refusing to release.

He hummed, it wasn’t as strong as he’d once sounded, but it was comforting all the same. “You’ll be a hero, you couldn’t be anything else.”

They just sat there for a while, she wasn’t sure how long. Her eyes were stuck on the IV bag. Even with the medicine, and the best care, he had days left, maybe a week or two. It should have felt sharper but Daisy felt hollow. But sometimes it was like there were shards of glass in her chest. “I’m not sure where I’ll go.”

“Well, I might have some ideas.” He spoke, because of course he had an idea, he always had ideas. “We still have the Devil’s car in storage somewhere. Might be able to get you somewhere that isn’t here in that.”

Daisy pulled back. “If we got the hell car to take me somewhere, wouldn’t it take me to ya know, hell?”

“Robbie said worlds, and it’s that or steal a spaceship from someone.” Coulson had that expression he always got when he was suggesting a Hail Mary.

She couldn’t help laughing wetly. “Well, it’s going to be awkward if Robbie comes back looking for his car.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand.” Coulson tipped his head slightly. “You might want to try not to scratch it.”

Daisy wiped at her eyes, forcing herself not to cry. “So we’re going to try and get the car to make a hell portal or whatever, how exactly?”

“Well, SHIELD did apprehend a coven of witches a decade ago. I’m sure you could find a good place to start in the mission files.” He had that excited ‘so cool right’ expression on his face. It was only marred by how clear it was that this conversation was costing him.

Daisy looked at his half-packed bag. “Well, you can tell me about the mission, I’ll finish packing for you? After all, wouldn’t want you to miss any time in Tahiti.”

He looked at her with so much understanding, but there was a weight that she knew meant he was about to say something she wouldn’t like. “I’ll help, Mack will too. But it could take a while.”

Her eyes closed, she knew what he wanted, but would forgive her for not doing it. But she hated disappointing him. “You want me to go help Fitz.”

“One last mission, you know Jemma can’t do it without you.” He reached out, laying his hand over hers and squeezing. But his grip was weak.

Daisy looked away from Coulson and to the wall. “Ok, but I’m done after that.”

“Thank you.” And the sound of his pride in her shouldn’t have felt painful, even as she wished to never let it go.

It was stupid and weak, but she turned into him, hugging him, her face buried in his shoulder. He was her dad. And she just needed…she needed to pretend he wasn’t dying. “I’m going to miss you.”

He wrapped his arms around her, and for this moment, he was still alive.

////

Daisy set her last bag into the back of the charger before closing the trunk with a definitive thunk. She looked over at Mack who’d come with her for this. “So I guess this is it then?”

“Sure I can’t convince you to stay, Tremors?” Mack asked as he held out her sidearm.

She took the gun, sliding it into the shoulder holster she was wearing under her jacket. “Coulson convinced me to save Fitz, and then you convinced me to help with the fear goddess, and then there wasn’t a lot of time travel. It’s never going to stop, but the world isn’t about to end today, that’s the best I can do for you Mack. Make a better SHIELD than we had?”

Mack gave her a long look but nodded. “I’ll do my best. You could stay and help with that? Take a break from fieldwork, see a therapist longer than three weeks.”

Daisy stepped into him, hugging him fiercely. “I can’t.” Her eyes squeezed shut as she imprinted the memory of the feel of him real and solid against her. The way he hugged her back so tight that before the serum it’d felt like she couldn’t breathe, but now was just firm enough to feel. She couldn’t describe what she’d felt laying in a crater, alone, alive, and realizing that if she’d died trying to save them they’d have hated her. But alive from saving them, they wouldn’t be coming to pick her up. Even if she’d done it she couldn’t forget that even after staying long enough to save them first, they’d still asked her to die. The cold of space felt like it’d never leave her bones. They didn’t want her to leave, but they’d been fine asking her to die.

He squeezed as tight as he could. “Stay safe.”

“I’ve never been good at that.” She sniffled slightly as she pulled back, doing her best to smile. “Keep an eye out on Kora for me, yeah?”

Mack shook his head. “Can’t believe she wasn’t able to convince you to stay.”

“Wherever I end up, maybe I’ll figure out how to send a letter back or something.” Daisy looked at the setup they’d made. One of the remaining hunks of the Obelisk, some runic work she was really hoping was actual magic and not a scam, and the devil’s car. Totally wasn’t going to blow up in her face. Hopefully…but then, even if it did blow she’d been willing to die last week.

Daisy opened up the car door and slid in, pulling it shut behind her. She looked up through the open window. “Ready to see if this works?”

“I’ll never be ready to see you go, Tremors.” He swooped down, one of his giant hands cupping the back of her head and holding her eyes from a few inches away. “You’re the best partner I could have ever hoped for. Wherever you end up, give ‘em hell.”

Her eyes burned, but she nodded. “I’m glad you were my partner too.”

He tapped their foreheads together before pulling back and slapping the top of the car. “Alright, try not to scratch this baby, alright?”

“Fingers crossed.” Daisy started up the car and looked ahead. Here went nothing, hopefully, this wasn’t a one-way trip to hell. That’d…kinda suck. But if the runes were right, she was sending herself to a parallel universe. One without Quake, or Daisy Johnson. She stepped on the gas as Mack hit the power on their attempt at a portal. It did something, and then darkness sucked her in.

 

Portals did not feel great. Daisy barely got the door open in time to puke outside of the car. Spitting the last of it out of her mouth, she groaned. Fuck, that was vile. Her eyes squeezed shut as she spat again, before straightening and looking at where she was. Well, not the flaming inferno. So there was that.

She was in a city alley between two skyscrapers, dim flickering lights, and near dark that said it was late, wherever this was. Daisy wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. Air wasn’t poison, that was good to know. Her nose wrinkled, and her vomit wasn’t the only thing in this alley that didn’t smell great. But hey, the familiar smell of crappy city alley. And super shocking luck not to have just ended up in the middle of rush hour traffic or something else equally sure to cause an accident.

Daisy walked over to the dumpster and reached in, dragging out a kinda gross newspaper. ‘National City’? Who the fuck named a city National City?

////

Kara had eaten her way through her second gallon of ice cream when there was a knock on her door. She was about to yell at whoever it was to go away when she paused. What if it was about Alex? She was to the door in a whooshing second, barely remembering to get her glasses on, as she opened the door to find…a stranger. “Hello?”

“You’ve got ice cream on your nose,” The stranger said with an amused grin.

Kara’s hands snapped to her face, rubbing the traitorous food off of herself. “Rats, oh golly, I’m sorry.” She looked up at the woman, who had laughter in her eyes but a friendly face. It was nice. It’d been a couple of days since anyone had looked at her with anything like kindness. “Can I help you?”

“I was kinda hoping you could, Supergirl.” The woman had a quiet certainty as she said that.

Kara’s heart froze and then thundered as her voice pitched up. “What? Supergirl!? I’m not..pfft, I’m not Supergirl. Nothing Super about me. Nope, just an average citizen.” Her smile felt plastic as she panicked.

The woman’s brows shot upwards. “Oh wow, you are a terrible liar. But chill, I’m not here to threaten you or like out your secret or anything.” She gave a meaningful look at the apartment. “But maybe a conversation you want to not have in your hallway?”

“I mean, I’m not…” Kara desperately searched for something to convince this person she wasn’t Supergirl, only then her feet slid a full three feet backward from what felt like a gust of wind slamming into her.

And the woman stepped in, the door closing without her touching it…and she hadn’t touched Kara either. “Breathe, I’m not human. Kinda why I need your help.”

Kara blinked, “What was…what was that?” Because she hadn’t seen anything?

The woman shrugged. “I control vibrations, the air vibrates, I can make controlled shockwaves.” Her eyes flicked to the two empty gallons of ice cream before flicking back to Kara. “Sorry if I’m interrupting?”

“Oh no, not interrupting just me and…darn.” Kara zipped to the coffee table and hid the evidence of her current moping. She skidded back into the room. “What, um, you wanted help with something? How did you know I was...”

“Supergirl?” The woman slid one of her hands into a pocket. “I’m new to this world, like arrived last week. Been mostly doing recon, figuring this place out, but well figured hunting down a local who’d know the actual situation of things would speed that up. So looked into it, and uh, you weren’t that hard to track down if you know how to run some facial recognition and chart the number of sightings of you near Catco.”

Kara gaped a bit like a fish. “That’s…oh.” She shook it off, someone actually wanted her help! She couldn’t even help people without them fleeing. Hence, carton one of the ice cream. Cartons two and three had more to do with Alex and J’onn being on the run from the government and things with James blowing up again. And maybe if she ate enough she’d stop remembering the horrible, awful things she’d said while her brain had been poisoned. “You need help?”

“Yeah, but I mostly just have a lot of questions.” The woman held out one hand. “My name’s Daisy Johnson, people called me Quake on my last world.”

She quickly took the offered hand and shook it. “Kara Danvers.”

“Nice to meet you, Kara, if this is a bad time I can swing by a different time. I saw in the news the whole…whatever fucked up your head incident a few days ago.”

Kara’s mouth felt kinda dry. “You believe it wasn’t me?”

“Well it was your body, but I’ve only been here a week and I know that was wildly out of character.” Daisy’s now free hand slid into her other pocket. “Assumed you’d probably be benched for a while to talk to a shrink or something, so now might not be the worst time to swing by with some questions?”

She kinda wanted to cry, because no one had just…assumed something had to have happened to her. But Daisy was a stranger, and she’d like to not just cry in front of a random stranger who knew who she was. So she defaulted. “Do you want food, or to sit down or um…I’m sorry people don’t usually just show up here? Not that that’s a bad thing. I-”

“You haven’t eaten anything other than sugar like all day have you?” Daisy interrupted, but she wasn’t upset?

Kara’s shoulders slumped. “No, I haven’t.”

“Well question one then, what’s the best takeout in the area that has real food in it?” Daisy asked her smile still there.

And oh, she was kind. Kara smiled back slightly. “How do you feel about Chinese? The place down the road has amazing potstickers. Or you don’t know what Chinese is. It’s really good.”

“I know what Chinese food is.” Daisy laughed but pulled out a cell phone. “I eat more than a normal human so what should we get?”

Kara zipped to grab the take-out menu only to freeze. This…this didn’t happen. Every alien she’d met had been attacking her. Well, except for J’onn. She turned to look at Daisy. “Um, you wouldn’t be from Fort Rozz would you?”

“Not sure what that is, so probably no. Got here in a hell charger, which was not easy by the way. Was pretty sure I was going to get burned to a crisp there for a second.” Daisy clearly saw something on her face. “I’m from earth, just…not this earth.”

“Like Barry! Oh, do you know the Flash?” She would love to see Barry again. He’d been so nice and had helped with Bizzaro and everything.

Daisy shook her head. “Never heard of him, but you know what parallel universes are the whole multi-verse thing?”

“Yes, Barry explained when he got here. Do you need help getting back?” Kara could do that, hopefully.

Daisy almost was…sad for a moment. “No, I’m not looking to go back. New start and all that.” She stepped over. “So, do Chinese restaurants have orange chicken in this universe?”

“We do! And it’s delicious.” Kara offered out the menu. “You’re an alien too?”

Daisy nodded while her eyes tracked over the menu. “Partially, we call ourselves Inhumans, mostly human, alien ancestors. I think one of my grandparents was the alien.” She looked up at Kara’s face. “And I’d never heard of a Kryptonian before, so I think the difference between our universes was something…galactic, and big. Also, your earth didn’t have a mini-ice age from an alien war in the middle ages according to your Wikipedia. So I’m thinking the difference was like some space war or something. And figured you’d know more about space history than Wikipedia, so…”

“So you found me. How did you do that? You said facial recognition and sightings near Catco?” Kara should probably make sure she fixed it however it was she got located.

Daisy pulled up the online order form for food and entered a few things before passing it over. “Add what you want, I kinda owe you for helping me out here. Don’t worry about it, brought some Nazi gold over with me. Disappointing to find out both our worlds had to deal with the fascist assholes.”

“That is a horrible similarity,” Kara admitted as she put in her usual order before passing the phone back.

“Seriously, so sick of Nazis.” Daisy made a scoffing sound dripping with disdain and venom at the word ‘Nazi’. She shook her head. “Anyways, I was a hacker in my world. Your systems use a slightly altered version of Python mostly, we used more JavaScript, Java, and a bit of C++ in our world. I don’t think you guys even have C++, which is so weird.” She trailed off thoughtfully before seeming to remember the conversation. “Anyways I was kind of an agent in my world, rewriting some of my software enough to be able to run on your world’s internet wasn’t that hard. While that was running I made a grid of sightings of you. Living in a neighborhood with high crime rates was smart, justifies your sightings here. But Catco isn’t in a high-crime area and you clock more sightings there than anywhere else. So either you were stalking someone there, worked there, or were dating someone who was. From there I narrowed down the time frames of your sightings near there and they coincide with a nine-to-five schedule. So I ran facial recognition software on the employees and viola, you popped up. Course I took a quick look at your name in the system, your citizenship paperwork is top-notch, have to hand that to you, but your early childhood paperwork is a mess. I can help clean that up for you a bit if you want?”

“Oh…that is…very thorough.” Kara wasn’t even sure what to say to that. “How long did that take you?”

Daisy tilted her head, “I mean if I cut out the time it took to adjust my Python programs to your world’s system, about six hours? With the time needed to update things for this world, about twenty. Still have to finish updating everything, but ya know, priorities. But I’m a trained agent.” Daisy shifted. “Ops agent, so spy. I was a spy. You’re not easy to find unless you know how to find a person who doesn’t want to be found and have the technical skills to do so. Without computer skills…probably would have taken me a week to a month.”

Kara kinda slumped onto the couch. That was…that was crazy fast. Alex would have drawn a gun on Daisy like…a while ago. She looked up at her. “Why’d you come to this earth?”

“Uh, well wasn’t aiming for this one directly? Just one where a version of me doesn’t exist and generally was survivable.” Daisy shrugged and neatly sat down in the chair across from her, sliding her phone away. “I think my whole species might not exist in this world though. So that’s…something.”

Kara felt a deep pang at that. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s…probably a good thing. We were…” Daisy chewed on her lip. “Do you know who the Kree are?”

“Of course, from great wars thousands of years ago. They were some of the worst kind of monsters. Slavery, conquest, and horrors caused the Lanterns to face them in war to cease their wars of conquest. Millions died in the effort of holding back their cruelty. Their final defense was a plague that swept through whole planets, including their own before it was stopped.” Kara felt the revulsion she’d always felt reading about that dark part of history. “They were almost as horrifying as the Asgardian attempts at conquest before they were beaten back to their realm. Or maybe more. What the Kree did was…twisted. They didn’t just kill people, they slaughtered them, their noble House Kasius was infamous for their experiments.”

Daisy flinched. “Yeah, that’d be the difference in our worlds.”

“The Kree weren’t stopped?” Kara felt a wave of horror at the very thought. What kind of horrifying universe would that be? Not even the Dominators stooped to the Kree’s level of brutality.

Daisy pointed at herself. “Human Kree hybrid. So yeah, no. Asgard and Titan were the main powers in the Universe till Titan fell and Asgard kinda stuck to their nine realms. Which uh, earth is kinda one of their realms not that they do fuck all about it. The Kree, Skrulls, and Nova have kinda been fighting over everything else ever since. Course I haven’t spent a lot of time in space so I’m not too clear on the details.”

Kara leaned back, her eyes widening as she processed the horror that would be. “That’s horrible…I..wait, you’re Kree?”

“I mean and human. The Kree made us to fight their wars for them, the experiments didn’t work on any other species except humans. So whole living weapons of mass destruction thing kinda sucks sometimes.” She shrugged. “But that would explain the differences. Different aliens on earth, different influences. I mean I’ve never heard of Kryptonians or Lanterns before. I’m still weirded out that you guys named New York Metropolis. Makes sense I ended up in an alternate Los Angeles even if you people call it National City…which…I don’t know what caused the change in names, but you guys suck at naming stuff.” Her head tilted. “But evil secret Nazi society didn’t survive inside the government here. So major plus for that.”

Kara wasn’t even sure what to do with that. She was kinda horrified by the second mention of Nazis, cause that was a lot of mentions about Nazis for ten minutes. But a universe controlled by the Kree and Asguard? That would be horrific. And Kara remembered reading about the unethical experimentation the Kree had done. There’d been a whole unit on it at the academy on Krypton. A unit that had given her nightmares as a child. She swallowed bile at the reminder. “I’m sorry, truly.”

“It’s fine. But kinda why I’m here? I needed…to get out of my spy agency. But I’m Inhuman, we don’t really get to retire, more go into hiding. I just…am a bit too infamous to go into hiding on my own world…or the Universe at large really.”

Kara took in the worn leather jacket Daisy was wearing, the beanie, the jeans, the flannel. She just looked like a person. And maybe…a lot like a more worn-in version of Alex if that made any sense. But it kinda made her heart hurt. “Infamous?”

“I wasn’t a hero like you. Things weren’t…that clean for us. But I tried to help people, and sometimes I was able to, and sometimes good people died anyways. I’m just…tired. And people who get the name ‘The Destroyer of Worlds’ don’t get to retire. Even if I didn’t destroy any worlds, just…I could, and that’s really all anyone cared about.” Daisy held her eyes. “I don’t mean any harm to your world, wouldn’t mind helping you out cause seriously your whole hero thing is super cool, but I just…want an apartment that’s mine maybe? To not be a soldier for a while, maybe figure out how to cook something that doesn’t involve the microwave?”

Kara’s throat felt kind of tight because she could feel the pain in Daisy’s words. It was sad, it was really sad. And she wasn’t stupid, she knew what a living weapon experiment for the Kree meant, it meant slave soldiers. “Where are you staying right now?”

Daisy blinked, head tilting slightly. “Uh, my car. Or well, ex-...something’s car I used to drive through the portal. We figured the odds were better on the whole portal thing not killing me if I used the magic car. Has a pretty nice backseat. I’ve roughed it worse.”

Oh Rao, Alex would kill her for this, but Alex wasn’t here. “You can’t sleep in your car. I have a couch?”

Chapter 2

Notes:

Merry Christmas guys! See y'all on the 5th for the next update of this.

Daisy was kinda baffled about Kara. Sure, she’d seemed all rainbows and puppies from what research she’d done. That was why she’d chosen her. She needed someone with information on whatever the sitch was for aliens on this world. And more than that she’d seen how fast the woman could move. If it came to a fight she’d be paste. So avoiding that like the plague thanks very much. This really should have been pretty easy. Lay her cards on the table, figure out what this world’s equivalent to SHIELD was, if it had an equivalent. And it probably did, to the Watchdogs as well, that sort of thing. Then get back to figuring out a nice fake identity and creating it.

Instead, she was chewing on her box of broccoli beef while watching Kara inhale her own second entree. Also apparently she was going to be sleeping on Supergirl’s couch. Not that she was going to turn that down. She had nothing in this world. An actual in with the local hero wasn’t the kind of thing to turn away from. But, that’d kinda left her reevaluating the other woman. She didn’t look like sunshine and puppies; the kleenex box, trashcan with kleenex in it, the cartons of ice cream that’d been there when she’d first arrived, the comfy sweatpants and fuzzy sweater, it all was telling a story.

Daisy lowered her carton and chopsticks. “So Fort Rozz was like an alien prison?”

“Hmm…the worst criminals on Krypton were sent there. And some…who shouldn’t have been.” Kara poked at her Kung Pao chicken.

Daisy nodded. “I mean, prisons are like that.” She looked at Kara curiously. “So other than alien criminals to avoid or takedown if encountered, what kind of alien system do you have here? Like how underground are we talking?”

“System? There’s the DEO?” Kara lowered the bite she’d been about to shove into her mouth. “Oh, the DEO is the Department of Extraterrestrial Operations.”

Well, that was probably a bit like SHIELD, though it sounded kinda focused. But a name was enough to start trolling hacking message boards with, once she started poking into those. But that was a few weeks out since she had to re-edit…everything and set up some security before touching anything another hacker could use to trace her. “So like we talking bag and tag before disappearing, setting immigrants up in safe houses and keeping tabs on them, capture and dissection, some kind of mix? And the DEO United States only or are we talking International?”

Which were clearly not questions Kara had been expecting. “Um…kind of the first one? They pursue hostile aliens and arrest them. But…” Kara bit at her lower lip, “You should make sure no one knows you’re an alien. Things are really intense right now. General Lane and the army are on a witch hunt and if they arrested you they’d take you to Cadmus which is…it’s the government’s dissection and experimentation group.”

“How secure is your position?” Daisy straightened, she’d have noticed surveillance on this apartment, and certainly, cameras aimed at it. But Kara was a highly public individual, that might be enough to protect her, but if the government was actively doing a Hydra without bothering with the secret Nazi part that might not be enough.

Kara grimaced. “I’m safe, I work with the DEO.”

“That’s enough to keep you safe?” Daisy didn’t like that, she didn’t like that at all.

Kara wiggled her hand that was holding her chopsticks. “For now, I…they need me.”

“Fuck.” Daisy ignored the startled, faintly shocked expression on Kara’s face at the vulgarity. “Can you leave, if you wanted to? Could you just be Kara Danvers, not work with the DEO?”

Kara’s brow crinkled as she clearly was having to think about it. “I think…as long as I gave up being Supergirl they’d let me be Kara Danvers.”

“That’s something.” Daisy had a feeling Kara might be being too optimistic. She was going to hack the fuck out of the DEO to make sure that it was the case though, and if it wasn’t she’d figure something out. Cause she might be new to this earth, but Kara Danvers basically glowed with goodness and clearly didn’t have a clue about how ruthless the government could be when they didn’t consider you a ‘person’.

Kara stuffed a bite of food into her mouth, thinking about something. “I’m sorry, you’re only the second alien I’ve met who wasn’t my cousin and who didn’t start off by trying to attack me. He’d be better at helping you.” She looked kinda crushed saying that too.

“Well, your cousin is in New…Metropolis and I don’t know about you but I like the weather here way more. And you’re insisting on letting me crash on your couch, which you really don’t have to do, I think you’re doing a kinda awesome job. Also, you’re taking the part Kree thing shockingly well. You’re the first alien to not try and murder or enslave me after finding that out, so like ten/ten from me.” Daisy felt a sudden jolt of panic as she realized Kara’s eyes were actively tearing up.

Kara sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “Sorry, I just…it’s been a really terrible week and you’re being very nice.”

“Um…do you want my potstickers?” Daisy pushed the container closer to Kara. She liked those, right? Cause Daisy’d basically dumped existential horror on the poor woman and some cheap Chinese food. That wasn’t really like rocking it levels of ‘nice’.

Kara hesitated, a set of kinda devastating watery puppy eyes aimed at her, “Oh, I couldn’t?”

“You really can.” Daisy kinda wanted to laugh at the fervor emanating from the blond.

And then the potstickers were snagged with inhuman speed. Kara looked genuinely happy for the first time as she dug into the things. Her cheeks were kinda puffed like a chipmunk or something. “Potstickers are my favorite!”

“So much better than field rations.” Daisy hummed. “I ate so much peanut butter on missions to cram in extra calories.”

Kara perked up. “It's so good though, right?”

“Totally, have you tried avocado toast? Please say that’s a thing here?” Daisy leaned forward because cramming extra calories in since she’d gotten her powers could be a pain…so many of those horrible high-calorie nutrition bars May had found tasted like chalk.

Kara nodded excitedly. “Yes! I usually eat a dozen donuts on my lunch. But lasagna, I get them frozen at Cosco and eat at least one a week.”

“Pasta, see I need to figure out how to cook more than those boxed Mac’n Cheese things with hotdog bits in them.” Daisy pointed with her chopsticks.

Kara sighed. “Those are good though.”

“True, but I got banned from the kitchen the third time I made it in a week on base.” Daisy was still kinda sore about that. So what if it was technically lacking in vitamins? “It had dairy, I don’t know why Jemma was complaining. I even drank those gross milk and protein powder shakes every day to keep her from lecturing me about calcium intake.”

Kara swallowed her latest potsticker, total understanding on her face. “Eliza is always complaining I don’t eat enough vegetables, but they’re more work to eat than they’re worth and taste yucky.”

“Brussel sprouts aren’t food, they’re a torture method invented by nuns who don’t know what mercy is.” Daisy avoided laughing at the word ‘yucky’, barely. Fortunately, memories of being trapped at the huge old wooden table with Brussel sprouts and not being allowed to leave till she ate them were kinda miserable.

Kara got a dreamy look on her face. “Eliza cooks Brussel sprouts with bacon.”

Daisy raised a brow, that…huh. Bacon did make most things taste better.

////

Kara nearly crushed her alarm clock, again, and whined. It was too early. She sniffed, that was coffee, why was she smelling coffee? Her eyes snapped open, Daisy! She sat straight up. She could hear the faster-than-human heartbeat in her kitchen. Kara climbed out of bed, pulled her curtain back that separated her bedroom from the rest, and couldn’t help smiling at the sight of Daisy sitting crisscross applesauce on the couch, grumpy cat mug in one hand, laptop balanced on one knee.

Kara wasn’t sure why she was surprised Daisy was still there, but she was. “Morning!”

“Morning.” Daisy looked up at her with a faint smile, quiet laughter in her voice. Her eyes went from Kara’s toes to the top of her head. “Matching pajama set, Danvers?”

She glanced at the matching polka-dot pajamas she was wearing. “I um…they’re nice and I like them.” Kara shifted, unsure why she felt self-conscious about it, but she did. “I just think they make me happy.”

“They’re cute.” Daisy didn’t sound mocking, just…fond, as she spoke and set the laptop aside while climbing off the couch. “So, made coffee, hope you don’t mind?”

“No, no that’s fine, better than fine.” Kara smiled as she grabbed a bright yellow coffee mug and got herself coffee. “You’re up early?”

Daisy leaned against the kitchen island, her gaze felt prickly on Kara’s back as she found her favorite creamer in the fridge. “Some nights are easier than others.” The shrug was basically audible in her voice.

Kara looked over her shoulder at her, “I’m sorry.” She knew enough about red-tinted dreams full of silent screams that woke her in a cold sweat to know better than to poke at that.

“It is what it is.” Daisy shrugged. “So, uh I can leave the number for the burner phone I picked up the other day. Thanks again for letting me sleep on your couch.”

And Kara didn’t like the sinking feeling in her stomach. “Don’t you need time to have an identity so you can find an apartment or hotel or something?”

“I mean, not for the motel.” Daisy’s head tipped ever so slightly but then her expression warmed. “I’ll be fine, you’ve been really helpful already. More than I could have hoped for. Seriously, I owe you one.”

Kara hesitated, but she didn’t want to be alone. “Well, if I’m introducing you to National City, you haven’t lived till you’ve had Noonan’s sticky buns.” She put on her best puppy eyes.

Daisy laughed but nodded. “Well, we can’t have that. We might need to take my car though, unlike you I don’t fly. Or…I kinda can? It's more of throwing myself up and trying not to splat when I come back down.”

“But you can fly!” Kara loved flying with everything in her. The freedom of it. It just felt right, and so few people understood what it was.

Daisy’s grin was amused. “Sorta, real sorta…if you’re flexible about what you call flying. Maybe you can see what an insult to your whole flying like a bird thing to compare the two is some time. Not today though.” There was a slight pause, and then a faint, barely audible humming sound prickled at Kara’s ears as Daisy’s feet lifted off the ground a few inches before the sound vanished and Daisy’s feet hit the ground again.

Kara barely kept from clapping in excitement. “That’s amazing.”

“Says the woman who has laser eyes.” Daisy seemed pleased though as she sipped at her coffee.

And well, she smiled pausing before drinking her own coffee. “The heat vision is pretty cool.”

“The coolest.” Daisy agreed. “So, Noonans, I’m guessing we’re swinging by before you have to work?”

Kara beamed, she loved Noonans and she didn’t want to lose this. Being around someone who was here and not mad or disappointed in her, it felt like she could breathe easier. “I usually take the bus, if that’s alright?”

“I can do public transport.” Daisy agreed before finishing off her coffee. “Meet you back here in twenty?”

Kara nodded probably a bit too quickly. “Yes, of course. I can be ready in twenty minutes.”

“Cool, see you in a few then.” Daisy set her mug in the sink before snatching her laptop and waving as she walked out the front door.

Kara’s nose wrinkled. When was the last time she’d showered? Oh Rao, it’d been before the red kryptonite… She set her coffee down and was really grateful she could move fast.

 

Kara was showered, dressed in one of her few unscorched sweaters, glasses on, purse and keys accounted for, and was ready, barely on time. She swung the door open before Daisy could knock. “Hi!”

“Hi, yourself.” And Daisy was definitely silently laughing at her, but like…in a nice way. “You ready to go, Danvers?”

Kara stepped out of the apartment. “Noonan’s is really great, and they have actual portion sizes!”

“Nice, even if I wanted to bother with a fancy place they don’t serve enough food for a normal human, let alone anyone who’s more than that.” Daisy agreed with real feelings on the topic.

It was nice to have someone who understood. “Sometimes after heroing I feel like eating a whole cow.”

“Know the feeling. Diners, especially the ones with the malt milkshake things. So good. Usually, after missions, it’s all mission reports while eating protein bars before crashing in my bunk though. I think your option sounds nicer.”

Kara pushed her glasses up her nose. “That sounds terrible. But bunk?”

“Yeah, spent a year living on a plane for missions, but after the attempted coup by the fascist fucks, we switched to a military bunker. I had my own room with a bunk, which was nice. Not that it was big, or had a window or anything like that. Nobody had windows except for the Director.” Daisy looked positively fond at the mention of her ‘director’. “I mean Coulson only had windows for his office, not his bunk. But it was still a swanky office. Not as nice as your apartment. Which, how the hell do you afford that place as an assistant?”

“Well, the crime rates here are very high, it's not a good part of town.” Kara had been alarmed by that when it’d been Alex living there. “And we did all the remodeling ourselves. My sister and I got really good at it from all the things I broke when we were kids.” Her cheeks heated.

Daisy chuckled, shaking her head as they walked down the stairs. “You have three tables with chairs. Even if you did all the interior…everything, that apartment is huge. That much floorspace in a city, bad neighborhood or not, isn’t cheap.”

“Well, I had a college fund but had scholarships that covered tuition so Alex and I bought it together. Course Alex moved to be closer to work by the time I graduated, but it's ours.” Kara had been so proud of that. And they’d really put the work in to make it nice. “We spent a year remodeling the whole thing.”

Daisy raised a brow. “Ah, rich parents. That tracks.”

“What? no, they’re not..rich.” Kara protested because they weren’t…Eliza didn’t have money like Cat or Lord.

Daisy rolled her eyes. “Maybe not rich rich, but let me guess, childhood home for just the four of you was three stories with a view?”

“Looked out on the ocean,” Kara admitted, she liked the Danvers’ house.

Daisy just smiled. “Sounds really nice.”

“It is. I love the Danvers.” Kara hated that because of her just…Alex was in hiding, Jeremiah was in Cadmus somewhere… “I wish I could…do more to keep them safe.”

Daisy nudged their shoulders together. “Hey, I didn’t do a deep look into you, or your background. But I have eyes, and your apartment is a love letter to how much you and your family love each other. If there was something to do, you’d be doing it already. Or am I wrong?”

“It doesn’t feel like enough.” Kara led them out to the street, towards the bus stop. “Did you ever feel like that?”

Daisy blew out a long breath, looking ahead. “That’s…complicated.” Her hand reached up touching the scarred skin on the left side of her neck. “I didn’t get a family till I was grown up, and then…it was just complicated.”

“If I shouldn’t have asked, I-”

“It’s fine.” Daisy shook off the morbid air to her like it hadn’t even been there in the first place. “Family is complicated, for everyone.”

Kara could feel the rolling twisted mass of her feelings about Astra, her mother, Krypton, the things that’d come up with red kryptonite with Alex they hadn’t had time to talk about. “It is, thank you for just…understanding that?”

“Hey, there’s usually more violence when I meet people like you. Not, sticky buns and everything.” Daisy leaned against the bus post. “I think I should be saying that.”

Kara glanced around, glad there wasn’t anyone else at the bus stop yet. “Why was your name Quake?”

“Vibrations, I caused a lot of localized quakes before I got control of it.” Daisy crossed her arms. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it handled now, no surprise earthquake uptick.”

Kara was fascinated. “You can vibrate everything?”

“So far, yeah.” Daisy nodded easily. “What about you, like flight, laser eyes, whole strength, speed, and tanking bullets? What else do you have going on?”

“Freeze breath.” Kara bounced slightly. “X-ray vision, and enhanced senses too.”

Daisy whistled. “Damn, you’ve got like…all the powers.”

“It's the yellow sun,” Kara explained it was funny, everyone here knew this already. “It's what gives us our abilities.”

Daisy looked at her curiously. “So you’re like a plant?”

“What, no, I’m not a plant!” Kara huffed.

Daisy had a light in her eye that Kara realized was probably a very bad sign for her. “But you photosynthesize?”

“I…maybe a little?” Kara held up her fingers. “But-” She dropped her hand forcing on a happier expression. “Helen, hi!”

“Morning Kara,” Helen had been a constant since Kara’d started using this bus route. She was middle-aged, worked as a paralegal uptown, and made the best banana bread Kara had ever had. Helen cast a faintly curious look at Daisy but didn’t ask anything, just pulling out her phone.

Daisy straightened from where she’d been leaning so she wasn’t blocking the post. “So, is there a library up near Catco, or am I going to be heading back down to-”

 

Kara watched eagerly as Daisy took a bite of the sticky bun. She couldn’t help beaming as Daisy nodded, giving her a thumbs up. “It’s the best, right?”

Daisy nodded as she chewed before replying. “So gooey.”

“And warm.” Kara sighed as she cut into her own sticky bun without hesitation. She’d been eating sticky buns at Noonan's every workday for two years. They were every bit as important to a good morning as not crushing her alarm clock and having to buy a new one.

She was two thirds of the way through her second sticky bun when Daisy spoke up. “Thanks for everything, is it fine if I text you if I run into anything I need answers about?”

And…Kara had a horrible impulsive idea, but Alex wasn’t here to tell her it was a terrible idea. So it just kinda came tumbling out. “Why don’t you stay with me? Just till you have the paperwork and everything set up to get your own place. You shouldn’t be in some crummy motel with bedbugs and roaches and things, or in your car. I could show you all the best places for everything. It wouldn’t be any trouble, it could be fun, like a sleepover or something. Unless you don’t want to, which is fine. I just thought-”

“You’re serious?” Daisy interrupted her ramble, a thing Kara was relieved about. “You barely know me?”

Kara met Daisy’s eyes. “You’re a good person, and I have a good feeling about you.”

Daisy opened and then shut her mouth.

“And if I was the one in your world you’d do the same, or well offer a bunk at your base?” Kara was good at reading people, and Daisy Johnson was a good person.

Daisy was staring at her with the strangest expression. “I mean yeah, probably leave you in quarantine for a day or something before figuring out whether you needed a safe house or temporary bunk or whatever. But Kara, you do know this is how I’d approach you if I wanted to hurt you right?”

“That’s what a good person would say.” Kara felt vindicated. “If you were going to hurt me you wouldn’t be warning me about it.”

Daisy’s brow shot up. “Not always, depends on the person, what approach gets you an in faster.”

“Hmm, you’re proving my point.” Kara half inhaled her remaining sticky bun.

Daisy hesitated but she gave a faint nod. “Ok, if you’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” Kara pulled a notebook out of her purse. “Here, this is my number. I get off at five, I’ll message you if I’m going to be home late, ok?”

Daisy blinked, but she accepted the sheet of paper. “I…ok?”

 

Kara kept the excitement of having a new friend close inside as she reached her desk. The screens displayed news personalities commentating on ‘Supergirl’s Reign of Terror’. She felt her shoulders curling in. ‘Reign’ felt like a bit much. It was two days. Kara made it to her desk, setting Ms. Grant’s latte on her desk, and looked up at Winn. “Morning!’

“Morning, Kara.” He didn’t look up from his phone. “Have you heard anything from Siobhan? She’s not texting me back. That’s a bad sign right?”

Kara ignored her revulsion at him dating the woman who’d made her life at work miserable for weeks. Siobhan was just…so mean. It still didn’t make it right she’d gotten her fired. She plastered on a sympathetic look. “Has she answered you at all?”

“Not since last night.” Winn finally looked up at her. “Should I just go over to her place?”

Kara set her purse down and…she could tell Winn about Daisy later. “Have you tried asking her to coffee so you can talk?”

Chapter 3

Notes:

Yo! So like, I'm almost done with this in the drafts. Which is exciting.

Kara was miserable and exhausted by the time she was flying home. It was late, she smelled like car oil, and her stomach felt like it was eating itself. But, even with that, she felt a wave of relief and peace as she floated through the open window. Her nose scrunched. “Did something burn?”

“Nope, don’t think about it.” Daisy popped up from the small breakfast nook that’d been turned into a kind of computer station. “On a totally and completely different note pizza should be here in about ten minutes. Also just don’t worry about the trash all being out.”

She laughed for the first time all day, a genuine smile on her face. “So you decided not to try and make dinner?”

“Yup, that is totally what happened.” Daisy had the now familiar lopsided grin on her face, also looking completely unrepentant about the smell of what was definitely burned something. “By the way, for no reason other than whim I’m buying you a new soup pot.”

Kara couldn’t help how just addictingly warm and nice it was to come home to this instead of an empty apartment after a miserable day. “What did you try to make?”

“Curry, the lady at the grocery store assured me it was easy. I might have forgotten it was stewing? on the stove, while I was working.” Daisy shrugged helplessly. “But in less 'confirming your smoke detectors work' news, I now legally exist. My new social security card should be in the mail. That said my legal birth name is now Mary Johnson but I changed it when I turned eighteen.”

Kara dropped onto one of the kitchen stools. “Why the name change?”

“Because I had to find a baby who died at the right time for my age, then request said baby’s birth certificate, which I got last week, then use that for a new social security card. Well, that and some hacking for other paperwork. But those are the big ones to make sure this identity holds up. And I’m not going by the name ‘Mary’.” Daisy’s voice was full of kinda undeserved disgust. Mary was a perfectly nice name, at least Kara thought so.

She nodded though, she wasn’t the one who was building an identity from scratch. “Are you sure you want to get a job at RadioShack?”

“It’s benign, I’m actually qualified for it…sort of, and I do need a job.” Daisy shrugged before she looked up at Kara curiously. “So on a scale of miserable to craptastic, how was your day?”

“The bank robbers cried when I got there.” Kara slumped. “They hate me.”

Daisy moved over to the cupboard and started pulling the hot chocolate mix out. “Did anyone get hurt at the bank robbery?”

“No, but the cops were going to protect the robbers from me.” Kara let her head thunk on the counter. “I don’t know how to earn their trust back.”

Daisy put the kettle on before grabbing mugs. “Well, that’s dramatic.”

“What?” Kara looked up at her.

Daisy ripped open the chocolate packets dumping them in liberally. “There was a crime, you went to the crime, and lives were saved. It sucks but, you did what you meant to do. Come on, what else did you end up with?”

“I changed some people’s oil on the side of the road and their flat tire. They didn’t get out of the car.” Kara poked at the oil stain on her sleeve.

Daisy was giving her a ‘look’. “Why don’t you go shower and get out of your suit for a bit, pizza should be here soon and I’ll have hot chocolate ready?”

 

Kara felt properly grounded again as she curled in the armchair, mostly empty pizza boxes on the coffee table, her hands curled around a mug of hot chocolate. “It hurts how much they’re afraid of me.”

“Ya know you’re looking at it all wrong,” Daisy remarked from the couch.

She looked up at her, her brow pulled together. “What do you mean?”

“Public opinion is shit.” Daisy waved a hand absently. “One day they’ll sing your praises and the next they’ll want your head.” She was staring at her. “Look, why do you put on the cape and rescue people?”

Kara stared into her mug. “I was sent here to protect my cousin, but I can protect so many, do so much good.”

“I mean, being hated sucks, but do you care more about helping them or being liked?” Daisy asked like that was just a normal question.

She straightened in slight outrage. “Helping people!”

“Then just do that?” Daisy picked at the fabric of her jeans. “I mean yeah, the beloved hero thing is…very cool. But do you need that?”

Kara slumped back into her chair, with a deep sigh. “Is it wrong to want it?”

“No,” Daisy nudged one of the pizza boxes closer to her. “But maybe count saving people as worth more than if they cheer for you?”

Kara sipped at her hot chocolate only to pause. Rats, it was lukewarm. She zapped it with heat vision. “Did this ever happen to you?”

“The laser vision is so cool.” Daisy set her own mug aside. “And I wasn’t the hero on a lunchbox. Cause spy, it was about no one noticing us. Legally whether we were government or fugitives changed by the week. For about a week I had fans? There were posters…it was…unsettling.”

Kara stared at her and it was…Daisy was like Alex sometimes. Not a lot, but the things she’d begun to see as ‘agent’ aspects showed up. “That sounds…lonely.”

“I had the team.” Daisy’s face flickered with the pain it did sometimes when her team came up. As fast as the emotion was there it was gone. “We were different kinds of heroes. I mean you wear primary colors with a skirt. My suit is made from high-grade kevlar, is black, and I have a gun.”

She was curious at the thought of what that’d look like. “Did you bring your suit with you?”

“In the trunk of the car.” Daisy smiled slightly. “Come on, something not terrible had to have happened today?”

Kara was searching for something to say when she heard the sirens. She looked up and met Daisy’s eyes. “I-”

“Go on, I’ve got more computer programs to swear at.” Daisy shot a look at her computer that said she really would be saying some very unkind things while adjusting her programs. “Try not to get a slushy thrown on you again. I think the couch still smells like grape.”

And it was just…that simple. “It’s not that bad.” Kara pouted slightly before diving at full speed for her suit and then out the window. Maybe whoever needed help now wouldn’t cry or throw whatever was in their hands at her?

////

Daisy was baffled and bemused by Kara Danvers. Like, at first she’d kinda considered this world was just weird, but it hadn’t taken long to realize that no, this world was just as fucked up as her own was, Kara was just kinda bafflingly nice. And not in a normal way, in a way that was too trusting and hopeful. It was sweet but also was going to get the woman killed. So, well, she did owe her for the couch and an excuse not to be miserable and alone with her thoughts for weeks on end.

Hence, the fact one of the first things Daisy was using her newly updated for this universe computer programs for was to find out everything she possibly could about the DEO. And what she found was concerning. It’d take her another week to get into their servers directly. At the moment she was laying out a full backstory for her new identity. “There’s no good excuse for multiple bullet wounds without a military or gang background, is there?”

Kara choked on her morning cup of coffee. “Bullet wounds!?”

“Yeah?” Daisy laughed at the expression on Kara’s face. “Not all of us are bulletproof. I’ve had five actual bullet wounds from three shootings. That’s not counting grazes obviously. Here,” She rolled up her shirt enough to show her stomach. “My first two, then I have two in my left shoulder and one in my right leg.”

Kara blurred as she moved so fast from the kitchen island to where Daisy was, hands fluttering alarmed panic. “Daisy!”

“Hey, it’s fine. Healed up for a while.” Daisy dropped the hem of her shirt and grabbed one of Kara’s hands. “It happens, I’m fine now.”

The nervous movement faded into something harder and braced for defense. “Who shot you?”

“A lot of people have shot at me…mostly Nazis, but the feeling is mutual there.” Daisy pointed to her covered stomach. “But douchebag CEO, shoulder and leg were evil robots, other one in the shoulder was an alien murdering fascist terrorist.” She tilted her head. “The stab scar in the same shoulder was from an evil alien murdering fascist terrorist robot. Even if you’re invulnerable and just started out are you saying you’ve never gotten hurt?”

Kara didn’t take the out with humor, concern still apparent, but she did nod. “Not often and it doesn’t…last.”

Daisy felt her brow raise, that was some grade A bullshit. “Yeah, you’re new to this, but even if you heal it still hurts, and physical stuff isn’t the worst you end up with.”

“I,” the breath hitched in the back of Kara’s throat, grief blatantly on her face, “you’re right.”

She wished she hadn’t pushed, hurting Kara, or reminding her of hurt hadn’t been the point. “So, any magical backgrounds you can think of that aren’t military or gangbanger to explain the scars in your world, or am I going to have to spend a week getting a military background in place?”

“Why would it take you that long to make a military background? Everything else has seemed really fast?” Kara’s brow crinkled in confusion.

Daisy laughed, putting a bit more space between them. “Because the military has better servers, I’m going to have to get physical papers put in and to explain why no one remembers me I’m going to have to make my service record so classified. The Military thinks I was doing crazy classified bullshit with the CIA, they don’t poke at the files. Which is going to take time.”

“Classified?” Kara’s crinkle deepened, clearly not understanding how military structures trained you to know when a thing was a ‘do not think about it’ situation.

Daisy closed her laptop while thinking about packing her bag to head out. She wasn’t going to risk using Kara’s wifi for this. “Spy agencies, military, it's all hierarchical and stuff is generally classified because the wrong people finding out can and will get people killed. So every probationary agent and military grunt gets it beaten into their heads not to look too hard at classified information. If they don’t need to know, it's safer for them not to know. Not that I was ever good with keeping my nose out of things, but it’s standard operating procedure.”

“That makes sense, I think?” Kara offered slowly.

Daisy grinned up at her as she moved to fill up a travel mug with coffee for the day. “Want me to pour you one too?”

“No thank you, I have to pick up Cat’s latte before work. I just get myself one since I’m already there.” Kara had a pleased smile at the offer though.

Daisy shrugged, as she poured herself coffee. “Anyways if I want records that are redacted and classified in a way that won’t look wrong but tip off anyone looking that they know why, they won’t be worried about it, and they’ll actively cover for me. Which is helpful. So, I’ll have to do some research, but your military seems pretty par for my world’s. I’ll probably go with Airforce Special Reconnaissance. Special Ops and regularly running classified operations behind enemy lines and doing things to damage enemy operations. A lot of what they do is not the kind of thing the government wants anyone to know that they do. And the kind of soldier to end up doing very delicate dirty work for the CIA. If I notate the files right, it’ll look like I was a highly trained and specialized soldier dropped in very politically delicate regions working on mission objectives that aren’t put entirely to paper. The kind of things that if it got out the United States would be in some very hot water. And thus the kind of thing anyone with the clearance to touch is going to avoid like the plague because they don’t want to get implicated.”

“We do that?” Kara sounded offended.

Daisy looked at her…friend? This kinda felt like friends. “You work with a classified para-military organization that is connected to an alien chop shop?”

“No, I know the government does bad things. But you just make it sound so…habitual?” Kara had a weight of understanding when she said she ‘knew’, but also more exhausted than anything when she said ‘habitual’.

Daisy softened. “Yeah, it's fucked up. But sometimes it’s necessary and international powers vying for things is…complicated and messy. It's rarely neat or clean. And nobody’s hands are clean in the business. But duplicity and fucked up shit are going to be under the surface if you scratch at it enough for any government agency. I dedicated my life to SHIELD, and we tried to be the good guys, but a lot of the time…I don’t know. It didn’t feel like we were more than I think any of us wanted to admit.” So those therapy appointments Mack had made her go to before he let her leave had probably been a good thing.

“You’re not very cheerful in the mornings,” Kara said as she placed her black glasses on her face, but she didn’t sound upset as she said.

Daisy bit her lip, hesitating. “I’m sorry?”

“Don’t apologize, it’s nice, I think?” Kara nodded in decision, it was nice. “Everyone acts like I don’t understand things, or I can’t handle them. I just…you just explain things. It's different, but good different.”

Daisy got that, nobody who wasn’t an asshole liked dumping the rookie in the deep end. And it was becoming really clear that the media’s understanding of Supergirl being a rookie was dead on. It made something prickle with discomfort though, that Kara didn’t seem to just know things or have a close-knit enough team to cover for her so that she could have a non-traumatic learning curve. And after mind control, the non-traumatic method was dead in the water. But she’d only been sleeping on Kara’s couch for a week. She could be wrong, she didn’t think she was though.

“Well, I can report back on job openings for RadioShack and if the taco truck you spotted yesterday is any good.”

Kara laughed before darting forward and hugging her tightly, really tight.

It was a bit of a jolt just how much it was, but it was nice. Sure, probably too tight for most people, but not for her. Admittedly the air from her lungs had been a bit squished out. But serum. So she just breathed it back in as she cautiously hugged her back. “Is this a hint I should bring you tacos to work if they’re good?”

 

Daisy frowned as she looked through the Excel spreadsheet of the timeline of her hypothetical self. It was having to be a whole hell of a lot more detailed than she pretty much ever bothered with. But well, if she wanted any kind of long-term existence it had to be perfect. It was a good test of her acclimation to computer systems and the bureaucracy of this universe before she risked getting a look under the hood of the DEO though. Still, building a whole new identity was interesting.

Mary Grace Johnson, tragic late-term miscarriage was now, legally, a live birth who’d been given up for adoption in a closed adoption. Mary Grace Johnson was then adopted by the Chapman family. The Chapman’s were ideal as they didn’t have extended family and had died tragically in a car wreck about a year after the miscarriage of Mary Johnson. All tragic in the abstract way deaths in accidents were. But, wonderfully convenient.

From there ‘Mary’ bounced through thirty-eight foster homes and two Catholic orphanages before the age of fifteen. Then run away and missing, before then popping back up for a GED test at age eighteen. It was close enough to reality to barely be a lie at all, and kids got lost in the system with mucked-up paperwork all the time. Faking that trail would take an afternoon or two to solidify.

‘Mary Grace’ then changed her name the day she turned eighteen before signing up with the Air Force. Now, Daisy Skye Johnson, the cover hit the hard part. Thanks to her new birth certificate she was twenty-six in this world. That was eight years in the Air Force before medical discharge. Before that though…just so much paperwork was going to have to get put in place, and or notated in such a way it made sense for why it wasn’t where it was supposed to be.

Fortunately, she had done equivalents for the training schools including basic a US SOF airman had to complete to get in. Actually been dumped at a couple of the training schools early on by May. Hence, why she’d chosen it, what they did was hella classified without even earmarking the files for it. She could drop a digital trail in the CIA servers that Daisy Johnson had been a potential recruit on leaving the Airforce only for a mission where she vanished behind enemy lines for six months only to turn up tortured and physically damaged in a way their psych evals would have disqualified her over. The issue was the training schools. That was going to be the shit show for hard files to prove she’d been there.

Which, was why she was here, laying out a plausible timeline of elementary, middle, and high school placements and grades following the trail of foster placements. After which laying out an entire eight-year military career. Fuck, she was going to have to give herself a couple of different medals…what were the equivalents for the ones she technically had marks for in her SHIELD documents? Not that they got physical medals, but that stuff did get notated.

Daisy flipped into the SHIELD files that were on her laptop while sipping on her now, vaguely lukewarm coffee only to nearly choke. Jesus, when the actual fuck did Coulson stick this shit in there? Well…it wasn’t going to be total bullshit…she was going to have to reduce the number of medals for this shit to be believable. Wait, Mack got the President to officially pardon her for the LMD shooting Talbot thing? And oh that was a medal of honor…when the…oh, Coulson got that approved after Chicago and the saving the world thing before he left for Tahiti. It was weird she had some of these…legally.

It took her an hour to build out a military career and match it as close to her SHIELD file as possible. She now had four purple hearts and a number of medals that was slightly alarming but told the story of an exceptional soldier taken out of the game due to a mission that went so FUBAR it’d been covered up and shoved into the graveyard of bodies in the USA’s closet of secrets. But, she had an outline. The stuff from her new background dating to before age 18 was done.

Stretching Daisy shut her laptop and groaned. It was going to be so much work to make this legit. Just…so much. This was so much easier when she’d had military contacts and could just call them up and force them to stick paperwork where it should be. Or well, shouldn’t be. Daisy looked up at the blue sky. Catfishing administrative servicemen to get them to do it for her it was. Such a pain. This was going to take two weeks to be perfect, and a week to be serviceable.

She was taking a break and she had promised Kara tacos. Offered and intended to follow through since Kara had seemed weirdly fine with her stopping by her office. Kara was way too trusting. Daisy was definitely doing a good hard look at the DEO the second she was able to. She had some favors to repay, and she was pretty sure how to get started.

////

Kara felt small as she sat at her desk trying to make Cat’s therapist appointments work. It was terrible, Cat had gone out to sushi, leaving Kara trapped at her desk with an avalanche of emails to get through and no time to go and get herself lunch. Her lunchtime had already been taken up by a pile up on the highway and without being able to use fetching Cat’s lunch as an excuse to acquire food she was trapped. Did she still have granola bars in her desk?

“Who is that?” Winn uttered in disbelieving confusion from his desk.

Kara looked up, prepared to jump to attention to accept a delivery for Cat only to pause and then beam, standing up. “Daisy! You didn’t have to actually come! But I’m so glad you did, are those tacos?!” And she could smell the delicious taco goodness.

“Well, I did promise.” Daisy casually raised the absolutely bulging bag of tacos up, an amused grin on her face. “And I needed to stretch my legs a bit anyway.”

Kara would have hugged her, but that’d have squished the tacos. “You’re the best!”

Notes:

Can I just say how much I hated how they handled the RedK storyline? Like it happened, Kara makes one public fight/sacrifice the next episode and everyone loves her again. And also, like...Kara very clearly post RedK makes it really clear she's a hero to save people, not for the praise, even if she does enjoy and like being loved. And then later seasons they keep acting like Kara doing it for the praise is one of her flaws and like...no? She equates praise with having done it right, which is not good. Praise as a measure of how good she's doing. She takes people not liking her way too personally, she has no distance there. She's a people pleaser, it's a positive trait and a flaw in her. But the show kept acting like she had to grow past just doing heroics for the praise and like...that was never her problem.

And partially, the RedK thing fading off because of Livewire of all villains is ridiculous when Myriad is right there as the thing to prove Supergirl's goodness to the general public. Its...its right there, like two episodes away. It hurts me how much stronger that would have made Kara's hope speech if it's her begging for them to believe her and have hope even knowing the public is still suspicious of and doubting her.

Chapter 4

Notes:

Sup!

Winn Schott stared, mouth slightly open as Kara greeted the opposite of her person. Because the woman who’d just walked in was not the sort of person Kara usually interacted with. Alex, sure, but Kara? The woman was unabashedly cool in an effortless way that made every insecurity in his soul tingle in alarm. She was all dark eyeliner, leather jacket and jeans and what were boots of some kind under those jeans, silver rings, and chain-like necklace. Grown-up rock band bass guitar player aura for days. And there was something…dangerous about her, in how she moved that made Winn think of Alex or the DEO.

He got up from his desk to approach and see if Kara needed help? Sure she looked happy, but Kara didn’t really have friends outside of him and James. And Kara hadn’t mentioned anyone new, she would mention someone new, right? With that in mind, he cautiously approached.

Just as he was reaching them he heard the woman’s words, they were laced with teasing, but it felt like the nice kind. “Do I get a sticker for this?”

A question that made Kara flush out of sheer awkwardness as she was clearly unsure of whether she should have a sticker for the woman or not. And also barely keeping from setting upon the bag of food like a deranged raccoon.

“Hey Kara, who is this?” He cleared his throat, it was hard not to shove his hands into his pockets.

Kara essentially bounced, a brilliant sunshine smile in place that eased any worries the woman was bad news. “Winn! Yes, this is Daisy, she’s---my new neighbor!” Her voice pitched up at the end almost like a question.

He blinked, that was, it sounded weird. “You have a new neighbor?”

“Just arrived in town.” The woman cut in neatly holding out her hand. “Daisy Johnson, Kara here has been advising me on the best places to eat in the city and what company to get internet from.”

Which sounded like Kara. Winn smiled, shaking her hand. “Oh, welcome to National City, I’m Winn Schott, and I do tech support. Are you new to the West Coast or just the city?”

She smiled, her grip firm. “Yeah, grew up on the east coast around Metropolis, figured I could use a change of pace and you guys get a lot of sun.”

“She brought tacos!” Kara gleefully informed them as she started pulling out food from the bag like the ravenous alien she was. She beamed as she shoved the first one in her mouth.

Daisy’s eyes softened as they rested on Kara, which was the expected reaction from most people before her attention turned back to him. “So, are you a disciple at the altar of potstickers like Kara here?”

“No,” Winn laughed, a smile growing on his face. “I don’t think anyone likes potstickers as much as Kara.”

Kara made a sound of disagreement, but the third taco she’d just started chewing on meant she didn’t actually manage to say anything.

“It’s nice to be able to eat things that aren’t field rations.” Daisy gave a theatrical shiver. “MREs have nothing on potstickers. I think I almost entered a chopstick fight to the death with Kara over the last potsticker the other night.”

Winn’s head tilted slightly. “You’re army?”

“Air Force, just got out, hence moving to a new city and all that. I don’t have any kitchen anything yet so Kara’s been letting me use hers.” Daisy shrugged. “I’ve only ruined one pot so far. I think Kara’s generosity with pots and pans is mostly self-interest in the apology takeout.”

He nodded along, which made the faint whisper of danger about the woman make sense. That made a lot of sense, of course, Kara would help out a new neighbor. She shouldn’t be letting the woman into her apartment that much though. “Are you liking the city?”

“I am, the vibe’s low-key, so I’m enjoying that.” She agreed easily, but her eyes narrowed faintly as her attention was pulled to the dozens of screens showing various programs, most of them discussing Supergirl’s latest failures. “There has got to be something else to report on?”

Kara did manage to speak up then. “Supergirl terrorized the city, it was a really big deal.” She absolutely sounded miserable about it.

“Yeah, that’s some bullshit,” Daisy said with utter certainty, eyes still trained on the screen. “I’d get it if it was just one channel, but all of them? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize something was really wrong with Supergirl.”

Winn shot Kara an excited look, cause holy hand-grenade this was an actual person not in the know being supportive of Supergirl! “Right? I think the internet theory she was drugged is onto something.”

“Probably, too sporadic for mind control to be likely.” Daisy replied easily, before looking at him with an evaluative look. “But really, do all the screens have to be tuned into this?”

He shrunk slightly, “Ms. Grant wants all the news on ‘her’ hero to be up to the minute.”

“Because daytime talk shows blathering about ‘Terror in the Streets’ because civilians can be dumb is up to the minute news?” The sarcasm was thick, and holy shit, Kara’s new neighbor was just short of outright criticizing Cat Grant’s media strategy in the middle of her office. Sure, Ms. Grant wasn’t in at this exact moment but that was crazy.

Winn was so steering them to safer waters. “It’ll blow over, everyone has jobs and something else will happen…eventually.”

“Speaking of jobs,” Daisy looked to Kara, seeming to shake herself out of her dislike of the news, “I should probably head out. I have a couple of job opening leads to hunt down, and paperwork to fill out. And apparently, I need to talk to our landlord.”

Kara managed to swallow before stepping right into the other woman and hugging her. It was kind of funny actually. Right before Kara got a hold of her, Daisy’s eyes widened ever so slightly, looking slightly tense for a moment before she hugged Kara back, expression fond. Kara seemed oblivious, it was definitely on purpose, to the fact the woman hadn’t been expecting a bear hug. “Thank you!”

“It’s fine, I probably owed you for bringing up depressing stuff before you’d had coffee. I’m sorry about that, it’s new, having a civilian friend.” Daisy actually looked the faintest bit uncomfortable then.

Kara released the woman from her bear hug, which Winn knew from experience was just a bit too tight. “You don’t have to apologize, thank you for the tacos though. I’ll never say ‘no’ to food.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Daisy smiled, taking a step backward. She raised a hand. “Nice to meet you, Winn.”

Winn waved awkwardly as the woman turned and headed back for the elevators. He waited till the elevator door closed before turning on Kara. “New neighbor? Scratch that, she was in your apartment before coffee? Alex is going to kill you, and then me, and then me again.”

“Daisy’s nice, and Alex won’t kill us, probably.” Kara defended, it sounded weak to both of them.

Winn was going to argue the point when he heard the ding of Cat’s personal elevator. And well, if he was going to be alive long enough for Alex to kill him, he had to survive Cat. He mouthed ‘talk later’ at Kara as he quickly retreated back to his desk.

////

Kara started babbling the second she was through the door and into her apartment. “I’m so sorry for saying you were my neighbor! I didn’t even think, it just came out. And you were being so nice and I just said that and now…I don’t know, did I mess everything up for you?”

“You’re fine,” Daisy laughed from where she was looking up over the top of her laptop. “And more important than that, I successfully made lasagna. Side note, did you know your landlord is Italian? Also, using Airbnb for like half the rooms in the building.”

She breathed in, and oh, yeah she could smell that. And it felt like just relief breathing out. It was nice, to not be alone. “That smells amazing?”

“Wow, if I didn’t know how not great at cooking I was I’d be hurt by the shock.” Daisy closed her laptop, setting it aside. “But yeah, got some cooking tips from your landlord’s mom.”

Kara set her purse down, pulling her glasses off. “You met Drew’s mom?”

“I did, also he thinks I’m into something illegal, but retroactively you were not lying. I’m your new downstairs neighbor.” Daisy slid to her feet and headed for the kitchen. “I’m not above bribery for you helping me with furniture this weekend.” Daisy stilled. “Where do you buy furniture?”

Kara lit up as she realized what Daisy had just said. “You got an apartment?!” She bounced, hands raised in a cheer. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.” Daisy’s eyes were soft as she smiled. It mattered to her. “I got conned into agreeing to repaint it, change the counters, and replace the locks on the door. The last tenant trashed the place and Drew is only like halfway through fixing it.”

“A lot of stores sell furniture, we can go to Ikea and Target on Saturday if you don’t mind the couch for another night?” Kara pulled out her planner. “And we’ll need to go to the hardware store for the supplies for fixing the counter and paint.” This would be great! She was really good at this stuff too.

Daisy set the lasagna down from where she’d pulled it out of the oven and leaned against the counter looking at her. “You know you don’t actually have to help me, right?”

She looked up at the woman, a niggling doubt sprouting in her head. “Friends help friends, and we are friends, right?”

“Yeah, we’re friends.” Daisy smiled like she thought Kara had missed something that was funny. “And as my friend, you’re helping me eat this so we can decide if I actually managed something that didn’t come out of a box.”

Kara beamed and used just a little superspeed to set the table. If Daisy had managed to cook something nice it deserved to be eaten at the table and not on the couch. She paused as she held the bottle of wine from game nights. “Do you like wine?”

“I…don’t know actually.” Daisy had paused where she was halfway to the table, holding the lasagna with oven mitts, a slightly confused look on her face. “I like champagne, cocktails, and beer? I don’t think I’ve ever actually had wine.”

Kara zipped the cupboards pulling out two glasses. “You can try some and if you don’t like it I still have some of Alex’s beer in the fridge.”

“Thanks, wine always seemed kinda fancy?” Daisy said as she set the lasagna down. “And fancy parties I was in for spy work usually had champagne.”

Kara didn’t exactly forget that Daisy was more James Bond than Super, but it was funny to think of her as a spy. “There were so many wine jokes at the office I thought I was supposed to drink it. It tastes nice sometimes, though some of the reds are really bitter.” Her nose scrunched at the thought of some table reds she’d tried. The sweet wines were better.

“How old were you when you got to Earth?” Daisy asked curiously while cutting the lasagna into thirds.

Her voice was a bit quieter, more hesitant as she answered that. People didn’t usually ask about her alienness that often. “I was thirteen when I landed.”

“How’d you end up with the Danvers?” Daisy served for both of them, a larger slice on Kara’s plate, which was nice of her.

Kara passed her a glass of wine. “My cousin, Kal-el or Superman found me. But he was just starting at being a hero and had enemies so he brought me to the Danvers.”

“The new home thing is never easy, did you even speak English?” Daisy looked at her with a painful amount of just understanding.

She shook her head. “It took me two weeks to learn.”

“Two weeks?” Daisy huffed, raising a brow. “You’re a crazy alien super-genius aren’t you?”

Kara felt a warm bubble in her chest, so she dared, Daisy was alien too. “I was the youngest initiate into the science guild in Krypton’s history.” It was a thing she hadn’t been allowed to be proud of for long, and then...she hadn’t been allowed to like science here.

“Wait, on your whole planet?” Daisy stilled looking at her in surprise. “Holy shit, how old were most people admitted into your science guild?”

She flushed at the praise. “Twenty.”

“So like super genius wasn’t underselling you at all. What are you doing working for Catco and not revolutionizing science somewhere?” Daisy was clearly listening and interested in the answer.

The familiar lump at the reminder of what she’d not been permitted. “Krypton was too advanced, I would have made people notice me, it wasn’t safe.”

“That’s…did you just give it up?” Daisy was biting something back.

Kara nodded and shoved a forkful of lasagna into her mouth. It was delicious. She didn’t get a chance to tell Daisy before Daisy kept talking.

“That’s terrible, science had to be really important for you to be that good at it that young.” Daisy was looking at her with just…kindness.

Kara watched Daisy cautiously as she replied. “I was born for the science guild, we didn’t choose our professions as humans do.”

“So like, baby you was really interested in the magnifying glass and bugs as a kid and you got slated for science?” Daisy took a bite of her own dinner, curiosity lighting up her eyes.

Kara shook her head, a slight smile starting on her lips. “No, we were designed for our assigned roles as embryos. I was designed to follow in the footsteps of my father and his House, the House of El.”

“So what, traits that make good scientists just got bio-engineered into you?” Daisy asked.

She nodded, “Yes, and from childhood we were then trained and educated for our future guild.”

“Does that mean families or government or something else picked people’s roles for them?”

Kara straightened at the questions, the lack of panic about pre-determining kids. “The matrix selected roles for children, but the priority was given to allowing trades and guilds to run within certain bloodlines. It allowed everyone to have a place and a purpose. Whatever guild you were in was because our people needed you to be in that role.”

“Did people ever change roles? Or was it a one-and-done thing?”

 

Kara was on her third glass of wine, had finished off two-thirds of the lasagna, and was cozily curled into one corner of the couch by the time she’d managed to explain the entire guild system of Krypton to Daisy. She hadn’t talked about Krypton for this long…maybe ever. “Not that Krypton was perfect, we destroyed our own planet, but our society was beautiful in some ways too.”

“I get that.” Daisy nodded. “I mean, I really wouldn’t have done well on Krypton, but I can see why it’d be nice not to have to worry about finding the right job, the right everything.” She waved a hand absently. “But do you really not do any science? Like even just as a hobby? I mean you could have a robot monkey or something.”

Kara sipped at her wine trying to put it into words. “It wouldn’t be safe, if anyone finds out about me they find the Danvers, Winn, James, Cat, anyone who has helped me but doesn’t have invulnerable skin. I wouldn’t be able to have a home or friends here. I couldn’t just go to a store and buy a coffee. I’d just be Supergirl.”

“And nobody can just be a symbol.” Daisy hummed, turning her empty beer bottle around between her fingers. “You know the Inhumans believed that whatever power you got was because it was what our people needed to survive. I’m not sure I believe in that, sometimes our gifts just got us killed. I mean if I’d had a less terrifying power would SHIELD and Afterlife have ended up at war? Or would there have been more time to find just…any other path? But sometimes it’s…nice to think what I’ve done did help even if I’m not really sure I did.”

Kara reached out and touched Daisy’s foot since that was all she could reach of her. “What did happen? Between your people and SHIELD?”

“That’s…complicated.” Daisy blew out a breath. “You have to understand Inhumans, we were designed to destroy. We’re people, but we’re biologically meant to be slave soldiers. Our powers reflect that they’re almost exclusively meant for violence. There are exceptions, but they’re few. And up until an Inhuman is exposed to terrigan, we’re just people. I was just a person and then suddenly it was like I had hundreds of bees under my skin and I couldn’t control it. I almost brought a military base down because I was scared.”

Kara listened quietly, her horror at what the Kree had done wasn’t important.

“One minute I was just an agent, and then Tripp my field partner was dead, two other agents were murdered by Raina, Mack had been mind controlled, the whole temple was shattered, Coulson was injured, and just me, in the center of the wreckage. I understand why they were scared, that they didn’t understand. It didn’t help SHIELD was still piecing itself back together after we’d found out we were infiltrated to the gills by Nazis. So it just happened at a terrible time, and I was dangerous. To myself, and anyone around me. And government agencies that believe in bagging, tagging, and keeping track of anyone with powers and have a history of murdering powered people? Afterlife and my mom weren’t wrong to see SHIELD as a threat. It all happened so fast, everyone was scared and doing things that were making it worse and then my mom led our people towards attempting genocide of the human population.”

Kara choked on her wine.

“I know.” Daisy’s face tightened. “So I picked a side and, obviously genocide is never the answer, but it destroyed our community, our ability to be safe.” She tipped her head. “And preventing the terrigan being turned airborne meant it got into the food supply, no dead humans, but suddenly Inhumans were just popping up everywhere and it was a mess. Then it wasn’t the humans everyone was talking about genocide for. I just…I can’t see how that could be what our people needed.”

The thing was Kara could hear how this mattered, and it did, deeply to Daisy. “Why did you leave?”

Daisy blinked, but then set her bottle aside, before sweeping her hair back and tipping her head showing the sizable scar left on the side of her neck. Her gaze was distinctly on the wall. “The Kree put in a slave chip, we escaped, but I couldn’t risk it, that I’d become what they thought I was, The Destroyer of Worlds. I kept it in, no powers, but I was still an agent. It should have been enough. My best friend cut it out of my neck so I could solve our problems with my powers, no matter the risk.”

“Daisy-” Kara started not even sure what to say to that.

“I screamed.” Daisy straightened her neck, the scar still there, but no longer brandished towards her. “I screamed, I bled, and no one cared. I don’t…I don’t know when but they were my family and I was alone. I wasn’t useful to them if I didn’t have powers. Not enough to matter anyway, it was the end of the world and I was just laying in a crater, I saved us, and I was just there…alone. So I tried to leave, but I wasn’t allowed to. So different universe was kind of the only way out. I wasn’t going to survive being told to go and win or die for them. No one survives every time.” Her expression was bitter.

Kara didn’t care that it was awkward, she just leaned over and hugged Daisy. Because that was wrong. It shouldn’t happen, but it had and she couldn’t make it better.

Daisy stiffened for a second before returning the gesture. “All things that aren’t really important in this reality.”

“It still happened, that makes it important.” Kara protested though she did pull back.

Daisy’s head tilted slightly. “You do know that if I was going to hurt you, then spilling the sob story on you would be exactly what I’d do right?”

“You don’t have to keep saying that.” Kara huffed in exasperation at the recently often-repeated statement.

Daisy just sighed. “I know I’m not going to hurt you, but you really should know how to spot a con.”

“I can spot a con.” Kara ignored the dubious look on Daisy’s face. “I’m good at telling what kind of a person someone is. And you are a good person.”

Daisy’s lips pulled up. “See, you say that, but as your new downstairs neighbor I’m just going to have to stick around to make sure that’s true.”

“Good.” Kara re-settled on her end of the couch. “You could come and do heroing with me? You’re probably better at it than me.”

“Uh, better at shooting people, and my powers are designed to be destructive. You’re definitely a better hero than me.” She shifted, her brow raising. “Was a plane really the thing you started with?”

Chapter 5

Daisy felt lighter after last night. The therapist would probably be delighted she’d talked to someone about any of it. Also, it was fascinating to hear about different planets. She still had so many questions. But, she had work to do before figuring out how to make homemade meatballs for spaghetti, landlord Drew’s mom was a doll. But she had a military base to infiltrate.

It was depressingly easy considering the face veil, pickpocketing skills, and idiots who wrote codes down and left that folded in their wallets. The fact it only took three hours to get in, have a drive plugged into the server, and be out after collecting a garment bag with her ‘new’ dress uniform. She’d broken into too many military bases for it to be hard, but this was stupidly easy.

 

Daisy clicked through the military servers on her phone. Hardwiring a backdoor in was effective. So much of hacking frankly was tricking people into giving you their login information or hard-wiring a connection. She’d need a few other hard-wired backdoors before she’d feel comfortable, but it was a good start. Complicated coding was only 50% of hacking, the other 50% was being smart at exploiting stupidity. Hence, written down passwords, inability to avoid being pickpocketed, fifteen minutes recon on the role of the victim of said pickpocketing, and confident bluffing being all that was needed to get into a military base.

Which left time for picking up some things, she had an apartment to fix up. Hadn’t expected to have one this quickly, but covering for Kara’s slip of the tongue wasn’t a road bump she minded. The apartment complex was far nicer than she’d have gone for, but she’d talked the landlord into giving up the one closest to the stairwell on the bottom floor. She was technically two floors below Kara. But it was a good location to be able to keep an eye on anyone using the stairwell.

Daisy pulled the keys out of the Charger, she’d been careful to park it so that it had room to not get scratched. Self-healing it might be, but she didn’t want to test that without Robbie there to actually be magic. Chances of the car not being magical at all without Robbie there were probably at 90%. So care had to be taken. He could get his demonic ass here if he wanted it back. She was paying for his brother’s college, he’d live at her borrowing the car from storage.

Locking the door she walked towards the Home Depot. This was going to be an experience. Coulson had never sent her to do hardware store runs. Daisy pulled up the list Kara had made for her on her cellphone. She could totally do this. This was ridiculous, she was more stressed about buying paint and some new locks than she’d been about breaking into a military base.

Daisy grabbed a cart, she needed a cart. Paint…she could do paint. At least the plaid shirt meant she blended in. Though she was probably going to have to hunt down some poor minimum-wage person in an orange apron for help. She could find the paint section by herself though. It only took ten minutes to find it. Ten minutes of trying not to show how odd it smelled. The wood and metal and clean dust if that made sense? It probably didn’t.

The half aisle of paint cards was horrifying, however. Right…she could pick a color. If Drew didn’t like it she had swastika-imprinted gold bars to get rid of, paint couldn’t be that expensive. She stared at the paint cards or swatches? How did you pick a color? Google. She could google it. Flipping to a new tab on her cell phone she pulled up the first result.

‘Select three colors from an existing object in your home.’

‘Don’t choose paint first! Use an inspiration piece.’

‘Understand undertones.’

‘Choose three paint colors.’

‘Choose a fourth color that can be used as an accent.’

‘Use artwork to make connections between spaces.’

That was utterly unhelpful. Throw pillows and artwork to create color themes? She didn’t have that. She had two duffle bags, a combat suit, a laptop, and a reasonable amount of weapons. She might be new to this, but even she knew matching colors to her sniper rifle was weird and dumb. It was ridiculous, she was an adult, she’d lived in over a dozen different people’s homes, and it wasn’t that important. Except…she wanted to like it. Not just grab some white paint and call it a day.

“Do you need some help?” A man in an orange apron asked.

Daisy’s eyes flicked to him. The dad of a toddler was written on him, the dried cheerio he hadn’t noticed on one cuff, the four days of unshaved scruff, and clothing that hadn’t been folded in months were telling. Also, she was pretty sure he’d just run his fingers through his hair and called it good. But he was showered so hadn’t given up in an exhausted haze. He wouldn’t have been a threat when she’d been a teenager living in a van. But, yay, name tag. She shifted towards the man. “That obvious?”

“You haven’t moved in ten minutes or looked up from your phone much.” He said, and yeah, he was definitely exhausted.

She couldn’t help a flicker of humor at the lack of customer service positivity. “Ouch, but yeah. I haven’t painted an apartment before and have no idea where to start.”

“Do you know what type of paint finish you need?” Jeff as his name-tag declared him asked.

Daisy really should have spent an entire afternoon researching paints, shouldn’t she? “Type?”

“Paint has different finishes, high gloss, semi-gloss, satin, eggshell, and matte. Gloss finishes are more popular in kitchens while matte’s are more common for bedrooms. The finish is going to determine-”

 

Did it take an hour and a half? Yes. Did she now have white paint, dark purple paint, and a light purple paint? Yes. Apparently, she was going with purple tones. It was nice, it wasn't bright and cheery like Kara would have chosen, but it wasn’t greyscale so it was probably going to be homey…ish. She would be hopeful about it if the paint hadn’t been the single easiest thing on the list. She looked at Jeff. “Please say you get commission?”

“I mean, a percentage of the sale on some items?” Jeff looked at her from where he was adding the last bucket of purple semi-gloss for the kitchen into the cart.

Daisy was going to have to reverse pickpocket some cash into the man’s pockets. “Right, any chance countertops are one of those items?” She winced, “Also painting supplies and door handles?”

 

Daisy was exhausted and felt worse than she did coming out of most fights honestly, but she had chosen, paid for, and generally acquired everything she needed. The countertops would be delivered next Wednesday, but the rest was packed into the car. Leaning against the black side of the car she groaned. She was never doing this again. Kara better be prepared for them being neighbors for life because dear god. Who thought this was fun? Also, why were countertops a hundred dollars a square foot!? That was insane.

She squinted at the sporting goods store on the other side of the parking lot. Kara was totally going to drag her out heroing at some point or run into an asshole who could actually hurt her, and Daisy was absolutely not running around with her actual face out. Or glasses? Fake glasses were not happening for her. Or cardigans. Adorable on the blonde, she was not dressing in rich preschool teacher-inspired clothing. Which meant a mask. Sport masks had to be decent at sticking on the face during movement…but fuck she just wanted to lay out on a floor and not move for a few hours.

With a groan, she pushed off the car and started walking toward the sporting goods store. There had to be a sport that had masks that would work. Hell, she’d deal with a bandanna that wouldn’t slip if she had to. But facial recognition software was not going to be why she got carted off to alien jail here.

The store smelled radically different than the hardware store had, also it was warmer. Probably warmer because there was carpet instead of straight concrete. And, thanks to foster siblings who’d done sports, she’d actually been in one of these before. It took her five minutes to spot the ski masks.

Stopping in front of the wrack her head tilted slightly as she looked at the huge upper face-covering ski and snowboarding goggles. Shiny, wouldn’t show the human eyes behind the hard plastic lens, and would totally stay on. Daisy’s eyes flicked to the lower face shields to protect from windburn. Her suit was black, if she wore those she’d look like a supervillain. She picked up the goggles with a golden-looking gleam to the lens. Well, the cheerful ‘good’ hero vibe wasn’t going to work for her. But this? She could make this work.

////

Kara’s smile faded as she realized Daisy wasn’t in the apartment as she walked in. It was…the first time in a week there hadn’t been the smell of something to eat and the quiet sounds of another person in her space. It was jarring. But…Daisy would have said something if she was leaving right? And that was Daisy’s duffle bag neatly set on the chair in one corner. Kara shook off the feeling and raised her glasses, looking through the floor.

She smiled, before zipping down the stairs and knocking on Daisy’s door.

Daisy’s voice wouldn't have been loud enough if she’d been human, but it perfectly understandable for her. “Door’s unlocked.”

Kara breezed in and couldn’t help giggling at the way Daisy was laid on a paint drop cloth on the floor. “Are you ok down there? Cause you look a bit like a noodle.”

“A noodle?” Daisy cracked an eye open, looking up at her. “Rude.”

She nodded biting her cheek to keep from giggling. “Very noodly.”

Daisy rolled her eyes but did not move from the floor. “Why did I spend less time breaking into a military base this morning than I spent picking out paint?”

“Military base?” Kara squeaked, oh Rao, that’d be General Lane’s base, wouldn’t it?

Ignoring the panic at the possible treason, Daisy pointed at the kitchen. “And did you know there are different types of paint for different rooms? It matters apparently. Why is paint that complicated? It's sadistic, give me a gun any day.”

“You broke into a military base?” Kara cut in, “Did anyone see you? Oh gosh, are you alright? Did you get hurt?”

Daisy huffed as she floated up to her feet, the display of power made something in Kara feel soothed. “Please, they don’t know I was even there.” She shot her an amused look while wiggling her fingers. “Spy, I’m good at it.”

“Rao, ok, but why did you break into a military base?” Kara couldn’t help how her voice squeaked a bit at the end.

Daisy laughed while walking to the counterless kitchen and swiping her cell phone up. “To get a hardline into their servers for ensuring the paperwork for my cover is all in place. Also, because you implied Cadmus has connections to the military. If I ever need to hunt Cadmus down, I’d rather already have the access to get to hunting fast. Do you have Greek food? I think if I order us Chinese again our arteries are going to explode out of protest even if they can’t get clogged.”

“Hunt Cadmus?!” Kara definitely squeaked.

Daisy looked up at her. “You haven’t said a lot about them, but alien chop shop, why your sister is on the run, they’re an active threat. And government agencies like that don’t stop just because you ask nicely. Or because you point out how they’re in the objective wrong. When they come for you, or if they come for me I’d prefer to be prepared. Anyways, Greek? Or we could try Thai maybe? Something with actual vegetables mixed in but not a salad.”

“There’s a Thai place down the block, wait, you’re preparing to hunt a government agency?” Kara felt something that might be a cold sweat on a human. Cadmus was dangerous. Horrifyingly so. They weren’t something you just…went after.

Daisy set her phone down. “What’s wrong?”

“Cadmus is dangerous,” Kara said slowly.

“So am I.” Daisy looked at her for a long moment. “Do you want me to back off of them? If me touching them is going to risk something I don’t know about I can leave it alone.”

She hated the fear she felt. “I-”

Daisy stepped forward grabbing Kara’s hands, her touch warm, a pleasant roughness from callouses. “Whoa, ok, hey. We can talk about it later, it can wait. We can just order food, you can tell me I got way too much purple paint, I won’t go hunting down your evil government bad guys without talking to you about it, ok?”

Kara nodded, squeezing Daisy’s hands, Daisy squeezing back, harder than a human could. It was…she could really feel her. Not as strong as her or Kal, but she could really feel it. “Thai sounds nice.”

“Then Thai it is.” Daisy smiled, “I’m going to order enough for even us to have leftovers.” She gave a final squeeze before pulling back and going for her phone again. “And unless I find an easy way to sell the evil gold without ending up on a watch list, I’m going to have to pick up some hacking gigs. Between takeout and the horrifying price of modern home improvement shit, I’m draining my funds fast.”

Kara wiped at her face. “I can pay for takeout?”

“You’re a personal assistant,” Daisy raised a brow, a slight smug smirk on her face. “I’m more of the Robin Hood code of ethics. Replacing funds for me is a whole lot less work. Hacking can be lucrative, even when you’ve got morals about it.”

She pouted, she was going to have to pre-emptively order food before Daisy managed next time. And…it helped, listening to Daisy. “So you got the paint and counters then?”

“And a new door handle with a separate extra safety lock. But seriously, the counters were wild. I got these kinda white quartz countertops for the majority of the kitchen, and yes, I showed them the measurements and photos you insisted I have. Here I’ll show you, they called it something ridiculous like Rococo, why the patterns all had weird names I don’t know. But for the island, I actually got what is called butcher block? Which is just wood but apparently is great for cooking prep, ended up getting the birch for the butcher block sections. I think it’ll look nice? But trusting me to pick out colors was-”

Kara let the words wash over her, it was safe, it felt safe. Her tension drained from her shoulders as she smiled. This was good, it was nice…really nice.

 

Kara was comfortably full and poking at the box of Drunk Noodles, listening to Daisy talk about primer and wondering if her powers would be able to help dry things faster, the warm bubble in her chest growing, and suddenly she couldn’t not tell her. “The alien prisoners from Fort Rozz, the ones who keep attacking, they were being led by my Aunt Astra.”

Daisy’s words died, her face soft and quiet. “Were?”

“She died.” Kara looked at Daisy and the words started pouring out. How Astra had wanted to save Krypton, might have been able to do it, but her mother had used her to capture Astra. Finding out her aunt was alive, to find out she was alive but hurting people. About General Lane torturing Astra when she’d been in custody, how she’d thought Astra might come around. About Non, about just all of it. “Astra was attacking them, and Alex killed her. I know she was defending herself, but she lied, they told me J’onn killed her and I was just…so angry.”

“She was your family, disagreeing doesn’t mean you loved her any less.” Daisy didn’t seem repulsed or upset about Astra. But then oh, she’d said her mother intended genocide last night, hadn’t she? It felt a bit like a punch in the gut, the understanding.

Kara’s shoulders shook slightly, her eyes going down to the white drop cloth they were sitting on. “I was so angry, but it was J’onn and then Alex. So when the red kryptonite was in my brain…it made all of the worst parts of me come out, I couldn’t stop it and I attacked them. For hurting me, for hurting Astra, I ruined everything.”

“Hey, I don’t entirely know what happened with the red kryptonite? But that’s what made you lose it, yeah?” Daisy waited for her to nod. “Whatever you did while it was making you like that wasn’t your fault. And you didn’t kill them, Alex and J’onn are still alive right?”

Kara wiped at her face, frustrated she was crying. “But everyone found out that J’onn was a Martian, that Alex and I knew he was. It's why Cadmus was able to take them, and they’re on the run. I can’t even talk to them, or know if they’re safe, I can’t do anything to help. And J’onn saw it in one of the Cadmus soldiers’ heads, they have Jerimiah, we thought he was dead but they have him!”

“Who’s Jerimiah?” Daisy asked gently.

Her eyes burned from tears she couldn’t keep back. “My foster father, Alex’s dad. They took him when I was fourteen because they caught me flying. The DEO came for me, and he traded himself so I could be safe. But then he died on a mission but he didn’t, Cadmus took him. We didn’t know, I didn’t know.”

“That’s super fucked up.” Daisy moved over till she was sitting next to her, cautiously wrapping her arm around Kara’s shoulders.

Kara couldn’t help turning and burying her face in Daisy’s shoulder and crying. It was horrible, wet ugly sobs she’d be mortified about later. But Daisy just was there, solid and quietly understanding. Which made the sobbing worse, somehow.

However much time passed, and Kara wasn’t sure before her sobs died down. She didn’t pull away, mostly because then she’d have to actually face Daisy. It was funny, she could feel it like this, the way a faint fluttery vibration that affected even her seemed to fill Daisy. A silent reminder that Kara didn’t have to hide what she was, who she was.

“I have a suggestion if you want to hear it.” Daisy’s thumb rubbed comfortingly against Kara’s shoulder where her hand was resting.

Kara pulled back, and wiped her face, before looking at her friend. “Suggestion?”

“Look, I’m not from your world, and I’m a spy. It means I’m going to prioritize gathering information. But I think you’ve been doing a lot of flying around without really knowing the stakes of what’s going on around you. You’re fighting people without knowing why they are attacking you, without knowing what resources they have. And sometimes that’s how you have to fight. But right now, maybe you don’t?”

Kara’s fingers poked at her tan slacks. “You mean research Cadmus?”

“Yes, but also the DEO probably. I know you trust them, at least to a degree. But as someone who worked for an organization with a lot of similarities? I really don’t. Not just them though, someone has to know something about what your dick of an uncle is up to. Even if they don’t, it's worth looking into. You can’t help your sister if you don’t know how to.” Daisy shifted ever so slightly. “I get it, if you don’t want or trust me anywhere near that information, but you need to be finding information, even if it's on your own.”

She shook off the shiver of unease at the mention of not trusting the DEO. Kara loved Lucy, J’onn, her sister, but she wasn’t sure she disagreed as much as she should. She poked Daisy’s shoulder. “I trust you.”

“Uh…you really shouldn’t.” Daisy shook her head, face fond though. “But ridiculous decision to just trust me or not, the suggestion stands.”

Kara held Daisy’s eyes. “Where would we even start?”

“First, by knowing who, where, and how.” Daisy brushed some of her brown hair behind one ear. “I’m a hacker, my first step would be getting access to the systems of anyone with any link to Cadmus and following the money and who is giving orders. You know this country, especially this city. So, who are the movers and shakers? And where do they not want you to look?”

Kara bit at her lower lip, Daisy wasn’t wrong, she did know that, or could find out. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It’s not, it's a lot of very boring looking into things and going over utterly pointless stuff. But information is powerful.” She picked up her laptop, opened it, and pulled up a google page. She ignored Kara’s curious look, just entering in a search for ‘top twenty richest people in National City’. Daisy grinned, looking at her. “Think it's a reasonable place to start?”

She pulled out her planner. “I have contact information for all of those people’s secretaries.”

Daisy whistled, “See, totally doable.” She pointed at Kara. “Please remember people live and die to protect information. Being cautious and slow is good, even if it's frustrating.”

Kara did roll her eyes at that, she knew that. “Why do the richest people in National City help us find Cadmus though?”

“They might, they might not. But most anyone who can afford to threaten ‘Supergirl’, is going to have money and power. That or be deep in some illegal stuff.”

Kara’s face darkened. “Maxwell Lord, he hates aliens and is willing to do whatever he can to stop me.” She swallowed, “And he knows who I am.”

“What do we know about him?” Daisy asked, and there was a faint feeling in the air, a hum of her powers. It felt like a threat, but not to Kara.

And Kara…Kara could never forget the feeling of Bizzaro’s hand under her’s, trapped in a coma she would probably never wake from. “He’s the CEO of-”

Chapter 6

Notes:

I have been reminded I should link this more, but there's a discord server. https://discord.gg/mAbTrwbQ

Cat Grant was bored by the latest news—nothing gripping, nothing that sparked, thus nothing that would sell. Nobody cared about Supergirl’s continued PR campaign of minor nothings of heroics. A villain, a real dramatic bad guy for her to be victorious over was needed for her girl in the cape to start winning back people’s support. Well, at least there was the ongoing scandal of Oliver Queen sleeping with yet another actress. Her attention was caught by a possibly more interesting happening of someone she didn’t know, walking off the elevator and onto the top floor of Catco like she belonged there.

That was interesting. The plebian was a bit of a reformed goth or emo or whatever those gloomy, hormone-ridden, teenagers called themselves. But shockingly the woman was proof sometimes they grew up and learned what a well-cut pair of jeans was, moderation with eyeliner as a concept, and ungreasy hair was preferable. It still didn’t explain the woman’s presence. The bag of Big Belly Burger and confident beeline for Kiera’s desk did.

Ah, yet another contender for Kiera’s heart. That girl drew the loveless population like bees to honey. Not that the girl seemed fully aware of that.

Cat didn’t do anything as gauche as to stare, but it was certainly something.

Interesting how Kiera lit up. Well, points for the new challenger.

There was a dry sort of amusement as an alerted James Olsen approached, all puffed up shoulders and face painted with concern at someone else entering ‘his’ territory. So pedantic. And Kiera was either living in denial or actually that dense. Cat was a bit irritated she wasn’t sure which. Possibly a bit of both.

Oh, James was all gentle masculinity still, no doubt his voice just the same timber as usual. But his smile was forced, very, just drank pure vinegar as he tried to place himself ever so slightly between Kiera behind her desk and the new competitor.

The new girl had confidence, she didn’t so much as take the faintest step back to establish a more normal amount of personal space at James’ slight encroachment. Rather, her slightly sarcastic but fond expression had turned to look like a predator sizing up its prey.

Cat felt an eyebrow raise as Kiera either ignored the veiled hostility or did not register it as she got up and went around her desk before happily hugging the newbie.

The new contender easily allowed the contact, her entire attention sliding fully onto Kiera. Not that it wasn’t clear the woman was still very aware of James Olsen. It was nothing so gauche as maintaining eye contact with him while hugging Kiera, perhaps more devastatingly it was utterly ignoring him outwardly while neatly adjusting her and Kiera so that the three of them were in a triangle when Kiera let go. The hand on Kiera’s waist also lingered in a deliberate way for a half second too long.

James breathed in through his nose, a distinctly unhappy set to his jaw. And he had certainly noticed that Kiera’s hand had fallen to the new woman’s elbow with casual ease.

Amusing as all this was, Cat did not feel like allowing a tela-novela to play out in front of her office, it would suck the efficiency of the entire floor. And, entertaining as it was, she was irked by the unearned confidence of the stranger behaving as if the office was perfectly open to her person without question.

Well, she had some fools at the Tribune to lambast for the layouts she’d had delivered to her earlier. Their front-page story was not going to be Oliver Queen’s flavor of the week. Front page of the society section obviously, but there had to be something more interesting for the actual front page. If there wasn’t maybe they could kick the Troglodyte who’d thought to put Oliver Queen’s dating life on the front page of the paper off the building. At least when Supergirl swooped in they could get a money shot for the cover.

With that in mind, Cat rose to her feet with all the dignity of the Queen she was, grabbed the layouts, and walked out of her office. “Kiera!” She took a smug thrill at the blanch as everyone who’d been caught up in the tela-novella playing out before them snapped to attention. She shoved the layouts into Kiera’s spluttering arms. “I have people to fire, fires to light.” Cat let her eyes pointedly fall on the newbie and James.

James had the decency to look chagrined. “Ms. Grant.”

“Olsen.” Her eyes cut fully to the newbie. The girl didn’t shrink or fold at the attention, she was all dark eyes twinkling with amusement and the unearned confidence of a millennial. “And why, Kiera, is there a member of the unwashed masses in my bullpen?”

The woman replied before Kiera could stumble through an excuse. “Just dropping off your assistant’s lunch, Ms. Grant. And I may be part of the masses, but I do shower. Even use soap.”

“Oh, you think you’re clever then, and I should tolerate your existence why? All you millennials and thinking just by existing you’re worth something, have achieved anything at all.” She scoffed, ready to move on.

The woman’s face split into an actual grin. “Wild opinion to have, but I think the military medals I’ve got collecting dust count as some kind of accomplishment according to most standards.” Her eyes flicked back to Kiera. “I’ll see you after work. I’m making spaghetti, if I burn another one of your pans I’ll order Greek.” She took a step back. “Nice meeting you, James. Seeing myself out, Ms. Grant.”

Cat looked at Kiera as the woman walked away. “Cavorting with war heroes?”

“Daisy’s my new neighbor?” Kiera risked.

Cat hummed, interesting. Not the type she’d have thought Kiera would be interested in, but she could see the appeal. “She’ll do, I suppose.” She started walking toward her private elevator ignoring the stumbling assistant following in her wake. “Schedule an appointment with my therapist tomorrow morning, and I’ve changed my mind about lunch, no salad, I want sushi. You know my order, I want it on my desk when I get back from reminding the Tribune what a front-page story is.”

////

Daisy had tripled the recipe she’d convinced Mrs. Rizzo to write down on cardstock for her. Between her serum-enhanced appetite and Kara’s pure alien one, it was a lot of food. Also, cooking was turning out to be kinda fun. At least when she didn’t burn it. The large metal mixing bowls were out, and she was pretty sure she’d organized everything she needed to do this though.

She spun the knife absently between her fingers as she stared at the onion. Thanks to a youtube instructional video she did know how to cut one now. The inevitable crying was not a thing she was looking forward to. Needs must though. It didn’t take long, she’d sharpened Kara’s knives on day two. It was tragic how dull they’d been. Had she possibly sharpened them to a point that was beyond what was needed for civilian cooking? Probably. But better too nice than not nice enough.

Once chopped she dumped it into the bowl with the sausage, and ground beef. Grabbing the nifty little doodad for crushing garlic she crushed a whole eight cloves of it before dumping it in. Mrs. Rizzo had been very clear. Fresh real garlic and onion, not just the powdered version in the bread crumb and seasoning mix. That done she cracked the eggs into the smaller bowl of dry seasonings and bread crumbs before using her fingers to mix it.

So slimy, but Daisy couldn’t help smiling as she did it. This was…fun. It was fun, and it didn’t really matter if she fucked up, and there was just something…satisfying about making something with her hands and it being good. The SHIELD hack of a therapist had been wild suggesting art therapy, but Daisy was pretty sure she was getting the point of why that’d been a suggestion.

As she dumped the egg and spices mix into the meat and started kneading it, she was kinda delighted by the weird way it squished between her fingers. It was really satisfying. Felt a bit like when she’d been a kid at St. Agnus happily making mud pies, well before they got punished for ruining their clothes and never did it again. But she could do it now.

Daisy might have spent longer mixing the thing than was necessary.

As she carefully rolled the mixture into balls and laid them out on the parchment-covered cookie sheets as instructed she felt kinda smug about remembering to actually pre-heat the oven this time. It’d been a bit awkward to have the lasagna put together and realize the oven should have been warm already. But she’d remembered. No awkward scrolling on her phone while waiting, fully constructed dinner just sitting on the counter.

It was definitely an unreasonable amount of round meatballs. She’d literally made 96 of the things. So she’d be doing a few different rounds in the oven. Whatever, at least neither of them would still be hungry. There might even be leftovers. Maybe. Daisy didn’t mind, just sticking the two trays ready to go into the oven and setting the timer, remembering to set the timer was key.

With a quiet thrum of satisfaction, she walked over to the couch and grabbed her laptop. The new part-time job at RadioShack started soon, but until then, she had plenty of time to start laying out who the power players were in National City, and more broadly the country. Once she had that done, she’d break down known risks and start building a map of who in power was connected to what when it came to anti-alien agendas. Because this earth, this earth was kinda more and less fucked on the topic from what Daisy could tell.

More alien refugees, higher levels of associated crime from just the elevated numbers alone, and just existed in a way that was generating a more widespread response. The fact of the matter was those with power were aliens, enhanced humans being nearly non-existent meant there was no concept of humans able to stand up to and fight aliens. They were seen as too separate, too non-human. Made sympathy for aliens a harder sell.

Daisy could see it, the fear, on message boards, in the news, in the money being poured into defense. They didn’t have a Tony Stark building weapons and suits that let him stand beside gods, they didn’t have Captain America or a Hulk or any of the very human protectors that Daisy’s Earth had. And it showed. The closest they seemed to have was Batman in Gotham. She’d only found out about him while charting out Bruce Wayne on the Excel sheet of the richest people in the country. Gotham was wild and Daisy wasn’t touching that with a ten-foot pole for a while. But for crime rates like that there had to be something in the water…hopefully.

Well, they also had Lex Luthor. Lex had made a suit and weapons that frankly would have been stiff competition if not have ripped Tony Stark’s apart. He was living proof humans could fight aliens and survive. And he was a monster and one the biggest influences on anti-alien hate groups not to mention just sentiment in general, on the planet. Instead of helping the lunatic made everything worse. And Daisy would bet a whole hell of a lot that Lex Luthor was tied to Cadmus.

She was mostly sorting the rich and the powerful into categories of priority. Max Lord might be the highest priority to look into, but Lex Luthor wasn’t far behind. Even if the psychopath was in prison already. People that rich didn’t get hampered much by prison. SHIELD would have dumped him into a black site isolation cell and had his only interactions being scientific theory that would get passed on and chewed apart by scientists at the Academy. That, or they’d have just put a round between his eyes. Fury would have used him, Coulson would have had him put down. Daisy agreed with Coulson.

Still, not the most pressing issue and one she’d deal with later. Priority was skimming articles on Maxwell Lord. To the dipshit's credit, he didn’t seem to be in deep with the military. So still likely semi-independent in his evil. The result of narcissism most likely. Give him a few more failures and a system would scoop him up though. But, arrogant narcissist was a thing she could work with. She wanted the DEO files on him, but first, she wanted into his systems.

Daisy tapped at her laptop. So, time to get a lock on someone low on the ladder in his corporation, getting their login credentials, then she could just walk in, log in, and install her own backdoor. She cracked her knuckles, time to go fishing and find someone who hadn’t paid attention to internet safety lectures or training.

 

Daisy was amused and a bit baffled by how easy it was to scoop up marks digitally. It’d taken her an hour, but the meatballs were stewing in the red sauce on the oven, yes it had taken three pots to fit all of them, and she was down to a short list of twenty idiots at Lord Tech. So many people were willing to sign up for online coupon offers. Which left her to troll through social media with the new emails, usernames, and passwords she’d just hooked and see who was a naughty fucker who used the same credentials for everything.

And wow, an idiot by the name of Jeff Williams was a winner. To be fair, so were most of her fish she’d hooked. But Jeff was depressingly perfect because he was a lead for technical support according to his Facebook page. Sometimes she thought she’d seen the dumbest things, actual leadership for a multi-billion dollar technical company's computer support department being this dumb was…not as surprising as it should be. Miles's old joke ‘hackers don’t break in, they log in’, was hilariously accurate.

Daisy was reading Jeff’s Facebook page absently as she got the water boiling to actually make pasta. She eyed the amount of pasta. She may, possibly, be making too much food. Like more than one meal's worth of leftovers. Huh…well given time she’d get the hang of portion sizes? Probably? Wasn’t like even if there were too many leftovers they’d last long.

She was stirring pasta when Kara came skidding in from where she’d just flown through the window. Daisy snorted at the expression on Kara’s face. “I didn’t mess anything up for you at Catco, right?”

“I think…Cat likes you?” Kara sounded absolutely baffled.

Daisy laughed. “She also thinks we’re involved, or at least I’m trying to seduce you.”

Kara’s face went red, “What, no, that…what?”

“Probably my fault, also is James your ex trying to get back together with you, or am I throwing a wrench in your personal life there?” Daisy might have been overly hostile to James. If Kara actually wanted to date or was just starting to date the guy she could undo the shitty first impression.

Kara opened and then shut her mouth before dropping onto a stool by the kitchen island like a sack of putty, with an audible groan. “James is…complicated.” She looked up at Daisy with a forlorn expression. “I ruined it.”

Both of Daisy’s brows went up, well that sounded like a story. And, just because James rubbed her the wrong way, didn’t mean she wasn’t aware that was her abandonment issues. Fuck therapy being useful. Cause he had the whole warm voice, was objectively attractive as hell, and clearly was successful, all things that were working for him. Very crush-worthy, honestly. “Well, I’m almost done with dinner, and I wouldn’t mind listening?”

////

Kara felt embarrassed with herself as she shared the whole James saga over spaghetti and meatballs, which were delicious. It all sounded so stupid and ridiculously unimportant. She’d cringed at admitting she’d pined after him even when he’d had a girlfriend, that she’d hurt him while under RedK.

“Wait, you bruised his wrist and said something bitchy to him and you’re counting that as malicious harm?” Daisy’s fork lowered as she stared at her in disbelief. “Like you didn’t even murder anyone while drugged out of your mind.”

Kara blanched. “No, I hurt people and-”

“Ok, perspective here.” Daisy waved her fork. “I got nabbed by another inhuman that had mind control. The whole thing was…terrible and not important right now. I can tell you another time. But I killed people, I helped build a supervillain planet-wide mind-control system by giving him my blood. My field partner? I shattered his ribs and beat him to a bloody pulp, I choked out my best friend, I set my boyfriend up to take the fall for my crimes. When he pleaded with me to stop I called people dying beautiful. And I was under that control a lot longer than your two days.”

The air in her lungs froze, a faint layer of ice spreading across her lips as the horror of that registered.

“It was different than your RedK that brought your darkest, worst impulses, it didn’t change who I was like that, it just made me love him. His happiness, his wants, his everything was the most important thing in the world. All the grief and pain, everything that hurt in my head just was gone. I was perfectly happy. I went through withdrawal after Andrew died freeing me from Hive. But Lincoln, after I’d hurt our friends, hurt him, betrayed him in every way, he still loved me.”

Daisy held her gaze, the weight left Kara speechless. “Lincoln died to protect me from what had happened, he shouldn’t have, it should have been me, but he didn’t care. And I don’t know a lot about your life, but from what you’ve said, that’s how your sister loves you. Probably how your J’onn loves you. If the cute photo dude has an ego that is taking you being less mean to him than most drunks at last call, he’s not in love with you enough to be worth being this upset over. And like sure, maybe someday he could be, but he’s not now. And if you want to date him, date him. Bruised ego or not he’s into you, and I get it, he’s hot. But don’t twist yourself up in knots over nothing.”

Kara couldn’t help it, she reached out catching Daisy’s free hand. “I’m sorry.”

“It was two and a half years ago.” Daisy turned her hand over, squeezing Kara’s hand back. “What I’m trying to say, probably badly, is you’re way too upset about something that isn’t even your fault. And if he can’t see that, it's his problem.” She shrugged and pulled her hand back with a soft expression. “But I’m down for wingmanning if you want? He definitely cared about my existence.”

She bit at her lip looking down into her half-empty bowl of dinner. “So much is happening and I don’t…know?”

“Let me know if you change your mind.” Daisy agreed easily. She smiled at her playfully. “But hot photojournalist is your type?”

“That’s…I…maybe? I just felt all fluttery when I met him and he was so nice.” Kara’s shoulders slumped. “But then it's just been hard, and I feel stupid. Every time I try and do anything about it it goes wrong. Alex kept saying I just needed to take initiative but when I tried it just went terribly.”

Daisy refilled Kara’s glass of wine. “And being a superhero doesn’t help. I managed one actual relationship in seven years of working as an agent. And it was a year of flirting before us being together for less than a month and then Hive.” She paused, shifting slightly. “Dating with all the hero shit going on is like expert mode from hell.”

That wasn’t as long as Kal had been doing it, but the difference in length of time was only a few years. And Kara hurt at the reminder of the grief that came with being a hero. Grief had been Kara’s companion since she was thirteen. “I wouldn’t give up my ability to help people for anything. I love what I do, it matters. Even if they hate me, and I get hurt, that I bleed, it's worth it.”

“You talk down so many bad guys, don’t you?” Daisy was smiling at her.

Kara felt proud at that. It was stupid, but she felt proud cause she had, hadn’t she? “Sometimes.”

“The cape is very cool too, we weren’t as big into capes in my world.” Daisy tilted her head slightly. “We’re depressing…just way too much. Come on, there has to be a rom-com and ice cream or something?”

Kara half snorted half giggled, she wasn’t wrong. “Does your world have Disney?”

“Yup, Mulan, Fox and the Hound, Aladdin, and Robin Hood for life.” Daisy grinned, “You?”

“I love all of them! But Snow White is my favorite!” Kara polished off her bowl of dinner. “Do you have the Lion King?”

Daisy nodded, “I cried when Mufasa died when we watched it on movie nights as a kid.”

“So did I, I cried during a lot of Disney movies,” Kara admitted.

Both of Daisy’s hands rested on top of the table. “Pixar, I gross sobbed over Wall-E.”

“Yes! It’s just so sad, and his little robot hands!” Kara gestured to emphasize her point.

Daisy nodded, “And he’s cleaning up garbage by himself and the loneliness. I started sniffling five minutes in and it didn’t get better till the human characters showed up.”

“I cry in the Notebook every time. It probably makes me a bad feminist but the end!” Kara had feelings about the end of the Notebook.

Daisy didn’t seem exasperated like Alex over the romance film passion. “No, I get it. Not my favorite genre, but I get it. Sometimes the toxic mess is so good.”

“Human relationships are so different and I was fascinated by it and now I just love it.” Kara explained. “Also the harmony for the traffic light song? I could listen to it all day.”

Daisy blinked, and then her face lit up. “Oh my god, your Notebook is a musical?! Please say you own it. That’s amazing, do you know how many times I’ve had to watch that movie and your version involves singing? Wait, what other movies are musicals? Is The Devil Wears Prada a musical?”

Kara laughed, “I own it, and no, The Devil Wears Prada isn’t a musical.”

“Titanic?” Daisy eagerly asked as she slid to her feet, grabbing dishes. “What about The Godfather?”

“What’s Titanic? And the Godfather isn’t a musical, it's one of Alex’s depressing movies.” Kara pouted, rats, of course, her new friend would like Alex’s movies.

Daisy blinked, “You didn’t have a Titanic?”

“What’s a Titanic?”

 

“TERMINATOR IS A MUSICAL!?”

Chapter 7

Notes:

Just posting this a day early so I'm not updating this and Old Gods tomorrow. That way leads to putting the wrong chapter to the wrong fic.

Kara was peacefully sorting emails for Ms. Grant and marking them by relevance or just answering or deleting the rest. It was a bit tedious, but also probably the most peaceful part of her job working for Ms. Grant. Unfortunately, it was a bit mindless, which left her mulling over the James situation. Ms. Grant’s advice had mirrored Daisy’s, only a bit blunter. Stop trying, shine more and he’d ‘dock in her port’. Which was a horrible metaphor. But the other words ‘do you still want him or do you think you are supposed to want him?’ were sticking more.

The important problem was this morning at the DEO. Siobhan wasn’t an alien but whatever was going on with her wasn’t good. Lucy said they’d keep looking into it. But the sinking feeling in her gut said that it might be her fault. That was silly though, she’d gotten Siobhan fired, not exposed to anything that’d cause powers! Kara was still gnawing on the inside of her lip though.

Rats, she’d stopped typing. She went back to the request for a raise and sent it to the correct individual in HR who should have gotten the request, not Ms. Grant. She was clicking into an email asking about arranging a meeting with Ms. Grant when she heard the now familiar rapid drumbeat that was Daisy’s distinctively too fast for a human heartbeat.

She couldn’t help the reflexive smile as she looked up. Daisy hadn’t said she was swinging by, it was her first day at RadioShack, and she must have just gotten off. Kara beamed, as her foot bounced slightly as she waited for the elevator to reach their floor. She was up and around her desk the second the door opened and she could believably know Daisy was here. “Daisy! What are you doing here?”

“Celebratory coffee tastes better with other people, and for the moment you’re my only friend in the city.” Daisy passed over a Noonens latte, extra hot and the distinctive scent of vanilla.

Kara excitedly accepted the cup before pausing and pouting at Daisy. “I should be the one doing something nice for you!”

“Uh, you’re letting me crash on your couch and are helping me get a mattress tomorrow after the paint finishes drying.” Daisy smiled though, “And you’ve been doing the dishes and helped me paint. You’re good.”

Kara narrowed her eyes and poked Daisy’s chest. “I’m getting you ice cream after work and you can’t stop me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, and I expect cookie dough.” Daisy’s smile was just pleased and happy as she let Kara hook their arms and pull her back to her desk.

She flicked her eyes to where Ms. Grant was working on her couch. “I can take a ten, especially if we’re celebrating. Do you like red velvet?”

“Who doesn’t like red velvet?” Daisy easily sat on the empty side of Kara’s desk, taking a sip of her own coffee.

Kara dropped back into her seat. “Psychopaths, that’s who.”

“Oh, well a good thing I’m capable of basic empathy then.” Daisy teased lightly, which she did a lot, the teasing. “Speaking of, RadioShack, I got the tour, and the login info and spent the remaining hour and a half cleaning porn viruses off of people’s laptops.”

Kara understood the pleased tone and expression. “So you like it?”

“Yeah, I think I do.” Daisy hummed. “I have a terrible red polo and name tag.”

It was the belonging, the slice of normalcy that Daisy liked, and Rao did Kara understand that. “Not wearing the polo outside of work?”

“I’m not really a polo girl,” Daisy said dryly, amused light in her eye. “Just because red isn’t hideous on me doesn’t make it my color.”

Kara couldn’t help it, “You wear enough color to have a favorite?”

“Rude,” Daisy snickered, “And I wear plenty of colors, like plaid.” She turned slightly thoughtful, head tipping slightly. “I probably do need to get some clothing that’s more than dark green, dark purple, grey, and black.”

It really was a weird thought to only wear such somber colors. “We can go to the clothing section when we go to Target!” Kara’s brow crinkled, “Why don’t you wear more color?”

“Yeah, no one wears a lot of color in an underground military base. It tends to be chilly, dark colors hide stains, and I don’t know, field uniforms were usually black. Just ended up a habit I guess. Dark colors or suits were pretty typical.”

Kara looked at Daisy critically. “I think you’d look nice in pink actually.”

“Oh, I do.” Daisy grinned. “I had this hot pink sun dress I used one time, tragedy struck and it got ruined. But I liked the dress. I wore a lot more color, and skirts really before I got recruited.”

Kara considered her friend. “Did you wear less eyeliner then?”

“Hey, I like my eyeliner, but yeah. And if you think this is a lot you should have seen me in my goth faze. I wore fishnets and black nail polish.” Daisy’s lips quirked up as she sipped at her coffee smugly.

Kara would have replied but the movement caught her attention on the other side of the bullpen. Something miserable and guilty cringed at the sight of Siobhan. “Oh no.”

“What?” Daisy’s eyes flicked to the movement, her brow shooting up as they watched Siobhan shove Winn out of her way. “Oh off her rocker power bitch?”

Kara cringed, “I got her fired.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking that was reasonable,” Daisy muttered.

Kara shot Daisy a look but didn’t say anything as Ms. Grant called out from her couch. Siobhan was going through a lot, she needed help, not to self-destruct and have Ms. Grant blacklist her even more than she already had!

“Kiera, call security. I haven’t seen eyes that crazy since I had fondue with Ramona Singer.” The snide, casual disregard was not helping.

Still, Kara was up and around her desk not quite blocking Ms. Grant’s office. Rao, she’d dreamed of this sort of thing before, now it just felt awful. The churning regret at messing everything up was uncomfortable in her stomach. “Siobhan, I’m sorry, you can’t be here.”

Kara did her best to beg with her eyes for Siobhan to let herself be talked down. To leave before the police got called, or she had to actually physically block her approach towards Ms. Grant.

The rage was practically leaking from Siobhan as her attention locked onto Kara. And oh, the disdain and fury were focused then. She might be more disheveled than Kara had seen her before, but she was still as razor-sharp and purposeful as ever. “You ruined my life, Kara Danvers.” She spat with enough poison to make a lake from it.

Siobhan’s face twisted up in a scream of sheer rage building. It was unhinged. Kara didn’t even know what to do in the face of just…this. But the scream that came out of Siobhan’s mouth was shrieking, a physical wall of sound so literal it blew Siobhan’s hair back. It felt like knives stabbing into Kara’s skull as her feet left the ground.

////

Daisy had been intending to stick around long enough to ‘bump’ into James and deescalate the tension there, no matter how much he rubbed her the wrong way. Besides, she’d been curious about whether Cat would try and talk to her, the woman clearly had been in her power bubble for way too long. Mostly seeing Kara was nice. Having a friend to just talk about stupid things like a first day at a boringly crappy job was nice.

Those plans went flying out the window, literally, when unhinged power bitch, apparently Siobhan, came striding in on a warpath. Which hadn’t pinged any danger vibes. The woman couldn’t be more of a civilian. Right up until her face had twisted up and every instinct in Daisy’s body went off. Because civilian didn’t mean ‘safe’, it just meant ‘untrained’.

The sound of the shriek she let out was horrible, it was like shards of glass stabbing into her brain while dancing up and down her nerve endings. Daisy wasn’t unused to pain though.

She didn’t even think, lunging a half second after Kara as the woman was blown clean off of her feet.

Daisy didn’t need to stop and think, she’d had the instincts of what to do in these situations beaten into her head, sometimes literally, for years. She caught up to Kara right as Kara was breaking through the glass window.

She didn’t hesitate, she jumped right out after her, one arm hooking around her friend’s waist. Daisy barely had time to get her feet up in time as they hit the smooth metal and glass of the indented L of the face of the building. Right angles in architecture, shockingly useful at this moment.

Her right foot slipped on the smooth slightly damp surface, her left foot didn’t. It was barely enough grip, but Daisy still kicked off back towards the window they’d just come out of.

Gravity and geometry were a bitch, they weren’t going back through the window. But, it was close enough that Daisy was already twisting, her left hand reached out.

Daisy’s hand caught the bottom of the metal window frame for the window that’d just been blown out.

The downside of grabbing the window frame of a freshly shattered window, the glass hadn’t actually all fallen out, meaning a few shards of it sliced into Daisy’s hand. Especially in the far corner just barely managing to grab the thing.

Upside of grabbing the window frame of the freshly shattered window Kara’d just been chucked out of, neither of them were going to be using their powers to survive this. Cover identities preserved, ‘yay team’.

And then Daisy and Kara’s combined weight hit, jerking Daisy’s grip, driving the shards of glass deeper. Daisy grit her teeth to keep from yelping at the pain as she held them up there. She breathed out through her nose. Ok, they were good. She glanced down at the forty-story drop beneath them, and then up at the window. With only one hand there was no way an un-serumed person was getting another human up and to safety.

She frowned, no more terrible shrieking vibrations from hell up above. So hopefully someone had tackled psycho bitch Siobhan. Daisy looked at Kara. Fuck, she was out of it. Concussion probably from the vague whiny sounds she was making while not seeming to quite grasp they were on the side of a building, considering alien, she’d give her five minutes to be good as new. Still, good to know that shit could hurt her, it was a thing to look out for.

Daisy squinted up at the open window. They did realize they were hanging here right? She hissed, fuck that glass in her hand really hurt. So she shouted up. “HEY! SOME HELP HERE PLEASE!”

It was faint, outside of a skyscraper windy and all, but Daisy could just barely hear the hysterical sound of a woman’s voice, “Oh my god they didn’t fall!”

There was some sound, and then James and Winn were partially leaning out of the window. Winn’s face blanched, his face was sheet white.

“Hey, if I pass Kara up can you guys take her?” Daisy cut off whatever panicked anything was about to come pouring out of Winn’s mouth.

James was on the ball. “Do we need a rope?”

“If I lift her up, can you hook her under the arms, or do you need the rope?” Daisy’s feet were resting on the flat surface of the side of the skyscraper.

James was moving. “I can get her by the arms. Winn, grab me around the waist.” He leaned half out the window. “Is she alright?”

“Probably a concussion, maybe shock.” Daisy looked down at Kara. “Kara, I need you to not fight me, ok?”

Kara squinted at her from where she was hanging a bit like a sack of potatoes. “Wha- why’d you help? I…”

“You got sent flying out a window.” Daisy let a thrum of her powers vibrate Kara slightly, hopefully, it would remind her everything was fine, she didn’t need to do anything heroic and cover-blowing. Daisy pulled herself and Kara up a full six inches, then using a leg, and her grip adjusted Kara so she was mostly between her and the building and more upright.

There was a flash of blue eyes as Kara seemed to be more aware. Good, she just needed to play along for a few more seconds.

Daisy held Kara’s eyes, “Kara, I need you to put your hands on my shoulders and push yourself up so James can grab you, ok? I know you’re confused, you have a concussion. But it's going to be fine.”

Kara’s eyes were less glassy by the second as she nodded, her hands were gentle as they moved to Daisy’s shoulders and she did as asked.

James, which he had seriously good instincts for a civilian on how to not overbalance, hooked Kara under her armpits and pulled her up and through the empty window frame.

It was a sharp lessing of the pain in Daisy’s hand at the loss of the extra weight. She didn’t wait for James to come back for her, he was a decent dude, and he’d have come back for her. But she had abs before she got serummed, thanks. She pushed up with what little friction she had with her feet, her now free hand gripping a less glass-encrusted part of the metal window frame, and easily pulled herself up and through the window.

Daisy ignored the sharp pain from un-impaling her hand as she swept the room, there was no hogtied and being sat on Siobhon. “Where did the shrieky bitch go? Did you shove her in a closet or something?”

“Oh, well, after she went all Mariah Carey on you, she just split,” A woman with a brown updo said from where she was next to Winn where he was crouched by a now sitting upright on the floor Kara.

Cat Grant spoke. “What the hell was that?”

Daisy’s head tilted, and wow, right, civilians. “Airforce Special Reconnaissance war vet?”

“You’re bleeding?!” Kara sounded alarmed, her eyes locked on Daisy’s hand.

She winced looking at her hand, quickly reaching up and pulling the visible piece of glass out of her palm. “Yeah, that’s going to need some stitches.” Daisy dropped down in front of Kara. “And you need to get checked for a concussion.”

“Your nose,” Kara sounded horrified.

Daisy’s good hand poked at her nose, she blinked looking at her fingertips stained red. Huh, that shriek had done some damage. Would be healed up in another twenty minutes tops though. So she needed to get her and Kara out before then. “Huh, shrieky had some lungs on her.” She looked over to Cat. “Look, do you have an underling who can drive us to a walk-in clinic? I just need some stitches but Kara’s going to need to get evaluated, whatever that was hit her dead on. Might get sent to the ER, but faster to check out a walk-in first.”

“Of course, Cathy, you have a car I presume?”

Daisy bit the inside of her cheek, good to know, Cat Grant cared about Kara, even if she was still ridiculously bitchy about it. She tuned out the arrangements and looked at James. “You wouldn’t have a handkerchief or something I can use to stop the bleeding?”

“Of course,” He yanked his necktie off his neck, handing it over. “Will that work?”

She blinked, huh, hostile towards newbies in Kara’s life, but not an asshole. “Yeah, that’ll work.” Daisy accepted the tie, quickly tying it around her sliced open hand, and hiding what would be skin stitching back together, and fast. “I’ll get you a new one.”

“You saved Kara, you don’t owe me anything,” James said, voice warm and slightly shaky. Not uncertain though.

Kara lunged forward hugging her.

Daisy awkwardly patted Kara on the back. “It's not a big deal?”

“You jumped out a window forty stories up!” Winn squeaked.

Daisy rolled her eyes. “I’ve jumped out of airplanes at twenty thousand feet, what’s a skyscraper? Only like a 90% chance of going splat if I missed getting the frame on the way down.” Her eyes widened as she stared at Cat Grant. “Do not put me on your front page, I swear to god!”

////

Kara breathed easy as Karen’s car drove off after dropping them off at the walk-in clinic. She looked at Daisy. “Come on, let’s get you stitched up.”

“Uh, I’m fine.” Daisy pulled the soppy with blood tie off of her hand, it was just an angry red scab. “I heal fast. Needed to get us out of there before someone noticed that or that you healed up from a severe concussion in under two minutes. I’ll fake our medical paperwork once it doesn’t hurt to type.”

Kara hugged her. “Why would you do that! You got hurt!?”

“Uh, you got chucked out a window, grabbing you was just instinct. Then like it wasn’t a big deal to keep everyone thinking we were human.” Daisy shrugged, after hugging her back briefly. “You’re really a hugger aren’t you?”

Kara’s face flushed, not having Alex around for hugs and cuddles was showing. “I’m sorry, I can stop if-”

“It's fine, I’m just not that used to it.” Daisy smiled, and it wasn’t a happy smile. “So, now that you’ve got a free afternoon, what’s the plan, cause I’m going to go out on a limb and say that your former co-worker is going to need to be stopped and if the cops do it she’s going to end up dead.”

Her jaw tensed at that thought. “Would it be all right if I flew us back to the apartment?”

“Go for it.” Daisy agreed, tipping her head to a nearby alley.

What Kara actually wanted to do was fly them to the secret base at Catco. But she knew enough about Daisy to know she’d be deeply opposed to anyone knowing about her. She wanted to disappear into the crowds. So to the apartment, she went. As soon as her feet had hit the floor she let go of Daisy. “I don’t know what to do, when her scream hit me, everything went fuzzy.”

“Well it’s soundwaves, you’re sturdy enough some construction earplugs with like over-the-ear construction muff things should probably keep you on your feet.” Daisy frowned stepping to the sink and whipping the blood stains off of her hands. “That and you’re fast enough you should be able to get around her if you take her by surprise. If that doesn’t work, I control vibrations, sound waves are vibrations, I can just make them not happen.”

Kara’s eyes widened as she realized that was an offer of help with Super stuff. “You’d help?”

“Yeah, I’m not going to leave you to deal with this alone.” Daisy scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. “That said, Daisy Johnson and Quake can’t be connected. Not if Cadmus is linked to the DEO. If they know who I am it’s going to limit what I can do, and ups the chances of me having to fight them outright before we even know where their icky tentacles of shit are. At least as plan A.”

Kara nodded, that made sense. “So what, I text you where and you meet me there?”

“If something happens and you can’t take her by yourself, yeah. You take a GPS tracker, hit an SOS message, I’ll stay central enough that you should only have to hold out for three minutes tops till I can get there. Ideally less, but if she heads to the outskirts, It’ll take me a couple of minutes.”

Kara considered what she knew of the situation. “I need to go into the DEO and update Lucy on what’s going on.” She looked at Daisy. “Siobhan isn’t…nice…she’s really mean but she’s scared and doesn’t know what’s going on with her powers. She needs help.”

“So we’re helping the lady who just tried to murder you, sounds fun.” Daisy hesitated, “Kara, if you end up needing me it's going to be important that anyone who sees it believes it's the first time we’ve met. You can’t act like you’ve seen me before. I can make sure your reaction is more genuine, but it means you need to be surprised.”

She wanted to brush off the warning, but there was a seriousness to Daisy that said she shouldn’t do that. Kara straightened fully, “Let’s do this.”

Chapter 8

Notes:

Two days early because of the Holiday! Hope you all are having a wonderful Valentines day.

If this chapter keeps getting updated a few times in the next twenty minutes or so it's cause I'm tying a new HTML font thing and just am fixing any errors in the formatting it might cause. Should probably be fine, but ya know, if something weird happens that's why.

Cat Grant was having a terrible day that was going to make her have to get some touch-ups on her hair to hide the new grey strands. She’d agreed, against her business sense, to blur Daisy’s face from the security footage that’d been published on the website and frames that would be running in the Tribune. It was dramatic, not the best angle. But Cat took a handful of M&Ms at the sight of the security footage of a human ‘yeeting’ themself out of a skyscraper like a suicidal lemming and surviving somehow.

Sometimes she knew to her bones that her obnoxiously perky millennial assistant was Supergirl. But then days like this came. Days where a niggling feeling of doubt crept in. Because there was an emailed note Kiera had sent her, from the hospital ER informing her that her assistant had a mild concussion and would be out of work for the next three days. The trick of Kiera and Supergirl both in her office, this doctor's note, the way Kiera had seemed genuinely harmed and disoriented by Siobhan’s screaming. But everything else lined up. It was miserable being unsure.

What she was sure of was those military medals Daisy had casually referenced being very real. It’d only taken a quick Google search to see what on earth Special Reconnaissance was. The answer was special forces that did things so classified it was probably impossible even for her to get a real run down on most of the types of missions they did. But someone trained to jump out of a plane and land behind enemy lines. It fit for the sort of suicidal ‘yeeting’ Daisy had done, and then being concerned about not being plastered on the news.

And Cat couldn’t deny the horrible, sick horror at the sight of Kiera being thrown out that window. It didn’t matter she was almost sure the girl was Supergirl. What mattered was if she hadn’t been she would have died. If she hadn’t befriended a veteran missing all survival instincts, thank god, she would have died.

At least they were raking in eyes and numbers with the office footage of ‘wished to remain anonymous veteran’ saving the day. The footage was still sickening. There was a moment when Kiera and Daisy fell out of frame, and without knowing to look for it, it was so easy to miss where Daisy’s hand caught the window frame, half impaling her hand on the glass. Then the rush of pulling Kiera up, only for the now blurred-out face of Daisy climbing right back in and pulling a shard of glass out of her hand. It was selling. The arguments in the comments about the probability of pulling off the insane stunt were wild.

Cat had no doubt by the end of the week every parkour idiot in the city would have built an obstacle to test the maneuver out on. She didn’t need to be an expert to know it was insane they’d survived that. To know the difference in life and death had been one shoe not slipping, pure athleticism, and a woman with the pain tolerance to hang on even while her hand was partially impaled on glass.

The submitted video from people on the ground was equally sickeningly impressive. Because when windows got blown out, the people on the ground noticed the shower of glass and looked up. And then aimed smartphones at the human beings hanging out of said window. The phone footage wasn’t clear due to the distance. It was clear enough to tell what was happening broadly though.

Cat eyed her bottle. It was too early to get drunk, but once five o’clock hit nothing on god’s green earth was keeping her from knocking back four fingers of that. She had a driver for a reason. Which left her stress munching on M&M’s one at a time. At least her cover story had resolved itself. Superpowered attack and heroic rescue by bystander sold. It’d sell better if Daisy had consented to an interview and her face being used. But, for saving Kara’s life, Cat would accept keeping the woman anonymous.

She looked up as James burst into her office. “I don’t recall asking for your presence?”

“Ms. Grant, you have to leave now.” He had a cell phone in one hand. “Livewire has escaped. She could be anywhere now, but you know she’ll come for you eventually. You need to head home and pack. Winn called Kara for her passwords, he’s arranging a car to take you and Carter to the airport with guards. He’ll take care of your escape arrangements.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Cat met his faintly panicked expression with her own, even one. “I’ve beat her once, I’ll beat her again.” She scoffed at the gaping disbelief on his face. “Fine. I had help, but I will have help again. National City may have lost faith in Supergirl, but I have not. And you shouldn’t either, Mr. Olsen.”

He tried that warm, persuasive, ever so slightly commanding but not overbearing posture. “Ms. Grant, I have every faith in Supergirl. But she can’t be everywhere all at once. You need to leave until she’s caught Livewire.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She replied, like hell, she was letting her own demented protege chase her out of her city. The screens behind her desk started to spark. Well, now would be a really good time for Supergirl to show up.

 

Cool under pressure was a joke. Her heart was beating out of her chest abnormally fast, her hands sweating as she tried not to flinch as Leslie shot lightning in great showy arches to explode things. Supergirl had better get here, soon. Being handcuffed to a bench as human bait was not what she’d meant when she’d said she believed in Supergirl. The screaming of the idiot innocent bystanders who were running around like chickens with their heads cut off was not helping the situation.

“Think she’ll show?” Siobhan asked from where she was standing looking like a Party City reject. Who showed her facepaint? She really should have stayed behind the scenes. Clearly, she was not cut out for being in front of the camera. Of course, Cat could have told her that if she’d asked. Also if terror wasn’t tightening her throat it’d help with communicating her disdain. And terror.

Leslie, or Livewire, or whatever insipid name the woman was going by now, replied. “Don’t know. Don’t really care. Either way, I’m getting my jolts.” She stalked towards Cat, her voice dripping venom. “You see Cat, I’m still fifty-fifty if your heart’s actually beating, but I’m going to stop it anyway.”

She meant it.

It was the jolt that unstuck Cat’s tongue. “No, Leslie. Please don’t do this.” Cat’s wrists ached from the handcuffs holding her in place. She was going to die. If Supergirl didn’t get here now, she was going to die. Because Leslie really would kill her.

Leslie sneered, “Begging? I’m disappointed. What are you so afraid you’re going to miss, hmm? Another silly award ceremony? Where a bunch of sycophants kowtow to the false queen and tell you how great you are?”

“No. No, I’m not asking for myself. I’m asking for my boys. I’m all they have. Please don’t take their mother away from them.” It was all she had. The only thing that mattered. Carter who was so young, so special. He’d never recover from losing her. And she’d only just begun to mend bridges with Adam. Cat didn’t care about dignity or pride, she needed to survive, for them. Because she loved them.

A relief so desperate it felt like a physical blow hit her as Supergirl landed not twenty yards away.

The hero’s clear commanding voice traveled, bringing the chaos, the running masses, and even the monsters to a halt through the sheer force of her presence. “Leslie! Leave Ms. Grant alone.”

“Skirt! You showed.” Leslie straightened, turning to face Supergirl. “Think things will go differently for you this time? Or are you going to run away to save your hide again?”

Siobhan, pretentious facepaint she thought made her a serious ‘villain’ scoffed. “Enough of this,” and then opened her mouth and screamed.

Supergirl looked ridiculous with construction worker ear-muffs over her ears, but the force of the scream only forced her back an inch. “You don’t have to do this Siobhan, we can help you.”

“You think you can take both of us?” Leslie sneered, “Some ridiculous earmuffs aren’t going to save you. It's only a little murder, well-deserved murder. Why don’t you go fly off.”

Supergirl’s hand was held out in the universal sign for ‘stop’. “We can talk this out, no one has to get hurt.”

“Only a couple of people do,” Lightning cracked up her arms, her eyes turned to the sky on the Catco World Wide Media helicopter, her face twisted into a snarl, and Cat knew talking was at an end. “I HATE, HELICOPTERS!”

Lightning poured out of her fingers, people screamed as they realized what was about to happen.

Supergirl moved.

She was fast, she threw herself between the lightning and the helicopter, arms outstretched.

Lightning lit her up, enwrapping her form, her head flung back in a silent scream, and then she dropped the second Leslie’s powers ceased. It was as if the lightning itself had kept her in place.

She crashed to the ground, pain on her face, her back arching from what appeared to be muscle spasms.

A murmur washed through the crowd. Cat could have sworn someone said ‘she saved them’. Her heart was in her throat.

“Not so Super now, are you Skirt.” Leslie and Siobhan stepped forward only to stop, as a loud, echoing, clap, echoed through the city park.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The air itself felt heavy with a low hum. Like the air before a thunderstorm.

Cat and everyone else looked up, and there, sitting on the edge of a building against one side of the park, was a figure. And Cat knew as she took in the figure it was bad news.

The person looked vaguely feminine from the hair but could have been a slight man. They were clad all in black, not a sliver of skin was visible. Their face was covered with some kind of goggle face mask that glinted gold in the light, and their lower face was covered with hard plastic. But whereas Leslie and Siobhan looked like they were trying to wear a costume, this person did not.

Leslie balked, before puffing up with unearned bravado…possibly earned. “And who are you?”

“Someone fascinated by the stupidity down there.” There was a voice modulator being used. A horrible artificial sound as it echoed from them. The figure pushed off falling the three stories without a flicker of hesitation, landing lightly. Probably flight then. As they walked forward, it was clear it was a woman. And Cat felt a shiver of dread as she realized that black fabric was kevlar.

The woman had a short women’s bob cut, the color a dark poisonous-looking purple. It was the only thing besides some dark purple paneling of her jacket, and the gold glint of her mask that gave the faintest hint of personality. And to say she stalked forward didn’t do her movement justice. And that was blatantly a gun attached to her thigh. Cat’s eyes turned to where a confused-looking Supergirl was trying to climb to her feet, but swaying with the movement.

“Well, no one accused Supergirl of being smart,” Leslie said snidely. “Name’s Livewire, that’s Banshee. If you’re here to get in our way, it won’t go well for you.”

The woman came to a stop, head tilting. “Cute, but sure, let’s go with the made-up names. Call me Quake.”

“Planning on intervening?” Leslie’s voice had a threat in it, she was getting more confident by the second.

‘Quake’s’ face turned ever so slightly towards Cat, “All this just to kill a bitchy CEO? I mean, go off I guess?” that same horrible artificial voice modulated voice that was impersonal, the same lack of a human face.

Supergirl’s fingers twitched slightly as she looked between the new arrival and Leslie and Siobhan. “Ms. Grant does not deserve to die.”

“Is that asking me for help, Hotstuff?” Quake’s voice, altered and robotic as it was, came across as almost amused.

Siobhan apparently had lost it. “Enough of this.” And then she turned her whole body moving with the force of it as she screamed.

There was no sound.

Quake’s hand was raised towards Siobhan, and there was no noise. She spoke, her voice still that artificial crackle. “That was dumber than trusting the Kryptonian to play nice.” And then she shot Siobhan in the face.

Screams echoed out as Siobhon crumpled like a puppet.

“No!” Supergirl came to a skidding stop just short of where Siobhon’s body was. She turned, eyes wide towards Quake. “You shot her?!”

Quake’s face mask was tilted to the side. “And?”

“Holy fuck.” Leslie took a half step backward, electricity crackling over her.

Quake’s gun swung towards Leslie.

The gun went off.

Supergirl was faster than a bullet.

One hand of hers was on Quake’s chest just below her throat, the other had a grip around Quake’s wrist, holding the hand and gun straight upwards. The crack of the gun echoed. This park really did have a problem with that, echoing. Supergirls’s face was hard. “We don’t murder people.”

“I mean, speak for yourself.” Quake leaned into Supergirl’s grip even as the Kyrptonian’s face filled with affront. “But don’t worry, can’t you hear Shrieky’s heartbeat? Tranq rounds, I was getting tired of the casuals’ pretension. I mean where did she get her suit, the bargain bin? And that makeup, yikes.”

Supergirl’s head snapped around as she dropped Quake to look at Siobhan’s body only to nearly slump in relief. “Oh thank Rao.”

“You know what, fuck this sideshow.” Leslie turned, lightning sparking as she started shifting into pure lightning as she took off, lunging towards Cat.

Cat only kept from screaming through sheer terror.

Supergirl blurred, skidding to a stop in front of Cat.

She hadn’t needed to.

The white light of Livewire fractured as she returned to being corporeal, slamming into the ground with a sharp scream of pain, She twisted, looking at Quake. “What di-”

There was a crack as Quake shot her.

Quake holstered her weapon. “Boring.”

“Would you stop shooting people!” Supergirl yelped as she dropped to one knee, pressing two fingers to Leslie’s neck. Her shoulders softened with relief.

One of Quake’s hands dropped to her waist, her weight leaning to one side. “Shouldn’t you be happier? ‘Yay, bad guys down, innocents saved’, you didn’t have hurt anyone in the process, victory all around and all that? You even tried to choke me a bit. Which kinky, but I’m down for negotiating limits.”

Supergirl actually choked, her face flushing as she made a vaguely inarticulate sound. Cat had never been so certain Supergirl was Kara Danvers in her life. She’d have spoken up, but getting the attention of the person who screamed supervillain, didn’t sound smart. And she’d had enough near-death experiences for a single day. Cat held her tongue. She’d prefer someone got around to uncuffing her from this bench sooner rather than later though.

“Why did you shoot them?!” Supergirl waved her arms.

Quake’s head tilted again. “They were annoying me? Is this because I didn’t punch them? Cause the effort you go to so you don’t accidentally murder your opponents is wild and I don’t like pulling punches. The restrained strength thing is very sexy, but is getting hit by things really worth it?”

“I…why are you here?” Supergirl just ignored the cavalier disregard for life and the flirting. Well, if there was a hero that outright flirting on would put off foot, it’d be Supergirl.

Quake stepped straight into Supergirl’s personal space, till they were less than a foot apart. “Huh, I think you might be more interesting than my why.” She took a large step backward. “Nice meeting you Hotstuff, you're welcome for the save by the way. I think I’ll see you around.” Her head gave a very pointed tip of an up-down look of the hero. “This has been fun.”

“Wait, what do you mea-”

But Quake didn’t stay to hear whatever Supergirl had been about to ask, instead she simply shot straight up into the sky in a gust of wind.

The awful weight vanished with the woman’s presence.

Cat felt rather like she could breathe again. “Supergirl, as amusing as it is to watch you being tricked into letting a villain escape because she was flirting with you, handcuffs. Anytime now.”

“Ms. Grant!” Supergirl strode for her and quickly snapped the handcuffs off of her.

She rubbed at her wrists while standing up. “Took you long enough.” And nobody had better notice the shake in her hands. Fear did not agree with her.

////

Kara was going so fast as she flew through her apartment window she skidded three inches before coming to a halt. “Daisy! What…what was that?!”

Daisy looked up from where she was seated on a stool by the kitchen island. “Your reactions had to be genuine, and honestly with how your world’s PR is looking, being a borderline villain is more flexible and probably more useful.” She reached up pulling the wig off of her head. “I am sorry for freaking you out though.”

“Freaking me out…you’re going to be a villain?” Kara’s arms waved.

Daisy pulled out a series of bobby pins as she spoke, her long hair falling back down over her shoulders. “Eh, villain vibes.” Daisy hesitated. “Look I didn’t…how bad did that push it for you?”

“That was really intense, you were very convincing. I didn’t realize it was you immediately.” Kara admitted, she’d felt a horrible lurch at the thought it was three villains, not two. The distinctive beat of Daisy’s heart had taken a few seconds to place, and even then, she’d just been…so different.

Daisy smiled weakly. “Well, I am a spy.” The smile faded though. “What I said was the acting, how I handled them, not as much. I wasn’t the you of my world, even if I was trying to do good.”

“Why do you need to be a villain? Because that sounds terrible, really unreasonably terrible.” Kara picked up the other stool by the kitchen island, set it down in front of Daisy, and took a seat. Their knees bumped slightly.

Daisy seemed hesitant and cautious. Her words careful. “Your change from the RedK, it was blatantly obvious something was wrong with you, it was short, the only people you even physically harmed were your boss, sister, and J’onn, and the general population is behaving as if you’ve betrayed them. Hell, even Cat is refusing to help you. And she could, it’d be good business too. Sex and drugs sell, you being drugged would sell. So why is no one supporting you, publically? The government was prepared and ready to take as much power over you at the drop of a hat, but not a single person whose life you’ve saved is doing impassioned defenses of you? I mean sure, there’s a few private blogs, Facebook posts, but nothing with weight. And that...that’s weird.”

“And that’s not how you think it should be?” Kara said slowly.

Daisy gave her a faintly frustrated, faintly pleading look. “Look the first big heroes on my world were a billionaire in a flying tank, a WWII vet shot up with steroids that left him a near physical match for an Asgardian, an Asgardian with lightning powers, a guy who turned into a giant rage monster, a special ops agent with a bow and arrows, and a Russian murder spy with guns. You or your cousin probably could take all of them. Well, if you played to win instead of going easy to try and not hurt them.”

“I think, you and more your cousin, being the heroes on this world shaped how people see heroes in some really fucked up ways.” There was a faint shiver in the air that Kara was beginning to learn meant Daisy was upset. “They don’t see you as people. The standard they are holding you to is perfection. And as much as they worship you, they also are terrified of you.” Something steely passed across Daisy’s eyes. “So I’m going to give them an alternative. I’m three-quarters human, I have the power to crack a planet like an egg. They need to see humans can fight gods, and they need to have a point of contrast for the standard you two are setting.”

Kara wasn’t entirely sure she followed. She mostly did, but she’d be playing this conversation over and over in her head for days. She just knew it. “...and that means you need to be a villain?”

“I mean without the trying to dominate the planet and all that.” Daisy shrugged. “Also, it gives me a lot more options going forward.”

“That’s terrible, Daisy, you shouldn’t be making yourself out to be someone you’re not.” Kara reached out touching her knee. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I know I don’t have to do it.” The line of Daisy’s shoulders softened. “I’m choosing to. And Kara, I’ve killed people, a lot of people. Fuck, I’ve tortured a few people. I’m not good, I may try to protect people when I can and stop threats but it's never been clean for me.”

Kara blew out a breath. “That’s…a lot.”

“Yeah, and not your method.” Daisy’s fingers twitched. “Which is a good thing. But it's never going to be mine.”

She felt something settle, it wasn’t what she in part wanted to hear. Or would have expected really. But it felt honest. “I’m not that naive, I know not everything can be uncomplicated and not everyone can be saved. My mother was a judge, I’ve seen so much death. Promise me only as a last resort.”

“I…” Daisy’s back straightened. “Self-defense or in defense of another as a last good resort, anything premeditated only if it's the only good option and I never lie to you about it. And no torture as anything but an absolute last resort when every other option has been exhausted. It's not like torture even works really.” Daisy didn’t flinch in the slightest as she spoke. “I don’t like killing, I don’t like hurting people. But it is necessary sometimes.”

Kara didn’t like it, but she knew it was all she would get. “Ok.”

“Hey, this isn’t some final whatever. You can change your mind.” Daisy’s knee knocked into Kara’s. “We can and probably should talk about it again in the future. And I know when it comes to the people I love I can go too far. I’m not perfect, I’m not always right. I help you, you help me, ok?”

And that felt lighter, a lot lighter. She leaned forward, and awkward or not, hugged her friend. “I think that’s doable.” She squeezed Daisy before pulling back, ignoring the surprised look on her face. “I get the villain thing, even if I still think it's a terrible idea. Why were you flirting with me like that?”

“I needed you too off balance so you wouldn’t give away you knew me already.” Daisy shrugged a faint curl to her lips. “And it was hilarious.”

Chapter 9

Notes:

This fic will stabilize with weekly Friday updates once Old Gods goes on Hiatus, but till then it's probably going to just update earlier in the week so I don't end up with both updating anywhere near the same day.

Also, Alex gets brought up a lot in the comments, she'll pop up when she returns in the show, so like the later half of the whole Myriad thing. So you'll know when she's coming, it's the same time and place as the show.

Daisy wasn’t sure what to do with the warm fuzzy feelings as she ate cookie dough ice cream straight from the carton, curled up on one end of Kara’s couch, listening to Kara gripe about how the DEO had taken the day’s shenanigans. It wasn’t exactly what she'd expected after she’d reacted that strongly to the gun. But it hadn’t ruined everything. She’d thought, for a second there Kara had realized she was a monster and wanted nothing to do with her. But here they were, ice cream, pajamas, and still friends.

“Lucy was having kittens over you, or Quake you,” Kara said while taking a vicious dig into her carton of triple chocolate fudge ice cream with her spoon. “I’m supposed to try and get information out of you if you show up again, apprehend you if possible.”

Daisy smiled faintly at that, well that would be fun. Maybe she should look up ‘Super’ related pick-up lines? Kara had clearly never had to use flirting as a tool before, and was easy to get a rise out of. “Well, probably shouldn’t show up for another four or five days unless you have something big happen again.”

“Why?” Kara asked looking at her in confusion.

Daisy continued to work at prying up a chuck of cookie dough. “Playing hard to get with the media. And it gives you more time to get back into your usual groove. The optics are better.”

“You sound like military Ms. Grant sometimes,” Kara said with a beleaguered sigh.

Daisy blinked. “I think that’s an insult, that feels like an insult.”

“Ms. Grant is an amazing woman, she’s accomplished so much!” Kara protested with a loyalty that wasn’t deserved from what Daisy had seen.

She stared at her friend. “She’s a bitch, I’ll give her she’s not quite as awful as she comes across as, but she’s like all the worst boomer traits wrapped up with a designer bow.”

“Once you get to know her and get past the prickles, and there’s maybe a lot of those, she cares so much and tries so hard to use her platform for what she believes in.” Kara defended.

Daisy gave a tip of her head in acknowledgment. It wasn’t like she knew the woman, but she wasn’t convinced. “If you say so, I’ll reserve judgment till I see her do something positive that isn’t being upset at you almost dying.”

“I can’t believe she’s letting me stay home for three days!” Kara actually sounded shocked.

Not that Daisy could judge, it wasn’t like SHIELD had sick days. “According to Google it's the average time recommended for people with mild concussions to stay at home. You’re also supposed to be avoiding bright lights, sounds, and other stimuli. So I just went with that on your doctor's note.”

“You sent in a whole doctor's note?” Kara looked up from her ice cream.

Daisy laughed, “I said I would.” She held up her hand slipping the bandages up, revealing the fully healed skin, only a thin, barely noticeable mark left on her palm. “And, all healed up.”

“You were still bleeding.” Kara reached out poking the palm of Daisy’s hand as she protested the injury.

“Not everyone is bulletproof, which has got to be so nice. I mean I can’t wear a bikini without getting noticed for the wrong reasons. Which is a shame, I’m hot. Do you know how much cover-up makeup I have to wear to infiltrate a pool party? Or even just go to the beach? Vacation is supposed to involve tropical islands and I’ve got questionable scars everywhere.”

Kara hesitated, “I’m sorry if it's rude, but how many scars do you have?”

“No idea, five bullet wounds, couple of grazes, been stabbed, then got vivisected, had the slave chip ripped out of the side of my neck, jumped through some glass windows before, uh…only have scars from being tortured the one time, the other times didn’t leave scars. So there’s that. Then just the usual cuts and stuff from working in the field and just being human.” Daisy reached out catching Kara’s hand, poor alien looked like she was blatantly horrified. “Hey, I’m fine.”

Kara had that look that said she was considering hugging her again as she spoke. “That’s horrible!”

“And why I wear a suit that stops bullets.” Daisy’s face softened as she looked at Kara’s just concern and vibrating consideration of physical affection. “I’m sorry you miss your sister so much.”

Kara seemed confused by that. “I miss her, of course, I do, but what does that have to do with bulletproof suits?”

“You’re a very huggy person, which is nice, but you look like you’re about to try and cuddle me. I figured you’re just missing the person you’d usually be spending time with.” Daisy didn’t mind being a replacement for the person Kara actually wanted to spend time with. It was sweet even.

“Oh, I do miss snuggling on the couch with Alex, and morning hugs, and evening hugs, and quick hugs at lunch,” Kara admitted, her cheeks flushing. “But you’re hurt and I can’t make it better. It makes me want to hug you even though I know it won’t help.”

Daisy couldn’t help the smile as she rolled her eyes, before scootching on the couch. “Right, you’re sharing some of that chocolate, you can have some of my cookie dough. And I think we have to brave the news.”

Kara lit up and adjusted so that Daisy could settle next to her, their sides leaning against each other. “You don’t have to.”

“You are very warm and cuddly.” Daisy flicked her eyes at Kara, letting a brief hum of vibrations run through Kara. “I’m not suffering to make you feel better. Now, no more delay. The media’s reaction to Supergirl blushing at being flirted with by a supervillain. The embarrassment is part of life.”

Pouting, Kara picked up the remote and turned it on.

 

The coverage was exactly as confused and directionless as Daisy’d assumed. The ongoing and baffling anti-Supergirl sentiment left everyone flat-footed in what to think of what was clearly a powered person capable and willing to kill flirting with their hero. And Daisy’d timed her arrival right, cameras everywhere from the professional to the personal. The whole thing had been heard, seen, and recorded from multiple angles. Also, Supergirl had taken that hit from Livewire to save a lot of lives. A helicopter crashing on a crowded park in the middle of the city would have killed more than a handful of people.

It was a genuine mess of stories. Who was Siobhan and what was her power, when and how had Livewire escaped again, a few positive comments about Supergirl, who was Quake, what were Quake’s powers, what was Quake, what was Quake’s obviously evil master plan, did a villain really just flirt with Supergirl instead of fighting her? And on it went. They couldn’t seem to settle on a narrative. The repeated coverage of ‘Banshee’s first attack on Catco World Wide Media PA foiled by anonymous hero’ was a bit frustrating. Fortunately, that footage was poor, and her own face was blurred even if Kara’s and the rest of the offices’ were not.

Daisy grabbed the carton off the coffee table of open things of ice cream. She checked the label. “You really went out on the ice cream thing.”

“It's for emotional support,” Kara grumbled into her current carton of mint chip. “Do they have to keep showing me blushing? Supergirl isn’t supposed to blush.”

Daisy snickered, “It's outside of Supergirl’s usual image, I don’t think it’s going away for a while. If you didn’t want people looking at your face you should have worn a mask.”

“Your mask is horrible, it scares people.” Kara snuck a spoonful of Daisy’s newly opened toffee chip and caramel.

She elbowed her slightly. “That’s the point, I don’t plan on anyone finding out I’m Daisy Johnson and that I’m Quake. At least not till it's useful for them to find out.”

“You could find a nice mask,” Kara mumbled around the spoon in her mouth. “One with a face on it.”

Daisy knew she’d break down, it wasn’t like she was attached to the ski mask and face shield, and putting in some air filtering into a mouth and nose guard part would be a good idea. Getting gassed by the Kree, shame on them, letting it happen by anyone else and it’d be shame on her. And Daisy was getting sick of getting kidnapped. “I could find a Ghostface mask I guess.”

“Don’t you dare!” Kara whacked her shoulder.

She grinned, and was pleased Kara wasn’t treating her like she was made from glass, cause that shoulder whack had some weight to it. More weight than Kara probably fully realized. It was fine, it wasn’t enough to bruise her. “What, it has eyes and a mouth.”

“It’s a horror movie mask,” Kara’s eyes squinted, cheeks puffed slightly. It was adorable, the woman was unfairly adorable most of the time.

Daisy just grinned before a question occurred to her. “Are the Scream movies musicals?”

“No, or yes, but no we are not watching horror movies!” Kara protested, “I had to watch them with Alex, I’m not watching them again.”

Daisy’s grin grew, “Holy shit, please say the killers have a murder song?”

“It's really catchy.” Kara was outright pouting.

She couldn’t help the burst of laughter at that. So she knew what she was hunting down while Kara was rescuing kittens. “That is so wild you guys have so many musicals, I mean we have them but it’s like one or two a year, not fifty percent of movies.”

“It's forty percent,” Kara admitted, her head tipped a bit. “Do people not like them in your world?”

Daisy shrugged, “I’ve got no idea, Coulson would have known, but he’s not here to ask.”

Kara opened her mouth to reply only to pause, her eyes focusing on the door past Daisy’s ear. “Lucy?” And then she was speeding to the door.

////

Lucy Lane didn’t even get to knock on Kara’s door before it was yanked open fast enough to cause a gust of wind. She mourned the chance to bang her knuckles on the door. It’d have been therapeutic. She had a great knock, very authoritative and firm. The blinding enthusiasm on Kara’s face was overwhelming and joyful, it would be nice if she could understand why! It’d been a nerve-wracking, horrible day. Lucy wouldn’t be surprised if Alex Danvers developed an ulcer before spontaneously combusting through sheer rage at seeing the news. The amount of effort J’onn had to be putting in to keep Alex Danvers from showing up had to be an alien super power.

“Lucy!” Kara moved too fast for Lucy to defend herself before she was being hugged by an enthusiastic alien.

She wheezed, “Can’t breathe.” Fuck, since when were she and Kara people who hugged?

“Sorry!” Kara pulled back like she’d been burned. It was funny to see her like this, all comfy Kara Danvers lounge clothing but with no glasses and the loose Supergirl waves of hair.

Lucy had no idea how she hadn’t figured it out. It made so much sense, she hadn’t wanted to see it, but it was a depressing testament to the human mind she’d managed to miss it, even willfully. Which is what Lucy was blaming that it took her a solid thirty seconds to notice the stranger in the room. “You’re not alone.”

“Oh, this is Daisy!” Kara excitedly stepped back welcoming Lucy in.

The woman on the couch buried her face in her hands. “Kara, you’re so bad at compartmentalization.”

Lucy shut the door behind her, folding her hands behind her back, and looked at Kara, her few last, precious crumbs of belief in her ability to hold down the Super-fort dying. “Want to explain who this is, Kara?”

“Uh…what is happening?” Kara looked back and forth between Lucy and this ‘Daisy’.

Daisy groaned and looked up, setting a carton of ice-cream with a…horrifying amount of cartons on the coffee table while standing up. “You answered the door without your glasses, hair down, faster than a human, before she could knock, and you’re wearing Kara clothing. IE, I’m a random stranger who knows both of you.”

“Not going to deny it?” Lucy looked at the woman evaluating her. The flannel pajama pants with a soft longsleeved shirt weren’t threatening, but the way her clothing laid on her said muscle, and there was something that made Lucy pay attention.

Daisy shrugged, “You’d be an idiot not to dig into my life with a backhoe if we tried to lie. And I’d rather just give you what you need so the inevitable background checking doesn’t make things irritating for me.”

“Wait, what?” Kara’s shoulders were setting, huh, Supergirl stance while in pajamas would never not be strange.

Daisy rolled her eyes, walking over and holding out her hand to Lucy. “Daisy Johnson, Kara’s new downstairs neighbor. She took insult at me sleeping in my car till I got the place set up and insisted I crash on her couch.” Her amused expression had a slightly lopsided lilt to it. “And then this is a studio apartment and she floats in her sleep. Didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. Ma’am.”

“Military?” Lucy asked, shaking the woman’s hand. And Jesus, no wonder Alex was an anxious wreck. Apparently, her superpower was keeping Kara’s secret a secret.

Johnson gave a tip of her head. “Air Force SR, just got out on a medical discharge. Hence getting an apartment but not owning any furniture.”

“Nice to meet you, Major Lucy Lane.” And Lucy would be pulling the woman’s files as soon as she got to the DEO tomorrow morning.

Kara was vibrating with excitement. “Don’t worry, Daisy won’t say anything.”

“I’ll sign an NDA for you.” Johnson shot a fond look at Kara. “Just because you decided I was a good person, doesn’t mean anyone else should trust me. Legal paperwork isn’t a big deal, she wouldn’t be doing her job if she didn’t insist.”

Wonderful, Kara had definitely told the woman about the DEO and that Lucy was running it. But the woman was being reasonable at least. Lucy looked at the woman again, a few inches shorter than Kara, with extreme physical training, trained to react in high-stress situations, a new ‘friend’, and that was a bandage around her left hand. “You jumped out of a window to rescue a person who can fly?”

“Oh, that was fast.” Johnson grinned, “And to be fair I didn’t process she didn’t need the help till we were already hanging off the side of the building, and by then I mean might as well finish it out so nobody's explaining a crater instead of a body from Kara hitting the ground. Or her flying in a cardigan.” There was an aggravating shrug like that was obvious.

And the thing was Lucy could see it, of course, Kara without Alex there to chaperone would meet her new neighbor who was a veteran planning on sleeping in her car while figuring out civilian life. Of course, Kara would then insist on the woman sleeping on her couch, who cares about a secret identity? A woman around the same age as Kara, who had to be accidentally ticking so many subconscious boxes as being similar to Alex which would make Kara far too trusting. Then Kara being Kara would endear herself to a jumpy veteran. Especially the type of veteran who had almost certainly seen active combat, and was either too traumatized to re-connect with their pre-enlistment civilian contacts or didn’t have them. So entirely the kind of person who’d jump out a window of a mother fucking skyscraper.

Lucy was not paid enough for this. Nobody was paid enough for this. No wonder J’onn had an Oreo stress-eating condition and Alex looked like a hard poke would make her explode like a porcupine. “Please say you have a bottle of Alex’s scotch lying around somewhere?”

 

Lucy was not frowning from a minor hangover, or feeling slightly sick from being force-fed a horrifying amount of ice cream last night. Or rather been left with a carton of ice cream and a bottle of scotch as the whole scale of the fact she was the only rational adult left to hold together the DEO, Supergirl, and thus preventing the regression of anti-alien governance on the west coast. No, she was fine, thinking about the so heavily redacted it might as well not exist, file of one Special Reconnaissance Senior Airman Daisy Skye Johnson.

That wasn’t entirely true. Lucy had learned the woman had been Air Force for eight years, and been on the career path in it. Someone important had noticed her early and fast-tracked her hard for the SR. From there it was almost entirely classified with metaphorical giant flashing letters of warning she’d been doing some legally tenuous and or highly politically delicate at best action for the Air Force. It wasn’t hard to guess what kind of work she’d been doing. The lists of commendations, and medals, were telling as well.

It was impressive, but also a problem. Someone like Johnson wouldn’t follow anyone’s tune she didn’t choose to follow. With her skills that could be very dangerous. However, there was an opportunity. Daisy Johnson had no family, likely no civilian friends, and no purpose. The woman also wasn’t interested in notice or fame. Probably a partially trained-in trait, and partially a trait that got her the notice of her trainers and slotted into the SR.

A gamble for Lucy to make, was this mess something she could pull something good out of, or was she just adding fuel to the fire? Doing nothing was the worst option. Protecting Kara and ‘Controlling’ Supergirl rarely were two interests that aligned. It was a hell of a balancing act J’onn and Alex had been playing there. But Johnson offered something that might just work to relieve a bit of the pressure. Which was why she was here, in Daisy Johnson’s bare bones, but actually on its way to being a very nice, apartment. “Thank you for meeting me.”

“I mean we could have used Kara’s apartment, there’s a coffee machine and chairs.” Johnson pointed out, her eyes were sharp though.

Lucy set a file on the kitchen counter, it was a very nice kitchen counter, ignoring the complaint they both knew the answer to. No still sleeping Kryptonian to hear this conversation. “I organized that after I left last night.”

“Did you get any sleep?” Johnson asked a single brow raising.

She took a drink of her coffee, it was pure espresso. “No, but I think we agree that protecting Kara takes precedence.”

“Agreed, so what do you want to talk about that you don’t want Kara to know about?” Johnson crossed her arms, utterly uninterested in touching the file. “Because all this theater isn’t necessary for an NDA.”

Lucy hoped Johnson was exactly who her files said she was. That she was who Kara thought she was. Because if Lucy was someone with hostile intentions for Supergirl, she’d have stuck someone exactly like Johnson in this building with a set-out purpose to ‘befriend’ Kara. It would be so easy for Johnson to be Cadmus or Cadmus affiliated. Lucy was risking a great deal on how very short the gap was between medical discharge, and Johnson showing up in National City. “You jumped out of a building to save Kara, are you willing to do more?”

“What do you want?” Johnson's stance shifted to something distinctly military.

She opened up the folder and turned it to be clear Johnson could see the contents. “For you to sign an NDA, and if you’re interested, I’d hire you to monitor Kara.”

“No.” Johnson uncrossed her arms, hands coming to rest on the counter. And there was a threat there.

Lucy looked at the other woman and felt a spark of victory, less likely to be Cadmus then. “I don’t want you to write reports on her, I don’t need you spying on her. I need someone to keep an eye out for threats and risks to her in her civilian life.”

Johnson blew out a breath. “And you need to be seen tightening the leash. That’s a hell of a risk to take on me.”

“Your service record, classified to hell and back as it is, tells me you can keep your mouth shut even under torture, you are capable, and your commendations for bravery and repeated disciplinary notes for disregarding or being flexible with orders to protect your unit tell me you care. And, you’re already involved in this whether I like it or not.” Lucy held the woman’s attention. “So, will you assist in keeping an eye on Kara?” And if she was something worse than what she seemed, as a contracted employee, Lucy would have every legal ability to arrest and chuck her into a dark hole.

Johnson picked up the file, her eyes traveling over the contract, she barely skimmed the NDA. She looked up after a moment. “Verbal only reports?”

“The DEO isn’t secure for a paper trail.” A thing that made Lucy’s skin crawl.

Finally, Johnson set the file down, her fingers drumming on the wooden kitchen island’s countertop. “It's that bad of a situation then. Fine, but I won’t keep this from Kara.”

“Then I look forward to working with you.” Lucy hoped this didn’t bite her in the ass. “NDA first.”

Chapter 10

Notes:

Yo!

Daisy stared at the huge amount of mattresses. “How do we even start?”

“Most people start with whether they want a firm or soft mattress,” Kara offered from where she was standing next to her.

She blew out a breath, right, she could do that. “Is there a word for not as hard as a bunk on a plane but still has back support?”

“Medium firm, I think?” Kara’s eyes alighted on a poor shmuck in the mattress uniform. “We can ask!”

Daisy kind of hated that they probably did need someone. She needed furniture. Also apparently to find a way to sell at least five or six gold bars cause furniture and mattresses were apparently as horrifyingly expensive as paint, counters, and shit had been. A large part of Daisy wanted to do what she always had done in situations like this, find something that’d work, grab it, and then move on. But…she didn’t want to do that for the apartment. So she followed along behind Kara toward the salesperson.

“Hi, Maria! My friend here needs some help?” Kara chirped with one of her easy and brilliant smiles.

Daisy wondered how much of it was genuine and how much was acting. Because who Kara was when she wasn’t done up as Kara Danvers was different, and so was Kara done up as Supergirl. It was subtle, there was truth to all of the ways she presented herself. Daisy shook off the thought.

“Of course,” Maria turned to Daisy, “What are you looking at getting?”

She let herself wince slightly. “Um, kind of everything? For a bedroom?”

“What do you already have?” Maria asked clearly expecting a list or parameters or something.

Daisy sighed, “I’m fresh out of the Air Force and I signed up the day I turned eighteen. I have an empty apartment and enough belongings to fit in a duffle bag. I don’t have a bed frame, mattress, tables, any of that stuff you’re supposed to have for a room.”

Maria’s eyes lit in a way that said that she got paid commission. “Do you have the measurements of your bedroom?”

“We do!” Kara happily cut in while pulling out an honest to god paper planner and opening up to the lists of measurements and the sketched-out floorplan of the apartment. She had not been kidding when she said she had learned home improvement as a child.

Maria had refocused on Kara clearly identifying who the actual one to sell to was. “Wonderful, what size of bed are we thinking?”

Daisy sighed, it was going to be a long day. Also…did she want a big bed? “Um…I don’t know?”

“Let’s go look at some options so you can get a better idea of what your choices are and what might work best for your lifestyle,” Maria suggested while directing them toward the bedframes.

 

Daisy stared at the bedframe. “No, it needs to be sturdy more than anything else.” She was not getting a bed which a singular nightmare was going to break. Or sex, cause her powers were harder to control when her heart rate spiked. She was not going to think about how pathetically long it’d been since she’d hooked up with someone. It was just depressing.

“Why not this one then?” Kara pointed to a minimal frame design, it was a mix of wood and metal. “It’s built well, and there’s room for storage underneath if you want.”

Daisy considered that she could and probably should expand how many weapons and just useful gear she had. It wasn’t like SHIELD was around with bunkers of the stuff as needed anymore. Was stealing the gear she wanted from the army base a few miles out unethical? Probably. Was it also funny and the easiest method considering they were concerningly easy to infiltrate? Yes, yes, it was. Actually, since she was apparently getting a queen bed there’d be room for a rocket launcher, she’d always wanted one of those. “It’d go with the colors, I think?”

“It will look lovely with the colors, though you might want to go with green for the sheets. If you get too many blues it’ll make the pallet cold despite the purple.” Kara said with conviction.

Daisy just nodded, thank god Kara knew about color. Cause outside of fashion, Daisy wasn’t really sure what to do with color design in buildings. “So green for the sheets? Wait, how many sets of sheets do I need?”

“At least three.” Kara laid a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, they can all be different colors or patterns.”

“I should have gotten a smaller apartment.” Daisy was enjoying this, but also…why was there so much?

 

Kara was flipping through her planner, “So that’s a mattress, check, bedframe, check, two bedside tables, check, a lamp, check, a dresser, check, and a mirror. I think that’s everything we needed from this store unless you want something else?”

“We’re doing the rest online,” Daisy replied, staring at the quietly pleased by her imminent commission Maria. “We can get this delivered to the apartment yes?”

Kara was pouting, “But then we can’t go to thrift stores to find you the perfect table and chairs, or the perfect couch!”

“We can eat extra potstickers while looking for the perfect table and chairs as well as the right couch if we do it online.” Daisy countered with, because thrifting sounded very much not her style. Or maybe her style if she wasn’t trying to put together an entire organized life on a time crunch. Months of slowly growing into a tiny studio apartment probably would have made thrifting for cool pieces of furniture fun. Getting it all done at once for a larger apartment sounded terrible. Also, she’d avoided thrift shops once she could. Having clothing and things that hadn’t been someone else’s first was…it mattered. “Come on, we can get lunch after we pay for this.”

 

Daisy was enjoying eating burgers in the food court at the mall when she noted the look on Kara’s face. “Go for it, I’ll make it back on my own just fine.”

“I’m sorry,” Kara got up. “I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”

Daisy tossed a fry at Kara, laughing because that was ridiculous. “Go, it’s fine.”

Kara’s face had a curious crinkle, and then she was taking off at the fastest human speed possible.

Shaking her head, Daisy grabbed her soda and sipped at it. So her afternoon was open then. She hummed, she had some ideas. First, finishing up her lunch. Cause, god she was never going to get sick of eating hot delicious food. Crappy base food was the worst.

 

Daisy was watching the world around her with her eyes less than with her powers. Because in a world like this with as many aliens in it, there had to be a community. A community who weren’t Inhumans, but they needed help. And Daisy was tired of leaving people like her behind, barely being able to help them so she could uphold the greater good. Maybe…maybe she could actually be allowed to help the people who needed it the most instead of playing the numbers game this time?

So here she was absently wandering down the streets of National City concentrating on the vibrations of the people around her, trying to pick out an alien. Kara’s vibrations were so distinctly ‘not-human’. They were denser and brighter almost? It was distinct in a way that was impossible to miss. Other aliens were less obviously noticeable. Or, the ones she’d noticed so far. And she had noticed them.

The busboy at Noonans whose bones felt hollow. The school bus driver that went by the apartment building every morning who felt like they were made of almost pure water. A half dozen others she’d picked up on since arriving on this world. There were more aliens than Inhumans, by a vast degree if Daisy’s guess at the situation on this world was right. Asgard was shit at protecting Earth, but they apparently had kept it off the alien refugee path for everyone but the Skrulls.

Still, what she was looking for wasn’t just any one of the probably couple thousand aliens in National City. It was something like a community, a network. She knew where to look, it wasn’t in the high-budget, expensive neighborhoods like where Catco was. The poorer, less monitored areas. Not too poor, there’d be too much police attention there. A neighborhood where not everyone had bars over the windows, but some did. Signs that flickered a bit, but weren’t growing algae yet. A pocket of poverty amongst the rich shiny aesthetic of the city.

Daisy kept her hands stuffed in her pockets, using her peripheral vision and her feel of vibrations, she meandered through the right neighborhoods, waiting to see it. And she’d know it when she saw it. In fact, there. She turned on her heel and headed down the alley. The walls of the building were covered in paint, peeling posters, graffiti, a dumpster that had the smell of food waste, and some trash on the ground, but for a back alley, it was clean. And that was a camera by the heavy metal door.

She stopped at the door and slid it open, it was just slightly too heavy for even a strong human to be able to open it easily. Daisy slipped in looking at the bar she’d entered. It was dingy, but on a bar scale, it wasn’t that bad. She’d been in far, far worse. It was mostly clean, the dark outdated furniture and poor lighting a dime a dozen for bars. There was a black woman behind the counter of the bar, cleaning glasses, clearly having just started opening the place up. And her vibrations were…wiggling. Not that that made any sense, but they were.

Daisy walked towards the bar, she clocked two or three less outwardly human-appearing patrons hidden in dark corners. Two of whom were clearly passed out still from the night before. She slid onto a barstool at the counter. “Hey, bit early for alcohol, you have coffee?”

“Want anything with that coffee?” The bartender flicked her towel over her shoulder, turning and picking up the ancient-looking coffee pot and pouring it into a chipped white mug. She slid the mug across the counter to her.

Daisy smiled slightly. “Thanks, and do you have sugar and cream?”

“You’re new in the city?” The bartender asked as she pushed sugar over, no cream.

Daisy dumped sugar into her coffee. “That obvious?”

“I’ve worked this job for a long time.” The woman replied, which neatly didn’t give much away.

She held out her hand, elbow on the bar top. “I’m Daisy, you?”

“M’gann,” The woman took her hand shaking it before pulling back.

Daisy’s lips curled, yeah, she’d picked the right place. “I got here a couple of weeks ago. Still figuring things out, have any tips?”

“Have any support here in the city?” M’gann asked, her face and expression serious but not particularly closed off.

She gave a tip of her head. “Whole studio apartment, new job, and a friendly neighbor who is like us, but she’s human-raised.”

“Then keep your head down, you pass enough you’ll have enough time to figure out how things work.” M’gann offered out as her advice.

Daisy curled her hands around the mug of coffee, using her powers to swirl the coffee, mixing the sugar in. “Well, that’s depressing. Always been this dangerous or is it a new thing with the higher scrutiny since Supergirl?”

“They’re new to the wider galaxy.” M’gann tapped her knuckles on the bartop, “Take care of yourself.”

She hummed, “You guys at least have karaoke night?”

////

Kara dropped the radioactive alligator into the cell in the DEO. “So it’s a regular alligator?”

“Drug dealer kept it as a pet and dumped it in alien goop for some reason, Ma’am.” Vasquez answered as she locked the cell.

Her face scrunched, “That’s just so weird.”

“Understanding stupidity isn’t the job, Ma’am.”

Kara pouted but headed back to the command center. She could feel her spine straightening from the side looks she got. It was uncomfortable, had been worse since RedK, since Alex left. She pushed down the discomfort, keeping her chin up, and shoulders back as she headed for where she could hear Lucy’s heartbeat.

“Supergirl,” Lucy raised her coffee cup from where she was bent over a computer screen. She straightened, her back popping. “Thank you for handling the radioactive swamp life.”

She didn’t like the dark circles under Lucy’s eyes, or how worn out she looked. Kara fell in at Lucy’s shoulder as Lucy started moving for her next fire to put out. “Have you had lunch?”

“You packed me spaghetti and meatballs for lunch,” Lucy replied, and oh they were heading toward J’onn’s…Lucy’s office. “Which was delicious actually, I didn’t know you cooked.”

Kara couldn’t help the pep in her step. “Daisy made it, she’s been excited about learning how to cook.”

“Huh, well hopefully she keeps it up.” Lucy waited till the door shut to keep speaking. “We need to go back over your debrief from yesterday.”

 

Kara munched on a granola bar as she sat on a chair in the secret base at Catco. It was frustrating that she couldn’t do her work as an assistant. Patty from the temp agency would be filling in for her, and she’d leave it a mess. Ms. Grant’s personal schedule was going to be in shambles. But, extra time as Supergirl…she was torn.

“Kara!” Winn excitedly rushed over. “Should you be here? Ms. Grant will lose her mind if she finds out you are here while you’re supposed to be home.”

Kara pointed at the Supersuit she was currently in. “I can fly away before she can catch me.”

“Oh right,” Winn shrugged and then walked over to his computer setup. “Do you need a crime to stop? Cat up a tree to save?”

Kara hesitated, “I wanted to see how you were doing after Siobhan?” She pushed the donut box towards him.

His shoulders crumpled. “I asked if I could talk to her, she doesn’t want to see me. I think this means we’re broken up.”

“I’m sorry Winn,” Kara had no idea how he could like someone that awful, but he’d really liked her.

He leaned back in his chair, “I don’t know what I did wrong, why wouldn't she talk to me? She was so scared and I was trying to help but…she didn’t want my help.”

“Hey, you did the best that you could,” Kara leaned forward. “And whether she likes it or not, she’s at the DEO now and maybe she will get help.”

Winn nodded, “Do you think it’d be stupid to write her a letter?”

“No, I don’t think that’s stupid at all.” Kara ached for her friend, for his hurt.

He visibly pushed it down. “What about you and James? He’s been twitchy, he’s so jealous of your new neighbor. Is that a thing he should be jealous of? Because if you are into women, I would be totally cool with that.”

“Winn,” She sighed, she didn’t want to talk about how Kryptonians saw relationships. It was just one more way she was different. “I don’t know, shouldn’t it be easier than this? If he likes me enough to be jealous why doesn’t he want me enough to date me?”

Winn’s hands twitched, “I don’t know? But he said he needed time, maybe if you just wait he’ll be ready soon?”

Kara looked at the collar of Winn’s shirt, it was plaid and had a nice green pattern. “I was so certain about him, all ‘whapow’ and everything! But it hasn’t felt right like that for a while? I get all queasy and anxious and I feel like a hamster in a wheel!”

“You’d make a very Super hamster?” Winn offered, he gave her a faintly strained smile. “We can be eternally single together.”

She breathed out and it hurt, but she nodded. “Yeah, best friends forever.” Kara smiled softly and kind of sadly at him. “How’s the temp managing Ms. Grant?”

“We’re on the third one today.” Winn shook his head. “I think she’s taking out her feelings from yesterday on them.”

Kara shook her head, Ms. Grant was really bad about doing that. But at least her wrath wasn’t directed at her this time? “Maybe tell tomorrow’s temp to get her a Big Belly cheeseburger and put it on top of the salad she orders?”

“Will do,” Winn gave a playful salute. “It’ll be good to have you back once you can stop pretending to have a concussion though.”

There was a warm sensation at knowing she was missed. “I wish I didn’t have to pretend to be concussed.”

“Well, your Super secret didn’t get outed and you get a vacation. I don’t think that’s too terrible. How’s Daisy’s hand by the way? It was bleeding everywhere. Cat had to have maintenance clean the outside of the windows where it’d dripped down and soap the carpet to get the drips off.”

Kara still felt sick at the reminder of Daisy pulling the actual glass out of her hand! Like it was nothing! “She’s been wearing a glove to keep the bandages in place.”

“I can’t believe she jumped out of a window for you! I mean it was scary enough seeing you get thrown out of the window!” Winn ran a hand through his hair.

She completely agreed, but the conversation came to a quick end as the police scanner went off, fire on 12th street.

////

Lucy was exhausted, but she was going to sleep tonight so it was fine. She just had to not lose her composure for this video call. Pulling up the privacy settings on J’onn’s…her office, and dialed. She kept herself settled into the familiar security of the military as the video call connected. “General.”

“Director,” Her father’s face was as unforgiving as always, and knew better than to read pride into any small part of his expression. “You said you had something to report?”

Lucy refused to flinch, ‘hi to you to dad’. “Thoughts on the airman whose records I told you to pull?”

“Johnson?” He made what would have been an interested face if he was someone else, but on him was a faint twitch of his jowl. “Not that most of her record is available,” Which fuck, classified to the point even her father a four-star General didn’t have much access? “But valuable soldier. Tough, skilled, a real hero unlike Supergirl, but a liability if you’re thinking of recruiting her to the DEO.”

Lucy barely kept from raising a brow, he had gotten more access than she had then. Or was making more conjecture than she was willing to make? “Liability?”

“The records of her final mission would have been above your access. Some of it is still classified for me, but I read enough to know she and her unit went on a mission behind enemy lines, local contact sold them out, the mission went to hell. The whole unit went MIA for three months, she popped back up. The original mission parameters were not accomplished, whole unit dead, she got sent to a German medical facility for treatment for extensive torture, and then slotted for medical discharge, a purple heart and a commendation for bravery. Not her first purple heart or commendation for bravery either.”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed slightly, “And that makes her a liability?”

“She put the unit above the mission, above her country, but both above herself. Not the kind of soldier who follows orders, too loyal, but can’t criticize the woman’s grit.” Her father clasped his hands in front of himself. “It's a pattern in her file, she won’t sacrifice her unit to stop the monsters in the night, but she’ll take a bullet for you and is effective. Your mess to deal with if you recruit her. Don’t let her make the calls, the Air Force didn’t give her command for a reason.”

It was faintly rewarding to have her call on Johnson confirmed. She hadn’t been wrong. And if Johnson was being run by someone else, it wasn’t her father. “I didn’t recruit her to the DEO, but I did contract her out for surveillance of a high-risk target.”

“Interesting, why tell me, it wasn’t for added intel.” And he was waiting in judgment.

Lucy took pleasure in surprising her father. “Because effective immediately I have Supergirl’s civilian identity under surveillance. You were right, she needs to be controlled, and I needed someone crazy enough to surveil a Super and have a chance at survival if it goes wrong.”

The pride and pleasure on his face were less welcome than the shock. But she couldn’t be openly fighting wars on every front. Nominal allies were needed, which meant she needed her father’s support. For now. So Lucy didn’t balk at her father’s pride in the sign of her doing what he thought was necessary.

Chapter 11

Kara flopped down face-first across the couch and groaned in relief.

“At least the public isn’t running and screaming at the first glimpse of you, mostly?” Daisy offered laughter in her voice from where she was cooking something that smelled very nice.

She pressed her forehead into the cushions of the couch. “It's not fair, humans get to run their cars into things on purpose because they’re angry, all day, dozens of them, just because the temperature is elevated and I can’t even flex.”

“Oh, it's very fucked up and unfair. But even if things are getting better for you, it's not going to go away.” Daisy set something on the counter from the sound of it. “Come on, we’re going out.”

Kara frowned, looking up, her neck twisting as she looked at Daisy. “Why? Where?”

“Moping over ice cream isn’t going to help you with this one.” Daisy turned the oven off, walked over, and nudged her foot. “Come on, we need to get out of our apartments for something just fun.”

She squinted suspiciously at Daisy, “Where are we going?”

“I found a bar, I think it’s exactly the kind of place that’d do you some good.” Daisy gave the super-suit a pointed look. “You’re going to need to change.”

Kara realized that Daisy was dead serious. “Do we have to?”

“We do.” Daisy's face was smugly serious. “Come on, out of the suit, into something civilian.”

She sighed, but she’d be lying to say she wasn’t a little excited, and a little dubious. “What kind of bar is it? I don’t have leather.”

“It's the kind of place you can just be you, so whatever you want.” Daisy’s head tipped to one side slightly. “But I’d say go casual, denim wouldn’t be out of place.”

Kara looked over at her rack of few remaining outfits she hadn’t incinerated with heat vision. What would Alex suggest? Blue, Alex always said blue. And jeans? She had jeans. Daisy said denim, so blue shirt and jeans? It was so much easier when the dress code was established and clear.

 

Kara wasn’t entirely sure a grey sweater over a blue oxford and jeans was the right look, but Daisy hadn’t said it was wrong, so she was hopeful. She followed her out of the apartment complex. “Your car is parked in the other direction?”

“It is, but we’re about to drink and if I get so much as a scratch on it Robbie will figure out how to follow me to this reality out of sheer supernatural vengeance. And having my vengeance demon ex-something cry about his car sounds terrible. He’s already going to be pissy I borrowed it.” Daisy waved off.

Kara wasn’t sure where to start with that. “Ex-something?”

“We were both in a rough place, he was being compelled by a magical spirit of demonic vengeance to drag murderers and pedophiles and garbage to hell, while I was chasing down anti-Inhuman terrorists. We met up, tried to beat the crap out of each other, he managed it, realized we had overlapping goals, and worked together on some stuff while our interests aligned. He’s a good guy, if the timing had been different maybe we’d have been something. It wasn’t though.”

She blinked at that, “And you stole his car?”

“Borrowed, he’s a magical vengeance demon who can travel between worlds. I figure he’ll show up for it at some point.” Daisy shrugged, throwing a grin over her shoulder at Kara. “Don’t worry, he’s good people, and I’m paying for his brother’s college. He’s going to be pissy, not angry.”

Kara sort of understood that. She paused looking at the alley Daisy had led them to. “Why are we in the back alley behind the apartment?”

Daisy turned facing her, shaking her arms out. “Well, I did say flying someplace could happen. I mean what I do is more jumping, but figured it’d be more fun than the bus or an Uber. That cool?”

“But we’re not in costume?” Kara babbled, why was she babbling? She’d been excited at the thought of someone else who could fly!

Daisy’s head tilted back, “Well, it's twilight, and if we get high enough and land precisely, it’ll be fine.” She grinned at Kara, and then there was a hard gust of wind and she shot straight up.

Kara laughed flying up after her friend, wind through her hair was cool with the fading heat from the day. She realized what Daisy meant about more jumping than flying, the woman’s arch slowed as she hit the peak of the curve, laughter, and excitement on her face, and then she was falling back downwards. “Do you want me to catch you?” Kara wasn’t sure if she should grab her or not.

Daisy just laughed, “I’m good!” She did a somersault in the air before cushioning herself at the last second before landing on the roof of an older building.

She alighted on the roof by her side, looking around. It wasn’t a part of the city she spent a lot of time in, but she’d stopped a corner shop robbery up the road. “I didn’t know there was a bar here?”

“You’re not supposed to notice it,” Daisy turned, her face serious. “You can never, ever tell anyone connected to the DEO that this place exists. No matter how much you trust them.”

Kara stilled, and the seriousness there felt like a physical thing. Her shoulders fell back, a quiet certainty settling inside of her. “I promise.”

“Great, let’s go then,” And Daisy stepped off the edge of the building dropping down to the shadowed alley below.

Kara sighed but floated down after her. She straightened her glasses, this was just an alley? But she followed Daisy’s lead towards a metal door in the brick wall about halfway down. She could hear, barely, the sound of an old rock ballad on the other side and the quiet murmur of voices?

Daisy opened the metal door, reached back, catching Kara’s hand, and pulled, actually hard enough to move her, through the door and into the warm if dimly lit bar inside.

“Why is the…” Kara’s words faded out as she realized the patron by the jukebox had green skin. Her eyes couldn’t stop moving then as she realized, aliens, everyone here were aliens. There were a couple of lightly blue-skinned people with white hair and the faintest tiny blue horns.

It didn’t stop there, at the bar was a Tsauron with their yellow scales so distinctive of their species. He was wearing a garbageman uniform, looking like any hard-working human at the bar. He was talking to a grey-skinned and wide-eyed woman who was Criq if Kara was right. There were a dozen other people, aliens throughout the bar.

Kara’s throat felt horribly tight and thick all at once. Her eyes were wet, as she looked at Daisy, needing confirmation. Her voice was barely a croaky whisper. “Daisy, what is this place?”

“Alien bar,” Daisy squeezed her hand, the understanding on her face burned, and then she gently pulled Kara toward the bar.

It wasn’t an act as she stumbled slightly as it sunk in. Everyone here was like her and they weren't hurting people, or trying to conquer something, or burning down banks, she didn’t have to fight them. People who knew of the worlds beyond Earth. She wanted to cry.

The bartender walked over, “Back again, going to order something besides coffee this time?”

“Do you have that like bright blue stuff they shove a ton of sushi-looking shit into they sell on Kitson here, M’gann?” Daisy asked, grin on her face.

M’gann, the bartender, grabbed a purple glass bottle, “Shots or mixed?”

“I was so high on the puffy things when I had it, so sober now, which is best if I want an actual buzz?” Daisy’s knuckles tapped on the bartop slightly, an easy rapport that apparently she could have with everyone.

Kara let herself touch the bartop. It was real, she’d never imagined anything like this before.

M’gann grabbed a tall glass and filled it half up, before grabbing a bottle of something green, she looked at Daisy before she poured, “You’re not reptilian of any kind are you?”

“No,” Daisy grinned, “Warm-blooded on both sides.”

The bartender nodded, and poured, before passing it over as Daisy slid a debit card over. She looked at Kara, “Same for you as for your friend?”

“I…” Kara didn’t know. Was this alcohol that would affect her?

Daisy squeezed Kara’s hand she still hadn’t let go of, “You left your planet as a kid right? What’s something your parents would have drank with like dinner or something?”

“Alderaanian rum, my father and uncle used to drink it after dinner sometimes.” Kara’s voice was soft.

Daisy smiled, and then looked to M’gann, “Do you have that?”

“We have it,” M’gann replied easily, kind understanding on her face.

Daisy hummed, “Does that mix well with anything sweet?”

“It can,” M’gann turned to get things.

Daisy released Kara’s hand, turning so she was facing Kara fully, instead of looking over the bar. “Don’t worry, I got you.”

////

Daisy knew Kara was overwhelmed. It was a few different things if Daisy was reading her right. And Daisy’d known it before, but it was sinking in just how human and isolated from her… just her identity Kara had been kept for her own protection. It was sad. And Daisy didn’t understand it exactly, but she could help before Kara ended up bawling on M’gann. So the second M’gann set Kara’s rum and orange juice drink on the counter, Daisy reached out, grabbed both of their drinks and took a step backward. She could see M’gann had noticed some of what Daisy had. “Keep that tab open, if you don’t mind.” She caught Kara’s eye, “Come on, over here.”

Kara followed, looking slightly surprised. “Booth?”

“Booth,” Daisy answered, easily sliding into an empty booth, and setting both their drinks down. This was supposed to be fun, not that there was anything wrong with Kara possibly crying from being overwhelmed, but she had a feeling Kara would be embarrassed and miserable about it. “So, not a big bar person?”

Kara shook her head, “No, they were more Alex’s thing.”

“I was always more into clubs,” Daisy took a drink of hers, it wasn’t carbonated but still felt sparkly on her tongue. “The dancing and music, not that I haven’t been in plenty of seedy bars. Seediest bar by far was on Kitsen, which you guys have too, that was a guess, but figured the outer edge of space crime corner was likely to exist in the same system no matter who was in charge. The location was too prime for that kind of thing. Evil scum and villainy, but really good drinks and wildly good drugs.”

And as Daisy spoke, Kara looked less and less on the edge of falling apart. And Kara had been apparently paying attention because she burst out with. “You did drugs at an alien crime bar?”

“Technically yes, but Davis offered us the puffies and we didn’t know they were like LSD to humans or human adjacent like me. Figured it out about halfway into the bar and too late to turn back then.” Daisy shrugged, a grin on her face. “World was very loopy, and I won the bar fight.”

Kara groaned, her shoulders slumping as she leaned against the table. “Why are all your stories like this?”

“I mean I could try and be humble and fail?” Daisy kicked at Kara’s foot, “You doing ok?”

Kara flushed slightly, looking around the bar, “How did you find this place?”

“I can feel everything, all the time.” Daisy reached out, poking Kara’s hand, and made Kara’s bones vibrate the faintest amount. “Your vibrations are denser than a human's. I figured if there was a place like this, it’d be in this kind of neighborhood, poor, but not so poor as to be crawling with cops, fewer cameras in the area, and then I just had to find the place with people who didn’t feel like humans vibrationally. Took me an hour, but I was right, there’s enough aliens on Earth to support a real community here. Not a healthy one from the look of it, but still one all the same.”

Kara nodded slowly, her eyes still being drawn to the rest of the place. “I never would have imagined a place like this.”

“What, your planet didn’t have bars? Or were you too dignified for such common activity?” Daisy teased, it was always fascinating to hear about Krypton, and Kara was always just filled with a range of emotions and a depth and realness that didn’t come out very often when she spoke about it.

Kara softened, her fingers touching her glass. “We did, but we lacked the kind of poverty and lack of order required for a place like this. Or I think we did, but I was a child of a great house, if we had such places, I would not have been permitted near them.”

“So, does that mean this is your first drink that can affect you?” Daisy was def going to have to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t overdo it if that was the case. Drunk Kara would probably be hilarious, but no one, including Kara, would want her to find out what being black-out drunk was like. And, probably getting any kind of actually drunk would be bad.

Kara looked at her drink and lifted it to her mouth and took a hesitant sip with a delighted smile on her face. “It’s sweet!”

“That’s the juice.” Daisy grinned, nudging her foot under the table again while leaning back in her seat. “Maybe a few mixed drinks before you venture into the land of hard alcohol shots.”

Kara as a person was filled with something that was so warm it burned Daisy, “Thank you, for all of this.”

Daisy felt like squirming away from the genuine, unfettered gratitude and just everything from Kara. It was just a bar…but even Daisy knew it was more than that. She’d cried at realizing she belonged at Afterlife and nearly cried when she first got her SHIELD badge. Belonging mattered. “Yeah, anytime. And hey, it’s more your place than mine. I mean I’m only a quarter alien.”

“That’s silly, I bet if I sequenced your DNA it’d be wildly different than human DNA.” Kara raised her glass, looking pleased with herself and slightly nervous, “We’re supposed to toast to something right?” It was cute, moments when Kara seemed to be checking she was doing the right thing, the human thing.

Daisy lifted up her own glass and lightly tapped it against Kara’s, “To having a good time, then?”

“To having a good time!” Kara beamed.

Daisy sipped at her drink, she’d made the right choice. Her eyes widened at just how much of her drink Kara downed at that. “Easy!” She laughed, “You don’t want that hitting you all at once.”

“But it's yummy,” Kara’s pout wasn’t effective, she was smiling too much.

She snorted, “And you can have another one after it, you don’t want to trash yourself.”

“I’ve never been drunk before,” Kara’s nose wrinkled, “It doesn’t look very nice.”

Daisy shrugged, “It can be, it can also be the worst.”

“How old were you when you first got drunk?” Kara asked curiosity, but there was something there Daisy couldn’t quite read underneath it.

She still tilted her head in thought, “Uh…thirteen, a foster brother had a friend who got him a bunch of Everclear. We thought we were very cool passing a couple of bottles around in paper bags in this old shopping mall parking lot at like midnight. It was kind of great till the police got called. Hard to run when you’re drunk off your ass.”

“Oh no, did you get in a lot of trouble?” Kara was laughing.

Daisy nodded, “Some community service and a very unhappy nun picked me up from the police station the next morning.”

“Nun?” Kara’s brow crinkled.

She blinked, “Oh yeah, no, the foster parents sent Ben and me both right back. Didn’t want hoodlums in their house after that. Pretty typical, police getting called, getting expelled, gets you sent back so fast your head would spin. Wasn’t a big loss, I never stayed anywhere long enough to really get attached by then.” Daisy couldn’t help laughing at Kara’s face, she pointed at herself, “Delinquent troublemaking hoodlum, it takes skill to have a police record by sixteen. I have it on good authority, I’m a terrible influence.”

“That’s horrible,” Kara protested.

Daisy sipped at her drink, she should ask for one of the little umbrella things in the next one. “I mean yeah, but could have been worse. What about you, do you have some scandalous stories in there? Dumb shenanigans for a hot college boy?”

“I…I’ve never really had a boyfriend?” Kara took a very long drink of her alien rum, cheeks turning very red, eyes riveted on the table.

Daisy opened and then shut her mouth. “Wait, what?”

“I’ve tried!” Kara flushed hard. “And sometimes we even date for a few weeks? But it never works out. Human dating is weird, and I broke the nose of the first boy who kissed me! Even if I don’t break their noses it’s just all awkward, and how am I supposed to explain I’m an alien to them if it is starting to maybe not be terrible when we’ve just started dating? And humans do it all weirdly. It's just frustrating!”

That was…a lot. Daisy considered that it made a lot of sense actually if she remembered that no matter how human Kara looked, she wasn’t. “On your planet, how would it have worked?”

Kara looked at her, surprised at the question, but then she answered. “The Matricomp would have found the most suitable, most compatible partner for us on the planet. Once two people were found compatible our Houses would negotiate and we would be introduced. Then a period of courtship before being bonded as mates before the jewel of truth and honor. And then you were mated for eternity.”

“Wait, so you guys didn’t pick your own partners at all?” Daisy balked at that, she would not have functioned well on Krypton at all.

Kara bit at her lower lip, “Sometimes? If two high houses wished to be united their children would submit to the Matricomp to be evaluated for if they were compatible. If they were they would be wed, if not they could not be. Matricomp’s decisions were final and could never be changed. Sometimes, two people may wish for a mating and bring their pairing before the Matricomp, but such a thing was unusual.”

“So arranged but if you liked someone you could request to see if you could be together?” Daisy checked.

Kara nodded, “And you knew you and your mate would be together forever. There was none of this dating and then breaking up, or divorce? Even if you never latched with your mate, you would be loyal companions and confidants, though it was rare not to.”

“Wait, no divorce? Not even separating, nobody talks about it, but they’re basically divorced divorce?” Daisy’s eyes widened as she processed, that was insane.

Kara shook her head, “Never.”

“Wow, that is…crazy impressive I think? Ok, so latching is sex?” Daisy was fascinated as she sipped at her drink. She really should have assumed Krypton would be different like this.

Kara’s cheeks definitely had a slightly pink shade to them, but she shook her head. “No, um latching is slightly psychic? It's two minds harmonizing, but also emotional? You see your mate and they are yours and they harmonize with you? It's difficult to explain. We only can latch once. It's different than sex, but um…”

“You guys reproduced through the matrix.” Daisy’s head cocked to one side. “Did you even do sex?”

“Um sometimes? It was private. No one talked about it.” She leaned forward. “It was a scandal when Aunt Laura became pregnant with Kal, it was the first natural birth in hundreds of years!”

Daisy couldn’t help her amusement at that, “So pretty scandalous they had sex? Or was it the pregnancy part that was scandalous?”

“The pregnancy mostly,” Kara bit at her lower lip, hesitating, but then kept talking. “We’re related to Daxamites,” She made a dismissive almost disgusted sound, “They latch how we do. But they have so much sex.” Her nose was wrinkled.

She snickered, someone who Kara Danvers was prejudiced against. “So super kinky mated couples?”

“Well yes, but that’s not what I meant.” Kara’s fingers pressed against the table, “With people other than their mates. Sex is different than being bonded to someone. But even a Daximate would never become separated from their mate.”

Daisy was pretty sure she got it? “So a romantic and emotional bond is what’s forever, you’re still capable of like being horny for other people?”

“That-” Kara spluttered, face flushing before sighing, seeming to slump a bit. “Daxamites are terrible.”

Daisy’s lips quirked up at that, “So us Earthlings have to seem pretty wild to you?”

“Yes!” She perked up again at the offered change in focus, “Or well, sometimes? I like the idea of a mate who is…more than just a compatible friend whom one might have companionship with? It was safer but it was…we closed ourselves off from so many things. I just…humans are so fickle.” Kara huffed.

Daisy was totally going to have to have some words with someone about some of this. Maybe Alex whenever the woman got back to the city? Cause it was fucked up Kara sounded like she’d been forcing herself to try and conform in ways that could have hurt her. What if she’d ‘latched’ or whatever onto some random college guy? “Yeah, we or they or whatever can be.”

“And there are so many considerations, you have to try and gauge compatibility with apps or from conversation? Not to mention humans care about gender and aesthetics which is silly, what does that have to do with compatibility?” Kara looked at her with an adorable amount of frustration, or adorable and kinda sad, but Daisy was taking the positives, so adorable it was.

Daisy gave a helpless shrug, “I mean yeah, people get caught up in weird stuff. But it's not easy on humans or inhumans either. I ended up pining over a Nazi for fucking months before I realized he was a lying, traitorous, friend-murdering, piece of shit. I mean your guys’ system would have driven me crazy. But I can see some benefits.”

“There are, aren’t there!” Kara gave a pleased wiggle, and oh, one rum and juice, and she definitely had a slight buzz starting.

Daisy grinned and finished off her own drink.

Notes:

So like the latching thing is I'm just doing that, but like the mating for life thing like...that's canon. So's the Matricomp and the no divorce, and like all the rest of it. Its really implied that something just happens in a Kryptonian's brain when they like settle/bond in a relationship and that's just it for them. Like they might have a few semi-casual relationships, but once they essentially pick their person, that's it. And we know it's a species-wide thing. So instead of leaving that vague i'm just naming it.

Incidentally, the amount of various different authors and runs makes it somehow more depressing how much of Kryptonian culture just isn't well defined.

Chapter 12

Notes:

Updates moving to Fridays after this one now that Old Gods is on hiatus.

Kara was all happy and floaty! Alderaanian rum was so tasty and everything was so nice. “Do you think we can try some other things next time?”

“Sure, we’ll probably have to do some research, maybe ask M’gann what won’t kill us. I don’t feel like dying from alien tequila.” Daisy giggled at her own words.

That would be very sad. “You’re not allowed to die.” Kara hadn’t talked so much about Krypton before in her life! It was so nice! She reached out and poked Daisy’s nose. “We’ve just talked about me all night…well except for you being a troublemaker as a kid. What about you?”

“What about me?” Daisy asked with that annoyingly smirky and smug smile on her face.

Kara poked Daisy’s nose again, got her cheek instead but it was fine. “You just are always helping me! Like this bar, and this delicious rum and juice thing, or with Siohbon and Leslie, or listening to me talk about James, or dating, or the DEO, and with Ms. Grant. You just are always helping. You even make dinner now!”

“I burned dinner twice before you got home tonight,” Daisy kicked at her foot again, a thing she’d been doing all night. It was kinda comforting. “And you’ve been helping with my apartment, and let me sleep on your couch, and you didn’t paste me.”

Kara caught Daisy’s hand, “There has to be something fun and nice you want to do? I can help! I’m really good at helping people.”

“I…I don’t know?” Daisy looked kind of lost. “What are people supposed to do besides missions? I mean I know what people do, but I don’t know if I like any of that stuff. I’ve never even lived anywhere longer than two years, and that was the orphanage when I was a kid.”

Kara grabbed her purse and dug through it before finding a notepad and pen. She gleefully set them down on the table. “We can make a list of things you want to try or do!” She beamed looking at Daisy. “So, what haven’t you gotten to do that you want to learn?”

There was a long moment as Daisy really seemed to ponder it, lovely word, ponder. “I’ve never been to the zoo?” Her voice was hesitant.

That was sad, what human hadn’t been to the zoo? Not that Daisy was a human, still. Kara wrote out ‘Zoo’ in loopy letters on the top of the clean page. “What about the aquarium? Otters are adorable. Very Adorable.”

“Uh, no I guess, add it to the list?” Daisy poked at the table, her eyes staring at her hands. “Do you think…if I got a pet, would…I mean if something happens to me, you’d find it a new home right?”

Kara reached out and poked Daisy’s cheek again, “Nothing is going to happen to you. But of course, I would. That’s what friends do.”

“Then…I always wanted a pet.” Daisy huffed, “I should probably keep a plant alive first.”

She added ‘Plant’ to the list, “You could get pretty flowers!”

“How are you so nice?” Daisy stared at her in disbelief, crinkles around her eyes before shaking her head, “Come on, you have to have some human thing you haven’t done but want to. Add it to the list.”

Kara pouted, “There’s so many human things I’m not sure if I do them right, or haven’t done them at all.”

“Come on, what’s something you never tried?” Daisy leaned forward, her elbows on the table.

“I always wanted to try line dancing, it’s stupid, we don’t have to do that,” Kara knew it was silly, Alex had avoided it enough times for her to get the hint.

Daisy plucked the pen out of Kara’s hands, yoinked the notepad, and scrawled out ‘line dancing’ before grinning back up at her. “What else?”

 

Kara snorted into her third rum and orange juice, “They do look like penguins don’t they?”

“Some of ‘em even waddle.” Daisy nodded overly seriously, before breaking out into giggles.

It was infectious, Kara giggled at Daisy’s giggles, and at the thought of waddling nuns. The lights were all shiny and sparkly.

Daisy shook herself slightly, “So no flying to the Arctic and hugging a penguin?”

“No, it’d be really fun though.” Kara pouted at the list she was doodling a penguin on.

 

Kara waved at M’gann before she let Daisy pull her out of the bar. “We should come back!”

“We can come back, karaoke night is twice a month.” Daisy caught her hand and pulled her with her toward the exit of the alley. “Come on, I called us an Uber.”

Kara let her head fall back staring up at the sky. A human couldn’t see them in the city, but Kara could see the stars! “We should fly!”

“Oh that’s a terrible idea,” Daisy was laughing though. “Come on blondie, we have some ice cream to feed you.”

She did love ice cream. “I thought we ate all the ice cream?”

“The last of it is in the freezer and I’m going to the store tomorrow. I’ll get more for us.” Daisy tugged her along.

Kara stumbled over something as she followed. “It's all so floating but I’m not floating.”

“Oh, you’re floating on something.” Daisy ducked closer and pulled Kara’s arm over her shoulders, wrapping an arm around her. “Let’s see if we can get to the car without putting your foot through the sidewalk.

It was nice, the warmth of Daisy’s side against hers. “You hum.”

“I hum?” Daisy asked as they walked down the sidewalk, or Daisy walked, she swayed, a lot of her weight on Daisy’s shoulder.

Kara happily leaned into Daisy, “You do, I can feel the…the…vibrations!”

“Really?” Daisy seemed surprised, the quiet laughter in her voice fading a bit.

She nodded, “Especially when I hug you, it's all hummy, like hugging a bee. Or a cat, kinda purring sometimes.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize I was leaking like that.” And as she spoke the pleasant humming vanished.

Kara dug her heels in, bringing them to a halt. “No! Don’t do that! It’s nice.”

“It’s…” Daisy’s eyes were wide, mouth slightly open, cocked ever so slightly for a few seconds, and then, slowly, the humming started to come back.

Kara’s eyes closed, burrowing her nose into Daisy’s shoulder. “It’s nice.”

A burst of laughter escaped out of Daisy, “Cutting you off was so the right call.”

////

Daisy got the coffee going, yawning as she grabbed the largest glass she could find. She ran the back of her foot against the back of her other calf. Quiet mornings were new, but Daisy was kind of sure she liked them. Not too slow this morning though, she had a shift fixing other people’s computers. First, she had time to make sure Kara’s inevitable hangover wasn’t the absolute worst.

She grabbed the granola and milk before heading to the table. Opening up her laptop she started scrolling through the morning news while she ate. Nothing particularly interesting, or interesting in the way she was becoming concerned about. The facade of perfection this world kept up was freaky. The alien issue was a bubbling nightmare, but the government wasn’t even admitting they could deal with aliens. And only an idiot could miss the men in black showing up for cleanup.

Frowning, she skimmed the Tribune’s last issue. Fuck, it was so weird, it was like they didn’t want to acknowledge their own reality. It was lazy and stupid, and it was something Daisy was more and more sure she was going to have to rip this facade to shreds if anyone was going to be safe from what was just under the surface. Daisy stabbed at her bowl of granola, it’d be so much easier to just root out the worst forces and put some fuckers in the ground. But Kara wasn’t wrong that, maybe, she was getting a bit too comfortable with killing. The enemy needed to be given a chance.

Daisy was drawn from her faintly murderous thoughts by the very unhappy-sounding groan from the bed. That was a ‘yes’ to the question of whether Kryptonians got hangovers or not. She couldn’t help the amusement over that. Getting up she went and poured herself a mug of coffee, added the perfect amount of sugar and cream, or a disgusting amount. Potato, patoato.

Grabbing the large glass of water, and her mug, she padded over to the lump of misery. Daisy felt like cackling, first hangovers were rough. “Morning Sunshine.”

The sound that Kara made sounded a bit like a drunken yak. Very unhappy though.

Daisy’s smile grew as she took a drink of her own coffee. Shaking her head she set the mug down on the bedside table before plopping down on the side of the bed and using one arm to roll Kara onto her side. “Come on, water will help.”

Kara cracked her eyes open, ever so slightly, looking up at her. “Nooooo….”

“Come on, sit up, once you get the water down you can have some coffee.” Daisy poked and prodded till she’d gotten Kara half rolled upright and drinking water.

Kara’s eyes were squeezed shut in protest, but she did manage to drink without breaking the glass.

Daisy grabbed her coffee and sipped quietly, she was enjoying this. Kara had been drunk, but she hadn’t been super drunk. Which meant the hangover was killing her more out of not being used to pain than it really being particularly bad. Or maybe alien rum was a killer. It’d be fine, she’d made Kara drink a lot of water last night and like a good plant alien, she could just stick Kara out in the sunlight to recover after getting some more liquid into her.

“Urgh.” Kara handed her the empty water glass before thunking backward against the mattress.

She huffed setting the cup aside and standing up. “Come on, let’s get you into direct sunlight, which is a cheat. Being miserable for the whole day after getting drunk is a rite of passage for humans.”

“Why do people do this?” Kara whined as she let Daisy grab her arms and haul her out of bed.

Daisy half-pulled Kara to the sitting room and left her standing in a beam of sunlight. “It is very self-destructive of us, but so very fun.” She poured a second mug of coffee with a lot of cream and sugar before walking back. She paused smiling at Kara sitting on the floor, eyes closed, facing into the sun like a hungover cat. “Such a plant.”

“I’m not a plant,” Kara mumbled, but she wasn’t moving from her position.

She handed Kara the fresh mug of coffee, before dropping onto the couch, sipping from her own mug. “So, I remind you of a cat?”

Kara went very still, “oh no.”

“Hmm, something about purring and my hair being soft.” Daisy was enjoying watching the horror break through the hangover. “I have to say, I’ve never had someone try and pet my head before.”

Kara was staring at her with bleary, but horrified eyes, “Oh no, I’m so sorry, I don’t-”

Daisy couldn’t help it, she laughed, cutting off the probably very rambling apologies. She waved a hand. “You’re so fine. The weirdest thing you did was decide my vibrations meant I was like a cat, and soft-head pats are fine. You’re good. And making sure I got ice cream too was sweet.”

Kara buried her face in her hands. “I’m sooo sorry.”

 

“Please, you didn’t even puke on a cop, and then on a nun, you’re rocking the first-time drinking thing.” Daisy glanced at the clock. “And unfortunately you’re going to be doing your hydrate and sit in the sun recovery on your own. I’ve got a shift to get to.”

Kara was a bit too miserable looking to pout, “Have a good day fixing computers?”

“So many porn viruses to defeat, so little time.” Daisy stretched before getting up. “Granola’s on the table still if you want some, and there’s still half a pot of coffee. Water, drink all the water, and enjoy the sun.”

 

Daisy rolled her eyes as she realized the current computer with ‘glitching’ issues just had a virus the owner had downloaded with a special mouse animation that made it ribbit every time you clicked on something. Hilarious animation and sound effects, she could appreciate the humor in that, but who just downloaded free stuff without checking for anything else hitching a ride?

“What’s that look for Johnson?” Willard asked from where he was trying to salvage a poor machine that’d had orange juice spilled on it.

She looked up at her coworker, he was in his mid-twenties, a college drop-out to care for a relative, a fairly decent guy from what she could tell from the now two-and-a-half shifts she’d worked with him. “Despairing for people's abilities to download the worst viruses. I think I’m going to have to wipe a few programs to get it off.”

“At least it's not someone who can’t find the ‘on’ button.” He had a dead-eyed look as he said those words that said he’d had that someone…many, many times. Willard stared at the computer he had in pieces on the table. “I think they let a child chew on this.”

Her nose wrinkled, that was disgusting. “Before or after the orange juice?”

“I think after?”

////

Lucy had had a magical ten hours of sleep last night. She’d have been suspicious of how quiet it’d been if she hadn’t been so grateful for the chance to get some rest. However, she was suspicious of Kara. Kara who kept wincing at any sharp sound and was trying very hard not to look like she wanted a nap. She hadn’t known Kryptonians could look tired. Her teeth ground slightly. “Supergirl, a word.”

The Kryptonian gave her the guiltiest look and fakest smile known to man while zipping to her side with a completely unneeded burst of superspeed. “Yes?”

Lucy grabbed her arm and pulled her slightly to the side, her voice a hiss. “Are you hungover?”

“What? No, pftt, I would never,” Kara’s sunny smile was so fake it hurt.

Lucy resisted pinching the bridge of her nose, “I didn’t even know Kryptonians could get drunk?”

 

“You stopped a fire, so you didn’t lose your powers,” Lucy frowned, “Did you drink radioactive waste or something?”

Kara managed to look insulted, “What, who would do that? It was very nice orange juice and rum and…I mean I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Rum? What was it, alien? You found alien rum?!” Lucy’s voice pitched up even as she hissed.

Kara waved her arms even as she cringed at her voice. “It…I’m fine, it's all great, I didn’t do anything embarrassing at all, so it’s all fine.”

Lucy stared at her, oh, she didn’t believe that at all. She crossed her arms, eyebrow raised. “What did you do?”

“Do you hear that? I hear an emergency, bye!” Supergirl was gone in a blur.

She looked upwards, for the love of god. Whoever thought Supergirl was a threat to anyone’s safety except her handlers were sticking their heads into the sand. Lucy, looked over to Vasquez, “Is there actually an emergency of some kind?”

////

Daisy landed in the middle of the street, ignoring the screaming civilians and general chaos, instead she just called out to Kara who had been getting punched in the face by some kind of alien with four arms. “Need some help, Supergirl?”

“No shooting!” Supergirl yelled as she blocked another punch to the head.

Daisy held up her hands theatrically before her head snapped to one side as a second giant, ugly ass, four-armed alien came crashing out through the front of a bodega. “Well aren’t you hideous, are those tusks? Like did a boar fuck a gargoyle, cause if so I’m disappointed you’re only aiming to rob that.”

The alien let out a roar of sheer rage before charging her.

Daisy so still had it, pissing off assholes was always fun, she grinned under her mask as she wound her arm back and then ducked before slamming her fist, and a lot of vibrations directly into the alien’s face an audible crack, flinging him halfway down the street.

Supergirl and the alien who was trying to use her as a punching bag both looked at Daisy.

Daisy dropped a hand on one hip. “So hot stuff, what are these guys? And think I can get your number? I mean two meetings in less than a week, it's got to be fate.”

“They’re Branx, and are you flirting, right now?” Supergirl kicked the apparent Branx she’d been fighting away from her before landing next to her.

Daisy made sure her body language was as obnoxiously laid back as possible. “Fighting with a hot blonde, is there a better time than this?”

Supergirl was so very Kara right then, blatantly spluttering, cheeks turning pink.

“DAUGHTER OF ALURA! YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR MOTHER’S CRIMES!” The larger of the two Branx roared from where he’d dragged himself back to his feet, two hands helping pull his friend to his feet.

Kara’s face went serious, her posture returning to all Supergirl. “You take the left, I’ll take the right.”

“Sounds fun, not the kind of double teaming I was imagining with you Superhot, but sweaty and rough is good enough for now.” Daisy bounced on her toes, it’d been a while since she’d had a fight that hadn’t left her feeling tired. This was fun! And the choking noise Kara made to that was hilarious.

Daisy used her vibrations, and the fact she was kind of legit a supersoldier, to launch herself straight for the Branx to the left. At the last second, she dropped into a slide, directly between his legs, sliding back up onto her feet, behind him. Pivoting, she spun, kicking him in the side, sending him crashing into the sidewalk.

The Branx rolled onto his hands and knees before roaring and charging straight for her, narrow horns first.

Unfortunately for him, he was large, bulky, and probably faintly concussed from that first hit she’d landed.

Daisy twisted as she bent, avoiding the hit, and then hooked her legs around him and flipped both of them slamming into the street. He took the impact of the hit.

She rolled off of him and straight back onto her feet, her back facing him. Daisy didn’t feel it, but she felt assured to see Supergirl landing a couple of solid hits on her opponent, her form was terrible, but she could clearly tank the damage the Branx was doing and he wasn’t going to last long against her. “Hey Supergirl, aim for the jaw.”

“I’ve got it!” Kara shouted at her while blasting her unfortunate alien with heat vision.

Daisy tilted her head, “That is so cool.” She ducked the punch that went harmlessly swinging over her head. She turned with the next bend, avoiding yet another punch as she used her arm to block a third one. She slammed her elbow down on the arm in her grip, hard.

There was a horrible, audible snapping sound as whatever bones were in his forearm snapped.

The Branx cried out in pain.

Daisy used her grip on his now broken arm, to keep him in place as she slammed her knee into his gut with enough force to feel ribs cracking from the force of it.

He dropped to his knees, leaving them at the same height.

Daisy punched him across the face, hard.

He swayed back from the force of it, before swaying back towards her.

She grabbed his head and then slammed her own head into his.

He dropped.

Daisy winced under her mask the goggle bit was cracked but not falling apart. And also, ow. Head butting aliens that looked a bit like gargoyles, a bad idea. Very, very noted. Still, it wasn’t so much of a bad idea that she couldn’t easily hide the brief second of seeing stars. Yay masks, that let her look like a nightmare villain without having to keep some dumb set face all the time.

She walked over and then halted and watched as Kara finished knocking out her opponent. Daisy let one of her hands rest on a hip, her head cocked theatrically. She waited till Branx number two hit the pavement before talking though. “Has no one taught you to box? Cause you’d be a killer boxer.”

“What?” Kara blew a tendril of stupidly perfect blond hair out of her face as she looked up at her.

Daisy walked right over the top of the unconscious Branx, “You know, boxing, fist fighting, cause the whole tanking puny weaklings because you can is definitely appealing, but if fighting is your day job you should probably pick up some boxing.” She stepped straight into Kara’s personal space, “Be so happy to teach you some moves I know you’ll love.”

Kara took a half step back, face definitely flushed, “I’m, wait, you, do you- did you hit your head?”

“Only star I’m seeing is you,” This was delightful, she was going to look up Superman/girl-themed pickup lines for next time. There had to be some. “But boxing, I’ll show you some moves, we can call it a date, thoughts?”

Chapter 13

Notes:

And back to regularly updating time from now on =D

Also, in a comments a lot of speculation/desire about like civilian reactions or message board reactions SuperQuake. I don't have it planned, I might bang something out if I feel like it, but I wouldn't count on that. That said, if any of you guys want to write what you think people would be thinking/reacting, please feel free. I'd be happy to embed a link to something like that in this fic. Seriously, open permission if any of you feel like it.

Cat Grant was going to develop a migraine that not even the strongest opioids on earth would be able to put a dent in. Not even having Kiera back at her desk and managing her emails with something approaching competence was going to help. Lexapro was not going to help. Caffeine and a Big Belly Burger were not going to help. No, nothing was going to make up for the fact that her Superhero’s shiny image was being polluted by a two-bit, good-for-nothing, supervillain.

She was just short of grinding her teeth as she stared down at the photos laid out across her desk of the fight the night before. It was dynamic, James had done wonderful work with his camera, and the millennial instinct to record everything on their smartphones meant the entire thing was all over YouTube and every news site and a hundred other places.

The whole thing was dramatic, action-packed, and worse, public. It should have been yet another successful outing of her hero, Supergirl. Another step on the way to winning back the public’s faith. And it was ruined, all of it, because standing there beside Supergirl, was Quake.

Once was a misfortune, twice was predictable but also an enemy action. And that enemy was Quake.

Quake was proving to be a villain that had a real threat to her. It was one thing to see a masked supervillain who could fly, disrupt lightning somehow, and was willing to shoot people down without blinking or hesitation. It was another to realize that as the videos could attest, clearly knew exactly what she was doing in a fight, had superstrength, and something like precognition or eyes in the back of her head or something or other. She hadn’t broken a sweat reducing the awful-looking grey and multi-armed alien to a broken wreck. Hadn’t even been taking the fight seriously. An opponent who had gotten in several solid hits against Supergirl.

That wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all.

But what was worse, and the cause of Cat’s impending migraine from hell, was the fact that Quake was flirting with Supergirl. And it was not, not working. Which was a problem.

There were two photos that stood out to Cat. Two photos that left her conflicted about sticking them on her site, in her papers, but had done so. Her hands were tied on the matter. Damn, James for being so good at his job.

The first one was a shot that could sell a narrative of what Quake so clearly was. There she was, her hands dropping a collapsing goliath she’d taken down, red blood that was not her own dripping down the front of her mask. She looked untouchable and terrifying. A monster with power in her hands. The way the light framed her, the motion and power of it striking.

If Cat had wished to sell a monster above all others for her hero to slay, a rival worthy to stand to be defeated by Supergirl, this singular photo would have done it. She would have plastered it across covers and sold the villain for Supergirl to overcome. But then there was the second photo, the one that haunted her. Cat viciously hoped it haunted James as much as it did her, even if it was for different reasons.

Because there in full color was Quake unmistakably flirting, stepping into Supergirl’s space. And Supergirl, the golden hero and untouchable symbol Cat had made her, stepped back. But not just stepping back, oh no, doing so while looking horribly human. The flushed cheeks, her expression all ‘woman off balance’ and unsure of what to do.

The narrative of monster and hero couldn’t be sold, because Supergirl apparently was blatantly confused by but not opposed to the monster flirting with her. There was no good narrative that kept Supergirl as the symbol she needed to be. Cat’s jaw clenched. This could be survived. But she had a terrible feeling Supergirl would not do what needed to be done. Which left her with only one choice. Threaten Supergirl for tolerating a monster near her.

“Supergirl; Ally To Evil Or Fooled By It?”

Tough love it was, Supergirl needed to distance herself from Quake, and she needed to do it yesterday. There could be no waiting for Quake to cross that line that made her fall inevitable. Her existence could tarnish Supergirl’s image worse than whatever nonsense had had the Hero acting like a monster for a day. Turning evil for a day had not punctured the mystic, the myth of the Super. Being tongue-tied, flustered and human would.

////

Kara was going to throw Daisy out of a window for this, she really, really was. It was a disaster, Ms. Grant was on a warpath, and every blog, news page, and website were losing their minds. If Daisy had wanted to explode every type of media in the city, she’d done it. It was chaos. Like a nightmare, also, sure Daisy was trying to come off as a villain for stupid reasons, but did she have to flirt while having actual blood on her stupid creepy mask?

“KIERA!” Ms. Grant yelled with more irritation/rage than usual.

She blanched and rushed at ‘normal’ non-super speed speeds into the office. The covert thumbs-up of misery from Winn was not helpful. She raised her notepad as a defense. “Yes, Ms. Grant?”

“Tell me Kiera, what is your job?” There was a dangerous tick to Ms. Grant’s eye.

Kara pushed her glasses back up her nose. “To be useful to you and make your life easier, Ms. Grant.”

“Then tell me, Kiara, why, while dealing with Supergirl having lost her mind, is my latte cold?” If Ms. Grant had laser vision Kara would be ash.

Kara hesitated faintly, “Lost her mind might be-” She cut herself off. “I’ll get you a new latte, Ms. Grant.”

“Too harsh? Is that what you were going to say? What else would you call that?” Ms. Grant’s eyes really should have been able to catch on fire as she pointed dramatically at the screen currently showing footage of ‘Quake’ blatantly coming onto her while casually wiping the blood off of her mask. Kara could admit she hadn’t known what to do. Knowing it was an act didn’t make her any better at dealing with that sort of thing.

Kara winced, oh, this was so bad. “I mean, Quake didn’t actually do anything wrong?”

“Tell me, do you think Quake hasn’t killed people before?” Ms. Grant was staring her down.

It was the awful one that made it feel like she was seeing through your flesh to all the weak insecurities and ugliness inside. “I mean yes, but she hasn’t-”

“And do you think she has benevolent intentions for Supergirl? Of course, she doesn’t.” Ms. Grant scoffed. “A day, and soon, she will cross the line and people will die because Supergirl’s ego enjoyed being flirted with.” She made a shooing motion with her hand. “Latte, chop chop.”

Kara bit back her protests and scurried off to get a latte, it wasn’t as if anyone else knew that Daisy was trying to make them think she was a bad guy. It wasn’t comforting.

 

Kara slumped in a chair in the secret lair, if she was human she’d be a wreck from how much Ms. Grant had been running her around. A lot of layouts of possible horrible headlines and articles on the entire mess. The constant cutting remarks about how stupid Supergirl had to be for not seeing it were mean. Really mean. And unfair. She groaned.

“Is that a ‘you need a fire’ groan?” Winn asked, “Because unfortunately, the city is pretty quiet today.”

Kara looked at her best friend, “Why is everyone panicking? Quake hasn’t even done anything bad.”

“You do have to admit it doesn’t look good. She shot Siobhan and Leslie, and she beat the hell out of that alien last night, and she looks…really evil?” Winn winced, “Why are you so certain she’s not a villain?”

Kara waved her hands in frustration. “She used tranquilizing bullets of some kind, which means she had those in her gun before she decided to help me. Leslie and Siobhan were barely even bruised from her stopping them. And if I hadn’t told her no guns she wouldn’t have beaten the Branx up so badly. It's not like I didn’t knock out the one I was fighting, I just didn’t headbutt anyone and break their nose with my forehead.”

“I was there, she was intense and was enjoying making you uncomfortable.” James’ hands were on his hips.

She rolled the chair around to look at him, and she was just frustrated that no one would listen to her. “Just because she’s very forward doesn’t mean she’s evil.”

“Forward, she was sexually propositioning you in the middle of the street,” James was all noble judgment and it was just…frustrating!

Kara glared, she was so done. “It might be terrible timing, but someone being interested in me isn’t a sign of evil.”

“She’s not interested in you, she’s making sexual innuendo at Supergirl,” James said like that made his point.

She waved at herself, “I am Supergirl! She’s me, we’re the same person. And Quake hasn’t done anything evil or bad. She just helped, maybe assuming she’s evil because she dresses like a goth Terminator is silly?”

Winn snorted, biting back his humor at a look from James. He cleared his throat. “We just want you to be careful, Quake seems like bad news.”

“Well, maybe you should trust me when I say I don’t think she’s as terrible as she seems?” Kara crossed her arms.

There was a beep from the computer, Winn’s eyes going to the screen. “Um…guess we can find out if you’re right or not, Quake is sitting on a billboard on Seventh and Washington?”

“Tell Ms. Grant I’m getting her kombucha if she asks!” Kara barely was out of her office clothing before she was out of the window at speed. Because something was wrong for Daisy just to be sitting in public as Quake. That sounded really weird, and weird meant a hero problem, hopefully.

Kara came to a swooping halt a few yards in front of a billboard for car insurance that Daisy was happily sitting on while wearing a new mask…it was worse than the last one somehow. She realized before she said something that, well…how was she supposed to interact with Daisy when she was Quake? “Is there an emergency?”

“Hello to you too,” Daisy’s voice wasn’t altered, the smile audible in her voice. But oh, they were high enough up that no one could hear them.

Daisy lifted up a box of donuts that she’d had balancing on the metal frame the billboard was attached to. “I come in peace.”

Kara dropped a few inches in the air, drifting forward slightly. “You got me donuts?”

“I saw the headlines, Cat really went for your jugular,” Daisy wiggled the box.

She hesitated for a moment before swooping over and sitting next to her on the billboard, or with a couple of feet distance, she wasn’t totally terrible at keeping a secret identity. “Did you know they were going to do that?”

“Eh, fifty/fifty shot.” Daisy handed over the box. “And the local elementary school has a field trip planned to go see the history museum two blocks over in an hour. Their teacher told Facebook they were going to eat their lunch in the park down there first. Figured you could use the good press of a class of adorable third graders about to descend there in about fifteen minutes.”

Kara couldn’t help the way it felt like the weight of her entire morning just fell off her back. “How did you even find out about that?”

“I spent twenty minutes looking for an easy PR win for you,” Daisy’s head tilted. “Also, admittedly it helps my evil plans of humanizing you against the media’s will. Which this is so weird, I avoided the limelight on my world for a reason. This is fun, but I can just tell it's going to get exhausting.”

Kara stuffed a cream-filled donut into her mouth. She chewed gleefully, it was a relief. Finally, she swallowed and spoke up, her eyes squinting suspiciously. “Do I want to know what chaos your current public relations nightmare is going to be?”

“Do you?” Daisy asked, “Cause I can lay it out for you if you want? Also, watching Cat Grant suffering thinking her Superhero might get seduced by evil will amuse me. It's useful, even she can’t suppress that story, but you know, it's personally hilarious too.”

She buried her face in her hands. “She’s going to be so upset.”

“Think of it like putting toys in a zoo enclosure with the predators, it's enrichment for her rich big cat life.” Daisy’s voice was full of humor.

Kara rolled her eyes, pulling her face out of her hands. “You’re going to give my boss an aneurysm. She’s going to hunt you down, don’t think she won’t.”

“Unfortunately for her, I’m not scared of her.” Daisy was definitely smug about that. “What’s she going to do, make me look like a villain?”

She blew out a long breath and started munching on another donut. “Where did you find a mask even clunkier and more evil robot-looking than the last one?” Kara was resigned to hearing something that was going to make her despair.

Daisy laughed, clearly hearing the resignation. “Did you know National City has more than one winter sports store? Which is wild, we’re in southern California, yay rich people, I think?” She gave a half-hearted shrug. “Snowboarding masks are like a fashion thing. I got three of them, still working on modding them out to be actually useful, but since the eyeshield got cracked last night, didn’t have much of a choice.”

“You just had them already?” Kara stared at Daisy, donut half lowered from her mouth. “Do you know what taking it easy is?”

Daisy made a ‘so-so’ gesture. “Not particularly, and same-day delivery in city.” Her body language perked up, “and, check this out!” She reached up, touching the mask, and it lit up. Or rather, some of it did.

Two half circles like cartoon eyes made out of purple LED lights. And the mouth cover had a matching lit-up smile. It was so much worse than the awful blank blackness with hard lines from the plastic. Kara was fairly sure it was worse than if she’d decided to actually wear a horror movie character’s mask

“How is it worse?” Kara whined, “Do you know how evil you look?”

The smiling mask looked right back at her. “It’s awesome right?”

Kara had been having a terrible day. She whacked Daisy off of the billboard.

Daisy made a yelping noise as she plummeted before catching herself a few feet above the sidewalk before letting her feet hit the pavement. Ignoring the terrified teenagers who’d been pretending not to be recording them, Daisy launched herself back up onto the billboard, landing in a crouch. “Mean.”

“You’re ridiculous, I hate your evil plans.” Kara polished off another donut.

Daisy reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a neatly folded square of paper. It was like four or five sheers of paper folded over themselves until it was as compact as it was going to get. She held it out to Kara. “Give that to Director Lane, it’ll help with the pressure from the DEO on the subject of ‘Quake’.”

“What is it?” Kara accepted it though, neatly folding it away and out of sight.

Daisy was facing her, focusing purely on Kara. “I found a lead on a Cadmus asset, spent all morning cleaning out his computer systems and setting them to wipe later today. But, since I agreed to no murder when not necessary, I thought feeding him to Lane was a nonlethal option. And, it’ll give the DEO a motive to explain my actions. Enemy of the enemy is my friend and all that.”

“Wait, so they’ll think you’re hunting Cadmus? Weren’t we hiding that?” Kara could feel her brow crinkling, which was annoying, Alex would never let her live down being that easy to read.

Daisy made an ‘eh?’ sound. “Yes and no, the extent yes, but they’ll need an explanation. So we give them one. Enjoy the donuts, hopefully the kids want your autograph or photos or something, and I’ll have the data from our Cadmus asshole’s computer broken down by the time you get home, hopefully. Depends on how much there is to sort.”

“You could stay, you know?” Kara wasn’t looking forward to her leaving.

Daisy shook her head slightly, “Not this time.” She raised a hand in a casual wave, before shooting off into the air.

Kara sighed, somehow she just knew that the last few minutes were going to make her life so much harder. But at the same time, a real lead on Cadmus.

////

Lucy stared at the folded papers she’d been handed. “Quake gave these to you, for me?”

“She was very specific,” Supergirl, or Kara replied, her posture and voice surprisingly serious. But then, she tended to be more naturally serious when she wore the cape. “She said ‘Enemy of my enemy is my friend’.”

That sounded incredibly dangerous. She unfolded the tightly compressed paper. It was a list of military files neatly typed and printed. If Lucy hadn’t been military it’d have been meaningless gibberish. Whoever Quake was, she’d had access to an Army database, or had a contact who did. Neatly written out in clean, blocky letters that screamed not her actual handwriting was a name, ‘Wilbur T Adams’ and a military ID #. Lucy’s jaw tightened, it was a neatly organized hay pile with the needle labeled and laid out on top.

“What is it?” Kara asked curiously from where she was now looming over Lucy’s shoulder.

Lucy flipped to the second page, “A successful way to share intel between two parties that don’t trust each other. These are the internal IDs of files to pull. She even gave us a name. So we know the who, when, and where.”

Kara nudged her, “So Quake might not be evil?”

“She has an agenda.” Lucy’s eyes twitched as she saw the neatly blocky letters on the final page. ‘Happy hunting’.

Lucy turned toward Kara, “Go, I’m sure your last break ended a while ago, and Ms. Grant is on a warpath.”

“She’s being so mean about Supergirl!” Kara was bleeding frustration.

Lucy was not trained in managing superheroes. “I’ll call you if this intel leads to anything of value.” She was positive it would. But in the DEO she had maybe five agents she trusted to not have conflicting loyalties, a couple dozen she was reasonably sure were dependable, and the rest she was still sorting. It didn’t matter that she knew the majority were clean if she didn’t know which ones weren’t. Which left Kara as her only true ally here.

Kara nodded, “Ok, if you need me just call.”

“That bad?” Lucy wasn’t so tired as to miss the humor in Supergirl being trapped with Cat Grant on a warpath against Supergirl. “Go, or you won’t have a day job much longer.” Probably not actually true, Cat had a soft spot for Kara even if she insisted on torturing her to prove she didn’t.

 

Lucy rubbed at her temples, the intelligence had been valid. Wilbur T Adams was a former army grunt, who got a degree in computer engineering after his time in the service and was then recruited into the DEO. And, had been serving directly under a Lieutenant under her father during his service. A Lieutenant who as of three weeks ago, she knew was Cadmus. The bank credentials had given her a look into Adams’ accounts, and he was getting money from someone who wasn’t the DEO.

She was good at putting pieces together, this would have been easy to a child. Lucy had just been handed a Cadmus mole in the DEO. If Quake was feeding her a Cadmus agent, that made a horrible amount of sense. Quake being on the hunt for Cadmus made the timing make perfect, morbid sense. She’d showed up just weeks after Cadmus made a big inter-departmental move in National City. And to anyone with eyes, indicated they were gunning for Supergirl.

It was such a neat trail for someone like Quake to follow. And if Cadmus was after Supergirl, by Supergirl’s side was where Quake would want to be to likely kill any Cadmus agents she could get her hands on. Which made Quake dangerous in new, if more controlled ways. She probably wasn’t an actual threat to the civilians of National City. Likely why she’d felt comfortable enough to announce her presence to Supergirl.

Hell, she probably assumed Supergirl would be sympathetic to a Cadmus murder quest. Lucy’s jaw tightened, Quake might not be wrong about that.

Lucy hit the comm, she had action to take before she decided on the next move with Quake. “Agent Vasquez, to the Director’s office.” They had a mole to detain after all.

Chapter 14

Notes:

Yo! Hope you're all well!

Daisy was seated on her kitchen island, using cheap chopsticks to eat straight from the carton of takeout. The intell projected against the long white wall in her apartment. “So, Wibur doesn’t matter, Lucy can have him, but his computer systems are interesting.”

“You found a money trail?” Kara asked.

Daisy reached over to her laptop and pulled up the relevant information. “Not that fortunate, but I found a place to look, his main job for the DEO has been looking into the illegal alien technology trade. This is useful for us, and very useful if you’re an amoral asshole wanting to turn alien weapons against aliens. The useful for our purposes part is here.”

“Business expenses…he was charging the DEO for lunch meetings? You can do that?” Kara sounded slightly insulted at the very idea, but she was clearly more interested in the reports. “These are Cadmus agents?”

She hummed as she scrolled pulled up one in particular and pointed at the projection with her chopsticks. “Not all, but this name came up a lot, and the idiot used real names in his paperwork. Probably because the DEO and Cadmus are sister organizations.”

“Colonel John Franklin,” Daisy pulled up the man’s personal file. “He’s currently assigned to DC working on Capitol Hill. And he’s the kind of political track officer who would be really useful in advocating for say, a horror-filled government program of evil.”

Kara had a set to her jaw. “So we investigate John?”

“Yes, but also I have a list of people to look into for supporting Cadmus.” Daisy set aside her carton of orange chicken and picked up her laptop pulling up what she had. “Cadmus coming for you was a big swing. So I looked into what I could of the Defense Department’s spending. Which, limited access, I’ll need more to know for sure, but I’m not seeing the kind of funding needed for Cadmus. Traces of black money for the DEO, a couple of dozen classified military projects, sure, my guess is Cadmus is one of those classified military projects. But not enough to be a program large enough to imagine it could contain or kill you or your cousin. There are big swings, and then there’s stupidity.”

And Kara looked grim. “They’re getting funding from other sources than the government.” Her eyes narrowed, “That’s why you wanted to know about the richest people in the country.”

She nodded, “And we have to admit there’s a probable answer to who has the means, and motive to support Cadmus.”

“Lex, but he’s in jail?” Kara had gone very still.

Daisy looked at her friend, it was a crime the DEO had clearly been keeping her as far out of the intelligence-gathering aspect of their job as possible. “Do you really think that matters?”

“I want to say yes, but it wouldn’t be true, would it?” Kara’s shoulders rolled back. “He hasn’t attacked my cousin or me since his arrest, it's at least slowing him down.”

Daisy clicked into the Lex Luthor file she had started, it wasn’t a lot. “I need more access to know, but if I had to guess, he’s regrouping. Which means, how do you feel about a cross-country flight and some espionage?”

“We’re breaking into LuthorCorp?” Kara’s eyes widened as she realized.

She nodded, “Into their Metropolis server room. Quick in out, no combat suits.” Daisy hesitated, “If what we find is what I think we are, I’m going to kill Lex.”

“You’re that convinced we’ll find he’s still ruining lives?” Kara didn’t shrink from it.

Daisy’d agreed to be honest about it. “He’s a psychopath who wants to commit genocide, if jail is containing him it's not an issue. But I doubt it.”

“Ok,” Kara held her eye, “But we make sure.”

She reached out and squeezed Kara’s arm. “So, want to do some spy shit tonight?”

“Wait, now?” Kara sat up straighter.

Daisy grinned, “No time like the present, and I think you’re going to like the face veil. Also, I’d appreciate you doing the flying, jumping across the country sounds terrible.”

“What’s a face veil?”

////

Kara if she’d ever imagined it, would have expected spy stuff to be…cooler? Not that flying them both to Metropolis hadn’t been fun, flying was always fun, and Daisy thought it was as awesome as she did. But now she was standing, in the middle of the night, staring at what Daisy had apparently ordered delivered to a crummy motel room. “Why fire extinguishers?”

“Because if anyone asks, it's a new safety policy that the server room has new ones and we’re delivering them now because the order was marked urgent.” Daisy tossed her a clipboard with actual paperwork neatly laid out with signatures that had to be fake.

Kara’s brow crinkled as she set the clipboard aside, “What do we do if someone talks to us?”

“I do the talking.” Daisy touched her arm, her face kind. “Lying in the way we’ll need to is a skill, it's not one you’re trained in. That’s fine, just follow my lead. It’s going to be fine. I promise this is going to be easier than figuring out Homedepot.” She smiled slightly, “I got you.”

She looked at the delivery worker uniforms. “Don’t we need badges or something?”

“Nope, they’ll let us in the door and if we need a badge I’ll snag one.” Daisy grabbed a thin, flat box from inside the duffle she’d grabbed on their way out the door. “This though, is why even if they realize what we did and check their cameras, it's not a big deal.”

Kara wasn’t sure what it was, it looked like thin clear plastic inside, only she could see the thousands of tiny electronic pieces, though she wasn’t sure a human could. “What is that?”

“It’s called a face veil, and you have the recognizable face, so you get it and I get makeup.” Daisy glanced at the clock, “And we should probably be arriving at LuthorCorp in thirty minutes if we want to be in and out and have you back in National City in time to get your boss her latte.”

Kara nodded, “What do I do?”

“Sit on the bed, let’s get the veil on you. You can pick a face while I get into uniform since you have superspeed to avoid that delay.”

She sat on the end of the bed and held still, as Daisy carefully laid the veil across her face. It molded against her face with a strange tickling sensation. Kara blinked as Daisy’s hands dropped. “What now?”

“Magazine in the bag, find someone not too hot or distinct looking you won’t mind sharing a face with for a half hour.” Daisy grabbed her stack of delivery uniform clothing and ducked into the bathroom.

Kara pulled out the home decorating magazine. This was slightly more spy-like.

 

Kara took back any belief that Spycraft was actually dramatic or cool. She was standing there, in the lobby of LuthorCorp, holding the handle of a dolly loaded up with boxes of fire extinguishers, watching as Daisy happily talked about traffic and how terrible managers were with the security guard and front desk lady. Unease about walking into LuthorCorp had vanished into disbelief. It couldn’t be this easy?

“Thanks for signing off, need us to take a service elevator?” Daisy made a gesture toward the elevators.

The security guard signed off on the clipboard. “You’re good to go, just take the main elevator on up.”

Daisy smiled at the man, “Thanks, can’t keep the boss waiting, right?”

He chuckled handing back over the clipboard. “Don’t I know it.”

Daisy casually waved, before turning on her heel and heading to the elevator.

Kara adjusted the dolly and followed after, she mostly felt kind of awkward, and also…they’d just been let in? That easy?

Daisy hit the button for the elevator and flashed an amused look at her, winking, before looking away again.

The elevator ride to the third floor was awkward, Kara’s skin crawled with the feeling of ‘what if someone realized they shouldn’t be here?’ Nobody did, they just breezed past workers on their way. And Daisy clearly knew exactly where they were going. She took them straight through the halls before reaching a door, she slid a badge through the security pad on the door. When had she gotten a badge? It easily lit up, and into a room full of servers.

Daisy looked over at her. “Unload those over by the desk.” She slid into the aisles between the servers.

Kara had two boxes of fire extinguishers unloaded by the time Daisy came back, she looked at her, “That was fast?”

“Yup, not a big deal.” Daisy grabbed the last box of extinguishers and set them on the floor. “Let’s get out of here, I could use some coffee.”

And it really was, that simple. They just walked out. Daisy even waved at the receptionist and lobby security officer on their way out. As the fancy doors of the huge skyscraper closed behind them, Kara breathed out, a wild buzzing energy jittering inside of her. They’d gotten away with it!

“So, coffee?” Daisy grinned, the smug amusement was too genuine for Kara to even be mad.

She laughed, “I can do coffee.”

 

Kara was extra careful as she peeled the veil off of her face. She opened and shut her mouth, stretching her face. “That feels so weird!”

“Yeah, but no one will ever know Supergirl walked right into LuthorCorp’s server room.” Daisy left the door open as she turned the water on, and started washing her face off. She’d done something to her face with makeup that hadn’t looked like a lot of makeup, but it’d made the angle of her face look different.

She pulled off the work uniform jacket, “What did you do? It was so fast.”

“Plugged in a physical backdoor I can use to get into their systems.” Daisy grabbed a towel wiping her face off. “We both have work today though, so might be a day or two before I have answers for you.”

Kara was kind of horrified by that, “It’s as easy as just plugging something in?”

“No,” Daisy laughed as she stepped out of the crappy motel room bathroom, “I had to make the programs that will do the work. But hacking is like 50% preparation beforehand. Do you know how long it takes to write even a simple program? Let alone a self-cloning virus? That’s days of work. I’ll break down more if you want, but want to get out of here?” She chucked the towel onto the unslept in bed.

Kara couldn’t help smiling, “Flying home?”

“Up, up and away or whatever,” But Daisy’s smile matched her own.

 

Kara was poking at her third sticky bun in the tucked away corner in Noonans, she looked up at Daisy and couldn’t help the question. “Why did you bring me?”

“What do you mean?” Daisy paused, fork halfway to her mouth.

She looked down at the swirly contents of her latte. “You could have done all of that without me, I didn’t do anything to help. Any time it saved having me fly you, you lost having to explain things to me and helping with the veil.”

“I mean, you’re underestimating how much I have not used my jumping to really fly. I should probably figure that out more, but sure, I could have done it without you. But we’re doing this together right?” There was something in Daisy’s tone that made Kara look up.

And Kara could see it, the sudden hesitance like she was worried she’d done something wrong. She reached out grabbing Daisy’s hand, maybe slightly faster than a human could move. “Thank you.”

////

Winn had a realization as he watched Kara crush her computer mouse at the sight of another negative headline about Supergirl plastered across the screens. When was the last time they’d spent time together outside of the Super lair? It’d been…well before Alex left, before red kryptonite, he actually wasn’t sure when the last time was. Before he and Siobhan had started dating?

He grabbed the mouse off Rita’s desk, he’d replace it before she got back from maternity leave. Scurrying over to Kara’s desk he dropped down and started unplugging the broken mouse. “So what do you think of game night?”

“Wait, what?” Kara looked at him in confusion, and she was wound tight, but it wasn’t with anxiety, more frustration.

He wasn’t sure what to think of that, it was usually anxiety? “We haven’t had one in a while, we should do one. It’d be fun.” He smiled, hoping it came off as excited and not concerned.

She swept the broken mouse into her waste paper basket. “That would be fun, we could do it after work on Friday?”

“Yeah, I’ll let James know. We could invite Lucy, have even numbers for teams?” Winn wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, what with the whole James, Kara, and Lucy awkwardness. He wasn’t even sure exactly where any of them stood with each other. But if it was just James, him, and Kara it’d end up just being Super talk. Winn was pretty sure they needed a night off of Super talk.

Kara breathed out, the frustrated edge easing, the tension in her shoulders softening. But then her brow crinkled, “We should invite Lucy, but we’ll have odd numbers not even?”

“No,” Winn held up his hand, counting on his fingers. “You, me, James, Lucy, that’s four, even number.”

She blinked, “Oh if we’re doing a game night, I’m inviting Daisy.” Kara’s posture was more Supergirl than Kara Danvers then.

He softened, “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Daisy, haven’t you?”

“Yes?” Kara pulled back, a certain defensiveness in her posture.

Winn winced, he probably deserved that. “Guess we’ll have to figure out a game that doesn’t involve teams.”

“We could play Clue?” Kara actually looked excited, and it’d been a while since he’d seen her excited.

Oh god, he was one of those terrible friends who ignored their friends for a new relationship. That was…he hadn’t meant to do that. Winn stood up from where he’d been adjusting the new mouse. “You’d cheat.”

“I would never,” The guilty grin said otherwise.

He shook his head, “We’ll figure something out. And hey, maybe try not to break another mouse?”

“I can’t help it! Why does everyone have to talk about Supergirl like…like…some idiot floozy?” She waved sharply at the screen displaying the crummy iphone video footage of Supergirl and Quake on top of the billboard.

Winn would admit on pain of death, that the two of them did look kind of first datey up there. But the idea of Kara letting some evil villain seduce her was stupid. Sure, Quake might be intending to do that, but it was Kara. Just because she was too quick to give chances to people didn’t mean she was stupid. And, he wasn’t sure, but if Kara went for a girl, he had a strong feeling it would be someone a lot closer to home. Someone with a propensity to jump out of windows to save innocent PAs. “They’ll get over it, hey have you seen the parkour videos that are starting to come out?”

“The what?” Kara asked.

He grinned, grabbing her mouse and clicking onto YouTube. “Oh yeah, apparently it’s becoming a challenge to see if people can pull off the maneuver Daisy did when she saved you. Only like, closer to the ground and not forty stories up. It’ll be a full trend by next week if this keeps up.”

So maybe he’d been a bit of a crap friend, he could do better, and at least someone had been there for Kara when the rest of them probably should have. He didn’t think he’d be able to dislike Daisy even if he wanted to for that. Not that he did.

////

Daisy was painting her nails a dark purple as she sat burled on one end of Kara’s couch, it was a comfy couch, even if she was happy not to be sleeping on it anymore. She looked up as Kara walked in, the door shutting a bit too hard behind her. It rattled the apartment. Daisy raised a brow. “Ms. Grant that bad?”

“Did your plan have to involve everyone thinking Quake was seducing Supergirl?” Kara yanked her glasses off.

Her brow rose further up her face, “Oh, she’s really not taking it well.”

“She called it ‘Canoodling with Evil’,” Kara admitted, hands waving with angry frustration.

Daisy snorted, “That’s too good!”

“It’s terrible!” Kara grabbed a throw pillow and chucked it at her.

Her powers deflected it easily before it could hit her in the face instead of grabbing it, didn’t want to mess up the nail polish. “Want me to make it go away, or want to bitch about terrible media trends?”

“I’d feel better if you repeated why you’re creating this media nightmare again?” Kara dropped onto the other end of the couch, looking absolutely wrung out.

Daisy screwed the brush end of the nail polish back on. “Supergirl needs to be humanized because you’re not going to be the perfect untouchable paragon they want you to be. And it's wild to have them think about you that way. Like, you should get a little mercy, even if you’re a hero.”

With a groan, Kara nodded, pulling the clip out of her hair, letting it spill down. “I hate it.”

“I mean, I could stop flirting with you, put some distance between Supergirl and Quake? It’d be a little less effective, but we could make it work.” Daisy offered, she’d need to play up the fact she was closer to human than alien by this world’s standards sooner and harder, but it wouldn't be impossible.

Kara shook her head, “No, thank you for the offer though.” She looked at her, “You do that, a lot.”

“What?” Daisy tipped her head slightly.

“Listen, tell me what you’re doing, involve me in deciding things, ask what I want.” Kara offered, sounding tired.

Daisy leaned forward and touched Kara’s knee, careful not to smudge polish on Kara’s slacks. “I know how much it sucks to be out of the loop. And your world, yeah?”

Kara stared in faint disbelief. “You live here now too, it's not just my world.”

“Guess it is,” Daisy smiled softly, it didn’t quite feel like home, not that she was entirely sure what that felt like. She’d never had it for long without it being ripped away. She was tired of chasing after the shreds of it long after she should have stopped. But maybe, for a while, this place could be a kind of home. “Which, want to help me put together some bookshelves after dinner? They got delivered while I was on my lunch today.”

Kara beamed. “That sounds fun! Oh, we’re doing game night on Friday?”

“Uh, guessing that involves more people than just us?” Daisy ran through the names she knew of in Kara’s life, she could guess at who it meant.

Sure enough, Kara nodded, “Winn, James, Lucy, and us. It’ll be fun!” She looked happy, “We haven’t done one in over a month, so it’ll be super great!”

And Daisy couldn’t help softening at the just joy Kara felt at the idea of spending time with her friends. “So what kind of games are we going to play?”

Chapter 15

Notes:

Yo!

Kara was comfortable, very cozy, and snuggly. She really didn’t want to move, why did she have to wake up? The warm humming buzz just felt like a hug, so did the arm around her waist. Her eyes cracked open, wait…Kara froze as she realized exactly the position she was in because she was on the couch, or, on top of Daisy who was on the couch. Her face flushed, they’d fallen asleep watching movies Daisy’s world hadn’t had.

The last thing Kara remembered was the wheel fight in the second Pirates movie. She was pretty sure she’d been using Daisy’s shoulder as a pillow at that point? It kind of explained how they’d ended up tangled up on the couch, though the blanket over her, said Daisy’d been somewhat awake for part of that process. She wasn’t now. Kara barely kept from squeaking as she realized Daisy was purring. It was adorable, and Daisy looked younger when she was sleeping. Or maybe actually looked her age?

She untensed, it was fine, though she couldn’t help the embarrassed flush at realizing she’d drooled on her friend’s shoulder. Kara had fallen asleep on the couch enough times with Alex to know there was no way out without waking Daisy up. Especially considering Daisy had an arm wrapped protectively around Kara’s waist. Floating up and off wasn’t an option. She could see the clock, there was still time before the alarm would go off. It’d be weird to just go back to sleep on top of Daisy, wouldn’t it? Even if it was comfy, and she didn’t want to stop the barely audible purring sound. “Daisy.”

Daisy went from asleep to awake in less than a beat of her too-fast heart. It was funny how different it was from how Alex woke up. Daisy didn’t go tense, there wasn’t alarm, she stayed loose, but her breathing barely changed, her eyes just snapped open. She stared at her for a second, and then yawned, “Morning.”

“I didn’t squish you?” Kara asked, she carefully climbed off of Daisy.

Daisy just stretched sitting up, “You’re fine,” She ran a hand through her mussed hair. She smiled, it was sleepy but fond, “I’m sturdier than your average bear.”

Kara shook off the reference in Daisy’s words that she didn’t recognize. “I forget that sometimes.” She didn’t, not really. It was more, she felt afraid of harming the people around her. It was ingrained in her, to be careful.

“Oh, we’re up before the coffee,” Daisy yawned, walking over to the kitchen, easily getting it going with practiced motions.

Kara scanned the contents of her cupboards, “We have time for pancakes?”

“You’re so perky in the morning.” Daisy blinked slowly at her before looking over at the clock on the microwave. “Sure, pancakes, there’s time for me to get through tai chi first though.”

Kara smiled, it was a thing she knew about Daisy’s morning routine. “Sorry for getting us up early.”

Waving absently, Daisy silently padded over to the more open area by the window, smoothly falling into a stance, her eyes closing as she began the slow water-like movements of tai chi. It was really peaceful to watch her. A thing Kara’d done more than one morning.

This morning, however, she pulled out the pancake mix and started getting it ready. Pancakes were something she could do. Kara grabbed the eggs out of the fridge, it was early, but she didn’t feel tired, maybe because she’d slept well, or maybe because the warm rays of a beautiful day were just beginning to pour through the windows. She hummed along to a song as she worked.

Kara had the first four pancakes on a plate and was pouring the batter for the next round when she felt more than heard Daisy sliding onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. It was funny, she was starting to expect how Daisy would do things. Kara grabbed the already-poured mug of coffee and passed it over. “More awake?”

“Hmmm.” Daisy closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of her coffee. “You didn’t have to do all the cooking.”

Kara turned around going back to work before she burned anything, “You’re always making dinner, it's only fair.”

“No complaints from me,” Daisy quietly drank her coffee before speaking. “It’s probably going to mean more takeout, but I was thinking of trying some Chinese recipes this week. If you don’t mind the risk?”

Kara glanced at her, “I love Chinese food, and I’ll pick up the pizza if it takes you a few tries.” She felt a pang at the expression on Daisy’s face. “Have you cooked Chinese food before?”

“Uh, no.” Daisy shifted slightly, “But my mom was from Hunan and it kinda feels like something I should at least try to learn?”

Oh.

Kara lifted the pan off of the burner and set it aside before walking straight to Daisy and hugging her friend. “I think that’s a great idea.”

Daisy made an amused huffing noise but hugged back. “Thanks. If I ruin more cookware, feel free to yell at me.”

“Never,” Kara tightened her hug because she could do that with Daisy, really hug her. She did have to pull away though, breakfast, and it was weird to just hug your friends for too long.

Daisy had a warm smile as she watched her before shaking her head slightly. “So, I’m not on shift today, I can dig through LuthorCorp files. Hopefully, make progress on tracking Cadmus’s financials.”

“And once you have the financials you can see who is getting that money because that would be leadership, yes?” Kara checked. It was really interesting how Daisy laid out the investigation. And Kara might not have done much of use, yet, but she’d be able to if she understood what was going on.

Daisy made a sound of agreement, “Money, leadership, and find the main hubs. From there we can gather evidence of them being evil assholes before figuring out how to rip it out.”

“Rip out?” Kara flipped pancakes.

Daisy ran her fingers through her hair. “Organizations like Cadmus just burrow deeper underground if you let them. And with how weird this planet is about aliens, we need to drag the hate out into the public and let them deal with cleaning up their own mess. You or I are not going to just fix anti-alien sentiment. We can help, but that’s so far beyond what any one person can do it's wild.”

Kara wasn't sure if she found that statement a relief or frustrating, maybe both? "We can try."

"Yeah, we'll fight that fight even if it's not one we can win." Daisy’s quiet resolve was confident and settled. There wasn't a question that she meant it.

It was warm and left Kara so very glad that Daisy was here with her. "Fighting for what's right, to protect people is always worth it."

"Yeah, it is." Daisy agreed.

 

Kara was ahead on her work for Ms. Grant, it helped superspeed made the endless errands less time-consuming. And as long as Ms. Grant had her Lexapro, a constant stream of lattes, and cheat lunches her temper was manageable. Mostly, not really, but manageable in that she was only getting yelled at a few times a day and the endless fetch jobs. For a human, it probably would be exhausting.

She clicked on the tab she had open about Hunan China. It wouldn’t leave her, the thought that Daisy and Kal had it in common. Not much, but they’d both been raised away from their family, their culture, everything, and that it was sad. Kal had never wanted to know much about who he was, what his heritage was, what being a Kryptonian meant. And it was different, Daisy was still raised on the same planet as her heritage, and clearly understood the alien part of her. But it mattered that Daisy hesitantly wanted to know about what she hadn’t had. And it was more attainable than what Kara and Kal had lost. It was something Kara could actually help with.

Or, well help in her own small way. And it was just constantly Daisy helping her. So, Kara was looking at cookbooks at the store down the road that was on the right kind of Chinese food. Because abstractly she’d been aware China was huge and different regions had different food and things, but it was kind of staggering now that she was looking into it. Apparently, Hunan cuisine was considered one of the Eight Great Traditions of Chinese cooking. Which at least was making finding cookbooks for it not as hard as expected, but still kinda ridiculous finding a store in National City that had them listed on their website.

“Did you get banned from the Chinese place?” James asked with a chuckle.

She startled slightly, she twisted to look up at him, “What, no? Oh! I was thinking Daisy might like one since she’s learning how to cook and all.” It felt wrong to say why Daisy might want a cookbook on the topic.

“Is she Chinese American then?” He asked curiously, leaning over her shoulder to see the list of cookbooks on her screen.

It prickled as not quite right, but Kara wanted her friends to like Daisy. “Yes, and I thought it might be nice to get her a cookbook from the part of China her mom was from. That’s not too much, right?”

“No, that sounds very thoughtful,” He sounded warm, he always did, like a big hug in voice form if that made any sense. “We could maybe see if any of Winn’s martial arts films are something she’d like if you want.” James frowned, “Do you know what dialect she speaks, or I suppose if she speaks one?”

Kara leaned back in her chair. Well, that was a question, “I’m not sure, what dialect do they speak in Hunan?”

“I have no idea,” James admitted.

////

Daisy had left her programs pulling the documents she needed, and was swinging by the alien bar. Which was called Al’s Dive Bar, apparently. She waved at Kevin who was doing something to the jukebox, as she walked towards the bar. “Hey, M’gann, do you have a minute?”

“Depends on what you need to ask.” The woman turned away from the man she’d been talking to over a clipboard.

The man looked up, “New to Earth?”

“Sorta spent the last couple years off-world, but was born here actually.” Daisy held out her hand, “Daisy Johnson.”

“Al Crane, owner of this dump, and welcome back to Earth.” He looked like any bald trucker in America, it was endearing really. “If you don’t mind my asking, what system do your people hail from?”

Daisy hesitated, “I’m not just one species.”

“That’s rare, let me guess, you have some Daxamite in you?” He had a curious gleam.

She laughed, “No, how’d you get that?”

“Well shucks, and you pass as human, and Daxamites were famous for getting around with other species.” He shrugged good-naturedly, “And from how M’gann is reacting she can’t read you so you must be resistant to psychic abilities. Which is rare, she can read every one.”

Daisy couldn’t help tensing at that, her eyes flicking to M’gann. “You can read minds?”

“Not yours,” M’gann admitted. “I can feel it’s there, but you and your friend aren’t readable.”

She gave a faint nod, the crawling unease fading, “Must make your job easier?”

“Oh it does, she’s the best at discrete service.” Al clapped M’gann on the shoulder. “So, how far off was I?”

Daisy forced herself to ease, if she ever wanted to know what drinks would kill her and which wouldn’t, she would need to mention her species anyway. “My dad was human, my mom’s people you could say were from Hala and tend to look a bit blue.”

M’gann’s eyes widened slightly, while Al choked, “Kree, you’re Kree?”

Daisy shrugged a half-shoulder, “They don’t consider me one of them, and I have yet to meet one who isn’t a dick.”

“Well that’s something,” Al’s face was kind. “Most of us are running from something, you’re welcome here.”

Daisy flicked a brief smile at him, “Thanks, but running from a fight isn’t really my style.” She reached into her jacket and pulled out the bar of gold and set it on the counter. “And you could say Nazis and I don’t get along, know anyone I can pay a seller's fee for helping me get rid of some of this stuff?”

“I might, how hot is this?” Al had gone entirely serious, setting his clipboard aside.

She shook her head, “It’s not hot, the issue is getting rid of a large amount of gold is attention-grabbing. I think you can get why I’d want to avoid that. And if I’m going to have to pay someone to help, I’d rather do it inside the community.”

“It would have to be recast, they’re identifiable,” Al said as he stroked his chin, and he was def a middleman like she’d thought. Shitty bars didn’t generate enough cash to keep something like this functioning. At least not long term.

Daisy picked up the bar, turning her hand over so that it was above her palm, and then she closed her eyes. Heating and reshaping metal was…difficult. Or, it took concentration, she hadn’t done anything like it a lot. Knowing she could do it in theory and doing it in life were two different things. But well, she’d figured out all of her powers while on the spot. Breathing out, her eyes opened and she set a perfectly smooth golden plate on the counter. “What shape attracts the least attention?”

“That’s not a Kree skill,” Al whistled looking up at her from the plate. “But alright, I can work with that. Can you put them into one-ounce bars?”

She nodded, “I can do that, what kind of rate are we talking?”

Al’s smile looked distinctly shark-like. “After my guy and I take our cut, one of those bars will get you a thousand.”

“Funny, see I googled the value of high-quality gold before I came here, and that’s a thousand for you, a thousand for me. Doesn’t seem entirely fair, does it?” Daisy met his eyes and ignored it as M’gann went to go deal with backstock. Negotiations were always fun. She grinned.

 

Daisy was one gold bar lighter, a thousand dollars richer, and would be seven hundred more once Al’d found a buyer, if this worked out. “Nice doing business with you, Al.”

“Same to you,” He pointed at her, a certain levity to it, but also seriousness, “It better be as cold as you’re saying.”

She tipped her head, “I wouldn’t lie about this. I gave you my actual name.”

“I believe you, mostly.” Al grabbed two beers from the fridge beneath the counter, popping their caps off passing her one, and holding his up. “To doing business?”

“To doing business.” Daisy tapped the bottle against his. She took a swig, before saying anything else. “So what about you, which species are you?”

“I’m a Debstam, a plague wiped out our planet, there’s not very many of us. Wouldn’t blame you if you hadn’t heard of us.” He took a swig of his beer. “Not all of us are from infamous species.”

Daisy reached out and pulled the clipboard over, it had a bottle order on it. She scrawled her cellphone number on the bottom of the sheet. She looked up at him, “Someone or something comes around trying to fuck with you or the people just minding their business, call me.” She held his eyes.

He understood her meaning. If he was smart he wouldn’t take her up on it. At least not for a while. He didn’t know her after all, she wasn’t established in the alien community. But it was important if he got desperate enough, he’d know she was offering. It was about stating her intentions, they’d believe it in time.

Al gave her the faintest nod, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Daisy had a whiteboard she was sticking photos on and labeling names. The LutherCorp hack had been exactly on the money. It was pure gold intel-wise. Oh, it was all neatly obscured, but rooting through corporate shell companies for the ones talking to each other, the ones producing profit, and the ones producing the weapons was a skill, and it was one she’d been fantastic at at eighteen; now she was one of the best in the world at it. Hydra tactics weren’t unique tactics after all.

Most of what she was finding wouldn’t hold up in court, and if you weren’t looking for it, would just look like sloppy disregard for the future of the company by a man losing his mind in his grudge match with Superman. Daisy could see the structure to it though, Cadmus was a cancer, and it was one LutherCorp and the Government had birthed together, and the scar tissue was where she knew to look for it. Given another year or two, the new CEO would have audited and cleaned up the mess. But right now? Lena Luthor was drowning in tanking stocks and had no idea what horrors to look for so she could prune them.

It was interesting though, Lena was killing programs left right, and center that were almost certainly Cadmus, but wildly missing others. Daisy wasn’t a financial person exactly, though she’d been skimming corporate funds for SHIELD for years. But she was guessing the new Luthor was trying to staunch the loss of revenue like staunching blood and hadn’t had two seconds to try and map out the internal face of the company. It was sloppy, either she was giving other forces time to get their ducks in a row before she severed the connections, or she wasn’t aware of how deep the shit ran.

And there was a name on the directors' list of so many projects and shell companies that was ratcheting up Daisy’s focus. Lillian Luthor, one or two Cadmus projects? Sure, almost all of them? Yeah, Daisy was flagging and noting down everything in the company with the bitch’s name on it. The fact Lillian had spent the post-Lex trial time consolidating control of those areas instead of fighting with her daughter for the company itself was telling. Not that it wasn’t possible, Lex, mommy, and sister were in on it; but she wasn’t convinced. She was convinced Lillian was going to be an issue.

Daisy was getting a nice list of people and companies and shell companies and accounts to look into. With SHIELD resources and a few interns, she could have Cadmus neatly laid out in a week. Without that, it was going to take her closer to two and a half weeks to really have them measured out. It was slow but better to do it right and slow than miss something.

She was metaphorically elbow-deep in files when she felt Kara fly through the window. Her eyes didn’t leave the screen, “Hey.”

“Oh, wow, you found something?” Kara dropped her purse that hit the counter with a solid sounding thud.

Daisy hummed, “We were right, LutherCorp is involved with Cadmus, if I’m right they’re the biggest backers of it.” She passed the tablet she’d pre-loaded with financials, “Here, can you highlight every name listed on the financials for this shell company and then cross-reference it with the ones I’ve already done?”

“You think they’re Cadmus?” Kara asked while accepting the tablet.

She nodded, “Part of maybe,” Daisy looked up at Kara. “We map out who is connected, then we look into which ones of these are actually Cadmus. If we know which people and programs are linked, we know who to rule out, and who to take another look at.”

“Like glitter, anyone who touched it gets it on them.” Kara settled next to her on the new couch in Daisy’s apartment.

Daisy leaned into the contact, it was weak of her. It wasn’t like anything would ever happen there. She wasn’t delusional, but also not above enjoying how touchy Kara was. “Exactly, And once we map out LutherCorp and its subsidiaries we can start mapping out who besides LutherCorp and the Army have their fingers in it.”

“I’ll order pizza,” Kara started scrolling through the financials. “This is going to take a while, isn’t it?”

“Probably, and sorry for not making dinner, I kind of forgot.” Daisy actually kinda felt guilty about being reminded of it. “I kinda forget about food sometimes.”

Kara handed her the tablet, “Hold that.” She zipped off the couch and back, fast. As she settled back she neatly took the tablet back, setting it beside her on the couch. “No idea how you forget to eat, but I got you something.”

Daisy smiled, focusing on Kara, setting her laptop aside. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” Kara pulled a book out of her purse pressing it into Daisy’s hands.

She looked down at the cover, “Xiang Cuisine.” Daisy slowly opened it, “You got me a Chinese cookbook?” She couldn’t help the way she felt warm and fuzzy as she looked at it.

“Yes, or it’s a cookbook of the food from Hunan.” Kara nudged her gently, “I thought you might want to start there if you didn’t already have one.”

Daisy’s throat felt tight as she looked up from the book that suddenly weighed so much more. “Thank you, this is…really great.” So Kara was kinda awesome, and if she was anyone else, Daisy would have done something about it. But it wouldn’t be fair. She was a lot of things, but forever wasn’t one of them. “So, any chance potstickers are Xiang Cuisine?”

Chapter 16

Notes:

Currently losing my mind at the discovery of the show Mary & George.

Lucy hadn’t been to a game night in years, let alone one with her recently ex-boyfriend and his friends. But she was oddly looking forward to it. Also hoping wine and a six-pack of beer was the right thing to bring. Adjusting her hold on the bag, she reached up and knocked on the door. And nearly laughed as it wasn’t Kara who answered, of course not, “Johnson.”

“I think you can call me Daisy, Lane?” She raised an amused brow as she waved her in.

And well, she could take that, “I’m not going to be the only one going by my last name.”

“Lucy, come on, Kara’s stirring, she’s better at it than me.” Daisy headed straight into the kitchen grabbed the spoon from Kara and swapped out with her at the oven.

Kara rolled her eyes, “She’s lying, I was banished from chopping things.”

“You almost chopped through the cutting board,” Daisy pointed out while dumping the neatly cut cabbage into the stir fry.

Lucy raised a brow watching them, “Stir fry?

“Yeah, Kara got me a new cookbook, we weren’t actually sure where to get half the ingredients or how to do like any of the complicated stuff, so we’re just going with stir fry till I can get down to Chinatown and like kidnap a grandmother or something,” Daisy explained from where she was stirring.

Kara excitedly took the bottle of wine and beer from Lucy, “Oh, Winn will love this, you got his favorite!”

“Am I the first one here?” Lucy had a feeling Daisy didn’t arrive so much as just lived here. The laptop by the couch, the leather jacket that was thrown over a chair by the table, yeah, Daisy spent a lot of time here.

Kara nodded while putting the beer in the fridge, “Yup, you beat the boys.”

“No surprise the Major is punctual,” Daisy teased, and it was clearly teasing.

Lucy could feel herself relaxing, this was going to be fine. “So, what game are we playing tonight?”

“Since someone can see through cards,” Daisy winked at a pouting Kara, “I understand our choices are Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Pictionary.”

“I don’t cheat,” Kara was pouting, but oh, she definitely cheated.

Lucy couldn’t help it, “Crinkle.”

“Oh phewy!” Kara narrowed her eyes, “Alex told you?”

She leaned against the counter, and fuck, the food smelled good. “James might have mentioned it.”

“Traitor,” Kara bounced slightly, looking over her shoulder at Daisy, “You have to help me beat him for that.”

“Uh, I haven’t played a board game since I was a rookie. Pretty sure Lucy’s a better co-conspirator for you.” Daisy turned the heat off, neatly moving the pan off the burner.

Kara nudged Daisy while looking at Lucy, “Help me beat James?”

“Oh backstabbing already, I’m in.” And Lucy knew the night was going to be a good one.

 

Lucy’s sides hurt from laughing, a glass of wine in one hand, comfortably full from probably the healthiest hot meal she’d eaten in a week, as she watched Kara and Winn competing for the title of the best dancer at Just Dance. She looked at James, “It looks good on you.”

“What does?” He looked at her from where he was sitting on the floor.

She glanced around them, “Being happy.”

“What do you mean? Do you mean because we broke up?” James looked bewildered and confused at whether he should be feeling insulted or not.

She shook her hand, “National City is good for you.”

“It could be good for you too,” He offered, leaning back. Because he was James he genuinely meant it.

Lucy leaned her head against one hand, “Maybe.”

“You’re doing a good job at the DEO,” James defended her because of course he did.

Daisy’s attention turned to her, away from the dancing game Olympics, “He’s not wrong.”

She actually was surprised by that. “You barely know me?”

“I know your wildly perfectionist type. You couldn’t do less than your best, and your best is competent,” Daisy shrugged while gesturing to Kara. “And I think I like your priorities, Director.”

James laughed, “She’s got your number.”

“Hey, learning to spot the competent officers you can follow the orders of without stressing about it is a skill,” Daisy raised her beer to Lucy before taking a swig of it.

And that was a compliment, one that mattered. Lucy was hoping she wasn’t being played by the woman. Prime CIA recruits and possible former assets were hard to gauge, you almost never knew what their actual agendas were.

“YES!!” Kara jumped slightly too high, nearly hitting the ceiling as she excitedly waved her arms. “Take that!”

Winn wheezed, slumping into the chair. “Don’t know why I try.”

“Good effort.” James leaned over, handing Winn a beer. And it really was good for James to have a male friend who wasn’t Clark.

Kara was shining in victory as she dropped onto the couch, nearly on top of Daisy, throwing her arms around her and hugging all excited victory. And it was hilarious, Daisy went stiff in surprise for a fraction of a second before softening into it without a second thought. It eased the paranoid part of Lucy that said something about Daisy wasn’t what she presented. Lucy was risking a lot that Daisy was genuine in her bond with Kara.

Her watch beeped. Lucy looked down and sighed, her shoulders settling back into position. “I need to get going.”

“DEO?” Kara looked over at her curiously.

She stood, genuinely reluctant to leave actually. “Upgrade went through this morning, taking half a night shift to make sure things stay quiet.”

“If you need help just call,” Kara was serious, more Supergirl than Kara.

Lucy gave a tip of her head, “Have fun.”

 

Lucy still wasn’t entirely comfortable in the blacks of the DEO, her army uniform might be stiff and unforgiving, but she missed the structure. She felt secure in it, a soft black undershirt ready for Kevlar to be pulled on over at the drop of a hat, black field pants, and boots. It was different. She’d adjust, it was her new uniform.

She was flipping through reports on the new security measure’s she’d ordered put in place that morning. Nothing alarming, she was going to need to pick an Assistant Director soon. Lucy looked at the stack of resumes, well, that was a nightmare she wasn’t ready for tonight. And then, a shiver ran down her spine and nothing mattered, and Lucy faded from being.

////

Kara set the Pictionary box down on the coffee table, “Girls against boys?”

“Oh, that’s a terrible idea. Art is not a skill I have.” Daisy raised her hands in surrender.

Winn’s eyes lit up, “That sounds great Kara, let’s get it set up!”

James was opening the box already, “No cheating.”

“I don’t cheat.” It was unfair, she couldn’t help seeing through things.

Daisy bumped their shoulders together. “Game night Queen here can’t help winning.”

Winn gave a nod of agreement that stilled halfway, his eyes going glassy.

“Winn?” Kara frowned before her attention snapped around as Daisy let out a hiss, her entire body going completely rigid, vibrations making the floor and walls shake before stopping suddenly. “Daisy!?” Kara grabbed Daisy’s shoulder and the vibrations that shook through her hand and down her arm were almost violent in how tight and harsh they were.

“I’m good,” Daisy was lying out right as she moved, tight, “Do you hear that?”

Kara couldn’t hear anything unusual. She looked around and James’ eyes were glazed as well, both of them standing up and walking towards the door like puppets, “James, Winn?” She was on her feet, what was going on?

“Fuck,” Daisy shook her head like a dog with water in its ears, her face completely serious. “They’re not in control. I think it's everyone, I can feel it.”

Kara took a deep breath, alright, they were under attack. “We need to find who’s doing this.”

“I’ll meet you on the roof of Catco,” Daisy met her eyes. “Ten minutes.”

She could do a flyover and see how widespread it was, find out where people were going and hopefully find out what was causing this. Kara was in her suit and out the window. She felt her stomach drop the more she saw, it wasn’t just James and Winn, it was everyone. Daisy was right. And it was viscerally wrong.

 

Kara came to a stop on the roof of Catco, “It's the whole city, they’re all on computers. I think this is Non.”

“Your evil uncle?” Daisy gave a sharp nod. Her face, under her ridiculous mask that was smiling, was serious. Everything about her body language and tone was serious. “He’s leading prisoners, he doesn’t have the firepower to take a planet.”

“The DEO,” Kara breathed in realization. “The Fort Rozz prisoners and a lot of others are being held there. If he wants a larger army than he has he’ll break them out.”

Daisy didn’t even bother replying to that, she just had her arm hooked around Kara’s shoulders and was ready to get flown, and fast. Kara’s arm wrapped around Daisy’s waist to make sure she didn’t fall off, and then Kara took off at speed for the DEO desert base. If there was a prison break in the process they didn’t have time to talk it out.

The wind whistled in Kara’s ears as she focused entirely on what was ahead, she could hear it before they reached the DEO, the computer in the control center repeating ‘Warning, Containment Override’.

Kara shot them straight to the control room, releasing Daisy as vibrations pushed her away from her. As Kara came to a stop, she blasted enough freeze breath to send Lucy and the DEO agents harmlessly back from the alien in front of them. “Early parole is canceled.” She didn’t look behind her to know that Daisy had rolled to her feet. “The computers, I have this.”

“Got it,” Daisy replied without hesitation, her voice changer on.

Kara shot forward, her arm swinging for the woman she recognized from her cousin’s fights as Maxima. The weight of Maxima’s hits as they slugged at each other hurt. Maxima was strong in that awful way that ached as it hit.

She stumbled slightly as Maxima slammed a knee into her gut, before tossing her straight up into the ceiling.

Kara and the ceiling she’d bodily cracked came crashing down onto the floor. She barely moved out of the way before her head could be crushed under Maxima’s booted foot. Using the momentum of rising up she slammed down, fist first into the other woman’s face. Grabbing her, she flipped Maxima over and through a control table.

“That tickled,” Maxima goaded as she kicked Kara straight in the face.

The force of it stunned Kara enough that her back hit the ground. And then a hand was on her throat, pinning her down as Maxima loomed over her.

“We could have been family, Kara Zor-El. I once sought to make your cousin my mate.” She spat with all the venom of her being.

Kara couldn’t help it. The idea of Kal with crazy criminal eyes siding with Non was disgusting, oh Rao she’d have had to have family meals with the woman if that’d happened. “Ew, gross!” She rocked and slammed her fist into Maxima’s side, sending her stumbling off of her.

Flying to her feet, she braced and then punched Maxima in the dead center of her chest, hard.

Maxima slammed into a metal support wall hard enough to bend the metal, her body limply hitting the floor.

Panting slightly, Kara turned to the sound of footsteps that changed to gunfire before she was facing them. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips as the burning sensation of metal sunk into her arm. She looked up sharply at Lucy and Vasquez coming straight for her with guns up, and kryptonite clips in.

Kara didn’t even manage to start to run before both women were sent flying away from her, their guns falling to pieces in mid-air. She looked to the computer control station, to see Daisy standing there, arm raised.

“What the fuck? They have Kryptonite bullets?” Daisy marched straight to the two women she’d just sent flying and had them handcuffed to the wall before either of them was really conscious.

Kara’s shoulders slumped in relief, she hissed looking at her bicep, the awful sick glow of kryptonite coming from the wound. The pain made her injured arm shake, and she could feel the awful razorblade scraping feel of the kryptonite burning outward from the bullet. Gritting her teeth she reached through the hole in her suit and pulled the bullet out. It was awful. It hurt, she felt like she was going to puke. But shaking, weak, and sweaty she pulled it free with an awful squelch.

Tossing the bullet aside she looked around. What was this?

“Hey, hey it's ok.” Daisy was suddenly there, one gloved hand on the side of her face the other touching her bicep near where she’d been shot. “The DEO is secure, I locked their systems. It’ll take hours for their techies to get in. We’ve got time to figure this out. Ok?”

Kara leaned into the touch. “We need to know what Myriad is. I heard them talking about it before we got here. It was Astra’s plot, it was from Krypton.”

“Ok, we need something with records from Krypton. Does that exist?” Daisy’s hand on her bicep hummed, her posture softening as she clearly realized the bullet wound was healing rapidly.

She leaned forward pressing her forehead against the stupid plastic on Daisy’s forehead. She ran through the options. She needed her cousin. Kal would know where more resources were. The crystal here in the DEO didn’t have anything on Myriad, Kara’s mother hadn’t given her access to that. But Jor might have given Kal that information. It wasn’t his crime he was hiding after all. “The Fortress might have records about it.”

“Awesome, want me to come with or stay and hold the fort down?” Daisy asked, pulling back a half step, her hands falling back to her sides.

Kara looked through the stupid plastic mask, with its smiling LED lights, and at Daisy’s expression underneath that was concerned but waiting for her to make the call. “No, you might know to ask questions I won’t. I’ll fly us.”

“Sweet, remind me next time that the evil uncle who has pledged to fight you is a higher priority than fascist government fuckers. That was my bad.” Daisy easily stepped to her side, throwing her arm over Kara’s shoulders. “Also flight, I need to get better at that shit.”

Kara shot a look at the glassy eyes of Lucy and Vasquez, and then her eyes cutting through the walls. It was secure here. She looked back to Daisy, “I’ll try to remember it.” And then she flew them out.

 

Kara’s feet had barely hit the floor of the Fortress before she was calling out. “Kelex!”

“An ice palace?” Daisy was hissing as she yanked off her mask. “You have an ice palace just sitting around in the Artic!?!”

“Kelex, are you here?” She looked around desperate for help, for answers.

“How may I assist you, Lady Kara?” The familiar robotic voice of Kelex came.

She turned, relieved at the nostalgic shape of a Kelex personal assistant robot. “Where is Kal-El? He didn’t respond to his beacon.”

“Kal-El is attending to a matter off-world.” Kelex’s arm moved with a programmed gesture of pacification.

Daisy’s voice was quiet behind her. “You have a robot in your secret lair? That is so cool.”

Kara ignored Daisy, she’d normally be very excited to share this, but they didn’t have time, not with everyone in National City under mind control. “Kelex, I need you to tell me about Myriad.”

“Warning. This construct is not authorized to discuss Myriad.” Kelex’s metal limbs approximated anxiety.

And Kara, Kara was sick of her people’s, her family’s secrets being denied to her like she was a child. “You were designed to obey the members of the honorable House of El, and to preserve the memory of Krypton wherever it went. If you don’t override your orders, Myriad will destroy the House of El, and the memory of Krypton will be lost forever.” Her voice took on a weight she so rarely used, her anger burning through. “You will have failed in your prime directive.”

Kelex’s robotic form bent, and then turned, hovering off, away from her.

“Please,” Kara was not above begging. They needed this information, they had needed it months ago, but now she couldn’t afford to not have it.

“Hello Kara,” A voice said that Kara would know anywhere.

She spun on her heel, her voice half exhale, “Mom.”

It wasn’t Alura in truth, just a projection. But the image still cut. “Myriad was developed on Krypton by your aunt. It was created to prevent the planet’s imminent destruction.” Her voice was her mother's, the tone robotic and without life. “We had strangled the planet’s resources beyond recovery.”

Kara ached as she stepped closer to the projection.

“The politicians argued, but could not agree on what to do. Thus, according to high records, Astra implemented her own solution. Myriad. Technology designed to force everyone to her way of thinking.”

Kara already knew that in part, the words she and Daisy had already used for what was happening still fell from her lips, “Mind Control.”

“When they were caught attempting to use the Myriad technology against the people of Argo City, Astra and Non were arrested.”

Kara stood, the familiar pain of it bracing. “And sentenced to Fort Rozz.” She could still remember her aunt’s pleas for them to work together, to save the planet together. “That’s what they’ve been trying to do all along. They’ve been trying to use Myriad on Earth. To save the planet.” Her head shook slightly. “But I don’t understand. Why is everyone so afraid to talk about it?” Why had she been denied this information? “Why wouldn’t you even speak of it?”

“Myriad could be used to enslave whole worlds at the push of a button. The High Council determined that if knowledge of such technology were to get out, it would upset the delicate balance of power of the galaxy.”

“Mom, please.” She looked at her mother’s illusion of a face, desperate for compassion from a program that lacked that personhood. “You have to tell me how to stop this.”

“I am sorry, my dear Kara. Once started, Myriad cannot be stopped.”

Kara nodded in defeat, because of course. All of this, for nothing. She nearly cried at the feel of Daisy’s hand on her shoulder.

Daisy just tightened her hold. “We’ll find a way to stop it.”

“And if we can’t?” Kara looked at Daisy, and she knew Daisy’s answer before she said it. She still listened though.

Daisy’s head just tilted slightly, “Giving up isn’t in the cards.”

Chapter 17

Daisy was in agonizing pain. The Myriad signal left her feeling nearly drunk from the way it rattled in her brain, her bones. They didn’t have time for her to be in pain though. And Kara didn’t need to be bothered with it. She was still functional and had long been able to find clarity through pain. So it was barely a thought to keep herself braced and functional as she and Kara landed on the balcony of Catco, walking in. “That’s some Zombie shit.”

“What are they doing?” Kara said as she walked into the office space, everyone had the same blank, glazed expression as they worked on what was definitely alien coding.

Daisy glanced at a screen, “Going to guess that’s a Kryptonian coding language?”

“It is, what is Non up to?” Kara’s eyes were flicking across the screen, at least understanding more than Daisy was.

Daisy grimaced under her mask as Kara tried to get Winn to react, to say something, to be her friend. This whole thing was so fucked up. She grit her teeth. The signal felt like a wave, and it was just…so much information and a kind of vibration she hadn’t felt before. She couldn’t just follow it to its source. It felt like it was reflecting off of everything…also she was pretty sure it was being broadcast downwards.

Her attention turned to a screen broadcasting the news. “Supergirl, the news.”

It was the first look at General Sam Lane’s face, that Daisy had had. His words were not comforting -”The United States Army has taken up position at every entranceway into National City. Until this threat is neutralized, National City has effectively been quarantined.”-

Daisy grimaced, “It's not the worst strategy.” She looked at Kara, “If this starts to spread they’ll bomb the city. We don’t have a lot of time.”

“Can you get me on the phone with him?” Kara was mission-focused, and she was going to play everything then.

Daisy just nodded and grabbed a cellphone of according to the name plaque, Kelly’s desk.

 

And, five minutes later, Daisy had to admit, it was impressive listening to Kara hit the emotional key to the General. His daughter Lucy was safe, and Kara just needed him to buy them time to keep her that way. It was a risky ploy, but Kara genuinely meant it, so it was working. Daisy could admit it, Kara was inspiring. When was the last time she’d been forced to use nothing but belief and it hadn’t gotten her ass kicked? To be fair, she was pretty sure Kara was better at it than her.

Supergirl hung up the phone, “He’ll buy us time, we-”

Her words cut off at the sound of the elevator dinging.

Daisy and Kara both looked and just kind of silently stared at the actual ridiculous nonsense happening now.

Cat fucking Grant walked out of the elevator, totally focused on her cellphone, sunglasses on, and miserly sass on point. “Kiera, call Harrison Ford and tell him that I’m flattered, but once and for all, I do not date older men, especially when they’re married.”

Kara cleared her throat, face plastered in disbelief.

“Oh!” Cat turned, pulling her sunglasses off. “Supergirl, what a pleasant surprise, did we have a nine am? Maybe to discuss your terrible taste in girls?”

“You’re not a mindless drone?” Kara breathed in disbelief.

Cat was looking at her cell phone again, very millennial of her in Daisy’s opinion. “No, I learned that lesson when Demi Moore and I wore the same dress to the premiere of Ghosts. Never again.”

“You know, if anyone was immune I’m not surprised.” Daisy finally spoke up, cause as hilarious as it was to watch Kara waffle, they needed Cat to stop staring at the phone.

Cat’s attention was carefully casual as it turned to Daisy, and then her eyes tightened ever so slightly. “You brought a friend, hate the new mask. It's tacky.”

“Supergirl said my first one was creepy since it didn’t have eyes.” And because she knew the LED face was distinctly creepier looking, Daisy thought it was kind of awesome. “But, your office.” She waved at the mindless, mind-controlled zombie people.

Cat looked at the office. “Hmm, well, yes, they are a bit more quiet than usual. Maybe my reign of terror has finally reached its peaked effectiveness.” It’d have been convincing if Daisy hadn’t been able to feel her heartbeat.

Kara was frustrated past the point of playing the game though. “No, look at them! It's not just them either, it's the entire city.” She stepped forward waving to the window. “Look!”

There was a moment, Cat had a flicker of hesitation before she stepped to the window and looked out. It would have been impossible for her to miss the marching people down below as they went where Non commanded. “Oh, my God.” And her tone was perhaps honest for the first time that Daisy had heard it. “What’s happening to everyone?”

“Alien mind-control.” Daisy shifted her weight to her other leg. “Trying to figure out how to stop it, so if you’ve got a great insight into how you’re immune, that’d be helpful.”

Kara cut in before Cat could snap at her for that, “Please Ms. Grant, do you know why you’re not affected, anything that could explain it?”

“Wait a minute, if it's affecting everyone, then are any of us safe?” The weight of the situation was finally dawning on the woman.

Daisy had her gun out and aimed at the stairwell at the feeling of movement from it. “Don’t move.”

A man with dark hair and a face she, unfortunately, recognized held his hands up. “Not the welcome I was expecting, but I’ve come to help, and I do have my moments.”

“Lord,” Kara zipped to Daisy’s side, pulling her gun arm down. “What are you doing here?”

Max Lord spread his arms, prancing into the room. “Do Kryptonians gloat? Because I’ll bet wherever he is, ol’ Uncle Non is feeling pretty good about himself.”

“Why am I not surprised your brain is intact, Max?” And shockingly Cat sounded as pleased about the man’s presence as Daisy was. “What is it they say? Only cockroaches will survive the apocalypse.” She turned striding into her office.

Max was def bothered by that. “Happy to see you too, Cat. You look lovely, considering the end is nigh.”

“Why weren’t you affected?” Kara cut through the bullshit.

Max actually answered her, the asshole. “Ion blockers.” he tapped the thin plastic and metal thing that honestly looked like a fancy headset on the side of his head. “I realized the Kryptonians were using my LTE interface system. That’s why they broke into my lab over Christmas. They’re using my satellites to send neural signals directly into the minds of everyone in National City. These scramble the signal before they reach my brain.”

“If you invented technology that blocks Myriad, why didn’t you give it to the DEO?” Kara looked half baffled and half ready to strangle the man.

And Max proved to be exactly as swarmy as his stupid face looked. “Once Henshaw and his Trusted Girl Friday stepped down, I had no one at the DEO to trust.”

“And reaching out to Supergirl about it was what, too complicated for you?” Daisy scoffed, that was weak, an excuse at best to make himself feel better because the cost, effort, and vulnerability in allowing others to have access to whatever he knew was needed to stop this was more than he was willing to give.

Cat arched a brow, “As much as it pains me, Hot Topic Girl has a point.” She waved a hand, “And clearly, not everybody needs this ear-wig thingy, because I don’t have one and my brain is perfectly intact.”

Max walked toward Cat, wagging his finger at her with what he definitely thought was playful confidence. “I see you got the earrings I sent you last night.”

“Oh, I get it.” Cat clucked her tongue. “Ion blockers in the diamonds? Oh, so many karats and yet so functional.”

His chuckle was remarkably smug. Also, Christ, they were flirting. “Didn’t seem right for the world to lose Cat Grant’s mind.” He reached out, brushing Cat’s hair away from her ear, before dropping his hand and turning back to the rest of the room. “Speaking of, where is your faithful assistant? Out marching with the masses?”

Cat sighed, disappointed, which burn. “Don’t be glib, Max.”

“As much fun as it is to watch you two flirt, mind control, city, evil plots.” Daisy snapped her fingers. “Is there a way to make like a big Ion blocker?”

Max’s laughter was derisive.

“You think this is funny?” Kara cut in with the same burning frustration that was covering for pain and helplessness. Pain and helplessness that had been far too raw at the Fortress.

Daisy didn’t physically reach out, instead, she thrummed a vibration in Kara’s arm.

Max was serious as he walked into Kara’s personal space. “Everything I have feared has come to pass. I couldn’t be more serious.”

“We have to stop them. They’re using your satellites. Can’t you reprogram them and destroy Myriad from the inside?” Kara asked, desperate for a solution.

Daisy swallowed, they could fly her into space, she could dust the satellites but…that’d be toast for her, and it’d leave every other aspect of the attack.

“I tried. There’s some pretty epic force fields around those satellites at the moment.” Max was as frustrated and helpless as Kara. And forcefields meant the single shot Daisy might be able to get at the satellites was far less than a guarantee so that Hail Mary was probably out unless they literally failed every other option.

Cat cut in. “You’re always 10 steps ahead, Max. I know you have a plan.”

“Of course I do,” Max clicked his tongue, something almost manic about him. “We kill them all.”

There was a silence as his words sunk in. Surprisingly, it was Cat who broke it.

She scoffed, “Max, how exactly do you plan on killing an army of Supermans?”

“I’ll tell you the plan when I know you’re both on board. Can’t have muscles or broody over there trying to stop me.” Max actually meant it. He really was proposing genocide.

Kara didn’t deserve to be dumped in a fucked up situation like this. Her words proved that. “Killing is never the solution.”

“Except we’re way past villains-of-the-week and kittens stuck in trees. We’re at war. And the only way to win a war is to kill the enemy before they kill us. So, time to grow up and put on the big girl cape.”

Daisy physically stepped between him and Kara. “Back the fuck off. If it comes down to it, I’ll do the killing. I’m not afraid of getting more blood on my hands, and you do not get to call someone weak for not being willing to commit mass premeditated murder. But sorry if your word is the only evidence we have that the only option is genocide, I don’t find that convincing. You’re a xenophobic fuckboy, and you’re not a god. So I’m going to need more than ‘because you say so’ before I start slaughtering people.”

“I’m sorry, but we’re at war. Your little ‘girlfriend’ is going to have to get her hands dirty or we are all going to be mindless slaves.” Max was condescending, just waiting to dismiss her and going back into cutting into Supergirl.

It was probably a good thing he couldn’t see her face. Daisy stepped straight into his personal bubble. “One, you’re only still breathing because she told me not to kill you. You really should be nicer to her. Two, we don’t need whatever weapon you have to kill Kryptonians, you just have to point me at them if it comes to that.”

“Quake,” Kara laid a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back slightly.

Daisy turned looking at her, “I mean it. And you know what my power is, if killing is the only option I can do it. It's what I was made for.”

“Made for?” Cat said.

Daisy looked back at Max, “Walk me through why you think killing them all is a good idea. If it is, I’ll do it. If it's not, you shut up and do something useful.”

“Fascinating as this is, looks like someone made it through security,” Cat said, and she was scared and not hiding it as well as she thought she was.

Daisy didn’t need her eyes to know the man was Kryptonian, his vibrations told her. He felt like Kara, that same dense vibration so different from a human. She easily slid just behind Kara’s shoulder as Kara moved to face this newest threat. The fact they were implicitly protecting Max fucking Lord only bothered Daisy a bit.

And that was def Non from the asshole in charge voice. “The people of this City have already knelt before me. Soon you will too. I don’t want to fight you, child.”

“Afraid I’ll win?” And it hurt to hear Kara trying to be strong when it was so apparent this man meant family to her.

Non’s raspy voice replied with care for that. “You’ve already lost. Accept it and the glorious fulfillment of Astra’s vision.” He tipped his head, “In the end, she defeated you.”

“This doesn’t look like a victory to me. And all you’re doing is betraying her.” Kara’s posture and tone softened ever so slightly, the vibration of her voice desperate to get this man, her uncle, to listen. “I was with Astra in her final moments. We forgave each other, we paid respect to our blood bonds. She didn’t want this.”

Non wasn’t willing to hear it. “Of course she did. It's what everyone wants,” and he believed his words, absolutely. “Peace on Earth. Goodwill towards man.”

“It's a lot less like Christmas out there and more like Dawn of the Dead.” Cat remarked, probably intending it to be quipper, but respect for back-talking the alien who could paste her.

Non’s quiet pride in his work sparked with anger. “The human race finally has a chance to live. Or it will suffer the same fate as Krypton.” Oh, bad guy monologue time. “And the same thing is happening on Earth, with a populace more interested in reality stars and political circuses than working together to solve the world’s problems.”

“So, mind control is the answer to global warming?” Max clucked his tongue and fuck that guy did that a lot. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Non was a fanatic, but Daisy grimaced under her mask. “Thanks to Myriad there are no more racial divisions, no political parties. Only one people, working with one purpose towards one goal. To save the world.”

“Except you haven’t saved them, you’ve enslaved them.” Cat crossed her arms, disdain readily apparent.

Kara picked up from where Cat had started, “Humanity is better than this. If you really want this planet to avoid the fate of Krypton, then work with us.”

“With these people?” The disdain was dripping from Non’s voice as he gestured at Cat and Max. “These two are the best of your world and all they do is help the populace amuse themselves to death. If anything they laid the groundwork for me.”

Winn spoke up from where he’d been mindlessly typing, his voice empty. “You’ve already turned us into drones.”

“Winn! Winn, can you hear me?” Kara lunged toward him, desperate for her friend back.

But Daisy was looking at Non, and she was realizing he meant it. Deeply, and utterly meant his stated goals. This was his tribute to his wife, his mate. It was his ideals, his love for his one companion through life, everything of who he was. She didn’t twitch as James walked in, his voice the same deadness as Winn’s.

“Your inventions have drowned out sense and turned it into nonsense,” James uttered.

Winn seamlessly picked up where James left off. “But now everyone is united, everyone’s creativity and thought dedicated to eradicating famine, disease, climate change.”

Max spoke and as afraid and condescending as he was, there was a certain admiration there. “You’re harvesting the brain power of everyone in the city to solve the world’s problems? National City is a giant think tank?”

“This is not the way to solve the world’s problems.” Kara’s arms were open, horror on her face.

Winn’s empty voice replied, or rather Non’s thoughts through Winn’s mouth. “Your heroics have done nothing to save the planet.”

“This is the inevitability of Myriad.” James picked up. And it was telling in horrific ways that Non was choosing these two men as his speak pieces.

Kara swayed slightly. “Non, stop this!”

“These are your friends, aren’t they?” He replied, which fun, everyone in the room was just not even pretending they didn’t know Kara and Supergirl were the same person.

Kara’s voice was soft. “Let them go.”

“I have lived with loss. Allow me to return the favor.” He tipped his head in a sick mockery of manners.

“Kelly?” Cat knew, they all knew why James, Winn and apparently Kelly all started walking toward different windows.

Daisy was sick of this. She pulled out her gun and tranqed all three of them, dropping their bodies before they could get out of the room in quick succession. She faced Non, ignoring the yelp of alarm from Cat and swearing from Max. “What’s the end game? You make them solve their problems, and then what?”

“And who are you?” Non turned his attention to her, cold and evaluating.

Daisy straightened, holstering her gun. “Quake, of House Kasius.” It disgusted her to use that, but she knew it would matter to Non, and that mattered more than her feelings on the matter.

He hissed, barely keeping from recoiling. “What could possibly bring one of your depraved ilk into an alliance with a daughter of the House of El?”

“Your niece is hot,” she shrugged. “And I didn’t have anything better to do. Bonus points, she didn’t try to murder me on principle like you’re considering.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, “No Kree alone could stand before a Kryptonian under the yellow sun.”

“Good thing I’m only part Kree then. A full-blooded Kree would make an issue at the House Kasius thing, but since I killed every other member of the House I don’t really give a fuck.” Daisy cocked a hip slightly, purposeful disregard in her body language since the voice modulator wasn’t going to quite get it across. “To your whole, thing.” She waved a hand, “It's neat, very ambitious, very clean. But uh, why do you think humans don’t already know how to do that? And kind of insulting you think Maxwell Lord and Cat Grant are the best of humanity.”

Non stared at her, “What?”

“I mean Cat Grant is a media personality, she might be winning gold medals at being a bitch, but at humanity?” Daisy wiggled her hand. “And Max there is a scared dipshit with more money than sense. I mean google the top inventors of just this country and he’s not the top. He’s up there, but the world?”

Non’s gaze on her was harsh. “And yet you would defend them for something as dirty and petty as lust?”

“I mean sounds more interesting than your mind control world.” Daisy let the entire room vibrate from the air to the floor. “But you’ve said your piece. Supergirl and these two human pieces of shit will consider it. I don’t know about them, but everyone here who matters knows what loss is. Or didn’t you and Supergirl both lose a planet? And I have my own parents’ blood on my hands. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve killed and how many I’ve lost. Loss is cheap. We got your message.”

He was still for a moment, but finally, he tipped his head to her, “Very well I will take your terms, Kree.” Non’s attention turned to Kara. “Do not stand against me, or everyone you know, love, and care for will die. Accept defeat. Not even allying with monsters will save you. I have already saved National City. Next, I will save the world.” With that, he flew out.

As Non left Daisy’s senses, she let her passive threat fade, the vibrations of the room returning to normal. She glanced at Kara as she felt the hand on her upper arm.

“Thank you,” Kara squeezed her arm.

Daisy nodded to her.

“I’m sorry, didn’t understand all of that, but why is Non still alive if you could have killed him?” Max half sneered with contempt, desperately shoving down his blatant terror.

“Because he thinks he’s a hero,” Daisy glared at Max, not that he could see her glare, but she hoped he got the point. “He has the entire population of this city held hostage and he’s not going to start murdering them unless it's to fuck with Supergirl, or he’s pushed to it. We don’t know if that’s true of his second in command. So unless you want to roll the dice on everyone's lives, keeping the asshole who isn’t planning on mass murder in charge of the bad guy faction seems smart, fuckwhit.”

Chapter 18

Kara landed on the sidewalk below Catco before picking up the phone call. She knew who it was, not many people knew the number to her super-phone, “Hey.”

-“Kara? Are you all right?”-

Her sister’s voice felt like a punch in the gut. It’d been weeks since she’d heard her since she’d seen her. Kara hadn’t gone this long without her sister since the day she arrived on Earth. Her breathing trembled from how badly she wanted Alex there. “I’m fine.”

-”You’re lying.”- Alex stated with a resigned sigh.

Kara could feel something settling, she wasn’t alone, her sister wasn’t a mindless drone. “A bit.” Because she had Daisy, she had Cat, they’d figure it out. And what was going on in National City wasn’t what was important with Alex. “Did you reach Cadmus? Did you and Hank find your dad?”

-”We were on our way there until we heard about all this.”- Alex’s frustration was audible.

Every word eased something inside of Kara, Alex was safe. “Where are you now?”

-”At Mom’s.”-

“Stay there. If you come to National City, Myriad will take over you too.” Kara felt like she could breathe fully for the first time in hours.

Alex’s stubborn soul couldn’t sound like she was chaffing at that more. “There’s no way I’m leaving you there by yourself.”

“I’m not alone.” Thank Rao, Kara didn’t know what she’d have done if she was alone. “I’m, uh…I’m with Quake and Ms. Grant.”

And oh Alex was not happy about that. -“Quake?! The villain who’s been flirting with you on tv! And wait, why wasn’t Cat affected?”-

“Quake’s a good person and she’s helping.” Kara really wished there was enough time to hug her for stopping Non earlier. “And um…Maxwell Lord protected Ms. Grant and himself.”

-”Of course he did. Kara, we never know when we can trust him. And we’re coming back to you working with a villain!”-

“You know what? I don’t really have a choice right now. You don’t know what it’s like here. It’s my only option. And I trust Quake to protect me if Lord tries something. I love you, Alex.”

-”Kara, liste-”

Kara hung up before she could let Alex spiral on her. She winced, that was going to bite her in the butt later. But she didn’t have time to explain Quake and why it meant Kara wasn’t alone in this. She kicked off, flying back up to the executive floor of Catco. She really wanted to walk right to where Daisy was sitting, legs kicked up on a desk and doing something on her phone, and slump into her. A hug would be really nice right now.

“You ok?” Daisy looked up, that stupid creepy mask facing her.

Maxwell wasn’t content to wait, however, cutting in before Kara could reply. “Are you finally ready to do what needs to be done?”

She just sighed, settling back into the moment, that she needed to be strong still. “What’s your plan?”

“Before you and I sang Kumbaya and decided to be friends, I was working on a weapon to use against the Kryptonians. All Kryptonians.” Maxwell stood up from where he’d been sitting.

Kara crossed her arms. “What kind of weapon?”

“A bomb.” He didn’t have a shred of shame. “Filled with Kryptonite dust. It’ll irradiate the entire city. Choke them all. No more Myriad.”

Ms. Grant who’d been walking toward them paused, before speaking into her phone. “Um, Anderson, do you think you could hold on for just a skosh?” She looked at Maxwell, “Forgive me, but won’t that kill Supergirl and Superman?”

“Not if she flies up and detonates it over the city center. Then she and he skedaddle. She won’t be able to come back to National City for roughly fifty years…”

Cat laughed, it wasn’t a nice laugh.

“But that’s a small price to pay to save the world, right?” Maxwell’s smarmy voice stung.

Kara forced herself to ask, she could feel the rising hum from Daisy. She felt herself settling at that, it wasn’t going to be necessary then. But she still needed to ask. “What about the human beings? Will they be affected at all?”

“The concussive force to properly displace the Kryptonite dust will result in some losses.” He said like one might say the weather might be terrible.

Cat made a very distinctive ‘Hmm’ sound. “Anderson, I’m gonna have to call you back. What exactly are we talking about Max? Losses”

“8% of the population.” He had actual discomfort at that.

Ms. Grant replied back. “8% of four million people? That’s over three hundred thousand people, Max.”

“Versus the seven billion people on the planet that Non wants to turn into zombies,” He snapped hotly.

“Hey!” Daisy was up and out of her seat. “How do we even know the bomb would stop this?”

Max’s expression was pure venom as he looked at Daisy. “Well, we wouldn’t need to bomb ourselves if you were willing to actually handle the issue instead of just talking about it.”

“I’m not opposed to killing, I’m opposed to committing genocide when we don’t even know if it’ll help.” Daisy’s shoulders were braced, one hand clenched. “So tell me, Max, do we even know Non and his army are in National City? Because if they’re not, you’ve just killed 8% of the population here for nothing, and trapped both of the Super’s outside of the city and unable to help stop this.”

The air in Kara’s lungs felt cold. She hadn’t…why hadn’t she thought of that? Her voice was less strong than she’d have wanted. “The DEO doesn’t know where Non and the Fort Rozz prisoners have been hiding out.”

“And they can fucking fly fast enough that distance isn’t really going to be a handicap.” Daisy waved at Kara, her eerie mask focused on Maxwell. “So tell me, what makes you so sure this will even give Non and his Kryptonian followers a nosebleed?”

Maxwell’s heart beat in his chest, “I swore to save this world, this is our only option.”

“So you don’t know.” Ms. Grant’s voice was full of disgust.

Daisy stepped forward, encroaching on Maxwell’s space, and this time he stepped backward. “And Non’s forces are full of non-Kryptonians. What’s your plan when one of them gets the controls for Myriad? What if they want to kill humanity instead of making them a living think tank? We have time for a solution while Non is in charge. The second that changes, things could get very dark or very bloody very fast. What’s your plan for the other aliens following Non’s commands, fuckface?”

“Then what’s your plan!?” Maxwell burst out, arms jerking sharply at his sides. “We can’t do nothing while our planet is subjugated!”

“Enough!” Ms. Grant snapped. She looked between Daisy and Maxwell. “Both of you.” She looked at Daisy, “Hot Topic Murder Twit, go back to playing with your phone.” Her eyes settled on Maxwell, and they were far colder then. “Sit down and maybe reflect on how you just proposed killing hundreds of thousands of people for nothing. I have no doubt if you try and leave or kill innocent people again our nightmare fuel over there will tranq you, likely with more glee than such an act deserves.” Her attention turned to Kara. “You, with me.” And then she strode through her office and toward her balcony.

Kara felt rather left-footed. She was pretty sure all of them did.

Daisy let out a bark of staticy laughter, “If you need me, I’m right here.”

She smiled in gratitude at Daisy and then followed Ms. Grant out onto her balcony. Kara quietly settled against the railing just down from where Ms. Grant was.

Ms. Grant spoke up with a sigh after a few quiet moments “I’ve always liked the view out this window. Wish I had it from my office.” Her tone was more real, softer out here. “I like looking at the park. All the people. Mothers pushing their strollers. Kids playing. I wonder which of them would have died in Max’s moronic attempt to save the city?”

“I don’t know how to fight this.” Kara admitted the horrible truth. She looked at her boss, her mentor. “What do I do? Quake won’t say it, but she wants to hunt Non and his army down, take the fight to him. She’s only not saying it because she knows what that means. But I don’t know what to do.”

Ms. Grant looked at her, “You could come up with something better than murder or irradiating the city. Not that the last one is still on the table.”

“My mother was faced with this decision on Krypton. And she chose wrong. I love her, but she didn’t save Krypton like she promised. And my planet died. My culture. My home. My parents. Everything was just wiped from the stars.” Kara blew out a breath, she knew that the moment they brought the fight to Non, or moved from this tower their course would be locked. She didn’t know what course would save the people of the city. “How can I let that happen?”

Cat’s voice was…kind. “I know you’re scared. I am too. But so is Max. And so is Non, for that matter. Even Quake is scared. All of you are letting your fear guide you, but somebody has to find the courage to stand up even though they’re afraid.”

Ms. Grant was steady as she stood there, admitting weakness when she hated showing weakness more than anyone Kara had ever met. “You know, the worst decisions that I’ve ever made in my life were based on fear. But you showed me that there was another way to be strong, by having faith in people. By believing that goodness would prevail. And because of you, I started letting people in.” She chuckled lowly. “I even opened myself up to my assistant, Kiera, who helped me have a relationship with my son again. Now, I can’t tell you what to do, Supergirl. But if you’ve taught me anything, you taught me that hope is stronger than fear.”

Kara could feel her eyes burning with tears she couldn’t shed.

“And that is what I think of every time I look at that.” She pointed at the crest on Kara’s chest. “You’ve changed me. And I am not easy to change. And I believe that you can change everyone out there. Not with violence, not with fear. Just be Supergirl. That’s all anyone’s ever needed from you.”

And Kara felt herself fill with purpose, “Thank you, Cat. That gives me an idea.” A crazy, wildly idealistic idea. But one that had to be given a chance.

 

Kara risked sliding her hand into Daisy’s and squeezing as they waited for Cat to unlock the door to the old broadcast office. It was dark, Maxwell and Ms. Grant were focused on the door, the mission. She looked at Daisy and felt her shoulders loosen at the expression on Daisy’s face beneath that stupid mask.

Daisy just squeezed her hand back, the warm humming sensation going right up her arm. She nodded to her, quiet approval, and it meant a lot. That Daisy was going to go along, didn’t need to be convinced, or argued around like Maxwell had needed to be. Just was there to help. And not angry at her.

Except, “You’re bleeding?!” Kara reached to the side of Daisy’s head, and that was blood trickling from her ear, and she could see it through the mask, the sluggish trail from her nose.

“It’s nothing.” Daisy caught Kara’s hand where it had brushed her wig’s hair aside to better see her ear.

Ms. Grant turned around, “Excuse me?”

“It's the signal, feels like a migraine from hell, I think it’s breaking some capillaries but I’m healing faster than it can do any real damage.” Daisy squeezed Kara’s wrist gently before dropping it. “I promise, I’ve fought with way worse than this.”

Maxwell’s eyes were hard. “We don’t have time to delay this.”

“He’s right,” Daisy flicked her fingers, the door opened and she walked straight through past them before looking around. “So, we’re sure this stuff is still functional?”

Ms. Grant seemed to recover first, just marching in behind her. “Well, no reason why it shouldn’t.”

Maxwell looked at the old technology and dusty everything as Ms. Grant started pulling fabric covers off. “So, you brought us to your very first, very out of the way, TV station so we can…what? Dust off your daytime Emmy?”

“No, Max, Actually we are here to inspire.” Ms. Grant was full of certainty and purpose as she worked. Kara just quietly followed suit and shot worried looks at Daisy. “We are going to show them a symbol. One of optimism, love, and yes, hope.” The defensive certainty was comforting. “A sight so undeniable, that people will recognize it even under this spell.”

Daisy dropped down powering up the ancient systems. “I can help, maybe, with some of this.”

Max dropped his arms to his sides. “Where do we start?”

 

Kara was mostly doing as instructed as Maxwell and Daisy shot each other dirty looks as they coordinated on getting the system up and running. She was also keeping her mouth shut because her worry wouldn’t help, and she had a feeling if she said something Maxwell would say something rude again, and Daisy might actually punch his nose in if he did.

“Do you think we can do it?” Ms. Grant asked.

Maxwell didn’t look up from the wires he was currently connecting as Daisy adjusted the dials. “We can’t stop Mryiad’s signal, but we can piggyback off of it.” he rolled to another tower of tech Kara wasn’t even sure the name of. “We’re lucky this TV station is old.”

“Not that old.” Ms. Grant corrected.

Maxwell shot a look over at her, “Not old-old. But old enough that it uses broadcast technology instead of digital.”

“I like digital,” Daisy grumbled from her corner.

Maxwell, shockingly, ignored the bait. “We can transmit a signal by calibrating it to Myriad’s frequency, without leaving any online fingerprints.”

Kara couldn’t help herself, “Take that, Indigo!”

“Can I just say, if Non’s apparent tech support wasn’t actually eviler than my bloodline, I’d want to compare notes,” Daisy remarked as she leaned back, whatever it was she’d been working on lighting up successfully.

“It’ll ride the wave without anybody knowing a thing.” Maxwell was smug but then looked disturbed that he apparently agreed with Daisy on anything.

Ms. Grant looked at Maxwell, and she meant her words for him and not all of them. “I have one question for you, Max.”

“Shoot,” Maxwell looked at her curiously.

She had a look on her face that made Kara look away, because nope, nope, nope. “The earrings, how did you know I would wear them?”

“I didn’t.” And oh Rao, why did they have to keep flirting? He was the worst. “I guess I just had hope.”

They all stiffened or startled at a loud bang.

Kara looked at them, “Stay here.” The door slammed shut in her face before she could walk through it. She spun looking at Daisy in frustration. “You’re bleeding!”

“You’re not going to go fight whatever that is without me. You have my back, I have yours, that was the deal. A bloody nose isn’t changing that.” Daisy wasn’t going to let herself be left behind.

Kara hesitated but nodded, “Fine, but you let me lead if we can help it.”

“Sir, yes sir.” Daisy gave a casual salute as she strode towards her, the door opening, “You giving orders, very hot.”

She threw her eyes to the ceiling, of course now was when Daisy decided to go back to flirting with her while dressed as Quake. Even if…maybe she was relieved to have Daisy with her as she followed her out, to see who or what Non had sent to stop them.

Kara was suddenly more grateful than anything that Daisy was with her as she saw who was waiting for them. “Alex?” Dread ran down her spine. “What are you doing here? I told you not to come.”

And it was Alex, Kara would never mistake her for anyone else. But she was in a metal exoskeleton, one that glowed a sickeningly familiar green. And the words that came from her mouth were not her own. “I warned you what would happen if you worked against me. I found your ultimate opponent. One that knows your every weakness.”

“No!” Kara couldn’t, she couldn’t do this. Panic was all she had at this. Her words came out with a stammer. “I’m not doing this. I am not going to fight my sister.” Her voice rose to a shout, “DID YOU HEAR THAT, NON?! If you want to fight me, come out here and do it yourself. I’m not going to hurt her.”

“You have no choice.” Alex’s dull, lifeless voice replied. “Kill Alex Danvers or let her kill you.”

Daisy grabbed Kara’s shoulder pulling her back, raising one hand, every metal joint in the exoskeleton snapping. “Fuck that.” She moved, and fast. A light brush of vibrations told Kara to stay put rather than actually moving her or preventing her from moving.

It was fast, Alex was stuck in the wreckage of what had once been a suit, and Daisy was faster than any human. She had Alex flipped and pressed into the asphalt in seconds, her arms twisted behind her, and her knee keeping Alex down.

Daisy looked up, “You wanted to try out the hope thing, I think we have patient Zero.”

An ugly chocked sound of pure relief came from Kara’s chest and out of her mouth. “Thank Rao.” She stumbled forward to her knees in front of Alex, whose glazed eyes were looking up at her as she uselessly fought against Daisy’s hold. She reached out, her trembling fingers touching Alex’s face. “Alex, I know you’re in there.”

Alex wiggled, but at least Non’s voice wasn’t sickenly puppetting her mouth. He was probably desperately trying to figure out what had cut his puppet’s strings.

“Alex, this isn’t you.” Kara didn’t know how, she’d been so sure she could do it before, but here, with her sister in front of her, she just wanted to cry. “You can beat this ok, I know you can.”

Kara sobbed as she felt the tick of vibrations against her. “We’re a family, you are my sister. I love you and I know you love me. This, this is nothing to all the years and things you’ve given up because I’m your sister. Because we’re stronger together, and I’m right here. Stronger together. And you’re the strongest person I know. You can do anything you want because you wouldn’t let anything stop you.” She swallowed, forcing out every drop of sincerity that she had into her voice. “You are Alex Danvers, and nothing, especially not Non can change that! I need you to come back to me, please.”

“Kara?” And it was like something was blinked away from Alex’s eyes.

She outright cried, “Yeah, it’s me.”

And then Alex was scrambling up, Daisy releasing her and floating off of her. Alex’s hands grabbed Kara’s shoulders, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t, I didn’t mean to.” She blanched, ripping the holstered sword off of her back and tossing away from her like it was on fire before lunging forward, wrapping her arms around Kara. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Kara hugged Alex as tightly as she dared, “It wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t you, you came back to me.”

She looked up, her vision blurry with tears, and she saw Daisy just quietly standing there, scanning the area for danger, keeping watch so that Kara and Alex could have this. And Kara realized with stunning clarity that she couldn’t bear the thought of Daisy not being by her side. Of her leaving.

Daisy who listened, who understood, who stood by her side, and supported her every time. Who was dependable, who had stopped Kara from having to fight her sister. Who was in pain right now, because Myriad was hurting her, but was still here. Daisy who Kara had been leaning on since all of this started, hadn’t uttered a word of complaint about it. And who Kara felt better every time they touched. Every time she felt the hum of her vibrations, was reminded of her presence. Who was good and kind. Who she could never repay this to. And Kara, might, probably, definitely, be kind of in love with her.

“Too tight!” Alex wheezed.

Kara loosened her arms, pulling her attention back to her sister. And she felt warm, her sister was here, and Daisy and just…that could and would wait till this was over. Because neither of them would leave her side. “Why did you come back?”

“I love you too,” Alex’s expression was faintly watery too.

Kara just laughed, “You shouldn’t have come but it’s so good to see you.”

“Kara! Alex!” A wonderfully familiar voice called from across the parking lot.

Kara’s head snapped around, barely faster than Alex’s, and not without noticing that Daisy was very aware and ready to intercede if need be. She spoke, more to tell Daisy who this was, “Eliza, J’onn!”

“Are you both alright?!” Eliza half stumbled as she rushed to them.

And Kara couldn’t help smiling. “We’re alright.”

Chapter 19

Daisy was in just, a lot of pain. She’d had worse, but fuck it felt like she was a bell getting gonged or whatever it was called. The way it rung her head made it harder to ignore than the dull ache of broken bones. She licked the blood off of her upper lip under the mask. Disgusting, but it was ticklish and kind of driving her a bit crazy as she kept an eye out while Kara got to hug her family. Thank fuck, Kara’s insane idea for breaking mind control worked.

She had a sick feeling that there wasn’t going to be a way out that didn’t involve a lot of death. Yeah, Non and his ilk were going to need to be stopped. But if there wasn’t a city’s worth of hostages, it wasn’t going to have to be the same brutal and fast fight it would have had to have been. And shit, Daisy was going to break Non’s jaw for the Alex death match stunt. She didn’t know Alex, but that didn’t change the fact it was a level of fucked up that made her teeth grind.

It was certainly not the parking lot event that Daisy’d been expecting. But watching Kara, Alex, and apparently their mom hugging was good. It was really good. A feeling Daisy was pretty positive she shared with the weak and barely keeping it together alien that was J’onn.

Daisy walked towards J’onn while unzipping the front of her suit jacket. “You’re bleeding out there.”

“I can hang on as long as I need to.” His voice was heavy with pain and exhaustion.

She rolled her eyes under her mask and ripped her tank top off of herself. Sports bra and jacket. Not the best, but it's not like she had compression bandages on her person. Daisy zipped herself back up before neatly tearing her ruined tank top into something like a bandage. “Shirt up, we’re stopping the bleeding.”

“Very well.” He grimaced, pulling his black polo shirt’s hem up to under his armpits, showing the ugly wound that was pulsing with red. His expression was suspicious.

Daisy ignored it, pressing some of the fabric against the wound, and ignored his alarm sound as she unbuckled and yanked his belt off. She quickly used it to hold her poor tanktop in place and keep pressure on the wound. “Don’t know if you get infections, but that wasn’t hygienic so maybe think about antibiotics.” She looked up at him to make sure he was actually with it enough to follow what she was saying.

Rewardingly, he was. Pained, yes, but his eyes weren’t glassy but instead clear, and evaluating as he let her bandage him. “Thank you, you did not have to help me.”

“I know, but army of mind-controlling assholes,” She tilted her head, “And you matter to Supergirl. Is there a saying about a friend of my friend? Or the friend of the hot girl I’ve been bothering for a couple of weeks?”

He let his shirt fall back down. “I think there’s more to you being here than that. Supergirl would not tolerate you if you were as dishonorable as that.” And that explained so much about how Kara talked about him. The dad vibes were real.

“I’m a lot of things, honorable isn’t one of them.” She didn’t turn her back on him exactly, but she did step back, her attention flicking to the Danvers family reunion.

Kara was facing them. “Guys, this is Quake, she’s a friend.”

Daisy raised a hand, this was so not going to go well. “Sup.”

“Quake, this is Eliza and Alex Danvers.” Kara neatly avoided mentioning the elephant in the room that everyone had to know Daisy/Quake knew their names and that Supergirl saw them as family.

Eliza ignored the evaluating near hostile expression on Alex’s face and walked forward holding out her hand. “Thank you for protecting my girls.”

“You’re welcome?” Daisy shook the woman’s hand, it was…weird.

////

Cat Grant could accept she’d misjudged the Quake situation. She still despaired for Supergirl’s taste in women, but if her Super-assistant wanted to get involved in some torrid lesbian Romeo and Juliet nonsense, far be it for her to say anything. Well, she fully intended to say something. But Kara could do worse than the Hot Topic murder gremlin. It wasn’t every day you found someone willing to jump out windows for you or willing to throw down with evil uncles despite internal bleeding. The glory and victory of Kara’s Hope plan being proven was softening the blow.

“So, Supergirl’s plan is to broadcast a symbol...” The alien with the bloodstained polo said slowly.

She walked to the sound equipment, they weren’t putting on a subpar show on her watch. “Of hope.”

“Of hope?” He asked, his weight heavily resting on the table by Max.

She really didn’t have time to explain all of this again. “With a speech.”

“A speech?” Polo Alien asked with rising baffled confusion.

Max was a doll and replied. “Also about hope.”

“But how will she cut through Myriad and reach the people?” His genuineness was the only reason she didn’t verbally wound him worse than that scratch on his side.

Cat did sigh in some frustration. “Supergirl is my protege, reaching people is what I do. Plus, there is scientific evidence that supports my plan.” She looked toward the science part of their quartet that had actually been productive in this whole ‘war’ thing. “Max.”

He obediently explained the plan. “Myriad works by shutting down the connection between the amygdala and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex.” He properly poked his head into the room. “The parts of the human brain that give rise to optimism and hope.”

Alex Danvers, and wasn’t it delicious to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kara Danvers and Supergirl were the same person, stepped in. “Under Myriad, I could see, I could hear, but it was like I was a complete stranger to myself. And then Supergirl said something about believing in me and my family and it was like a switch went off in my brain. I could suddenly feel again. I could feel hope.”

Cat did appreciate the heartfelt sincerity of it all, especially since it was proving her right.

“And that’s what she’s gonna give them once Max can kick start the connections.” Alex finished with all the honest vulnerable sincerity the woman was likely capable of.

“If. This equipment is a dinosaur.” Max continued to rush, flitting between boxes of equipment. “If I can get her speech on TV and the symbol on computers and phones, I’m even more of a genius than I thought.”

Quake spoke up from the system she’d been focusing on for a while. “Hey, we are even more of geniuses than you thought. I’m doing the overriding part to your signal piggybacking, dipshit.”

“Fine, we.” Max flipped the last switches, before looking up. “Okay, we’re ready.”

The blond woman—Eliza Danvers, Supergirl’s adoptive mother, it almost hurt Cat that she wouldn’t be publishing this—walked out of the sound stage, closing the door behind her. “Okay, she’s ready too.”

Max raised his hand, “In three, two, one…”

And Kara Danvers, in all her Supergirl glory, opened her mouth, and Cat Grant knew to her bones it was going to be good. Stress always did bring out the best in her after all.

“People of National City. This is Supergirl and I hope you can hear me. We have been attacked. Mothers and fathers, friends and neighbors, children, everyone, suddenly stopped by a force of evil as great as this world has ever known.” And oh, that was really good. “Your attacker has sought to take your free will, your individuality, your spirit. Everything that makes you who you are.” What made it work was Kara herself, her heart on her sleeve and belief pouring from her very bones. “When facing an attack like this, it’s easy to feel hopeless. We retreat, we lose our strength, lose our self.”

It was better than Cat could have written for her, because it was pure hope and heart distilled in its most genuine form, and that couldn’t be scripted. “I know. I lost everything when I was young. When I first landed on this planet, I was sad and alone. But I found out that there is so much to love in this world out there for the taking, and you the people of National City, you helped me. You let me be who I’m meant to be. You gave me back to myself. You made me stronger than I ever thought possible, and I love you for that. Now, in each and every one of you, there is a light, a spirit, that cannot be snuffed out. That won’t give up. I need your help again. I need you to hope.”

“Hope. That you will remember that you can all be heroes. Hope. That when faced with an enemy determined to destroy your spirit, you will fight back and thrive. Hope. That those who once may have shunned you will, in a moment of crisis, come to your aid. Hope. That you will see again the faces of those you love and perhaps even those you have lost.” The desperate hope was practically trembling off of Kara as she pleaded for the people to hope.

And then the phones started to ring. And Cat couldn’t help it, she smiled, it was working. Her girl had done it. Cat could admit the tremulous, relief and joy on Kara’s face as her sister told her that it was working, touched her.

 

Cat scrolled through the alerts on her phone, the time stamp of four am was haunting her. There would be no sleep before she went into the office. “Well now that that’s over with, we have work to do.”

“It’s not over.” Quake, and almost certainly Daisy Johnson if how she and Kara interacted indicated what Cat thought, said from where she was leaning against the wall.

Max’s face was sharp as he looked at her. “The Myriad signal isn’t stopping?”

“No, it’s getting stronger.” And it was hard to tell, with the voice changer, but Cat was nearly sure the woman’s voice was tighter, her posture certainly was tenser than it’d been thirty minutes ago when Supergirl had first started her speech.

Max pulled out his phone, “You’re saying the signal is being amplified?”

“Yes.” There was something wrong with Quake.

Supergirl agreed. She was by Quake’s side in a blur, “Your heart rate is spiking!”

“Excuse me, what’s going on? How is she able to tell that?” Eliza asked, stepping forward.

Max replied as his eyes scanned his phone, “Not entirely clear, but from what I’ve seen, her thing isn’t super strength like your daughter, it’s vibrations.” His tongue clucked, “She’s right, the signal is being amplified on the LTE networks.”

Quake just gave a tight nod, not disagreeing with Max.

A thing that alarmed Cat, because Quake had made it clear she loathed Max and was only playing nice with him because of Supergirl.

Supergirl hissed, “You’re bleeding from your eyes!” Supergirl could see through the mask…Cat felt rather like an idiot for not putting that together. Of course, she responded with less discomfort to the honestly deeply unsettling, try-too-hard, mask.

“It’s fine, had worse. My bones haven’t started cracking,” Quake’s masked face swung to Max, inane LED smiling face flickering slightly. “We need to shut those satellites down, now.”

Alex strode forward, and stared, unimpressed at the woman. “I’m taking your pulse, don’t punch me.”

“Won’t help, 300bpm is in the normal range for me.” Quake lifted a shoulder faintly. “Not human.”

Supergirl’s jaw tensed, and then her head snapped to Max. “How do we get the satellites down?”

“We don’t unless the DEO is hiding some kind of weapon that can shoot multiple satellites out of orbit.” He gestured sharply, “There’s twelve of them and they’re not all conveniently orbiting directly above National City.”

Quake made a distorted hissing sound. “That explains a lot.” She lunged for the dusty wastebasket, ripping the lower half of her mask off, and immediately puking into it.

Cat’s nose wrinkled in distaste as she took a step backward. “Should we be taking her to the hospital? And somewhere where her vomit won’t be stinking up my building.” She eyed the walls that had all shaken ominously the second Quake was distracted.

“That’s blood,” Alex said from where she’d dropped down in a crouch. She looked up at her sister who was on Quake’s other side, one hand on the angst bucket of a woman’s back. “Get her to the DEO, she’s bleeding internally.”

Quake’s voice was faintly raspy, and it was her real voice. “That’s where the blood is supposed to be.”

“I’ll see you at the DEO.” Supergirl ignored Quake’s ridiculous protest as she nodded to her sister. And then scooped Quake up causing the woman to squawk before moving so fast they basically vanished.

Cat sighed, “Well, victory was nice while it lasted. Someone is emptying that waste basket and burning it on their way out.” She grabbed her purse, “Come find me if anyone needs a muse to solve this problem as well.”

////

Lucy was rubbing one wrist from where she’d been handcuffed. A thing she was grateful for, she felt sick to her stomach at the realization she’d discharged her weapon, with kryptonite ammunition at Kara. She could have killed her. She snapped into mission mode as a blue and red blur that was Supergirl shot by for the medical department.

Lucy took off at a run for the medical wing, the way the air felt electric and heavy suddenly was alarming. She barely kept from the glass door slamming into her face, as she shot in after Supergirl. “Status?”

“Myriad isn’t stopped, they’re increasing the signal,” Supergirl said as she gently set a very unhappy-looking Quake on the medical bed.

Quake batted Supergirl’s hands away but did grab one squeezing it. “I’m fine, she’s overreacting. But you have to make sure the quarantine isn’t taken down.” And even though the voice changer there was a bite, it was half order.

Lucy would have been insulted, except, Quake was holding Supergirl’s hand and she may have been mind-controlled, but she’d seen them when they’d handled everything in the control room. Which was not more than forty minutes after Lucy had come on shift after leaving game night. She wasn’t an idiot. If an experienced soldier told her the situation required the quarantine to remain in place, she wouldn’t argue till she saw evidence Johnson was wrong. “What’s the sitrep?”

“We broke Myriad’s control of the population, but the signal is getting amplified,” Supergirl replied, casting a worried look at Quake. “Maxwell Lord should be coming here soon to help. J’onn and Alex helped, I think at least Alex is coming too. But we need a doctor for Quake.”

“I’m fine.” Quake’s sigh sounded uncomfortably like a hiss.

“You threw up blood!” Kara protested, “And you’re bleeding from…everything on your face.”

Quake shook her head. “You need me, I have your back, yeah? Even if my arms start fracturing the gauntlets will brace it so I can keep going. It’s fine.”

Lucy blanched at that, Supergirl looked aghast.

“And if your bones start breaking?!” She protested.

Quake shook her head. “Unless I start cracking walls it’s fine. If I start cracking walls, shoot me with a tranq. But I’m still fully functional. Now can I get off the bed? We need to stop Myriad.”

“If you want to be out in the field you’ll let a medic evaluate you.” Lucy cut in, and it was an order.

Quake’s stupidly disconcerting and unnerving mask looked straight at her, before finally giving a sharp nod. “No needles.”

“Dr. Saunders, evaluate the patient, and then Quake, unlock our systems. Supergirl, five minutes.” Lucy turned on her heel and headed straight for the control room, grabbed the satellite phone that wasn’t looped into the internal systems, and dialed her father’s number. She turned down a side hallway, just short of the control room as the phone picked up.

-”Who is this? How did you get this number?!”-

“It’s me. General, you have to keep the quarantine intact. Myriad is still active. Anyone you send in will become caught in the field, the threat is ongoing.” Lucy desperately wanted to hug her father. But she had a job, and she may love him, but she didn’t trust him in this mess.

And like the General he was, he processed that quickly. -”Affirmative, do we know the new goals of the attack?”-

“No, but I’ll have an expert here to assist shortly. I’ll have you kept in the loop as the situation progresses.” Lucy reported, and it was stupid, her father wasn’t her direct superior any longer, but old habits.

-”Understood, have you secured the Martian J’onn J’onzz, I have reports he was seen in the city?”-

Lucy bristled, “He just helped save this whole city. All of us.”

-”What he has done subsequent to his crimes is neither here nor there. You must prioritize apprehending him while you have the opportunity.”-

She wanted to plead with him. To demand if he understood that his black-and-white thinking was what was breeding the same type of hate and resentment that allowed if not caused the Kryptonians to attack in the first place. But he wasn’t here, she was the one in charge of National City right now. “As Director of the DEO it’s my call what the priority is inside the city, and I will not be dedicating manpower to chasing a man whose assistance we may need.”

-”He’s not a man. I am trying to protect you. Allowing a threat to run around to do as it pleases while you’re under attack is reckless. I taught you better than that.”-

Lucy’s jaw tightened, “It’s not your call, General.”

 

Lucy ignored the looks her agents were giving Quake as the woman, who had blood dribbling down her neck from where her ears were bleeding, was fixing their computer system for them. Instead, she let the grim reality of what Max was saying as he explained the situation, sink in.

“I’ve found out that since we ended the Kryptonian mind control, the Myriad wave has been amplified ten-fold and is rising exponentially,” Max reported to the assembled agents, two fugitives, Supergirl, and whatever Quake actually was.

Alex frowned, her hands on her hips. “Amplified? To what end? The only one it’s affecting is Quake.”

“Not so, Emergency rooms all over the city are admitting people complaining about headaches. They’re from Myriad, which, by my calculations, will continue to amplify until pop goes the cranium.” Max was genuinely terrified. “They couldn’t control us, so instead, they’re going to kill us.”

Lucy spoke up, “Why use Myriad for that, if they wanted to attack Non has an army?”

“An army of criminals, ones sworn to Astra.” Quake rolled back from where she’d just hit something that brought all their screens back. “He might not have enough control to drop an army on us. And armies mean fatalities, on both sides. It’s a risk.”

Alex kept shooting looks at Quake like she wanted to peel the woman open and figure her out. “She’s not wrong, and we have the army parked outside the city. They may not be able to kill Kryptonians, but the rest of his followers?”

“The Kryptonians were using Myriad for mind control because the frequency penetrates neural tissue.” Max tossed a USB to Quake.

Quake plugged it in and pulled up the readings Max was talking about. And that was a safety risk Lucy was going to have to plug after this. Just, an entire overhaul of digital security after Max and Quake both got their hands on the systems.

“Now, the Kryptonians are increasing the frequency. Exponentially.” He gestured to the jumps in the data. “We’re talking terahertz jumps. Like using an Uzi on a mosquito.”

Alex was frowning at the data, “And we’re the mosquito.”

“Once the wave reaches its full potential, the electromagnetic energy will create enough pressure to…” Max grimaced.

Kara spoke from where her arms were crossed, grim understanding on her face. “To kill every human on the planet like you said.” She shook herself slightly. “I need to tell James and Winn. They could help.”

“Let’s not get our cape in a bunch.” Max cut in.

Quake was definitely glaring under her mask, “Condescend to her again, and I will snap your neck.”

“He’s right.” Lucy cut off that particular spat. “Telling them wouldn’t do us any good right now.”

Alex’s arms tightened slightly where they were crossed, “How long do we have?”

“Eight hours. I usually love a good countdown, but this is bad.” Max was an ass, but he was genuinely scared. “This is really bad.”

Lucy stepped towards Max, “Think you can find the source so we can shut it down?”

“You’re lucky I work well under pressure.” He shot a look at Quake, “And if she refrains from snapping my neck, her help could make a difference.”

Lucy nodded. “Do it.” She looked at her tech agents who she was really going to have to replace. If they survived this she was poaching Winn. “Monitor them.”

Vasquez cleared her throat. “Ma’ams, you’re needed in the armory.”

Notes:

Noticed in the comments last chapter a few people real on the Alex was stupid for coming to National City train. And like...no? I mean yeah, her plan failed, and yeah her and Kara's relationship is an unhealthy mess, but going to National City wasn't a dumb decision. She went in with J'onn, one of the strongest aliens on the planet fully capable of protecting her from mind control. If Indigo hadn't been waiting it probably wouldn't have gone to hell. Which yeah I cut that scene just so I wasn't just regurgitating the episode, but like, she very much came in with a plan. And even if she hadn't, like...Supergirl, Cat Grant, Max Lord, and Quake against an alien attack a decade in the making is terrible odds. That's time for the stupid plans because it's that or the planet is getting conquered. Alex is a high-ranking black ops agent specialized in aliens. That is absolutely the type of situation she's trained and qualified to go help with.

Chapter 20

Kara turned to face Max who had been following her. She could see in his face what this was going to be about.

“Finding them will be the easy part.” They both knew he was speaking the truth. “Defeating them with only you, that’s our problem.”

She forced her disquiet down, putting on her best public face, and a confidence she didn’t feel in her words. “And to think I thought you’d learned by now, I can handle anything.”

“I’m not trying to be an ass.” He walked closer to her. “I know you can handle anything. But I’m actually worried. And if the others were thinking straight, they’d be worried too.” Max didn’t give her the luxury of mercy in his words. “You have no backup. Your sidekick J’onn is injured and is only outside of a cell because Director Lane has a soft touch. The DEO can’t follow you because even if they had the firepower to make a difference, no human can go to whatever is generating this signal. Their heads would explode. And so would your joy suck of a partner. If just this level of the signal is debilitating Quake she won’t even make it as close to Myriad as a human.”

Kara’s breath was shaky, but he was right. It was horrible, but he was right and it was all things she’d known, even if she had not wanted to think about it.

“If you go out there and fight, you might win. But the chances are this is a suicide mission.”

She wondered if this was how he showed he cared. “You know I’ll never stop trying.”

“Believe me, no one’s rooting for you more than I am. I just want you to know what you’re facing so that you’re prepared.” And Rao they’d come so far. He’d gone from trying to kill her to being worried for her.

Kara would face what was coming, to her last breath. “I will stop Non and Indigo.”

“Good.” He held her gaze before turning to go back to the work of finding the source.

She swallowed, “Hey…Don’t tell Alex my odds, okay?” Kara looked at the stone walls of the DEO and she knew what she had to do. But she had goodbyes she needed to say first. Things she needed to say.

 

Kara paused looking at the medical rooms. Daisy was being forced to breathe in oxygen, blood smeared across what little skin the doctor, or more likely Lucy, had managed to bully her into showing. Her ungloved hands and attention focused on the tablet she’d commandeered at some point. Working despite being in agony. Kara was so grateful to have had Daisy here with her every step of this horrible night and now day. But she wasn’t who she needed to speak to first.

So Kara went into the other medical room where J’onn was sitting up on his bed. She crossed her arms, trying to stay strong for this as the door shut behind her. “Max Lord says he’s very close to finding the source of the Myriad wave, and once he does, I’ll have my mission.”

“James Olsen called Lucy to tell her that you’ve been acting strange like you were saying goodbye or something?” J’onn looked at her with knowing eyes.

She swallowed looking away. “I didn’t mean to worry him. I just… We both know what I’m up against.”

He nodded, his shoulders moving from the motion. There was something almost pleading about his face.

“I will save the Earth, I promise you that.” She was certain of that. She had to be. “I just don’t know if I’ll make it out alive.

J’onn’s mouth opened, and then he just deflated, his head bowing, and arms holding his weight where he sat hunched over.

Kara hadn’t wanted to cause him pain. “I didn’t say things that needed to be said when I left Krypton and I wanted to make sure that I said them now.” She waited till he looked up at her with grieved understanding. “Just in case.”

“I was exactly where you are, Kara.” His gaze held hers. “And when I was, you told me to never give up.”

She shook her head. “I’m not giving up.” This wasn’t resigning herself, it was accepting the consequence of her will to fight and stand for what she believed in and loved. “But my mother didn’t send me to Earth to fall in love with a human, have children, and live in a house with a white picket fence. She sent me here to protect Kal-El. And now, I will use my powers to protect the Earth.”

Kara was filled with the love and the certainty of that love as she spoke. “And if I die achieving that, I’m at peace with it.” She moved slightly so that J’onn couldn’t look away from her. “I’ll join my mother. We’ll be together in Rao’s light.” She reached out, holding the top of J’onn’s arms just below the shoulder and pulled him forward, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Because she forgave him, and he didn’t need to protect her from this.

Releasing him she smiled, the understanding of loss and grief and love sitting at peace between them. She gave a slight nod and then turned, leaving the room. Her next stop would be shorter.

It was so easy to just walk into the room where Daisy was. Daisy looked up at her.

“Hey, when are we leaving?” Daisy set the laptop aside, ready to hop off the medical bed.

Kara wasn’t a spy, but Daisy’d told her in the beginning hadn’t she? Kara was faster than her. She moved, unholstering Daisy’s gun and shooting her with the glowing blue tranquilizing rounds.

Daisy’s eyes barely had time to widen, her body just starting to twist. And then the blue veins from the chemical spread across her skin before she dropped.

Kara caught her before she could hurt herself. She looked over at Dr. Saunders, her voice felt thick. “Take care of her?”

 

Kara slipped into the control room, catching Lucy’s arm and pulling her to the side slightly. Her voice was quiet. “I tranqed Quake, don’t let anyone hurt her, please.”

“We owe her our lives,” Lucy hesitated. “Kara, what’s going on?”

She smiled faintly, “She’d have tried to come with me and it would have killed her.”

“Kara-”

She pulled away, raising her voice, “What do you have, Max?”

“Found ‘em.” Max gloated, pulling up the specs on the screens. “Thanks to this pretty little thing.”

Kara’s eyes widened in recognition. “An Omegahedron. We used these as energy sources on Krypton. Just one of them can power an entire city.”

“Well, this one’s powering the destruction of this planet,” Max replied, folding his hands in his lap in the chair he was sitting in before the screens. “It’s powering the Myriad wave, and its energy is building by the second.”

Alex spoke up from the railing, “So where are the Kryptonians hiding?”

“About 500 miles northeast of here. Nevada.”

Kara couldn’t help it, “So your bomb wouldn’t have worked.”

“No, it wouldn’t have,” Max admitted with a tight smile.

Alex was frowning, “What the hell is in Nevada?”

“In my experience, mediocre buffets and regret,” Max answered glibly.

Lucy frowned, “Video call in the General, I know I’ve seen a report mentioning army activity there.”

“Ma’am,” Valquez started typing, a screen coming up with General Lane’s face.

The General was certainly prompt, -“Lucy!”- And he loved his daughter for all Kara kinda hated him.

Lucy straightened, “What’s in Nevada? We’ve tracked the Myriad signal there.”

-”It’s Fort Rozz.”-

Kara could help it, “What, you just left it there?”

-”You try moving a one million-ton alien spacecraft. We did the only thing we could.”- He defended hotly. -”We concealed it using its own stealth technology, cordoned off the area, and called it a nuclear test zone.”-

“Making it the perfect place to hide.” Alex shared a look with Kara. “They’ve been there the whole time.”

Kara uncrossed her arms, turning to leave. “I’ll find them.”

“Not by yourself you won’t,” J’onn said as he walked into the room. “I’m coming with you.”

Alex looked nervous, hands twitching with frustration at not being able to help. “You’re hurt.”

“There are too many lives at risk to send an agent in alone.” J’onn looked at Kara and she understood.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise to hear Max speaking up. “She’s going to need all the help she can get.”

“I got it.” J’onn said.

Kara and he turned, walking towards the exit only to pause as Alex started to follow.

She raised her hands like she wanted to grab on and pull them back. “J’onn, Supergirl, be careful.” Her hands lightly touched both of their arms before dropping to her sides.

J’onn nodded.

Kara reached back, unfastening her mother’s necklace, and held it out to Alex. “Keep it safe for me?”

“Yeah.” Alex’s brow crinkled as she looked at her.

Kara couldn’t stay, her sister knew her too well. So she turned and walked out.

“You didn’t say goodbye to your sister,” J’onn said once they were out of earshot.

She tipped her chin up. “If I say goodbye, I’m never leaving.” And she had Non, Indigo, any others they may have prepared for them, and a million-ton spaceship to deal with.

////

Kara woke up with the sharp prickly sensation of the solar bed when she was so tapped out the solar power prickled rather than tingled. Looking around the metal room of the DEO medical room was empty. She started to sit up, before groaning by the time she hit an upright position. She felt achy and sore. How…she’d died. She’d been floating above the earth, Non defeated, Fort Rozz off the earth and with it Myriad. But now...

She turned to the touch on her arm. Kara felt confused but such deep affection at the sight of her sister. “What happened?”

The practiced calm on Alex said it was serious. Alex squeezed her arm. “You saved the world.” She dropped her arm, her voice slightly shaky. “And then I saved you with your pod.” Alex smiled slightly, “You’re not the only badass in the family.”

Kara couldn’t help laughing, her sister’s laughter joining her. The relief was electric and shaky and exhausting all at once.

“And, uh...” Alex reached up, unfastening the necklace from around her neck. “This belongs to you.” She handed it to Kara before her hands fell to her hips. “I think your mother would’ve really appreciated my piloting skills.”

Kara would never be able to put into words the weight of her love and relief at the sight of her sister there beside her.

“There are a lot of people out there waiting to say thank you.” There was a quality to Alex’s voice that said she’d been crying.

Everything felt…soft. The sharp urgency and weight of the hours of just everything since Myriad had started just gone. Kara knew her voice was quiet. “J’onn?”

“Injured, again, but the President called, she’s pardoned him.” Alex ran her hand up and down Kara’s arm. “No more being on the run.”

She nodded, her smile crinkling around her eyes. “Good, that’s really good.”

“I think Lucy’s going to hire him back on at the DEO, she was in his medical room as soon as the ink was on paper.” Alex looked at her with those eyes brimming with all the things they’d said when Kara had thought she was going to die. And maybe, maybe they were good again.

Kara swallowed thickly, “Quake?”

“Woke up an hour ago, refused medical care, and left as soon as she saw you were alive.” Alex hesitated, “You trust her?”

Kara nodded, “I do.”

“Ok, then.” Alex’s face said she had some thoughts about that but wasn’t going to say them now.

Kara was grateful for it. “Eliza?”

“Out with everyone else.” Alex laid her hand over Kara’s. “She’s going to be so upset once she stops being relieved.”

She leaned into her sister. “El Mayarah.”

“El Mayarah.” Alex agreed.

And it wasn’t perfect, but Kara had her sister back. Alex wasn’t going anywhere without her, and that made it perfect in its own way. But time to face everyone. Even if Kara felt a quiet sorrow more than any kind of pride about what she’d done. Relief, and joy at her loved ones being safe. But sorrow lingered anyway. She breathed out, “Stay by my side?”

“Wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Alex agreed.

 

Kara landed in her apartment. It was dark and silent. The sound, smells, and warmth of another person were absent. She couldn’t blame anyone but herself. She wouldn’t change what she’d done. But it still ached to see she’d ruined things just when she’d realized what was there. Or could be there? She wanted to be there?

She swallowed thickly, but couldn’t bring herself to move, or change from her suit. It didn’t matter that she knew Alex, Eliza, and everyone thought and had ordered her to go get some rest. This silent darkness felt…honest in a way the lights, praise, and gratitude earlier had’t. The peace from earlier hadn’t faded, but she’d died in the cold of space, and now was left to face what she’d accepted as lost.

“Hey,” There was a knock on the open window frame.

Kara turned, “Daisy?” She couldn’t keep the surprise off of her face.

Daisy tilted her head, “Yeah, I felt you get back. If now isn’t a good time-”

“No, it’s…it’s a good time.” Kara couldn’t help sweeping Daisy for injuries, “You’re not bleeding?”

Daisy shook her head as she easily climbed through the window, shutting it behind her. “No, I heal pretty fast, drank a Gatorade, and ate some protein bars. All healed up.”

“I’m not sorry I shot you,” Burst out of Kara’s mouth despite that probably not being what she should have said.

Daisy shook her head, shoving her hands into her pockets. “No, you’re fine. Next time maybe mention it’d kill me to help. I’d have hated it, but I’d have listened.”

Kara’s breathing was shaky, “I know I should have explained, but if you’d said anything to Alex and she realized, or if you’d tried to follow me anyway, I couldn’t be responsible if you kept getting hurt, or even died.”

“Hey, hey, I’m fine.” Daisy was to her in three strides, hands cupping her face. “Ok? I’m fine. I might not be a plant like you that just has to get stuck in the sun, but I heal fast. And I’m bad at going easy when I should. Always have been. I’m not mad at you. Furthest thing from it.”

She leaned into the touch, her hands coming up and holding Daisy’s wrists, eyes closing.

Daisy shifted, and pulled her into a hug, “You did good, so, so good.”

Shuddering, Kara leaned into Daisy’s arms, hugging her back just as tightly.

“What do you need?” Daisy asked, arms tightening in a way that Kara could feel.

Kara didn’t dare pull away, knowing her face was heated from what she was asking. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“I think we can handle that.” Daisy gave a last squeeze, before pulling back, her brow raised, fond crinkles around her eyes. “First, you smell like space and are still in the suit though. Go shower, you’ll feel more human.”

She smiled, “Thank you.”

“Hey, I barely helped,” Daisy pushed her gently toward the bathroom. “Go, do you want me to order food?”

Kara shook her head, “Alex made me eat before she let me come home.”

“Got it, extra pancakes tomorrow,” Daisy replied as easy as anything. Because of course, she did.

 

Kara wasn’t sure what exactly to do once she was out of the shower, in her softest pajamas, and just kind of standing there. She was too wrung out to really feel awkward, and too tired to be tense, but she wasn’t entirely sure what to do.

Daisy rolled her eyes and then reached out and shoved her hard enough to topple her onto the bed with an ‘oof’. Shaking her head, a faint smile on her face, she walked around, climbing in on the other side. “Come on, post near-death experience sleepless nights are par for the course.”

She hesitated for a second and then crawled under the covers and scooted close enough that her knees were bumping into Daisy’s, and she could feel her closeness. Kara closed her eyes and felt the last vestiges of the tension drain from her.

It was still. Kara spoke slowly, her arms coming up and folding against her chest, “It was cold.”

“Space?” Daisy asked.

She could still feel it. “Hmm…but it was also…silent.”

“It is,” Daisy agreed quietly.

Kara wasn’t sure why she trembled then. “It was peaceful. I saw Fort Rozz drifting away, and I knew everyone was safe, and I was…content.”

Daisy let out a long sigh before shifting closer, and pressing her forehead against Kara’s, her fingers curling around Kara’s hands. “Yeah, permission to die a good death… it's peaceful like that.” Her thumb rubbed at Kara’s hand absently. “Are you glad you came back?”

“Yes? But it doesn’t feel…” Kara wasn’t sure how to explain. Just the love and relief and gratitude and sorrow just all there.

“Real?” Daisy offered.

Kara hummed, it was as close as anything.

“It’ll feel real again in the morning.” Daisy hesitated slightly, “And Kara, it’s ok to feel sad about surviving, even if you didn’t want to die.”

Kara felt tears burning in her eyes, she didn’t have anything left in her to say to that. She just snuggled into Daisy, her nose poking into Daisy’s neck, and her silent tears soaking Daisy’s t-shirt.

Warm arms just wrapped around her, and Daisy didn’t say anything else, just holding her, the warm hum of her vibrations buzzing against her. And Kara felt safe.

Chapter 21

Notes:

uh...surprise? I guess? Idk, just felt like an extra chapter.

Lucy was making a terrible decision. She was aware of that, as she stood in front of Johnson’s apartment door. She’d waited till eleven in the morning to be sure that there was no chance of Kara being anywhere near the building. But it also meant if this went badly, no one was ever going to find her body, let alone know what had happened to her. A wonderfully cheery thought as she knocked on the door.

It took a minute, but then the door opened, and Daisy Johnson was looking at her, with a raised eyebrow, and wearing rumpled-looking pajamas. The flannel loose pajama pants and baggy long-sleeved shirt along with her unkept long hair didn’t suit how horrifically dangerous she was. Even her voice was unalarming and understated. “Lane, wasn’t expecting you?”

“We need to talk.” Lucy refused to show her unease.

Johnson stepped back waving her into the apartment.

Lucy walked in, and couldn’t help but notice the changes from half-gutted to actual apartment, if still a bit sparse. Her eyes caught the laptop by the couch as she turned on her heel to face the other woman. “How did you fake your military records?”

Johnson had shut the door, her back leaning against it, and the unguarded affability melted from her face. “Huh, that’s an accusation.”

“You could start at what your actual name is, and not that ridiculous one you have the media calling you, Quake.” Lucy felt like the other woman’s gaze was picking her apart.

Finally, Johnson pushed off the door, walking toward the kitchen. “Tea or coffee person?”

“Excuse me?” Lucy’s jaw clenched.

Johnson raised a brow, “This is a coffee discussion then.” She pulled two mugs out of the cupboard. “You know I never liked the name Quake, but it's better than the other options. I mean Project World Killer always sounded ridiculous as fuck.” She grabbed the coffee pot and poured it. “Black coffee or do you put stuff in yours?”

“Black.” Lucy felt a cold shiver down her spine. “What, is Project World Killer?”

Johnson raised a brow while putting the coffee pot back and pulling out creamer. “Depends on how you mean it, but classified, very classified, and me.”

Oh, that was a very bad sign. “You’re not serious.”

“Not always,” Johnson set the black cup of coffee on the edge of the kitchen island closest to Lucy, before leaning against the counter behind her. “If you don’t mind my asking, what gave it away?”

“You dropped the act the second Kara needed you to. And she trusted you, completely.” Lucy would admit she never would have put Johnson and Quake together without knowing how Daisy and Kara interacted. Johnson might be good, but she was tied to someone whose identity was an open secret.

Johnson sighed, dumping creamer into her own mug of coffee. “Yeah, I’m kinda accepting the secret identity thing isn’t going to last.” She shrugged, “Not that I have a life to be ruined by that.”

Every single one of Lucy’s instincts was screaming that she didn’t want to know what the answers to her questions were. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t have you dragged into the DEO? A person like you does not just end up as Supergirl’s next-door neighbor.”

“Too much of a coincidence?” Daisy picked up her mug, considering her words, and then her eyes were sharp as they looked at her. “I’m not a good person. What do you think happens when Supergirl hears Project World Killer is in her city? And don’t give me that look, some secrets don’t stay secret long, and I’m going to rip Cadmus to bloody chunks before the end of the year.”

Lucy really did not like the conclusions she was drawing. “She’d try and stop you.”

“How do you think that would go?” Daisy asked like it was that simple.

But it was that simple, wasn’t it? Lucy swallowed. Kara would fight, and Lucy might not know exactly how strong Johnson was, but she wasn’t a pushover and every scrap of her behavior screamed she was trained. “So you preempted a conflict between you.”

“Yup, I mean I figured I was stopping by to say ‘hi’ and making sure I wasn’t going to get pasted or have to break her. She took issue with the fact I was sleeping in my car.” Johnson took a sip of her coffee and her face was genuinely fond. Or at least looked that way. “Then she went and told people I was her new neighbor. So I made that the truth.”

Lucy hated that she actually believed that. “Wonderful.”

“Hmm,” Johnson considered her. “Before you ask, it gets complicated, but think of me as three-quarters human, one-quarter alien. And not the nice cuddly type of alien.”

And Lucy hated that even more. “A quarter alien makes you that powerful?” She put every drop of disdain and disbelief into her voice as possible.

Johnson’s lips twitched, “No, it means I had a bunch of junk DNA floating around in there. Nothing to write home about. I guess I didn’t get sick as much as most kids. Healed a bit faster, not anything anyone would notice though. Hell, I didn’t notice.” She set her coffee aside. “But it meant I survived when other people realized I had it.”

“Survived?” Lucy felt bile, she did not like the picture she was getting. The one that explained everything about Johnson’s behavior since the day she’d shown up in National City.

The woman set aside her cup of coffee, grabbed the hem of her shirt, and pulled it up and over her head in one smooth motion. Johnson tossed her shirt aside and picked up her coffee again and sipped, her eyes staring at Lucy without a flicker of concern.

Lucy was a military woman, nudity wasn’t a thing that bothered her. And Johnson had left her bra and pants on. She hadn’t needed to take them off. Lucy didn’t need to be a doctor to know what she was looking at. There were scars. They weren’t particularly raised or discolored. But they were quite visible. The two gut wounds were blatantly fatal. The crooks of her arms were a mess of scarring, but it was the Y-incision that put any doubt of what the point was to bed.

“How long?” The Military was deeply entangled with Cadmus. Cadmus that experimented on humans and aliens.

Johnson’s head tipped to the side, “Depends on what you mean, took the two gut shots on one of my first missions when I was eighteen. No chance of survival, no family.”

And here she was, actually Lucy was almost positive which classified report she didn’t have access to that was. So dying soldiers with no one to care, it’d be so, so easy to pass them to Cadmus for experimental medical procedures.

“The slave chip didn’t get ripped out till fairly recently.” Johnson pulled her hair to the side, the scarring on her neck obvious. “So, knowing any more detail than that and I’m going to say ‘classified’, want to talk about something actually productive?”

So Lucy had an escaped Cadmus soldier in front of her. Soldier, experiment, slave. It was sickening, and it fit so fucking neatly she couldn’t really argue against it. At least not without looking into it more. “What do you mean productive?”

“You need your position as Director of the DEO made permanent instead of interim.” Johnson raised her mug at her. “Arresting me isn’t going to go well for you. A. I haven’t committed a crime that you know of or can prove. B. Kara will throw a fit. C. I’m not stupid enough not to have fail-safes like some very classified documents from being dropped online if I don’t update my files every twenty-four hours. And let’s not forget Cadmus is still in your organization, as much as I’m aware of them, they’re aware of me.”

Well, wasn’t that some shit. Lucy was going to tear a few things apart to confirm some of that, but she had a horrible feeling it was entirely honest. “What do you want?”

“I want Max Lord taken off the table,” Johnson replied without hesitation.

Lucy reached forward and picked up the offered cup of coffee. “He knows about the DEO, that Kara is Supergirl, and will blow all of it out of the water if we touch him. Besides, he’s too high profile for the DEO to touch.”

“If I can ensure he keeps his mouth shut on those particular topics, and I can ensure he gets arrested by the regular police, so it looks all nice and tidy, how hard would it be for you to put a plea deal in front of him where he’s a DEO prisoner and asset for his time served?” Johnson asked.

Lucy considered that, ignoring the implications of whatever Johnson would have to do to make that happen. If the prosecutor and judge could be convinced of a plea deal, they’d want to. Lord’s corporate lawyers weren’t a sure bet for any kind of case. Lord’s ego meant he might take the deal too. “I’d consider it.”

“And the credit for stopping the next Lex Luthor would play well with the President,” Johnson sipped at her coffee.

Well shit, Lucy drank her coffee considering the woman across from her. “Give me one reason to believe working with you is anything but a trap?”

Johnson sighed, her expression wry. “You’re not dead.”

 

Lucy marched into Dr. Saunders's office. “Did you finish mapping out the blood samples?”

“Not fully, but enough to make some conclusions.” Dr. Saunders swiped her fingers across her tablet, the screen on the wall lighting up with what even Lucy could tell wasn’t human DNA. “Quake certainly bled enough before Supergirl knocked her out I didn’t struggle to find genetic material.”

She crossed her arms, “So she’s not human?”

“That’s what I’m finding so fascinating.” Dr. Saunders manipulated the image, “Her base DNA has a great many commonalities with human DNA, I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m almost positive she’d be compatible with human blood if we ever have to give her a transfusion. O negative if that matters. But that’s not the most interesting part. Look here-”

 

Lucy had a migraine, science was not her field, but she’d heard enough to understand genetic manipulation, chemical slurry, and high degree of base commonality with human blood. She didn’t need to look up as J’onn entered the office. “How did you manage it all?”

“Time, making a lot of mistakes.” His voice was stupidly kind. “Building a team you trust helps.”

She looked up at him, “Quake is an escaped Cadmus slave soldier and experimental living weapon of mass destruction and if I’m not mistaken, the only reason we’re not dealing with her ripping Cadmus up and killing everything in her path is that Supergirl got to her first.”

“Ah.” J’onn dropped into the chair in front of her heavily. “That makes a horrible amount of sense.”

Lucy did not like finding out she was sitting on a barely controlled nuke ready to go off at any time. “Your pardon is official.”

“It is, but the DEO is still yours, Director Lane.” J’onn was looking at her curiously.

She pulled the contract out of the top desk. “How would you like a job as an Alien Advisor to the DEO?”

////

Daisy was so smug, dive bar burgers were always the best burgers. She grinned as she saw Kara stepping through the door. Raising a hand she waved.

“Daisy!” Kara was all bright fizzling joy as she slid right in on the same side of the booth Daisy was sitting on, hugging her immediately. “I’m sorry I’m late! But Ms. Grant promoted me! And then I got an office!”

She couldn’t help laughing, easily hugging Kara back. “That’s great!” Daisy let her eyes close, enjoying just the warmth of the snuggly alien in her arms for a minute before pulling back. “And lucky for you, the food’s already here.”

“It is? You ordered already?” Kara actually registered the table, her eyes almost closed she was smiling so much. “You ordered for me.”

“Of course,” Daisy leaned back in her seat. “Tell me all about your promotion?”

Kara reached out, pulling her place from the other side of the table to where she’d slid in…apparently, they were eating on the same side of the booth. “Ms. Grant dropped a box on my desk, and started putting all my things in it, and then just marched off with it! And brought me to an office! I have an office! She’s offered me a job anywhere in the company I want! She even called me Kara!”

“She…the name thing is so weird, but wait, you get to pick your job?” Daisy bumped their shoulders together, “That’s really great. Do you know what you’re going to pick?”

Kara shook her head, “I don’t know! I’ve never even thought about getting promoted.”

“You’ll have fun figuring it out then,” Daisy had to bite back the offer to help. Alex was back, and that meant Kara wasn’t going to need her. She grabbed some fries and stuffed them in her mouth to keep her from being tempted to say something stupid.

Kara happily nodded while she ate too fast to be human. And, Daisy was fine with eating burgers on Kara’s late lunch and hearing about how she got a promotion.

 

Daisy sighed, standing up as she watched Kara zip out of the alien bar. Shaking her head she headed to the bar, it was early still, and slow. Even if Al’s opened earlier than most dive bars. She leaned against the counter. “Hey, M’gann I’ve got a question if you have a minute.”

“You have a lot of questions,” And M’gann was not looking particularly friendly as she walked over.

////

M’gann M’orzz had been on Earth for a long time. She’d seen a lot of beings over the years, and she could spot a gaping wound of chaos and pain from a mile off. Being unable to read Daisy Johnson’s mind didn’t mean she couldn’t feel the tightly controlled turmoil and agony the being likely wasn’t even aware was agony. Feeling emotions was harder, and fortunately duller for her than thoughts. But she had no intention of ever touching the being across from her, lest she felt more. She had enough darkness in her own soul. “Al might deal with your business, but he’s not in today.”

“Not business, or well that.” Daisy shrugged, “I was wondering if there’s a cop or detective, someone in the law enforcement who at least is open to being paid to not be a dick on the alien topic?”

That should have been a harmless question, M’gann didn’t know or even particularly think it was. “Why should I tell you that?”

Daisy sighed, “This is so not my day.” She looked at her. “Look, I know I haven’t been around long enough to have earned any trust. And I’m not harmless. But I need someone willing to arrest a person for attempted murder motivated by xenophobia. Figured it was a better option than handling it myself.”

M’gann was a Martian, she knew what warriors looked like, knew what they felt like. She had no doubt the previous owners of the gold Daisy had brought in were dead and at the being’s own hands. “Why not handle it on your own?” She paused at the expression on Daisy’s face. “The Kryptonian asked you not to.”

And at the word ‘Kryptonian’, Daisy went sharp. “She’s off limits.”

“I may know someone,” Interesting, M’gann didn’t need to feel the way Daisy’s emotions vanished into pure focus to realize for the first time since Daisy had entered this bar, she was an active threat to her. “Peace, no one here will say anything of your mate’s identity.”

Daisy blinked, pulling back ever so slightly and shaking her head, a soft whisper of longing from her. “She’s not my mate.”

“Excuse me?” M’gann wasn’t even sure what to do with that.

Daisy’s brow pulled together slightly, “I’ve done some really shitty stuff, but I’m not enough of a dick to start something with her.”

M’gann pulled out the blue sparkling liquor that had been popular on Halla before the planet had been ravaged by plague. She poured a glass, setting it in front of the woman. It was also the kind of thing drunk as a shot, not by the pint. But she was nearly positive the woman in front of her didn’t know that. And if she wanted to know if the being before her was stable enough to point at Detective Sawyer, she had some questions she wanted some answers to.

“What?” The suspiciousness was creeping in.

M’gann grabbed a beer for herself, “You are asking me to trust you, convince me.”

Daisy groaned, her head hitting the top of the bar. It was a bit theatrical, the emotional exhaustion was palpable. She looked up, “There’s nothing I could tell you that would convince you if you’re half as paranoid as I think you are.”

“You’re not leaving the city any time soon?” She waited for the hesitation and then a sharp nod before continuing. “Have a drink with me,” She knew she wasn’t the only paranoid one here. “I can’t read your mind, but I feel something like emotions from you.”

Daisy held her gaze for a long moment, wariness and unease bubbling under the surface. But then she picked up the glass and took a drink. “You’re starting us off, how long have you been on Earth?”

“Centuries ago.” M’gann was not so unfair as to ask what she would not answer in turn. Or she perhaps was, but not with someone as much a monster as her.

Daisy’s brow raised, “Huh, very cool, I think?”

“My species are very long-lived,” She took a drink from her own bottle.

And it was interesting that Daisy cared, at least enough to reciprocate what was offered. “I’m not sure how long I’ll live. But I’m twenty-five.”

“How old were you when you went to war?” Because M’gann knew this woman had been in war.

Daisy’s emotions bristled slightly, “How old were you?”

“A young adult by our standards, and I was a guard, not a soldier.” M’gann hated to feel the clawing guilt and memories, but if she wanted honesty, lies would not work.

It worked, Daisy paused, “Seventeen. Late seventeen, and lied about my age so they’d let me.”

 

M’gann was both impressed by Daisy’s alcohol tolerance and also felt like she’d been pulling teeth. She got a lot of nothing answers, and anytime she touched anything serious, she was forced to exchange deeply painful things for it. She switched topics from something the being was clearly tight-lipped about as hell. “So your courting of the Kryptonian, how long has that been happening?”

“Uh, it’s not happening,” Daisy snorted as she sipped from her third fucking drink. “She mates for life, I don’t. Do you know how much of a dick that would make me?”

That was, not exactly the response she’d have expected, “But you wish to court her?”

“Uh, no?” Daisy’s head cocked to one side.

M’gann rolled her eyes, “I can feel your emotions.” And had seen the two near each other twice. It wasn’t hard to pick up.

The being’s eyes fell to the bartop, her fingers poking at the wood before her eyes flicked back up. “Look, I’m not good news. And I’m not a forever kind of person. I don’t know why, maybe I never learned how? But nobody wants long. Not even just romantically, just…any kind of anything. They die, get sick of me, or stop seeing me as more than a tool.” The jagged mawing pain was staggering in its weight.

M’gann realized two things as she barely kept from gasping at the hurt and pain rolling off the other being. One, she was very drunk and just good at hiding it. And two, she was agonizingly lonely. Her hand on the counter tightened to keep herself upright. “Your friend wouldn’t agree.”

“She will,” The certainty of it was crushing. “Things changed, her people are back. She won’t need me anymore. But I can make sure she’s safe before…” Her brow furrowed, “before it ends. And if it wouldn’t work, it would be mean to start something.” Daisy looked at her with a wry expression. “But hey, I have managed to catch stupid inconvenient feelings for someone who isn’t on the other side of a war, a Nazi, or a lying asshole.”

Her brow rose as the counter hummed, the bucket of pain in front of her had skipped tipsy and gone straight to drunk, on her way to wasted. “The person you want arrested, they’re a threat to your …friend?”

“I’d have just shot him, but Kara wouldn’t like it,” Daisy grumbled, she looked at M’gann. “She’s just so nice! It’s so stupid.”

M’gann took the mostly empty glass away from Daisy, “Pass me your phone, you’re not fit for driving, flying or however you plan to get home.”

Daisy’s eyes narrowed, but she handed the phone over, and her coordination wasn’t actually that bad.

M’gann pulled up the contacts, it was…there were three numbers saved. It made it easy, at least, even if it was definitely not healthy. She could admit that she was a barely social recluse, and she had more contacts than this. Still, she dialed Kara.

-”Daisy! Do you need something?”- It was a very perky voice.

M’gann didn’t look away from the very dangerous being who was watching her like a hawk. A drunk hawk, but a hawk. “This is M’gann from Al’s, Daisy has had a bit too much to drink.” She stared at the phone as it blinked off. Predictable. She passed the phone back to Daisy.

Daisy had barely slid it back into her pocket before Kara was there in a blur.

“Daisy!” Kara had one hand on Daisy’s back, instantly in the being’s space, concern painted on her face.

“I’m fine,” Daisy scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Kara looked at M’gann, “Thank you for calling me.”

“It’s not a problem,” She didn’t mention it’d been partially intentional. M’gann had no interest in getting her face lasered off by a pissed off Kryptonian that was halfway latched. The whole thing going on between the two of them would settle, and M’gann wasn’t going to be the one to straighten that mess out. However, she was mostly sure it was the right thing as she pulled out a business card while passing it to Daisy. “Once you’ve sobered up, Detective Sawyer, she’ll work with you.”

Chapter 22

Notes:

Sup!

Kara pulled Daisy out of the bar, not really sure how much help she needed, “I know you’re going to say you’re fine, but it’s four in the afternoon?” She was more put together than Alex had been the few times she’d been called to help her.

Daisy laughed, easy and loose, and then the door of the bar closed behind them and she rolled her neck, “I’m buzzed,” And it was like a light switch had flipped, she settled back to her usual self. “Faking being drunk is not that hard.” She held up the business card, “And I got what I needed.”

“Wait…what?” Kara actually did trip over herself slightly as she followed the very much not faintly wobbly Daisy out of the alley.

Daisy grinned, “Spy,” And she winked.

She spluttered, catching up, “Why would you fake that?!”

“Because I don’t have time to build up the interpersonal relationships needed to gain the trust of anyone even half as suspicious of me as they should be. At least considering I’m not building myself a reputation as a naive foundling or something.” Daisy swayed just enough to bump their shoulders together. “Not everyone invites strangers to sleep on their couch.”

Kara frowned, “And what is that?”

Daisy paused but then reached out caught her hand, and pulled her along. “How I’m going to fix your Lord problem.”

“My…” Her eyes widened. Kara pulled them to a stop. “He knows who I am.”

Daisy looked at her, the settled surety of her stance as she tipped her chin up slightly leaving no doubt she was confident in her words. “He’s a scared narcissist who thinks he’s a hero. But he’s not a psychopath, and he’s not a sadist. He’s a coward.”

“That doesn’t change that he could tell, everyone.” Kara was serious as she listened.

Daisy tightened her hold on Kara’s hand, “I know, but he won’t. Because you are not going to be the one he’s fighting. And keeping you in line is the only use that information has.” She gave a pointed look at the open sidewalk they were on. “Come on, I’ll explain the rest at yours.”

And, well, cities had lots of alleys, and Kara could fly. Even if Daisy yelped something about not being a damsel or that drunk at being scooped up. Kara also had super speed. So exactly eighty seconds later, most of which was getting both of them out of sight enough she could take off without someone noticing, and they were home.

Kara set Daisy down, even if she didn’t really want to. “What do you mean it only works against me?”

“It keeps you in line, it doesn’t actually do anything if he tells anyone.” Daisy sighed, “Everyone who is important knows who you are, Kara. It's an open secret. I found your identity in a day. It's not hard if you know what you’re doing. The DEO knows, Cadmus knows, Lex Luthor probably knows, and his mother definitely does. The president could ask and find out anytime she wants. Cat Grant knows. A large number of military higher-ups know. The reason Kara Danvers is not splashed across newspapers everywhere is because the public doesn’t want to know. The people in power don’t want them to know.”

Kara closed her eyes, “If people find out my family is at risk.”

“Yes, they are.” Daisy didn’t soften that.

She wanted to protest, to argue all those people couldn’t possibly know. But…most of, if not all of them probably did. So why not tell, everyone? “It hurts their cause if people know I’m Kara Danvers.” Kara swallowed as she let herself think the problem through. “And they like me being scared.”

“The power,” Daisy nodded. “There are reasons someone might use that information against you. But it won’t save him, and he won’t give up power and the ability to make you fear him when it won’t change anything.” She touched Kara’s arm. “And even if he was that stupid, I’d kill him if he tried.”

Kara knew she shouldn’t feel relieved, should be alarmed, but she was grateful. She pulled Daisy into her arms, hugging her. She pressed her face into Daisy’s shoulder. “Please don’t kill Maxwell, even if he deserves it.”

“No promises if he decides to be colossally stupid.” Daisy muttered, “But he’s not that stupid.”

She huffed in amusement before pulling back. Kara was serious though as she focused on Daisy. Her brow furrowed slightly, she hadn’t known Daisy long, but going off on an entirely new mission without mentioning it when it was so close to home… “It's not your fault Myriad surprised us.”

“I…” Daisy shook her head, running her hand through her hair, pushing it back and out of her face. “Knowing what threats are pressing is what I’m supposed to be good at.”

Kara just hugged her friend who was being lovely, and also kind of stupid, again. “I’d have been alone, for hours without you there. I don’t know if Max would have convinced the Army, maybe even me to use that horrible bomb. It mattered that you were there.”

“I’m still going to get him arrested as soon as I sleep this buzz off.” But Daisy was soft but also definitely smelled of alcohol as she physically hummed against Kara.

Kara smiled, “So, afternoon binge drinking a thing I should expect to happen again?”

“I’m not drunk!” Daisy protested, “And no, I don’t get drunk drunk, I could crack open the San Andraous fault line or something because I sneezed.”

 

Kara was checking on the enchiladas in the oven when she heard Alex’s familiar heartbeat at the door. She whooshed to the door, opening it up and hugging her sister before Alex could knock. She sighed in contentment at holding her sister. “You’re here!”

“Had to help you get ready,” Alex hugged her back with her own happy hum. As she pulled back she went very stiff. “Who’s this?”

Kara loved Alex and Daisy, but she’d admittedly been a bit nervous about them meeting. Mostly because both were a bit paranoid and not insignificantly pessimistic. And twitchy, very twitchy. But Daisy and Lucy seemed to get along, so Kara had hope this was going to go well. “So you haven’t met yet, but Alex, this is Daisy, Daisy, this is my sister, Alex.”

“Hi, heard a lot about you.” Daisy closed her laptop, standing up from the table she’d been sitting at, and walked over, holding out her hand.

Alex’s face was guarded as she held out her hand, shaking Daisy’s, “I haven’t heard anything about you?”

“New neighbor, your sister has been helping me get used to the city.” It was distinctly weird to see Daisy making herself look…smaller. The way her shoulders were soft and how she was balancing her weight.

Kara barely kept from babbling.

Alex’s hand dropped back to her side. “Of course, Kara would do that.” And yup, Alex was disapproving of that.

“Well,” Daisy flicked her attention to Kara. “I should be going, you have your party tonight. Make sure to take the enchiladas out in twenty minutes.”

“What, you don’t have to go,” Kara would have reached out but Daisy was already out of arm’s reach.

Daisy just shook her head as she slid her laptop under one arm, a faint smile on her face. “I trust you not to burn your dinner, and I have work to do. Thanks, for earlier.”

“But…” Kara sighed, she knew when nothing short of physically dragging a person back in was going to keep them there. “Please drink lots of water.”

Daisy just rolled her eyes while opening the window. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She looked over at Alex, “It was nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you too,” Alex had the funniest expression on her face. “Are you leaving out the window?”

Daisy shrugged, “I’m just down the escape.” She waved and then swung out and disappeared down said fire escape.

Kara sighed as she went over and closed the window.

“Your neighbor comes in and out of your apartment through the fire escape?” Alex said slowly like she was trying to process just how many things were wrong with that.

Kara sighed, looking at her sister, “She’s nice, and Lucy already did a background check. Daisy’s really nice and she made dinner, so give her a chance, please?”

“She made dinner?” Alex’s eyebrows were rising toward her hairline.

Kara beamed with excitement! “Yes! She’s trying to learn to cook, and she’s really good, or is now that she has a timer on her watch. Also Drew’s mom loves her and has been sharing recipes with her.”

“Huh,” Alex opened up the fridge, automatically going for the shelf that typically had beer on it only to pause. But she grabbed one her eyes staring at the inside of the fridge. “You have a full fridge? Is that…an entire shelf of leftovers?”

She nodded happily, “Yes, Daisy started buying groceries, which I said wasn’t fair, so then I started trying to get them first, but she complained about all the carrots I got.” Kara was so happy to have Alex back, to be able to explain what had changed to her. “So Daisy put a shared note app on our phones to keep track of groceries.”

Alex’s voice was slightly pitched funny, “You have a shared grocery app, with your neighbor?”

“Yes? Oh! And she always just makes triple, sometimes quadruple batches so there’s leftovers for lunches. I only order takeout once or twice a week now.” Kara grinned, “Usually when she accidentally burns something or gets caught up with work and forgets to start making food.” She grabbed the duster, if Eliza was coming over she had to make sure the house was clean. “You should have seen James’s face when I brought a packed lunch to work the first time.”

“How is James?” Alex shut the fridge door, turning and leaning on the kitchen island after popping the cap off of her beer.

Kara stopped moving as the question registered. She wasn’t sure how to explain it exactly without explaining everything that had been going on. “We’re friends again, it was weird for a while there, but with Myriad and everything, I think we’re good.”

“Friends?” Alex sounded vaguely disbelieving.

////

Daisy had considered the risks and benefits of who all was figuring out she was Quake. Myriad had kinda thrown a wrench in her expectations. Cat Grant had to suspect, Lucy knew which meant the DEO at large very easily could, and Kara’s lying ability meant Daisy wasn’t betting on the secret identity thing lasting long with Kara’s circle. But that didn’t mean she wanted it out willy nilly. On the other hand, she needed the cop to listen to her.

So she was taking a medium path. How she’d go forward would depend on the type of person the cop was. So she had the veil on underneath her mask as she waited for the detective to show up at the park, as agreed on via the short conversation on the phone they’d had earlier.

It was dark out, the street lights not lighting the area particularly well. Daisy was glad to have the excuse to avoid the family celebration happening at Kara’s. Knowing she wouldn’t belong there was very different than feeling that. And if she’d been in the building, Kara would have tried to loop her in.

Daisy clocked the woman in the leather jacket walking to the arranged bench. And sure enough, as the woman arrived, she pulled out a phone, and Daisy’s line rang. She didn’t pick up, instead jumping off of the roof she’d been sitting on and arching just enough to land with a soft thud, just behind the detective.

“What the fu-Quake.” Detective Maggie Sawyers' hand dropped to her gun holster as she spun, recognition in her eyes.

She held up her hands, “Evening Detective, I’m just here to talk.”

“You’re who called?” Sawyer was a short woman, with dark wavy hair, and suspicion radiating from her.

Daisy used slow motions to reach up and pulled the mask off. “I agreed on no murder with Supergirl, thought arrest might be a good alternative.”

“You’re serious?” She dropped her hands to her waist, chin tipped up. “Of course you are. Give me one reason I shouldn’t arrest you right now?”

Daisy raised a brow, “Arrest me for what crime?”

Sawyer blew out a long breath, before nodding to herself. “Fine, let’s say I’m willing to listen, why show me your face?”

“This isn’t my face,” Daisy grinned, the face veil had been a good choice, and Jemma Simmons wasn’t a citizen of this Earth. “It's technology, not shape-shifting if that matters to you.”

The detective twitched slightly, “That makes me feel better actually.” She gave a nod. “Ok, you know I’m not going to just arrest a person for you, right? That’s not how this works.”

“Even if I can hand you proof of them committing dozens of felonies including terrorism, murder, and an active plot to use a bomb that would kill 8% of the population of National City?” Daisy offered.

Sawyer was very still, “Shit, you’re not lying?”

“No, I’m not. So, interested?” Daisy waited, she was interested in what little she’d looked into about Detective Sawyer. Not that she’d had a lot of time for doing more than briefly running her name.

“Fine, who is even capable of something like that?” Sawyers' arms changed so that they were crossed over her chest.

Daisy would be deciding what she thought of the detective depending on how she dealt with the bullshit. “Max Lord.”

“You want me to arrest Max Lord? Even if you have evidence, no judge will sign off on a warrant for him. Not without something being utterly damning.”

“They will when the video of him trying to argue dropping a kryptonite bomb on National City is the best way to stop Myriad leaks to every news organization in the country tomorrow morning. Kryptonite is a controlled substance, a felony just to possess it, let alone enough to build a bomb out of, unless I’m wrong about that.” Daisy knew she wasn’t wrong. She pulled out a flash drive and tossed it over.

Sawyer barely managed to catch it, “Is this the video?”

“That’s the schematics of the bomb, as well as blueprints of his building. I highlighted every area you should make sure to look.” Daisy grinned, “I’m good at things beyond punching. And, the records of some missing women’s missing people reports, and them being referenced in Lord Tech documentation after their last known appearances. Figured that’d get you a search warrant once the media explodes tomorrow.”

Sawyer’s eyes narrowed, “Who knows what’s about to happen?”

“You, me, Supergirl is aware I’m taking him off the board without putting a bullet between his eyes. And the Director of a classified government agency is prepared to ensure your prosecutor offers him a plea deal that he will accept before it goes to trial. No drawn-out legal battle.”

 

Daisy sat straight up in bed, twisting to defend herself only to pause as she realized what had woken her up. She lowered her hand. “Kara?”

“I’m sorry, you were asleep and I-”

“Hey, no,” Daisy tossed her blankets off of herself and was up and heading for Kara. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” She reached Kara but didn’t reach out.

She was vibrating with something, “A pod crashed outside the city.”

Daisy frowned, what about a pod had caused this?

“Like mine! It’s Kryptonian.” Even in the dark, it was clear how Kara’s eyes were shining as she spoke.

“Oh wow, that’s, there was a person in it?” Daisy was kinda shocked Kara would leave another Kryptonian for anything.

Kara nodded with joyous disbelief on her face. “He’s alive!”

“That’s amazing,” Daisy caught Kara’s forearms before she could start waving her arms. “He’s ok?”

She shook her head, “He’s unconscious, at the DEO, they don’t know why he won’t wake up, but he’s alive!” Kara looked down, “They put him on a solar bed, but he’s alive and real. Lucy made me come home but I just…ended up here. And I’m sorry for waking you up! I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t even think of sleeping.”

“So what I’m hearing is we need to celebrate?” Daisy could see just how much energy Kara had burning under the surface. She glanced at the clock. It was only ten thirty, plenty of places were still open. “Come on, give me fifteen minutes.”

 

Daisy pulled the flask of Alderanian rum out of her purse and liberally dumped it into Kara’s drink. She winked at Kara’s confused expression, “You need to let loose, I’ve got you.”

“That’s…why do you even have that?” Kara had to lean close and half shout to be heard.

Daisy was smug about that, “Bought a bottle the other day for you, figured you deserved to cut loose, a bit.” She pressed the drink into Kara’s hand and gave her a pointed look. It was easy to ignore the loud thumping of the bass in the club. Which, Daisy hadn’t been sure a club was the right idea, up until she’d spotted Kara’s expression at realizing where they were.

Kara was actually vibrating slightly with whatever was going on in that head of hers. With a swift movement, she downed the entire drink.

Daisy’s brow shot up, but she also couldn’t help grinning. Had not pegged Kara as a club person, but it had been the only thing other than just getting the woman drunk or sparring that Daisy could think of on short notice to get Kara to burn out whatever exactly was going on in her head. “Come on, dancing.” It was admittedly nice Kara could just hear her. But Kara didn’t let herself get pulled toward the dance floor. Daisy tilted her head, “What?”

Kara opened her mouth, and then leaned in, her mouth right by her ear, “What if I hurt someone?”

Oh. Less club person, more had never done it before then. Daisy squeezed, really squeezed Kara’s wrist, hard. She met Kara’s startled expression. “Just focus on me, I won’t let you hurt anyone.” It wouldn’t be hard to keep anything from going wrong. “Ok?”

Kara bit at her lower lip, but she nodded.

“Come on,” Daisy pulled Kara onto the crush of the dance floor. She held Kara’s eyes as she pulled Kara’s hands to her shoulders. “Hands up, or on me.” No flying elbows that way, the rest was easy enough to prevent from going badly for a poor drunk sod. Touchier than Daisy would prefer, she was trying to put distance here, but Kara needed it and it wasn’t a big deal. Friends danced together.

Now if she could just convince herself of that. But deafening music with a beat she could have felt in her bones without controlling soundwaves was easily distracting. And slowly, pulling Kara out of her shell was even more distracting.

Chapter 23

Notes:

The Supergirl episodes are so full of plot that it's insane. Like go pull up the episode summaries on Wikipedia, a single episode reads like what should be a quarter to half a season. I swear the rate at which they chewed through plot without like taking two seconds to breath or allow characters to marinate in what was happening because they had eight new plot things to happen is exhausting. It's a flaw in s1, but like as they add more characters with every season it gets worse, progressively.

Kara collapsed with giggles and all floaty and warm feelings on Daisy’s bed. She let her arms flop. “It felt like flying!” Her nose wrinkled, “But smellier, all those people and just the noise! I can’t believe I hadn’t done that before.”

There was a snort, “I’m getting you water in a minute.”

She beamed at Daisy, who was next to her. “Thank you.”

“Wasn’t pegging you as a club sort, but noted.” Daisy laughed, “I don’t think I’ve been to one in ages.”

Kara closed her eyes, enjoying how loose she felt. “I’m not sure I’d like to go a lot, but it was very nice.” She sighed, everything felt right like this, next to Daisy. “We should go to the zoo on Saturday.”

“We should, should we?” Daisy had sat up, pulling off the heels she’d been wearing from the sound of things. But there was an audible smile in her voice.

Kara hummed, “It's on our list and we haven’t done anything on it yet.”

“Don’t you want to spend time with Alex? You just got her back.” Daisy was off the bed, her feet padding across the floor.

Kara propped herself up on her elbows, eyes watching Daisy. There was something at what Daisy had said that prickled at her. Maybe it was just that Daisy looked different? She was wearing a dress for the first time since Kara had met her, her make-up heavier and there was glitter on her eyelids. But that didn’t feel right. “Why would that mean I wouldn’t want to spend time with you?”

“I just meant, your sister is important. I get it if you need to cut back on being around me to catch up with her.” Daisy grabbed a water glass, filled it, and walked back over.

Kara sat up, “I can spend time with both of you.” She had a horrible feeling at the thought of losing time or just anything with either of them.

“We can do the zoo?” Daisy sat back down next to her on the bed and pressed the glass of water into her hand. “I just don’t want to get in the way of you and your sister.”

She downed the glass of water in one go just so she could set it aside without worrying about it and hug Daisy properly. Which she promptly did, sighing in contentment as she laid her head on Daisy’s shoulder, her arms wrapped around her. “They won’t even confirm that the Kryptonian is a Kryptonian.”

Daisy’s arms wrapped easily around her, one hand rubbing a circle against her back. “So they’re not sure he’s Kryptonian?”

“They can’t take samples because his skin breaks needles, and his readings are all in line for a Kryptonian, at least the ones they can take. And he was in a Kryptonian pod!” Kara tightened her hold on Daisy, “That has to mean something!”

Daisy hummed, “They probably don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

“But what else could he be?” Kara pulled back looking at Daisy trying to make her understand. “His clothing is even in Kryptonian fashion, well for pajamas, but still.”

Daisy had a sad smile on her face, she reached up cupping the side of Kara’s face. “I came to this world driving a demon’s car, that doesn’t make me a demon. But even if he isn’t Kryptonian, he is someone who knows your people, in passing at least.”

“If he is Kryptonian though he’ll need help, and I won’t be…” Kara bit back the word ‘alone’. Because she wasn’t, she had Daisy, Alex, J’onn, Winn, Lucy, Eliza, James, Cat.

Daisy pulled her forward holding her eyes. “No matter what species he is, you’ll help him. Because that’s who you are. And he might be Kryptonian but also an asshole. They’re just protecting you.” A gentle hum of vibrations passed through Kara. “And if anyone tries to keep you from him, or take control of him before he can defend himself I’ll take care of it.”

Kara laughed, “Take care of it, you always make it sound so serious.” She pulled back, “Thank you, for just being here and lovely and you. And dancing, that was fun.”

“Any time.” Daisy looked serious then, “Anytime you need me, I’m here, ok?”

She hugged Daisy again, tipping them back over onto the bed and just felt content. It was probably too much for friends, but she still asked, “Can I stay here tonight?”

Daisy hesitated, a certain tension in her frame, “If you want.”

////

Alex glared and dropped the stack of paperwork on Lucy’s desk. “There, all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed. Now are you going to tell me what you know about my sister’s neighbor or do I have to find out myself?”

“She’s former Air Force, medical discharge.” Lucy looked up, “And she’s the idiot who yeeted themself out of a window to save Kara when she got thrown out the window.” Lucy sighed, “And she knows Kara’s Supergirl.”

Alex went stiff, “She what!?”

“I already had her sign an NDA.” Lucy folded her hands on top of her desk. “You may look at her record if you want, for all the good it will do.”

Alex had so many burning questions, “She has a shared grocery app with Kara, I think she’s spending almost every evening over there.”

“She is,” Lucy sighed, “Also she’s very competitive at game night.”

Alex hated she was asking Lucy and not her sister. “Kara seems…over James?”

“Do you think either of them have talked to me about that? And we’re at work.” Lucy was avoiding.

Alex's frown deepened, “What don’t you want me to know?”

“I want you to go back to managing your sister. I’m the Director of the DEO, not Supergirl’s babysitter.” Lucy grabbed a folder and passed it over. “Until the newest Supergirl disaster starts up, go through those, I don’t want to name a Cadmus mole as Assistant Director.”

She opened up the folder, it was a series of face sheets on agents. “Fine, and how sure are you that Johnson isn’t Cadmus?”

“No, we’re not-” Lucy’s words cut out as the door opened, “Agent Smith, has something happened?”

“Ma’am…Ma’am’s,” He licked at his lips nervously fingers twitching, “Just turn on the news, any channel, just turn it on.”

Lucy was up and walking toward the door. “What’s on the news, agent?”

“Just…just you have to see.” The useless Agent Smith said.

Alex scoffed in disgust, following Lucy out of the room and straight for the large screens in the control room. Large screens pulled up to news stations. And Alex hissed as she stared at what was clearly security footage from Catco. Footage with Supergirl, Cat Grant, Max Lord, and Quake. And there Max was, saying the words ‘We kill them all’.

Lucy reached over and yanked the folder out of Alex’s hands. “How long is the footage?”

“It’s all of it, Ma’am,” Vasquez replied promptly.

Alex stepped to the panel, “How is there audio? The security cameras in Catco don’t have sound.”

“Quake,” Lucy said through her teeth. She looked at Alex, “Make sure Supergirl doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Alex would be asking her burning questions later, but first, she was finding out just how much she was going to need to punch Max for what he’d done during Myriad.

 

Alex breezed into Kara’s apartment, bagels in the bag as payment for surprising Kara just before work. “Kara!” She frowned looking around, where was Kara?

She set the bag on the counter and looked around, Kara’s bed was made. Since when did Kara leave her apartment this early? It was another thing that made her hair stand up at the wrongness. Change in Kara. Changes she was going to find the cause of.

////

Kara felt a warm fluttering of excitement and joy still from that morning as she scurried into Ms. Grant’s office. “You wanted to see me, Ms. Grant?”

“My entire media strategy has been thrown on the pyre,” Ms. Grant scoffed. “Millions of dollars, the entire brand I built for Supergirl, all gone. Gone because depressed Hot Topic Angst bucket decided to burn and salt the earth of Max Lord’s name and reputation.” Ms. Grant finally looked up at her. “Give me something to work with that’s not the ruin of my Supergirl branding, what’s your answer?”

“Wha…” Kara felt three steps behind Ms. Grant’s train of thought.

Ms. Grant stared at her like she was two inches tall. “What’s the question? Your vocation. What is it?”

“Oh, you mean what job do I want?” Kara had solid ground beneath her once more. “Um, well… I haven’t decided yet?”

Her voice was very ‘chop chop’. “Why not?”

“Well, it's only been around twelve hours.” Kara tried to laugh, “Since you asked me to choose a new position, and then half of those hours I was asleep.”

Ms. Grant removed her sunglasses. “Really? I offer you the keys to the kingdom, and you just go to sleep?”

“It was nighttime?” Admittedly Kara had only slept for about five of those hours, but she wouldn’t give up the time dancing or being curled together with Daisy for anything.

Ms. Grant gave her a look of grave disappointment. “How many hours do you think I slept last night, Kiera?” She didn’t wait for Kara to reply. “Two. Because I care about making the most of my life. I squeeze every drop out of every single day. Sleeping is for slackers.”

“Well, I did do this online quiz on my way here this morning. Where, you know, you list all your skills, And then it uses this kind of algorithm. To calculate your ideal career. And mine was marketing.”

‘Mmm.’ Ms. Grant was unimpressed.

The nervous need to babble was coming out, “And according to the Catco website, marketing ranks high in potential salary, future growth and, interestingly enough, work-life balance which...” She swallowed, “What do you think?”

“I think that is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard.” She replied dry save for a coating of disappointed disgust.

She shrunk slightly, “Oh, okay.”

“You can’t internet search a calling, Kiera.” Her hands turned up where they were resting against the countertop. “A calling is something that is within you. Do you think that Supergirl is a hero, because flying is one of her skills?” Ms. Grant arched a brow, tone no less cutting. “No. She’s a hero because she has a need. To help people, to protect the planet.” Her tone turned to command. “Look inward, and figure out what Kara Danvers needs to do with her life. I am granting you three more days, as in seventy-two hours, and whatever you do, don’t come back with the results of a Rorschach test.”

Kara couldn’t help the sick feeling in her stomach at that demand. How was she supposed to do that?

“Ms. Tessmacher!” Ms. Grant summoned.

 

Kara frowned slightly as she landed at the building that was apparently the DEO headquarters in the city. The ones she hadn’t been allowed to know about. She shook off the unhappiness. Smile on her face she headed straight for Alex, a thing that meant she could peek through the glass at the unconscious Kryptonian.

“Supergirl,” Alex looked at her in confusion and concern. “Is something wrong?”

Kara flopped her arms slightly, “I have to discover my calling.”

“Your calling?” Alex asked, one hand dropping on her hip.

She sighed in frustration, “According to the algorithm I should go into marketing. It’d be very safe, pays well, good work-life balance, I’d be good at it. It’d be a good thing! Right?”

“Oh, don’t do that.” Alex pointed at her, “You’re doing that thing where you’re too excited but it really means you’re stressed.”

Kara huffed, “I don’t do that.”

“You do,” Alex said without mercy. “Why don’t you talk to James about it? He works for Catco and he knows you.”

Kara didn’t like the idea of it, it felt…weird. “I wouldn’t want to bother him.” It sounded weak even to her.

“Crinkle,” Alex poked her between the eyebrows.

She hissed, “Crinkle.”

“Want to try that again? You were all ‘James, James, James’ a month ago. And now you’re awkward around him and don’t even want to bring him up.” Alex dropped both of her arms onto her hips.

Kara wasn’t sure how to explain, “I don’t know it’s just…after the red kryptonite and you left and it was just…me. Winn was dating Siobhan, Ms. Grant was still mad at me, and James wanted time...”

“And that means you don’t like James anymore?” Alex was kind of dubious as she looked at her.

Kara gave a slight nod. It wasn’t the whole story, but Kara didn’t know how to tell Alex all of it without it being a whole thing. At least not until Alex had gotten to know Daisy. “He’s perfectly what I should like, but then it just never worked and I just felt…pathetic. Pining after someone who didn’t want me enough to do anything about it.”

“Well, he’s an idiot for not realizing how special you are.” Alex softened, “And I guess that makes asking him for career advice awkward?”

“Very,” Kara said in a rush of relief.

There was a beeping sound from the computer console behind Alex. Alex turned, making a sound of interest as she turned off the alarm. “Why don’t you spend some time thinking about your options?”

Kara ignored that, “Is it the Kryptonian? Is he ok?”

“Different lab results, if something changes with our new guest I’ll let you know.” Alex gave her the look that said ‘you’re underfoot sis’. “You don’t have coffees to fetch, you can focus on figuring out what you want.”

She started trying to say something but then sighed, nodding her head. “Ok, yeah. You’ll call me if there’s a change with the Kryptonian?”

“We don’t know he’s a Kryptonian,” Alex was exasperated.

 

Kara set a potted violet on the counter. “Is Daisy available?” She looked at the young man in a red polo.

Fred, as his name tag declared him, blinked, “Uh, do you have a computer being repaired?”

“No, but I know her shift ends in five minutes and I thought she might be done early?” And Kara was going to go out of her skin if she kept thinking about what she wanted from Catco.

He blinked before looking over his shoulder in the direction Kara could hear Daisy’s distinctive heartbeat. “I mean sure, uh she should be out in a minute if you don’t mind waiting?”

“I can wait, that’s fine.” Kara awkwardly straightened her skirt. And looked around curiously. She’d been to an electronics store before, but it was still interesting that this was a place Daisy had wanted to work at. It was very normal, she couldn’t actually picture Daisy doing customer service. Or…actually, she could. She’d seen how fast Daisy had just been a delivery person and how fast she’d dropped it.

Kara didn’t have to wait long. She beamed as she saw Daisy walking over, a curiously amused look on her face, leather jacket pulled on over the uniform red polo. “Hi! I hope this is ok?”

“You’re fine,” Daisy’s eyes hit the potted plant on the counter. “You know you’re supposed to bring in computers, phones, electronics not plants?” The teasing in her tone was friendly, her eyes crinkled with silent laughter.

Kara still flushed slightly, she wasn’t really sure what to do with the realization that she was kind of maybe, totally, accidentally in love with her friend. Humans were weird about the gender thing. But Daisy didn’t care about that…probably? She was fine flirting with her when she was Quake? “It’s on the list!”

Daisy’s brow went up, “The list?”

“Well, you said you wanted to keep a plant alive before you got a pet. So I got you a violet. The plant lady said they’re easy to keep alive, and they’re purple. You like purple. I am now realizing I should have just given it to you at the apartment and not at work.” Kara was too used to Catco and cubicles, Daisy definitely did not have her own cubicle here.

Daisy smiled and neatly snagged the potted plant, “That’s really sweet of you, please say you asked the plant lady how often I’m supposed to water this though?” She threw a look over her shoulder as she started walking for the exit, “See you tomorrow Fred.”

“Um…was I supposed to do that? I mean you water them once a month, right?” Kara waved at Fred as she followed Daisy out of the building.

Daisy stared at the plant, “You have cacti, pretty sure they get watered less often. You can google while I drive us home.”

“I can do that,” Kara had kind of forgotten Daisy drove to work, and getting the car back to the apartment was a thing. “I think all I’ve done all day is google things.”

Daisy looked at her curiously, “What are you googling all day? Don’t you have a replacement to train or something?”

“Ms. Grant says marketing isn’t my calling and I have seventy-two hours to find my calling.” Kara really could use a hug, but Daisy was holding the plant. Also, maybe, she was being too clingy?

Daisy snorted as she handed Kara the potted plant so she could unlock the car. “I know you like her, but really?”

“Daisy,” Kara pushed her glasses up her nose. “How am I supposed to find my ‘calling’? How do humans do that?”

“Uh, a lot of them don’t.” Daisy looked at her as she slid into the car, her hand absently waving at the passenger door opening it pointedly, “Do you think I like this job because removing viruses from computers, installing program suits, and putting together custom orders is the great objective of my life?”

Kara flushed at realizing she’d forgotten to even walk over to the passenger side of the car. She didn’t drive a lot! She quickly hurried over and climbed in. “Sorry.”

“You’re fine, Ms. Superflight.” Daisy handed her the potted violets before starting up the car. “And seriously, if I had like a magical job calling of endless fulfillment or whatever it’d be like being Robin Hood or something. Instead, I ended up a paramilitary spy/assassin/soldier. Life gets weird.”

Kara relaxed against the leather seat, and everything just felt ok. She also smiled at the picture of Daisy in the Disney Robin Hood outfit. “You’d lose your hat if you were Robin Hood.”

Daisy laughed, “Probably.” She looked over at her, “So, how lost are you on the figuring out your calling thing are you?”

“Completely,” Kara admitted.

Daisy hummed, looking back out the road. “Well, sounds like we can pick up some take-out, pull out a whiteboard and start listing out your options and we can figure out what you even want from a job and which ones would make you happy.”

Kara actually slumped in pure relief. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, also I’m going to be popping out later tonight for an errand to make sure something I noticed in LutherCorp’s files isn’t a big deal. Shouldn’t be a big deal, but being proactive and all that. I’ll let you know if it’s anything to worry about. Want me to pick up ice cream on my way back?”

And it just, everything was going to be fine.

Notes:

Also, while I gripe about the Supergirl writing a lot, because it's ass, it's a complaint more for the people calling the shots than the individual writers. Feel like I should be clear about that. Cause the show churned through writers, and the general lack of just...overarching narrative, it feels like some poor writers got locked in a room with a case of Redbull, a time limit from hell, and orders on how many dramatic plot beats to be fulfilled and then changed out the writers in the room every other episode or so. It really doesn't vibe like they had a cohesive team of writers with a clear season-long outline and character archs/themes, etc. Like just production in general is sloppy. The way time passes, how it'll be day in a scene, then night, then day again but only day canonically has passed. It really feels like the whole thing got made with the team on a treadmill and no chances to breathe and double check anything they were doing.

Chapter 24

Notes:

So, mead is a lot stronger than beer. I knew that, but know it much more now. Also delicious, very delicious.

Lena Luthor would have screamed if she was a different woman. As it was she just went very rigid, “What the hell are you doing!?” Which was an asinine question to ask of an intruder in her office.

Because in her dark office was a glowing face. Sort of, if a face could be LED half-circle mouth and eyes. The city's lights meant that it only took a second for the dark shape of a woman sitting on her desk to become apparent.

“Quake.” Lena straightened her spine, fingers moving toward her panic button. “Is there a reason my lights aren’t working?”

“You have dramatic lighting in here, I couldn’t resist.” The voice changer didn’t help make her any less alarming. She flicked her hand, the lights coming on. “Your panic button isn’t going to work, I hard blocked your emergency line before I got here.”

Lena pressed the button anyway, her gun was in her desk. The desk the intruder was on. “Well, that’s unfortunate, here to threaten the new Luthor? You might as well get on with it.”

“You know, I really thought you weren’t going to be a problem,” She cocked her head, unsettlingly unmoving, and emotionless LED face still looking at her.

She walked further into the room, she was not going to be intimidated in her own fucking office, especially not by a cheap skii mask. “I don’t really care what you think so you can get out.”

“See if you weren’t about to commit genocide I’d be happy to do that,” Quake replied like it was nothing. “Do you know how much I don’t want to deal with you? I was happy ruining Lord’s life, reputation, and miserable existence as thoroughly as I can without Supergirl stopping me. And yet, here I am, this was not on my list of chores.”

Lena scoffed, crossing her arms, “Right, I’m a Luthor so I must be planning on one-upping my brother. Genocide, a completely logical assumption.”

Quake held up the alien detection proto-type. It was lit up red. “Sorry for using it, I was curious if it’d think I was human or not, I’m three-quarters human after all. But nope, it registered the non-human stuff. Impressive.”

Her jaw clenched, that prototype should have been in the safe in her office. The biometric one made out of Nth steel that not even a Super should have been able to crack. The absolute gall of the woman in front of her burned at the back of her neck like liquid fire. “Fabulous, you’ve proven I’m making a scanner. But I’m a Luthor so I must be evil.”

“That’s hilarious, you think I give a fuck about your name.” The woman clapped her hands together once. “Buddy, my dad was a serial killer and my mom tried to wipe out human life on this planet. And they’re like the least evil people I’m related to. You haven’t even hit the murdering of your own family members to stop intergalactic war crimes yet. Obviously, I’m not an idiot and was going to keep an eye on you, but your medical nano-bot research sounded cool and you weren’t pouring funding into weapons so I figured you’d be an average shitty billionaire, but my bad.” She wiggled the proto-type.

“It’s a scanner,” Lena said dryly, eyes narrowing. Some pathetic sob story was not going to make her take rabid accusations laying down.

Quake was silent, the LED face not flickering or changing in the slightest.

“What, cat got your tongue? You can leave if that was all.” Lena's skin crawled as she waved toward the balcony. She was going to have to rebuild her security from the ground up apparently.

Quake spoke slowly, “You’re serious?”

“Yes, you can take your judgment and sob story and leave.” Lena doubted it would do much but it’d make her feel better to shoot at the obnoxious woman if she could get to her fucking gun.

Quake sighed, the sound distorted, and then she tossed the prototype at Lena.

Lena barely caught the thing, sports had never been her passion. “What are you-” But her words choked off as Quake pulled her mask up and off, only the face looking back at her was her own.

“Not a shape-shifter before you ask,” Quake said in Lena’s own voice. “But you’re the tech genius, I doubt I have to explain how this is possible.” And it was galling as hell to hear her own voice being condescending back at her. The image of her face’s lips pulled up in amusement, “Too much?”

Lena’s teeth ground, “That seems a bit rude.”

“Fair,” And then the face flickered, a different face coming over. This one was of a woman in her mid-twenties, caucasian, with freckles, and copper-colored eyebrows. The tone of voice changed entirely. “You can stop bristling, just thought your face would be funny, and I was right. She hopped off the desk. “So, seriously have you never seen Jurassic Park, like any zombie movie, Space Odyssey?”

“I presume that’s not your face either?” Lena stayed where she was. Moving to the desk too quickly could give away she wanted what was in it.

The woman laughed with what was almost certainly not her voice. “Nope, but ignoring my face, you can’t seriously be stupid enough to not know what you’ve invented can you?”

“Aliens are about to have a right to be citizens of this country, but humans have a right to know who among them is one of them.” Lena replied, “Humans are allowed to defend themselves.”

Quake’s borrowed face stared at her like she was a disappointing four-year-old. “Jesus, you’re serious? Like genuinely.”

Lena hadn’t wanted to slap a person this badly in years as she bristled. “I’m a businesswoman, I make it a habit to be serious.”

“Fucking science geniuses,” Quake dropped onto the couch with an actual groan. “Not touching your xenophobia, but what do you think is going to happen when you release this shit?”

“Excuse me? Having the right to defend oneself is hardly xenophobic.” Lena would strangle the woman if she didn’t know that would go very badly for her.

Quake buried her face in her hands. “The fact you mean that is killing me. Did you not take a single ethics class…history? I’m a high school drop out and I know this shit.”

“Security will be here in less than two minutes,” Lena turned on her heel and strode for the exit of her office. She was not playing this game.

“Do you have a press release already written for when the bodies of dead children hits the five o’clock news? Or are you planning on winging it?” Quake’s voice was cold, but also unflinchingly serious from behind her.

Lena paused, looking over her shoulder at the woman. “What are you talking about? It's not going to kill children.”

“It will,” And Quake meant it. That wasn’t in question from her tone to her posture to her expression.

She looked up the ceiling and fine. Lena turned back towards the woman who didn’t have a singular right to judge her. “And how exactly is a scanner going to kill anyone?” She crossed her arms staring at the face stealing twit.

“The scanner itself? Harmless as far as I know, the science bit isn’t my wheelhouse but it is yours.” Quake’s false face raised a brow, cutting off Lena’s reply. “But you’re smarter than me, so tell me, what happens when say a grocery store makes customers use one on the way in?”

“Excuse me?” Lena’s brow pulled together slightly, “The light goes off, everyone knows the truth without lies.”

Quake’s head, “And? You’re Lex Luthor’s sister, don’t pretend you don’t know how much hate there is against aliens. What happens then? When an alien is standing in the entrance of a grocery store and everyone knows they’re different.”

“Are you suggesting a mob is going to rip some random alien apart?” Lena asked in disbelief. “That’s barbaric and ridiculous.”

“Yes, I’m saying exactly that.” Quake stared at her, “Have you seen what we do to each other? Or I guess you do to each other? Do I need to point out the Holocaust, refugee crises at borders the world over, hate crimes from the war on terror, the treatment of Native Americans, slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, police shootings, gay bashing, and on and on I could keep going or are you done pretending to be stupid when we both know you’re the smartest person in this room?” Her tone was poison.

Lena’s teeth clicked together.

“Fine, you want to play stupid, let’s do some basics, you can have homework, go fucking Google anti-alien hate crimes after I leave.” Quake held her eye. “But let’s play it out. Every store, every job. It’ll take years for the legal system to catch up with the chaos. The aliens who’ve managed to pass will find themselves out of work. Any business with a xenophobic asshole at the cash register, as a manager, the doctor’s office, the school office, etc, will refuse service. And when the more violent xenophobes are there there will be violence. Most aliens aren’t Kryptonian, and that’s not even touching people like me who are only part alien. They’ll be sitting ducks.”

Quake rose to her feet, stalking forward. “Some won’t be, they’ll be able to defend themselves. And the police will be called, the media will care about those ones, the aliens who kill humans no matter whether it's self-defense or not. And aliens aren’t perfect, turn on the news. They love an alien rampage for Supergirl to stop and can’t ignore human-caused Super incidents hard enough. Terror, a justification for xenophobia as the news plasters images of a handful of violent confrontations where humans are harmed, and the bodies will start piling up. Which won’t be the end of it.”

“I’m not responsible if people pervert my inventions,” Lena felt something sick and sinking.

Quake raised a brow, “You are when you hand the worst elements of society the best weapon imaginable because you never bothered thinking through the effects and never bothered to hire PR, Legal or Ethics anyone in a position to point that out to you that your psychopath of a brother didn’t put on staff personally.”

“It’s not a weapon!” Lena’s arms moved with the force of her words.

The woman didn’t even blink, as she came to a halt in front of her. “Information is the most valuable weapon on the planet and we both know it.”

Lena refused to show a chink of weakness no matter how powerful this person was. It burned that she was right, at least about enough to make Lena’s chest churn with discomfort. “I’m not my brother.”

“I’d have killed you already if I thought you were.” Quake said like the sky was blue. “Fix your genocide machine.”

Lena raised a brow, clicking her tongue. “Or what, you’ll kill me?”

Quake’s face rippled, the fact it was an electronic weave apparent from the way it did so, and then Lena was looking at her own face again. “Nice chat, let’s not do it again.”

Lena’s every muscle was furiously tense as she watched Quake walk out of her office and simply swing up and then disappear over the edge. She stood there for a minute before hurling the scanner against the wall so hard it shattered. Her breathing heavy she turned on her heel and strode out of her office as fast as her fashionable not practical heels would allow. She was ripping her digital security team to shreds, firing her entire ethics board, and then she was going to dry heave into a toilet until she was capable of following up on every god-forsaken point the monster in her office had just brought up. Even if she already knew in her bones what she’d find.

////

Maxwell Lord wasn’t shocked to see his office door opening, “What is it, Nancy?”

“The police, Sir.” Nancy, his latest PA announced all nervous dread.

He sighed, “Well, at least my lawyers will have someone besides myself to lecture. Show our good civil servants in then, if you would.”

Nancy didn’t have to do more than look into the hall, and in came the police, there were a lot of them.

He stood up, “I hope you have a warrant, Detective?” His eyes locked on the small woman who was certainly in charge.

She held out a piece of paper that was certainly a warrant, but instead of handing it to him, handed it to the cop next to her, “Maxwell Lord, you are under arrest.”

////

Kara flopped over the arm of the couch, her head landing on Daisy’s lap. “How do humans do this without computers telling them what is best? Earth’s algorithms are the worst.”

“By making their high school counselors consider early retirement,” Daisy said dryly while looking down at her strangely. “You do know there are pillows?”

Kara knew she had to look ridiculous, she hadn’t even thought about it. It’d just felt…automatic to be near Daisy like this. Liking someone didn’t usually make her this terrible at humaning! Was this because she couldn’t check in with Alex about this? “Is this weird?”

Daisy’s hand on her shoulder kept Kara from sitting up. “You’re fine, but um…you do know I wasn’t exactly doing happy-friendly stuff earlier, right?”

“I know,” Kara reached up, laying her hand over where Daisy’s was on her shoulder. “Did it go well?”

Daisy huffed, but the tension Kara hadn’t even noticed lessened. “It went weirdly, but I’m really good at pissing people off.” She looked away, “It's weird, I used the veil again and I just…keep using Jemma’s face. I know she wouldn’t mind, but it's weird.”

“Why are you using her face?” Kara asked curiously, looking up at Daisy.

Daisy replied easily, “Well it’s weird having serious conversations wearing the mask, and I’m not showing my actual face to anyone. And Jemma doesn’t exist on this planet. I know it’s fine, probably even the smart thing to do. But…things with Jemma were complicated and wearing her face reminds me of that.”

“You could use a different face?” Kara suggested, unsure if she should ask more about Jemma. It was one of the topics that Daisy avoided generally. The people from before.

Daisy’s hand went back to her tablet. “I might, feel like talking about your promotion?”

“It feels like it's the only thing I can think about.” Kara groaned. “Maybe editing? I’m really good at spelling but then I have a hard time making it work…so maybe not that?”

Daisy looked down at her, “Ok, what are the sort of things you were engineered to be really good at? It's not like they made you get horny at the sight of a microscope. So like what, I mean you’re def not dyslexic cause that’d be a terrible combo. So what, highly inclined to puzzles? Is that a thing you guys could do?”

“Oh, find what uses the same skills as science but isn’t science.” Kara’s eyes widened as she processed that. That would be just her version of a human calling, wouldn’t it?

Daisy’s lips just twitched up as she went back to her work, leaving Kara to think about it.

Kara stared at the ceiling, slowly turning over what exactly being born for the Science Guild meant. She was smart, her memorization skills were nearly photographic. She was curious and finding the truth was ingrained in her. The self-introspection was a bit funny, and she kind of wanted to start writing down a list of things she was supposed to be and organize it all out. But that would mean moving, and she didn’t want to move. It was a bit of a conundrum.

The quiet peaceful thinking time was interrupted by the door opening. Or, well Kara felt a faint increase in hum from Daisy a split second before the door opened.

Kara poked her head up, “Alex!”

“Kara, and friend.” Alex’s eyes were sharp as they picked up on both of them on the couch. “I thought we could do a sisters' night, but if you’re busy...”

“And that’s my cue to go.” Daisy was up and off the couch in a few seconds. “See you tomorrow Kara.” She raised a hand to Alex and waved with a casual nonchalance, “Nice seeing you again, Alex.”

Kara turned, nearly falling off the couch, “Wait, you don’t have to go!”

“It's late,” Daisy smiled at her and then ducked out the window and was gone.

Kara spluttered as she jumped to her feet, that was…rats. “Why does she keep doing that?”

“Maybe she has something to hide,” Alex muttered, setting down a bag with ice cream in it on the counter.

She turned on her heel. “Would you stop chasing her away? If you just gave her a chance you two would really get along.”

“It's hard to chase someone away who flees at the sight of your face.” Alex leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “I mean sure Lucy ran her background, but how do you know she’s not Cadmus? You can’t just let people into your life because they’re ‘nice’, Kara.”

Which was ridiculous, sure Daisy wanted them to think she was former Cadmus, but that was Quake and Alex didn’t know she was Quake. “That’s unfair! She’s trying to be nice because she knows I missed you! If you’d just try and talk to her instead of glaring she wouldn’t leave so fast.”

“You barely know her!” Alex gestured around the apartment. “How long have you known her and she just comes in and out of your window, you grocery shop together, she half lives here, that’s her jacket on the chair over there. You might be too trusting, but she isn’t.”

Kara could feel herself bristling, she wasn’t too trusting, or maybe sometimes, but not with this. “I know the important things. She’s a good person, she isn’t going to hurt me, or tell anyone anything.”

“You don’t think that’s weird?” Alex was clearly frustrated. “While you’re vulnerable, someone new just ‘happens’ to show up.”

“It's not like that.” Kara protested hotly.

Alex gave her one of those stupid condescending looks. “Random military vet just happens to move into the same apartment building as Supergirl, just happens to befriend you, burrows herself completely in your life, full access to Supergirl’s apartment, she shows up at your work, cooks your food, people don’t just ‘happen’ to do that, Kara. She has an agenda.”

“She not using me!” Kara wanted to snap that Daisy was the only reason they hadn’t had to fight each other during Myriad. That the two of them owed her everything. “Sure, she’s really bad at not finding herself things to do. And does treat everything like some kind of mission, but that doesn’t mean she’s a bad person. I just want you to give her a chance.”

Alex did not look impressed. “She’s taking advantage of you being a good person, Kara. Do you think she would have put in any effort if you weren’t Supergirl?”

“That’s not…” Kara hated how she couldn’t say that was untrue. “That’s not fair.”

“You can’t even deny it.” Alex threw her hands up. “Are you dating her, is that what this is? At least that would make sense.”

Kara just knew her face was doing something embarrassing at that. “What, no. We’re not dating, she’s my friend! She jumped out of a window to save me. I wouldn’t even still be able to have Kara Danvers if she hadn’t done that.”

“Jumping out a window after Supergirl is all reward, no risk.” Alex’s eyes narrowed further before she sighed, pressing her hand against her forehead. “Would you please just be careful and maybe stop letting her in through the window? Cut back on how much you’re seeing her?”

The idea of cutting back time with Daisy was… “No.”

“Excuse me? Kara she’s a threat, no one wants to spend that much time with a near stranger. I’m trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need you to protect me from Daisy, she’s not going to hurt me. Why can’t you just trust me?!” Kara waved her arms.

Alex’s face, one she’d mastered as a teen, clearly said ‘are you for real?’ “Because you just invited a stranger into your home and have let her find out your secret, the one that could get you, me, mom, and all of your friends killed. And you’re telling me to just take it on the goodness of your heart.”

“Why can’t you accept that maybe I know her better than whatever report you read and maybe I know enough about her to trust her? Why isn’t that an option?” Kara just wanted them to get along, dang it all. “You’re being frustrating Alex, if you would just try and get to know her, you’d see!”

Alex pulled back, “You know what, this was a mistake. If you’re going to be unreasonable I might as well not be here. I am not supporting whatever this mess is.”

“Alex!” Kara hurt as she realized her sister was going to walk out of her apartment. “Come on, why does this have to be such a big deal? Would you just wait?!”

Alex looked at her, her hand on the door handle, “Are you willing to be reasonable about your ‘totally normal’ neighbor?”

“That’s not…I’m not going to stop being friends with her just because you’re being unreasonable.” Kara begged for Alex to understand, just trust her.

“So no,” Alex opened up the door. "Good night Kara.”

Kara spun on her heel and walked toward her bed as the door closed. She faceplanted onto the soft mattress and screamed into her pillow.

Chapter 25

Notes:

Sup! I'm deep in Bridgerton, its a comfort watch.

Daisy raised a brow as Kara swooped in through the window. “This is early, not at the DEO?”

“Cat is being impossible to Tess.” Kara flopped down on the armchair that’d been delivered the day before to Daisy’s apartment. “And they didn’t want me anywhere near the Lord stuff.”

She couldn’t help a smug smile at the Lord nightmare. “I give him a week before he signs the plea deal.”

“Did you make sure the police would leak the tax evasion?” Kara asked, tired but baffled and curious looking.

Daisy raised a brow, “The shit show when they find out he blew up parts of the city right before the evening commute on Friday will be great.”

“You’re timing the information for maximum media storm?” Kara frowned, “Why not release it all at once? Why his bomb plan to stop Myriad and then tax evasion?” She straightened, eyes widening, “Oh if terrible things keep coming out, his lawyers will make him plea out instead of go to jail. You’re starting with soft balls and are going to keep ratcheting up the pressure till the lawyers make him fold. That…that’s diabolical.”

“Thanks,” Daisy gave a casual salute to her friend, who she was totally going to figure out how not to be an asshole and put boundaries up with. Just…she’d figure it out. “He’s a multi-millionaire, the law prosecuting him is not a thing I trust. But tank him in public opinion enough and he’ll take a plea deal, and the government will have some mud on its face for not prosecuting him. Win, win.”

Kara pulled off her glasses, “Why would you want the government to look bad?”

“Uh, never trust the government. Also, your president is still funding Cadmus.” Daisy picked up the glow-in-the-dark alien stress ball she’d picked up on her way back after work and tossed it at Kara. “Come on, what’s going on with you?”

Kara caught the stress ball, “I don’t know what you’re asking?”

“Huh, huh, it’s like four and you’re here.” Daisy softened, “It's cool if you don’t want to talk about it. If you want to, I’m here.” And that was not putting space, but just…it would hurt Kara to pull back first.

Kara’s stupidly blue eyes did the just warm glowy thing where she looked at Daisy like she was great. It was worse than the ‘you matter’ looks. “Maybe something that’s not everything I’m worried about? Just for a few hours?” The fact she was hesitating at the normal request was wild.

Daisy just smiled at her friend, because they were friends damn it. “So are we watching the Venture launch then? You’ve only mentioned it like a hundred times.”

“Well it’s just amazing isn’t it? Humans taking one more step towards real space flight!” Kara was just really happy about it.

She hummed, grabbing the remote and turning on the tv as pre-flight was going on. “You’re going to have to explain this to me.”

“You’ve been to space?” Kara said with something like a giggle.

Daisy shrugged, “Yeah, but my job was punching people, hacking, and spy shenanigans. The Zephyr's engines and how it flies weren’t really my job. That’s nerd herd stuff.” She gave Kara a light shove with her powers. “Nerd.”

Kara laughed with a pleased smile on her face. “Ok, what do you know about the Venture?”

“Uh… it's a spaceship? Some rich idiots bought seats on it?” Daisy could just feel how much Kara was dying slightly. It was excellent.

Kara pulled her feet up and folded them underneath her, shifting to face her fully. “Ok, so the Venture is designed for sub-orbital travel. It's revolutionary for human commercial flight abilities because-”

Daisy just relaxed into the back of the couch, listening to technical talk she was pretty sure was about 5% in Kryptonian, not English. But it was nice, listening to something Kara clearly cared about and wasn’t the job. Either of the jobs. Also, fondly staring at another person’s face and happily listening to them excited babble was not entirely platonic behavior. She wasn’t sure if she cared.

 

“Uh, Kara, I think that’s you.” Daisy pointed at the screen, “Like I don’t think that’s good.”

Kara let out a hiss, “I’m on it.” She paused halfway to the window. “Are you coming?”

Daisy shook her head, “I’d get in your way, go be awesome, I’ll make dinner.” It was slightly grating not to be able to help, but also, damn Kara’s powers were so cool. And Daisy knew when a mission wasn’t one she should be on.

////

Clark Kent watched the DEO hurrying around like busy ants. The black uniforms and the underground desert base weren’t helping with the impression. But he’d wanted to speak to the director, and Lucy wasn’t at the shiny glass and metal skyscraper base Kara had been excited to show him. Or rather, the unconscious Kryptonian she was ecstatic about. He was happy to leave his cousin happily talking with her friend Winn with the obvious crush, so he could speak to Lucy Lane though.

He realized that might have been a mistake the moment she spotted him, and her eyes were sharp with pissed-off recognition. Ah, she knew who Superman was…and was not happy about it. He kept himself steady as he came to a halt before his wife’s little sister. “Director Lane, I was hoping for a word.”

“Of course, right this way, Superman.” Her voice was tight, formal, poison.

He accepted he probably deserved the chewing out he was about to get. But if there was a Lane to find out who he was outside of Lois, he definitely preferred it was Lucy. It still was not going to be great. But he’d been Superman long enough to show nothing more than professionalism until the door of Lucy’s office shut behind them. “I didn’t want you to find out this way, Lucy.”

“Oh, you mean the file on the DEO servers? You didn’t want your sister-in-law to find out you were fucking Superman on a work server?” Lucy’s words were clipped and furious. “I was at your wedding, we have holiday meals together!”

If he was human she’d probably bite his hand off if he tried to touch her, “I’m sorry, but you have to understand how important secrecy is, for Lois’s sake more than my own.”

“Don’t you dare!” Lucy raised her finger jabbing it at his chest. “This had nothing to do with Lois, it had everything to do with you not trusting me and you still don’t. Don’t go and pretend it's not.”

Clark looked at his sister-in-law, their relationship had always been complicated. “It was my choice who I told. Right or wrong, that is my choice, Lucy.”

She closed her eyes and then gave a sharp nod. “You’re obnoxious.”

“Old fashioned charm?” He offered.

Lucy gave him a deadpan look, “Hmm, exactly, obnoxious.”

Clark smiled, the Lane sisters really were caustic when they felt like it. “Congratulations on being named Director, that’s big.”

“And why are you here to talk to me?” Lucy sighed, crossing her arms, “Let’s have it, what does Superman want from the DEO?”

“You have Kryptonite,” Clark said, Lucy wouldn’t thank him for beating around the bush.

Lucy’s face didn’t give away much, “You want us to hand it over to you, then?”

“Yes. I don’t work with the DEO for a reason.” Clark’s voice held the gravity of the situation.

She dropped her arms to her hips. “You’re not wrong to distrust the DEO, we’re linked with Cadmus. But I can’t give it to you. I barely have control right now. Talk to Quake.”

“Quake?” Clark frowned at the mention of the new and alarmingly violent woman. Not that he could blame Kara for trusting her, it’d proven smart.

Lucy’s face went grim, “She’s former Cadmus.”

His spine felt like steel, but his eyes narrowed, “She’s alien, you mean former experiment?”

“I don’t know a lot, but she was military, special ops, then her files become classified to hell and back if they’re even written down. Then she pops up claiming to be able to kill a Kryptonian, and Kara believed her. So did Non.”

Clark let that information settle, he didn’t need to be a reporter to put those pieces together. “How sure are you that she's not still working with them?”

“Kara trusts her, and she got her fingers in the DEO’s computer systems and Lord’s during Myriad.” Lucy looked at him pointedly. “And look what she’s done with it.”

And that was exactly the kind of gambit Lucy Lane would dare to make. She always was vicious when crossed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good, get Kara to introduce you, the two of them are a lot closer than the media thinks.” Lucy’s hands dropped. “Now, you Supers and planes.”

He smiled, “I believe it was a spaceship.” He was quick to keep talking before Lucy could whack him. “I have an interview with the head engineer on the Venture project tomorrow.”

“Good, keep me updated, I’ll be at the city base for the next few days to make the DEO response faster.” Lucy’s eyes were sharp as she looked at him. “This feels convenient for a problem, don’t most aircraft fail taking off or landing, not mid-air?”

Clark tilted his head, “First time out, could be sloppy.” His jaw tightened, “Or it's a trap.”

“Or it's a trap.” Lucy eyed him, “I’d help more if I could.”

He smiled and would have reached out if Lucy wouldn’t hate it. “Thank you, if you need help with the DEO, you know my number.”

“Because you’re my brother-in-law.” Lucy said dryly, “But if I want the men to respect me, I can’t have Superman come flying to the rescue.”

And that was fair, he couldn’t help the huff of amusement. “They won’t know what’s coming for them.”

“Your guilt over being an asshole enough to fix the problem between Alex and Kara?” Lucy asked.

He laughed outright, “I know better than to get in between sisters fighting. It never helps, and both sisters hate you for it.” He’d learned better trying to interfere in Lucy and Lois' fights…several times. It never went well. Had still taken him a few years to learn better.

Lucy rolled her eyes, she definitely knew what he was talking about. “Well, that’s unfortunate.”

 

Clark set his glasses neatly on his nose and stepped out of the alley where Kara was waiting for him. “What did you want out here?” He looked around the neighborhood in the fading light of the day. The text from Kara shortly after he had dinner wasn’t something he’d expected.

“Ok, so you have to promise not to tell anyone about this?” Kara bit at her lower lip anxiously.

His brow furrowed, though his smile didn’t fade, “Tell anyone about what?”

“It's a really great thing, but I need you to promise before I can show you. You can’t tell anyone, it's the only way it's safe for everyone.” It was important to Kara.

And, well, he trusted his cousin. “I promise.”

“Thank you!” Kara darted forward hugging him with crushing strength.

He hugged her back, this was good. He should have visited sooner. “Now, what is so important it requires this much secrecy?”

“Al’s Dive Bar!” Kara hooked their arms together and pulled him down the street.

Clark laughed, “A bar? All of that for a bar?”

“Yes, but it’s for people like us!” She looked at him with bubbling excitement.

Oh. That made a lot of sense actually, but it was strange to think of Kara going to a dive bar. Yet, clearly, his cousin did. “And how did you end up finding a place like that?”

“A friend showed me.” Kara’s smile was blinding. “She’s holding a table for us.”

Clark could put together Kara being secretive, a female friend, and a dive bar for aliens? He looked at his cousin. “Is that the friend I think that is?”

“Probably?” Kara hesitated, “Please be nice, she’s a good person.”

He looked at her, “She’s expecting Clark Kent?”

“She’s really good at knowing things without being told.” Kara sighed, with frustration.

Well, it wasn’t like he didn’t know Cadmus might know who he was. So he got to meet the designed and made Kryptonian killer, who seemed supremely uninterested in doing that. The entrance through the alleyway was interesting, as was the door too heavy for a human to open. He’d been to a few places like this, hunting down leads. This was the first alien-exclusive one though. It reminded him of old speakeasies from prohibition, he’d done a paper senior year on those. A paper he’d gotten an A on and had helped get him into college. It was a fond memory.

The bar inside was interesting, a mix of species, everyone seemed fairly content to stay in their own bubbles, the bartender’s eyes flicked up to them, and then she was back to her work. On second glance the tables, chairs, and booths were all sturdier than average or cheaper. The bottles on the back wall were nearly all ones he didn’t recognize at all. It wasn’t the kind of place Clark would necessarily look for, but he could see how it’d be a great type of location to find sources. He’d have to see if Metropolis had anything similar.

He wouldn’t have guessed which patron was Quake without Kara making an enthusiastic B-line for a young, and harmlessly pretty-looking woman in a purple scoop neck and jeans with a rather chunky silver necklace and matching rings who was scrolling absently on her cellphone. She looked like any college co-ed, barista, or fresh intern. One who could easily accept and return a hug Kara wasn’t paying attention to her strength for. Also, Lucy had grossly been underselling his cousin’s feelings for the woman when she said ‘trusted’. Kara was glowing as she half-pulled the bemused woman out of the booth and presented her to Clark.

“Daisy, this is my cousin, Clark, Clark this is Daisy.”

Quake or Daisy raised a brow as she held her hand out towards him, “Heard a lot about you, it's nice to meet you though.”

Clark accepted the hand and smiled, ignoring the instinct to rip his hand out of hers as every bone in his body hummed. “I believe you have me at a disadvantage, Daisy?”

“Johnson,” She let up whatever was causing the humming, as she dropped her hand back down. “I hope you two don’t mind I already ordered for you?”

Clark shook his hand out slightly at his side. He was pretty sure she’d meant that as some kind of olive branch instead of a threat. Though he wasn’t entirely sure, considering the way her face was positively fond when looking at Kara, he was fairly certain of his conclusion.

Kara bounced, excitedly sliding into the same side of the booth as Daisy’d just been on. “The sliders?”

“Like I’d ever forget to feed you.” Daisy rolled her eyes with an amused huff while automatically following after Clark’s cousin. “Also got the fry basket thing and Alderinian rum for both of you, with orange juice.”

Clark took a seat across from them, it was interesting, and not what he’d have expected from what little he knew of Quake. “Alderinian rum?”

“Your father was fond of it after making progress in his labs.” Kara happily told him.

Daisy looked at him, “Pace yourself, it’ll actually affect you.”

Clark blinked at that, “Really?”

“It makes everything all floaty!” Kara happily told him while bouncing excitedly.

Daisy’s face was soft as she looked at Kara briefly before she went back to something far less open. “So, uh want to get the interrogation out of the way now or later?”

And Clark was pretty sure he was going to like her. “Proactive of you?”

“What, no, nobody is interrogating anyone.” Kara looked between them, “You both agreed to play nice.”

Daisy looked at Kara, “He doesn’t know me, this is nice.” She looked over at him, “If you ever want to fight me, do it fast and go for the kill immediately. I can’t match your speed, but what I did to your bones? I can do to your brain, and from a distance.”

“I don’t kill,” Clark looked at her though, he’d been right, it’d been an olive branch earlier. “So, Lucy mentioned you might be amenable to some theft?”

Daisy’s head tilted curiously, “I could be convinced, but probably not a conversation for here?”

He smiled, “So, I heard something about sliders?”

“M’gann will bring them over once they’re out. I didn’t actually get here much before you. That said, I will go grab the drinks.” She slid out of the booth, heading straight from the bar.

Clark barely kept from yelping as Kara kicked him in the shins. “Ow?”

“Be nice!” Kara glared at him.

He held up his hands, lowering his voice, “I’m allowed to be suspicious of former Cadmus test experiments designed to kill us.”

“She’s my friend!” Kara was a bit too irritated to be pouting, but he got the idea.

Clark couldn’t help laughing, “I’ll be nice.”

“For real this time?” Kara checked.

He nodded, “I promise.”

“So, you two good?” Daisy was looking at them with an amused glint in her eyes as she set a whole tray down, complete with a bottle of something rather golden and glowing faintly, nacho cheese fries, and a bottle of orange juice.

Kara’s brow crinkled slightly, “Are you mixing the drinks?”

“Yup,” Daisy slid back into the booth, she bumped her and Kara’s shoulders against each other. “Peace of mind, and I’m gonna guess you’re both equally lightweights.”

“I’m not a lightweight.” Kara pouted while gleefully snagging some of the fries.

Clark was sure Lois would understand what exactly was going on with the two women across from him, but he was getting the feeling he was going to feel like an idiot at some point about it. But he smiled as he stuck some fries, with delicious cheesy goodness into his mouth. Whatever the situation was, Daisy clearly was trying to make him feel safer. And Kara trusted her. That alone went a long, long way. “Are you not drinking this rum with us?”

Daisy tapped the glass of what looked like fizzing radioactive blue waste. “I’m sturdy, I’m not your guys’ rum sturdy. Also, I’ve got a mostly human system, just enhanced. You guys have a whole other digestive system.” She neatly poured what looked to be one shot’s worth of the glowing rum into his and Kara’s empty glasses before filling the glasses the rest of the way up with the orange juice.

He reached out and picked up his glass. And well, Clark held out his glass, “To new friends and new experiences?”

Chapter 26

Notes:

Yo!

Daisy was staring in muted disbelief as she realized Clark, was cut from exactly the same cloth as Kara. He might be older and certainly had more experience and street smarts, but he was…lighter. It was funny, there was more security to him. But he was fundamentally a friendly farm kid with more idealism than sense and boundless pride in his roots. Whereas Kara was… alien. Her human life fit her like someone else’s jacket, no matter how worn in. Daisy was pretty sure Clark Kent was exactly who he was. Kara was…a mix of Kara Danvers, Supergirl, and the rare flashes of Kara Zor-El. A mix Daisy doubted even Kara entirely understood.

It was fascinating. And not like Daisy could judge. After all, she slid in and out of personas and modified versions of herself like party dresses. She knew who she was, when it came down to the line, at the heart of herself. But that was hard-won knowledge. Her attention snapped back to the drunk aliens who’d been devouring the latest plate of sliders.

“I miss chocolate-covered bacon.” Clark stared forlornly at the last slider. “Mrs. Fisher would put it on muffins back home.”

Kara made a longing sound, “Do you think we could make chocolate-covered bacon?”

“Absolutely not,” Daisy said, her nose wrinkling. She was not melting chocolate on the stove and then dipping bacon into it. She was not. “That’s some pregnancy-craving shit.”

Kara pouted, “But chocolate and bacon!”

“Salty-sweet perfection,” Clark said with the passion of a religious nutcase attempting conversion.

Daisy snorted into her cup of the fizzy blue stuff she was actually getting to be really fond of. It was def the only drink that could affect her she was drinking. Someone needed a clear head. “So how does a food-loving small town farm kid end up a bigshot reporter?”

“I grew up, and Ma wanted me to find out who I was, to go explore and understand the world. Be my own man.” He smiled with brimming nostalgia and warmth.

Kara sighed morosely, “Why can’t it be that easy for me?”

“I mean, did you just know you were going to be a reporter from day one off the farm?” Daisy asked, cause college kids changed majors all the time.

Clark rubbed at the back of his head, “I wasn’t sure, but I wanted to do what was right! Stumbled into journalism in undergrad and never looked back. Truth, Justice, and changing the world one word at a time.”

“See I just kinda clicked with computer programming as a kid.” Daisy leaned back in the booth’s seat considering her words. “It just felt right, I’d get going and it was like the world, everything terrible didn’t matter anymore. I’d forget I was hungry or sore or cold, it was just me and the numbers, ya know? And then it was all using it to help people, drag the people doing bad things out into the light of day, and then…Coulson happened and I ended up in government. Which, was wildly not where I’d have expected I was going.”

Clark looked at her, eyes slightly glassy, “Coulson?”

“Recruiter, I got into some…less than legal to access computer systems. He got me into the service instead of jail.” She wasn’t breaking her cover for Kara’s cousin. Besides, it was close enough to the truth anyway.

Clark took a long drink of his rum and orange juice, and dang, she was totally going to be responsible for getting both of the local Kryptonians wasted for the first time. She should probably get a medal, or slapped, for that. He blinked at her as he set his glass down. “I remember my first journalism professor. He just talked and…I felt it. That it was important. To speak truth to power, to hold society, government, and business accountable for their actions.”

And huh, Daisy kinda liked him. “Right? It's what makes a functioning democracy! Sure some things need to stay classified for public safety, but there’s a lot that doesn’t.”

He nodded solemnly. “You should see Lois go after people, no rock unturned.” His expression turned dreamy. “She’s like a bulldog of justice and truth.”

“Romantic,” Daisy said dryly, even if a part of her was kinda charmed by that. It kinda was romantic.

Kara groaned, her head thunking on the table. “I’m never going to find something like that that’s not science! I don’t feel right about any of the departments at Catco, I could be happy in some of them?”

“You know it doesn’t have to be more than that?” Daisy rubbed her friend’s back. “Doing your part, not being miserable, still having time and energy for what you’re actually passionate about? Like that’s a thing? I mean do you know how many hours I have spent doing horrible awful physical exercise so I can do combat? I actually enjoy that shit now. Sometimes what you end up doing that’s not great ends up being kinda important.”

Kara let out a gust of air that had condensation on the table turning noticeably frosty, “I don’t think Ms. Grant will accept that. She wants me to find my passion.”

“Yeah, she’s your boss, not your god. You can tell her to fuck off and go get a job somewhere else if she’s asking you to do something you can’t do.” Daisy swapped Kara’s rum with a glass of water.

Clark was at least sympathetic, “I could try and talk to her?”

“Thanks, but I don’t think that would help.” Kara lifted her head up looking at him. “It’s hard, I wasn’t made to make choices like this. There’s all sorts of jobs my design would be useful for but it's not…it doesn’t feel the same?”

Daisy was mostly relieved they’d hit the important conversation before either of them were too drunk to articulate their thoughts. “I still say you’d do great in finance or HR, and your cape is your passion, and finding two passion jobs to manage at once is ridiculous.”

“You’re the best,” Kara shifted so her whole body was turned to face Daisy.

The warm buzzing in Daisy’s chest was absolutely unhelpful. She really needed to extract herself from this situation, and actively. DC would probably be the most useful place for her to be, the most suited to her ability set. “Thanks?”

Kara slumped, her head falling onto Daisy’s shoulder, “I wish it was as easy as you two make it sound.”

“I get viruses off of computers and build special orders.” Daisy hummed, “And I guess I pick up some commission work off some message boards? Not everyone is all passion and saving the world a hundred percent of the time like All American over there.”

Clark nodded, not that Kara was looking at him. “You’re still just getting on your feet. It takes a while. Half the time I barely feel like I know what I’m doing.” He looked at his drink, “This is really good…do you think I can get some to bring home?”

“Ask again in the morning.” Daisy’s lips twitched as she watched the poor idiot drink more. He was going to be so hungover.

He beamed all boyish charm and Jesus, Kryptonians were just pretty. But like in a wholesome way that was kinda disconcerting. And then he finished off his drink. Hangover was going to hit him like a truck.

Daisy nudged at Kara till she wasn’t on her shoulder and pushed the water into her hands. “Drink that, please.”

“I wish Alex was talking to me,” Kara grumbled as she obediently drank her water. “She always knows what to do…or I don’t know…it just…makes sense when she figures things out.”

Daisy went very still, “Alex isn’t talking to you?” They’d had sister night like…just the other night.

Clark suddenly was refilling his own glass while stuffing food into his mouth so he couldn’t be expected to reply. Which…well that was a warning it was more than a minor fight.

“It’s stupid, she won’t trust me. She’s being ridiculous.” Kara pouted, setting the water glass down and grabbing some of the fries before Clark could finish them off.

Daisy swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry, it would be so deeply unfair to interrogate Kara about that right now. And she didn’t need to, not really. There were two options: Alex was mad because Kara had gone on a suicide mission, or Alex was mad because of either Daisy or Quake, same difference. Considering they’d seemed fine after Myriad in the brief window of exposure Daisy’d had to them meant it almost certainly wasn’t Myriad.

Kara’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Clark, “You’re getting the next round of fries.”

He nodded eagerly before half stumbling out of the booth. “Got it, fries, I can get fries.”

Daisy swallowed back her unease, fuck. She really ruined everything she touched, didn’t she? She’d known National City had felt way too comfortable way too fast. “Have you tried talking to James about Catco jobs? Or Winn?”

“Winn’s all excited and working for the DEO now and James is…awkward? It’s awkward.” Kara looked at her with stupidly blue eyes. “Did your life ever feel like one big mess?”

Daisy couldn’t help smiling faintly at that even if she knew it didn’t reach her eyes, “What makes you think my life ever hasn’t been a mess?”

 

Daisy was laughed out as she helped drag a drunkenly humming Clark Kent into Kara’s apartment before dumping him onto her couch. He was snoring in under a minute. Shaking her head, she turned to where Kara was happily leaning against the door frame. She walked over. “You going to come into the apartment?”

“Maybe.” Kara’s nod was over-exaggerated, a dopey smile on her face.

Daisy rolled her eyes and grabbed Kara’s hands and pulled her into the apartment. “Come on, let’s get you some more water and then to bed with you.”

Kara just giggled as she went with the movement, and then didn’t stop till she was half hugging, half slumped into Daisy. She nuzzled at her Daisy’s neck, “You smell nice.”

“Extra water, noted.” Daisy hugged her friend back, she was going to miss the overly snuggly alien. But she didn’t linger, just pulling Kara to the kitchen. She was apparently going to be looking at possible safe house possibilities in DC once Kara nodded off, which shouldn’t be long.

////

Kara was one part smug that she was the only Kryptonian without a hangover, and one part kinda grossed out by Ms. Grant flirting with Kal. She shook her head slightly, walking toward James. Also, she was so never letting Kal live down that he’d just covered for his identity by implying he was in a romantic triad with Lois and Superman. “Did Ms. Grant seem a little off to you?”

“She’s always like that with Clark. She goes gaga for him. She sent him a drunk text once. It was…it was florid.” His face showed exactly how weird that’d been to read.

Kara couldn’t help her expression at that, “No. Ugh. That’s gross.” She was never going to get that image out of her head.

“Hey, saw what you did on tv. Good save. People really trust you again.” He gestured at her, his face all genuine and nice. It made it very hard to ever be upset at him. Not that she should be or was upset at him.

Kara smiled slightly, “Thanks.”

“Is Clark alright? He didn’t get hurt helping you or anything? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that. I think he was clammy?” James glanced in the direction Ms. Grant had dragged off Kal.

She shook her head, “Oh that? No, he’s just hungover.”

“That is…he’s never been drunk before.” James stared at empty space like he was processing that.

She smiled, “It was amazing, we had to take his phone away after he called Lois and started singing eighties love ballads.”

“I think I’d have liked to have seen that. Do you have any more of whatever it is that can get you two drunk?” He had a glint in his eye that was familiar and full of mischief.

She grinned, “I’ll get some for you for your next boys' night or whatever you and Clark do for fun together? Do you do boys' nights?”

“Not like your game nights, but kinda.” James chuckled, “I’ll hold you to that.”

Kara startled at her phone ringing, pulling it up her brow furrowed. “It’s Alex.”

“Yeah, go ahead.” He touched her upper arm in goodbye, before heading towards his office.

Kara picked up, she really hoped Alex wasn’t calling about work, even if she knew she was. “What’s up?”

 

Kara rounded the corner after the sound of Kal’s voice where he’d escaped Ms. Grant’s clutches. “Clark!”

He winced at the volume of her voice, turning to face her. “Yeah?” And oh, he really did look miserable, complete with dark circles under his eyes, or well, dark for them. For a human just like he’d only had a few hours of sleep.

“Alex did some digging.” She strode for him, if it wasn’t so important she’d be suggesting he go sit in the sun for a while.

He clearly read the seriousness on her face. “What is it?”

“There was one passenger who had a seat booked on the Venture who mysteriously didn’t show up last minute. Lena Luthor.” She felt a gut punch of panic at the name.

Kal straightened slightly. “Lex’s sister.”

“Yup.” She agreed as they turned together walking for the exit. “But Lex can’t be involved in this. He’s in prison. Unless he’s bribed someone to hire outside actors?” Kara was suddenly wishing she’d listened to Daisy’s paranoia about Lex more.

Kal’s strides were even and long, “Well, Lex may be in jail, but his sister is now running Luthor Corp.”

“Yup, and she just moved to National City. Daisy was looking into Luthor Corp though and she didn’t mention anything about the Venture.” Kara reported while lowering her voice so only Kal would hear, “She found a lot of evidence Lex was funding and doing research and development for Cadmus though. She’s still working on it, but well Myriad happened.”

He gave a sharp nod before grimacing, “After we speak to Lena Luthor, let’s stay in the sunlight for a while.”

She patted his shoulder, “You’ll feel better by lunch.” Hopefully, Daisy really hadn’t fussed over making him drink water.

Kal gave her a faint smile, “Let’s hope.”

 

Kara was amazed at how easily Kal had gotten them straight to the top floor to speak with Ms. Luthor. It was like watching him be Superman, or Alex be an agent, Daisy on the computer or just walking into Luthor Corp, or his father in the lab. He was meant to be a reporter.

“I would hope, Ms. Luthor will be here soon?” Kal smiled at the PA, even if it was dim from the pounding headache.

The PA looked up at him, the midwestern charm wasn’t working on her. “Ms. Luthor agreed to speak with you but she’s a busy woman.”

The elevator dinged and out strode a woman who had to be Lena Luthor. “Ah, Mr. Kent, I hope you weren’t waiting long.” She was immaculately put together if one didn’t have supervision. With supervision, it was clear her make-up was covering up a lot. Considering Kara’s experience with Ms. Grant, it likely was dark circles and generally exhausted pallor. The overly intense energy screamed too many shots of expresso as the woman kept speaking. “There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for why I wasn’t aboard the Venture yesterday.”

Kara nearly tripped over herself to follow in the woman’s wake into her office, Kal doing little better. Apparently, it was going to be an interview with a sleep-deprived CEO and hungover reporter. But Ms. Luthor didn’t look evil? Her eyes weren’t cold like her brother’s.

“Well, the Venture is why we’re here,” Kal said leadingly.

Ms. Luthor continued walking to hang up her coat. “I wish I could say it was just a last-minute emergency, but some issues with some of my brother’s hires on the Ethics Board were brought to light. I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to attend the launch even if my legal team hadn’t needed my immediate attention regarding the planning for a ceremony I’m holding tomorrow.” She hung up her purse and coat, “I’m renaming my family’s company, and I had to cancel.”

“Ah, lucky.” Kal’s tone was faintly jovial, but the implication escaped none of them.

Ms. Luthor chuckled, turning to face them fully, “Lucky is Superman saving the day.” And there was something sharply intelligent in her face.

“Not something one expects a Luthor to say.” Kal continued and something about it…

Kara felt kind of useless but at the same time something was bothering her. She found herself interjecting without thinking her words through. “And Supergirl was there, too.”

And suddenly, Ms. Luthor’s attention was on her, examining. “And who are you exactly?” She had a similar air to her that Daisy got sometimes when she was deciding if the person in front of her was worth her attention.

“Um…” As Kara stumbled over her words, Lena started walking around her desk, for the seat. “I’m Kara Danvers. I’m not with the Daily Planet. I’m with Catco magazine. Sort of.”

“That’s a publication not known for its hard-hitting journalism. More like ‘high-waisted jeans, yes or no?” Ms. Luthor took her seat behind her desk naturally, but she wasn’t hostile.

Kara felt left-footed and out of place, “I’m just tagging along today.”

“Right.” Ms. Luthor’s attention turned back to Kal, “Can we just speed this interview along?” And she did sound exhausted as she said that. “Just ask me what you want to ask, Mr. Kent. Did I have anything to do with the Venture explosion?”

Kal didn’t hesitate. “Did you?”

“You wouldn’t be asking me if my last name was Smith.” She had a thread of challenge as she looked at Kal. It was clear she was a fighter.

Kal’s smile that charmed pretty much everyone just stayed on his face. “Ah, but it’s not. It’s Luthor.”

“Some steel under that Kansas wheat.” Ms. Luthor leaned back in her seat, and Kara rather thought it was steel under both of their demeanors. “It wasn’t always. I was adopted when I was four.” Her eyes flicked to Kara again and her tone was painfully similar to how Daisy sounded talking about her team as she continued to speak. “And the person who made me feel the most welcome in the family was Lex. He made me proud to be a Luthor. And then he went on his reign of terror in Metropolis.”

As Ms. Luthor shifted, looking out her window, Kara easily turned, scanning the office for anything suspicious over the edge of her glasses. It was clear, nothing that looked out of place, and Kara had a lot of experience with what should or shouldn’t be in a CEO’s office.

Ms. Luthor scoffed, “Declared war on Superman. Committed unspeakable crimes. When Superman put Lex in jail, I vowed to take back my family’s company.” She picked up a remote on her desk and clicked a button aimed at the screen mounted on the wall, a new logo appearing. “To rename it L-corp, make it a force for good.” Her eyes hit on Kara. “I’m just a woman trying to make a name for herself outside of her family. Can you understand that?”

“Yeah,” The word spilled out of Kara’s mouth automatically. Because she did, desperately.

“I know why you’re here.” She got up and walked to a neat rack of USB drives. “Because a subsidiary of my company made the part that exploded on the Venture. I’ve already taken the liberty of going over the schematics of the oscillator. It shouldn’t have exploded under the stress of flight.” She held out the data stick. “This drive contains all the information we have about the oscillator, I hope it helps you with your investigation.”

Kal looked at the drive and back to Ms. Luthor, “Thank you.”

“Give me a chance, Mr. Kent.” And tired or not, Ms. Luthor sounded sincere. “I’m here for a fresh start. Let me have one.”

Kal gave her a polite nod as he turned to leave, “Good day, Ms. Luthor.”

Kara hesitated, eyes stuck on Ms. Luthor’s face and the sincerity but what she was also fairly certain was pain on it, “Good day.” But she turned and followed after her cousin. She was pretty sure it wasn’t Ms. Luthor who’d blown up the Venture though. It just…it didn’t feel like it was her.

Chapter 27

Notes:

Yo! Is this early? Yes. But I felt like it. Also, those of you in countries that celebrate, Father's Day is this weekend, don't forget it.

Lena had been having the third worst week of her life. Considering the first was her mother dying and the second was Lex’s public turn to terrorism, that was saying something. But finding undeniable evidence that Quake had been right just days before being set up for blowing up the Venture? That alone would have done it because it meant she’d been an idiot. Feeling stupid was not a thing Lena enjoyed and hadn’t felt since she was a child. It was galling, especially when it was a smug asshole telling her.

Which wasn’t even touching on the existential horror she’d been consumed by as it’d become blatantly apparent that yes, she had built a genocide machine. Lex would be proud. That burned and twisted enough that she’d puked up everything she’d tried to eat for the last two days and felt physically shaky at the thought of it. But she’d swallowed down toast only to be confronted by the Venture blowing up. Because of course.

Lena had gone over the schematics and reports on the oscillator with a fine toothcomb between signing legal documents to have her entire board of ethics fired and replaced. Everything looked fine. If the oscillator was what had destroyed the Venture it’d been sabotage, not a design flaw. Unfortunately, as Quake had so ’politely’ pointed out, the asshole, Luthor Corp had been her brother’s for years. Which meant there were hundreds if not thousands of hires who could very well have sabotaged it.

Clark Kent, her brother’s former best friend, and viciously competent investigative reporter showing up for an interview was just a cherry on top. Considering the mountain of staffing and programs she had to go through if she wanted her brother’s influence purged from her company, the chances she’d missed something in the initial takeover of the company, were high. And if he was looking for it, and it existed, Clark Kent would find it.

So the sprinkles on top of her shit week, was that she couldn’t justify not getting into the company helicopter for the flyover. Responsibility and public performance expected of a CEO. Even if she really could be better using her time finding new legal counsel to rip Luthor Corp, soon to be L Corp, to the quick to find Lex’s influence. She forced herself to put on a brave face as she buckled herself in. “I know statistically, it's the safest way to travel, but still…”

Her stomach lurched as the helicopter began to rise from the helipad. Which is when she saw it, two sleek, military-looking drones. “What the hell?” Military drones shouldn’t just be flying around in the city. And to her eye, she could see the lines and design perfectly engineered for as much speed and maneuverability while hauling serious weapons capability as she’d seen in a drone.

She screamed grabbing onto the door of the helicopter as if that would keep her from plummeting to her death as the drones opened fire with under-wing attached machine guns.

The bullets didn’t hit, instead, two red blurs came in between her and death. Lena had never felt so relieved or understood the hero worship of the Supers before as much as she did recognizing their silhouettes floating there.

Lena turned toward her pilot, yanking the microphone attached to her headset to her mouth. “Land us right now.”

“I can’t!” The pilot was hanging onto the yok, his voice panicked through the static of the earmuffs. “The controls aren’t working!”

Lena grabbed a handle on the roof of the helicopter, panic clawing at her throat. The helicopter started to spin, slowly and Lena was starting to hyperventilate. She’d lost sight of the Supers, but the explosion outside of the helicopter got her attention. The lack of a Super flying around filled her with panic for exactly two seconds before the bullets started puncturing straight through the helicopter like it was tissue paper for a few seconds.

Lena was too scared to scream then as the pilot slumped unconscious, the burning scent of oil hit Lena’s nose, and then the helicopter swung sickeningly, swoopingly out of control. She grabbed at her seatbelt like that would help, but she couldn’t fly a helicopter!

The whole machine jolted as it came out of its tailspin of death. Lena felt like she was going to swallow her tongue as the thing was set on the landing pad, the awful sound of the door on the pilot’s side ripping open.

She was panting as she pulled the earmuffs off of her head, her wide eyes finding Supergirl’s intensely blue eyes locked on to her. “You’re safe now.” Supergirl’s voice had an authority to it that made Lena believe it enough to nod.

“What the hell was that?” Swearing or demanding things from a Super was not smart, but nearly dying had killed her verbal filter.

Supergirl’s face was uncompromisingly genuine. “Someone’s trying to kill you.”

Lena’s mouth half opened and shut as she looked through the cracked glass of the helicopter. She hadn’t been expecting… “The Venture.”

“Yes,” Supergirl snapped the seatbelt off of the pilot. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

And well…Lena swallowed. Third worst week of her life, unquestionably.

////

Cat Grant stared at the investigative reporters standing in her office. They were an assortment of promising talent and old reliable assholes she’d poached early in her career. This was a war meeting, they just didn’t know it yet. She stared at Ben Urich in disgust, “Have you never heard of a shower Benjamin?”

“It’s my day off.” The man who looked like a businessman dragged out of a dumpster replied, the smell of cigarette smoke was a cloud around him. One the other reporters were trying to avoid to varying degrees.

She stared at him, “If you didn’t have a Pulitzer to your name I’d have you frog-marched out and thrown into the bay. Alas.” Her keen eye turned to the others.

“Ms. Grant, if I may, why am I here?” Christine Everhart asked from where she was blatantly avoiding Benjamin, her nose faintly wrinkled. “I have to be on camera for the five o’clock news in two hours.”

“It’s a fair question, what is this about Ms. Grant?” Mitchell Ellison, and one of the senior editors and former investigative reporter at the Tribune asked.

Cat looked at the only person who hadn’t spoken, “Anything to add Amira, besides that hideous tan button-up that belongs in a dumpster fire? No? Good.” She laid her hands on the top of her desk looking at her employees. “Ladies, gentlemen, and Benjamin, we are at war.”

There was a moment of quiet before Everhart spoke, “Against whom? Lord?”

“Lord is done, by the time Quake is done feeding him to the press there won’t even be enough left of him to cremate.” Cat waved off, “We won’t be getting ahead of anyone on that story, the unimaginative peons can follow and turn out exactly what Quake wants them to, it's too late to control that narrative.”

Mitchell proved why he was senior editor under Snapper, “Quake, you want us to wage war against her?”

“As objectionable as her entire Hot Topic Angst Bucket of a person is, no. She and Supergirl are too tightly tied now, and soon likely Superman as well. No, we are going to find out what the war that is about to be dumped into our laps is before it blows up.”

Amira, war correspondent and talent that Cat had poached a year ago’s eyes narrowed. “Alien Amnesty.” She looked around at the other reporters, “What, the President is signing the Alien Amnesty bill next month in National City. If a conflict is imminent it’ll be about that. Or it will spark it.”

“And somebody is earning their paycheck.” Cat clapped her hands. “Listen up, something is coming, something big and I want to know what, and I want to know when. Whatever it is, Quake and Supergirl are up to their eyes in it. So, Benjamin, go find out what is going on in National City that brought Quake here. Because it wasn’t how Supergirl looks in a skirt. And remind me why I don’t order you hosed down before walking into my office.”

Everhart’s eyes had narrowed, “I’m on pivoting our public image of Quake and Supergirl then, I presume?”

“Sell Quake as an anti-hero, clearly Supergirl likes the Hot Topic Feral Cat vibe, we need to be prepared when that either happens or blows up in everyone’s faces. I did not watch Supergirl fussing over Quake’s bloody nose like the woman wasn’t an unstable timebomb to not realize the direction that is going to head.”

And Everhart was a shark, “Was she? Anything else that wasn’t on that security footage?”

“We’ll talk details later,” Cat turned to Mitchell, “I want the Tribune to coordinate with ensuring the tone is correct with our station as well as the magazine. And when Benjamin finds things, give him the resources he wants. Your editorial voice, it's getting the newbies on task.”

He gave a professional nod, “Of course Ms. Grant, are we creating a committee to coordinate the media strategy between publications then?”

“Yes, you’re in charge of it.” She turned her eyes on Amira, war correspondent and likely the best person to assign finding anything out about Daisy Johnson considering that woman was so military it hurt. “Amira, you’re off the General Lane story, you’re on Quake. Get an interview, find out what her agenda is, or find a new job. And get a new shirt, understood?”

Amira’s jaw tightened, but she gave a sharp nod. “Crystal clear, Ms. Grant.”

“Chop chop then, off you all go, Everhart stay.” She took her seat, opening up a folder, it didn’t matter, what mattered was she was done speaking to her employees and they were dismissed and they knew how little importance they held. No matter how talented. But she was the Queen of All Media, it was time to take control of the narrative.

 

Cat groaned as her new assistant fled sobbing from her office. “She cries more than Halle Berry at award shows.”

“Well, if you hate her so much, why don’t you fire her?” Kara sounded as exasperated as she ever dared with Cat. Someone was tired of putting out the fire that was Eve Tessmacher’s obnoxiously perky but emotionally weak being. Crossing her arms Kara watched as Cat walked towards her drink bar. “Normally, you’d axe an assistant the second they brought you a latte one degree off.”

“Oh, Kiera,” Cat pulled off the crystal top of her bourbon decanter. “I don’t even know what normal is anymore.”

Kara’s brow furrowed, “Ms. Grant, what’s wrong?”

And wasn’t that something, Cat was fairly certain Kara might be the person who could read her best in her life. “What isn’t wrong? I followed every one of my passions, achieved everything I’d thought I’d wanted to achieve, and thought I was at the top of my game. But one angsty millennial and I’ve been forced to realize I have built my castle on sand. A challenge I suppose.” She’d still strangle Daisy Johson with her bare hands if she could. “I know what I’m doing, the question is, Kie-ra, what the hell is wrong with you?”

Kara twitched.

“You’re young, brilliant, and you have the world at your feet. You could have your pick of remarkable people to date. Any job you wish for, and you stand there blinking like a doe in the headlights. Frozen.” Cat strode with her words toward Kara, gesturing with her hand holding her crystal tumbler.

Kara seemed to stretch with discomfort, “I’m…” She shook her head, eyes on the furniture. “Yeah, you know what? You’re right, Ms. Grant.” Kara uncrossed her arms seeming to shrink into the waffling millennial she was at times. “You are absolutely right. In some areas of my life, I feel so strong and confident, and then in every other area…career, love, I… I don’t know what to do.”

“Dive.” Cat said simply. Because it was simple.

Kara paused, her brow furrowing with confusion. “What do you mean, like…like into a lake?”

“You’re standing on the shore,” Cat circled the woman, “Afraid to dive into the new waters, and you’re afraid because you don’t want say goodbye to the mild-mannered, lovelorn Kara Danvers. The sweet and dutiful assistant to Cat Grant. You are standing there. Looking out at your options. The icy blue water, the fast-flowing river, and the choppy sea. And they all look very appealing to you. Because you’re dying to go for a swim. But you know that water is going to be cold, and the journey is going to be hard, and when you reach the other side, you will have become a new person.”

Cat could see her words hitting as Kara dropped onto the couch, her eyes doing the wide-eyed lost expression. “And you are scared to meet that new version of yourself. Now, we all get used to our own personas, and we’re used to our own comfort zones. But trust me, in order to live, we must keep daring. Keep diving.” She sat down next to Kara.

“Yeah.” Kara nodded shakily, a much needed focus peaking out. “Thank you, Ms. Grant.”

Cat took a victory drink of her bourbon, her protegee was coming back onto the path then. “You have twelve hours, thirteen minutes, and four seconds. Tick-tock.”

“Right,” Kara’s voice was slightly shaky, but the determination was there.

////

Lucy dumped her stack of potential new assistant directors on J’onn’s new desk. “Lightly mentally scan the ones I notated, and rank the ones I didn’t notate.”

“Your preferred options?” J’onn looked up at her.

She dropped her hands onto her hips. “And the ones who need to be vetted before they continue to work for this organization.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Director.” He wasn’t smiling exactly, but his eyes were.

It was good to have him still there, however. “Want to explain what the problem is with you and Clark?”

“That is…complicated,” J’onn admitted.

She crossed her arms. “Is it more than just your discovery and weaponization of kryptonite?”

“It was necessary for the survival of the DEO, we would have been wiped out by the Fort Rozz Kryptonians. And what would I have said to the President if I had done as Superman asked?” J’onn looked at her with quiet intensity. “It was the correct choice.”

Lucy was not entirely sure she agreed, but she also knew there was truth to it. “A risk, Cadmus and the DEO were even more entwined ten years ago. They have kryptonite because of that.”

“And there would be no difference between Cadmus and the DEO if I hadn’t,” J’onn replied.

She gave a nod, “Try not to pay too much attention to it for the next week or so.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” J’onn asked.

Lucy really hoped it was. “Things are changing, and talk to Alex, she’s scaring the new recruits.”

////

Daisy landed on the balcony of Lena Luthor’s office. She’d already known that the woman was here, but it was unsurprising to see her hunched over her desk typing furiously. The doors were a bit tricky to open with her powers without breaking anything considering they opened outwards, but Daisy managed it. “Sup!”

“Quake.” Lena even managed to sound dryly disapproving despite nearly jumping out of her skin at the sound of the door blowing open. “Here to threaten me again?”

Daisy snorted, “Came to offer you condolences on the near assassination attempt and to let you know the Supers and men in black know the name of the mercenary after you.” She held up the grocery store chocolate cake.

“You brought me a cake?” Lena stared at her in disbelief.

Daisy shrugged as she walked over, setting the thing on Lena’s desk. “If evil people are trying to kill you, you’re probably doing something right.” She reached up pulling off the ski mask, the veil already set to Jemma’s face.

“Are you…congratulating me on nearly being assassinated by my brother?” Lena was clearly confused as hell.

She raised a brow “I mean, basically. First time family tries to kill you is always…shitty.”

“First time…you’re not serious.” Lena’s eyes flicked to the cake. “Did you get that at Safeway?”

Daisy shrugged, “Figured you’d be more likely to eat it than if I tried to bake you one. Also, we’re not at the homemade cake stage, and like…really didn’t have time.”

“Are you trying to be nice?” Lena said slowly.

She tilted her head to the side, “I am capable of being nice. But also, a lot of people are working on keeping you alive.”

“Why tell me that?” Lena stared at her in confusion.

Daisy stepped backward, she didn’t intend to stay. “Uh, you went on about the whole Luthor thing. Figured you should know you’re not getting left as a sitting duck.” She grinned, “I’ll see you at your speech. And seriously, eat the cake, and sorry this is happening. No one deserves this shit.”

Turning, Daisy walked back towards the balcony, pulling her mask back on. Good deed of the day done, she wasn’t the CEO’s therapist…she should probably link the woman to some clean therapists in the area. Murder attempts by family really should get a person free therapy. Not that Lena needed the discount, but still.

“You…thank you? I think.” Lena said.

She glanced over her shoulder. “It’s a cake, it cost less than twenty bucks.”

“No, for not thinking the worst of me.” Lena sounded like it cost her to say that.

Daisy looked at the woman and gave a slight nod. “Eat the cake, if I wanted to hurt you I wouldn’t have bothered with it.” And she shot off of the balcony with a burst of vibrations.

 

Daisy felt a guilty twist in her chest as she realized that Kara was in her apartment. It wasn’t going to be tonight she put more distance between them. She dropped onto the fire escape before climbing through the window, pulling her mask off. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Daisy!” Kara had a distinctly guilty look on her face as she looked up from the tablet she was on while sitting on the couch. “So um…I have a terrible idea. Will you help?”

She huffed, smiling at the Kryptonian. “Terrible ideas are my specialty. What are we doing?”

“Um…if I tell you you won’t help. Will you still help me even if I don’t exactly tell you what it is?” Kara was unfairly adorable and hopeful.

Daisy raised a brow while unzipping her jacket and pulling off her gauntlets. “What do you need me to do?”

“Lena Luthor, she’s not Cadmus, right?” Kara was biting at the inside of her cheek.

She sighed, pulling her combat jacket off and dropping onto the other end of the couch. “She didn’t get out of that family without picking up some alarming blind spots and shit. But no, I don’t think she’s Cadmus. Why? I thought you were impressed by her?”

“I was, am? Do we have the records of what she’s doing in her labs?” Kara turned around the tablet. “I just keep finding lab financials.”

Daisy plucked the tablet from her hand, grateful Kara hadn’t noticed the tab of rental options in DC. That was going to be an awful conversation, necessary, but it was going to suck. “Here, I’ll show you. Want me to limit it to engineering projects since that’s your thing?”

“That would be really nice,” Kara said softly while shuffling over so she could see what Daisy was doing.

She had to force herself to stay loose as Kara dropped her head on her shoulder. Daisy should have extracted herself a week ago, at least. It was unfair. “Am I allowed to know what’s caused these bad decisions that I’m helping you out with?”

“Ms. Grant said I needed to dive.” Kara took the tablet back, swiping through the projects, making curious sounds.

Daisy was not sure what that meant. “Diving?”

“Going out and just…doing a thing because I want to, even if I’m scared of change.” Kara pressed slightly more into Daisy’s side. “But not tonight.”

Huh, that would be interesting to see where Kara was going with this. Maybe she was thinking about going the reporter route? “Sounds good.” She let herself lean back into Kara. Daisy was going to miss this. It’d have been nice if it could have lasted.

 

Chapter 28

Notes:

Am I still on a Bridgerton kick? Why yes I am.

Lena wasn’t expecting the Catco sort of reporter to chase her down like she didn’t have a singular bodyguard keeping people from getting near her. “Kara Danvers, yes?”

“You need to postpone the speech!” The blonde actually seemed sincere.

Lena kept walking, “Walk with me.” She didn’t react to the smug look Kara sent the bodyguard who was rubbing his shoulder. Huh, blondie wasn’t a pushover, interesting.

Kara easily kept up with her. “Ms. Luthor if you get up on that stage you’re vulnerable to Corben. He’s a serious threat.”

“I’m aware, why are you here?” Lena asked as they left the lobby of Luthorcorp.

The sincerity was wafting off the woman. Either Kara was the best liar Lena had met, or she meant what she was saying. “You can’t change your family’s company if you’re killed. Corben knows the Supers are trying to protect you, he’s really dangerous.”

“And how do you know that exactly?” Though it wasn’t wild someone trotting around with Clark Kent knew details.

Kara flushed, “Well, you know, working with a reporter. I know things.”

Well, that was a lie, the woman was terrible at it. Lena could ignore it, the disappointingly small crowd waiting for the announcement was hard to ignore. “My brother’s serving thirty-two consecutive life sentences. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised there isn’t a bigger turnout.”

“You’re taking an awful risk, going ahead with the renaming ceremony with your life in danger.” Kara meant it, it was genuine concern.

Lena looked at her, “I won’t have a life if I can’t make this company into something positive. All it will be remembered for is Lex’s madness.” Lena turned and walked up onto the stage. She had to be brave here or she’d never do anything of worth. And she had at least two people giving her a chance. That was something.

She came to a halt at the podium, looking out at the crowd, sadly small though it may be, and projected the perfect image she’d had been trained into since adoption. And she spoke into the microphone. This was her chance, her one chance to start redefining what it meant to be a Luthor. “I want to thank you all for coming.” Lena looked across the crowd. “My brother hurt a lot of good, innocent people. My family owes a debt, not just to Metropolis, but to everyone. I intend to pay that. By renaming my company L-corp, we will usher in a new age of cooperation and community. Together, we will chart a brighter future!”

Which is when the explosions started.

Lena spun, arms coming up as she saw the fire, screaming as chaos reigned, her bodyguards gone. It was lucky her face was no longer by the microphone as a vicious swear left her lips as she ran from the stage. She was a sitting duck and her security had been paid off. Clearly, it was money badly spent on her part.

She spun at another explosion, one hand coming up and covering her mouth as her building cracked and started to come down. The screaming increased and Lena was pretty sure she was going to die. Out of the corner of one eye, she could see Supergirl saving several people from falling debris, but it wouldn’t be enough. Not if the building came down, not if there were more explosives.

And then Supergirl was at the side of the building, holding it from falling. It was awe-inspiring.

Lena turned and nearly slammed into Quake. “You!”

“Get off the street, now!” Quake gave her a sharp nod, stupid LED mask smiling at her. She then turned and braced herself and Lena felt it in the air, the weight of the air as Quake’s hands faced the building, her voice rising. “SUPERGIRL, GO! I’VE GOT IT!”

Holy shit. Lena stumbled backward as the ground cracked indenting beneath Quake’s feet. That was…she’d worry about what that power was later. Lena turned and ran.

She avoided other panicking people and took off as fast as her heels and skirt would allow—which was not fast!—as she headed for across the square and to the nearest building to get into. It was as she came around a corner and was halfway up a few stairs on the sidewalk that she spotted the police officer. “Officer, thank god!”

The police officer raised his gun.

An auburn-haired woman grabbed him, the shot harmlessly hitting the sidewalk. She was skilled, tossing Corben’s gun aside as they grappled.

Lena should run, she knew she should run. The Supers and Quake would have the building secured in a couple of minutes at most. Any of the three of them could intervene in the fight. Could help the woman who’d just saved Lena’s life.

Lena was a Luthor.

She darted to the bushes searching desperately for where the gun had fallen. Lena grabbed it with a thrill of victory. Straightening, she looked for her savior and Corben. And felt the faintest flicker of relief as Supergirl landed on the sidewalk on the pair’s other side. A flicker that died as Corben had a gun pressed to the woman’s head.

Supers were faster than a bullet…if Lena’s math was right they weren’t fast enough to close the space before that bullet exploded the auburn woman’s head without killing both humans anyways.

Supergirl’s hand was raised, “Let her go.”

“You’re gonna let me out of here,” Corben said, tightening his grip.

Supergirl was standing there, tense but commanding. “Lex Luthor hired you to kill his sister, didn’t he?”

“Luthor still has resources and reach, even rotting in maximum security lockdown.” He replied, confirming what everyone had suspected, that it was Lex causing this. That Lena’s brother was trying to murder her. He kept speaking like he hadn’t destroyed her last shred of hope that it wasn’t that. “Now, I’m leaving. And there is nothing you can do-”

Corben made a mistake then, in how he was holding the woman who was certainly some kind of agent. Because she wasn’t in front of him. No one was in front of him, just the very bulletproof Supergirl.

Lena fired.

Supergirl was staring at her in shock. Lena felt cold as she met the alien hero’s gaze. Oh, she’d just shot a human being directly in front of a Super. So that was the end of her hope of her own chance then. She wasn’t sorry.

“Bullet went through and through.” The woman Lena had just saved in turn was applying pressure to Corben…because she was a decent person apparently. “But he needs a hospital. Nice work Supergirl.”

And the tension dropped from Supergirl’s frame. And it was relief. “I had help.” Her eyes turned back to Lena, “A lot of it.”

////

Alex looked up from her paperwork over the Luthor incident earlier. “J’onn, did you need something?”

“As I’m no longer your Director, I have a lot less for you to do these days.” He settled a chair next to her. “Which means I have time to ask, what’s going on between you and Kara?”

Her face tightened, “It’s nothing.”

“It’s left you terrifying the new agents and Kara’s sad eyes are making people uncomfortable.” He looked at her with knowing eyes.

Alex twitched, “With respect Sir, that’s not DEO business.”

“I know, but I think we’re more than just co-workers.” His face was fatherly in ways Alex hated and craved.

She looked away. “It should still be you as director. You saved the world and now you’re benched?”

“I lied, took the place of a dead man. I wouldn’t have put me back in charge either.” He smiled slightly, “And Director Lane is doing a good job. You should give her a chance.”

Alex’s jaw tensed. “She put a spy with my sister.”

“A decorated war hero who was already in your sister’s life.” J’onn sighed as he leaned forward, resting his weight on his elbows. “We left, and your sister found a woman who was a trained military agent and she befriended her. Did you consider it wasn’t Daisy targetting your sister, but the other way around?”

Alex frowned, “What, she wanted to be friends with the dangerous probably Cadmus spy that moved in?”

“I think she found someone who is remarkably similar to her special agent big sister.” J’onn held her eyes, “And I don’t think you’ll know if that new neighbor is an ally who will help protect Kara or a threat if you refuse to speak with her or your sister. And being angry your sister was lonely isn’t going to help.”

She looked away letting that soak in. “The neighbor cooks and goes grocery shopping, regularly.”

“I said similar, not identical.” J’onn had humor in his voice that faded before he spoke again. “We were gone, and some things changed. Punishing Kara for that won’t change the situation.”

Alex set her pen down, pushing away the paperwork, “You give really good advice, it's inconvenient.”

“I try,” He laid a hand on her shoulder.

She blew out a long breath, “Fine, I liked it better when you were too busy being the director for these talks.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” J’onn stood up, but he paused before leaving the room. “Lane is doing a good job at being Director, but she’s not who I’d have chosen for the job.”

Alex’s brow furrowed, her mouth opening to ask who but the look he was giving her was meaningful. “Wait…me?”

“Good luck with the paperwork,” He had a stupid affectionate gleam in his eyes, and then he left the room.

She spluttered silently, even as a warm feeling of gratitude welled. Sure she wasn’t Director, really didn’t want to be Director, but J’onn thought she could do it.

////

Kara was barely keeping from vibrating out of her skin with nerves as she walked into Ms. Grant’s office. She felt kind of like floating as she held a printed-out sheet of paper, trying not to crinkle it. “Ms. Grant! I um…I made my decision.”

“Two hours before the deadline, this better be good.” Ms. Grant looked at her, putting the cap back on her pen.

Kara’s stomach was full of nervous bubbles, “Right, uh, here.” She held out the sheet of paper to Ms. Grant. “I’m so grateful for Catco and you and just everything. And you were right, I needed to be forced to take the dive, to do something I’m really passionate about! And-”

“This is a letter of resignation,” Ms. Grant’s voice was cold.

She blinked looking at her boss, “Yes it is.” Sweet Rao, no going back from that. “I want to work in science! It’s about searching for truth and solutions to problems that are really helping people and service. I know I don’t have a degree in a scientific field, but I can still work in a lab, I can still do things! It's what I’m supposed to do, and you reminded me of that. You and Catco mean so much to me but your speech about diving made me realize I have to dive and nothing here is what I should be doing?”

“When offered any job you want, you’re deciding to quit for a field you’re not even trained for? I know I said ‘dive’ but I meant rather into the waters you can actually see. It was implied.” Ms. Grant was staring at her with a closed-off expression.

Kara could float she was so relieved, “I never would have been brave enough. But it’s what I’m meant to do! And you inspired me!”

“Kiera, a scientist?” Ms. Grant’s brows were raised.

Kara nodded eagerly, “It's what I’m meant to be! I can help so many people, the world! It's about making the world a better place and helping people. And it’s going to make me the best version of myself because it will push me out of my comfort zone. This is it for me, this is my calling and I never would have taken it without you Ms. Grant.” She beamed at her mentor.

Ms. Grant leaned back in her seat. “You surprise me, Kara, I suppose I should have come to expect that. Very few people surprise me, but you have managed more than anyone.” She looked at her, “You have the integrity to right wrongs and to see justice done. You inspire me, Kara. I can see the hero within you. Go, make me proud.”

Kara beamed, her chest fluttering with excitement. “You have a really good instinct about other people. Letting them know how to live their best lives that’s-”

“Please, I’m just glad that you are taking the plunge. I expect you to be spectacular, you are my protege after all.” Ms. Grant raised a brow at her, challenging.

 

Kara skidded to a halt as she realized it wasn’t just Daisy in her apartment. “Kal?”

“Kara, good that you’re here. We could use your help.” He was serious, his face painfully reminiscent of Jor’s.

She frowned slightly, she’d kind of had plans and things she’d wanted to say to Daisy before she lost her nerve. But also, “What with?”

“Just plotting felony theft, possibly treason,” Daisy replied glibly from where she was sitting on the kitchen counter, legs folded underneath her.

Kal choked, “That is…ok, yes that’s what we’re doing.” He looked at her with determination, “We’re stealing the DEO’s kryptonite.”

“Lane signed off on it, unofficially.” Daisy grinned, “And gonna be honest, we’ve got so much overkill between the three of us for this job it's not even funny.”

Kara blinked and then walked over, circling behind Daisy, so she could look over her shoulder at her laptop’s screen. “Are we sure we can just…steal it?”

“It’s not safe, the DEO’s compromised.” Daisy looked over her shoulder at her. “Do you trust them with it not just today, but next year? The year after?”

Kara knew her answer to that. She’d seen the DEO lose control to General Lane and had been helping with Daisy’s ever-growing web of Cadmus. “When are we doing it?”

“Probably next week, so it’s not tied to my appearance in National City.” Kal replied.

Daisy hummed, “And if I hit two of the smaller Cadmus safe houses and one of their minor labs between now and then it’ll look unconnected to you two. Especially if I hit a warehouse manufacturing parts for Cadmus the week after.” She pulled up the blueprints of the DEO desert base. “You two are going to need rock-solid alibis for as much of it as possible.”

“So we’re doing it without powers then?” Kara turned and opened the fridge and started pulling leftovers out. They’d be planning over dinner then. “We’ll have to be careful not to hurt any of the agents.”

Kal looked between them, “You’re taking this very well?”

“We broke into Luthorcorp the other week.” Kara proudly bragged, before looking at Daisy, “If we use army uniforms do you think we could just walk in?”

Daisy hummed, “I only have the one face veil, but it's not a bad idea.” She looked at Kal. “Kara can handle the getaway driving, we stick enough contouring make-up on her and if she stays in the truck no one would pick her out of a line-up. How do you feel about wearing someone else’s face?”

 

Kara leaned forward and tapped the projected blueprints on the wall, “Craig does night shift at this station, he’s really bad about falling asleep.”

“Found it!” Kal cheered from the chair he’d been squished in going through DEO delivery records. “Here, military drop-off once a month of munitions and assorted equipment. It’s almost two weeks till the next one.”

Kara beamed at her cousin, he was really good at this once he’d gotten over being confused at how prepared for this they were. “Is there a record of how many people are on the delivery?”

“Two signatures are needed at the drop-off, but I’m not seeing exact numbers,” Kal replied, frowning as he paged through shipping forms.

Daisy looked up, “What’s the date and time of the last one?”

“Oh right, you have the surveillance cameras.” Kara shook her head, “Should I be concerned at how much access you just have to the DEO? I mean if you do, someone else could too?”

Daisy gave a half-shrug, “There’s maybe four or five people on the planet capable of doing what I did. I hardwired myself a backdoor, and during Myriad I installed it as a printer in the system’s software. Also, I copied a few different login credentials. And we know the military despite access didn’t bother. So there’s a chance I’m not the only one but not a good one.”

Kal was looking at Daisy with the oddest expression on his face. “Remind me to introduce you to Lois.”

 

Kara hugged her cousin tightly. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Tomorrow,” Kal chuckled. “But I have a blog post to write to accompany the article coming out tomorrow.” His voice lowered, “Your friend is very good at crime?”

Kara probably shouldn’t be proud about someone acknowledging Daisy was good at crime, she was anyway. “She’s really good at a lot of things.”

“I can see that,” He squeezed her, before letting go. “Don’t forget you’re coming with me to L-corp tomorrow.”

She smiled, “Wouldn’t miss it!”

He waved at Daisy before turning and heading out through the door. It was funny, Kara wasn’t sure either she or Daisy used the front door much.

“So, your cousin is not what I was expecting,” Daisy remarked from where she was still seated on the counter.

Kara turned looking at her suddenly cautious. Everyone always loved Kal; were just so impressed by him. “Yeah, he’s kind of great.”

“Hmm, oh no I mean he’s less of a stick in the mud than I was expecting.” Daisy shrugged, setting her computer aside. “Good idea with the military transport by the way.” She had a genuine smile on her face, not the amused smirk or faint furrow of concentration she’d had all evening as they’d planned out stealing the kryptonite.

Kara wasn’t sure why she felt the need to push…no, she did know. She knew exactly why she needed to push. “Kal had some really good ideas too. The two of you are both old hat at all of this.”

“Uh, yeah, he’s not as uptight about the law as I was expecting. And heists are fun.” Daisy looked at her curiously. “What?”

She knew she was practically buzzing because Daisy wasn’t ‘ooing’ or ‘ahhing’ over her cousin. “It's just, everyone always likes him more.” Kara bit at her lip, “And I get it, he’s amazing and this hero and knows what he’s doing-”

“Yeah, he’s fine, but if I was stuck with him as my Kryptonian it’d have been so boring. I wouldn’t have stuck around. I mean, no offense, but he’s like…way too midwestern.” Daisy set her laptop aside, sliding off of the counter for the first time, her feet nearly silent as they hit the ground. And the look she had on her face was just…kind, slightly amused, but kind. “Want to tell me what’s actually going on? Because you’ve been buzzing since you got back to the apartment.”

Kara didn’t care if she was being silly. But she felt like glowing at Daisy calling her ‘her Kryptonian’. It was still nerve-wracking, but maybe not scary to start talking. “You know how Ms. Grant told me to dive? Well it wasn’t just at work.”

“Ok, you do know you don’t have to do anything just because Cat Grant wants you to do it, right?” Daisy’s hip was slightly cocked as she looked at Kara, eyebrow raised.

Kara was jittery as she smiled. “I know, but she was right, especially about my personal life this time. I’ve just been hesitating because change scares me, even when I want that change. Does that make any sense?”

“Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.” Daisy softened in understanding.

She nodded, “And change is good! I know that! Becoming Supergirl, Alex and I working together with the DEO, taking the leap and applying to Catco, so many things that are amazing in my life are because of change! And you’ve been so much change!”

“Kara-” Daisy started.

“You’ve been nothing but the best!” Kara kept on, she needed to get it out. “And Rao I’m not good at this.” She reached out, catching Daisy’s face between her hands, stepping straight into Daisy’s space. Kara hesitated, but Daisy wasn’t pulling back, only her eyes widening, so Kara leaned forward and kissed her.

Notes:

See you next week. Like to think a nice cliffhanger is good for the soul occasionally. =D

Chapter 29

Notes:

Is this hours early? Yes, but I'm quite sore from a six hour tattoo session and felt like it.

Daisy had realized what was going to happen before Kara pressed their mouths together. It was a thing she wasn’t blind enough not to have known might be coming. But her disquiet on the subject faded at the sensation of Kara. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat, and then she couldn’t help it, she kissed back.

It was funny to notice, but Kara smelled nice. Her skin was smooth and she was solid and eager. So very keen in how she pressed into Daisy like Daisy was special. Daisy couldn’t help how she melted into Kara as Kara pressed into her. One of Daisy’s hands landed on Kara’s hip, the other on Kara’s bicep. It was a terrible idea, but Daisy couldn’t think of anything except for Kara.

She’d known better than to want this, but fuck she wanted it. Daisy chased after Kara’s mouth, kissing her again when she started to pull away. A desperate, buzzing need burned through her. She wasn’t ready to lose this. For common sense to come back. Not when Kara’s too warm everything was just there, Kara’s fingers curled against the back of her neck, the feel of Kara smiling against her for those last precious few seconds of being against each other.

Daisy’s eyes opened, and it felt like a gut punch, the just delighted smile on Kara’s face. Kara was smiling wide enough for her teeth to show, eyes crinkled excitedly.

“That was ok? It was good?” Kara should have been the one with vibration powers from how she was just vibrating with delight.

Daisy couldn’t say ‘no’ to her, she couldn’t lie even if she knew that she really should. “Yeah, that was good.” She was smiling without meaning to.

“So, good as in we can do that again? And maybe that zoo trip this coming weekend could be a date?” Kara asked, nervous but still smiling brightly.

It was devastatingly sweet in its bravery. But this was such a bad idea, the risks beyond just a messy breakup were alarming with Kara. For fucks sake she mated for life. That was… “Isn’t that risky? Like with just-”

“Why would it be risky?” Kara’s brow furrowed. “You’re you. You’d be safe, my enemies aren’t going to be able to hurt you.”

Daisy swallowed, oh. Well, if that was the only concern, yeah, that wasn’t much of a risk. It made sense really. Daisy knew she was attractive, and she was sturdy enough that physically it would be as safe as it was going to get with someone who wasn’t Kryptonian, Kara trusted her, and yeah, it's not like Daisy was some human who’d be a liability. That was all obvious, worrying about the risk of mating was stupid. Of course, Kara wasn’t stupid enough to risk that. Really, she was kind of exactly the sort of person that was kind of perfect for a non-serious relationship of some kind for Kara.

“Unless that’s not something you want?” Kara pulled further back slightly, the just excited joy fading. It so clearly hurt her to have put herself out there and for Daisy not to be on the same page.

With a pang Daisy realized it didn’t matter how stupid, or how much of a bad idea a thing was; if Kara wanted something from her, she’d give anything. It was pathetic, and the fact was Daisy wanted more than what Kara was offering. If Daisy was a better person she’d be softening the ‘no’ to Kara right now. It was the smart choice, the decent choice.

Daisy closed the distance Kara had put between them, pausing only when they were only a finger’s width apart. She could feel Kara’s breath against her face. “You’re sure?”

“Yes,” Kara shakily breathed out.

And Daisy was only inhuman, she kissed her friend.

////

Agent Carter Hall stood at attention before the Director’s desk. “Reporting in, Ma’am.”

“Agent Hall, an impressive record.” Director Lane shut his personnel file. “You’ve been with the DEO for five years now, eight successful alien apprehensions, you’ve only lost one agent on one of your teams, excellent service record with the Navy. Tell me, why the DEO?”

Carter considered the Director, he chose honesty. “Honestly ma’am, my wife worked here and the Navy medically discharged me. There’s not a lot of good options for career military men like me.” He gave the faintest slight shrug with one shoulder. “And I had alien posters as a kid. Figured meeting little green men could be fun.”

“And you plan to remain with the DEO for how long, Agent Hall?” Director Lane’s expression was set, an unfortunate side-effect to the military sorts like them, they could do a blank evaluating expression all day and all night if need be.

He had quite a few questions for the Director and was really hoping he wasn’t about to get assigned to go run one of their bases in a different state. Kendra would not be happy about the transfer paperwork if they were going to have to move. Still, she’d asked a question. “The DEO has government retirement benefits and the Mrs. would kill me if I tried to stay at home a day before I was old enough I was forced to retire, Ma’am.”

“Then I suppose you’ll have good news for her.” Director Lane reached into her desk and pulled out a truly intimidating stack of legal paperwork. He didn’t even have to look at them to know what they were, he might not have superpowers, but he could sense dry as dirt legal bureaucracy nightmare fuel from a mile out. It had a smell, the dry paper and ink scent of bullshit.

It was futile, but he tried nonetheless. “Paperwork delivery I’m overqualified for, Ma’am?”

She didn’t even validate that with an answer. “Congratulations, Assistant Director.”

He actually went still out of shock at that. “Assistant Director, Ma’am?”

“You’re not one of J’onn’s pet agents, you’re not Cadmus, you’re qualified, and you’re competent. Congratulations. I expect the paperwork filled out before you go home, your assistant will brief you on your new duties and backlog of paperwork after you leave this office, Assistant Director.”

Ah, it was a trap. He really hated that he was going to accept the promotion. “Backlog?”

“It's significant, I’m sure you’ll prove as professional and competent as you have in your previous position.” Her eyes said ‘or else’.

The things he did for Kendra, at least with an office job that conversation about kids was a thing they could revisit. He’d work up to being excited about that after he could feel his hand again from the amount of paperwork he was about to fill out. “I’ll do my best, Ma’am.”

////

Lena was choosing today to be a good day. She was put together, had slept, ate, the new assistant had gotten her her correct coffee order, the sun was shining, she was very much alive, and no police or Supers seemed the least bit concerned about the man she’d shot. So all in all a highly successful status considering the last two days. Just breathing and not being in jail were accomplishments after all. The article Clark Kent had written for the Daily Planet was a cherry on top. It was complimentary, positively glowing for the man in regard to L-corp’s possible future.

She set the paper back down on her desk. “Thank you, Mr. Kent. This is exactly the kind of press my company needs after yesterday’s attack.” Her lips curled, beating her brother always was satisfying. “And thank you for including the part about me shooting the guy. That’ll teach Lex to mess with me.” Lena crossed her arms as she came to a halt in front of the man. “He’ll be the laughing stock of Cell Block X.” People knowing that he’d failed would be worse for Lex than the actual failure. It was a vindictively sweet thought.

Clark chuckled, his tone that warm all midwestern sound that no doubt most women considered charming. Hells, she wouldn’t have touched the man with a ten-foot pole romantically for a dozen reasons just off the top of her head, and she still found it a pleasing sound. “Well, that’s not exactly why I wrote it. I wrote it because it’s the truth.” The sincerity was unmistakable and warm. “I was wrong about you, Ms. Luthor. I’m sorry.”

Lena felt a thrum of pleasure at that. It was probably one of the most genuinely kind compliments she’d been given. Ever. “Well, if I can make a believer out of Clark Kent, there’s hope yet.” She changed her focus to Kara, Clark’s equally sincere and charming if far prettier shadow before she went and did something horribly embarrassing like showing exactly how much the show of faith meant to her. “What about you, Ms. Danvers? I didn’t see your name on the byline.”

“Right, um, well, like I said I’m not a reporter.” Kara seemed to puff up slightly with nerves. “Actually, could I speak with you after you and Clark are done?” Which was an interesting reminder that whoever Kara Danvers was, she was close with a reporter like Clark Kent personally more than professionally.

Lena arched a brow, but for a woman willing to take an awful lot of risk to try and keep her from putting herself at risk, and a personal contact with one of the best investigative reporters in the country, well a conversation was more than a concession she was willing to give. “Of course, I have a few minutes I can spare this morning.”

Clark was looking at Kara, confusion on his face. “Do you want me to stay?” He sounded uncertain. It was odd.

“I’ll be fine,” Kara’s smile at Clark was dazzling and blindingly positive.

Clark looked at Lena, a smile on his face. “In that case, thank you for your time, Ms. Luthor.” Christ his teeth were white, like toothpaste commercial white. Man would make a killing as a model if his reporter career hadn’t worked out.

“If you keep writing articles like that about me, I’ll always have time for you, Mr. Kent,” Lena replied in parting.

The man just huffed in amusement, nodding as he turned on his heel and left her office with one last flickering look toward Kara.

Lena looked at the blonde woman who was not great at hiding the fact she was nervous. Not about anything bad, she was far too cheery for that. “What was it you wanted to speak about, Ms. Danvers?”

“Oh right,” Kara reached into her purse, pulled out a neatly printed-out two sheets of stapled paper, and handed it over. “I think you’re trying to make the world better and I want to help.”

She didn’t blink, but that wasn’t what she was expecting. Still, she accepted what was the woman’s resume. Lena couldn’t help how high her brow rose as she saw how long Kara Danvers had been Cat Grant’s personal assistant. Good Lord, if she’d known that she’d have tried to poach her the first time she walked into her office. “You’re applying to be an executive assistant?”

“Um, no.” Kara bit at her lip. “I don’t have any earth qualifications for it, and really it’d be unethical to work on anything involving aeronautics or fusion, but I am actually qualified to help with your hydro projects or the desalinization project.”

Lena had so many questions, “How do you even know about the desalination project? We haven’t announced that, also-”

“I’m an alien,” Kara cut her off with.

Lena’s teeth clicked shut.

This meant Kara just kept talking, and as she kept talking Lena’s eyebrows kept moving upwards. “And sorry about looking into the projects you have in development, but I was so sure you were doing good, but if I hadn’t double-checked, my sister would have tried to ground me. Which is ridiculous, I’m an adult. But I was what you’d call an Aerospace Engineer on my planet, much more advanced than Earth’s standard in the field. My thesis was on the effects of solar currents and black matter on the material our space-faring ships were made from. But then I was on Earth, and thirteen-year-olds shouldn’t already have doctorates in science a few hundred years ahead of Earth science. So the Danvers, my adoptive family, made sure I didn’t get into anything I was too advanced in like math or science. And I liked working for Catco and being useful. But it's not my purpose!”

“Purpose?” Lena’s voice was weak.

Kara just nodded, “My species are designed genetically for the role we’re needed in. My genetic traits and code were built to make me an ideal scientist. From the day I hatched my education and method of being raised were pre-determined to ensure I became the most useful member of our society. To be useful to the whole was the highest honor and purpose for my species. I was doing calculus before most humans begin their formal education. It has been difficult to not live up to what I was made to be, and then I met you and you understand the alien thing and are trying to change the world. So I realized this was my one chance really, I promise to do my best to help you change the world for the better!”

That was…so much. “I’m sorry, what…species are you?” It was that or ask about development stages and how in the world she was capable of calculus at four.

Kara’s whole face flushed, “I don’t think I can tell you that. My sister would never forgive me, is that ok?”

“That’s, you’re an alien, you want a job in L-corp labs. Am I getting that right?” Lena hadn’t felt this off-kilter and stupid since last speaking with Quake.

Kara nodded eagerly, “Yes! And I’m really sorry for not telling you about my species, but I’m not the only one, and if I’m wrong, which I don’t think I am, but if I am, they'd be in danger. But I’ll answer anything about my species I can without putting anyone else at risk.”

“You would have to prove you’re capable of what you’re saying you’re trained for?” Lena said slowly, her mind racing. She didn’t know what was happening. But she did know sending Kara off without evaluating her wouldn’t help her understand. And buying time sounded like the intelligent thing to do.

Kara’s face lit up, “I’m great at tests!”

The woman was definitely an alien. Even Lena didn’t like tests. Sure, satisfied by finishing them perfectly and proving herself, but like? Lena eyed the woman. “Tomorrow, I’ll have something to assess your capabilities for you.”

“I won’t disappoint you, Ms. Luthor!” Kara said with more positivity than Lena typically witnessed in a solid year…collectively.

Lena had no idea how she was going to assess an alien education. But apparently, she was going to have to figure something out.

////

Kara was fit to burst as she landed on the balcony of her apartment. She beamed as she spotted Daisy, who was cleaning out a gun on the counter. Kara bit at her lower lip as she zipped to the other side of the counter. “I got a job!”

“You…didn’t you have a job?” Daisy set the gun parts down. “Like you decided what promotion you wanted?”

She flushed, “So I might have forgotten to mention it with everything happening yesterday, but I quit at Catco?”

“You quit?! I thought you loved Catco?” Daisy’s eyes widened as she stared at Kara.

Kara had known not telling Daisy was going to risk Daisy being upset. “I do! I did, but it’s not my calling and I see Kal and Alex and everyone doing what makes them who they are. I’m a scientist, it's who I am, what I should be doing. So I resigned from Catco and I put in my resume at L-corp.”

“L-corp?” Daisy was very still, her words slow. “Kara, you don’t have human qualifications to work in a lab.”

Kara didn’t want Daisy to be mad at her. She probably should have thought of that before she didn’t tell her ahead of time. “But I do have Kryptonian qualifications.”

“Kara, please tell me you did not tell Lena Luthor that you are Kryptonian?” Daisy’s words weren’t angry, but they were tense.

She shook her head. “I told her I was an alien, that I was qualified. She’s letting me take a skill assessment tomorrow since I don’t have any physical qualifications.”

Daisy’s eyes closed, she stood there for a few terribly long seconds before giving a sharp nod, her eyes opening as she looked at her again, but she had a faint hint of humor in her tone. “You realize that’s an insane risk to take right?”

“Ms. Luthor is a good person, and what she’s doing is important. I want to be a part of it.” Kara needed her to understand.

Daisy sighed, “Well, are we doing anything to celebrate when you destroy whatever assessment you’re taking tomorrow?”

“Celebrate? You’re not mad? I thought you were going to be mad?” Kara had been prepared with a defense about the whole thing. Sure she hadn’t started with that, but she still had one. It was more breaking down what she’d already said, but still.

Daisy reached out across the counter and laid her hand over Kara’s, her touch warm. “You’re taking a risk, a large one. But high risk, high reward.” She squeezed gently. “So, ice cream? Or we could hit one of those yogurt places with all the toppings?”

Kara leaned right over the counter and kissed Daisy square on the mouth, even if she was smiling too much to do much more. She dropped back with a happy hum. “You’re the best.”

“Yeah, I’m still making a blackmail file on Lena in case she even considers using your species against you.” Daisy grumbled, but she had a sweet quirk to her mouth.

She probably shouldn’t feel warm and fuzzy about Daisy being prepared to blackmail her boss; it made her feel really warm and fuzzy. “Thank you.”

“So, if you’re doing science does this mean I can hit you up to make more dendrotoxin rounds for me? Cause I have a feeling I’m going to need a lot more tranq rounds than I brought in the trunk of the car.” Daisy was definitely amused.

Kara nodded, “I could see if there’s anything at the fortress that would let me replicate it for you.” She paused as she realized none of the ammo cartridge things? on the counter had the distinctive blue glow of dendrotoxin. “Um…why are all of those real bullets?”

“Because for the Kryptonite theft to be blamed on me, not you or your cousin, I need to clear out a couple of minor Cadmus labs and bases.” Daisy held her eyes.

Kara’s mouth felt tacky, “When?”

“Tomorrow morning for the first one,” Daisy replied without hesitation.

It hadn’t…Kara leaned against the kitchen island that was between them. “You don’t have to, we could find another way.”

“Kara, I’m an agent. This isn’t new to me, it's not hard, the only deaths I’ve lost sleep over are the ones I failed to prevent and the ones I caused under Hive. I’d be doing this without you. Just because I don’t have a team and an organization doesn’t change who or what I am.”

“I know, I just don’t want you to feel you have to.” Kara worried about that, how much Daisy just did to help.

Daisy grinned, “Hunting psychotically evil rogue military and science factions is never a problem.” She tipped her head, “So, how do you feel about Indian for dinner? I didn’t cook, and you can tell me the rest of what you’re planning for L-corp.”

“Sounds fantastic, as long as we order extra naan this time.” Kara wasn’t even touching Daisy and just everything felt right and good. Exactly how things should be.

Daisy scoffed in good humor, “Of course, we’re getting extra naan, you ate all of it before I got any last week. But you’re ordering, I need to finish up prepping my gear.”

“Do you want vindaloo?” Kara asked, pulling out her phone.

 

Kara sighed happily as she snuggled further into Daisy’s side, empty take-out containers on the coffee table, Daisy snorting every time a musical number started up on the movie they had on. She almost groaned when her cell phone buzzed on the table. “Phewy.”

“Could be a Supergirl thing,” Daisy nudged her gently.

She sighed, really hoping it wasn’t a Supergirl thing, even if people hadn’t been flinching away from her since Myriad. There’d been so many car wrecks and a lady in labor in a grocery store parking lot to get to the hospital. She blinked as she saw the text. “Oh.”

“What is it?” Daisy’s focus was suddenly entirely on her.

Kara could totally do this if she kept telling herself that hopefully, it’d be true. “Alex wants to do a sister’s night tomorrow.”

“I’ll give you final rites after yogurt before I make myself scarce.” Daisy teased, but then her hand was on Kara’s shoulder. “Your sister loves you, probably going to yell at you a bit though.”

Kara winced, “More than just a bit.” She leaned into Daisy’s touch. “Any advice on how to get yelled at?”

“Uh, good luck?” Daisy shrugged.

Well, that was helpful. But she knew Alex, once she had it out of her system they’d be ok. Hopefully. “If I die I bequeath my take-out menus to you.”

“I’m touched,” Daisy said with a snort.

And well, things were pretty great; Kara grinned, “You should be, it took months to find all of those menus.”

Notes:

Should probably mention I genuinely liked tests as a kid but constantly had to hear how that was 'weird/alien'. So I know how Lena was thinking can come across iffy, but its how a lot of people think so like...idk, I always identified with Kara's not quite fitting in and thus faking it but still saying the wrong thing. And I didn't want to take that away just cause sometimes people don't mean or realize they're being shitty.

Chapter 30

Notes:

I'm leaving to go vanish into the mountains for a week as vacation, so updating before we drive off into the wilds. The amount of excitement at the prospect of nothing but nature cannot be overstated.

Daisy plugged a USB drive into the lab computer. She flipped the keyboard up and grinned, had to love human stupidity. She nabbed the post-it note with the computer’s password scribbled on it. Her fingers quickly entered it, and then she was into the small supply pass-through facility’s systems. Her expression was not nice as she started dumping files onto the USB. She’d go over it later.

Vibrations told her there were only six people in the building, none of them were on this floor. She had ten minutes minimum before anyone found out she was here. If they were as shitty at internal security as she was beginning to think, she had two or three times that. It’d been too long since she’d done a proper mission. Also, Cadmus’s firewalls were impressive. They were useless when she was sitting in one of their offices, using the log-in credentials of a dipshit who’d written them down, and plenty of time to root around inside of them.

At some point, Daisy was going to stop being surprised by how easy to exploit digital systems were when you were in the building. Sure, teenage her had known it abstractly, even taken advantage of it occasionally, but her ability to be a digital terror had been magnified by her ability to physically get to people’s servers. And Cadmus counted way too much on nobody knowing about their existence. Firewalls and encryption, top-notch. Physical security, absolute ass.

She made a low sound of victory as she found what she’d been looking for, the shipping manifests. That was pure, intelligence gold. She dumped it onto the USB, time to start erasing any logs of her having been in the system at all. After all, better for them never to know she’d been in, than to take advantage of her access to give them a bad week. She’d fuck up their systems later.

 

Daisy neatly set the C4 charge, she’d raided their own equipment locker for it. She felt the vibrations of the first idiot to actually come near her. Again, the security in this facility was ass. She had her gun out and aimed at the door before he came through.

He hit the ground, dead before he’d even registered her existence.

She sighed, the sound of the gunfire would have alerted the others. It was fine, she’d already gotten what she wanted. She stuck the fuse into the charge and turned to head out. Time to hunt the idiots manning this station. She wasn’t risking any survivors if she just blew it up. Explosions were great and highly effective, but organizations like Cadmus were fucking cockroaches, she wasn’t risking survivors unless she wanted to leave survivors. And she didn’t want any survivors yet. Fear Tactics 101. Time to be their boogieman.

 

Daisy sipped at her latte while scrolling through her new files. Time to map out the physical locations of Cadmus, and pick out some appealing small Cadmus targets. “Don’t you have a job on the other side of the country to get to?”

“I talked with Kara, I’m going to be staying for a few weeks. Not full-time but a few days a week.” Clark replied, setting down his black coffee. “Lois wouldn’t be too happy if I was away too much.”

She arched a brow, “Huh, well Mr. Reporter, if I handed you proof of the fact Kara was drugged during her little ‘reign of terror’, think you could frame it safely?”

“I understand you’re pressuring Lord’s lawyers to force him into a plea deal. But you’re making us vulnerable.” He looked at her seriously, sure he was right.

Daisy rolled her eyes, “I’m making you human, you were already vulnerable.”

“Our enemies will know how to attack us.” He argued.

She clicked a couple of her silver rings against each other. “Your enemies already know how to attack you. And it will kill you if the public turns on you.”

“That’s your professional opinion?” He challenged.

Daisy stared at him, he was classically handsome, morally solid, dependable, and idealistic, but she wasn’t sure she trusted him. “It is.”

He held her gaze, “If I say ‘no’, you’ll find another reporter to do it, won’t you?”

“Yup,” Daisy could talk about how it wasn’t just Kara and Clark at risk if the public turned against aliens, it was everyone else. And once the president signed alien amnesty next month, the issue was going to politically explode. People were going to die, a lot of them. She’d seen a version of it on her earth, she wasn’t going to sit back and watch it happen here. The alien threat didn’t feel real to civilians here, yet. It was about to. That fear could be largely channeled against their enemies, or against a minority population. Daisy knew which direction she wanted it to go. But it would sound like a whole lot of pessimistic conjecture.

“Alright, I’ll write it, this time.” Clark reluctantly agreed, it clearly didn’t sit well with him. He changed the topic, apparently, he wanted their coffee meeting to end up in an argument about as much as she did. So not at all. “Did your raid this morning go well?”

Daisy nodded, “Disturbingly to plan. Haven’t gone through much of the intel yet, but I got the shipping manifests.”

“When are you going to hit another location?” He was a good man, but it wasn’t lost on Daisy he was fine with her handling these raids but would never forget she’d been willing to do it. And it counted against her to some degree. He’d appreciate she was getting her hands dirty for them, but he’d judge her for it.

It rankled a bit, not that it was unusual or whatever. Honestly, Kara’s concern about it was what was unusual. And Daisy had no doubt if she called Kara in for help, she’d do it. Daisy would never take advantage of that. “Tonight if I find a good target this afternoon while going over the files. I need a lab, the list of medical personnel would be helpful. Also a better idea of what some of their projects actually are.”

“If you need me to fly you to a location, call.” He said, and he meant it.

Daisy knew he meant it, he’d offer back-end support without question, and if she needed it, she’d ask him. Because he wouldn’t be a risk of following her in, Kara was. And surgical strikes were not something either of the Supers needed to be a part of, especially because they just weren’t built for it. Or rather, didn’t want to be, which mattered a whole hell of a lot more than whether they could be broken into it. “Noted.”

////

Kara found the assessment problems Ms. Luthor had given her therapeutic. She hadn’t been allowed to actually solve problems since she was a child. It’d felt like coming home. Some of the math had been…she wasn’t entirely sure how to do with human symbols and formulas and had had to use Kryptonian ones, translated into Daxam standard, and then neatly summarized in the margins. But it’d been fun!

She beamed, hands slightly sweaty as she watched Ms. Luthor looking over the tests. But she’d done good, she could tell. Ms. Luthor was paying too much attention to it all for it to have been bad. Kara might be rusty, but she was doing what she was meant to do!

It took a while, but Ms. Luthor finally looked up, “You’re serious, about working for me, aren’t you?”

“Very,” Kara nodded quickly.

She leaned back in her seat behind her desk. “Alright, the water filtration project. We’re attempting to create affordable, portable, easy-to-use filtration devices to remove pollutants from water. If you want to work for L-corp, that’s what I would hire you for.”

“I promise not to disappoint you,” She said firmly.

Ms. Luthor arched a single eyebrow, “Alright then, I’ll have Jess get you the appropriate paperwork. Before that, is there anything I need to know about your…species? Accommodations you might need, that kind of thing.”

“I…” Kara winced, she needed an excuse for Supergirl disappearances. “I’m…my friend, kind of girlfriend? we’re figuring it out, but she describes it as I’m a bit of a plant? About four or so times a day I need to slip out, but I promise you’ll barely notice.”

Ms. Luthor looked confused for a split second, “You used your coffee and lunch runs for it while working for Catco?”

“Ms. Grant needed a lot of errands run, and I require the bathroom less than humans so it wasn’t too difficult for people to think that’s where I was.” Her cheeks flushed slightly at that.

Ms. Luthor gave a slight tip of her head, “Well, as long as your work is done, I don’t see why that will be a problem.”

“I won’t let you down, Ms. Luthor.” Kara couldn’t wait to actually be in a lab again!

The woman hit the button for her secretary, before standing up. “Then I believe you have some paperwork to fill out, Ms. Danvers.” She held out her hand. “Welcome to L-corp.”

“Thank you for this opportunity,” Kara had to keep in mind not to squeeze too hard as she shook her new boss’s hand.

////

Maggie Sawyer slumped against the alien bar. "When you gave Quake my cell number you cursed me."

"Do you wish I hadn't?" M'gann asked while setting a sandwich down in front of her and a soda.

She did enjoy days she could swing by Al’s for lunch. It was a good way to judge the mood in the community. However, M'gann knowing everything could be frustrating. "Let me be miserable in peace, it's the biggest clusterfuck of nightmare fuel-inducing possible in a case. The list of crimes he didn't do is shorter than what he did do."

"And the public is braying for his blood," M'gann finished summarizing for her.

Maggie grunted in agreement. "It’d help if a certain asshole would stop leaking his crimes on a sick countdown schedule to work the public into a frothing rage."

"Well, can't say the woman isn't effective at what she does." M'gann hesitated, "Be careful working with her. She won't hesitate, but she's…"

Maggie popped the cap off her coke, "Principled?"

M'gann nodded, her face troubled. Which was concerning. The woman wouldn't say more, it was a miracle she’d said as much as she had. M'gann was protective of her clients. For her to warn Maggie, something in Quake’s head had spooked her. But not in a way M'gann saw as alarmingly dangerous.

Which wasn't that a mess. Almost as big of a one as the shit show would be when someone leaked the experiments on humans that had killed five women they could prove so far. Or worse, dying cancer children's parents being blackmailed to cause those terrorist attacks late last year. And Maggie knew that Quake wouldn't even have to do it personally. Lord was in isolation with two full-time guards at all times to keep cops from killing him.

M'gann stiffened, her eyes widening, clearly having seen that. "So he really was the next Lex Luthor?"

"Yeah, I don't know how Supergirl didn't punt him off his building months ago." Maggie wasn't sure she wouldn't have if she'd been in the alien's shoes. And she had some real questions about why the fuck the DEO hadn’t apprehended the monster months ago. He committed actual domestic terrorism and they knew about it and they hadn’t touched him. It made her want to chew glass.

M’gann raised a brow, “Darla isn’t working tonight if you want something stronger than coke after your shift.”

“I might take you up on that.” Maggie had been avoiding Darla pretty successfully since their break up. And, with the hours she’d been clocking with the Lord situation, her current girlfriend was definitely preparing to dump her and Maggie didn’t even know if she wanted or could stop it.

M’gann’s expression was just disappointed. “You’re the second most dysfunctional one in here when it comes to their relationships.”

“There’s someone worse than me?” Maggie chuckled, it was self-deprecating, but oddly comforting she wasn’t the biggest disaster. She frowned, “I’m better than Brian, aren’t I? M’gann? Tell me I’m better than Brian.”

////

Daisy was pretty sure she’d never just held a person’s hand. The whole vibe of the afternoon didn’t quite feel real. The whole sunny warm day, walking through a park while holding hands. It was sickeningly sweet. She also…kinda never wanted it to stop. It just felt nice. Nice in a way that was for normal people. “Is there a reason we met in the park instead of the yogurt shop?”

“Because you need more sunlight,” Kara happily chirped. “And it’s beautiful out here.”

Daisy considered that, as she tried not to be thinking about the feeling of Kara’s hand in her own. “I should have figured you for a nature person. Actually, is that just a thing for your people? Cause I don’t think I’ve met one of you who isn’t a bit of a tree hugger.”

Kara seemed sad for a moment, “We didn’t have green, or animals, or plants. The seas and air were poison. It’d been like that for generations. We killed our planet slowly, for centuries. It still had its beauty, but Earth is…beautiful in a way my home wasn’t.”

“So, you’re going to be doing a lot of green tech development for Luthor?” Daisy smiled because, of course, that’s what Kara Danvers wanted to do when she wasn’t being a superhero.

Kara flushed at the teasing tone, but she was clearly happy. “My first project is to help with water filtration.”

“Like for rivers, the ocean, drinking water?” Daisy asked as they walked towards the very neon looking yogurt place.

She lit up at the topic, “The current prototype’s goal is for drinking water. The project lead wants to find a way to build an attachment that can be put on a sink or hose, that kind of thing. I can’t wait to see the progress they’ve made and the direction they’re taking!”

“How do you think they should be doing it then?” Daisy asked as she opened up the door to the yogurt place, not that she was going to understand basically anything Kara was about to say.

 

Daisy had added, possibly, too many sprinkles to her frozen yogurt. Was fun though. She sighed looking at Kara. “So, anxiety attack going to happen before, during or after talking to your sister?”

“All of the above?” Kara winced, “We don’t fight for this long usually. And normally we give in or compromise. But she’s going to have whole new things to be angry at me for and the old ones.”

She stabbed her spoon into her yogurt. “I’m not really a good person to ask about that.” Seriously, look at the dysfunction and lack of a relationship between her and Kora? Daisy kicked lightly at Kara’s foot under the table. “But, planning on ripping the bandaid off so to say or dragging it out and dropping new information on her a little at a time?”

Kara’s lips twitched upwards, “It’s Alex, so rip it off.”

“Well, you know where to find me if it goes badly.” Daisy winced, she really was the worst one for the situation. Also the cause of most of it.

////

Kara nervously fidgeted as she waited for Alex to arrive. Rip the bandaid off. She could do that. She could totally do that not waffle or hesitate…or worry about Daisy dealing with another Cadmus mission without her. That wasn’t a helpful thought, she poked at the Chinese take-out and plates. She was overcompensating…it still didn’t feel like enough.

The door opening saved her from panicking.

“Alex!” Kara zipped over snagging the six-pack of beer out of Alex’s hand and opening the door.

“I missed you too,” Alex’s face softened the second her eyes hit Kara’s face.

Kara felt kind of like crying. She lunged forward hugging Alex, and everything just felt right. “I’ve missed you so much, I don’t like fighting with you.”

“Yeah I don’t like fighting with you either,” Alex grumbled, but she so clearly meant it. “I need a beer if we’re going to get all weepy.”

She shoved a beer into Alex’s hands, “I quit Catco and got a job at L-corp.”

Ripping the bandaid off quickly might not have been the best option. Alex had physically choked on air and looked a bit like a goldfish.

“Please don’t be mad?” Kara tacked on.

Alex made a slightly wounded sound of horror while pinching the bridge of her nose. “As a secretary?”

Kara winced, “Um…”

“Kara, tell me you got a job as a secretary or something that won’t attract notice,” Alex said.

She forced a smile onto her face, “I got a job in the labs. I’m actually working on a water filtration system starting tomorrow!”

“As a secretary?” Alex’s voice said she knew that wasn’t what she was about to hear.

Kara made eyes as big as possible, “As a scientist.”

“You don’t have a degree for that, or experience. Why would L-corp hire you in their labs to work on a project like that?” Alex sounded pained.

Bandaid right off. “I told Ms. Luthor I was an alien so she’d give me an assessment since I don’t have an Earth degree.” Kara saw the growing emotional explosion coming and kept talking, “But don’t worry! I didn’t tell her I was a Kryptonian! I told her I was kind of a plant? Daisy teases me that I’m like a plant, and I do need sunlight and water and it’s a good excuse for Super disappearances. So I just said it. But it went really well and science is my calling!”

“Kara, start at the beginning.” Alex held out her beer to Kara.

Kara flipped the lid off before passing it back and started back at Cat’s insistence she find her purpose, that she dive into what she was meant to do, and went from there.

 

Kara had only pouted a little a little, no matter what Alex might say—about Alex eating all of the potstickers. “Are you ok?”

“I’m great. Just absolutely perfect.” Alex took a swig of her fourth beer, the sarcasm thick in her face. “You have anything else to add?

And well…there was the whole Daisy thing.

“Oh god, what else did you manage to do? It’s been less than four days!” Alex straightened up in her seat.

Kara felt her cheeks flush. “I didn’t lie when you asked me last time, but um…Daisy’s a really good kisser?” She wasn’t sure why she pitched her voice up like it was a question.

Alex spluttered before groaning, her eyes closed. “That’s everything?”

“Um… it's not bad. But we’re technically going to steal the Kryptonite from the DEO?” Kara straightened, “But we have Lucy’s permission to do it! So it’s not really stealing.”

Alex grabbed another bottle of beer. “Who is we?”

“It’s Kal’s idea,” Kal could survive Alex’s wrath, probably. “And I asked Quake if she’d help. She’s having fun planning it, she’s very good at it.”

Alex hummed, “Of course she is.”

“Yup!” Kara was going to just pretend Alex wasn’t being sarcastic. Optimism.

Notes:

Slightly confused why y'all seem to think Lena is going to figure out Quake is Daisy or that Kara is Supergirl. Like Kara's disguise unambiguously works. The weakness of Kara's disguise is when people are around both sides of her repeatedly. Lena's been in the same area as Supergirl twice, incredibly briefly and without any real interaction. A weakness in disguise Daisy 100% would be aware of. Not to mention with the proven face changing its not like Lena would even be able to be sure if she saw Daisy's face on Quake and then later on Daisy.

But like why would the idea Supergirl is the sparkly alien scientist of unending optimism and naivety cross Lena's mind? Even if Kara uses her powers like, short of using multiples of them to their full potential why would that equal Kryptonian to Lena? Like maybe laser vision + blond + freeze breath could do it. But like short of that maybe kryptonite poisoning? There's thousands of alien species and hundreds with powers that overlap with Kryptonians. And Supergirl getting a job as a lab minion to a Luthor would be a very out there idea to Lena. Not even in a Lena is missing the obvious way, just in a it's not obvious way. It was kinda ridiculous Lena didn't figure it out in the show because Lena was close enough to Supergirl and Kara she probably should have been noticing they use the same shampoo.

Chapter 31

Notes:

Cabin has internet and I feel like it. =P

Alex felt like she’d been hit by a truck. She groaned, mouthing slightly at the couch cushion under her head. There was no sudden crashing remembrance of why she’d gotten drunk, the miserable acceptance that she’d not spoken to Kara for four days! and now a Luthor knew Kara was an alien, Kara worked for said Luthor now, Kara was dating a dangerous feral cat of walking red flags, and also planning grand theft against the DEO. It was…so much. She kind of wished she was still drunk. At least then she wouldn’t have to figure out how to protect Kara.

She cracked her eyes open and saw the glass of water and aspirin on the coffee table. Her head was pounding, and her mouth tasted like ass…dry, tacky ass. Sitting up made her stomach swoop with discomfort, but it wasn’t an unfamiliar misery. She easily threw back the painkillers and downed the glass of water. Squeezing her eyes shut she let herself wake up a bit more. She could smell coffee and waffles and also hear Kara moving around in the kitchen. “There better be enough coffee left over there.”

“Fresh pot,” A very much not Kara’s voice, replied.

Alex twisted, and regretted it, as her hand grabbed the back of the couch to hold herself upright. “Daisy.”

“That is my name,” The woman raised a brow, from where she was leaning against the counter in the kitchen. “Your sister asked me to keep an eye on you before she left for work.”

Alex was too hungover to deal with that. “Of course she did.” She got up and walked into the kitchen and poured herself coffee. Also, she very much didn’t startle at the offered out bottle of her flavored creamer. She did glare.

“Kara talks about you, a lot.” Daisy shrugged.

There was a deep well of suspicion as she took the bottle and dumped some into her coffee. Coffee first, interrogate the girlfriend second. Alex really wanted to close her eyes and just cease to exist while drinking her coffee, unfortunately, she was not taking her eyes off the other woman. Even if apparently she’d been unconscious around her for god knows how long. She would mention to Kara that leaving someone to be watched by someone they don’t trust was rude.

Daisy ignored this, turning and going back to…making pancakes. And wasn’t that galling, the woman just casually comfortable cooking in Kara’s apartment? Not that Alex didn’t already know that was a thing. But still.

“Don’t you have work or something to get to?” Alex finally asked, while refilling her coffee mug.

Daisy flipped the pancakes while replying, casual as anything. “Tomorrow I do, not today. I only work three to four days a week.”

“Just spying on my sister the rest of the time.” It rankled Alex that Kara would trust a woman being paid to spy on her.

Daisy shrugged, “It's hard to avoid being befriended by Kara when she decides she wants to be friends.”

“More than friends,” Alex replied, taking a long drink from her mug.

Daisy actually reacted to that, her face did something complicated before she brushed some of her brown hair behind one ear. “She’s hard not to like.”

“The classified, incredibly suspicious spy moving in next door to my sister just happens to be a lesbian?” Alex couldn’t keep her disbelief out of her voice.

“Bi actually, if you want to nitpick.” Daisy turned the stove off, pulling the pancakes off and stacking them on a plate. “And yeah, Kara trusting me is…wild.”

Alex actually paused at that. “You agree you’re suspicious as hell?”

“I mean obviously?” Daisy huffed, her lips twitching. “We both know people like me don’t just fall out of trees. There’s a couple thousand people trained as highly as people like me on the planet at any time. If you limit that to just women it’s in the hundreds.”

Alex straightened, “You’re admitting that you only came here because Kara is Supergirl?”

“I mean…eh?” Daisy picked up a mug off the counter, cradling it with both hands. “I ended up in National City by complete chance. Got in the car and drove. Might as well have thrown a dart at a map. Was considering staying here because I like the weather. Reaching out to Kara specifically, sure, I did that because she’s Supergirl.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, “Why?”

“That’s private.” Daisy didn’t flinch under her glare. “I had some questions, got my answers, and then Kara insisted we were friends.” Her lips twitched, “And super speed, super helpful when painting an apartment.”

The desire to murder the woman and hide the body was real. Kara would never forgive her, but god just getting rid of the threat was appealing, even if she wouldn’t do it. “And what, I should just accept that?”

“I mean, no? But also it's not like there’s anything that’ll make you trust me. You wouldn’t be a decent agent if there was.” Daisy shrugged while setting the plate of pancakes down in front of Alex.

Well, that was irritating and true. Also, fuck, those were chocolate chip pancakes. “Kara told you my favorite pancake type?”

“You have chocolate-flavored creamer, and there’s an untouched carton of fudge ice cream in the freezer. It wasn’t hard to guess.” Daisy set her mug in the sink before pausing. “For what it’s worth, I want to protect her too.”

Alex scoffed, “You encouraged her to quit her job, tell a Luthor what she is, and then get a job at L-corp.”

“I didn’t actually,” Daisy frowned. “But this means a lot to Kara, it is making her happy, it matters. I can’t and even if I could, I wouldn’t stop her. But I may have a program monitoring any mention of her name, alien, her department or project running on L-corp’s internal servers.” The woman had a faint grin. “I’m an excellent hacker, and I can be real dangerous if it turns out Lena isn’t who Kara thinks she is.”

And huh, that was…something. “Willing to share that information?”

“Sure,” Daisy hesitated, “Look, I’ll stay out of your way. And I know my opinion isn’t one you care about, but I’m happy you and Kara are talking again. You’re the most important person in her life, she’s missed you.”

Well, that was unfortunate, if the circumstances were different Alex would probably have liked the woman. At least if she wasn’t lying. Why a spy?! You could never trust what they said. “Not liking you, it's not personal.”

“Thanks? I think?” Daisy huffed before waving, “I’m gonna head out, see ya around Agent Danvers.”

Alex groaned as the window shut behind her sister’s apparent girlfriend. She needed more coffee…and she was eating those pancakes even if there was a risk of them being poisoned. And then she was going to have to talk to J’onn. Maybe he could read Daisy’s mind and just tell Alex what the woman was hiding. Because she was hiding something. Probably multiple somethings…urgh.

////

Kara zipped into the control center of the city DEO base. “Winn!”

He was startled, but his smile was bright as he realized it was her. “Kara! How’d you manage to get away this time of day?”

“Lunch break at my new job is earlier.” Kara beamed.

Winn jumped up out of his seat, “You finally picked what to do at Catco?”

“Um…about that-”

 

Kara poked at Winn, “So you’re liking working for the DEO?”

“It’s actually challenging! I get to do computer programming in alien languages.” Winn was glowing with happiness. He poked at her, “So, science for you?”

She nodded happily, finally someone beside Daisy who was just happy for her. “It just feels right, and important.”

“I understand that,” He raised up his fist for a fist bump, “To new horizons?”

“Yes!” Kara gleefully tapped her own fist against his.

Winn perked up, “So Lucy told me to look for feel-good stuff for you to handle outside of car wrecks and everything. Good PR coming into alien amnesty and everything, and I think I found something.”

“What’d you find?” Kara asked, and it felt like old times, back in the empty office at Catco, heads bent together listening to the police scanner.

Winn pulled up an article on his computer, “I think you should bring the bodies down from Mt Everest.” He looked at her, biting his lip, “What do you think? Too dark?”

“What bodies?” Kara frowned as she looked over Winn’s shoulder.

He pulled up a few different articles. “Because of the cold, and the air being too thin that high up, when people die on the mountain, they can’t retrieve the bodies. So they just leave the bodies up on the side of the mountain, frozen, identifiable by the colors of their clothing. Some of them get used as landmarks. I was thinking about it, and you can fly that high, the cold doesn’t bother you, and you’re strong enough you could just, bring them home. To their families.”

Kara laid a hand on his shoulder, “It’s an idea, how do I do it right? That’s not something that I can risk messing up on.”

“Well, we’d need to contact the Tibetan government. They’d need to coordinate notifying families and morgue space and all of that. We’d need to talk to a mountain rescue person but we could probably have you out there and helping in a few days?”

She squeezed his shoulder as gently as she could. “Thank you, that’s a great idea.” Kara smiled at the side of his head, “Any more ones like that?”

“Well, there’s a lot of areas that could use mines being recovered without blowing people up. Oh! And there are tons of things like that, or cleaning garbage off of beaches, you can do a lot of things that are dangerous or incredibly expensive for humans.” Winn looked back at her, “What do you think?”

“I think you’re brilliant.” Kara meant it, it was what Supergirl was about, not Cadmus and alien threats.

He beamed, “I’ll start getting things organized. And if you have any other ideas we can start a list!”

 

Kara straightened her dress as she waited nervously for her project leader to finish looking over her paperwork. This was it, she’d made it to the labs! Also, L-corp had more hiring paperwork than Catco. The orientation had taken all morning. It was a bit ridiculous. She didn’t care about that though, she’d made it to the lab!

The project leader, Dr. Xie looked up at her. He was a dignified man, his black hair was edged in grey creeping in, fashionable brown glasses on his nose, neat suit underneath his lab coat. Everything about him was immaculate. He was one of three individuals working on the project. He frowned, as he straightened up the paperwork in the file and set it aside. “While your assessment test results are, exemplary, I must ask, how? You do not have any formal training in this field, no formal education. Why should I let you on my team and not send you packing back to Ms. Luthor?”

“I do have formal education in the field, and degrees, it's just they’re not valid here.” Kara could see the question on his face, and she hadn’t survived working for Ms. Grant by not anticipating her wants. “On Earth that is. I’m an alien, the training program I graduated from isn’t one you’d know, or anyone on Earth would.”

Dr. Xie hummed thoughtfully, “I presume Ms. Luthor knows?”

“Yes! My job history as a PA wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere near a lab.” She tried to smile despite how nervous she was.

He stared at her, clearly deep in thought, “Alright then, you are to work with one of your colleagues for the next week till we can be sure your work is acceptable.”

“Understood! I won’t let you down!” If Kara could impress Ms. Grant, she could impress anyone given some time.

 

Kara was floating from pure happiness, and superpowers, as she flew a stray dog to the animal shelter. It was a very scared terrier of some kind. She floated down in front of the shelter, before stepping in and waved at Stacey. “I have another one for you.”

“Oh gosh, is that the fourth one this week?” Stacey came out from behind the counter, her face softening as her eyes locked with the dog. “I think we have a run away there. He’s in pretty good condition, aren’t you boy?”

She nodded, “I found him over on 12th and Truman.” Kara brought a few stray animals a week to the shelters around National City. Most of the dogs were just runaways, the cats…less so. But still, they deserved a chance at a good home. She paused looking through the cheap plexiglass into the cat room. “How would a person know what they needed for a pet cat if they’d never had one before?”

Stacey looked up surprised from where she’d been cooing over the dog. “Are you planning on getting a cat, Supergirl?”

“No, a friend is though.” Kara was going to have to bring Daisy to a shelter without warning. She had a feeling Daisy wouldn’t be able to walk out without one.

Stacey smiled, “We have some pamphlets you could take for your friend.”

“That would be great! Thank you, Stacey!” Kara smiled at the volunteer.

////

Andrew Vinson had his most charming smile on his face, as he offered out a fresh coffee to his contact on the force. “How’s my favorite officer on the force?”

“Tired,” Officer Williams accepted the coffee. “And I don’t have anything new for you. I breathe a word about what’s going on with the Lord case and the Sergeant will string me up personally.”

He leaned against the officer’s patrol car. “There has to be something, some tidbit of where to look? You’ve never let me down before Williams.”

“You don’t understand how bad it is.” Williams lowered her voice, “It’s bad, the Lord train bombing. Ask questions about the family of the bomber.”

Andrew knew his expression was shark-like, “See, my favorite officer.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re not getting anything else.” Williams rolled her eyes.

He stroked at this beard, “Well if you can’t give me anything about Lord, any news on feelings in the department about the President coming to sign Alien Amnesty in National City next month?”

“Security is going to be a bitch.” Williams groaned, “Science Division is excited about it though, means they’ll be able to actually talk to aliens without having them doing a runner. It’s going to swamp all of us though. There’s a lot of crime happening to and from the alien community. Once they can come to the police, it's going to be a can of worms once the community starts interacting with us humans.”

He pulled out his wallet and thumbed through the various business cards he collected in his career as a reporter. He spotted the one he wanted and passed it over, “More life insurance, you should get it. I don’t know about you, but getting in between alien fights sounds like a one-way ticket six feet down.”

“Please, they can’t make me get involved in that alien shit. Science Division Yahoos can have it. I’m not putting my neck out for something with tentacles or a taste for human flesh.” William’s clucked her tongue.

He nodded in agreement. “I won’t be struggling for stories once that shit hits the fan.” Downside of being a freelancer, even if he mostly sold to Global News, was that it was down to him to find his own stories. Upside, he got to find his own stories. “My life will certainly be worse if you get eaten by a tentacle monster, so bravely run away and all that.”

////

Daisy stared at the instructions for the bookshelf she’d gotten for her apartment. She didn’t own anything to put on said bookshelf, but she was going to have a bookshelf. Progress…? Also, whoever wrote these instructions was unhinged. Still, May’s method for learning a new weapon.

Laying out all the pieces and grouping them appropriately in neat piles or stacks she got to the business of getting organized. Organization, visualization, and then make your attempt. The bookshelf probably didn’t deserve this much effort, but here she was.

The apartment was really coming together. It was painted, and the kitchen was finished. She even had kitchen utensils and pans and everything. Leaving this place when it became necessary was going to be…hard. Maybe it was a good thing? It hadn’t started to quite feel like home yet, and when things felt like home, bad things happened. And she’d have practice for the next time she got an apartment. Upsides and all that. At least she wouldn’t look like an idiot in a Home Depot again. Just at the mechanics.

Which reminded her, she should probably get Robbie’s car checked out. Cars needed their oil changed and tires rotated and stuff. Not that she’d ever had a car that wasn’t a hunk of junk van, but upkeep was important. It might be better to learn how to change oil on her own? She didn’t think Robbie would appreciate her letting strangers touch his car. That said, he’d probably prefer no one touching his car. He was going to have to live with it. She was going to remind him of the whole paying for his brother’s college thing before he could get too upset about the car.

“Fuck,” The peg did not fit into the hole it very much should go in. So the question was, did she force it?

 

Daisy was staring at a completed bookshelf, her arms settled on her hips. “Should I buy books?”

“Do you read books?” Kara asked curiously from where she was eating her third bowl of shredded chicken in mala sauce. Which, Daisy was kinda proud of how dinner had turned out tonight.

Daisy snapped out of thoughts on mala sauce, and back to the bookshelf, “I read…online?”

“You could put other things in it?” Kara offered.

She looked at her friend. “I came here with the contents of a car trunk. I don’t really have a lot of stuff?”

“Why did you want a bookshelf?” Kara asked, her face stupidly adorable as it was scrunched in confusion.

Daisy shrugged, “I mean apartments are supposed to have them? I just kinda figured I should get one?”

Kara set her bowl down before walking over, “You’ll end up with more stuff the longer you stay in one place.” She wrapped her arms around Daisy’s waist, letting her chin rest on Daisy’s shoulder. “And you definitely have enough room for a cat tree.”

“Cat tree?” Daisy asked, ignoring how she shivered at the feeling of Kara wrapped around her, and against her back.

Kara was smiling, even if Daisy couldn’t see her face it was audible in her voice. “You said you wanted a pet, and you have a plant.”

“I’m not sure keeping one plant alive for a few days means I can have a cat.” Daisy looked at the admittedly majority of space she just wasn’t using in the apartment. She could keep a pet, couldn’t she?

Chapter 32

Notes:

Yo! Hope you'll are having a great night!

Daisy was trying very hard not to be bored while wiping out the tiny Cadmus lab. But the security was a joke. There’d been two former military, maybe current military security guys, but she’d come around the corner and shot both of them before either could fully duck, let alone reach for their own sidearms. There were six people inside, she could feel their heartbeats, and unless they were Seal Team 6, it wasn’t going to be a problem.

Professional and by the book though, getting over-confident was how you got dead.

Her movements were smooth as she moved through the halls towards the singular room where she could feel the heartbeats.

The cameras were basic, easily nudged out of the way with a flick of her powers.

It was quiet.

Cadmus really was not good at internal security.

She clocked prime locations for placing explosive material. It really wasn’t a large facility, just a singular lab.

Her thoughts were absent-minded, light, barely there, her mind mostly in mission mode, listing and registering her environment and tracking the other living people in the base through vibrations. Her body moved without thought, the motions trained in by Melinda May. Neutralize the threats, clear the building, collect intel, and destroy all evidence.

The majority of this evening's work was going to be digging through the computer systems, photographing any physical paperwork that she wasn’t able to take with her before blowing the place to hell and back.

It was all exactly to plan. Exactly to plan right up until she performed a textbook-perfect breech through the door into the lab.

Daisy shot the scientist in the white lab coat before he could do more than startle. She dove forward rolling to avoid the bullets any competent person with a gun would have fired only to come rolling up into an upright crouch, prepared to shoot the next threat only to freeze.

The image of the room had had time to register fully by then.

Cages.

There were no threats.

Only children.

Children in cages, children who were clearly not human, but children all the same. There was one strapped to a table, the rest in the awful, plexiglass boxes that were so clearly fucking cages. They weren’t threats. Nothing had indicated this facility had living test subjects, but Cadmus wouldn’t consider aliens as better than animals. It was foul.

The mission no longer applied.

Daisy rose to her feet holstering her handgun. She was to the table the sky blue-skinned child with thick black hair and slightly too sharp features was strapped down to as she clicked off the voice changer. The paleness of the blue didn’t look entirely natural. The kid was sweating too. But his wide eyes were locked onto her. He didn’t need the creepy voice.

She snagged a scalpel off of a tray, one hand touching the kid’s chest, “I’m getting you out of here.” Her hand with the scalpel sliced through the canvas restraints.

The second the restraints went slack from being sliced, she dropped the scalpel, her hand lifting off of the child’s chest. She didn’t step back though, if he tried to run for it, she was going to need to make sure he didn’t face plant.

The kid didn’t sit up, he didn’t scuttle straight off the medical table like she’d half feared. He flopped slightly, a whine in his throat, eyes closing. And, not sure what the heart rate should be for his species, but it didn’t feel strong.

Shit, he needed medical help, now.

Daisy turned the locks on every one of the five cages shattering into dust. “Can any of you guys understand me?”

The small, curled up kid who was green, slightly scaly, with eyes that were completely black without any whites to their eyes nodded hesitantly. A small ‘meep’ like sound passing through their very pointy teeth.

She walked over, opening up the cage. “I’m going to get you guys out of here, but we need to be fast. Can you help with that?” She dropped down into a crouch so she was as close to eye level with the child as she could be, her voice soft but firm.

The kid nodded, and their heart was jackrabbit fast, and very much curled in the back. The three other kids watched with laser focus.

Daisy cursed she couldn’t take her mask off in this base. If it became necessary, she was doing it, but she could hopefully get them into a getaway car before that happened. “My name is Quake, do you think you can tell me your name?”

The black eyes stared at her, difficult to read on their own, and the child was too terrified to really give off much more than that. But, finally, they managed to reply, their voice a squeaky whisper. “Xal.”

“It’s nice to meet you Xal.” Daisy kept her voice soft. “Are you going to be able to walk? Or am I going to need to carry all of you?”

The humanoid looking kid in the next cage shot out of her cage, matted and dirty blond hair, her hands scrabbling for the dropped scalpel.

Daisy held her hand up, palm flat in surrender, it wouldn’t be hard to disarm a kid, but if a scalpel made this kid feel safe, they could keep it. “Hey there, looks like you can walk, and are very brave.”

The kid’s eyes were narrowed, dark circles under her eyes, “If more of them,” she gestured at the dead body of the scientist with her too-pointy chin, “come you’ll kill ‘em?”

Daisy gave a faint tip of her head. “Instantly.”

“You can carry Dem-Van?” There was a faint slur to her words but she was getting them out, panic bleeding from the kid, but also a desperation that was painful to see.

Daisy didn’t move, “I can carry him and protect you all at the same time. But I don’t think I can carry more than two of you at a time.”

“We can walk,” Xal crawled out of their box, one hand with filed-down claws, gripping the fabric of Daisy’s jacket.

She looked to the two other kids, “Can both of you walk?”

The little girl with pointy ears and a certain bark-like pattern to her skin, and tear tracks down her cheeks scooted to her unlocked door. “I can’t, my leg.” Her face was full of frustration and she was probably about to start crying.

Daisy rose up to her feet, carefully helping Xal up to their feet as well. “Think you can hang on for a piggy back ride?”

“Yess.” There was a hiss to the girl’s voice.

Daisy wished she could take this stupid mask off. “Alright, let’s get you situated and then we can blow this place.” And she meant that literally.

The only reason Daisy’s heart wasn’t in her throat was experience and training, as she helped get the girl with the hurt leg onto her back. She kept an eye on where Xal and the humanoid looking girl with a scalpel were helping the kid who was furry and brown with bloodshot eyes. She checked on the kid on her back, “You have a good grip?”

The girl nodded against Daisy, her arms tightening a bit around her neck.

Daisy took that as a ‘yes’. She stepped over to the boy who was apparently Dem-Van. Dem-Van was…technically conscious, but it was barely. His eyes were glazed as he tried to watch her, but any time he tried to move he seemed to fade for a few seconds before he was capable of looking at her again. “We’re going to get you help.” Daisy scooped the kid into her arms, and god both of them were light.

She looked at the three upright and capable of walking kids. “Stay behind me, but stick close, we’re not going far.”

“Ok,” Xal said seriously, bravely, swallowing back pain and fear. It was an expression that shouldn’t be on a kid’s face, but one Daisy had seen on too many kids’ faces. In the mirror when she’d been a child as well.

Daisy’s powers blew the door out, her steps slow and careful to allow the kids to keep up with her without struggling. She knew exactly where she was taking them. Fuck preventing Cadmus from knowing it was her. Plans changed. It was a small facility, it was only a few hundred feet down the hall, and then a second door vibrated to dust, and they were to the parking lot.

Her heart ached at the weak, wheezing breaths from Dem-Van against her neck. Now wasn’t the time. Her eyes flicked across the cars belonging to the now dead staff. She needed non-descript, and big enough for all the kids. Which meant not the two shiny SUVs or the Mustang, the tan station wagon though, that’d work. She led them straight to it. Pausing she carefully set Dem-Van down on the cement, and got the little girl down off her back. “You guys sit tight for a minute.”

She looked around making sure the kids understood, and then headed straight to the hood of the car. She popped the hood easily, and then quickly found the right wires and snapped them to cut off the car alarm. Closing the hood, she went to the driver's door. She didn’t need to be careful. She just yanked the driver’s side door open hard enough to rip it open. Unlocking the doors she swept right back to the kids.

“Ok, we’re going to get you all buckled in and then we’re going to get to help.” Daisy picked up the girl with the bark-patterned skin and got her into the passenger seat and buckled in. She looked over her shoulder, “Xal, can you guys get in the back?”

She scooped up Dem-Van, she wasn’t sticking him in the trunk or making literal children hang onto him. So she just climbed into the driver's seat, keeping him in her lap, one arm around him, and ripped her face mask and goggles off. “Buckle up, and um…don’t steal cars?”

The blond girl, still holding a scalpel, had been the last one into the back and stared at her. “You can drive?” She was the slightly oldest-looking one, now that Daisy’d seen them actually stand up. But aliens, so who knew?

“Drive, sure, have a license no.” Daisy winced as she used a knife to pop the plastic cover off of the steering wheel and yanked the wires down. It was a bit hard to hotwire the car with only one hand, but she was a spy; she got it done.

Xal’s weaker voice came from the backseat. “What if they follow us?”

Daisy felt a pleased hum as the engine started. She lowered the window in her door. “They won’t.” She raised her arm, toward the small laboratory and let her powers lash out.

It was hard to not let more than a faint tremor vibrate the car. But the lab? The lab she turned to rubble and dust, the ground shattering underneath it. Before the serum, it would have shattered her arm. Now it was fine.

The furry kid in the middle of the backseat spoke up in a low mumble. “Oh.”

Blowing out a breath, Daisy pulled her arm back in, looking at the kids. “I’m getting you kids somewhere safe.” And that wasn’t Kara. Daisy stamped down on the gas.

 

Daisy was out of the station wagon the second she nearly crashed it in the alley outside the bar. She kept a strong hold on Dem-Van with one arm, as she swiftly went around the station wagon to pick up the little girl who’d been panting from pain for the last ten minutes with her eyes squeezed shut. She carefully balanced Dem-Van with one arm and scooped up the other kid with her other arm. She just shattered the seatbelt buckle so she didn’t have to bother with the time to unbuckle it.

She was grimly relieved the other kids had spilled out of the back, Xal had the furry kid’s arm pulled over their shoulders. “Stick close ok?”

“You’re crazy,” The blondie mumbled while grabbing Daisy’s belt and Xal’s hand.

It was going to have to do, and her driving wasn’t that bad. She used her foot to hook the door and open it, and then dove straight into the bar. Her eyes landed on M’gann who was serving beers to one of the tables. “M’gann! I need help! NOW!”

“Wha-” M’gann’s eyes widened as she took in the situation and whether it was mind reading working on the kids, or just well, the obviously weakening kids, but she acted. “Here.” She waved them toward an empty table. “Set him down.”

Daisy felt a wave of relief, M’gann could help.

“Darla, settle everyone’s tabs.” M’gann put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly making sure what few people weren’t rubber-necking shut up and paid attention. “We’re closing the bar early, settle your bills at the till and get out.” She looked to one of the patrons. “Brian go call Markus and tell him to get here with his kit, now.”

Daisy could let M’gann handle that, and set Dem-Van on the table, with the little girl in her other arm. She ripped her gauntlets off and yanked her jacket off to get it over the girl’s shoulders. She was shivering and just, fuck.

Turning she helped get the other kids settled into chairs, her eyes running over them for injuries, a thing she hadn’t really had a chance to do until now. And none of them looked good. “You’re safe, we’re going to get you looked at and taken care of.”

////

Markus had been alarmed at the call from Brian. He didn’t get calls to book it to the bar for emergency medical care. He only lived a couple blocks away, he like many aliens in the city lived in the same couple of neighborhoods. Usually the ill or injured were brought to him. And whatever was going on was enough to freak Brian off enough the man hadn’t run his mouth. That hadn’t happened before.

He rode his bike as fast as he could peddle it for the bar. The first sign, that it was going to be a nightmare inside was the car with open doors parked in the alleyway, scrapes from where it’d dinged the dumpster on the way in. The second was that as he walked into the bar, despite it barely being eleven, the lights were all on, and the bar had clearly been closed.

The patrons hadn’t all left. It was quiet, but the whole place was humming with something. And there were grim-looking silent patrons hovering near every possible entrance or exit from the bar. His eyes found M’gann in a far corner that was brightly lit for once. And those were children. The feeling of dread that had been building settled. It was going to be bad.

“M’gann, what seems to be the problem?” He forced himself to pay attention to the bartender. If Al wasn’t here, M’gann ran things. And everyone knew she could handle most clients if there was trouble.

Her face wasn’t its normal passive expression, it was grim. “Quake pulled them from a Cadmus lab.”

Markus felt ill but nodded. He took in the kids, there were five of them, and standing slightly to one side, was an adult, Asian-appearing humanoid with a gun on her hip in a tank top. But she was standing, and the kid laid out on the table looked nearly dead. His delicate blue skin was deathly pale. He set his suitcase down on one table and opened it up, his medical equipment neatly laid out.

Picking up the scanner, he turned and plastered on his most reassuring expression. “Hello, my name is Markus, I’m going to do a quick scan of you all and see how to help you.” He stepped toward the table and then yelped, stumbling backward.

“Don’t touch him!” The tiny blond humanoid child had lunged, metal scalpel in her hand.

The Asian woman scooped the little girl around the waist, pulling her back, one hand catching the girl’s wrist. Her voice was firm. “Hey, Sarah, look at me.” She’d bent to be at eye level with the girl, Sarah.

Sarah was shaking, “Doctors are bad!”

“They can be.” The woman tapped the underside of the girl’s jaw, ensuring Sarah was looking her in the eyes. “I’m protecting you, all of you, yes?”

The girl nodded, brows furrowing.

“What do you think I would do if he tried to harm any of you?” She asked, her tone was utterly serious if not without warmth.

Sarah’s shoulders lowered slightly, “You’d kill him.”

“Without hesitating.” She agreed, and she meant it. It left a bead of cold sweat suddenly rolling down the back of Markus’s neck. The woman kept speaking, “But Dem-Van and Fred are really hurt. They need help I can’t give, you need to trust me to protect you guys. Ok?”

Sarah hesitated, but finally nodded, stepping closer to the woman.

The woman’s arm automatically curled around the child’s shoulders, her attention returning to Markus. “The two on the table need help first, Dem-Van hasn’t been lucid or strong enough to even talk in the last forty minutes.”

Markus’s eyes flicked to M’gann, the bartender wasn’t going to intervene. He braced himself and went to his patients. He gently laid the scanner against the little boy, Dem-Van. And then well, he had work to do. Work more important than however intimidating the woman with a gun was.

 

Markus’s voice was quiet as he spoke to M’gann. “I’ve done what I can, and they’re out of danger, but they’ll need care. Do we know who their parents are?”

“Al’ll look into it, but we haven’t found them yet.” M’gann’s arms were crossed.

A throat cleared, and the woman with the gun stood from where she’d been seated letting the little reptilian child soak up heat from her. She carefully secured the blanket around their shoulders, before walking over to them. “We need to get rid of the car.”

“Why?” M’gann looked at the woman.

“Because I killed everyone working in and collapsed the lab I grabbed the kids from, and whoever owns that car worked in that lab.” She said it like that wasn’t terrifying.

M’gann’s face tightened, “Will they know Quake destroyed it, or do we have time before Cadmus puts that together?”

“Safest to assume they’ll know it was me.” Apparently, Quake replied.

And oh gods, that made the past hour make a great deal more sense. Markus couldn’t help the wide-eyed look he gave the woman. Because yes, those were kevlar pants, and the jacket over Fred’s shoulders was the same kevlar material. He could recognize the clothing as Quake's. The hair was long and not purple, but well, wigs existed.

M’gann sighed, “I’ll find someone who can get rid of it. We don’t need that kind of attention here.”

“Before that, where are we going to hide the children?” Markus forced himself to interrupt. “They can’t stay in a bar.”

Quake winced, “You can’t split them up. They need to stay together till their families can be found. I don’t know how long they were in that lab, but they’re bonded. If they’re going to feel safe enough to rest, let alone not panic, we need to keep them together.”

“Our community doesn’t tend to be a rich one.” Markus winced, his own home was a small apartment with his bondmate and their two hatchlings. He might have been able to squeeze one or two of the children onto a couch and the air mattress but it was out of the question to fit more. “Would two groups work? That way they at least aren’t alone?”

Quake’s eyes flicked to the kids, who were all munching on the graham crackers and sipping at orange juice she’d insisted on Darla getting for the kids. One blanket and several donated jackets wrapping them all up. “We don’t know how valuable they are to Cadmus. There’s a risk wherever they end up.”

“Can you take them, for a few days at least?” M’gann looked at Quake.

Markus’s eyes widened, whatever M’gann thought and read from the Kree woman was enough she trusted the children in her care. It was…rather shocking. Though, perhaps not. Quake had been a hovering threat, and was proving surprisingly good with children if pants wettingly terrifying.

Quake’s eyebrows shot up. “Supergirl.”

M’gann and Markus both grimaced. And apparently, that’d jinxed them because the bar’s door slid open, a very colorful woman blurring inside. Markus barely tracked the blur fast enough to realize that was Supergirl. Quake on the other hand had moved, her arm raising and Supergirl slammed into an invisible wall, stopping the woman in her tracks a couple of yards before reaching them.

“No.” Quake’s voice commanded.

Chapter 33

Notes:

Apparently it wasn't super clear, but the whole part of Myriad in the Catco office got leaked. All of it. Everyone knows Quake is Kree, even if they don't understand what that means. But the alien community very much does know what that means. When Lucy and Vasquez said it all got leaked, like, they meant all of it got leaked.

Kara winced, that had not felt nice running into a straight wall of vibrations. Her nose scrunched briefly as she oriented herself. She’d thought she was helping Daisy with something. Daisy had been late coming back from the Cadmus base, and when she’d flown by it wasn’t blown up the same way that the others had been. Destroyed, but not blown up. This wasn’t what she was expecting, also, “No? No what?”

“Supergirl, you need to not be here.” Daisy’s hand was still up, but the wall of power had vanished the instant Kara had stopped heading toward her.

She paused, her eyes taking in the room. There were eight adults, spread by what she knew were entrances, and then M’gann and a man she didn’t recognize next to Daisy. And behind them a group of kids. Also, Daisy was like half in her Quake outfit and half out? “What’s going on?”

“Supergirl,” Daisy winced, “You work with the DEO, you can’t be here. The less you know the more deniability you have.”

Kara realized what was happening. Something had happened in that lab, something bad. And Daisy was trying to protect her from it. She looked at her girlfriend seriously. “How can I help?”

Daisy let out a sound that was half exhale and half frustration, her hand dropping to her hip. “You would be lying to people you care about.”

“I already am,” Kara stared at Daisy.

Daisy winced, “The DEO can’t know anything. You don’t have to do this.”

“It’s my choice to help.” She didn’t even have to think about it.

Daisy hesitated but then nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly. “The lab had test subjects.”

Kara’s eyes snapped to the children and then back to Daisy, horror rocking through her. “What do you need?”

Daisy turned to M’gann, “Do you know someone with a car we can fit the kids in?”

“I can call someone with one.” M’gann crossed her arms.

Daisy hummed, “Call them.” She looked at the middle-aged man. “Think you can write up what the kids will need? Like medically, diet, that kind of thing, Doctor?”

“Of course,” The doctor, and he had the faintly metallic sheen to his otherwise human-looking features that Kara recognized as indicative of a Tormock. Their ability to bond and shift with their tech left traces of the metal alloys in their skin and hair. He frowned slightly, “Does anyone have a pen and paper?”

“I do!” An orange-skinned patron who had been posted by the staff exit hurried over while digging around in her purse.

Daisy looked at Kara, “Can you go to my apartment and remove all the guns?”

“Of course, do you want them here?” Kara paused before she took off for the apartment.

Daisy shook her head, “No, they just need to be out of my apartment. And don’t forget the hand grenades, they’re in the vegetable drawer in the fridge, and there’s a box of C4 in the bathroom under the sink. The rifle is in its case under the couch, the rest is in the gun chest. Oh, and the k-bar taped under the table. Just scan the place in case I’m forgetting something.” Daisy easily unholstered the gun on her upper thigh and offered it over, grip first.

“You have C4 in the bathroom!?”

 

Kara had never been so glad to have x-ray vision in her life. Usually, she kinda cursed that power. So many far-too-thin walls. She’s seen things…things she could never unsee. Hence her wearing her glasses so often even when she was just alone in her apartment most nights. But in this moment she was grateful for it. Because Daisy was apparently stressed out enough to have forgotten the handgun! attached behind the headboard, and a Rao damned morter and four rounds for the thing stashed under the counter topping of the kitchen island.

She stared at the alarming pile of weapons she’d pulled out of their respective hiding places. Where was she supposed to put these? There was no way it would all fit in Daisy’s car. Her girlfriend? had clearly stocked up since arriving on this earth. So where to put it? It was too late to get a storage locker or something. Alex’s? No, that would mean telling Alex something was going on and that meant the DEO knowing something was going on. Winn broke under so much as a stern look from Alex…also Kara wasn’t sure he wouldn’t blow himself up. James would rat her out to Clark at least.

Looking up she looked through the floor at her own apartment. She was going to be having nightmares of blowing up her apartment. But, a small price to pay. Though why exactly she needed to get all the weapons out of Daisy’s apartment, she wasn’t quite sure. Still, Daisy was letting her help. So she could handle that, and hear a proper explanation later.

Still, this was going to be kinda awkward to carry up to her apartment…thank Rao for super speed? Or…could that set off C4? Could she google that? Was she going to have to start learning about human weapons in depth? Because that was becoming something she was getting the idea might be useful. Possible sister night activity? Alex did like weapons.

 

Kara noted there wasn’t a car in the alleyway any longer when she landed outside the bar, weapons stacked awkwardly in her living room. She entered the bar, at a normal walking speed this time. But it hadn’t taken long and she was back. Her eyes automatically found Daisy, and then she just came to a sudden halt. It was adorable.

Sitting at the chair most between the table with the children and everything else was Daisy. She had a juvenile Tsauron clinging to her. Arms wrapped around her exposed shoulders and neck. The Tsauron was soaking in warmth from Daisy. After all, as a reptilian species their young, as this one's leaf-green scales and small stature attested to, had a difficult time regulating their internal temperatures.

Daisy was writing out a list of some kind, one arm naturally around the clearly sleeping Tsauron to keep them securely in place. The child’s nose was buried against her neck. It was unbearably sweet. As was the also sound asleep blue-skinned child leaning against her other side. She wasn’t sure of that child’s species, there were a few with his features. All of the kids were slumped in sleep in some way except for a tiredly, blinking humanoid-looking girl.

Kara wanted to take a picture and shove it in anyone’s face who said Daisy was a threat or a bad person. Including Daisy. Because Kara couldn’t think of better proof that Daisy was exactly as wonderful of a person as she thought Daisy was. The smile on Kara’s face was unconscious as she walked over, keeping her voice quiet as Daisy looked up at her. “I got everything, including the mortar under the counter.” She looked at Daisy in questioning amusement. Kara couldn’t help the warm fuzzy feelings about the whole thing, including the packrat weapons hoarding.

“Oh yeah, sorry. Kinda forgot that one.” Daisy had a rueful smile on her face.

She couldn’t help the affection, as she unhooked her cape, laying it over the faint growl-tinged snoring shoulders of the G’Newtain. His furry brown head pillowed on his arms on the table. Her voice was low, careful not to wake the kids. “And you needed a mortar and an alarming number of..shells? bombs? whatever it shoots in your kitchen, why exactly?”

“My CO said it was ridiculous for me to have one, and wouldn’t let me use ours.” Daisy grinned unrepentantly as she ripped the page she’s been writing on out of the notepad.

Kara knew she was smiling outright, “You can crack a continent, I think your CO might have been right about that.”

“It was just sitting there when I was setting charges to blow up that last base, it was calling to me.” Daisy held out the list on the page and her credit card.

Kara paused before looking at the list as she accepted it. “Your sudden increase in weapons is because you’ve been robbing Cadmus bases before blowing them up?”

“I mean, waste not want not?” Daisy couldn’t possibly know how perfectly at ease and warm she was with these kids near her. It was like half of her guarded walls had just vanished. The easy warm playfulness was usually more sarcastic.

The little half-asleep girl grumbled, “You’re a terrible role model.”

“Oh god, I’m not a role model,” Daisy’s attention turned to the kid in alarm, but none of her usual caution or firmness returned. “Why would you think I’m one of those? I’ve committed multiple felonies since we’ve met.”

The kid just yawned, an unimpressed expression on her face.

Kara had to bite her lip to keep from snickering or cooing. She wasn’t sure which one. To keep from laughing, she looked at the list. Oh, that was why Daisy had wanted the guns out. Because it was a Walmart shopping list. The children’s socks, pajamas in a list of sizes, chicken nuggets, stuffed animals, blankets(with a note they all needed to be different patterns or colors), and a few dozen other things were telling. She was going to keep the kids at her place till their families could be tracked down. And explained the credit card. Anyone who said Daisy wasn’t a hero could suck on a lemon. She was amazing.

////

M’gann felt nauseous from the assorted heightened emotions and thoughts. The anger, fear, unease, disgust, frustration, and pity that had been swirling all night were intense. Pieces of thought she was trying to avoid slipping through from the sheer strength of everyone’s thoughts. It was a miracle the little Aranes boy, Dem-Van, had survived. Not just because the death of a child that small was horrifying, but because what it might have unleashed was nearly as horrifying.

And that wasn’t getting her started on the way Daisy kept oscillating from cold and mission-focused to spilling concern and alarm everywhere despite her expression not changing. It was a rollercoaster going anywhere near her. And the rage, Daisy or Quake or whatever she wanted to be called was so indescribably furious it felt like caustic acid. Xal deciding to use Daisy as a living hot water bottle was a relief. It’d dropped the warrior from caustic murderous intent anytime her eyes caught any of the assorted injuries the children had, to something soft and nearly content if still very focused.

The Kryptonian broadcasting the very intense feeling of their latching bond tightening had been a wildly new emotion to add to the mix, and not helpful. M’gann was tired, and done with everything this night had brought. She didn’t need lovesick gazes from a Kryptonian as the woman melted. It was distracting.

So it was with relief she watched the Kryptonian vanish to go get necessities for the kids.

M’gann approached once the emotional well of sparkles and goo left. “Al dropped off his car out front.” She held up the keys.

Daisy sighed in relief. “Can you help carry them out? I don’t think any of them are up for walking.”

“Was already going to be driving,” She stared at the woman unimpressed. “I saw what they thought of your driving them in here. I’m not risking my boss's car getting totaled.”

Daisy rolled her eyes, “I’m not that bad.”

“I like my job.” M’gann would not be hitting up the other woman for any jobs involving driving. To be fair, anything that needed someone in their community capable of handling things, she would be. And she wouldn’t be alone. Tonight had certainly been a spectacle. She looked over toward the bar. “Darla, come help cart the kids out.”

M’gann knew better than to risk any of these kids waking up without Daisy and each other in sight.

Darla scoffed but still came over to help.

It took some doing, all of the kids had to be gently nudged awake by Daisy. They then had to quietly be told what was happening before they could be convinced to let themselves be hoisted up and carried out of the bar. But M’gann found peace in these small actions, in helping. It’d never wipe the blood from her hands. Tonight she might sleep without seeing blood spilling on her red planet though. Or mayhaps it’d be all she’d see. To remind her what she was, no matter what small actions she might perform in her self-imposed exile.

M’gann carefully transferred the barely awake from the movement Fred, and still clutching a scalpel Sarah into the van. She looked over their heads after securing and buckling them in, to where Darla was buckling a sleeping again Wally. “Lock up the bar, we’ll worry about cleaning tomorrow.”

“I’m putting in for Saturday off,” Darla replied before stepping back and sliding the side door shut. It wasn’t hard to tell she was hiding a need to go home and cry over what had happened to these kids beneath her sharpness.

Didn’t even require telepathy to notice, since as soon as M’gann shut the driver’s door, settling into the seat, Daisy spoke up. “Is she going to be ok?”

“Darla’s a tough cookie,” They all had to be to live on a planet like this. Not that humans were part of inherently violent societies like the White Martians or Kree or Dominators. But some of the things they did… M’gann shook the thought off. “You’re going to need to tell me your address.”

Daisy sighed, “Well, I suppose having any kind of secret identity wasn’t going to last. Take a left at the light up ahead. I’ll direct you there.”

 

The drive was quiet, just soft directions from Daisy, the roads as empty as they ever got in National City. Just city lights and darkness. M’gann parked in front of, not a high-end, but very nice apartment complex. The first floor was all small businesses and the floors above apartments. Climbing out she opened up the back, carefully unbuckling the kids, and scooping up Fred with one arm.

“I can walk, I’m the oldest,” Sarah said with all the determination of a child. It was a tragedy, but her fight was likely why she’d survived long enough to be rescued.

M’gann could feel the exhaustion in the child, but she also only had two arms, as did Quake and there were five children. “Alright, if you need to stop, let us know, little warrior.”

Getting a kid settled in each arm took effort, it wasn’t natural or easy how Quake made it look. It was interesting how automatic and natural the woman made it look. Whatever her history, she’d been around children, a lot. It was second nature to her. Weapon or not, her hands were as natural with children as they were with instruments of death. If the Kryptonian wasn’t half-claiming the woman, she certainly would be swamped with interested parties after tonight’s performance.

M’gann huffed under her breath, if any other interested parties tried anyways, the ensuing pissed Kyptonian was their own damned fault. She took up the back position, keeping exhausted and dragging Sarah between her and Daisy as Daisy led them into the building and up a single flight of stairs, and into the first apartment on the hall, thankfully. The stubborn kid wouldn’t have made it up two flights of stairs.

Daisy, somehow got the door open without disturbing either kid, was the woman a mother? She didn’t have that feel of that parental bond to her, but M’gann didn’t get a deep read on her. Missing that wouldn’t be completely unexpected.

Walking into the apartment, well…it wasn’t what M’gann had expected. It was…empty. Recently remodeled, sparsely filled, and very neat. Also an open studio apartment, large as those things went, but still lacking any walls dividing any of it except the bathroom from the wide open space. There were no personal photos, no real anything indicating it was more of a show apartment except for the odd coffee mug left on a windowsill, a potted plant there, a spare pair of shoes by the door. M’gann took back the guess of motherhood.

Daisy looked around and winced, “I’ll worry about separate sleeping situations for them tomorrow. For tonight, Dem-Van and Fred on the couch, they’ll both fit, the rest can fit in the bed.”

“You?” M’gann could guess the answer but still found herself asking.

Daisy looked at her dryly, “I’ve slept on worse than the floor.”

And M’gann didn’t doubt that was true, even though she could feel that Daisy was not looking forward to the floor.

It wasn’t hard work, but it was quiet from there to settle the two worst injured kids onto the couch. Fortunately, the couch was on the long side. Each kid got half, and as long as both of them didn’t stretch to their full heights they wouldn’t accidentally kick each other. The remaining kids, including a dangerously swaying on her feet Sarah, were then ushered and tucked into the neatly made bed. They were all asleep before their heads hit pillows.

M’gann paused in the darkness, looking at Daisy’s face. “You’re good with them.”

“Yeah?” Daisy hummed, she didn’t sound surprised by the observation. “I always liked watching out for the younger ones.”

Whatever nostalgic memory that’d brought up wasn’t a painful one, sad yes, but no real anger to it. “Younger siblings?”

“Hmm?” Recognition of the question flickered across her face. “Foster care.”

If M’gann was a better person she’d have had something kind to say to that. Meaningful. But she was not, and she was tired. “Then I suppose your hands are safer for them than I’d thought. I’ll bring Markus to check on them again tomorrow. If we find any of their families I’ll call, or if they tell you anything else to help find them, call me.”

“Got it, hopefully at least one of them is more willing to talk when they wake up.” Daisy held out her hand. “Thank you, for helping them.”

M’gann accepted the hand and accepted the brief handshake. She had to grit her teeth to keep from reacting from the suddenly sharply bare way she felt the woman’s emotions. And then thankfully, their hands parted. “Good luck.”

“Eh, they’ll be too crashed out to burn the place down tomorrow. The next day…I might need to get a second fire extinguisher.” Daisy shrugged with a faint twist of her lips in amusement.

M’gann just tipped her head and left with a passing wave. “Good luck.” As the door closed behind her she breathed out. It’d been a long day. The next few promised to be long and draining as well. But there was one good thing in all this awfulness, nobody or anything would harm a hair on those kids’ heads. They were as safe as it was likely possible to be. It was small, but it was something. And hopefully, they found their families soon.

////

Maggie knew it was going to be a terrible day when she arrived at work, at five am (fuck the Lord case to whatever the worst part of hell was), and waiting for her, standing right by her desk, was her ex-girlfriend. Maggie stood there, blinking stupidly, coffee travel mug halfway to her mouth. “Darla?”

“Detective.” Darla looked as unhappy to be there as Maggie was to see her. The dark circles under her eyes were not a good sign either. “We need to talk.”

Every other police officer and employee of any stripe within hearing distance was suddenly trying very hard to avoid notice and meld into their desks if not outright changing directions.

A cold shiver went down Maggie’s spine, oh no. Those were never good words. They were very bad words. “Yeah, ok, um coffee?” She needed something to fiddle with if she was going to have to have a conversation with an ex.

“Surely you have an office somewhere here?” Darla’s tone was biting, which was the biggest giveaway she was in a mood. A very unhappy and pissed-off mood.

Maggie had never wanted to do something less. Her partner was diligently trying to look like he was busy. The report he was scribbling on was upside down. “Sure,” She waved to one of the soft interrogation rooms. They mostly used it for talking to families of victims or victims. Her hand tightened on her travel mug. As Darla turned and sharply marched into the room, Maggie cringed, and hissed at her partner, “Traitor.”

Grafton snorted, “Try not to die.”

She made a rude gesture as she followed Darla into the room, shutting the door and accepting her fate. It was going to suck.

“So, what’s so pressing you needed to talk to me at,” Maggie looked at the watch on her wrist, “Five am in the morning?”

“Quake.” Darla primly sat down, her voice, as she uttered Quake’s name as though it had the same seriousness as a gong.

Maggie stiffened, “Are you alright?”

“Tired, going to have nightmares for weeks, but fine.” Darla tipped her head slightly.

Maggie slumped, she might not have ended things with Darla on good terms, but she didn’t want anything terrible to happen to her. Jesus. “What’s going on with Quake and why come to me?”

“Because she’s been hitting Cadmus bases apparently and got five kids out of one of their labs last night, and we have no idea who they belong to.” Darla pulled a notebook out of her purse. “It’s a long shot, but we were hoping you might know something?”

Maggie set her coffee down on the table, completely serious, “Alien or human?”

“What do you think?” Darla flipped to a page and passed over a Polaroid photo of a kid. “None of the kids were being cooperative with anyone who wasn’t Quake, and even for her, it wasn’t a lot. “That’s Xal, species Tsauron, we know they’re under ten because of the scale coloration still being fully green. Tsauron’s are bad at thermo-regulation normally, but that kid was losing heat faster than they should have.”

Maggie’s mouth was dry, horror lodged in her gut as she looked at the face of the little reptilian kid. The thin dirty white clothing that was clearly of some medical lab were horrific. She pulled out her own notepad and started taking notes. “Do we know how long they were in captivity?”

“No, but they were in better shape than most of the kids, so I’d guess you’re looking at the shortest amount of time missing.” Darla passed over another photo, this time of a small blue-skinned boy with messy black hair. He looked absolutely horrible. “That’s Dem-Van, he’s an Aranes, said he was seven. But he was barely conscious off and on, his lungs were nearly paralyzed by whatever it was they had in his system.”

Swallowing back bile, Maggie made notes of it, “Anything else?”

“Call Markus if you need more details on their health,” Darla passed another photo. This one of a tiny delicate-looking girl visibly swaying when the photo was taken. “That’s Fred, she’s a Jirenn, bad shape and Markus was confident she was six.”

Maggie just accepted the next photo, “This one?”

“Wally, short for W’ellephy. He’s a G’Newtian, the youngest of the group at five.” The matted brown fur was shaved off around one section of his muzzle. Kid was fully out in the photo.

She looked up at Darla, “The last one?”

“Sarah, we don’t know what species she is, would have thought she was human if scans hadn’t shown her to have two hearts and the structure for gills to develop along her neck. She’s probably the oldest, we’re guessing and M’gann thinks she’s not sure of her age. You’ll want to look at older records for her. Also, she tried to stab Markus to keep him from touching any of them. Didn’t let him look at any of them till Quake’d promised to murder him if he hurt any of ‘em.” Darla passed over the notebook that had her own, and M’gann’s notes and speculation filled in.

Maggie knew she wasn’t going to be able to find most of these kids’ families, but she might be able to find a couple. And if they’d been taken from other areas she did have some contacts in other alien communities she could hit up. “The people who took them?”

“If they were in that lab when Quake got there, dead.” Darla replied without flinching, “And once Quake gets the chance, I’d wager she’ll hunt down anyone connected to it. Good riddance.”

Terrifying, terrible idea, but Maggie understood the feeling. She looked at her ex, “I’ll see what I can find.”

Chapter 34

Notes:

Sup!

Sarah woke up and nearly flinched straight out of bed. Bed. She sat straight up looking around. Quake, the scientist was dead, they weren’t in the lab. She blinked as she realized that was sunlight coming through large open windows. The bed beneath her was soft. It sounded different, the faint sound of traffic, none of the awful beeping from the lab. She looked down, a shaky breath of relief leaving her. Wally and Xal were snuggled together under the covers, still sound asleep.

Slowly, and carefully, she slipped out of the bed. Her feet hit a soft, warm carpet. She couldn’t remember the last thing she’d felt something that wasn’t hard or cold under her feet. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she quickly grabbed the scalpel off of the nightstand. They never let them have anything dangerous. If she had the scalpel, she wasn’t there. It was real and cold in her grip.

Her eyes looked around the room. It was pretty, the purple was nice, and everything was clean, but it wasn’t…cold. She liked that it wasn’t cold. Her footsteps were as soft as she could make them as she edged away from the bed, looking around.

Looking over the back of the back of the couch, her shoulders slumped. There were Fred and Dem-Van. Fred was sucking on her thumb, curled up under the fluffy green blanket. And Dem-Van actually didn’t look more grey than blue for once. Something in her chest untwisted a little bit. And there, under the windows, throw pillow under her head, and a quilt thrown over her, was Quake. Not that she looked strong or anything sleeping on the floor with a kinda silly looking throw pillow under her head.

Sarah turned, curiously looking around. She hadn’t been anywhere new in a long time. The tv was huge, bigger than she remembered her family’s. And she was pretty sure that was a game system plugged in. Her parents hadn’t let her have one so she wasn’t sure which one it was.

Her eyes got very wide as she stared at the kitchen table. Because there were a lot of bags, and just heaps of stuff neatly piled on it. There were all kinds of bright colors and soft fabrics, and there, sticking out of one of the top bags was a stuffed horse. It was big, fluffy, and looked unbelievably soft. Sarah hadn’t wanted to touch something so bad in her entire life.

“Horses huh?” A warm voice came from behind her.

Sarah, spun, scalpel raised, only, it was just Quake. The woman looked less dangerous than she had yesterday. Flannel pajamas and a tank top weren’t really the same as the black thick fabric and gauntlets and the mask. It helped the woman hadn’t come too close, well out of arm’s range.

Sarah’s tongue darted out wetting her lips, “I thought you were asleep?”

“I can feel vibrations, doesn’t take much to wake me up.” Quake shrugged, her face was soft in a way the scientists never were, and none of the pity from the people the night before.

Quake walked over, “Since you’re the first riser, let’s get you set up, ok?”

“Set up?” Sarah took a step backward and to the side so she wasn’t between Quake and the table.

Quake just hummed easily, “Well, I don’t know how long you’re going to be here, but you kids are going to need more than the clothing on your backs to wear.”

Sarah watched quietly as Quake started pulling things from various bags and making a pile.

“You said you liked unicorns yesterday, right?” Quake looked at her curiously.

She swallowed, “They’re pretty.”

“Cool, was hoping that wasn’t my imagination.” Quake turned and handed her a set of soft, pink pajama pants, with a white t-shirt that had a large rainbow and unicorn on it. Sitting on top of the shirt was a pink hair brush, a toothbrush with unicorns on the handle, and a bottle of strawberry-scented shampoo. “It’s not a lot, but it’ll do for today. Think you can take a shower on your own if I show you how to work it?”

Sarah blinked, unsure of what exactly to think or feel about that. “I can shower.”

“Cool, come on, I’ll show you how it works, and don’t worry about running out of hot water.” Quake led her into the bathroom, matter-of-factly pointing out how the dial worked, and showing her where the towels were before she left.

Sarah’s motions were mechanical as she set her things down, and pulled off the white shirt and pants the scientists gave everyone who wasn’t human. She stuck them in the trash can with feeling. And then got into the shower.

It was hot!

Sarah didn’t know why, but she started crying because the water was hot. It was really hot, with steam and everything. And that…that made her cry.

 

Sarah wasn’t sure how long she’d been in the shower, but when she poked her head out, the apartment smelled nice. She edged out of the bathroom and noticed Wally was sitting in a chair by the table and eating a sausage he had skewered on his fork. Quake was in the kitchen, something that smelled really good on the oven, Xal clinging to her back like a backpack or something.

Quake smiled, “And that’s your cue, Xal.” She unhooked Xal, helping them down. “Go, shower, food should be ready when you get out.”

“Fine,” There was a definite whine in their voice as Xal walked toward the bathroom, their own pile of yellow and blue clothing and things.

Quake smiled, “Oh good, that clothing fits you. How do you feel about oatmeal?”

“Um…ok…I think?” Sarah hadn’t had that in a really long time.

Quake stepped toward her, snagging the stuffed horse with its grey fur and dropped it straight into Sarah’s arms. “Come on, I’ve got juice and we can see what can be done about your hair.”

Sarah looked at the floor but quietly followed along. She carefully took a seat at the table, automatically hugging the stuffed horse to her chest. “My hair is…”

“Pretty matted.” Quake said easily, “Can I take a look?”

She nodded, staring at the whirls and patterns in the wood grain. Out of the corner of her eye, she was aware that Quake was near her. It was startling as the woman’s fingers gently touched her hair, examining it.

“Well, I’ve got three options for you kid.” Quake laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently before moving back toward the kitchen. “After breakfast, we can get some conditioner and it’ll probably take a couple of hours, but we can try and work out the mats. Or we can cut it a bit shorter and then work out the mats, it won’t take as long that way and we’ll have better chances of getting them all out. Or, we can just cut most of your hair off, which it's going to really depend on how much you’re willing to put up with me touching your head. If you think of something else we can try that too. But take whatever time you need to figure out what you want.”

Wally lowered the sausage he’d been gnawing on. “I get to eat real meat! No kibble!”

“No kibble.” Quake replied firmly from the kitchen.

Sarah smiled, Wally was a baby, but they’d been the worst to him, he looked the least human out of all of them. And she couldn’t even remember seeing his tail wag before. Which it was right now. “That’s good.”

He nodded, excitedly, “We get to watch cartoons when Dem and Fred wake up too!”

“And after your bath,” Quake put in, though her voice was kind, a fond curl of her lips.

Wally looked at Quake, “Are you really friends with Supergirl?”

“I am, and I’m sure you can meet her properly later today. You can give her back her cape when you do.” Quake was stirring something, probably the oatmeal on the oven.

Wally’s tail somehow started wagging faster and he stuffed the sausage into his mouth.

“Try to chew so you don’t choke.” Quake chided, but it didn’t make Sarah’s shoulders tighten.

Sarah carefully set her scalpel on the table, looking around the apartment. “What are the rules?”

“Uh, we can go over them with everyone, but I’d prefer you guys not break things on purpose.” Quake looked at her, “For now, no hurting each other, if you need help you can ask, if we have any issues come up we can add them. But as long as you all are safe and healthy even if one of us messes up it won’t be the end of the world, ok?”

She nodded, she glanced at the door, “Can we leave?”

“Not by yourselves.” Quake’s face had a knowing look that had Sarah’s cheeks flushing. “But once everyone is settled in and feeling up to it we could go to the park or out for pizza or something.”

It was…weird. She wasn’t sure how they could do that, she and Fred were the only ones who could be mistaken for human. But for now, she’d wait before checking on the locks on the doors. It wasn’t even really that she wanted to leave, but she needed….she wanted to know if she could get the door open.

Sarah looked up as a bowl of food, warm steam rising from it, was set in front of her. There were berries and honey on top and everything. Her eyes widened, and then she looked up at Quake. “I can eat this?”

“Yeah, if you want seconds just say so. I made more than enough for everyone.” Quake’s attention flicked to the bathroom door where Xal was scooting out.

Xal had a bright smile, showing their pointy teeth. “Quake! Your shower is amazing! Do ya think I can have a shower like that when I’m big?”

“Yeah, I’m sure you can. And you can call me Daisy.” She looked around at the three of them who were awake. “That goes for all of you, it’s my name.”

Wally swallowed, “But you said your name was Quake?”

“That’s more of a title than a name.” Quake, or Daisy replied. “You don’t think Superman and Supergirl are called that all the time either do you?”

Xal snickered, as they trotted up to Daisy, clearly considering the best way to crawl onto the woman again. “So like the flower?”

Sarah picked up the spoon by her bowl and looked down at it, letting the words buzz over her head while the tones were happy. Hesitantly she scooped some up and took a bite. Her eyes closed in happiness. It was good.

////

Markus had a stocked-up kit, just for the kids, as he let M’gann lead his blindfolded person to Quake’s apartment. “Are we sure leaving them with Quake was for the best?”

“Do you know someone else who could protect them if Cadmus managed to track them down, or who they’d talk to?” M’gann asked, “Besides, she won’t hurt them.”

He didn’t disagree, Quake’d resembled nothing so much as a pissed-off bear guarding its young the night before. “I didn’t mean to imply she’d harm them. But she had Supergirl remove grenades from her fridge. Is her home suitable for young children?”

“It’s a shockingly unremarkable if large studio apartment.” M’gann replied, “No exposed wires or open alcohol. Shocking, I’m aware.”

That was rather comforting. Quake wasn’t the kind of person who inspired a great deal of faith in her ability to have things like windows, and furniture. Although, “Dear gods, are you saying she’s got all five of those children in a single apartment?”

“It's better than some of us could have provided.” M’gann pointed out perfectly reasonable.

He sighed but settled as he heard M’gann knock on the door.

“Holy shit you actually blindfolded him,” Quake’s voice had a laugh in it.

M’gann pushed him firmly through the door. “As requested.”

“Wasn’t being entirely literal, but cool. You can take the blindfold off Doc.”

Markus reached up pulling the blindfold off, and blinked as he adjusted to the light, and then he blinked a few more times. It was…not anything he could have imagined.

The apartment looked like some kind of brightly colored kid’s sleepover. Little Fred was happily situated on the couch, her broken foot elevated on pillows, hair neatly braided into matching pigtail braids, and coloring very seriously on one of those plastic lap desk things, a stuffed bunny wedged under one arm.

Sitting at the kitchen table, sharp eyes looking toward him, but wearing bright cheerful colors, her hair now only coming down to her chin but clean and mat free, was Sarah. She had a giant stuffed horse on her lap, and her own coloring supplies in front of her.

From in front of the couch, Xal’s head had popped up, as clean and colorful as the rest. Even their scales were clearly polished, a book in their hands. Behind Xal, on the couch was a conscious, clean, and wrapped in colorful blankets Dem-Van who was blinking curiously up at Markus and M’gann.

And standing there, having just opened the door was, Quake. She looked positively soft in flannel pajama pants and a tank, little Wally perched on one hip in bright blue pajamas of his own.

“Oh,” Markus could barely believe the difference being clean, in real clothing, and having just…things with them would make after a night’s sleep. But it was a radical difference.

Quake just laughed, “Come on, you can set your things down in the kitchen.” She looked over one shoulder. “Xal, orange peels in the trash not under the couch.”

Xal pouted, “It’s like you have eyes everywhere.” But the kid scrambled to their feet before carrying a paper towel with orange peel in it toward the kitchen.

“It’s magic,” Quake’s voice was dry as she rolled her eyes. She looked back at Markus and M’gann. “You came before the Crocodile Hunter marathon on Animal Planet starts, so good timing there.”

Markus chuckled, “I’ll have to let my own hatchlings know about that. They’ll be delighted.” He set his case down on the counter and couldn’t help staring at the fridge. There was a list of the order of showers. Apparently Dem-Van, Xal, and Sarah were assigned to nighttime shower slots, while Wally, and Fred were assigned morning slots. Just beside that was a ‘Hate’ list. And under each child's name was a list of ten foods that apparently they hated, ranked one through ten. There was also his list of dietary suggestions neatly taped on the freezer door.

He looked around the apartment again, as he opened up his case. The bones of the apartment were rather basic, and impersonal. Tasteful, but empty. But everywhere on top of it was an explosion. The bookshelf by one wall was full of kids' toys, books, and neatly folded throw blankets. It was a lot of chaos, but apparently, besides violence, Quake was horrifyingly effective at caring for kids. He was a father, and the concept of getting five traumatized kids clean, dressed, and entertained for half of a day, not to mention fed, sounded exhausting.

“Daisy! Can we have popcorn!” Fred was aiming her best puppy eyes at Quake.

Quake, or apparently Daisy, just huffed. “After the doctor leaves.” She’d dropped into the singular armchair and picked up a brush and was apparently working on brushing out Wally’s undercoat. Wally seemed perfectly content to let her, shifting so she could get at different parts of him, eyes half-lidded in comfort.

“Any notes?” M’gann asked, asking around the fact they were trying to figure out where the kids came from.

Daisy’s eyes flicked back to M’gann, “I’ll email you, also, tomorrow’s Friday and I’ve called out from work for the next week, but I have a…thing on Monday night that can’t be postponed.”

“Babysitting?” M’gann sounded exhausted. “Fine.”

Markus looked at the kids, “Dem-Van, feeling up to letting me take a look at you?”

The air…changed, the kids looking uneasy suddenly, shrinking slightly.

“Why don’t you run that scanner thing on me first? I probably have a vitamin deficiency or something.” Daisy cut in, her voice very carefully casual. The tension easing out of the kids some.

Markus was not a pediatrician and appreciated the help. Adults were so much easier to treat, and for most kids, he could just hand them a lollipop and they would let him give them their shots. Usually, their parents handled keeping them amicable otherwise. And, he could admit he was curious what the scans would pick up on a being like Quake.

“Is there a way to show the kids what the scan is showing you?” Daisy asked, gently setting a slightly more brushed Wally on the chair as she stood up.

He paused, “Yes, I can project that, your walls are fortunately open for that.”

“Yeah, the change from living out of a car to an apartment has kinda left the place pretty empty.” Daisy shrugged as she walked over, ignoring the blatant concern on all of the kids' faces. And the fact Wally had half launched himself off of the chair and was clinging to her leg like a monkey.

Markus pulled out his scanner, carefully adjusting it to project. “Well, it has its advantages to be rather minimalist at times.” He was curious about what he’d see. Thanks to the scans last night he could tell the children had mostly been nutritionally deprived, some minor bruising and injuries. If he had to guess Fred’s foot was from trying to escape or just attacking someone.

Most of the damage to the children wasn’t what had been done to them, but rather what had been taken from them. Dem-Van was so weak because he’d been bled and had most of his glands drained. All of them had extensive needle-track injuries and malnutrition. But the Cadmus scientists seemed to have predominately taken samples. Not that that wouldn’t have been horrifically painful and wasn’t ethically horrifying. But in small part he was relieved. Every adult in the room knew it could have been so much worse.

Markus held up the scanner, “If it's alright with you?”

“Go for it,” Daisy replied offering her shoulder, even if her eyes were tight.

He gently touched the device to her, it was a fairly basic model, barely a century ahead of Earth technology. It only showed damage, not the cause or how to fix it. It’s why he’d needed more equipment to find out which vitamins and shots or recommendations to make for the children. And to have the likely supplements they would need. It was mostly luck he’d been able to stimulate Dem-Van’s body into producing enough blood to keep his systems from shutting down last night. As it was, the boy was going to be bedridden for days because of it.

The scanner ran, it let out a miserable sounding whirring sound. Blast, he was going to have to replace it, and replacing technology on Earth was miserable and expensive. And you never got exactly what you wanted without paying through the nose. He tapped it slightly, and then it lit up, its results projected at the empty white wall.

Markus hissed. It was horrific.

“Why are my bones black with like white stripes?” Daisy asked curiously.

He swallowed, ignoring the curious looks from the kids, and the horrified silence of M’gann. “The black is where your bones have been damaged or broken.”

Daisy whistled, “Well, that explains why the arm and leg bones are just all black.”

The large areas of highlighted severe soft tissue damage were alarming. The colors there ranged from yellow to red. There was a lot of red so dark it was nearly black. The way her blood was lit up like it was full of foreign toxins, it was…there wasn’t a singular inch of her that was not giving him anxiety.

“So, let me guess, I need vitamin D?” Daisy asked curiously.

He set the scanner down and turned and started rummaging for vials. “Everything, you’re low on everything.”

“Huh, gonna be honest, this is kind of the best I’ve felt in years.” Daisy leaned down, scooping up Wally, “See? You were mostly out of it last night, but it doesn’t hurt at all. And then you can see what your insides look like? Cool right?” She was pointing to the still projected image of her body.

Wally pointed, “What’s the big red Y?”

“That’s where the bad doctors look at what’s inside of a person.” She said as if she wasn’t describing being dissected while alive!

Sarah had drifted over, nearly touching Daisy. “They hurt you too?”

“Not the same scientists as you, but yeah.” She was looking at the kid. “I told you yeah? If Dr. Markus is a bad doctor I’ll take care of it, and I know what a bad doctor does.”

Markus walked over, a syringe of every vitamin needed for a functioning human neatly measured into it. “You need one of these every day for a month, and I’m leaving you a list of over-the-counter vitamins to start taking. You also need to increase your protein consumption.” He unceremoniously stabbed the needle into her shoulder. Of course, he wasn’t an idiot and had met her eyes before doing so. No need to get his neck snapped for surprising her. It’d ache a bit, but he was not asking Quake to take off her pants so he could get it in her thigh.

She shot him an irritated look but didn’t fight or so much as flinch. Not that he’d stabbed anywhere painful, and he’d gone for the arm that was loose. “Really?”

“Distracted patients can’t tense,” Markus looked at Wally. “Do you want to see your scan, young man?”

Chapter 35

Notes:

Tea and Great British Bake Off while the dog sleeps on my feet is my happy place.

Kara set the two boxed air mattresses on the floor before clapping her hands. “Right, that’s the last of it.”

“Thank you,” Daisy sounded relieved and tired. “I know it’s a lot, and you just started your new job.”

“Hey, I’m happy to help,” Kara assured her, and she was. She couldn’t help how overwhelmingly sweet it was to see Daisy around the kids. To see how much she cared. And, she’d maybe had a bit too much fun finding different colors of play dough, not that she’d put any of today’s trip on Daisy’s credit card even if Daisy hadn’t realized that yet.

Daisy just smiled, “It’ll be nice not to sleep on the floor.”

“You could have asked for me to fly the couch down,” Kara pouted, she hadn’t really thought of where everyone would sleep in Daisy’s apartment. She probably should have.

Daisy rolled her eyes, “I’ve slept on way worse. It was fine. But, air mattresses.” She frowned slightly, running a hand through her hair. “Every kid is supposed to have their own bed, it's not good for them to be sharing, but I don’t have space without getting cots.”

“Why?” Kara looked at her curiously.

Daisy paused, “Because it’s the rules, they…oh. I guess CPS isn’t going to be doing a wellness check are they?”

“Foster kids can’t share beds?” Kara asked curiously, she remembered nights when curling up with Alex was the only reason she could sleep. And nights when Alex had climbed in with her and quietly shared stories under the blankets.

Daisy laughed, “God no. I mean get why, but yeah.” She looked at the kids softening, “You know Wally is a big fan?”

“Do we know anything about their parents?” Kara asked, her voice low. She could guess a couple of them might still be able to hear.

Daisy gave a long sigh, “From their accents, I’d say they’re west coast except for Dem-Van, he’s got a bit of the New York, or Metropolis ‘ah’ with his ‘r’s.”

“So like you?” Kara asked while catching Daisy’s hand and threading their fingers together.

Daisy smiled, leaning against her. “Yeah, like me. Though I’ve mostly lost that accent, spent a lot of time on the west coast.”

“True,” But Kara fully intended to remember that Daisy could probably do the thickest Metropolis accent if she wanted to. “Anything else useful for finding them?”

Daisy shrugged, “With them not talking, it’ll take a while. At least as long as M’gann doesn’t meld with any of them. And I agree with her, it’d be fucked up to do that to any of them.”

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” Kara asked, she wanted to make this better. Because as much as it was wonderful proof of every good thing she’d ever thought of Daisy, it was also tragic. These children deserved their families.

“Watch them so I can get a shower?” Daisy asked.

Kara nodded, “I can do that.”

 

Kara probably should have thought through insisting Daisy go use the shower upstairs since the one in Daisy’s own apartment was full of towels hung to dry out, rubber ducks, and just generally the apartment was crowded. Kara had assumed, Daisy could use the brief chance at a break. She still was pretty sure that was right. However, facing five sets of eyes laser-focused on her the second Daisy left, she might have underestimated how this was going to go. “Um, hi?”

“Are you really Supergirl?” Fred, who’d been mostly unconscious last night asked, her foot in a brand new, bright pink cast.

She smiled, “I am.”

“But you’re…normal?” Fred said, her face scrunched up in confusion.

Kara had never actually been called normal by someone who knew she was Supergirl before. “I guess I am normal for a Kryptonian? Sort of? Life on Earth is very different than Krypton.”

Xal nodded solemnly, “We lived in the trees on Tsauron! And here we’re just in an apartment and the image inducer means only two of us can go anywhere outside.”

“Shut up,” Sarah hissed, turning on Xal, glaring sharply.

Xal shrunk, “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Tsauron is beautiful. I was lucky to spend a few days there with my father when I was around your age.” Kara wondered if separating the kids just a bit would let one of them tell someone about their parents? She’d mention it to Daisy. It could be a horrible idea too.

Sarah glared at her, “You can’t trick us into telling you anything.”

“I wasn’t trying to trick you,” Kara wasn’t sure what to do with the kids who seemed more and more hostile by the second.

“Yes, you are!” Sarah was on her feet, and furious.

Kara shook her head, “I’m not trying to trick you, I would like to know how to find your families for you. I know Daisy does too.”

“Supergirl is a hero, Sawah.” Wally pulled at Sarah’s hand. “We should open the play dough.”

Sarah’s jaw tightened but gave a sharp nod. “Ok.”

Kara almost sighed in relief, she was stopped by Fred bursting into tears.

“I want my mommy…. and uncles… and to go home!” Fred was wailing as great hiccuping sobs rocked her.

Kara was crouched in front of where the little girl was seated on the couch, between two beats of a heart. “It’s going to be ok sweety, you’re safe and we’ll get you back to your family. I promise you’re safe now.”

“NO!” Sarah stomped, her skin flushing purple rather than pink.

Fred was hiccuping, and Kara moved, so that she was sitting on the couch next to the girl, and carefully hugged her with all the care possible. It was a relief that Fred didn’t try to pull away, just slumping into her.

Kara looked at Sarah, confused at how this was all spiraling so far out of control so fast, and why they were so terrified of anyone knowing how to find their parents. “Why is it wrong to miss your parents?”

“They’ll kill them!” Sarah shouted, all of the kids shrinking back. “Strike told, and they brought his parents in and his hatchmates, and they died! They all died!” The girl choked on her own shouts. “Tal escaped! They didn’t know she could change shapes and she got out! But they brought her back! They brought her back and she wouldn’t eat! Or…or anything because they killed her family when they found her again!”

Kara wasn’t sure she’d ever felt this much molten fury burning through her before. Not even under the influence of RedK. It felt like her rage at what had been done to Astra, but missing so much of the grief of that. It left so very little except for anger. Her eyes burned with power, desperate to escape.

She swallowed it back, not daring to say anything to that till she felt the burning in her eyes abate. And then she spoke very slowly. “We’ll talk to Daisy. But we’ll make sure you’re safe. I promise, on the honor of my house, in the name of Rao, we’ll keep you, and your families safe.”

 

Kara had never been so relieved to see Daisy in her life. “Hey!” She couldn’t exactly move as she was now in a blanket and pillow nest trying to keep ice cream from getting spilled everywhere.

“You gave them ice cream?” Daisy raised a brow, looking amused and kind of exasperated. “Right before bedtime?”

She didn’t want to mention in front of the very awake kids that she hadn’t known what else to do after the crying started. “I mean, is there ever a bad time for ice cream?”

Fortunately, Daisy couldn’t reply as she oofed, from Xal hurtling into her like a green blur, before scaling up Daisy like a tree.

“You were gone for forever,” Xal mumbled into Daisy’s neck as soon as they’d managed to settle comfortably curled around her. It was adorable and honestly would have tipped Daisy straight over if she was human. Xal was nearly four feet, thinner than was healthy or not, they were too big to be carted around like a toddler.

Daisy didn’t mind, and just kinda got all soft every time Xal or Wally scaled her like a tree. “I’m not sure I want to even know what you all got into while I was gone.” She glanced at the air mattress boxes. “So, who wants to help set up the beds for tonight?”

“Yes!” Wally shoved the last of his ice cream into his mouth.

Kara reached over and wiped his muzzle off with the hand towel she’d grabbed at first sight of how messy of an eater he was and snagged his bowl before he could spill even more. He was clearly the youngest of the brood.

She more gently, and without the use of super speed, picked up the other bowls.

“I’ve got a job for you,” Daisy swooped down to where Dem-Van was curled under several blankets. “Think you can pick out some music for everyone?”

Kara moved when she realized Sarah was going to try and open the air mattress boxes with a scalpel! “Wait!”

 

Kara groaned, dropping down beside Daisy on her air mattress which was shoved against the wall. “The ice cream was a bad idea.”

“I think they’re all out?” Daisy said weakly, casting a quick look at various lumps. Dem-Van was still on the couch, but Fred and Sarah now had air mattresses. Only Xal and Wally were still sharing, and that was mostly because Wally had nearly cried at the thought of sleeping alone and Xal preferred living beings over their new heating pad.

Kara groaned, “How do they have so much energy, they’re sick?”

“Malnourished, not sick,” Daisy’s eyes were half closed. “Thanks for getting more groceries, they’re going to eat us both out of house and home.”

She liked how that sounded, ‘us’. Kara leaned slightly more solidly against Daisy. “The ice cream was because they told me why they’re scared for us to find their parents.”

“Just threats or did Cadmus actually kill some of them?” Daisy asked, her face grim as she looked at her.

Kara swallowed the lump in her throat at what Daisy had clearly realized from the start. “There were two other kids. One told Cadmus where their parents were, and the other escaped and went home.”

“They saw?” Daisy asked, resigned.

She nodded, “At least Sarah, I think most of them though.”

“So we need a security system they believe in before they’re going to tell us anything.” Daisy hummed, “I can work on it with them tomorrow. How’s the water filtration system going?”

Kara couldn’t help how she looked at Daisy for that question, it was so unbearably minor and unimportant how her job was going. But Daisy cared. “Dr. Xie doesn’t trust me enough to do more than read over blueprints and leave notes still.” She reached out, taking Daisy’s hand, entwining their fingers. “How are you managing?”

Daisy gave a sigh, looking away, her eyes falling on the sleeping lump of Fred. “I haven’t had to help manage kids since I was sixteen. The group homes, the orphanage, the foster homes, they all expected the older kids to help. Most of them wanted us to do most of the work.” Her tone was slightly bitter. “They deserve better.”

“So did you, and we’ll do better for them,” Kara squeezed their hands together.

Daisy returned the gesture, squeezing back just as tight. “Yeah, we will.” She was quiet for a minute before continuing. “I let Markus run his scanner on me, the kids were more awake this afternoon, so less cooperative. Apparently, I’m borderline malnourished and need an aggressive supplement plan and to eat significantly more protein.” Her nose scrunched, “Also he thinks I need to see a dentist, apparently I’ve got a cavity.”

“You’re malnourished?” Kara’s x-ray vision kicked in without thinking as she checked Daisy. It was silly, it wasn’t like vitamin deficiencies were visible that way or any way she could see.

She got a huff in reply, “I’m fine, and I’ll follow his orders.”

Kara stared at the side of Daisy’s face, she was taking that to mean Daisy was going to do what the doctor had said because if she didn’t, the kids wouldn’t. “You’re ridiculous,” Kara let go of her hand and pulled her into a hug. She sighed happily, her eyes closing as she hugged Daisy close. Diving had been the best thing she could have done.

////

Kara woke with a start, at the feeling of someone shaking her shoulder. She blinked blurrily, “Daisy?”

“No alarm clock!” Daisy half-tripped climbing over her and off of the air mattress.

She sat straight up in alarm. Any positive feelings from sleeping with Daisy’s arms wrapped around her waist vanished as panic set in. “What time is it?!”

 

“Seven-thirty,” Daisy replied while heading straight for the kitchen.

Kara shot to her feet, half flying, half jumping, “I’m going to be late!”

“You have super speed, and can fly, you’re not going to be late.” Daisy looked at her, “Go get ready, stop by down here before you leave.”

She looked at Daisy curiously but nodded. “Ok, ten minutes!” And then headed to her room as fast as she could without accidentally creating a sonic boom. Shower, get dressed and grab her things. She could do that. Super speed.

Kara was in and out of the shower as fast as the water could fall and she could move, before drying herself at speed and screeching to a stop before her wardrobe. Which was depressing, she really did need to start replacing the things she’d burnt to a crisp during those awful days under the influence of RedK. She’d hated her things so much while under the influence of it, but now, she kind of missed her sweaters…sometimes. Most of her dresses were gone. She did miss dresses, maybe slightly more professional ones?

Not that that mattered at the moment. She grabbed a dark navy button-up, beige slacks, and a neat brown belt. It’d do for today. Maybe she should try some fashionably cut blazers? Kara twisted her hair up into one of her easier updos. It was important she did fancier things with her hair while at L-corp. Make sure nobody heard alien, saw her, and thought anything close to Kryptonian. So more involved hair, and probably more pinks and beiges. And no red and blue at the same time. Alex was really going to kill her if she ever went anywhere with red and blue on her person while dressed as ‘Kara’.

Thinking of it, she was going to have to text Alex about doing sister night at Alex’s place next week. Because she had no idea how to explain the stack of weapons in her apartment and it wasn’t like those could go anywhere else till the kids were all back to their homes. At least with her new job, she had an excuse to be a bit hair-brained for a bit. As long as there weren’t too many Super emergencies she hopefully wouldn’t lose this new job. She really liked it.

Kara dashed in front of the mirror, double-checked she looked acceptable, and then was out the window heading down to Daisy’s, grabbing her purse and keys on the way out.

She shut the window behind her as she flew into Daisy’s apartment. Kara couldn’t help smiling at the chaos of the place. Dem-Van was sprawled on the couch, still plainly sound asleep. Sarah was missing, but from the sound of running water, she was in the shower. Wally was in a blanket burrito making soft, sleepy, growling noises as he mouthed absently at his stuffed dinosaur. Fred was still out like a light, probably, she was a shapeless lump of blankets on her air mattress. And last, but not least, Xal was sitting at a chair by the table eating from a bowl of berries.

Daisy opened the fridge grabbing some Tupperware out at the sight of Kara. “I packed you lunch for work. I’m turning into a housewife, but ya know, already making so much food.”

“Thank you, and I don’t think housewives are supposed to have as many guns as you do.” Kara was only partially joking. But also the idea of Daisy being a stay-at-home child manager for more than a couple of weeks was a bit ridiculous. The woman would climb the walls from sheer boredom.

It suddenly hit her that Daisy had made her lunch. As in Daisy had had time to think of her despite everything else happening. Kara zipped to her side and kissed her soundly, before pulling back. “Thank you.”

Xal made a faint ‘urgh’ sound, “You two are gross.” Xal’s head tipped, “Why is your mate living upstairs if you live here?”

Daisy opened and shut her mouth. Kara felt her whole face flush.

“You’re bad at hiding it.” Xal rolled their eyes while stuffing some blackberries into their mouth.

Daisy managed a weak, “Um…we’re not mates.” She shot a panicked look at Kara, looking very apologetic, before looking back to Xal. “We’re dating, she’s my girlfriend.”

“Oh, is that a human thing?” Xal looked at them curiously.

Daisy shoved the Tupperware into Kara’s hands. “Yes, yes it is. I’ll be right back.”

Kara was beaming, and flushed, as she let Daisy politely shove her out the door. She turned as the door shut, the two of them in the hall, without little children’s eyes on them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to say,” Daisy winced.

Kara hugged Daisy and squeezed her. “You’re doing amazing with them, and I know we haven’t even gone on a date yet, but it sounded nice.”

Daisy hugged her back, but then pulled back, “Go, you can’t be late on your first week.”

“You’re the best, text me if you need me to pick anything up for you on the way home.” Kara waited for agreement on Daisy’s face, and then she took off. She really couldn’t be late to L-corp. But she was still smiling as she reached L-corp.

 

Kara’s brow was furrowed as she looked at the design. She turned around the blueprints for the mesh material that Dr. Whistler was designing. The material was fascinating, and its ability to be manufactured would make it easy to reproduce. But while its magnetic properties could remove lead from the water, it didn’t remove much else besides metals.

Tapping her finger she considered it, the best thing for water filtration was sand. The different composites of grained sands were being tested. But to keep the device small, they weren’t able to really filter it. If they could run a charge through the sand that was an option…

Kara looked up at Dr. Whistler where he was running numbers on adjusting his mesh. “Where’s the list of types of sand mixtures used?”

“It’s under subsection three,” Dr. Whistler looked at her, “Your alien super-genius not for paperwork?”

Kara forced herself to smile, “Thank you, and just learning L-corp’s systems.” She understood why Alex and Daisy hadn’t wanted her to be openly alien. The way people at L-corp looked at her was different. It made her uncomfortable, how hostile everyone was, it was horribly similar to when she’d been the weird new kid in high school. But she’d work through it. She’d gotten through it once, she could do it again. “Do you know if quartz sand composites have been tested yet?”

Chapter 36

Notes:

Sup! The flu sucks.

Daisy had forgotten how nice living in a city, and being able to order shit to be delivered same day to a location was. Five pairs of children’s jeans were carefully ordered after wrangling the kids into letting her measure their waist and leg lengths. Would the pants fit great? Probably not. But they’d fit well enough that they could get out of the apartment for a few hours before they started crawling up the walls. Not till tomorrow, unless Kara was willing to watch Fred and Dem-Van while she took the others out.

But, more important than the jeans, was the bag with five kids' watches. “Awesome.”

“What’s that?” Xal poked their head between Daisy’s arm and side, looking curiously into the bag. It was funny, the kid was a bit too tall for that to be totally comfortable.

She easily adjusted so her arm was hooked around Xal’s shoulders, the kid not having to stoop as she answered. “Safety measures.”

“They’re watches?” Xal said slowly, and the other kids were mostly all paying attention. Well except Wally who was taking a nap.

Daisy smiled at Xal, she wasn’t sure exactly what she’d done to earn the unshakable trust they all seemed to have in her. But then, she wasn’t human, had pulled them out of the lab and killed the people hurting them. It wasn’t completely weird they’d cling a bit. “Security measures so you’ll be safe once you’re not with me anymore.” She squeezed Xal tightly as they stiffened at the mention of not staying with her for forever.

“Watches will help?” Dem-Van said slowly, his blue face scrunched in confusion from where he was bundled up on the couch, hands curled around a hot mug of hot water and lemon. Apparently, it was really good for his species.

Daisy huffed, pulling Xal back into the room and away from the door, holding her bag of watches. “The watches themselves? Not really. These ones are pretty cool though, they have some nifty features. But, it's what I’m going to put into them that’s going to help keep you safe.”

“What’re you putting in them?” Sarah asked leaning over the back of the couch.

“GPS tags.” Daisy set the bag on the coffee table, before heading to the kitchen and pulling one of her neatly locked boxes of tech off of a shelf that was a bit stupid high for her to reach. “It’ll make it so if anything happens, you just have to hit a button on your watch, and I’ll know exactly where you are.” She looked at Sarah, “And then I’ll take care of it.”

Sarah’s eyes narrowed, “You’ll kill the people coming for us?”

“That’s…” Daisy grimaced, she was a terrible role model. The kids really should be with someone who didn’t commit multiple felonies a week. “Yeah, I’d find you and I’d do whatever needed to happen to keep you, and your families safe.”

“How does it work?” Dem-Van asked, and he really did look better today. His blue just healthier, and his eyes more aware of things, and he’d only fallen asleep twice since breakfast.

Daisy smiled, “I’ll show you.” She walked over, sitting in the middle of the couch, and opened up the box pulling out the right toolkit, and grabbing a watch. Once she’d shown them how the GPS was installed into the watches, she was going to have to show them how she’d be able to track them using a computer, or smartphone, but it’d be easier to show on a laptop.

////

Kara flew into the DEO, “Lucy!”

“Supergirl, good job with the car chase earlier.” Lucy looked up from where she’d been talking with J’onn.

J’onn didn’t smile exactly, but his approval was there all the same.

“Anything I should know about here?” Kara wasn’t sure how to act normal exactly, but she always checked in with the DEO after work. Also, apparently just being around Daisy meant she was getting better at it.

Lucy folded the paperwork she’d had in her hands closed and under one arm. “Not today, with prisoner transfers on hold till I’ve reviewed the hires under my predecessor's tenure.”

Kara frowned slightly, she knew J’onn had lied, but the way everything he’d ever done was being picked apart by an auditing team in the DEO was unfair. He’d been a great director. But, J’onn was there and hadn’t said anything against the process. If it wasn’t for the kids she’d ask Daisy about it. Or Alex, she could ask Alex. “Is Alex in her lab then?”

“More panels on our sleeping visitor,” Lucy waved towards the wing where the Kryptonian was being kept. “Not that we’ll get anything useful from him without Kryptonite and I haven’t signed off on that.”

Kara smiled faintly at Lucy for that, for protecting the Kryptonian in her custody. “Thank you, I’m sure he’ll cooperate once he wakes up.”

“Hmm, maybe.” Lucy rolled her eyes, “We’ll call if something comes up.”

Kara barely resisted hugging Lucy and zipped down the halls toward her sister. Her cape snapped slightly as she halted in the doorway to the lab. “Alex!”

“Oh good, I could use a second pair of hands.” Alex looked up from her microscope and gestured to a tray that was just out of her reach.

Kara smiled, it was good to have her sister back. She picked up the tray and passed it to her sister. “Did you actually manage to get a sample from the Kryptonian?”

“Unfortunately not, but, we found some microbes inside an astroid we had in storage from a few years ago.” Alex pulled back, snapping her gloves off. She paused, her face rather consternated. “Work was…interesting for you?”

Kara nudged her sister gently, “I’m the weird new kid at school again. But I have an idea about changing the sand composite to one made from quartz. If I can recreate the Kryptonian method of using crystalline structures to hold an electric charge it could make a difference to the project.”

“I could come visit, with my gun.” Alex wasn’t joking as she offered.

Kara wrapped an arm around her sister and kissed her sister’s temple. “Please don’t.”

“Luthor doesn’t scare me.” Alex was still pleased at the affection, she wasn’t good at hiding that.

Kara just hummed happily, “I know, you should probably be scared of her lawyers. I had to sign so much paperwork.”

“Absolutely terrible, the evil company that makes weapons and is connected to anti-alien terrorists has extensive privacy paperwork. Shocking,” Alex was being sarcastic.

“Don’t be rude, and they’re shifting their focus from weapons manufacturing to other projects.” Kara defended with a roll of her eyes. “I’m making portable water filters.”

Alex gave her a look that was exasperated, but enough to know she wouldn’t be arguing the point. “Are your coworkers treating you alright?”

Kara frowned, “It's different, them knowing I’m an alien.” She shook off the thought, “But Tuesday, sister’s night?”

“Plans with the girlfriend, tonight?” Alex kicked at the floor, wheeling her rolly stool so that she was facing Kara.

She flushed, it wasn't exactly the date she’d been hoping for, but the warmth she got from watching Daisy with the kids? Kara suddenly understood why Daisy just, didn’t mind being ditched for Super things. It wasn’t a hardship at all. “I was thinking, The Sound of Music? She’s been on a musical kick recently.”

“You’ve only known her recently.” Alex grumbled.

Kara ignored the commentary. “I wonder if she likes Fred Astaire movies?”

 

Kara could smell the chicken nuggets in the oven as she swooped into Daisy’s apartment. And it was noticeably happier. Or…not happier, but softer. The kids were less on guard. There was music playing, all upbeat pop tones that Fred was happily humming along to while coloring what looked like bugs in princess dresses, on the floor. Xal and Sarah were curled up in the armchair together, one of the books Kara had picked up for them opened up across their laps. And then, on the couch, was Daisy. She was typing on her laptop, Wally on her lap chewing on a rubber dinosaur’s tail as he watched what she was doing, Dem-Van leaning against Daisy holding her Quake mask that had a different LED expression lit up on it. It was…remarkable really.

Smiling she shut the door behind her. “Are you giving the mask LED whiskers?”

“To make it less scary,” Dem-Van smiled up at her and it lit his face in a way she hadn’t seen before. Every time she saw him it was like more life had been poured back into him.

Kara stared at the lit up pink LED lights on the mask. The lower face mask was lit up like a cat emoji, the eye mask was lit up, and instead of half circles for eyes, there were hearts. It was…ridiculous and if Daisy actually punched a person with her mask lit up like that it’d be worse. Kara wasn’t sure why exactly, but it’d be so much worse. “The heart eyes might be a bit too much?”

“Circles?” Dem-Van looked at the mask, face squished in deep thought.

Daisy hummed, typing on her laptop, adjusting the code, and then the lights flickered to circles instead of hearts. She glanced up at Kara and winked, amused curl to her lips.

It really didn’t help…much. But at least it helped some? And oh Rao, Daisy really would just go out with a silly cat emoji expression on her mask if it made the kids happy. It was sweet, but was going to give criminals the weirdest night terrors.

“I like it,” Dem-Van nodded seriously. “Add it to the list.”

Daisy hummed, seriously. “Got it, want to show Kara all the different faces we’ve programmed into it already?”

Oh no, Kara set her things down by the door and walked over. She settled on Daisy’s other side. “How many faces have you made today?”

“Five!” Wally happily declared, his big brown puppy eyes looking up at her happily.

She was smiling as she looked at them. “Are they all different colors?” Kara looked at Daisy, “Your LED mask has different colors?”

“Most of them!” Wally said happily.

Daisy smiled, “It’s got four different colors.”

“Just the smiling face is weird. Nobody just smiles.” Dem-Van said decisively, and he neatly clicked a switch of some kind on the inside seam of the mask. The pink cat face changed to red lights in what was clearly a ‘mad face’. Red half circles for eyes, tilted slightly and an upside down curve for the mouth.

Kara bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snorting. “A mad face?”

“Angry.” Dem-Van easily corrected as he held the mask, to make sure Kara could see it. “Just smiling all the time is weird.” He clicked to a face that was purple lights, with circle eyes, and the lower face mask was just a black and purple checkerboard.

“What’s this one supposed to be?” Kara asked, as she settled in for a brief window of comfort before chaos descended again.

Xal spoke up from the armchair, clearly paying attention to them. “That one’s just fun, Fred liked it.”

“It's colorful, an’ purple is Daisy’s favorite color.” Fred defended.

Daisy cut in, clearly sensing an argument about to break out. “It’ll be a change of pace.”

“We got watches!” Wally shoved a furry wrist into Kara’s face.

Daisy explained before Kara could ask. “They’ve got GPS installed in them so they can alert me to their location at any time and I can get to them. Now that you’re here, I was hoping I could go grab some burner phones to set up for them. Then maybe someone will agree to telling us who a parent is?” She looked pointedly at the kids.

Kara accepted she was going to be praying for the apartment not to burn down. The kids turned to chaos the second Daisy was out of their sight. “Of course, do you have time for dinner?”

“Yeah, it’s chicken nuggets for everyone, but there’s salad in the fridge for everyone except for Wally. Wally gets the pediasure shake with his nuggets. And the fruit plate with yogurt and celery sticks for Xal.” Daisy listed off like that wasn’t a lot of work she’d been managing just with meals. Because that’d be three meals a day with different nutritional needs for all of the kids.

Kara pushed down her unease at being left with the kids again. “We’ll be fine till you can get back.”

“Great,” Daisy set her laptop aside and passed a wiggly Wally over to Kara. “I shouldn’t be gone long.” She had a knowing look on her face, “I’ll be fast.”

She was really hoping so, “We’ll be fine.” Hopefully.

 

Kara picked up the heating pad that was scrunched in one corner. “Xal, do you want this? Or should I put it on the bed?”

“Don’t want it.” Xal said from where they were still glomped onto Sarah.

Weird, but she wasn’t going to poke that, “I’m just going to place it by the bed if you change your mind.” She carefully folded it and set it on the bedside table near the side Xal had mostly claimed. Though to be fair, Xal mostly just glomped onto whomever was warmest and closest to them.

Kara zipped to the kitchen at the sound of the timer. Not having to use oven mitts made it quick to pull out the two cookie sheets of chicken nuggets. Grabbing the large metal bowl with a towel around and over it, she uncovered it, and added them to the bowl, before covering it again. Because the amount of nuggets being made was…concerning. But, she could bake chicken nuggets.

She opened up the freezer and pulled out the third bag of nuggets. And spread them out over the cookie trays before putting the trays back in. Kara reset the timer. She scanned the kitchen, right not missing anything. But that was everything. She was succeeding. There was a faint popping sound from behind her.

“Um…Ms. Supergirl?” Fred’s voice asked, pitched up.

Kara spun around, “Oh gosh!” She moved as fast as she could safely to where Fred had exploded two markers. “It’s fine.” She gently caught Fred’s little hands before she could touch anything with her tiny ink-covered hands.

Fred’s eyes were watering, “I didn’t mean to!”

“I know sweety, but it's really easy to do.” Kara smiled at her, she could handle an ink spill. “I used to only use pencils because I broke so many pens. We just have to clean this up and try not to get it everywhere, ok?”

Fred sniffled, “Please, I didn’t mean to.”

“I know, I’m going to pick you up and carry you over to the sink so we can wash your hands. Is that ok?” Kara wished she could explain it didn’t matter that the girl had broken something. But she remembered being a terrified thirteen-year-old putting a third hole in a wall in a single week. Or that awful first month after her laser vision came in. That had been terrifying and mortifying.

Fred nodded, eyes on the floor.

Kara scooped up the little girl, and it was weird how just…limp Fred went. But, she could worry about that later. Right now she could fix the mess, and hopefully, that’d let Fred perk up again. Kara was ignoring how every kid in the apartment was pretending they weren’t watching, but watching with laser focus out of the corners of their eyes. Except for Sarah…Sarah was just blatantly watching her with hawklike focus.

“When I was new to Earth I broke a lot of stuff. I blew up a popcorn maker once, it was so loud and I thought it was attacking so I zapped it.” Kara babbled as she turned on the water and helped Fred wash her hands. Dish soap would hopefully get the ink off better than hand soap? Eliza had done that, so hopefully it was right. “Sarah, could you grab Fred another shirt?”

There was a shuffling sound.

Kara assumed that was a ‘yes’. She smiled, carefully helping Fred till the water ran clear. Turning off the water, she smiled in relief to see Sarah, holding a blue t-shirt, and standing at the edge of the boundary into the kitchen. “Thank you, Sarah.” She carefully dried off her own and Fred’s hands, before accepting the shirt. “Can you go and change your shirt, please?”

Fred just nodded, taking the shirt and limping toward the bathroom.

It made Kara twitch, and want to carry the kid so she didn’t have to walk with her broken foot. But, according to the doctor, it was ok as long as she didn’t go long distances without crutches. Something was so very wrong about how the kids were acting. When in doubt, smile and hope whatever the issue was would improve by ignoring it.

Kara grabbed a dish towel, wet it, and zipped to the floor where Fred had been working on her drawing and cleaned it up. Fortunately, pergo floors, it made just wiping up the splattered ink easy. The drawing was probably a lost cause, but it was easy to pick up the pieces of broken gel markers.

She looked up as Fred poked out of the bathroom, new shirt on. “Do you want to keep your drawing?” Kara dropped the broken pens into the trash.

Fred’s eyes barely flicked to the drawing before shaking her head.

Right, Daisy would know what was wrong. Until Daisy got back, Kara set aside the drawing. “Do you want me to put on Animal Planet?”

“Ok,” Fred mumbled.

And the fact none of the other kids was talking was distinctly uneasy. “Hopefully there’s something fun on.” She walked over and picked Fred up, who was still acting almost doll like. She set the girl on the couch, gently pressed her stuffed bunny into her arms, snagged the pink throw blanket, and passed it to the kid. “Right, let’s see what’s on.”

“No ones in trouble?” Sarah asked, her expression suspicious as she hovered.

Kara wasn’t stupid, she was confused by how they were reacting, but she knew they were scared, of her, over two gel pens. “Of course not, even if it wasn’t an accident it was just a pen.”

 

Kara felt exhausted, Daisy hadn’t even been gone for a whole hour, and she felt more tired from forty minutes with the kids than she did from an entire shift of work and several Supergirl rescues. But, the kids were all crammed onto the couch, under blankets silently watching Dr. Dee: Alaska Vet.

She looked over to the hallway at the sound of Daisy’s distinctive heartbeat. Thank Rao. Kara opened the door before Daisy got to it. “Hi!”

“Um…what happened?” Daisy asked, eyes widening in confusion.

Kara could feel the sudden burning of the kids’ attentions on her. “Nothing, just good to see you back.”

“Right….” Daisy blatantly didn’t believe her, eyebrows raised. She held up the bags. “In other news, I got electronics.” She glanced at the TV as she walked into the apartment, “Animal Planet, again?”

Kara followed Daisy into the kitchen. “It’s only the best channel ever.”

“Is there something wrong with cartoons?” Daisy set the bags down and started unloading packaged phones. And a lot of watches.

Kara was thrilled to actually know the answer to that one. “Not all of us were born on Earth, and Earth’s animal diversity is amazing! Most planets don’t have as many animals as there are here.”

“We mostly had insects on Tsauron,” Xal piped up from the couch.

Daisy looked slightly thoughtful, “Huh, that makes sense.” She took in the kids, “I’m going to guess we’re having dinner on the couch tonight then?” And it was like…just Daisy being back in the room and tension was vanishing.

“Can we?” Fred actually met their eyes as she looked up at them.

Daisy turned grabbing plates, “Sure, you just have to help clean up if you spill.”

 

Kara wouldn’t have chosen to have chicken nuggets and salad for dinner. But it’d been fun, and she enjoyed watching Animal Planet and eating finger food while sitting on the floor, next to Daisy. She let out an oomph, as Xal slumped across her back.

“You’re really warm,” Xal mumbled as they curled around her.

She felt kind of like melting, and it just felt like it mattered. “I’m two degrees warmer than the average human.”

“It’s nice, better than a dumb heating pad.” Xal settled comfortably.

Daisy looked up from the last burner phone she’d been doing…something to. “So, who wants to test out the new phones?”

Chapter 37

Notes:

Sup! Early chapter since the Archive is going to be down for a few hours later on.

M’gann was wiping down the bar, and preparing for opening in another hour when the door opened. She groaned internally. “We’re not open till eleven.”

“Oh, um… it's still ok if I came for something else, right?” A slightly confused-sounding Supergirl in her civilian clothing asked.

M’gann looked up from her work, wonderful. “What is it?”

“We got info on the kids’ families. Or well, from three of them.” Supergirl brandished a sheet of paper with notes written across it.

The relief was sharp. The alien community wasn’t inter-connected enough for it to be easy to hunt down who’d had their children stolen from them. Just the bar was a risk, and it was the only openly alien establishment in the city. And it was hardly as if they had fliers or posters. It was word of mouth. “Which ones?”

“Dem-Van is from Metropolis and knows his parents’ phone numbers. Wally’s from Central City and described his house. It’s near a park by the river. And Fred is from Central City as well and knows some phone numbers.” Supergirl excitedly passed over the list of notes.

M’gann accepted it and quickly skimmed it, she could find and contact the parents with this by the end of the day at the longest. “Have you called any of their parents yet?”

“No, they didn’t want to, but Daisy thinks they’re scared their families won’t be there. If you could make sure their families are alive, that would be…really helpful.” Supergirl’s shoulders slumped, “I don’t know how Daisy’s managing it. They’re so scared.”

She didn’t need to point out they had good reason to be scared, Supergirl clearly knew that. “I’ll see what I can do, are you distracting them?”

“Zoo day,” Supergirl smiled, a feeling like warm bubbling affection radiating from her.

M’gann was too old for that mess. “Is that safe?”

“Daisy says it is, and if it’s not, well, both of us will be there.” Supergirl shrugged with absolute trust in her mate.

Which to be fair, probably was very deserved in this case. “Xal and Sarah didn’t share information on their families?”

“No, Sarah was unhappy any of them would say anything, and Xal just was…quiet. Daisy thinks since they’re the oldest they’re waiting to make sure the younger kids are taken care of before they let us help them.” Supergirl pulled her glasses off and rubbed at her eyes. “I wish it was as easy as just telling them they were safe.”

M’gann set her rag down. “They’re not safe, nowhere is, they’ve just learned that too soon and too sharply.” She met the blue eyes of the superhero, “Are you even completely safe?”

“No, I guess I’m not.” Supergirl shook her head, “When you talk to the parents, I can fly the kids wherever their homes are tonight.”

Well, that would solve the cost of transport. “Will they accept that? You taking them somewhere instead of Quake?”

“If I have to fly a kid and Quake to a location, I can fly Quake and a kid,” Supergirl replied easily, and fair. It wouldn’t be a challenge for a Kryptonian.

“I’ll message Quake when I have answers.” M’gann hoped it would be good news.

 

M’gann stared at the phone in her hands, the number of what was hopefully Dem-Van’s clan. She dialed.

////

Daisy looked over the kids. They were all dressed, Fred had her crutches, and they were all paired up. Which, assigning pairs had been fairly easy. Sarah as the oldest with Wally the youngest, Xal with Fred as the second oldest with the second youngest, and that left Dem-Van with her. She was guessing Dem-Van was going to have to ride piggyback for about half of the day, and it was easier to just pair him with her from the get-go. Kara could swoop in if Fred started to flag. Daisy’s hands rested on her hips, “What are we?”

“A homeschool field trip group,” The kids replied, with some rolled eyes at having to go over their cover story for the third time. Xal scratched at the corner of their face where the face veil ended, ladies neck scarf around their neck. It wasn’t the best, but as long as nobody paid too much attention to their hands they’d pass as human.

She ignored their exasperation at safety procedures. So paranoid about being on their own, adorably trusting when together. “And who am I?”

“Math teacher,” They replied.

Wally at least was enthusiastic and answered the next bit without prompting, the image inducer not flickering with the movement. “And Ms. Kara is our science teacher!”

“Good, and remember, no Quake or Supergirl when talking to us, ok? I’m Daisy or Ms. Johnson, Kara is Kara or Ms. Danvers. Can you guys remember that?” Daisy wasn’t too worried about them forgetting, but they were kids even if they were all paranoid and already using names instead of titles for her and Kara most of the time anyway.

They nodded or gave various sounds of agreement. Only two eye rolls over the question, but Xal’s image inducer was showing no signs of not working either, so they were hopefully good.

“Ok, stick with your partner, and the car ride is only going to be ten minutes, even if it’s going to be really squished.” Daisy opened up the apartment door and waved them all out.

Sarah grumbled while taking Wally’s paw. “Don’t crash the car.”

“Ha, ha.” Daisy replied while shutting the door behind them and led them down to the car. Kara would be meeting them there, mostly so there’d be more room in the car.

 

Daisy waved at Kara while ignoring the pale kids, piling out of the car as quickly as possible. “Hope you weren’t waiting long?”

“Just got here,” Kara bounced slightly as she trotted for them.

It cut how much it mattered to see Kara’s face brighten at the sight of her. Daisy smiled while rubbing Dem-Van’s back. Kid was being very dramatic about the drive over. They didn’t even hit anything. “Great, can you watch the kids while I go get tickets?”

“Are you sure?” The question about cost was clear on Kara’s face.

Daisy grinned, “School trip, tickets are significantly cheaper.” She was also pretending not to be double-checking the combination of two image inducers held together with literal duct-tape, face veil, and make-up was all in order. Daisy looked down at Dem-Van, “Want to come with, or stick with Ms. Kara?”

“Stick with you,” He took her hand, shooting a smug look at the other kids.

She bit her tongue to keep from laughing, which kids had teacher pet vibes were becoming really clear. “Let’s see if we get nametag stickers since we’re a school group.”

“Do you think they have bears?” He asked excitedly, looking around at the people on the street curiously, but shying up against her as he did so.

Daisy squeezed his hand, considering he was blue, she was pretty sure his family wouldn’t have let him out much on Earth. “I’m sure they have bears, and if you need to get out of the crowds you can just let me know, ok?”

“I’m not scared!” He tipped his chin up.

She smiled as she pulled him into line, “It wouldn’t be a bad thing if you were.”

“But I’m not,” His eyes darted to the side.

Daisy didn’t contradict him, sometimes believing you weren’t scared was how to get through things that were alarming. “So, what kind of bear is your favorite?”

His face lit up, “Polar bears! Did you know their fur isn’t actually white? It’s clear!”

“Didn’t know that… really?” Daisy asked, looking down at him. “How does that even work?”

Dem-Van vibrated with excitement, “It reflects light! Their skin is actually black! It’s just so thick we can’t see it.”

“Huh, guessing they’re your favorite animal?” Daisy asked, settling in for the wait to get to the ticket counter, and what was apparently going to be a deluge of polar bear facts.

The kid did not disappoint, “They’re the largest land carnivore! Even though they’re mostly born on land, they spend almost their whole lives on the ice sheets! They-”

She let his excited chatter wash over her, humming at the right points. Overall, Daisy was pretty pleased with how the hairspray was keeping the foundation on his hands. By the end of the day, they def were going to be looking a bit blue. But people cared more about faces than hands. And honestly, she trusted the face veil and neck scarf with some make-up more than she did the image inducers Xal and Wally had. Those things were well-used and barely not falling apart. But only one face veil and the veil wouldn’t have helped Wally.

Daisy brought them up to the counter, “So, about those student rates, do they apply to homeschool groups?”

////

Kara had pictured this as more romantic comedy vibes, and less hypervigilance to keep an eye on a small herd of children. But it was kind of perfect. She leaned against Daisy, nudging her slightly, as they watched the kids excitedly darting about in the petting zoo area. “So, giant bunnies and goats rank higher than tigers.”

“The tigers were sleeping, the goat is trying to blackmail them for food.” Daisy just looked content.

She smiled, “I think the rabbit’s approach is working better.”

Daisy’s eyes flicked to where Fred was half buried under the rabbit, happily melting into the child, and enjoying the soft petting. “That is not a rabbit, it's the size of a corgi.”

“French Lop,” Kara replied with a soft laugh.

“I don’t know, are we sure they didn’t glue a cotton ball to its butt and socks to its ears and use a dog? Rabbits are supposed to be small, and bouncy.” Daisy’s voice was playful, laughter in her eyes.

Kara probably shouldn’t be staring at her girlfriend’s eyes, but she really couldn’t help it. “I think Fred would have figured it out by now, she’s petting the ears.”

“True, weird alien animal pretending to be a rabbit?” Daisy nudged her back.

She pushed her glasses up her nose, “Step one on the way to world domination plan?”

“Undoubtedly, soon the streets will be being run by alien rabbits,” Daisy laughed before looking at the map. “So, we’re totally not making the rest of the zoo before dinner. Which parts do you want to hit before we herd the little monsters to the car?”

Kara turned so she was half facing Daisy. “We put the zoo on the list because you haven’t been to one before. So what area do you want to head towards?”

“Um…” Daisy blinked, head tilting to one side, blatantly unsure of what to do at being asked what she wanted to do. “Elephants are kinda awesome?”

Kara pulled out the map, “That’s by the monkeys, and then we can loop by the reptiles on our way out? What do you think?”

“I think you’re being optimistic about how much time the kids are going to spend with the monkeys,” But Daisy was smiling that smile that made Kara’s stomach do swoops cause she knew she’d done something right.

Kara looped her arm through Daisy’s, settling next to her again, and double-checking all the kids were where they were supposed to be. “Maybe, but Xal will be heartbroken if we miss the lizards.”

“Is it bad I’m relieved Wally doesn’t seem intent on seeing the wolves and stuff? I’m like half convinced he’d bark at them.” Daisy’s voice was softer under the humor than it’d been before.

She made a breathy laughing noise that she tried to bite back. “I think you’re right.”

“Good to know,” Daisy’s eyes flicked to her, “You know you didn’t have to help with them, you could have just, not risked all of this?”

Kara shook her head, “No, I did. It was the right thing to do.” Her voice was strong, the certainty down to her bones that this was what she should be doing. “Really, everything in my life I barely am sure I’m doing the right thing half the time, if that. But as Supergirl? It makes sense. I can make a difference, and I just…”

“It’s cleaner.” Daisy finished for her. “Being a symbol cuts out the noise, it's a mission.”

She sighed in relief that Daisy just understood. “Exactly, and it doesn’t matter if it makes things complicated, and that I hate lying to my sister. You needed my help, they needed my help. And that’s more important.”

“Yeah, yeah I get that.” Daisy blew out a long breath. “Don’t forget you're a person too. This job…it’ll chew you up and spit you out if you let it. It never stops, you’re never done, you never get a break, it's like…a treadmill without a stop button.”

Kara snorted, “I think that goes for you too.”

“Hey, this is me trying, very unsuccessfully, to get off the treadmill.” Daisy elbowed her lightly, a buzz of vibrations passing through her, but a laugh in her voice. “You’re supposed to listen to my wisdom and not mention the hypocrisy.”

Kara couldn’t help laughing properly then, her eyes tearing up from just, everything about that statement.

////

Daisy walked over to where the kids were all piled on the couch, several well on their way to napping from their day at the zoo. She sat down on the table in front of them. The understanding in some of their faces, without her saying a word was sad in its own way. But then kids were always smarter than adults gave them credit for. “M’gann managed to contact Dem-Van and Fred’s families. They’re both alive.”

Xal had curled further around Fred, hands curling around each other. “Wally?”

“While I’m in Central City I’ll find his family after I return Fred to her family.” Daisy kept her tone even and calm. “But first, we were going to bring Dem-Van home, your clan is very excited to see you.” She carefully repeated the phrase M’gann had given her to say. It wasn’t any earth language, and it wasn’t a long phrase. But she didn’t need to.

Dem-Van’s eyes widened, tears filling his dark eyes. “Oh. They’re…they’re really alive.”

“They are, and have missed you as much as you’ve missed them.” Daisy wasn’t used to this kind of happy ending. She didn’t need to mention what M’gann had told her. About scars and injuries from his clan trying to defend themselves and find him. “They tried to find you, but you were here, on the opposite side of the country and they couldn’t.” Because that was the important part for him to know.

“When?” Dem-Van’s voice was a wet croak.

She smiled gently, laying her hand on his knee. “You have everyone’s phone numbers and your watch. I think that means it’s how long is it going to take to hug everyone?” Daisy squeezed his knee before getting up, the kids deserved privacy to say goodbye in. Even if it was mostly temporary.

 

Daisy’s hand came to rest on Dem-Van’s shoulder as he leaned into her. She looked down at him, “Ready?”

He just nodded, pressing tighter against her.

She looked up at the kids, “Kara’s going to keep an eye on you. I’ll make sure to call you so you know once we have Dem-Van back with his clan.”

 

Daisy glanced at Clark in his full Superman regalia as they reached the roof of the apartment building. “So, how’re we doing this logistically?”

“This would be easier if it was just him,” Clark didn’t bring up the argument about who should handle what transport. “If you can hang onto the boy, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Daisy scooped up Dem-Van into her arms. “Just think, you can tell everyone Superman himself flew you home.” She looked up at Clark taking his cape off. “Do I want to know why you’re de-caping?”

“It’ll protect you both from the wind.” Clark had a stupidly charming grin on his face as he dropped the cape over her head.

She huffed, “Hear that kid, we’re going to be going Super fast.” She took the slight chuckle against her as a win. Daisy raised her voice, “Alright Superman, let’s go check out your city.”

“I’ve got you both,” He replied. And then he caught her and off they went. And she didn’t need her eyes to know it was fast.

 

Daisy didn’t need to ask to understand they were in the right place when they landed in a warehouse in what had to be the edges of the city. The small cluster of blue-skinned, with small horns, white-haired beings were more than enough to identify they were exactly in the right place. The small catch in the back of Dem-Van’s throat would have been enough. She set him down onto his feet, and gently laid her hand against his back. “Go on.”

Dem-Van took off at a stumbling sprint. But the stumbling didn’t matter because three of the adults got to him before he could face plant on the cement.

She turned to Clark, giving the family the illusion of privacy. “Thank you, for flying us.”

“Any time.” He looked at her, “Not wearing your mask?”

Daisy raised a brow, “The stakes of my identity are the apartment and my ex’s car. And I don’t think they’re going to be running to a sketch artist for the five o’clock news.”

“Fair enough,” He stayed angled toward her. Both of them allowing the family to reunite.

Daisy looked up as an Arane approached them. This one appeared male, his hair short around his ears, probably had cut it himself. “Hey?”

“Thank you,” The man dipped his head. “Our clan is in your debt.”

She could guess the three speaking in lyrical tones with Dem-Van in hushed voices while fussing over him, were the Aranenian equiviliant of parents. Which made this guy an uncle or something? “I just did my part.” She tipped her head toward Dem-Van, “He’s got my number. If any of you need anything, call me. Or text. If it’s not an emergency texting might be better.”

The Arane shook his head, “We could not afford your services.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m robbing Cadmus blind to pay myself.” Daisy grinned as she ignored the suddenly slightly judgemental look from Clark. He could eat it, it wasn’t like she was spending it on herself.

The Arane laughed, it was startled and not particularly loud, but it was pleased. He smiled, “Then we may enquire into your kindness, Quake.”

“Daisy, I think your kid sleeping on my couch makes us friends.” She held out her hand and the sensation of rightness was startling. This is what she was supposed to do. Help people. When was the last time she’d helped people just because it was the right thing to do? Not the end of the world, not politics, just fucking helped people? And that mattered so much more than whatever personal nonsense was going on. She wasn’t leaving National City.

He reached out, clasping her hand. “You are always welcome in our home, no matter where or when you ask for it.”

She squeezed his hand gently, “I appreciate it.” As her hand dropped back to her side she fell slightly more serious. “Here, I wrote down the doctor’s notes on Dem-Van, and the security system for him. You don’t want to know the details about the people who took him.” She pulled out the neatly folded pieces of paper from her pocket and passed it over. “If you do have questions, Dem-Van’s got my number and the doctor’s.” No, she wasn’t leaving National City. It was where she needed to be. This was what she needed to be doing.

Chapter 38

Notes:

Sup! Pumpkin Spice is back! I have a problem.

Maggie knocked on the apartment door. The paint was peeling slightly. It was just one of dozens of low-end apartment complexes in the city. Hardly the worst, for an alien family. For aliens, it was nearly middle class honestly. Her hands drifted to her hips as she waited. There were footsteps, and then she instinctively felt it, that someone on the other side of the door was looking through the peephole at her. She didn’t flinch from it.

The door opened and a thin man, with hair that looked like dried straw, stood there carefully. He was dressed in clothing that looked thrifted, very substitute teacher with the loose wool vest. If he was human, she’d think he was hiding the wasting from drug use. As he was almost positively an alien, it likely wasn’t that. “Hello?”

“Mr. Morgan, I’m Detective Maggie Sawyer, I was hoping I could speak with you and your wife about your daughter?” She wasn’t positive this family were the parents of the Sarah that Quake had saved. Mostly sure, but it was a thing to be handled carefully either way.

Mr. Morgan’s breath rushed from him, his fingers trembling. “Please, come in. Are you still looking? It's not just us?”

“We are,” Maggie would have to quietly brief Detective Grant that the case should be dropped if Quake had found the kid.

He waved her in, nervous twitching. “I, are you the new detective on the case then?” He nearly tripped over a stool stacked with newspapers. His attention turned toward the tiny kitchen. “Love! It’s a detective on Sarah’s case!”

The woman who came out was of a similar slightly stretched-out and narrow build, with brown hair pulled back into a bun behind her head. And the misery in this apartment was everywhere. It was just dusty, and dry. It felt like a museum more than a home.

“Mrs. Morgan?” Maggie checked as she was politely herded to the faded and uncomfortable-looking living room.

“Yes, we didn’t think…did you find something?” The resignation on her face, the lines of grief…she assumed it was bad news.

Maggie cleared her throat as she sat down, watching the two nervous-looking parents sit across from her. Their hands clasping as if it was their only source of strength. “I’m not the detective on your daughter’s case. I’m part of the science division, we work with aliens.” She watched their faces. “Forgive me for asking, but it's important. Is your family human?”

There was strained silence, the two looking at each other, which was an answer in itself, and then Mr. Morgan was speaking, his voice had a weak rasp. “No, we’re not. Please, what did you come to say?”

“How many hearts does your daughter have?” Maggie wasn’t pulling out a photo until she was sure she had the right family. It’d be cruel to offer that hope on anything less than the strongest of foundations possible.

Mr. Morgan’s tongue wet his lips, his knuckles nearly white. “Two, she has two hearts.”

She pulled out the polaroid photo, “In that case, is there a possibility this is your daughter? Or a relative perhaps?” She held it out.

Mr. Morgan snatched it out of her hand so fast his hands nearly blurred. He made an indescribable sound. And then was pressing it to his wife. “It's Sarah, yes? It’s our Sarah?” His voice pleading to be told he wasn’t mad.

Mrs. Morgan stared at the photo, her voice terrifyingly soft. “When was this taken.”

“Three nights ago.” Maggie didn’t need to ask, they knew the child in the photo, even if they were too afraid to ask. “She’s safe, but she’s not in police custody.”

Mrs. Morgan’s gaze was locked on her then. “Who has her?”

“A very powerful member of the community pulled several children out of a lab three days ago. She’s been ensuring they remain safe while their families are found.” Maggie stayed even. “I haven’t seen any of the kids, I was just contacted to go through missing children’s reports for leads. Which is where I found you.”

“She’s alive…who, who has our daughter? How can we contact her, and see our daughter? She’s ours and…please.” Mr. Morgan was vibrating with desperation.

Maggie smiled, “Quake. I’ll need to make a call. But I can arrange a meeting with someone who can act as an intermediatory.”

“How soon?” Mrs. Morgan was unblinking as she looked at her with a desperation that was nearly dangerous.

“Do you believe that is your daughter? It’s been two years. Not being sure would be understandable.” Maggie didn’t think it was a mistake though.

“No, her gills, you can see the marks where her gills will come in.” Mr. Morgan stroked the faint discoloration on the side of the girl’s neck in the photo. His own gills fluttered on his neck.

Maggie wouldn’t have spotted those if he hadn’t moved them. But that was all she needed to be sure these were the right people. “I’ll call and we’ll see where we can go from there.”

“She’s not hurt?” Mrs. Morgan touched the photo. “Only, she looks weak but she doesn’t look hurt.”

Maggie reached out touching the woman’s hand. “All of the children were checked by a community doctor. Your daughter from what I was told just needs regular meals and time to recover.”

 

Maggie knew leaving this apartment wasn’t going to happen without the family having a breakdown. She was grateful they were just fussing about the apartment with a manic energy and pretending not to be desperately listening while she stood in the kitchen. She was really hoping M’gann was going to pick up.

-”What do you want Sawyer?”- M’gann didn’t bother with a hello. Which, was fair for the woman. She’d been stressed recently.

She was fine with that. “I found Sarah’s parents.”

There was a pause to that, and then M’gann replied. -”Bring them to the bar, an hour. I’ll have Quake bring Sarah. Warn her parents their daughter has been through a lot. She’s not going to be the same as when they last saw her.”-

“I will, an hour, we’ll be there.” The hard part would be keeping the Morgans from trying to run straight there on foot.

 

Maggie hadn’t known what she was expecting at the bar, it was early afternoon after all. But M’gann was wiping down the bar, Darla pulling chairs off of the tables, and there at one of the booths was who she recognized after a second as Sarah. The difference from when the polaroid was taken was staggering. Her hair was no longer long and matted, but rather cut short around her chin, and she was wearing actual clothing. There was more color to her face as well.

Sitting next to the girl in the booth was a fairly unremarkable if pretty woman. Flannel shirt over a white tank top, long hair, and clearly drawing with the kid. Interesting to see a new face. A new face who had shifted, one arm coming to rest along the top of the booth, protectively above Sarah’s shoulders, her eyes landing on the parents, and neatly dismissing Maggie without thought.

Mrs. Morgan jerked a step forward. “Sarah?” That awful hope yet dread of having the rug ripped out from under her.

Sarah’s head snapped up, and she went very still. The woman sitting next to her, dropped her arm around the girl’s shoulders, hugging her slightly. And then the girl’s voice croaked, so like her parents’ “Mom? Dad?”

Both of the Morgans shot forward, only for Sarah to flinch back into the woman with her. The woman leaned forward, whispering something in the girl’s ear. Whatever it was, it worked. Sarah carefully edged forward.

Mr. Morgan hit his knees in front of her, “Darling, it’s you, it’s really you.”

It was heartbreaking as the girl reached out, touching her father’s cheek. And then she nodded, and then half slumped, half allowed herself to be pulled into her father’s arms. Mrs. Morgan collapsed on the floor next to them, her arms wrapping around both of them.

Maggie walked toward the bar, where M’gann was. “Any luck with the others?” She kept her voice low.

“Dem-Van, Fred, and Wally were returned home yesterday. It’s just Xal now.” M’gann looked gutted. “Quake thinks Xal will tell us something now that the others are safe. Any chance you had any luck with them?”

Maggie’s shoulders slumped, “Their families are alive?”

“So far, it seems to have been kids who failed to pass and got snatched at parks or on their way to or from school.” M’gann just looked tired.

Her jaw clenched, “Any evidence I can follow there?”

“You’d end up having to arrest Quake for several felonies.” M’gann gave her the look that said ‘drop this one’.

Which fair enough, Maggie’d expected that. She tilted her head at M’gann though, “What?”

M’gann shook her head. “I have a feeling you’re about to understand my migraine.” She shot a look at her. “Quake has a mostly-latched Kryptonian mate, don’t flirt with her if you value your face not being lasered off.”

Maggie raised her hands. “Noted, but I’m in a relationship.” She winced, “A failing one but still. I have terrible taste, but not barely-not-a-supervillain bad taste.”

“Keep it in mind, because you’re about to be dragged further into this chaos.” M’gann picked up a soda and pushed it toward her.

Maggie paused as a feeling of dread curled inside her. “M’gann, what do you mean?”

“This,” M’gann gestured to the reunion occurring, “You have Quake’s attention. And she is planning on a war against this community’s enemies.”

Ah, that was… frightening. “She’s going to feed me more Lord’s.”

“If you’re lucky.”

////

Lucy Lane marched into the jail visitation area. “Lord, I see the mob hasn’t eaten you yet.” She gave a pointed look at the extensive bruising showing on his visible skin. “Solitary for your own protection already?”

He looked up at her, “Ah, Little Lane. What do you want?”

“How would you like a life preserver from the mob?” She dropped the plea deal on the table.

////

Kara swallowed down her frustration as she held onto the notes her team expected her to type up and organize for them instead of helping. Her crystal sand idea was yet to be even looked at by Dr. Xie. Her teeth ground. But she forced her smile to stay on her face, turned on her heel, and marched her way back to her workstation.

Dropping the paperwork on her desk she resisted the desire to scream. It was like dealing with Ms. Grant…from day one…again. Only it was everyone! Breathing out she ran through the mantra, she could do this. Earth science wasn’t going to stop her, and coworkers acting like poop heads wasn’t either. She made Cat Grant like her, she could crack anyone.

With a firm nod, she sat down, opened up the computer, and got to work. Once she was done typing this up she had a stack of user manuals for various pieces of lab equipment to memorize.

 

Kara landed next to Alex in the DEO. “Please say you have something for me to do?”

“Working for Luthor not as great as you thought?” But Alex still handed her a protein bar, actual concern on her face.

“I get it, I don’t have the degree but…they won’t listen to any of my suggestions!” Kara grumbled while shoving the bar into her mouth. “They just keep making me do their paperwork for them.”

Alex laid her hand on Kara’s arm. “You’re going to have to prove that you belong.”

“How?” Kara was aware she was pouting.

“Well, you can start by reading articles in your field and learning what they all know from their degrees. Just being better at math and having otherwordly understanding of elements and physics isn’t going to be enough.” Alex gave her a look. “You’re going to have to do the homework.”

She blew out a breath that chilled the air, “Phewy.”

“Don’t air condition the lab,” Alex chided. “And no alien threats on the radar today.”

Kara slumped against the workbench. “Is it bad to be disappointed by that?”

Alex looked at her, “Shouldn’t you be excited by the added free time? Lots of time for homework and the new girlfriend.”

She hesitated, “Wait, are you actually asking me about Daisy?”

“I’m not saying I approve, but yes. Including, since when do you even like women? Has that just always been a thing and you never mentioned it?” Alex asked.

Kara beamed, “She’s great, and gender was never really a factor on Krypton. It was just easier on earth to only try and date boys. Not that I’m any good at it, clearly.”

Alex gave a long sigh. “It does put how you were talking about Lucy in a different light.”

“What, Lucy’s fabulous. You agreed with me!” Kara was smiling though.

Alex shrugged one shoulder. “It’s true, but why couldn’t you date her and not…Ms. Suspicious?”

“Daisy’s just…amazing.” Kara really wished Alex would like her. She wanted her favorite people to get along. “She’s just so kind, Alex. Not just to me, but to everyone. But people miss it because she’s-”

“Suspicious, sarcastic, and dangerous,” Alex finished dubiously.

Kara flushed, “Well…yes.”

“Why did she hunt down Supergirl?” Alex looked at her. “She said it wasn’t an accident she found you. So what could she have possibly wanted from you, that you trust her this much?”

Kara’s face was doing something horrible and awkward, “um…what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really?”

////

Daisy stared at the stack of textbooks on her kitchen table, and a very frustrated-looking Kryptonian reading one of them at a speed that was…alarming. She looked over at Xal who was scampering toward her. “How long has she been like that?”

“Since she and Clark swapped.” Xal happily scurried up her till they were clinging to her back. A thing Daisy had stopped blinking at around the third time it’d happened.

She reached up touching the kid’s arms where they were wrapped around her neck. “You secure there, heat sponge?”

Xal’s arms tightened slightly. “It was really Sarah’s parents?”

“They were, I’m sure Sarah will text or call you soon.” Her own phone had been buzzing with texts from the kids pretty constantly. Daisy let her powers buzz the kid. It was funny, first Kara, and now the kids all relaxed at the reminder of her powers. It was weird, but she was going with it. Also, she only had so many arms, and she needed hers for pulling things out of the fridge. “Any chance you’re feeling like telling us about your family?” She wanted a pet cat, not a kid. And Daisy knew if they didn’t find Xal’s family, she’d be keeping the kid. Coulson might have had a point about how fast she got attached to people.

Xal rubbed their scaled cheek against Daisy, their arms and legs tightening. “After dinner?”

She pulled out the bowl of cut-up fruit for the kid, “We can wait till after dinner. Even have frozen yogurt and honey for dessert.” Daisy set the fruit bowl down on the counter before digging through the veggie drawer. Kara had put something that smelled nice in the oven, but a meal that didn’t smell like the lizard diet that Xal needed. “So, any idea why Kara’s reading technical-looking books faster than humanly possible?”

Xal’s hissing giggles tickled against Daisy’s neck. “She was muttering about human ‘jargon’ and sand composites.”

Daisy would have to ask about that because she had a feeling Kara hadn’t been ‘bothering’ her with what was going on at L-corp. Which, she got it. She’d kinda been swamped with the kids. But also, she cared about what was going on in Kara’s life. “Well, I think the great Supergirl has homework then. What do you think?”

Xal’s laughter was soft, but it came spilling out all the same.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Daisy was smiling as she spun a knife between her fingers before starting to cut up the carrots for Xal. “Did you take your bath, with the betadine in it already?”

Xal grumbled, “Yes, Kara made me before she started reading.”

Kara piped up, her voice was pouty, “I can hear you two!”

“Look at that, I was thinking you had a new superpower you hadn’t mentioned.” Daisy teased as she neatly loaded up a plate with veggies, fruit, and nuts. Kid ate so many almonds.

“Super concentration.” Xal offered with a snicker in their voice.

Kara snorted before giggling, “Not one of my powers.”

Daisy smiled at her friend. She felt a rush of affection for her alien. This was…terrifyingly comfortable in a way she didn’t know what to do with. But she wanted to grasp onto and never let go, even if it’d be like trying to grab onto water or air or something. It was ok to just enjoy this? Even if it couldn’t last, it was alright to just…hang on as long as she could? Right?

////

Kara dropped onto the couch next to Daisy. “So, you’re going to be spending all day tomorrow following the lead to see if any of Xal’s clutch survived?” She’d seen the way Daisy’s body language had gone from genuinely soft to practiced as they’d listened to Xal’s account of how they’d been grabbed. It hadn’t been another park snatching. It had been all front door being kicked in and gunfire and being dragged out.

Daisy let her head lull back, her eyes staring at the ceiling. “I think I’m going to kidnap a cop.”

Kara laughed before pausing, “Wait, you’re serious? You can’t kidnap people!”

“I mean it mostly metaphorically,” Daisy said without acting like she was saying anything alarming.

“Metaphorically? Daisy! Kidnapping is bad. Or…is the cop Cadmus?” Kara dropped her hand on Daisy’s shoulder, feeling like shaking her girlfriend’s shoulder.

Daisy’s lips quirked up as she looked at Kara. “I mean I’m already going to be making M’gann babysit while I look into Xal’s family. Might as well see what Detective Sawyer and the science division can offer.”

Kara huffed, rolling her eyes. “You buttface. I was worried!”

“Buttface? Wow, did you use your English degree to come up with that?” Daisy’s eyes glinted with humor, her lopsided grin wide and full of silent laughter.

“You said you were kidnapping someone! It's not my fault you can’t go a week without committing a felony. You’re a terrible influence.” Kara pouted, but she was smiling too much for it to really be effective.

Daisy giggled, barely keeping it quiet enough not to wake up Xal, covering her mouth with the back of one hand.

Kara hesitated for a second, her eyes flicking to make sure the elementary school kid was actually asleep, and then she leaned forward kissing the merriment off of Daisy’s lips. She sighed in contentment as Daisy kissed her back. Her eyes closed, as she felt Daisy’s fingers sliding through her hair. And it was really nice as she pressed further into Daisy. She barely even felt bumbling.

Chapter 39

Notes:

Been reading the Marvel comics with Daisy in them...because I bought all of them when I had a budget surplus last week. And like...I have thoughts. But its interesting what core traits of hers are there throughout, but also, like...wow comic Fury is the worst. Also I nearly screamed at the page where it was revealed May and Fitz are a thing in one of the comic continuities.

Maggie was sipping at her shitty coffee, before nearly startling so bad she almost spilled it down her front from the knocking sound on her window. “Jesus,” She twisted looking to see who the fuck was knocking on the driver’s window of a patrol vehicle. Her eyes widened as she recognized the woman casually leaning against her car. She rolled the window down. “Did no one tell you not to startle cops?”

“It’s been mentioned,” The woman from the bar the day before, the one who’d been the chosen community babysitter apparently, had an obnoxiously cocky grin on her face.

“Did you want something?” Maggie prodded, she wasn’t in the mood for being fucked with by the newest alien on the block.

The woman laughed and let one hand rest on top of the patrol car, her other hand offered out. “We have a lead on Xal’s family.”

Maggie reluctantly took the hand and shook it. “M’gann using you as an errand girl then?”

The woman snorted, “My skillset might be useful in checking the lead out. What do you say, you’ve got an empty shotgun seat, I’ve got the location of a violent abduction, and I can feel an alien from a human at a quarter mile, image inducer or no?”

Fuck…that was stupidly useful. “You can get in the back.”

“Ah, nostalgia.” The alien pushed back and climbed into the back of the car without hesitating. “Texted the address to you already.”

Maggie’s eyes narrowed as she pulled up her phone, and then put the address into her GPS. She had a suspicion as she radioed in she’d be off on a lead, before pulling out into traffic. Setting the radio mic down she glanced in the rearview mirror. “So, what do we know about Xal’s abduction, Quake?”

Quake laughed, “I think that means Darla owes me a free drink.” She fell more serious, “And we know Cadmus breached the family apartment, from the details, proper military form for it. They murdered at least three of the family before Xal was blackbagged and lost consciousness. The best option is that the extended family that wasn’t in the immediate family’s apartment might have escaped notice and survived.”

She blew out a breath, that was horrific. But it was certainly a place to start. “Did you by chance steal the facility records before you blew it up?”

“No, was planning on it, but once I found the kid strapped to a table and the rest in cages priorities changed.” Quake replied matter of factly.

“You want my badge for asking questions at the neighbor’s apartments?” Maggie asked.

She was surprisingly professional when she wasn’t being a sarcastic ass. “It makes canvassing easier, and the kidnappings were too brazen to be one-offs.”

That was grim and likely correct. “You want to coordinate with the police to track alien kidnappings.”

“M’gann knows the community, I can actually act against Cadmus, and you’re the highest standing law enforcement where we don’t have to worry about you being a Cadmus plant.”

“We do this by the book when I’m involved. I’m in charge, no running off and attacking anyone.” Maggie wasn’t budging on that. “No messing with evidence, no intimidation.”

Quake met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “I’m former military, I can follow protocol enough to keep it above board for you. At least above board enough for you to sell it. If your boss gets on your ass for it though, I’m down for finding out who he’s cheating on his wife with for you.”

Maggie wanted to close her eyes, “First of all, how do you know if the Chief is having an affair? And second, are you offering to blackmail the Chief of Police while sitting in the back of a cop car?”

“Have you seen the statistics? If he’s not cheating on her he’s probably beating her, and if he’s not doing either he’s probably not enough of a bastard to give you shit for being slightly loose with procedure to save lives. If not I’ll figure it out when we get there.” Quake replied without a second thought. “And are you going to charge me for offering?”

“You do know most people don’t insult police officers to a police officer. Just rule of thumb.” Maggie rolled her eyes, because shit, she had seen the statistics and think pieces. Hell, her normal partner was going through a divorce at the moment, and he wasn’t the only one in the department. And it wasn’t like she was ignorant of several of the officers who had girlfriends as well as wives. Still was shitty to be reminded though.

Quake snorted, “I stopped being respectful to authority figures years ago. And you’re not as scary as a nun.”

Maggie huffed, her voice turning wry. “A nun, that catholic trauma there?”

“I hear a fellow sufferer, and you know how it goes, Sister Mary Anne was a fan of the paddle.” Quake’s voice had a sarcastic edge, but Maggie wasn’t an idiot, that wasn’t something she actually felt glib about.

She felt the memory of rosary beads in her palm from when she’d been a child. Turning the beads over between her fingers. “Never went to Catholic school myself.”

“Neither did I,” Quake sensed the question. “Catholic orphanage when I wasn’t shipped out to foster homes.”

“That why you care so much about the kids?” Maggie asked, and it was important to get a better understanding of who exactly she was about to spend her day with.

Quake hummed, “Maybe? But what decent person wouldn’t be furious about children in cages?”

“Fair enough.” Maggie had the feeling pushing for more details wasn’t going to go far. But she was getting a picture. “Any details I should know, that I don’t know already?”

“Xal is a Tsauron, the adults have yellow scales. They eat fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and insects. The kids have a hard time regulating their internal temperature, but even an adult would need something to provide added heat. Probably why they chose California to move to. But we should be looking for signs of an apartment modified for dry heat. There were eight Tsauron’s in Xal’s parents’ clutch. They all lived together between three apartments. Gender for them is…complicated. But their family had a few other juveniles? I think Xal meant older teens. So we’re hoping someone made it out.”

Maggie hummed as she turned. “What do we know about the location?”

 

Maggie opened up the back of the car, a part of her frustrated at letting someone like Quake out from the back. She could practically smell the felonies on her, but also, there was a part of Maggie that was relieved at someone willing and able to work with the cops, but powerful enough to act outside of the law to protect aliens. She wasn’t proud of the relief. “You follow my lead, got it?”

“Got it.” Quake frowned, her eyes looking at the apartment building. “But the people in there, they don’t feel human. At least most of them.”

“How many?” Maggie had questions about what Quake was capable of exactly.

Quake closed her eyes, head tilting ever so closely. “Twenty…twenty-four…twenty-six, I think four of them might be human.”

She eyed her temporary partner. “Weapons?”

Quake eyed her, “That’s harder to tell. They’d just feel like metal.” She was weighing something, but then she reached out laying her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. A buzz ran through her. “I can feel vibrations, and control them. It's a bit like sonar.”

“Useful,” And incredibly dangerous. “If you sense something important, let me know.”

“Ma’am, yes Ma’am.” Quake gave a sloppy salute, but then cleared her throat. “If any of them realize I’m Quake, they’re probably going to shut down real fast. Like heads up. My species is kind of famous for basically every war crime you can imagine and an empire sustained on slavery.” Her jaw moved, “And House Kasius kinda tops the galactic list for torture and experimentation on living subjects, and I haven’t exactly kept my mouth shut about the quarter Kree, or technically head of House Kasius thing. I need the reputation that gives me, but without anything else to soften that…”

“They’re going to assume you’re worse than the people who killed the Tsuaron family.” Maggie gave a sharp nod. “Noted.” She looked skyward but then led them forward. This was serious, and she trusted at the least, Quake cared about this. She was uneasy at how well Quake would actually follow instructions though, especially considering how terrible about not fucking up crime scenes Supergirl was. But as infamous as Quake’s species might be, Supergirl wouldn’t work with someone who was actually doing those things. And Quake had said ‘quarter’ several times; Maggie wasn’t an idiot.

The apartment complex was a slum. Maggie knew of an alien informant who lived here actually. It was the kind of place that took rent in cash and didn’t ask too many questions. And thus a place upkeep could be let slide. After all, which tenant would report the place to the health department?

“Might as well start at the bottom and work our way up.” She shot a look at Quake, but the woman didn’t appear unhappy with that, her gaze cleanly sweeping the hallway. Her stance was steady, but not in any way primed. Maggie wasn’t sure the military thing was true, but she was becoming certain that at the least, Quake had worked with law enforcement. She was too comfortable with the situation, too at ease falling in behind Maggie’s elbow. It was concerning, and a hopeful sign someone with enough power to do something was willing to play ball.

“One person in the first apartment,” Quake gave her a pointed look. So an alien, and Quake was more than aware some aliens had fantastic hearing.

Maggie gave a nod of acknowledgment and knocked on the door.

 

Maggie’s hands dropped on her hips, eyes closing. “We’re getting nowhere.” The tenth door had been closed in their faces, three hadn’t even been opened despite people being there.

“We might get somewhere with the landlord.” Quake’s voice had a lilt to it that set off warning bells in Maggie’s head.

She looked over at the woman who’d been disturbingly effective at following her lead, and not making the few people who’d talked to them nervous. “We’re not there yet, and we’re just talking to the landlord.”

Quake looked at a water stain on the wall. “Slumlord,” She scoffed. “How much do you think this building is worth? It’s not a huge property, and it’s in shit repair. But National City, even if it’s a bad neighborhood, it can’t be more than what, fifteen maybe twenty million?”

Maggie’s eyes narrowed, but she looked at the shitty hallway. “For them not to have sold it out from these people for the land value? Probably closer to the fifteen million.”

“Think it could be repaired? Or torn down and rebuilt?” Quake was looking at the place thoughtfully.

“Do I need plausible deniability about what you’re thinking about?” Maggie had a suspicion about what Quake was thinking.

Quake’s lips twitched up. “Just appreciating Robin Hood’s point of view, and considering I helped a certain organization hide its funding, there’s better ways to go about it these days than robbery at arrow point.”

Maggie’s hand twitched toward her service weapon, every cautious flicker of trust and interest in Quake vanishing. “You’re Cadmus.”

Quake’s eyes cut to her, something…very cold in her eyes. “Losing the pet monster’s leash doesn’t end well for people. Even Cadmus. And they do love their monsters.”

Maggie’s shoulders squared, even as a shiver ran down her spine. Because it felt like a puzzle clicking together. “This community doesn’t need a blood bath from your personal vendetta.” She’d been an idiot to think Quake might be a good thing for the community.

“Do I look like I’m on a bloody vendetta?” Quake raised a brow. “The people who are responsible for me, are dead. Dead or not an issue anymore.” She shrugged. “I’m trying to help people.” She gestured at the hall. “And is this really the right place for this conversation?”

“Fine, but if you’re lying to me-”

“Terrible things.” Quake waved to the next door. But her posture wasn’t exactly submissive, but it wasn’t not either. It was… agreeable. “Can we get back to helping the fourth grader?” There was an undercurrent of challenge. If Maggie said no, Quake would keep looking without her.

Maggie had seen the footage in Catco from the invasion, just like everyone else. And this was the second…no, the third time she’d met the woman. “Fine, but you and I are having a conversation after this.” And she was not knocking on the door of her informant while Quake was with her. So she’d need to call it at least three doors before her informant.

As she walked to the next door, a pall of dread at the sound of screaming kids and a barking dog getting louder. So this one was probably going to be a bust. She still knocked.

Shockingly, the door opened, a tired-looking woman, her hair piled up in a sloppy bun, toddler on one hip, baby screaming from inside, her leg blocking a mutt of some kind from escaping. “Yes?”

“Detective Maggie Sawyer, NCPD, we’re here to ask you questions?” Maggie could smell something burning.

“Look, detective-” The woman was cut off by a shrill shrieking of a kettle, it caused her to jolt, turning toward the oven, and the dog shot out.

Quake, lunged forward, snagging the dog before it could bite Maggie, one hand on the scruff, the other scooping it up.

The woman looked at Maggie, a flicker of desperation, and then she was shoving the toddler into Maggie’s arms and taking off for the oven.

“Ah…um…” Maggie winced, as she awkwardly held the toddler away from herself. She looked to Quake.

Quake ignored her walking straight into the apartment, “Come on Detective.” The dog had gone completely calm as Quake scratched at its ears.

Maggie wasn’t a kid person. But she followed in, using her heel to close the door behind her to prevent any more runaways. It wasn’t a verbal invite, but open door and a kid being shoved into her arms she was going to count as an invite. Quake had set the dog down, which was…following at her heels and looking up at the woman happily. And then Quake was B-lining for the crib of the screaming baby.

Maggie glanced around the chaotic apartment, baby things tossed everywhere. “We can come back if this is a bad time?” She looked back at the toddler and oh god…it was drooling. Why were kids so sticky? Maggie set the kid gingerly down on a couch cushion, staying so she could grab the kid if they tried to bolt…could they bolt at that age?

“Where’s your clean diapers?” Quake asked, looking over at the woman who was yanking something that smelled slightly burned out of the oven.

The woman set it down, “Oh, you don’t have to.”

“It’s not a big deal, you’re using the dresser as a change station yeah?” Quake was naturally holding the kid against her as she moved with a rocking motion.

The woman slumped, “Diapers are in the top drawer.”

“Cool, we can take the trash out with us.” Quake offered while smoothly, and with practiced motions had the baby out of its onesie, and was tickling the kid’s tummy before changing the diaper without blinking. “How old is she? Three months?”

The woman sighed, smiling softly, though the exhaustion was real. “Three and a half, you have your own?”

“No,” Quake laughed. “But always liked helping with the younger kids growing up.” She dropped the diaper and wet wipe in the trashcan, before cleanly fastening a new one. “What’s her name?”

“Anne,” Her smile grew, and then she seemed to startle. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, I’m Hilary. You two said you were with the NCPD? I didn’t know they hired aliens.”

Maggie’s head shifted slightly. “How did you know she was an alien?”

“Oh just her?” Hilary turned off the oven and started putting clean dishes away. “It’s just Maxy doesn’t like humans much, and he calmed right down for you.”

Quake was carefully pulling a new clean onesie onto the baby. “Huh, usually have the opposite reaction with dogs. But just me, I’m helping the detective here with this one, my powers are kinda useful for finding people.” She smiled, and it read as genuine, as she tapped the baby on the nose with one finger before settling the baby against her chest. “My name’s Daisy, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you Daisy, Detective Sawyer. What was it you wanted to ask about?” And Hilary just seemed genuinely at ease. Which was interesting, because Quake had indicated she was human.

“There was a Tsuron family on the third floor who were attacked a year ago.” Maggie saw the way the woman paled. “We’re trying to find any survivors.”

Hilary’s face had paled as she walked out of the kitchen area, eyes flicking to her two children. “Why?”

“We found one of their young, we’re trying to find any family they might still have.” Maggie watched her, this woman, like most of the others they’d briefly spoken to through partially open doors, knew exactly what they were talking about. But she hadn’t just shut the door in their faces.

Hilary was chewing on the inside of her cheek, her eyes flicking to where Quake was bouncing the baby. And then walked to the couch, picked up her toddler, and sat down while settling the toddler in her lap. “Is this official?”

And wasn’t that the line the science department had to dance on. “Yes and no, sometimes paperwork can be done to avoid getting people in trouble or noticed who don’t need to be mentioned. We’re just trying to get this kid back to any family they might have left. And Alien Amnesty looks like it’ll pass. No sense clogging up the system with cases that don’t need to be there.”

Hilary nodded, “It was terrible, we all heard the gunfire, and there was just so much noise. The men all had their faces covered. They looked like SWAT. It was very fast. They took the bodies with them. There was nothing anyone could do, they shot Charles for running out of his apartment to see what was happening. And you know what this place is like, who’d have believed us? Or cared? One of the teens, Trel hid under the sink in the bathroom. I don’t know how to get ahold of them, but Antonio upstairs in 3E let them stay in his apartment after everything for a while. You should ask him.”

////

Trel was exhausted as they trudged up the five flights of stairs to their apartment. They scratched their nails against the scale ridge along the top of their head. So close to being private and being able to turn off the image inducer and flop onto their heating pad. It was the dream. But not going to happen, because standing by their apartment door were two women.

Pulling their sweatshirt’s hood over their head, they ducked their head slightly. If they just walked by, they could slip around the corner and make for the stairs at the other end of the complex, and then straight back out to the street. Their heart was racing against their ribs as they walked down the hall, head down, avoiding notice.

The slightly shorter of the two women, stepped in front of them about two yards before they reached them. “Trel?”

They went rigid, eyes looking up, and they noticed the gun on her hip, gun and a badge on her hip. Trel took a step back, could they make it back to the stairwell before this woman could draw her gun?

“Hey, we’re not here to hurt you.” The woman held her hands up. “I know you’re scared, and that’s completely valid. But we just want to talk.”

Trel licked their lips, eyes looking between the two of them. “Who are you?”

“My name is Maggie Sawyer, I’m a detective with the science division.” The woman, Maggie kept her hands up. “A Cadmus lab was raided by Quake, she found your hatchmate, Xal. They’re alive.”

It felt like being hit in the thorax with an icepick. “Xal…how…” Their eyes flicked to the other woman. “Who is she?”

“Daisy, and I’m whose apartment your hatchmate’s been staying in while we tried to find you. Xal’s plotting on burning their heating pad and just climbing into my bed to use me as a living heater tonight. They do not like heating pads. But, pretty sure that’s not ok on the scale of things for a kid to do when they’re not yours.” She reached up, tapping her face, the skin rippling in a tell that tech of some kind was hiding her actual appearance. Oh.

Trel’s tongue rang along the back of their teeth. “I…” They looked back to the detective. The detective working with an alien. “Do you have proof?”

Chapter 40

Notes:

Kara heavy chapter this week!

Kara saw the sign-up sheet in the break room. She walked over, and the side glances from the other staff followed her. It was awful. But she’d survived Cat Grant. The sign-up sheet was for tree planting. That would be great. She reached out and signed her name on the sheet. Kara nodded to herself. It’d be good.

Turning, she looked at the break room, the tables were all full. Which was…she was not eating her lunch in the bathroom. That’d been disgusting in high school. She’d only done it once, and never again. She spotted the table by the water cooler that only one woman was sitting at. She braced herself and walked over. Smiling she caught the eye of the woman who’d looked up at her approach. “Hi, um would it be alright for me to sit here? Nowhere else is really open.”

“Sure,” The woman was one of those exactingly perfectly put-together types to the point of being intimidating. Just so pretty. She clearly took in Kara. “New hire?”

Kara's smile felt more real as she sat down, holding out her hand. “Kara Danvers.”

“Katie Adams,” She accepted her hand and shook it. “What department are you in?”

And Rao, she’d missed having an actual conversation with a co-worker. “Water filtration, but I’m still just learning how the lab is run.” And how to use human instruments and speed reading through every academic article on the topic she could get her mitts on, including technical dictionaries. “You?”

“Front desk, I keep the crazies from getting past the foyer.” Katie had a faint air of challenge to her.

“That makes sense.” Kara found herself saying because it did.

“Does it?” A single, perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose.

Oh, shoot, she took that as an insult. “Just, you look very professional but good at getting people to listen to you?”

Katie’s lips turned up. “I’ll accept that.” She lifted her fork stabbing it into her salad. “How’re you finding L-corp?”

She smiled unpacking her lunch, which was leftover enchiladas. “It's interesting, very different. But I’m excited to be here, and what the company is doing!”

Katie paused staring at the container, and then back up at her, something changing in her expression slightly. “That’s new since Lex’s arrest. Most people are more interested in the insurance and retirement plan.”

“Well that’s all nice, but Catco had those too. But Lena is trying to take the company in a new direction, and you can see she means it from the change in the projects taking priority. And science is the way into the future.” She beamed as she explained that. “What about you?”

Katie didn’t hesitate, “The health insurance. You trust a Luthor?”

Kara pushed her glasses back up properly onto the bridge of her nose. “Everyone deserves the chance to be their own person. And she’s trying to make a better world. Shouldn’t we all want that?”

“I suppose we’ll see.” Katie took a bite of her salad. “Don’t get too comfy with the lack of protestors outside the front door though. They’ll be back and they’re not safe. Not everyone is as optimistic as you.”

 

Kara finished typing up the day’s work for the lab. And leaned back in her seat. She reached out, picked up the tablet, and started writing out everything she remembered about the chemical composition of Kryptonian crystals. It was such a basic building block of entire aspects of Kryptonian technology. But, the earth had slightly different elements available, or even present. Of course, most elements were universal, such as carbon. But some were not so evenly distributed across the universe.

This meant her first step was growing as many different types of prismatic crystals while reading everything she could get her hands on. Likely boron-based carbon diamond lattice structures would end up being the closest she could get to real Kryptonian structures. But from what brief material she’d seen on it, the cost and equipment for that may be prohibitive on earth. So best to look at alternate options just in case. And growing crystals was nostalgic, it was one of the earliest Kryptonian science lessons.

Besides, they just seemed to want her to do nothing but secretarial work for the lab. Not that she minded, it was interesting and she was learning a lot about what the lab was actually doing and had access to from it. But she hadn’t applied to L-corp to do paperwork, emails, and lab organization. She made a note to look into L-corp’s 3D printing capabilities. The best crystals were made, not grown after all. She could get by with grown for a while though.

 

Kara blew out the oven fire. She looked at the slightly soot-covered and very stressed man holding an empty fire extinguisher. “Maybe get a new one of those?”

“I’ll do that…and just order in for a while.” He looked at his partially burnt and now frozen oven. “Do you think you can unplug that for me?”

“Sure!” She pulled the oven out enough she could reach back and unplug the cord. Kara looked back over at him. “Stay safe!” And then flew out. Her eyes closed as she felt the wind passing across her skin. She loved flight. Turning, her cape snapped as she changed direction for Catco.

It’d been a while, and she didn’t want James or Cat to think she’d forgotten them! And she had a window to check on them. It took seconds before she was flying through James’ office window. “Hi!”

“K-Supergirl?” James looked up from his computer, from the furrow between his brow he was trying to fix the visual flow of an article. He got up quickly, “Did something happen?”

She smiled as she shook her hand. “No, I’m just doing a fly through the city before I head home. And haven’t checked in at Catco for a few days.”

He rubbed at his chin, “Well you know how it goes, might make things a bit less stormy around here if you knew how to contact Quake and could tell her to do an interview with Cat?”

Kara couldn’t help it, she laughed. “She’d never agree to that. If she does it, it’ll be because she decides to and just drops in on Ms. Grant.” And she wasn’t going to use the fact she was dating Daisy to try and convince her. “And I don’t think she likes Ms. Grant much. It might not be…a good idea.”

“Fair enough, Ms. Grant is an acquired taste sometimes.” James dropped his hand from his chin. “L-corp everything you hoped it’d be?” The dubious tone wasn’t subtle, but it wasn’t hostile exactly.

Kara let out a slight huff. “It’s going to be an uphill work. But it’s exciting what I might be able to do!”

James’ face did that sympathetic thing that was unfair. “You’re risking a lot, you don’t know the Luthors, Kara.”

“I know that Lena hasn’t done anything to deserve having the worst assumed about her.” Kara defended, and this had been a mistake. It was going to be one of those conversations. She was having a lot of these between Daisy, ‘Quake’, and Lena. It was ridiculous, she should make pamphlets to hand out instead of going over all this again.

 

A Rao forsaken hour later she landed in her apartment. She came to a sharp halt at the sight of Alex sitting at her kitchen table. “Hey, Alex…what’s going on?”

Kara felt a cold shiver down the back of her neck. The weapons were all right there in the middle of the apartment. And Alex had a beer in one hand, tapping against the table with the other, a single bright glowing blue bullet on the tabletop.

“Oh, we’re so past that. Your girlfriend is Quake.” Alex’s eyes didn’t leave her for a second as she raised the beer to her lips and took a generous swig of it. Her voice dangerously calm.

“That’s…what? That’s crazy, why would you think that?” Kara winced, even she knew she sounded super guilty.

Alex tapped the glowing dendrotoxin bullet on the table with a sharp tap. “It was bothering me, what could a suspicious soldier girl have wanted from Supergirl? And then I come over to see my sister, and I see military-grade weapons staked in her apartment. And there it was, glowing. blue. bullets. Just like the ones Quake uses. And I thought, no, my sister would never lie to me about her girlfriend being an escaped Cadmus science experiment.”

“She’s a person!” Kara interjected, her voice harder than it probably should be. But she was sick of people talking about Daisy like she was ‘bad’ for things that weren’t even her fault.

“She was designed to kill you.” Alex said firmly, refusing to budge on the point.

Kara couldn’t accept that, also it wasn’t true, literally. “She never lied to me. She just wanted to ask questions. To make sure we didn’t end up fighting because of a misunderstanding. Because she didn’t want to hurt people!” She gestured helplessly. “And she’s a person.”

“So you decided to date her!?” Alex stood straight up from the chair, her voice still measured but so certain. “You knew it was bad or you wouldn’t have lied about it. I can’t believe you. Do you know how reckless, and unbelievably selfish you’ve been?”

“Because I knew you’d react like this!” Kara defended. “You’re being impossible! I just wanted you to give her a chance before I told you!”

“You’re dating a Cadmus murder machine!” Alex cracked her voice raising ever so slightly in volume.

Which was wrong! And not fair! “Non would have made us kill each other if she hadn’t been there! She was bleeding from everywhere, and she still stopped it. Did you forget that?”

“She helps a couple of times and now you just give her the power to kill you, me, mom, and everyone we love?!” Alex raised her hand pointing at Kara. “This isn’t just about you. You’re risking all of our lives. And you couldn’t even have the decency to consider it, let alone tell anyone.”

Kara felt a sharp stab at her sister’s words. “Why are you being so mean! And why won’t you listen to me? Daisy’s not a threat.” She drew herself up. “Why won’t you just trust that maybe I’m capable of understanding people sometimes!”

////

Daisy was shoving the last air mattress into its box when she felt Kara’s familiar vibrations at the window. It’d taken forever to get to it with a different kid calling her every fifteen minutes. She looked up at Kara, and frowned slightly, “Uh…are you coming in?” That was weird, Kara didn’t knock?

Kara, in her supersuit for some reason? Climbed in through the window morosely, her footfalls heavy.

Which was bad. Daisy was on her feet and to Kara immediately, the air buzzing as she checked her over for injuries. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

The devastation was wafting from her. “Would it be ok if I stayed here…tonight?”

“Yeah, of course.” Daisy reached out, catching Kara’s bicep, running vibrations through her, triple-checking she wasn’t injured. But nothing felt wrong. She looked up at Kara’s face, “How can I help?”

Kara slumped into her, burying her face into Daisy’s shoulder, hugging her with that bit too much force, not that Daisy would mention it. Instead, Daisy just hugged her back.

“I got you.” She held onto her friend. Kara was in one piece, whatever had caused this could be handled. Hopefully. “Whatever it is we’ll figure it out.” That better be true, cause she’d make it true if it wasn’t, so long as it was feasible.

“Alex knows. I’m sorry, it's my fault she found out, and she’s really angry.” Kara pulled back, shame-faced. “I don’t know what she’s going to do with that knowledge and I’m so bad at lying and I left your weapons by the couch, but she came over to surprise me and they were just there, and you’re the only one who uses dendrotoxin.” Kara pushed her hair back from her face. “It's all my fault. And they believe your Cadmus experiment angle. So everyone thinks you were made like especially to kill Kryptonians which is terrible and not true, but I can’t say that and Alex is so mad because she doesn’t know you! I don’t…I don’t know what to do. Everything is changing so fast and I’m not good at change.”

Daisy wasn’t sure how to fix the problems there, except, well her identity wasn’t really worth much of anything. Even if she was kinda becoming fond of it. “If it matters, my ‘secret identity’ being endangered is like…nothing. I mean my life here is a barely furnished apartment, a nearly minimum-wage part-time tech job, and a mildly annoying amount of forged paperwork. If that goes up in flames you can buy me some Cheetos or something. So just, don’t worry about that part, ok?”

 

Daisy sipped at her mug of shitty powdered hot chocolate, her eyes turned to the bathroom door. It was closed, water running. For a person with super speed, Kara took long showers. But in this case, it was probably the right time. It was crossing boundaries. A lot of them, in a way she didn’t with people she liked. Hell, in a way that would get her ass kicked if she did it with a SHIELD agent.

She set her mug aside and picked up Kara’s phone. Which wasn’t even passcode protected? That needed to be fixed. Pulling out her own phone, she quickly plugged in Alex Danvers’ number into her own. As soon as she had the number copied, she set Kara’s phone back on the folded Supersuit. She was mentioning the need for a passcode to Kara. Not tonight, but still.

Daisy bit at her lower lip as she looked at her phone. This was so not her wheelhouse. But she broke it, she could at least…try to keep it from getting worse. It felt wrong. She was still going to do it. Her fingers moved quickly, Kara would be out of the shower eventually. And it wasn’t like what she was texting was long.

Just a simple, ‘This is Daisy, your sister is safe and at mine for the night.’ She hit send before she could doubt herself. The entire fight was…Alex cared about Kara. If Alex knowing that Kara was secure helped, it helped. Hopefully, it didn’t make things worse.

Daisy slid her phone back into her pocket as she heard the water turning off in the bathroom. What did normal people do after arguments? If this was SHIELD she’d be suggesting the gun range but that didn’t sound like it was up Kara’s alley. Probably Alex’s honestly. But letting this whatever it was with Kara happen had been a mistake, clearly. One she was going to fix.

////

Lena stared at her head of security and at the box full of letters in alien languages on her desk. “I presume you haven’t found anyone to translate any of this?”

“It is in over a dozen languages, none of them from this earth or conveniently Kryptonian.” Mark said, his eyes glaring at the box like he’d burn it to ash if he had laser vision like a Kryptonian. Fortunately, he was human.

Lena tapped on her desk. It was a security risk, all of her hate mail got read by professionals for a reason. Except, nobody could read the ones that came in languages not from earth! It wasn’t like she had a convenient alien translator sitting around….or…huh. Lena reached out and hit her PA button. “Jess, if you would please ask Ms. Danvers to join us up here. We could use her expertise.”

As she released the button, Mark stared at her curiously. “Who is Ms. Danvers?”

“I hired her for the labs, but she’s an alien. She might be able to, at the least, tell us who we could hire to translate these for us.” Lena did wish her contacts who could do the job weren’t all terrible people. Imagine asking Veronica?

“You hired, an alien?” Mark stared at her. “And you didn’t think to ensure I knew about it?”

She knew her gaze was cutting. “Remember who you work for, Mr. Matthews.” Lena leaned back in her seat. “Besides, Kara Danvers isn’t a threat. More of an alien puppy of goodness shaped like the girl next door. She’s also brilliant. I could replace every calculator in this building with her and she’d still be faster with the longer calculations. And if she survived years under Cat Grant, she’s not going to randomly snap here.”

Mark Matthews paused, some of the alarm fading. “You hired an alien who survived Cat Grant without killing her?”

“Personal Assistant, for years, Ms. Danvers isn’t a security risk.” If someone made it a week in Cat Grant’s presence and didn’t require therapy or snap, they were worth their weight in gold. Half the businesses in National City scooped up the staff who survived the Cat Grant trial by fire. If someone was going to snap, Cat would get them there in days instead of fifteen years later when the Christmas party had to be canceled because someone set something on fire or showed up with a gun or something ridiculous.

“Why isn’t she your PA?” Mark crossed his arms, looking genuinely confused.

Lena flicked her fingers. “She wanted to work in the labs, and I haven’t had any complaints from the labs about her. The death threats that are in English, anything specific?”

He hummed, falling serious. “Nothing specific or concerning enough to bring to your attention yet, moving to National City has lowered the amount of verifiable threats. I would like to again suggest we put a clear bag policy in place.”

“We already have metal detectors and bag checks.” Lena’s voice was dry, “This is a place of business, not a prison. Retaining staff is already enough of an issue.”

“It’ll be harder to retain staff who are killed the next time a bomb goes off in the building. Two Kryptonians and whatever Quake is aren’t going to be sitting in our front lawn next time.”

Lena tapped her finger on her desk. “Then you’d better do your job, I already increased your budget, for a third time this quarter. But there are limits.”

Both of them nearly jumped at Kara Danvers breezed straight into the room. “You wanted to see me, Ms. Luthor?”

The force of the sheer…positivity leaking from her was nearly blinding. “Lena, please.” Lena stood automatically to welcome the woman in. “This is Mr. Matthews our head of security here at L-corp. Mr. Matthews, this is Ms. Danvers from the third-floor research lab.”

Kara smiled at Lena. “If I’m calling you Lena?”

“Kara then.” Lena couldn’t help smiling back.

Kara beamed while shaking Mr. Matthew’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” She looked between the two of them. Curiosity and slight nervousness. “You wanted to see me?”

Lena walked out from behind her desk. “It’s nothing terrible. But I had a thought you may be able to help us with a security problem.”

“Oh, of course. Not sure what use I’ll be though?” Kara pushed her glasses up slightly.

Lena gestured to the box. “L-corp receives letters-”

“Threats.” Mark scoffed.

She shot a look at her security chief before continuing. “Yes, well typically they’re threats. It’s important to keep an eye on them, as I’m sure you understand. But some of them are written in languages not of this earth.”

“Oh, um, what language?” Kara asked, but she was curious.

Lena gestured to the box. “That’s half the problem, we don’t know. If you could even point us in the right direction it would be appreciated.”

“I’ll see what I can do, I only speak twenty-eight languages though.” She said like that wasn’t impressive at all. Kara flushed, looking embarrassed about it bafflingly.

Mark picked up the box and offered it over to Kara. “Anything you can tell us would be a great help.”

Kara smiled and took a seat in front of Lena’s desk, balancing the box on her knees, and started paging through. “I know some of this?” She started sorting letters into two piles, likely ‘could read’ and ‘couldn’t’. Kara paused wrinkling her nose at one, holding it between two fingers like it was contaminated. “Oh, that’s not very nice at all.”

“What does it say?” Mark had the expression of ‘she’s not real, right?’

Lena was pretty sure that yes, yes Kara was for real. She was still processing it herself.

Kara winced, “Um…a curse that your brother will be pooped out by…space rats?”

Lena raised a brow, “Really?”

“There might be details about how he gets into the rats?” Kara set the letter down, ears pink.

“At least it’s not a bomb threat.” Lena leaned against her desk. “Do you know how we can get the ones you don’t know translated?”

Kara hummed, “I know someone who could ask the right people.” She went still at one. “Um…this one might be a problem.”

“Why?” Mark was serious as he looked at the scribbled note.

Kara was biting the inside of her cheek. She picked it up, checking the timestamp on the postage. “It’s just…I can’t read it. But I know someone who knows people. She might be able to find out what some of these say.”

“But you know what language that is?” Mark pressed.

Lena realized Kara wasn’t going to say more. “You’re protecting someone?”

Kara adjusted her glasses. “Um…look, knowing this language is…I only recognize it because of ethics modules. No one who knows it would want anyone knowing they knew it. I can ask around and try and get a translation for you? But I can’t do more than that.”

Chapter 41

Notes:

Is this two hours early? Yes...do chapters tend to be a bit early? Apparently so. But figure you guys don't mind. Also, found pumpkin spiced ice cream today. My wife laughed as I immediately added it to our cart.

Lena speared her salad with a fork as she read the recently translated letter in apparently Xandarian. None of the now four letters that Kara had translated were of much interest. Hate mail, but more general frustration and rage than specific threats. She was oddly surprised by the lack of credible threats. Two had been specific but so old it was reasonable to assume the stated threat was failed or the alien had lost their nerve.

“Oh, this one isn’t hate mail.” Kara’s voice had turned soft and horrified.

She looked up at the woman who’d been surprisingly, or maybe not totally immune to hate letters. “What is it? I doubt an alien is writing fan mail to a Luthor.”

“They’re begging for their daughter back,” Kara said hoarsely. “This, this needs to go to Supergirl or someone who can….” She started writing quickly, her hand nearly blurring as she translated.

Lena accepted the translation, setting her lunch aside, and ignoring the fact Mark had wanted that letter first like with the others. Reading this one hurt, her mouth going dry. She looked up at Kara, passing the letter to Mark. “How many of these are like this?”

“I think…I think a lot of them.” Kara picked up the next one. “This one too.”

“Did Lex kill these people?” Mark looked at her.

And Lena…she didn’t know. “I’ll find out.”

 

Lena poured herself a solid three fingers of scotch as Mark left to go see to shift change. “Scotch?”

“Uh, no thank you.” Kara looked up from where she’d been neatly scanning in the letters she couldn’t translate, which was admittedly a little over two-thirds of them. “It wouldn’t really do anything for me.”

“Ah, well, that’s unfortunate.” Lena walked back over. “Thank you, for doing this. You didn’t need to, but you did. All the ugliness of what my brother did.”

“I mean, I already knew what your brother did.” Kara lowered her cell phone.

Lena stopped in her walk toward her desk. “Yes, I suppose you would. But you still wanted to be here. You believed me.”

“Well yes? Not that anyone will stop telling me it was a terrible idea.” Kara huffed. “It’s very frustrating.”

Lena changed directions, walked over, and sat down in the chair next to Kara. “Why do you believe in me?”

Kara’s smile was kind and was…more real than it’d been when she first came into the office. Which, Lena wouldn’t have realized those smiles hadn’t been completely honest without seeing the difference. Kara set a letter back in the box. “I can understand wanting to make a name for yourself. And why shouldn’t I believe you’re genuine?”

Her throat felt tight at the faith. “Even though your family doesn’t approve?”

Kara was expressive in how she moved, slightly flustered by the question. “Well, my sister is more upset about my girlfriend at the moment. At least my day was already fairly terrible from that fight before I read all these.” She gestured at the box.

“What could be terrible about a girlfriend your sister thinks she’s worse than a Luthor?” Lena couldn’t help asking. “Sorry, that was inappropriate of me to ask.”

Kara smiled, “It’s ok, and Daisy is great! She’s kind, and supportive, the only person who hasn’t been upset with me about working here actually.” The affection and love on Kara’s face was sweet. “I don’t think she was expecting me to want to or likes the idea exactly, but she knows it’s important to me, so she’s supported it. She just helps everyone, and never asks for anything in exchange for it.”

“She sounds lovely,” And the girlfriend did sound lovely, and exactly like the kind of person someone like Kara Danvers would be with.

“She is! But all Alex, or anyone cares about is the classified military stuff, and she’s from a rough background, or the things she did while working, and it’s not fair. They won’t just give her a chance.”

“You have a habit of giving people chances, don’t you?” Lena was charmed despite herself, even if she still felt nauseous from what they’d learned over the course of the afternoon.

Kara’s expression was painfully kind. “People are filled with so much light. It's amazing, I’m always amazed. If you never give anyone a chance, how can they surprise you?”

Lena realized that Kara was incredibly dangerous because she made Lena want to trust her. And Lena hadn’t come to National City to make friends and leave herself vulnerable to betrayal yet again. She was here to redeem the Luthor name. A thing that didn’t involve trust, friendship, or olive branches from aliens with apparent hearts of gold. No matter how lonely she might be.

////

Daisy didn’t startle as Alex aggressively slid into the other side of the booth from her. “Oh good you got the message.”

“You sent it.” Alex’s eyes were narrowed.

“Look, I don’t want to argue with you, and I know there’s nothing I could say to make you trust me.” Daisy appreciated the noisy, and run-down cafe she’d texted the address of to Alex. It was too loud, too run down for anyone to be listening in, and she’d picked the booth closest to the bathroom. Private and public at the same time. “But you and Kara fighting because of me is…I can’t stop it.”

“You could leave.” Alex’s voice was sharp, commanding officer threatening an idiot recruit face. The pure loathing was real spot on.

Daisy was used to being loathed. “No, I can’t. Even if Kara wasn’t my friend, if it wouldn’t hurt her for me to just ditch like that, I like this city. And, we both know who is coming for your sister, and I’m not leaving you both to that without help.”

Alex looked like she’d swallowed a lemon, her eyes narrowing. “All this just to tell me you’re not leaving?”

She shook her head. “If you ever don’t know where she is, text me. If I know, I’ll tell you. I won’t get between you two, at least not more than existing in your general radius.” Daisy hated that this was necessary. But Alex and Kara needed this fight softened. She couldn’t fix it, but maybe…maybe she could ease Alex out of pure survival mode on the topic. “And I’m not bulletproof, Danvers. Have the scars to prove it.”

Alex held her gaze, not that the woman was likely capable of backing down from a threat. Finally, Alex gave a sharp nod. “I still don’t like or trust you.”

“How you and Kara love each other…it’s important.” Daisy wasn’t sure how to express this without being far more vulnerable than she wanted to. “You two fighting, it hurts her, and I think you. I didn’t want that.” Her fingers pressed against the cheap laminate on the table. “I care about her, I know you don’t believe me, but I do. If there’s something that would help, you know how to get ahold of me.”

Which was enough of that. Daisy slid out of the booth, “See you around, Danvers.” She easily slipped through the fairly busy diner. It wasn’t like Alex would reply to that, it was kinda impressive the woman hadn’t drawn a gun.

Once out on the sidewalk, she closed her eyes, letting the sunlight strike her. Fuck. It wasn’t enough, she’d need to put a stop to the whatever friends with whatever sorta benefits thing she and Kara had. That wasn’t helping since Alex knew about it. Her vibrations hummed under her skin. It was the right thing to do. And selfishly…it might hurt less this way when Kara got tired of her.

Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she struck out down the sidewalk. Now to hope Alex didn’t mention this to Kara, or that if she did, Kara was feeling really forgiving. Because she’d messed in something that wasn’t any of her business. No matter how responsible for causing it she might be. First though, she had a call with Sarah scheduled and should probably text the others if she didn’t want to be bombarded with calls all night from panicking tiny aliens.

 

It was a weight lifted to see Kara walking toward her. Daisy couldn’t help how she lit up at the sight of her. How couldn’t she? When was the last time someone had cared about her? It was addictive. She didn’t resist, or try and step away from it as Kara immediately hugged her. Daisy just hugged her friend back. “Long day at work?”

“The longest!” Kara burst out as she hugged her slightly tighter before letting go. “Sorry, I’m late! I had to drop the letters off at the DEO before I could come because they were terrible! Oh, and I have one if you could look at it.”

Daisy’s brow rose. “Letters? What were you doing with letters in a science lab?”

Kara flushed, “Oh, Lena asked to see me. Well her and her head of security. They were hoping I could translate the alien hate mail they get.”

“Huh, makes sense.” Daisy could appreciate that, going through fanmail was like a thing she’d done to make extra money occasionally as a teen. Well, track down who was sending it. “That can’t have been pleasant. You ok?”

“It was terrible, people can be so mean, but the worst were the people who had family members kidnapped, writing to beg for them back.” Kara’ seemed to shrink slightly before rallying. “I gave the ones I couldn’t translate to the DEO to work on, and the missing family member ones to see if we can find them, but Lucy said I was bothering Winn and then I realized was going to be late to meet you, and sorry.” She tilted her head, pushing her glasses up. “Did you wait long?”

Daisy had to resist reaching out to catch Kara’s hand and entwine their fingers. It was juvenile how much she wanted to hold Kara’s hand. Juvenile and a thing she was putting a stop to before she fucked up Kara’s relationship with her sister. “Five minutes isn’t a big deal.” She looked around the street. “What are we doing here though?”

“There’s an animal shelter I drop lost animals at sometimes just up the block, and you wanted a pet. I thought we could go take a look?” Kara had some lethal puppy eyes and an adorable pout. “Bad idea?”

Her eyes turned instantly up the street where she could feel the heartbeats of dozens of animals. “Oh, that’s…not a bad idea at all.” There was a burn of something in her chest. Could she actually take care of an animal? She could barely take care of herself. But…it wouldn’t hurt to look? Right?

“Yes!” Kara grabbed her hand, faster than a human could move, and started pulling her along toward the shelter. “I can’t wait to see all the little paws! You’re going to find the perfect cat or dog!”

Daisy should have pulled her hand out of Kara’s. She didn’t. Instead, she allowed herself to be dragged along. “I don’t have the time for a dog. Not unless there’s a breed of dog that can take itself on walks without me being there.”

Kara beamed at her. “I know, but we can still pet the puppies! And all dogs are puppies.”

Her chest was full of a warmth so tight she felt like curling up under a blanket and crying about it, but that would mean leaving Kara’s side, and that was out of the question. So she let Kara’s excited babbling wash over her, clinging to the feeling as long as it could last.

 

Daisy stood in the middle of the cat room. She was quietly grateful Kara was busy talking with the front desk guy about the adoption process. So here she was, just standing in a room full of neat cages full of cats. There was meowing, some cats reaching out of their cages, some hiding in back corners.

The larger bottom cages had whole litters of kittens in each one, and older cats in the upper cages. A couple of cages had more than one cat in them. It was all…overwhelming. Could she take care of a pet?

Wetting her lips, Daisy picked a side of the room and quietly started circling the room. She could tell when the animals got a whiff of her smell. Most of them went quiet, some hissed, and most of the kittens didn’t seem to notice at all. It was something she hadn’t been brave enough to ask Kara, what she smelled like. But she knew something about the centipede serum had changed her. One of the things it’d changed had to be her scent. Animals knew she wasn’t human now, and they never seemed to know exactly how to respond to that.

It wasn’t a large room, and a slow circuit didn’t take long. She quietly went back to the start and started reading the little placards with names and information about the cats in each cage. Some of them made her smile.

Like Princess Margret, a large white fluffy cat that had puffed up at the smell of her, and apparently hated children, dogs, and men. Daisy couldn’t help the slight grin at that one. Next to the Princess Margret, was a Sprinkles. Sprinkles was a thin orange cat who was a great hunter and should not be homed in a house with a pet guinea pig. The implied possible tragic cause of Sprinkles being here wasn’t too hard to guess. Daisy hoped the poor guinea pig had survived.

She snorted at a black cat, with a slightly squished face named Pancake, who was a known felon for pancake mix thievery. Below him, was Mike, a cat with balding spots, who’d been found in a dumpster behind a pizza shop by Supergirl. Actually, five of the cats in here had little Super crests on their cards indicating Supergirl had found them.

Daisy marked off the Supergirl cats, civilians would snap those up. Besides, Mike was hilarious looking and rubbing up against his cage bars. She did reach up scratching him through the bars though.

Crouching down she held her knuckles up to the bars of a larger cage with a litter of stripey and patchy kittens. Some of them came over to sniff, but they seemed confused by her, some mewling, others curling back. She knew Kara was excited about a kitten. There sure were a lot of them. How did anyone just…look at all these animals and pick one? But at the same time, how could she leave without giving a home to one of these animals that nobody had wanted?

Three lower kitten cages later she was looking at a litter of kittens that were either all black, or orange. It was like Halloween in a cage. She sighed, standing, maybe she should just ask Kara to pick one that didn’t shy away from her? This was impossible.

Stretching, she paused looking at the cat now at eye level with her. According to his card, his name was Cyclops. Which made sense, even if that felt a bit mean. He was a gangly, brownish-grey tabby cat, one eye missing. One eye, several missing tufts of fur, and scarred scratch marks over his nose.

He was flopped across the floor of his cage, his eye on her, but he didn’t get up to investigate. A defeated boredom, as if he knew she’d move on from him.

Daisy poked a finger through the cage, but he was out of reach. “Not sure which is worse, Cyclops or Poots.”

Cyclops shifted, his tail flicking. His single eye not leaving her face. He wasn’t a big cat. If she looked at the card it’d probably tell her how old he was. He might just be scrawny or he could be young. She didn’t really know enough about cats to know for sure, but she was guessing he was young? The shape of his face was a bit between the kittens down below and the larger, older cats in the other individual cages.

 

Daisy was still standing there, quietly scratching at Cyclops’ chin where he’d moved to be against the bars. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there, but Kara’s familiar vibrations had slipped into the room.

Daisy didn’t startle at the feeling of Kara’s chin dropping onto her shoulder, hands settling on her hips, as Kara pressed flush against her back. It was exactly the kind of thing they needed to stop doing. But Daisy leaned back into the touch. That conversation could wait. It was peaceful, the rightness of it bitingly good. She hummed in the back of her throat in greeting.

“He’s the one?” Kara asked, but it didn’t really feel like a question so much as a query for confirmation.

“If something happens to me you’ll take care of him?” Daisy had to ask because she knew the mortality rate was for what she was doing, and unlike Kara, she wasn’t that much sturdier than a human. A single bullet aimed right was all it’d take. Or someone in the same range of speed as Kara, and Daisy would be paste.

Kara’s grip on her hips tightened, pulling her closer. “Yes, but you’re not dying.”

Daisy’s lip quirked up, that wasn’t true, but she didn’t push back on the idea. “So, how much does a cat even cost?”

“Twenty-five dollars and you can’t bring him home till Friday because he has to be neutered before you can take him home. I got a list of what we need to get for him, and filled out most of the paperwork for you.” Because Kara was proactive and sweet, and somehow surprised Daisy every time.

When was the last time someone had pre-emptively done something for her without it being about gauntlets or her body suit? Daisy let the question flit away. She let herself savor a few final seconds of this. But Kara had superhero things to do, and Daisy needed to get cat supplies apparently. “Am I allowed to rename him? Because Cyclops is kind of a terrible name. Might as well have called him ‘missing an eye monster cat’.”

Kara half snickered, half giggled against her. “Yes, you can rename him. What are you thinking?”

“Would it be weird to name him Bucky?” Because Coulson had been her family, the closest she’d ever gotten to it, and that was including Kora who was…Kora was a mess. But Coulson’s hero-worship of Captain America was a thing that would always feel fond to her. Maybe, she could keep some pieces of him. Tangentially. And Bucky Barnes was the kind of person she was more impressed by than Steve. It suited this cat who’d clearly been through shit too.

“I don’t know why that wouldn’t be ok? I named my cat Streaky as a kid.” Kara shrugged against her.

Daisy glanced at the poor cat across the room, a large fat cream animal somebody had named Mr. Farts. “Guess Bucky it is.”

 

Daisy hadn’t had trouble finding the exact right cat food, Kara even had the brand name written down on the list for her. But it was the not-basic stuff she was a bit unsure of. It’d be easier if Kara was here, but pile up on the highway had needed Kryptonian help. She looked down in her cart. The cat food, litter, litter box, and litter mat, had all been easy enough. The food bowl, food mat, and water dish hadn’t been hard either. But it left her staring at the cat trees.

It was like the indecision with the counters or paint. It was more, there were just a lot of very cool-looking cat trees. Admittedly, the cat platforms and things designed to be attached to walls were neat, and it wasn’t like she had stuff on her walls. Grey would probably go with the purple and white?

Daisy found the box of one of the tallest cat trees in a dark grey. It was narrow, tall, and would make a good initial climbing route to wall attachments. Also, the two enclosed boxes that were a part of it would be good places for the cat to hide if he wanted to do that. Adding it to the cart she moved to the grey wall attachments and started adding in different ones. She’d figure out how to lay them out once she got back to the apartment. She had screws, a Black’nDecker electric drill, and she was a walking talking stud finder. The counterwork had been a learning curve, but she kinda enjoyed it a bit.

There was something satisfying about building or making things. It was good. She found a wall-attached cat hammock, a couple different-looking cat bridges, and an attached box. She could stick the box in the upper corner. That would probably be neat?

 

Daisy was neatly putting away cat toys into the new cat toy chest in her apartment when Kara whooshed in. “Crane malfunction?”

“Crane malfunction,” Kara agreed as she dropped onto the couch with a huff. “Kal and I did a few circuits of the city.”

Daisy smiled looking up at Kara, and it felt like a privilege to see her like this. Because Kara had clearly stopped by her own apartment before coming down. She was wearing a college sweatshirt, leggings, and soft fuzzy socks, but with her golden hair spilling down around her shoulders, her glasses not on her face. “Kal still sure he wants to delay the Kryptonite theft another week?”

“Yeah, Lucy’s running an internal audit this week.” Kara explained. “Oh! I emailed you a letter if you could translate it.”

Daisy blinked, “Someone wrote hate mail to Luthor in Kree?” Because that was the only alien language she knew that wasn’t just a coding language. So the only thing that made sense for Kara to ask her to translate.

“If you don’t mind?” Kara asked.

“How can I say no to that?” Daisy straightened up. “By the way, buying the apartment outright was the right call, because I found these cool wall-attached cat tree things. I mostly did it so I could hide weapons in the place, but probably going to be good for the cat.” She felt a warm pride at the slightly more lived-in look her apartment was gaining. “Going to have to get a gun safe.” She was giving it another week before Sarah or Xal just turned up on her doorstep. And guns plus tiny aliens was a bad idea.

Kara floated to her feet. “Probably a good idea.”

Daisy grinned at her friend, “Yeah if kids being here is a thing that’ll happen occasionally, I can’t just keep them in your apartment. Thank you for hiding them there though. Seriously.”

“Anytime,” Kara leaned in, clearly meaning to press their mouths together.

And Daisy, she knew what the right thing to do was, and for once, she did it. Her open hand pressed against Kara’s sternum, gently holding her back. “Kara, we should…we should probably talk.”

Notes:

Was mentioned I should link the Discord more often. https://discord.gg/PMmWwrQj

Also, from the comments last week, I figured I should probably mention some stuff about Alex. Like, Alex doesn't actually care about the security points she's bringing up every time she argues with Kara. Like take a second and go through it. If Alex's fears about Daisy were genuine, what would she be doing? And its not what she's currently doing. If she was genuinely worried Daisy was a hostile actor she would be trying to get information on Daisy, genuinely sitting down with Lucy and talking about it like an adult, 100% not icing out Kara, trying to have face time with Daisy to try and get more information out of her, etc. Alex wants Daisy out of Kara's life because Daisy makes Alex feel threatened in her place with Kara. Like Alex's entire identity is wrapped up in Kara and controlling Kara because that's what Alex was trained to do from childhood. But also, Kara is Alex's only positive emotional relationship outside of like J'onn. So Alex understandably, if toxically, gets super territorial around Kara.

Which, Alex's alcoholism helps Alex keep from self-reflecting, at all. But Alex showed up and there was a new person in Kara's life that Alex couldn't control. And a person who was having a clear effect on Kara's behavior. So Alex, like her emotionally constipated, alcoholic self reacted emotionally by lashing out, like she always does. And because she's Alex, she doesn't stop to self-reflect at all until she's forced to. But she started with a want 'Daisy gone' and then from that want, built an argument for why that's the right thing actually.

And half of Alex's 'concerns' she is fully aware subconsciously are bullshit, or should be significantly reduced. Not to mention some are invalid and there's no way Alex doesn't know they aren't valid. Like Kara didn't tell Daisy her secret identity. Daisy already knew, Alex knows that Daisy already knew. So Kara didn't endanger anyone by telling some untrustworthy rando. The rando knew. And it's been months, and Alex, Eliza, all their human connects, nobody has been harmed or threatened. Sure, Alex has the right to be wary, that's a smart response. But she's pinning a thing to Kara that Kara wouldn't be responsible for even if something did go wrong, and refusing to give any credit for like, time and counter-evidence.

Or like, Alex's arguments of 'Daisy is going to hurt you, you're stupid for trusting her', they don't hold water. Sure, there is totally a case to be made it's possible Daisy could be working a long con/game. That she could be integrating with plans to turn on Kara/everyone down the road. But also, like, it's been months. And Daisy's done nothing to indicate that's what's happening. She's given up her identity, her location, her 'background', etc. And she's actively protected Kara multiple times, at great risk of physical harm to herself. All the evidence points to Daisy maybe not being the best influence on Kara depending on your point of view, but not being a hostile actor.

As time passes and Daisy continues to not harm or do anything against Kara, the DEO, etc, you would expect Alex's position to become less intense. Especially realizing the secret she wasn't in on was Quake. It answers questions and gives proof that Daisy is willing to risk her life to protect Kara. But the more time passes, the more evidence Alex has that Daisy isn't an active threat, the more escalated she gets because its the longer Kara is refusing to do what Alex is telling her to do. Alex knows she's losing the argument, and the more she realizes she isn't in control, the more she spins out.

So like, telling Alex about the dimension stuff would do nothing. The issue isn't Daisy. The issue is Kara trusting and having someone in her life that Alex can't control. If Alex knew the dimension stuff she'd just change the wording of her arguments but her position would change. Cause she has a conclusion, and she's working backward to justify a conclusion built on reactive emotion.

Chapter 42

Notes:

Why pushing things down and making assumptions can't last forever.

Also, found a sale on Pumpkin spice latte kerig cups. So I'm flush with pumpkin spice and living.

Kara’s brow crinkled as she looked at Daisy. “Talk about what?”

“Us?” Daisy rocked back on her heels, running one hand through her hair. “Whatever you want to call it that we’ve been doing.”

There was a rushing sound in Kara’s ears. “You want to break up?”

“If you want to call it that?” Daisy blew out a breath, but then looked alarmed. “Hey, I’m not going anywhere. I’m just saying maybe we should just be friends. It’d make things easier with your sister, probably the DEO too honestly.”

It was humiliating to feel her eyes burning with tears. “Why? Alex will come around once she gets to know you.”

Daisy’s expression was compassionate, making it worse somehow that she was breaking up with her over convenience. Like their relationship hadn’t meant enough to be worth hanging onto. “She loves you, it makes sense she’d see me as a threat. And I’m not leaving, ok? But your relationship with your sister is worth more than me. I know you know that. And sure, Alex might come around given time. But that’s going to take longer the closer we are. So maybe, we should just be friends.”

“Oh.” Kara…she turned and walked over to the couch and dropped onto it. This was worse than fighting with Alex. Fighting with Alex hurt, both of them knew exactly how to hurt each other. But it would get better. They always made up. They fought and then stewed and eventually would come back together because they were family. But this? This wasn’t something that’d just be fine in a few weeks of arguing, hurt feelings, and ice cream. “I thought…” She wasn’t sure what she’d thought. That what they were was important enough to hang onto.

Daisy was quiet for a long moment before walking over and sitting down on the couch cushion next to her. “It’s not that bad. I’m still here to help you, and what’d I do without someone to eat the extra food I make? At least the attempts at food that are edible.”

Kara should have laughed at that, because some of the things Daisy cooked really were pretty burned or not that good. But it hurt. Even with the fact Daisy wasn’t leaving, Kara felt pathetic as she looked at Daisy. Because she’d thought everything fit between them. That they were doing good, that they were important to each other. “Can we talk about it? Alex is mad that you’re Quake, more than us dating. And it’s both of us. My sister will come around.” It felt pathetic to argue the Alex bit, that wasn’t even really the problem. The problem was how easily Daisy was willing to just…give up.

“Even if she does, Kara, this always had an end date on it.” Daisy said as if that was just an obvious fact. Like the sky was blue. “I mean there’s other aliens or just people who are safe for you to figure things out with. And you’re kinda amazing, the day’s going to come when you meet someone to fall in love with.”

“What?” Kara stared at Daisy in complete confusion. “Figure things out with? What does that mean?”

Daisy blinked, head tilting slightly. “I mean that’s why me right?”

Kara was used to being confused, but not like this, not with Daisy. Everything with Daisy just made sense. It felt right. But this was…this wasn’t that. It was wrong. “I don’t…what do you mean?”

“Friends with benefits, or whatever you want to call it? I get it. We’re friends, I’m safe, and I’m hot.” There was the faintest flicker of a cocky grin at the word ‘hot’. “But that’s not worth fighting with your sister over.”

Kara swallowed, her throat felt thick. “Friends with benefits?” She’d been so stupid. It was the first time with Daisy she’d felt stupid, like she was the dumb alien who couldn’t understand Earth cultures. The one living in her own world that had nothing to do with real life.

“I mean I know we never got past making out. But that’s what you wanted? Is there a different Kryptonian word for it?” Daisy was looking at her curiously.

Her mouth felt horribly dry, she hated this, but…she’d done everything right? “Isn’t there supposed to be conversations and negotiations for friends with benefits?”

Daisy’s brow furrowed slightly. “Your species mates for life.”

“And that means friends with benefits?” Kara was confused, that didn’t make sense. It made no sense.

Daisy pulled back, her expression flickering with something that for a few seconds looked like pain before it was gone. “You mate for life. What else would you want from me than that? It’s implied?”

Kara was…that felt wrong, and not just because Kara felt stupid. “Why would that mean we weren’t dating? We went on dates, I called it dates, you agreed it was dates. I don’t…I don’t understand.”

“You…” Daisy had gone stiff, staring at her with something like the beginning of shock. “But why would you want more than something casual with me? You’re a forever person? I’m…me? That wouldn’t make sense, the risk for you.”

“Why not?” Kara felt a kernel of anger as she started to understand? Not anger at Daisy, but for her. Because why would she think that? It was awful.

Daisy’s mouth opened and then shut. She hesitated and then replied, her voice low. “Kara, I’m not a forever person. No one wants me for forever.”

“That’s ridiculous, what about your team?” Kara regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Because Daisy flinched at the words. Which was the answer.

Daisy cleared her throat though. “Look, they even have a saying about me. The whole ‘where she goes, death follows’. Which is true. People around me are always dying.” Daisy was staring at her like what she was saying was obvious. “I’m a mess, not sure I’ve ever not been a mess. I haven’t even lived anywhere longer than two years. Even with you treating me like a real person still, which is good. It’s...really good. Why would you want to risk being stuck with me for life?”

Kara stared at Daisy and the anger burned in her gut, because it was wrong that Daisy was speaking of herself like being mated to her would be bad. Also nauseous because the realization Daisy had just been letting her use her was…horrible. “Why wouldn’t I?” She kept going before Daisy could interrupt. “You’ve brought nothing but good into my life since you first knocked on my door. You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and brave, and good. And isn’t the point of dating to see if you want it to last for forever?”

“And you wanted or want that, with me?” Daisy leaned slightly more back, her eyes wide.

“Yes.” Kara wasn’t sure what else to say even if she had a dozen things she should be saying. Including a lot of questions she suddenly had about Daisy’s ex’s.

Daisy shifted, her brown eyes catching the light. “Kara, you mate for life. What happens when you realize I’m not right for you? Or when someone comes along who fits with you better, who can be the kind of partner you want? And you’re just trapped. That’s not fair to you. I would never hurt you like that. I’m not a saint, but I care about you, a lot.”

Kara’s shoulders curled. “If I wasn’t Kryptonian, would you have assumed I just wanted to use you?” Because she hadn’t…being an alien hadn’t mattered with Daisy. But apparently it did.

Daisy bumped their knees together. “Hey, first of all, I never thought you were just using me. You’re Kara Zor-el, I haven’t been here that long, and I know what it feels like to be used, and you’ve never made me feel that.” Daisy held her eyes. “Second, if I’d been as good of a person as you think I am, I’d have said no.”

Kara’s brow furrowed. “Why would that make you a bad person?”

Daisy brushed some of her hair back. “I know how to turn people down, Kara. I didn’t want to turn you down, even knowing it was a terrible idea.”

“Didn’t want to turn me down because you didn’t want to hurt my feelings? Or because it would hurt you?” Kara asked as she picked up a pillow, wrapping her arms around it as she hugged to herself.

“Kara…” Daisy sighed. “What do you want me to say? I knew better than to start anything with you, even if I wanted to, and then you kissed me and I was willing to take what I could get? It's pathetic.”

Kara looked at Daisy, and it hurt to hear Daisy talk about herself like that. “It’s not pathetic. Daisy, if I’d asked you out, properly, and you hadn’t assumed… other things, would you have said yes?”

Daisy shot a look at her, “Kara…”

“Would you have said yes?” Kara insisted. “If we both want to be together why shouldn’t we?”

“Your sister for one,” Daisy argued. “This isn’t worth the pain between you and your sister it’s already caused.”

“Alex already knows we’re dating…or I thought we were.” Kara flushed slightly, but her shoulders squared. “And Alex doesn’t get to dictate who I date, even if she might want to. She’ll come around, and I can handle fighting with my sister for a few weeks. And shouldn’t I be allowed to choose what consequences I’m willing to face? I can take care of myself.”

Daisy’s shoulders slumped as she inclined her head. “I know you can take care of yourself.” She shifted her position. “Kara, you are this amazing, inspiring person who should be happy. People like you don’t just happen. And I won’t set you up to be hurt like that. It’d be wrong.”

Kara reached out, laying her hand on Daisy’s knee. “Do you want to be with me?”

There was the faintest catch in the back of Daisy’s throat. “Yes, but I’ll get over it.” Her eyes flicked up. “I won’t trap you.”

“You’re not trapping me!” Kara gestured with her hand, the frustration with Daisy and the whole situation spilling even when she didn’t want it to. She blinked back tears she was not going to let fall when they were almost all from pure frustration. “You’re trying to protect me from something I should be allowed to choose.”

Daisy leaned forward, hugging Kara tightly as her arms wrapped around her. “Ok, I’m sorry. I didn’t…you’re right.” She tightened her hold around her.

Kara pressed her face into Daisy’s shoulder, the soft flannel against her skin as she soaked in the feeling of comfort. It was unfair, how safe Daisy felt, even when she was breaking up with her. The warm buzz of vibrations that gave away that Kara wasn’t alone in caring. Not that she doubted it. It wasn’t until Kara felt settled, the burning of tears faded, that Daisy pulled back.

“You’re right, I don’t get to just make decisions. That’s not fair.” Daisy pulled her legs up, crossing them underneath her on the couch, facing Kara fully. Her fingers fiddled with the edge of the cuff of one sleeve.

“I don’t want you to be with me if that’s not what you want.” Kara felt just…defeated.

Daisy brushed a loose tendril her hair behind one ear. “I’m bad at this, like, really bad. But not wanting to be with you, isn’t the problem.” Her mouth turned up into a wry smile. “I want to be with you, I’m here because you’re here. Spending time around you is the best part of my day.”

Kara smiled despite herself, a warm bubble in her chest at Daisy’s words. She reached out laying her hand over Daisy’s hand that was fiddling with one sleeve.

“You’re kind of amazing.” Daisy turned her hand up, entwining their fingers together. “Look, how would this work for you on Krypton?”

That was, she hadn’t talked about that almost at all since she’d gotten to Earth. Except with Daisy who asked, she’d even asked about this very thing in the bar all those weeks ago. Probably the root of this whole problem. So Kara tried to explain it, better this time. “My parents would have arranged a marriage with someone from another of the great houses that the Matricomp deemed compatible.”

“The Matricomp?” Daisy asked, and she was listening, she cared about what Kara was saying. Just like every time.

Kara felt the warm glow she got from talking about Krypton with Daisy. It was one of a dozen reasons she couldn’t just let Daisy end this without trying. “A computer system that would have measured us for compatibility.”

Daisy gave a dip of her head in understanding.

“To go against the ruling of the Matricomp was treason. Its decisions were final. Once I was matched for compatibility, I’d have been introduced to my betrothed. We’d have been expected to engage in activities meant to allow us to know one another’s souls. A lot of meditation in concert to learn to trust and be at peace with one another. Courtship was expected to last, several years before marriage.”

“And latching is…a purely emotional thing?” Daisy asked.

“Yes, though it can take…a few years of marriage to fully form. Uncle Jor and Aunt Lara caused a scandal for their latch forming just six months into their courtship. Not as great as when they had Kal naturally without the birthing matrix.” Kara still remembered the way people had whispered about that when they thought she wasn’t listening. “Mates were about partnership, two souls in step with one another more than…romantic love. I find how humans find mates, confusing but also…beautiful. Even if they aren’t able to share a part of their soul with their mates.”

Daisy squeezed her hand. “Once a Kryptonian latched, do you mean literally sharing of a soul?”

Kara nodded, pleased that Daisy didn’t question the existence of a soul at all. “We’re not a psychic species like Martians, but we can do that. In the old epic poems from our imperial era, there’s stories of latchings formed in war. It’s a bond without betrayal, of perfect trust and understanding.”

“That’s really cool, and don’t think I don’t have questions about Kryptonian history, but is latching a thing you could do on someone who isn’t Kryptonian?”

“Yes,” Kara’s hand hummed from vibrations leaking from Daisy.

Daisy spoke slowly, “So it’d be a risk. Why would you want that risk?”

“Because we could be happy.” Kara squeezed Daisy’s hand, she was sure that they would be. “Isn’t dating to try and see if we could be partners the whole point of dating?”

“You…” Daisy’s air left her lungs in a rush.

“Why won’t you believe I want you, and the idea of possibly latching onto you doesn’t scare me?” Kara was so much better at doing than talking, but clearly, that’d been a horrible mistake with Daisy. This was hard, and she wasn’t sure how to convince Daisy.

Daisy’s voice was soft. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, I thought we were dating already. I was sure the first time.”

“Ok.”

Kara’s lungs froze. “Daisy?”

“Ok.” Daisy repeated, and then she leaned forward kissing her. It was a soft press of lips, her free hand reached up cupping the side Kara’s face.

Kara shuddered against Daisy, her eyes closing. She didn’t dare move, afraid the moment would end. Her eyes burned as Daisy gently pressed their foreheads together. She swallowed thickly. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

She needed to be sure, “Dating, relationship, you want that? To be together.”

“Yes.” Daisy stayed there, forehead pressed against Kara’s. “I can’t promise to be good at it. I’m sorry I’ve fucked all of this up. But yes. Just…yes.”

Kara choked on the relief and a hundred emotions, and then she was hugging Daisy. She couldn’t stop crying as she hugged the other woman to her. The confirmation that Daisy was real, and there. The physical weight and warmth of her. It was visceral and important. It was also probably pathetic she was crying, but she was too happy to care.

And Daisy hugged her back, her body had gone loose, molding against Kara’s, her arms comfortingly firm where they’d wrapped around her in response. Daisy’s heartbeat sounded loud in Kara’s ears. Her vibrations a warm buzz leaking into Kara everywhere they were pressed together.

 

Kara wasn’t sure how long they’d been like that, wrapped up around each other. At some point, they’d adjusted. Daisy’d ended up lying on her back, stretched out across the couch, Kara laid out on top of and snuggling into her. Kara felt half asleep, her nose pressed against Daisy’s neck, her cheek against Daisy’s shoulder. She felt drained and never wanted to move. Her fingers gently ran along the curved scar at the edge of the meat of Daisy’s palm.

It was quiet, and Kara was focused on Daisy, which is why she noticed it at first. The low rumbling from Daisy’s chest. Kara smiled, it was a sound Daisy made in her sleep occasionally, and she’d realized it was a kind of purr. She nuzzled against Daisy’s neck. And sure enough, the rumbling grew slightly louder.

Daisy cleared her throat, shifting a bit under her.

Kara’s smile grew, and she went to distract Daisy from the purring. “So, I may have signed up for an L-corp tree planting on Saturday, if you wanted to come?”

“Sure, I can probably dig holes if you point me at where to dig?” Daisy cleared her throat again. “What is…am I making that sound?”

Kara propped herself up enough to smile down at her girlfriend, who was actually her girlfriend for real now. “You purr sometimes.”

“I…what?” Daisy’s face scrunched slightly.

“You do, sometimes when you’re sleeping.” Kara’s smile grew, kind of delighted that it was something not even Daisy knew about herself. “It's adorable.” She pecked a light kiss on the tip of Daisy’s nose.

Daisy blinked, a baffled expression on her face, but her eyes were smiling. “Really?”

“Yes really.” Kara was sticking to that because it was true.

“In my sleep?” Daisy didn’t look particularly convinced.

“I think it’s when you’re cozy?” Kara kissed Daisy before she could protest that.

Daisy kissed back, her hand moving to Kara’s hip, her thumb rubbing a circle against her.

She pulled back with a sigh, eyes still closed. “It’s good.”

“Kissing or the purring?” There was a certain amount of irritation in the inflection of the word ‘purring’.

“Both, both are really good.” Kara opened her eyes, tracing the lines of Daisy’s face.

Daisy reached up, cupping the side of Kara’s face. “Hey, I’m going to be bad at this, but I’m not going anywhere. Wasn’t going to go anywhere even if tonight had gone how I thought it was.”

Kara leaned into Daisy’s touch. “I’m being silly.”

“No, you’re not.” Daisy gave her a look. “I fucked up. That doesn’t just go away. Life’d be so much easier if it worked like that.”

The words helped, they really really did. Because Kara felt so stupid and stumbling with people sometimes. Like nothing she did was right and she couldn’t quite articulate why. But maybe she didn’t want to talk about that right now. “So, you’re digging trees on Saturday to apologize?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve never planted a tree in my life. The chances of me murdering at least one tree are pretty good. Also, me and the business types you work with don’t tend to get along well. You’re definitely going to end up regretting bringing me.” Daisy was smiling though, her tone teasing.

Kara laughed, something unclenching in her chest she hadn’t known was clenched in the first place. “Nope, not going to regret it.”

“Uh-huh, remember that when you’re boss is lecturing you about the fucked up wonky trees I’ve tried to help with.”

“Nope.” Kara pressed a light kiss on Daisy’s lips. “That’d mean regretting spending time with you. Never going to to happen.”

Chapter 43

Notes:

Quite early on request due to the hurricane about to hit the American south east probably about to kill some people's power.

Maggie came to such a sharp stop that her coffee sloshed out onto her hand. Hissing out several foul curses, she set her coffee down, shaking her hand out.

“Rough time, Sawyer?” Smith chortled from his station.

“Unexpected visitor,” Maggie hissed, walking straight for her desk that mother fucking Quake was sitting on.

Quake, and shit she was a cocky shit with or without the mask. Whoever’s face she was wearing this time was the same as she’d been wearing the day before. Young, twenty-something Asian features. Probably the face of some random barista. Same age range as the caucasian face she’d worn when she’d passed Maggie the info on Lord. Mid to late twenties would fit with what her personality seemed to be. And she clearly appeared comfortable in worn jeans, military boots, and a worn shirt. Pieces of a puzzle forming an ever clearer picture. A picture that had raised a hand in greeting. “Sup, Detective.”

Maggie wanted to grab the woman’s wrist and yank her out of the police station. “What are you doing here?”

“Handing in the paperwork, I hear that’s important for informants.” Quake was grinning as she passed actually filled out informant paperwork over.

Maggie grabbed the paperwork, her eyes flicking the name line. “Appreciate the effort, Skye?”

Quake hopped off of Maggie’s desk that she’d been sitting on. “I even have a tip for you.”

Three names she had for the woman now. Maggie’s hands dropped onto her hips. “Fine, what do you have?” M’gann owed her a drink for this.

“Angsty teenager writing hate mail to L-corp.” Quake handed over several sheets of paper, paperclipped together. “It’s in Kree, but not a native speaker. The lettering is left to right instead of up down, spelling and grammar are horrible, and the references to the Kree are real wrong. Like the whole official blood feud thing, not a thing. I mean not that that shit doesn’t happen, but it’s not built into the law. Also, guns in individual duels are considered invalid. It’s knife or hands, they’re weird about that. I doubt our teen has ever even met a person who met a person who was Kree.”

Maggie frowned, taking a look at what she’d been handed. It was a printed copy of the letter, as well as what was clearly a notated translation of it. The next few pages were neatly laid out proof of federal crimes committed to acquire information. Including security camera stills. “You hacked the post office?”

“No comment.” Quake didn’t seem concerned.

It was mildly frustrating to know her risk was right. Arresting Quake wasn’t worth it. Possessing the proof someone had hacked into the post office to track mail, and the neighboring security camera of the mailbox it’d been dropped in, and found exactly who’d dropped a letter that matched into said box wasn’t proof that Quake had done it. Hence why it was likely printed and not a digital file. It’d never stand up in court.

Maggie sighed looking at the woman. Admittedly, Maggie would admit she was impressed by what it said Quake had deferred to Supergirl and was showing repeated willingness and clear desire to work with law enforcement. She’d worked with people less respectful of the law before. Protect came before serving. “Why give this to me and not L-corp?”

“Uh, because good intentions or not, Lena Luthor is xenophobic and her security isn’t exactly alien friendly.” Quake’s eyes flicked the printed image of a pimply teenage boy in Maggie’s hand. “And I don’t think Mr. Doesn’t Know What Deodorant Is deserves that shit show.”

“Especially if he’s not entirely human.” Maggie nodded in agreement. “If flashing the badge and bringing him in for some community service or something doesn’t satisfy L-corp?”

Quake tapped the paperwork on the desk. “You have my number.”

Maggie looked down, and yes, there was contact information filled out. “You’re serious about being an informant and not just dropping things on me like a cat leaving dead birds?”

“Why not both?” Quake’s lips twitched. “Fun seeing you again Detective.”

“I’m not paying you for tips.” Maggie crossed her arms staring at the woman who wouldn’t be the end of the world to work with.

Quake tilted her head slightly, her smile turning more normal. “I’m not doing this for cash, I’d be living in a beach house somewhere tropical already if I was.”

Which was why Maggie, for all the woman was a walking red flag, she was pretty sure she trusted her intentions. People with her skill set didn’t just end up doing what she was doing unless they cared. Also knew how to make their assistance mostly legal. Enough Maggie could work with it. “Fine, informant. No ideas about riding along.”

“Ma’am, yes Ma’am.” Quake gave her a salute, winked, and then headed out.

Her shoulders slumped as she watched the walking migraine leave the building. She eyed Detective Smith. “You just let random people into the bullpen now?”

“She’s your informant?” He looked far too amused. “Have fun with that one.”

Maggie shook her head. “You have no idea. More like a migraine.”

He honest to god chortled. “She actually hack the post office?”

She dropped into her seat behind her desk. “Yup, and the prosecutor would laugh if I showed them the joke of evidence of it.”

“What do you have on her then? Drugs, illegal alien shit?” He poked.

Maggie leaned back in her seat. “Nothing.” She looked at the translated letter. Well, she might as well deal with that. Nothing good was going to come with prodding the Luthor hornet nest. “She can change her face, so probably not her if you see whoever’s face she’s copying.”

“I don’t know how you deal with that shit. Change her face? Really? Like, heebie jeebies.”

“Which is why you’re homicide, not science division.” Maggie paused, shit, she’d rather work with Quake than Smith.

////

Daisy took the seat in front of Winn at Noonan’s, “Sup.”

He startled and nearly dropped his sandwich. “Daisy?”

“That is my name, I was hoping we could talk since you’re on your lunch?” She kind of wanted to flee and never deal with this conversation. But she wasn’t going to be a coward. This was important.

He slowly set his sandwich down. “Um….how did you know I was here?”

She raised a brow at him. “You and Kara talked about coming here on your lunch breaks because you both don’t bring lunch in to work, and your office building is one block from here. It wasn’t rocket science.” She took a sip from her overly complicated drink order. She’d already eaten half an hour ago, it wasn’t like she’d known his exact schedule or wanted to bother searching through DEO records for it.

Winn shifted, his face doing a hilariously awkward thing, “Oh. That…makes sense. Why did you want to talk?”

“You’re Kara’s best friend.” Other than Alex, but Daisy didn’t say that. Compliments always got you further than anal obsession with exactitude. She hadn’t needed to be taught that in ‘Spy 101’. It was kinda obvious. “I could use some help.” And was prepared to bribe and possibly beg, but wasn’t opening with that.

“Because you’re dating?” He said slowly.

She winced at that, that was…fuck. Daisy pushed down the sharp reminder of just how apparently dense she’d been. That wasn’t a character flaw she was used to finding in herself. Self-sabotage sure, but she was usually at least aware she was doing that to some extent. “Yes, because we’re dating. I’m not good at relationships.”

“You can’t be that bad,” He waved off, settling.

Daisy stared at him, and it felt like swallowing barbed wire. “My last boyfriend died, for me, because I fucked up.”

Winn’s eyes widened. “Oh. I’m really sorry.” His hand twitched like he’d considered reaching out to touch her hand. Because there was a reason he and Kara were friends.

“I’m going to fuck up with Kara, she doesn’t deserve that.” She cleared her throat. “I’m not good at it.” And even if it was probably going to crash and burn didn’t mean it wasn’t worth trying. She might not have the hope Kara did, but she wished she did.

“So you want to know like her favorite flower or something?” Winn frowned, “Should you try not to fuck up first?”

Daisy twisted the fancy coffee cup in her hands. “Of course, I’m going to try and not fuck things up.” Again. But that was for Kara to choose whether her best friend knew about last night or not. Not Daisy’s. “I don’t need to know how to apologize, I could use your help to do it right.”

“Oh, like date ideas?” He was perking up, a slight spark of excitement.

Her lips twitched at the list on the fridge that so painfully clearly were what Kara considered their date agenda. “How about Kara’s language? Little Birdy says you know it, what with her being an immigrant and all. Thought I might try and learn some of it.” Or all of it, but that’d take a lot of time.

He leaned in forward, “You mean-”

“Her native language. Yes, I do.” Daisy cut him off before he could say the word ‘Kryptonian’. Noonan’s might be busy, but Winn was a regular and so was Kara.

He smiled, “I can email you what I used to learn?”

The rush of relief was real. “Thank you.”

“Of course, you jumped out a window for her. I think that means you care.” And Winn so genuinely believed that.

Daisy’s shoulders tightened, it was weird and uncomfortable how people looked at her in this universe. The suspicion from people like Alex and Lucy was far more familiar. “Eh, it was the right thing to do.” And she’d do it a hundred times over.

Winn picked up his sandwich again. “You were the only one who jumped.”

“I was trained to do it. I’ve jumped from higher.” Daisy shrugged, “Come on, as official best friend, there’s got to be things Kara’s said she wished a boyfriend or girlfriend would do for her.”

////

Kara’s day was going better than she could have hoped. It’d felt…delicate to wake up with Daisy on the couch. The morning light had announced the real world coming back in, and she’d been nervous. But then, it’d been alright. Just a normal morning, Daisy’d made waffles. And it felt like it was going to be ok. The morning had felt like a sigh of relief. And then Kal had been at the apartment fire and they’d had people to save. With every life saved, every drop of sunlight, she’d felt more and more chipper.

“You’re feeling better?” Kal smiled as he came to a stop floating by her side.

She smiled at her cousin, “Today’s just a great day. This never gets old.”

“It really doesn’t.” His boyish grin that was all his mother flashed at her. “I’ll let you know if it does.”

Both of their heads turned at the sharp sound of an alarm.

 

Kara couldn’t help the amusement as Kal chided the thief.

“See, now, if the bullets don’t work, right, why the punching?” Kal shook his head, gently tossing the disarmed thief into the bushes as he looked over at her. “I just never understood that.”

Kara had a bounce in her step as she joined Kal. “I’m having a really good day.” She had a girlfriend who knew she was her girlfriend, her sister and J’onn were safely home where they belonged, and she was saving people with Kal! She hadn’t spent this much time with Kal…ever.

He smiled at her, dimples showing, his eyes crinkled from the genuineness of the smile. “Me too.”

J’onn’s voice came through the comm, breaking up the moment. His tone was grumbly, he definitely hadn’t eaten any Oreos yet today. -“When you two are done showboating, there’s a renegade Kigori in Riverside Park.”-

“We’re on it!” Kara replied while looking at Kal, and then both of them shot up into the sky before twisting to fly toward Riverside Park.

As she hit a wind current coming off of the Catco Tower, Kara whooped with the joy of flight with Kal.

 

Kara was laughing as she touched down in the DEO, Kal beside her. She beamed as she spotted Alex coming out around the corner in full tactical gear.

“Supergirl,” And oh Alex did not look happy, all rolling exasperation. “We were just leaving to catch the Kigori.”

“Oh, we just dropped that little guy in containment.” Kal said to calm the sudden tension.

Alex was not happy. “Stand down.” She ordered the two fully tacked-up agents.

“I’m sorry.” Kara should have known than just handling it without the DEO wasn’t going to go well. She smiled at her sister trying to ease tension. It wasn’t a big deal. “Team Krypton was just having #toomuchfun!” And the day had just been so great! “I mean I’ve always loved being Supergirl. But today…”

“Next time it would be nice if you followed protocol and alerted us that an alien combative was no longer an active threat.” J’onn’s hands were on his hips as he stared at both of them with disappointed judgment. “Your cousin may not work for the DEO, but you still do.”

Kara took the hit, “Sorry.” She waved a hand trying to explain. “We were…We were just having-”

“#toomuchfun. Yeah, we know.” J’onn cut her off. He was not amused.

They were saved by the lights flickering. Kara frowned, looking up at the flickering. Things didn’t flicker at the DEO.

“Uh!” Winn slid out from behind his station where he’d been avoiding notice, walking straight for them, tablet in hand. “Energy drain coming from the holding area. Again.”

Kara’s stomach dropped, she knew who was in the holding area. Even as she desperately hoped it had nothing to do with the Kryptonian who’d been in a coma since he crashed, she knew in her bones it was because of him. She looked at Alex’s and J’onn’s faces and knew she was right. The stubborn heels dug-in expression they both got when they weren’t going to budge on something they knew she would hate was one she was familiar with. She looked to Kal, his face had gone serious.

His voice was firm. “What’s going on J’onn.”

Alex started talking while walking toward the detention area and the labs. Which…Kara hadn’t really stopped to think that maybe it was bad the labs and detention center were so close. “It started happening last night.” Alex said. “All energy at the DEO suddenly diverted to him.”

As they hit the hall to it, she knew. So did Kal.

“You’re exposing him to kryptonite?” Kal’s gaze swept the room as they came out into the lab. And it was a lab…a lab designed for detention of aliens. “You’re exposing him to kryptonite? He’s a survivor, not a prisoner.”

Kara couldn’t take her eyes away from the sleeping form of the other Kryptonian. Her stomach felt sick. She thought Lusy wasn’t going to allow this.

J’onn clearly didn’t feel the faintest shame about it. “It’s a precaution. We don’t know anything about him.”

The silence was grim as Kara looked back to the Kryptonian where he was laying on the lab bed under the sickly green light of kryptonite. She didn’t blink, even as the blinking ended, power returning to systems.

“Ooh, power is back at 100%,” Winn said.

Alex’s voice was all ‘interested scientist. “His vitals have jumped again. It's at the same rate as the power drain.”

Kal was serious, but able to be interested, if grim, while Kara was barely keeping from crying. “He’s repairing himself at a cellular level?”

“It’s like photosynthesis,” Alex was fascinated by what this meant. “His cells are absorbing the electrical energy and converting them to chemical energy.”

“You should test his levels again. Now that he’s-” Kal started, but he was cut off.

“We’ve got this, Superman.” J’onn could have just said ‘enough, your opinion isn’t wanted’. They all heard the meaning of his words.

Kal hesitated, but then he brushed away his horror, lightness returning, even if it felt tired. “Sure you do.” He turned looking at Kara. “I should go.”

Kara nodded, but she still couldn’t speak yet, her throat too tight. Because what could she do? Alex and J’onn wouldn’t listen to her. And Lucy had to have signed off on this, even after everything. Or at least signed off on J’onn having the authority to do it. And this wasn’t something she could ask Daisy to fix. Because Daisy would fix it, but it would burn the DEO bridges. Kara knew that. Daisy’s distrust of the DEO wasn’t subtle. Going to Daisy and asking for help would be like lighting a match.

So after all that, what was Kara left with? If Kal wouldn’t fight, if her sister and J’onn wouldn’t be moved, and if Daisy was too extreme of an option? She waited till Kal was out of earshot before turning to face J’onn, her arms dropping to her sides. “I know you two aren’t the best of friends. But you promised you’d be nice to him while he’s here.”

Winn awkwardly cut through the tension before they could argue. “Yeah, actually he said he would try.” Winn looked like he regretted speaking at all.

“How…How is it hard to be nice to Superman? He’s Superman?” Because if they wouldn’t listen to her, maybe they would listen to Kal.

J’onn’s head bowed for a moment, but then he was facing her again. “If it means so much to you, we will get along.”

“Thank you.” Her shoulders rolled back. That had to be enough. If J’onn and Kal would just get along they could undo what was happening. She cast another look at the unconscious Kryptonian. She needed him not to be able to feel pain in his comma. To believe that Alex wouldn’t stand by if his vitals said he was feeling the pain kryptonite caused.

Alex had stepped closer, her voice less scientific, more sister. “We still on for sister night?”

“Yeah? You’re not too mad to come?” Kara couldn’t help the surprise. “I thought…you were really angry.”

Alex’s jaw flexed slightly. “I am, but you’re my sister. And the last time I went without talking to you because I was angry you quit your job and got a girlfriend.” And oh, yeah, Alex was still not happy about any of that.

Kara was…she needed her sister. “Veep and Chinese?”

“Yeah, of course.” Alex agreed, and she was relieved that Kara was willing to take the olive branch of sister’s night.

It was probably a good thing that she was going to have to spend an evening away from Daisy. Being too clingy with your girlfriend was bad…probably. She was going to have to watch that. But she needed someone she wasn’t fighting with there. “Do you know it’s Clark’s favorite show, too?”

“Is Clark coming to sister night?” Alex’s brow rose, and yup, weird dislike she had about Kal showing.

“Yeah,” Kara decided to ignore the fact Alex didn’t want Kal there. Kal was never there, and if he was there maybe she and Alex could go a whole night without arguing. “I mean, he’s in town. And he’s family.”

Alex was smiling, but it did not reach her eyes. “The more the merrier.”

Notes:

You know what is an interesting flaw of Daisy's, is she's not a 'path to hell is paved with good intentions' person. Like she knows the path is going to hell while she's on it. She just is willing to walk to hell if she thinks its necessary, and/or if she thinks the person leading her there is a good enough person not to cross that line when they reach the gates of hell. But she's very aware of the slippery slope, and aware of the ethical/moral lines being crossed. And she does it anyways. Which leaves her in this awful spot where she's too much of a compromised party for straight heroes, but too idealistic for the established party.

And the thing is, I'm not even sure of how much of a flaw it is. She always tries to split the difference. To believe people are genuinely trying to help. It doesn't take much for Coulson, or Robbie, or Talbot, or hell, even Hale to convince her they genuinely are trying to do something important. That they are doing necessary things for the good of people generally, or think that's what they're doing. And she's very capable of going 'oh, what you are doing is important, it is doing something good' but also of recognizing that what they're doing is quite flawed. But like it leaves her constantly never quite fully on anyone's side. Because at her core, she's a very utilitarian character and her loyalty/love isn't enough for her to pick a side and stay there no matter what.

So for SHIELD, for the government, she is always a risk. Because she will leave or stand against what is happening if she thinks they are going too far. It takes a lot to get her there. But she will turn on even people she loves. But for more highly idealistic heroes, Daisy will straight-up torture someone without flinching. She'll kill without regret or like internal conflict over it. And its incredibly isolating for her character because she believes in doing what is necessary to make the world better. To protect the most people. Incidentally makes her really difficult for like the inhumans or any minority, because she won't prioritize the interests of a small group over the good of the whole. She'll try very hard, but when it becomes a question of the few or the many, she'll pick the many.

Chapter 44

Notes:

Sup!

Alex was more resigned than furious. It was the Clark effect. He was so perfect, so wonderful, and he’d hurt her sister so horrifically and it was as if she was the only one who understood that. He just showed up to play happy family for a week or two like it made years of abandonment better. This was the longest he’d given Kara the time of day, and it was not hunky dory.

She pulled plates out of the cabinets. The problem with Quake was infuriating, but it could be left alone. A day would come, likely sooner than later, when the woman’s true colors would show, and Alex would put a bullet between her eyes for breaking Kara’s heart. But Clark? He was family, and for all she would never forgive him, he was a hero.

It was a low simmer of resentment, watching him come into Kara’s life just to leave it again. Every time it hurt her. Because every time Kara hoped she could keep her last blood relative. And every time, Clark abandoned her again. Abandoned her and broke Kara’s heart, leaving it to Alex to piece her back together again.

So here she was, pretending her sister wasn’t going to willfully throw herself into heartbreak. The things she couldn’t protect Kara from burned the worst. And Kara was on a streak of setting herself up for heartbreak. It rankled, but Alex could see the writing on the wall she was going to have to let Kara make her own mistakes. She hated it. Hated it because she loved her sister.

Alex paused where she was snagging a bottle of red wine and the white just to be sure. She looked over at where Kara was fussing about straightening up the apartment. “So, does Clark like red or white?”

There was a gentle knock on the door.

“No, none for him. You know alcohol doesn’t affect us, but he still won’t drink and fly.” Kara’s face did the delighted ‘oh shucks’ expression, even as she started walking for the door. “He’s a big, big nerd.” She opened the door with that smile that was trying just a bit too hard. “Perfect timing.”

Alex looked over at the big boy scout himself. “Hey, Clark.”

“Hey Alex.” His greeting as genuine as the rest of him in tone. He stayed focused on her as Kara closed the door behind him. “Um, could you give Kara and me a minute together?”

She looked at his face, well, she had been right. It didn’t feel nice. It never felt nice when it came to this. Watching her sister’s heart be broken over, and over, and over, by the nicest man on the planet. “Of course.” Alex turned walking away from Clark and her sister. She didn’t need to listen in to know what he was going to say. He was here to say goodbye.

“Thanks,” His voice followed her.

Alex looked out over the street outside of Kara’s apartment. It was late, the lights of the city. She could hear the soft tones of the two Kryptonians. Sister’s night was going to be pretending Kara wasn’t barely holding back tears then. If it was anyone besides Clark, Alex would hate him. And maybe, she did sometimes.

She turned at the change in tone. Her eyes followed their sightline to the tv. Ah, jumper on the bridge. So, that’d be a ‘no’ to sister night. She looked at her sister, might be Kara crying on her shoulder after the save.

Alex walked to the fridge as the Kryptonians vanished to go save the day. Opening up the freezer she pulled out her chocolate fudge ice cream. She was moping for herself while she had the chance before Kara needed her. And the wine was all her’s. Snagging a spoon she dropped onto the couch, might as well watch Kara and Clark talk the idiot off the bridge. Her eyes narrowed, why did the dark shape of the guy look familiar?

////

Kara landed on the bridge, in the bright spotlights and street lights making this spot of the bridge into what felt like a stage. She could hear the Catco helicopter circling, no need to even look for the familiar crew. The police had cordoned off the area. Which meant everything was already secured, but it also meant the man had been there for a while. Talking them down was never easy.

She looked up at him, taking the lead. It was her city, Clark could circle and catch him if talking didn’t help. “Sir. Sir, you don’t want to do this.”

He turned, the bright lights throwing his features into sharp relief.

“Corben?” This wasn’t a jumper. Why would a human mercenary draw them out here? To a bridge? A secured scene?

And then his shirt burned away from pure heat, Corben’s chest glowing a sickly green that as suddenly as it’d appeared blasted Kal back.

Kal grunted in pain as his body left a furrow in the asphalt, green kryptonite glowing in his chest, a sound of pain coming from his throat.

Her head snapped back to Corben.

Corben’s voice was too clean as he spoke, too…aloof. Repressed, cold fury under cold tones. “No. Metallo.” He jumped off the railing onto the bridge and then sent a second blast with a cry of guttural rage at Kal who cried out as it hit.

Kara knew that pain, the agony of kryptonite, that was her cousin! She was in between them before Corben could think of a third blast, and struck him across the face. But he didn’t drop, there was no soft human flesh against her knuckles.

Instead, it was hard, like punching metal, for a human. He didn’t move from the blow.

Her eyes widened as she realized what that meant. The kryptonite, something different about him. Metal, his frame was full of metal and every scant second near him was weakening her. She didn’t have time to react to the horror of that. Corben backhanded her with the full force of his strength.

It was hard.

She flew backward into the car across the bridge, and it was a jolt of pain from the strike, and of her body hitting the metal, even as it dented and twisted around her. The kryptonite had weakened her enough to feel pain from that. For that to matter.

Her muscles shook from pain as her body tried not to convulse from it, from the damage. Just a few seconds within a few feet of the kryptonite and she couldn’t stand. She looked to Kal, desperate to help him, to stop the cries of pain as Corben slammed his fists into Kal’s face, again, and again.

The punches landed with horrible, heavy, meaty cracks. They were doing damage, Kal grunting from it.

And then Corben was dragging Kal up, his arms wrapping around Kal’s throat, choking him. He was going to kill him. Kal’s hands scrambled to try and pry the arm off of his neck, for air.

Kara couldn’t get up!

She lurched forward, her feet held as they hit the asphalt, and she poured her energy into her eyes, laser beams slicing through the air for Corben’s head.

Corben twisted, dropping Kal’s nearly limp body to the ground, one hand coming up blocking the laser beams before they could strike his head. The flesh of his hand ignited, burning and melting like hot wax, and falling in burning chunks to the ground, leaving behind metal bones.

The sound of Kal’s pained groans and near whimpers through clenched teeth audible even as Kara realized she couldn’t fight Corben, not up close. She had to stay away from the kryptonite.

Her laser vision cut off, the strength she’d had for that fading. She moved as he tried to blast her with the same awful green beam that’d taken Kal down. Even if she could have flown away, she wouldn’t have, not with Kal down. But she did get over the car she’d first slammed into, putting it between her and Corben.

Digging her hands into the door panels she started shoving the car toward him. If she could pin him against the other side of the bridge, she could get to Kal. And the car could survive the kryptonite blasts, shield her from them. She knew it was working when the car jolted, trapped between her, and him pushing back.

Kara jumped ontop of the car, she couldn’t generate enough speed. She’d thought she’d get one good hit in. Just one. If she couldn’t pin him to the railing, maybe she could hit him hard enough to put him down. If she didn’t hold back. If she risked killing him.

But she wasn’t fast enough.

Her feet had barely hit the top of the car when the awful blast of kryptonite hit her dead center in the chest.

She didn’t even feel the pain as she hit asphalt. Just the air rushing from her lungs as the burning scrap of kryptonite clawed through her. Agony, weakness, pain.

Her vision was blurry as she looked up, seeing Corben walking toward her, inevitably. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t have rolled over to retch. It took everything she had to focus on him as he came for her. And then a black blur slammed into him.

The ground shook.

Kara’s eyes closed, it was going to be ok, she and Kal were safe.

////

Daisy had Corben by the throat as she slammed him into the asphalt. The snarl on her face was not visible, but that wasn’t what was important. Her vibrations ripped through him.

His bones were metal.

Vibrations didn’t give a fuck what his bones were made of.

Daisy didn’t give a fuck.

She just tightened her grip on his throat as her vibrations shattered every single fucking scrap of metal in his body. What was probably his brain beginning to leak out of his ears. Dropping the corpse’s throat, she grabbed the chunk of kryptonite in his chest and ripped it out as she stood up.

Daisy’s eyes focused on the chunk of glowing rock and felt its vibrations. Focusing her world down to that singular rock she tore it apart to the most infinitely tiny scale. Not dust, not even the dust she let stay till the grit no longer was even the same fucking material.

She dropped her hand, vibrations gusting the grit away. Turning her eyes found Kara.

“Supergirl!” She shot to Kara, knees hitting the ground beside her girlfriend as she reached out touching her, her vibrations sweeping through Kara, feeling for damage.

Daisy’s shoulders slumped as she felt the beat of Kara’s heart, the lack of breaks in Kara’s bones, the feeling of blood flowing where it should be. “I got you, you’re going to be ok.”

“How hurt is she?” Clark wheezed from where he’d managed to drag himself up to his feet.

She looked over at him, he was already healing. “We need to get both of you out of here. Can you fly?”

He gave a heavy nod. “Give me a minute, I can fly her and I out.”

Daisy carefully scooped Kara up into her arms. “I have her.” Kryptonians might be heavier than humans, but it wasn’t enough she wouldn’t have been able to get Kara out of the field before the serum. After the serum, not an issue.

She easily got an arm under Kara’s shoulders, the other under her knees, and lifted. Kara was starting to come around, enough she wasn’t completely limp. “Supergirl, it’s going to be ok, alright? Your cousin is right behind me, just try not to flail.”

Kara’s eyes cracked open, and then her head lulled into Daisy’s shoulder. And it felt like a jolt of warmth as Kara just trusted her.

Daisy’s grip tightened slightly, and then she launched them straight up. And she didn’t care about controlling those vibrations. Without limiting her vibrations she launched them into a high arch. The wind whistled by as they rocketed through the air.

She’d aimed and used the right amount of force. Maybe a bit too much force. But she could use her vibrations to cushion the landing as they hit the DEO skyscraper. Every drawn gun from the agents shattered in their hands. Daisy wasn’t bothering with talking them down. She just strode straight for the lab she knew had a solar bed.

“Quake!” J’onn came walking toward her, he looked at the agents. “Stand down!”

Clark, was hot on her heels as they got to the lab, even if his muscles were still spasming, bruises still visible on his skin. Bruises that were healing even as Daisy noticed them, but still bruises. His limp as he walked was pronounced, even if he was trying to hide it.

One of Kara’s hands had reached up, gripping the material of Daisy’s suit. “I can walk?”

Daisy wasn’t testing that. “When you don’t sound like you’re breathing with cracked ribs we can talk about you walking. So five minutes.”

Daisy’s powers slammed open the door into the lab area. She set Kara down on the solar bed, turning to help Clark to the damn thing as well. The two could both sit on the fucking thing and power up their plant batteries or whatever. She didn’t manhandle the other Kryptonian onto the bed, because Clark had spun on J’onn, bristling hostility radiating from him.

“You told me that only the DEO had access to kryptonite.” He was furious, even if he was controlled as hell.

She didn’t need to ask to know that Clark wouldn’t even fully raise his voice. Because he was a Kryptonian. Because any physical threat or true escalation on his part would be used against him. Because he, just like Kara, wasn’t allowed to be angry. Even when he was furious.

Clark kept going. “So how would you like to explain what just happened out there?” He was pointing at the floor. “A kryptonite-charged cyborg almost killed Kara. Almost killed me.”

Daisy’s eyes flicked to where Alex had just come skidding into the room. She adjusted her stance, ensuring Alex had a clean shot for her sister. But didn’t move away from Kara. Kara had reached out, catching Daisy’s hand, even as she leaned into Alex’s touch as her sister reached her.

“Start talking, J’onn.” Clark demanded.

J’onn’s hands had settled on his hips. “A shipment went missing four months ago. We’ve done all we can to find it.”

Kara’s voice was a horrified exhale. “Four months ago? Does Lucy know?”

“Went missing?” Clark snapped, his tone implying ‘bullshit’.

“Stolen.” Alex cut in. “We thought it was an inside job but everyone in the transport came up clean. The Director has been auditing everything for a reason.”

Clark looked back at J’onn. “So you have a mole.”

“We don’t know that.” J’onn argued.

Daisy scoffed, yeah, she and the Krytponians were stealing every bit of kryptonite the DEO had, and she was insisting they move that plan up. Fuck keeping them from knowing who did it. It wasn’t like they could stop her.

“If you’d gotten rid of it when I told you to-” Clark started.

“We would have been helpless when Non and Astra launched Myriad.” J’onn marched into Clark’s personal space. “Or have you forgotten that there was a force even the Man of Steel couldn’t defeat?”

Clark’s hand shot up, palm flat, preventing J’onn from shouldering past him. “We have given our lives protecting the people of Earth. If you cared about Kara at all-”

“Watch what you say.” J’onn shoved Kal’s hand away from him.

Clark wasn’t allowing himself to be pushed back. He might not be escalating, but he wasn’t backing down either.

Daisy spoke up, because the Kryptonians were playing too nice. “That’s bullshit. Your kryptonite didn’t do a thing to stop Myriad. And everyone in this room knows there are other ways to fight a Kryptonian. Kryptonite is how you torture one. Don’t say you kept the kryptonite for anything else.” Daisy paused, looking over to the bed with a patient on it. An unconscious patient, “That’s the other Kryptonian?” What was he doing in this part of the DEO?

The lights around him were green. The vibrations from those lights were familiar. After all, she’d just crushed a rock with the same vibrational pattern down to its atomic level a few minutes ago. “You’re using kryptonite on a refugee in a comma.”

Every light in the room exploded, Daisy snarled as she raised a hand and crushed the kryptonite they were keeping in the room for medical care for Kara. Her head and attention turned to J’onn and the other agents reaching for their guns. The floor shaking, glass walls shattering in their frames.

Clark grabbed her hand, his other hand pressed flat against her chest to keep her in place. “Stop.”

Daisy’s teeth ground together, her eyes staying locked on the agents. “Why should I?” The DEO should be torn down. Not even SHIELD kept torture devices in their medical rooms. “How fucking dare they.”

“Quake.” Kara’s hand on her shoulder, pulled her back a half step. “Hey, look at me.”

She turned looking at Kara.

“Stop. This won’t help.” Kara’s voice was soft but intense.

Daisy’s eyes closed beneath her mask. Fuck. She breathed out, releasing her hold on the vibrations of the room around her. The floor ceased bucking, the air turning still. Opening her eyes she gave Kara a nod. She turned meeting J’onn’s eyes. The grim alarm on him and the other agents wasn’t a thing she gave a shit about. “If the DEO turns on them, I’ll tear your whole organization to the ground.”

The tension in the room was cut by the sound of more agents coming in. And there was Lucy Lane, several armed agents on her heels. Her gaze swept the room. “Does someone want to explain what is going on?”

No one got a chance to reply. Every screen, well every surviving screen, lit up with the image of a digitally painted face, and a digitally altered voice cut through the tension. -“People of National City. The Earth has been stolen from us. And the enemy has come in the guise of heroes.”- An image of Supergirl flashed onto the screen, and then more images of the Supers. -“They say they come in peace, to protect us from ourselves. But how long will it be before these gods decide to rule instead of serve? We are the antidote to their poison.”-

-“We are the scientists who will show them what humans are capable of. Those who have sided with the invaders will not be spared. You cannot stop us. We are everywhere. We are Cadmus.”- The video on the screen cut out.

////

Cat Grant was less surprised than she should have been at the dark figure landing on her balcony. Dark, except for the unnerving and unflinching LED lit face. She didn’t stand from her desk. Not for this one, let the walking PR disaster come to her. “Quake.”

The woman walked in, the balcony door opening for her without her touching it. Her body posture, her appearance made every animal instinct in Cat’s body scream danger.

Her distorted voice was even, controlled. “How long would it take you to have a camera in here?”

“You want to be interviewed?” Cat gave the woman a pointed up down. “An hour after you murdered someone on live tv? I know you’re not entirely stable, but this seems reckless even for you.”

“Cadmus wants a war, I’m going to give it to them.” Quake’s unchanging mask stared at her. “Do you want the scoop? Or are you afraid of what I might say?”

Cat stood from her desk. “You walk into my office, and make demands of me? What gives you the right? Or do you think just because you have powers you’re the biggest bully on the block?”

“I’m giving you an offer, Ms. Grant. So, you get a camera in here, and actually do something. Or I’ll do it without you, and you can keep taking the easy route. Playing into lazy, uninteresting tropes for your cover stories about Supergirl. The easy marketable choices for cheap, easy, money that will see you and your legacy trivia answers at bars in five years. Or actually use the power you’ve built up for something besides bullying people who can’t afford to stop you.”

“Well don’t you have fangs under that mask, Ms. Try Hard. Your villainous aesthetic is so 2008, can’t you clean up if you’re going to declare war?” Cat had been hoping for this. Who else would her city’s aliens come to when they needed a camera after all? And owning the scoop, was owning the story. She liked winning. Not that she’d expected it to be Quake and not Supergirl to drop a scoop on her. She raised her voice, “MS.TESCHMAKER!”

 

Quake hadn’t moved, not so much as a twitch. She’d just stood there, inhuman LED light face watching. She seemed immune to the terrified twitching of employees as the camera was set up. She just stayed there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

Cat clapped her hands as the camera was pulled up. “Ready to answer some questions, Hot Topic Murderbot?”

Quake pushed off the wall. “Not here for an interview.” She walked directly in front of the camera without the faintest hesitation. Which ah, she really was pissed then. “Is it on?”

“It’s recording.” Cat wasn’t putting a livewire like Quake on live if she could avoid it. She needed control.

Quake gave a nod, and turned facing the camera fully. “Your cyborg was weak, and publicly declaring war? That was a mistake. You were slightly safe as a government agency, but if you’ve decided to go rogue, the government won’t protect you now.” The LED smile on the woman’s mask was distinctly unnerving, and oh her words would be daming if she could prove them. “Did your cyborg scream when you removed his human bones to replace them with metal? I did when you cut me open, and scooped my glands out. When you drained my blood, the torture to make me comply. I wonder how many veterans promised medical care you cut to pieces before you figured out how to keep even the ones without a surprise alien ancestor alive long enough to be turned into weapons?”

“You made me, and I play by the rules you and Uncle Sam trained me to follow. And you gave up government backing, you arrogant idiots. The Supers, the terrified refugees, the second, third generation aliens, the humans who don’t even know they have alien genes back there, they don’t want your war. But I do. And I accept.”

Chapter 45

Notes:

I was bored, decided to update early.

Daisy was coming in fast as she came flying straight for Kara’s balcony. She barely slowed as she hit the ground walking. Ripping her goggles and face mask off she tossed them somewhere, as she zeroed in on Kara. She didn’t care about the faint rattle of the apartment.

“Daisy!” Kara dropped the plate she’d been holding onto the counter, turning for her. Probably meaning to say more.

She didn’t pause, nearly colliding with Kara. Her hands caught Kara’s face as she kissed her, desperate to feel Kara safe. Daisy backed Kara into the counter. Kara was alive, she was safe. The familiar vibration of her denser body was soothing to feel against her. It’d been so close. Too close. Three steps from death.

Kara’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, fingers pressing against the thick kevlar hard enough that Daisy could feel it.

Humming in approval, Daisy’s mouth trailed to Kara’s neck, one of her hands fell to Kara’s hip, keeping them pressed flush together by keeping Kara pinned to the counter while also pulling Kara into her. The fingers of Daisy’s hand slid into Kara’s golden hair, curling into the tresses. The beat of Kara’s heart against her lips and tongue as Daisy did her best to give the Kryptonian hickies. She didn’t even care there wouldn’t be evidence, the sensation of Kara against her was all that mattered.

Kara’s fingers dug into Daisy’s shoulders nearly to the point of pain. And Kara started making these soft, breathy whimpers.

Daisy mouthed down Kara’s neck, her teeth scraping against Kara’s pulse as she made her way to the collar of Kara’s shirt. She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut, pressing her forehead against Kara’s sternum. Daisy breathed deeply. Kara was safe. She was here. Daisy’s hand dropped from Kara’s hair to settle on Kara’s other hip.

Kara panted, seeming to take a minute. But then her arms moved, to more hugging Daisy than clinging to her. The frantic energy between them fading, both their heartbeats slowing. Kara made an alien sound. It sounded kind of like an owl and some kind of songbird mushed together into a single call along with a hum. The sound and the feeling of Kara’s hand against her back was soothing.

“Thank you, for saving Kal and I.” Kara’s voice was warm.

Daisy sighed, just leaning into Kara, not pushing into her any longer. “Did I make things hard for you at the DEO?”

“No, Lucy and J’onn were still fighting in her office when I left. You should probably not step foot in the DEO for a while, though.” Kara’s fingers were careful as she pulled out the bobby pins holding Daisy’s wig on. She set the last pin on the counter, before pulling the wig off of her head.

Daisy pulled back but not far, Kara’s hold on her discouraging the attempt. “You got enough solar radiation to be healed? All the way?”

Kara’s face was unbearably soft. “I’ve been back at a hundred percent since twenty minutes after the bridge.” She reached out cupping Daisy’s cheek before leaning in, pressing their foreheads together. “I’ll sit in the sun tomorrow if it makes you feel better.”

She sighed, partly in relief and partly out of frustration. “What makes me feel better isn’t what’s important.” The comfort of the warmth of Kara’s vibrations was unfair. “How long have they kept kryptonite in the same room as the one they have set up to help you?”

“Since the beginning of being Supergirl, probably.” Kara breathed out shakily. “It's wrong, I know it’s wrong. The Kryptonian in there, it’s not right. But the DEO does good, it protects people.”

Daisy stepped back, for real this time. But she nodded, she understood what Kara was saying. “Ok, you’re right.” She hated how much shit the DEO did that was wrong. “If coma dude disappears, tell me, I’ll find him. Without tearing down the entire organization for plans A through Y.”

Kara looked tired at that, “Yes, well…I should have told you what they were doing as soon as I realized.”

“I get it, I tend to just…handle problems.” Daisy’s eyes flicked down.

“No, it’s a good thing.” Kara touched her hand. “Kal and I could have died if you hadn’t come when you did.”

She stared at her girlfriend, a sharp fierceness burning in her chest. Because she couldn’t lose anyone else. “I’ll always come.”

////

Lucy’s temples were throbbing. “When I agreed to you still running Supergirl, I wasn’t expecting you to make Superman so angry he’d return to Metropolis after saying working with us in the slightest had been a mistake. Or Supergirl staring at everyone with wounded puppy eyes of betrayal. Or somehow, even worse, pissing off Quake to the point she nearly took down the entire building and every agent inside.” She hadn’t thought it was possible to piss off both Supers that thoroughly without a name beginning with ‘Lane’ or ‘Luthor’.

“I will not regret my position on kryptonite, Ma’am.” J’onn stood unflinchingly before her desk. Her desk that had been his not that long ago. Which made this whole thing unbearably awkward.

“Why? Kryptonite has proven useful to the DEO twice from what I can tell. Twice in over two decades for two minor victories that possibly did more harm than good. I fail to see why that is worth the risk and cost.” Lucy laid her hands flat against the top of the desk. “A cost we can’t afford to keep paying. Which is why I specifically did not authorize its use on our unconscious guest.”

J’onn’s tone changed, a clippedness to his words. “Because Mars is a crypt. Because angry gods burned our young and we were helpless to stop them. Because I will not be unprepared again. Hate me if you want.”

Well, shit.

Lucy leaned back enough that her back touched the back of the chair. She stared at him, because how was she supposed to give him orders? Breathing out through her nose, she attempted to address that. “Earth isn’t Mars. And allies are more important than weapons so specific they only affect a single species. Kryptonite is not a nuclear arsenal, and we have more threats a Super is useful against than we have threats kryptonite is useful against. By the numbers, your decisions with it make us vulnerable.”

J’onn didn’t twitch, it was reassuring as a trait when he was in charge. As a subordinate, it was the opposite. “You’re going to give our kryptonite to Superman then.”

“No, I’m going to let Superman steal it. Or Quake, I don’t care which. You are going to go make nice with Superman and convince him your decisions were born out of caution not malice.” And Lucy was going to go report to the president and pray nobody was stupid enough to try and nuke Quake. Hopefully metaphorically not literally. Not that either was advisable.

“And when Kryptonians attack us again?” J’onn asked, voice heavy with the weight of his concern.

She stared at him, “Then we’ll have two Kryptonians, a Martian, whatever Quake is, and threats showing us new ways to harm a Kryptonian every month in this city. After all the possession of kryptonite didn’t stop Myriad and it didn’t stop Zod. So don’t tell me it’d be of any more use if there is a next time.”

He gave a nod, rising to his feet. “Very well, Ma’am.”

Lucy watched him leave the office. She was going to have to put someone else in charge of running Supergirl. Alex? If she removed Alex from J’onn’s direct line of authority and made her Supergirl’s formal handler and put J’onn and Alex under Assistant Director Hall here in the city? She had multiple bases to inspect, audits to run, and Cadmus to worry about, not to mention her father and Alien Amnesty. It was…invigorating.

This? This was making a difference. Once she’d finished turning all the puzzle pieces right side up and could start putting them together. In the meantime…Vasquez could run the desert base in the short term. She glanced through the window into the control center. First, before anything else, she had a job for Winn. Just getting rid of the kryptonite wasn’t going to stop kryptonite being a massive threat.

////

Kara woke with her nose against the back of Daisy’s neck, her arms wrapped around and holding Daisy’s back to her front, and an intense feeling of rightness. She tightened her hold of her mate ever so lightly, enjoying the warmth and security of it. It’d felt a bit like a deep sigh of relief when Daisy hadn’t even seemed to think of suggesting she go back to her place for the night.

Breathing in, her eyes stayed closed. She liked how Daisy smelled, there was something nice about how Daisy always smelled like clean soap, and a faint burn of gunpowder and metal scent that never quite left her. But under that, there was just something…not quite human about her. Something kinda of lemony. Like Pine Sol, but nicer. It was distinct and comforting.

And every insecurity about Daisy felt stupid like this. Daisy was lying to everyone, to fight a war for her. Sure, Daisy never would have just accepted Cadmus’s existence. But Kara wasn’t stupid. Daisy was doing it here, now, and like this for her. Daisy who’d been willing to fight the entire DEO for being a threat to Kara. Who’d had a nearly frantic buzz to her in worry at Kara being harmed. Kara felt ridiculous for doubting how deeply Daisy cared. For feeling the faintest insecurity.

She should get the coffee ready, Daisy liked coffee first thing. With a faint huff, she pulled back, to climb out of bed. Daisy shifted, a soft buzz of vibrations passing through her, and then Daisy just curled deeper into the pillow.

Kara couldn’t help smiling. She might not know everything there was to know about Daisy’s powers. But it made her feel all floaty to know Daisy, even half asleep, could identify her that way before going straight back to sleep. It was unbearably sweet. And it was new. Daisy when she’d been on the couch had always been awake within seconds of Kara waking up, if not already awake.

She padded into the kitchen. Turning on the coffee pot she picked up her phone and quickly clicked to the Catco website. And then started scrolling through comments. She felt the weight of it as she read. As she moved to the next news site, and the next, and the next. Cadmus, Daisy’s statement, the Kryptonian in the DEO under the sick green light of kryptonite, and a dozen other smaller and larger things.

The comments on every article she found were a hive of arguments and debate. And if she quietly saved the photos of Daisy lifting her and flying off with her, they made her chest feel warm and fuzzy. Which was needed reading internet comments. Even if the comments were…weirdly less hostile about aliens than expected?

“Morning,” Daisy was nearly soundless as she slipped into the kitchen.

Kara might have missed Daisy waking up and climbing out of bed, but she wouldn’t have missed Daisy pulling out coffee mugs. She looked up, and it kind of struck her, just how many scars Daisy had. “You really meant it, when you said you accepted Cadmus’s declaration of war. Didn’t you?”

Daisy tilted her head. “Yeah, if we want Cadmus to die, really die, we have a month, maybe, to act. Past that, it’ll be whack a mole for decades.”

Kara nodded, “Alright, what do you need me to do?”

“Do? Kara, you don’t have to do anything. I can handle it.” Daisy opened up the the fridge. “Kind of my specialty.”

Kara touched Daisy’s arm, stopping her from continuing. “You are not fighting a war for me by yourself.” She held her girlfriend’s eyes. “What do you need me to do?”

Daisy’s face did something...surprised. But she nodded. “Ok, but first, do you want to make bacon?”

“You’re just asking me because the oil splatter doesn’t hurt me?” Kara let go of Daisy’s arm and moved to get a pan out.

“I mean you have alien skin of heat resistance. And bacon splatter is weird and I have yet to figure out how to stop it.” Daisy had a smile in her voice as she dropped the huge package of Costco bacon on the counter. “Eggs and pancakes with it?”

Kara leaned over pressing a kiss to Daisy’s cheek, beaming at the sight of the pleased softness on Daisy’s face. “That sounds great!”

Daisy bumped their shoulders together. “Can I just say, we eat possibly too many pancakes.”

“No such thing.” Kara was grinning, she loved weekends when there was time to just have a slow morning with Daisy. To get to make something nicer than just granola or quick eggs or something before heading to work. “We can put so much syrup on them!” She floated up pulling the pancake mix from the top shelf in the cabinet.

“Your world has the best food.” Daisy hummed as she pulled more things from the fridge. “Or maybe I’m just eating good food now? I’m planning on never eating another protein bar if I can help it.”

Kara’s heart felt too large in her chest at Daisy referring, even obliquely, about never leaving. “I’ve never eaten so little takeout.”

“Your taco trucks are amazing here. Solid taco trucks are special.” Daisy hummed as she started mixing pancake batter. She looked over at Kara as she dumped bacon into the pan. “You don’t have to do anything except be Supergirl like you really don’t.”

She felt her shoulders rolling back as her stance changed to something more Supergirl than Kara Danvers. “I want to. Or not want, but I’m with you. Together.”

Daisy’s lips turned up slightly, “Ok.” She pointed her spoon at her. “Cadmus made a mistake making that public announcement. They’re not big enough to make that an easy sell. Terrorist organizations need a big success to launch themselves when they want to start out big. Without the US government support, out in the open, and as small as they are? They’re vulnerable. We make them look weak, and we drag their dirty laundry out and we nail them to the wall with their crimes. We can cut them off at the knees before they get going.”

“Why would that stop them? They have weapons and money, labs?” Kara’s brow furrowed as she turned on the burner for bacon.

“Because they want scared, angry, people to support them. They want people who want power to be drawn to them. Scared, angry people are just desperate for a group to get under. We murder their image and the random scared bigots won’t flock to them. If Cadmus doesn’t get any public support, not just that, we make the public revile them, and we make them look pathetic and weak, they won’t get their hooks in.”

“And then you’ll kill them.” Kara knew she was half daring Daisy to lie to her about it.

Daisy gave a slight tip of her head. “Yeah, and then I kill them.”

Kara reached out taking Daisy’s free hand. “How can I help?”

“How well can you lie? If we prep you before hand?” Daisy was looking at her measuring. “Because you tried to lie to me when we first met, it was kind of a nightmare.”

“That’s not fair…fine, I’m terrible at it.” Kara admitted.

Daisy just nodded. “Well then, how do you feel about picking up garbage out of the bay?”

“Fine? Why would that help?” Kara asked.

“Because we need a point of contrast, the scarier and less ‘super’ we make me look, the better you’re going to look. And, honestly, your ability to fly is going to be, really useful.”

Kara leaned forward and kissed Daisy soundly, before pulling back. “What are we doing about the media?”

Daisy’s grin turned sharp and dangerous, but her eyes were bright. “We’re chumming the media waters.”

“We’re still going to have time to plant trees with L-corp tomorrow, right?” Kara checked, “Because that sounds all very time intensive and like urgent.”

Daisy just laughed. “And you’re helping put up the cat stuff while I hack.” She glanced at her phone, her lips curling upwards. “I’m going to be calling some very worried baby aliens after we eat though.”

Kara smiled at the reminder of Bucky who they were picking up from the vet this coming week, and the way returning the kids to their families hadn’t stopped them from texting Daisy constantly. It was unbearably sweet. “Of course!” She fell more serious. “How do we chum the waters, exactly?”

////

Winn Schott was being careful as he worked on his project for Lucy. The electric current sparked from a clamp not tight enough. He held out a hand absently to the rest of the lab. “Uh, screwdriver?”

The tool was slapped into his hand.

“Ow! Watch it.” He looked away from his work to where Alex was stalking the lab like an unhappy predator. “I know you think I’m just a pretty face here, but these hands are the real money-makers here, ok?” He carefully went back to his work, the mechanics were delicate.

Alex’s voice was begrudging. “Sorry. I was thinking about something else.”

“Yeah, well, until I finish with the Kryptonian-saving body armor, just think with less stabbing. Not sure why we need this done since Quake made the bad kryptonite man go splat. But Superman might get one of these!”

Alex scoffed, “Here we are, once again doing everything we can to help Kara, to keep her safe despite her surrounding herself with threats.” Alex leaned against the table next to him, the frustration oozing from her. “Do you know the last time I went on a date?” She didn’t pause long enough for him to reply. “Two years ago. You date more often than I do.”

“Rude.” He walked to grab more parts as she sighed out in exasperation. “You ever spent time inside a foster home?”

“No.” She was just humoring him at the moment.

He sorted through tools. “Yeah. Well, I have, after my father went to prison. And I gotta say, it is nothing but being told how grateful you should be that someone is taking care of you.” He turned facing where she was leaning against the lab table and walked back over. “Dude, that’s not family. Family is not about scorekeeping or who did more. It’s just about showing up.” he reached out patting her shoulder. “So just chill with the attitude, okay? I’m having a hard enough time getting this ready with all the trace kryptonite in the air.”

Alex’s tone changed. “What did you just say?”

“It’s like a subatomic locker room in here.” He complained as he worked.

“Kryptonite leaves a residue?”

“Yeah, just like any other radioactive substance.” He absently replied, she probably already knew that.

Alex’s voice was back to mission ready figuring things out Alex. “So if we wanted to find out which DEO agent stole kryptonite, helping Cadmus, maybe even helped experiment on my dad…” Her tone was leading.

Winn pulled off his safety goggles as he realized this was way more important than the kryptonite blockers he was working on. He loved getting into trouble with his friends. “Hey, why don’t we get silly, and take a Geiger counter to the actual locker room?”

 

Winn followed behind Alex as she marched into the locker rooms with confidence Winn was never going to have in just his pinkie.

She was laser-focused. “What am I looking for?” Alex was waving the Geiger counter

“You’re listening.” He nearly tripped over himself keeping up with her, wondering what on earth they were going to say if someone found them poking into lockers. “It should beep.”

He barely got the words out before the Geiger counter went off.

Alex was like a bloodhound she had them to the source of the beeping so fast. Her eyes snapped to the nametag on the front of the locker. “McGill.”

Winn swallowed. “Was he on the kryptonite transport team?”

“No.” Alex’s eyes had narrowed. “There’s no reason he should have gone near it. He’s a mole.”

His eyes flicked to the door into the locker room and then back to Alex. “What are you gonna do?”

Alex handed him the Geiger counter while pulling out her cell phone. “We’re going to see if she keeps showing up.”

Notes:

Ok, thing in superhero fandom that annoys me and I've been seeing a lot of takes on, about Superheros creating their villains and like...90% of the time the example people are talking about is bullshit? Like actual creation of a villain, Ultron, was literally created by Tony/Bruce.

But Batman doesn't create Joker. Joker in a world without Batman would not be a normal 9-5 office worker. The clown schtick and general theatrics he goes about are in response to Batman. He'd probably have been having beef with some gang, or maybe been doing his version of the Zodiac Killer or something if Batman wasn't in the picture. But he is a sadistic serial killer who wants attention. He didn't turn to crime because Batman burned his home down leaving him with no choice but to afford to eat.

Superman doesn't create Lex Luthor. Lex would just be Elon Musk if Musk actually was smart, and like, invented things instead of just paying for the rights to say he invented them. His politics, exploitation, etc would totally have still been happening. Hell, he'd still want to be president and probably try and become elected dictator. Lex running around in a mech suit killing people is what his jealousy of Superman inspires. But like, he was a shitty person who was always going to do damage to the world. And blaming Superman for being too good, so a narcissist got jealous and devoted their life to killing him, is...unhinged? like 'bad people might be jealous, so let people burn to death in fires', unhinged. It's 'girl wore a low-cut shirt so she deserved it' logic. Or 'man picks up garbage off the beach, so he's responsible for the asshole who decides to dump trash on the beach' logic.

Especially with Gotham, like, the villains just started wearing costumes because of Batman, they didn't start doing crime because of him. The crime already happening is what created Batman. And it annoys me when people constantly inverse that, all the time. It reminds me of Overly Sarcastic Productions video on heroes in empty worlds. And how so many movies because they're uninterested in non flashy fight scenes, accidentally frame the heroes as causing their enemies. instead of a world needing heroes being why heroes happen.

Firefighters become firefighters because there are fires. They are not responsible for the actions of arsonists. Even if the arsonists decide to dress up as firefighters because they want to make the news. And they're not morally obliged to use their fire axes to go decapitate arsonists. Even if they know who the arsonists are.

Chapter 46

Notes:

Sup! Early again because I have no self-control.

Cat Grant did not appreciate having her media strategy questioned. Everhart, Snapper, and Olsen in her office to argue with her vision was, irritating. So few people could see the big picture. Tragic. “I take it my brilliance is going un-noticed, yet again.”

“Cat,” Snapper stuck his pencil behind one ear. “It's subtle right now, but you’re about to give a public image lifeline to a murderer.”

She waved a hand. “Yes, yes, very anti-hero of her. But when she tries to blackmail the US Government she’s going to need the media to make it stick.”

“An unhinged murderer, superpowers or not isn’t going to make her capable of bringing down the United States of America.” Snapper stared at her through his grimy glasses. “I don’t doubt she might be able to kill a lot of people before she’s stopped, but she’s a sinking ship.”

“Please, no one thinks the dark murder vulture is going to destroy the United States Government. That would be absurd. But take out specific individuals on the fringes of power and give the President a migraine terrible enough to pardon her to get the chaos to stop?” Cat looked at them all and then pointed with the full weight it deserved at the image on one of her screens of Quake cradling Supergirl’s injured body and Supergirl’s head trustingly leaning into the hollow of her throat. “The Supers are not going to stop Quake, and unless I’m wrong they’re going to help her. And I’m almost never wrong.”

Everhart, the mouthpiece of her most popular television spots, spoke up. “You think she wasn’t lying, you believe the government is sending its veterans to be cut to pieces?”

Cat raised a brow, “Obviously, and if you don’t believe she has enough damning evidence of atrocities to create civil unrest you were not paying attention to what she just did to Lord. Whatever she has on Cadmus, she thinks it's enough.”

Olsen spoke, his voice careful. “I haven’t talked with Supergirl about Quake specifically, but she and Quake have more going on than what we’ve seen publicly. And I’ve heard of Cadmus, Quake isn’t lying. I know of a government agent who was sent to them for ‘experimentation’ for defending Supergirl.”

“You were in favor of the President, if you do this, you could ruin her re-election bid in three years.” Snapper was chewing on the idea.

“Yes, well I choose to believe Olivia can turn this chaos into a brighter future. Crisis separates the capable from the sniveling masses.” Cat looked at them, “Olsen, what else do you know about Cadmus?”

Olsen cleared his throat, “They are one of the main reasons that Superman doesn’t work with the government. In the alien community, sometimes, people just disappear. And I know Cadmus has connections to the Army and General Lane. But I don’t have details or enough for you to run a story.”

“Get the evidence then, Chop, Chop.”

////

Alex revved her motorcycle engine as she came to a stop in front of the alley. She looked up, “You’re on time.”

“Well, when your girlfriend’s sister gives you a location and a dress code, you tend to show up.” Daisy dropped off of the dumpster she’d been sitting on, full black kevlar Quake suit, and the stupid poison purple wig on her head. Her mask and goggles hung loose around her neck. “Do I want to know why I’m here? I was about to start making lunch.”

Alex picked up the bike helmet on the back that Kara usually wore and tossed it at the woman. “Climb on, we’re going after a mole.”

“Cadmus?” Daisy asked, but she pulled the helmet on, and visor up so they could keep talking.

She gave a sharp nod. “And we’re going to go hunt the rat down before Lucy can do another audit about it.”

Daisy snorted, but swung a leg over the back of the motorcycle, climbing on behind her. “Your funeral with Lane, but I’m down. I’m the off books back up then?”

“Hang on.” Alex wasn’t sure how she felt about her sister’s girlfriend, but murdering Metallo had been…she was getting the idea she may have misjudged where Daisy’s loyalty lay. And as Winn had said, she was showing up.

It was only slightly disappointing that Daisy didn’t show the faintest awkwardness at the bike shooting off. But, well, if she didn’t have to be careful for a new person, she twisted the gas.

 

Alex brought them to a screeching stop behind the back of the warehouse down at the docks where McGill the mole’s signal had been heading. She yanked her helmet off, swinging off of the bike as she parked it. She unholstered her gun and looked over her shoulder at Daisy. “You coming?”

Daisy hooked Kara’s helmet on the back of the bike. “I’ll go high.” She drew her own gun, checking the clip quickly, and those were real bullets, not the glowing blue tranq rounds. “Happy hunting.” And then she shot straight up and vanishing up ontop of the building.

“Cheater,” Alex grumbled. But then she had come here for a job. Now to go catch her mole red-handed and get her questions answered before she handed him to Lane.

Alex’s steps were sure as she slipped into the warehouse. It didn’t take her long to get through the back area to the loading bay, and there he was. McGill, two chests of Kryptonite he was personally wheeling off of a truck into the building.

It was her chance. She came out from behind the shelves of shipping containers, gun raised. “Freeze.”

He let go of the shipment he was wheeling, raising his hands. “This isn’t what it looks like Danvers.”

“Shut up and turn around.” She was going to find her dad, and this toady was going to help with that. “Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m bringing you in. And you’re going to tell me everything you know about Cadmus.”

McGill stood there, hands raised, but he didn’t seem afraid. “No, I’m not. “

She heard the sound of a footstep behind her, Daisy wouldn’t have made noise. Alex fired, hitting McGill in the heart, but even as he dropped, something impacted her in the back dropping her into the cement floor as well.

Hissing she twisted to see who was attacking her, and there was a pale, tall woman with two goons behind her. But Alex knew exactly who was in charge, no matter how friendly the woman’s voice came out.

“Agent Danvers of the DEO. Nice to meet you.” And then her voice changed, something darker in it. “I’ll tell your father you say hello.”

She hated how having the air whacked out of her made her voice gasping instead of commanding. “Where is my father?”

“You know I won’t say.” And the woman was smug.

Alex resisted just baring her teeth at the woman. “Well, you might as well tell me, if you’re going to kill me.” Or Quake killed the Cadmus woman and her goons. Or Quake didn’t save her because she really was Cadmus. Alex hated not knowing.

“I suggest you die remembering him as he was. It’s better that way.” The condescension was thick. “Unless you’d care to join him. Cadmus welcomes any bright minds willing to help our cause.” Her hands opened in ‘welcome’.

Alex pushed herself to her feet, her breathing in control again. And if Quake was on her side, she better show up soon. “My father would never collaborate with you.”

The pale woman leaned forward ever so slightly, looking down at her. “Do you know what I see when I look at you? An abused child.” She moved, circling her slowly. “A brainwashed little girl the DEO has warped into believing that demons are angels. That your life should be sacrificed to them, our invaders.” She pulled back, the sick almost maternal softness back as quickly as it’d fled from her tone and manner. “All I’m asking, Alex, is for you to think about what your life would be if aliens had never come. What it could be, if they were no more? That’s what I’m trying to do for the world. And you could help me.”

“I’ve killed a Kryptonian before.” Alex felt sick looking at this woman. “I stabbed Astra of the House of Ze with a sword made of kryptonite. I’ve done what you want to do.” And oh she could feel the approval and interest of the woman in front of her. “What you can’t do.”

“I’m impressed.” And she meant it.

Alex’s teeth showed as she replied. “Good. Because I want you to know what I’m capable of when I tell you that when I find my father, I’m coming for you.”

The woman breathed in, “Well, I suppose that settles that then.” She took a step back looking at her goons and gave them a nod.

Both goons came forward to grab her, and the pale woman was walking like she was going to just walk out. It was infuriating. And then a black shape dropped from the rafter directly between the pale woman and the exit.

The bright, LED face was all any of them needed to know exactly who it was.

“Quake.” The pale woman took a half step back, her spine straightening.

Alex hissed as the goons’ grips on her arms tightened. “It took you long enough.”

Quake raised her gun and fired twice over the pale woman’s shoulder, both goons dropping, neat holes in their foreheads. “Sorry about that, figured if she wanted to just incriminate herself it’d be dumb not to let her. Don’t you agree, Mrs. Luthor? Gotta say, was figuring you were going to take a lot more work to root out. But if you want to just hand yourself over, that’s cool.” She tilted her head. “You’re so lucky having a living symbol to shove under the bus is going to make getting away with murder, so much easier. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you wish I was planning on killing you.”

“You’re not capable of being normal about things, are you?” Alex stepped away from the corpses of the goons.

Quake lowered her gun, and fired, Lillian cried out as her leg went out from beneath her, her body hitting the ground. Some very colorful swear words, as her hands reached for the bloody hole through her right knee.

“Really?” Alex pulled out the cuffs.

“What?” Quake shrugged as she holstered her gun. “She was going to run, and just bad luck I’d forgotten I didn’t have tranq bullets loaded up. Terrible mistake.”

“This will never stick.” Lillian hissed.

Alex grabbed the woman’s wrists, cuffing them behind her back. “Didn’t you hear, Cadmus declared itself independent from the government yesterday, armed groups declaring war against the US government’s interests get labeled terrorists pretty fast.”

“And if prison doesn’t stick, I’ll boil you alive from the inside out.” Quake dropped down in a crouch before Lillian, reaching out one gloved finger and flicked her in the forehead as the woman suddenly started panting, sweat beginning to leak from her skin. “Lucky for you, the DEO received some anonymous files this morning. The paper trail of all the money you siphoned out of LuthorCorp into Cadmus, and your signature on the transfer orders of US soldiers into one of your facilities. Soldiers who no one is going to be able to find a record of again. I don’t think it’ll take the DEO long to find the bodies.”

“That’s why Lucy’s had people running in and out of her office all morning?” Alex pulled Lillian up into the sitting position. “That’s very bad for you, Mrs. Luthor.” Her grin felt feral and she pulled her belt off to stop the bleeding in Lillian’s leg. They needed her alive to interrogate her.

Quake reached out to help adjust Lillian’s leg while the woman gasped, whatever Quake had been doing coming to an end. “Tourniquet, or do I go grab a corpse’s shirt for soaking up blood?”

Alex inspected the injury, it hadn’t hit the artery. “Get the shirt.”

“Got it.” Quake got up and walked over to the dead bodies. The sound of tearing fabric came, and then Quake was back and handing over the fabric.

“You’re going to regret this.” Lillian stared at Alex. “Your father wouldn’t want this.”

Alex took some joy in wrapping the shirt around the knee, and then tightening the belt for pressure. It clearly hurt. “Oh, I’m not going to regret this.”

“Sorry about making your threat of tracking down your dad, and then coming for her void. Figured you wouldn’t mind.” Quake was definitely smiling under that mask of hers.

“You figured right.” Alex looked at roughly where she knew Quake’s eyes were. “You might want to get out of here.” She pulled out her phone. The lecture from Lucy was going to be so worth it.

Quake paused, “I’ll order Thai for dinner. I think we should probably talk.” She got up and stopped by the crates of kryptonite.

It felt like Alex’s ears wanted to pop from the pressure in the air, and the crates, including their deadly cargo, just ceased to exist. They disintegrated into a cloud of dust without the faintest hint of green to it. And then Quake kept walking.

Alex watched as Quake vanished. She clicked the DEO emergency beacon. A DEO team would be here in five minutes. And shit, she was possibly coming around on her sister’s girlfriend. Maybe.

////

Lucy dropped the whole ass box of files she was pretending she didn’t have access to because Daisy was a hacker. The warrants she’d filed would be signed off shortly. It was a strong position. “Dr. Luthor, I have some questions for you.”

“Lawyer.” The woman’s pale blue eyes looked up at her. And they were cold.

She felt like a shark as she hit the button on the recorder. If Daisy wasn’t in jail by Christmas she was getting the woman something nice. Because out of the speaker came words. -“Agent Danvers of the DEO. Nice to meet you. I’ll tell your father you say hello.”-

It was rewarding to watch Lillian’s face as her own voice filled the room with so much deliciously incriminating information and implications. A jury would eat this up, and they both knew it. Especially with the right evidence.

Lucy sat down in the chair across from the medical bed, pulled out one of the folders, and started flipping through those sweet, sweet financial records. By the end of the night, this case would be ironclad. She reached out and hit pause. “I have teams raiding several locations right now. Bad luck for you the judge who signed the warrants was friends with some of the people your son murdered in Metropolis. The terms of those warrants were, generous.”

She hit play again. By the time Lillian’s lawyer got here, Lucy fully intended for Lillian to understand she was fucked and that giving up information was the only way she was going to get the faintest flicker of leniency. Well, depending on how many bodies the teams with warrants found. Naming names might be Lillian’s only way out of the death penalty. Maybe she should go get some coffee? Or, she did have minions she could send to get coffee for her now.

////

Alex entered her sister’s apartment with watchful eyes. She still felt a prickle of wrongness at the sight of Daisy just…there. But it didn’t have her hand twitching toward a gun. The bags of Thai food on the table were helping. “Sorry I’m late?”

“Alex!” Kara blurred to her, hugging her tightly. “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming?” Kara pulled back looking at her curiously, but her hands still holding onto her.

Alex’s eyes flicked over to where Daisy was standing by the table. “Your girlfriend invited me?”

Daisy raised a hand. “Didn’t know if you would show. I ordered enough food for you but didn’t want to disappoint anyone if you didn’t come.”

Well, shit. She might be warming to the woman. “Nearly didn’t make it,” She walked to the fridge. “You still have beer?”

“Of course?” Kara shifted clearly confused. “What is happening?”

“So funny story, while you were picking garbage out of the harbor this afternoon, your sister texted me.” Daisy was close to Kara. “She wanted some back-up with some Cadmus action.”

 

“The head of Cadmus was actually Lillian Luthor, she wasn’t just a financial backer or board member or something?” Kara was staring at them, her fork still in the air above her second box of noodles. “And you just…arrested her?”

Alex speared a piece of chicken with her fork. “Lucy’s interrogating her.” And if that interrogation didn’t go well, Alex’s meeting with Lucy was going to not go well. She looked at Daisy. “Why did you want me here?”

Daisy reached behind her and pulled out her sidearm, she ejected the clip of glowing blue tranq bullets and passed it over. “In case you’re the one who finds Jerimiah first.”

“Why would I need this?” Alex lowered her fork and took it though.

“Because they’ve had your father for over a decade, if he’s still alive, they haven’t been physically torturing him the entire time. I don’t know what use he is to them, or how they’re controlling him. But chances of drugs, brainwashing, or hell, a kill switch are good. If you find him, tranq him. You can worry about reuniting with him after a doctor has checked him out and when he can’t be used against you.”

Kara looked between them. “Are we all working to save Jerimiah together now?”

Alex stared into the eyes of the woman across the table from her. Did she trust her enough for that? She’d killed Metallo. And, she’d backed Alex in arresting the head of Cadmus. There was a growing list of very dead Cadmus agents because of her.

Alex held out her hand. “Fine, if you’re willing to help.”

“Already working on it.” Daisy reached out and shook her hand.

And well, they’d see about the rest.

////

Daisy was working through files that her programs had highlighted keywords in. It was necessary work, and she needed to find the right Cadmus base to raid next. This one was important. Lucy and the DEO would be publically announcing Lillian Luthor’s arrest Sunday night or Monday morning. Depended on how many smoking guns they found on those raids. Which would be at least one Cadmus base crossed off by the DEO. So Daisy needed her next strike to be something that would add gasoline to the fire.

She picked up her mug of tea as she looked at delivery slips. Finding people’s dirty laundry and making it actionable had always been one of her better skills. Daisy paused at the feeling of vibrations at her window. Looking up she smiled, despite the confusion. Setting her laptop aside, she stood up. “Are you coming in?”

Kara climbed in, but human slow. Which was…weird. She shut the window carefully behind her, before turning to face her. “You got Alex to give you a chance.”

“Yeah, for now at least.” She was fairly certain she and Alex might actually be okay while they had a common goal. But then, Kara kinda was a shared goal, so it might be longer than just Cadmus. Hopefully. “I promise to play nice. I know what she means to you, that she’s the most important person in your life.”

Kara pulled her into her arms and kissed her with an intensity that had Daisy’s eyes closing, and melting into the contact.

Because Kara was good, and kind, and the type of hope that was hard-won. Hope that was real. It was blinding. And that this alien, who was all sunshine, goodness, and hope, wanted her. Daisy hadn’t wanted anyone this sharply before. The feel of Kara’s too-warm skin felt like a match.

Kara’s fingers swept under the hem of Daisy’s shirt as her hand curled around the small of her back. And Daisy was not complaining about the eagerness of Kara’s hands. She was slightly caught off guard as they hit the bed. Kara Danvers pinning her to the bed had not been an expected thing. Really good one though.

Daisy panted, eyes opening as she found herself staring at the ceiling as Kara’s tongue ran up her neck. And as Kara’s weight shifted her hip dug into Daisy just right. She arched up as her fingers tightened in Kara’s hair at the back of her neck. “Fuck.”

Her heel dug into the mattress and then she flipped them. Daisy sat up, straddling Kara’s waist, a smug thrill at the surprise on Kara’s face at finding herself flipped. But the way Kara was looking up, the flushed expression, dilated eyes, but the awe and desire were…everything.

Daisy reached down grabbed the hem of her own shirt, and pulled it up and off, tossing it somewhere. It was gratifying to see how Kara’s eyes swept down. Daisy reached behind herself unhooking her bra and tossing it. A satisfied hum under her skin as Kara’s eyes very much had gotten stuck. It always worked.

Daisy leaned down briefly kissing her girlfriend, her fingers quickly getting to unbuttoning that perfectly ironed and pressed button up. Not fucking Kara Danvers when she wanted to be was a crime. She started following the line of newly revealed skin with her tongue.

Kara shuddered, the most delightful sound that wasn’t exactly human coming from her lips. “Daisy.” Her fingers caught at Daisy, pulling her back up.

She let herself be brought up, her hands coming up to cup Kara’s face. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Kara’s face was flushed, but at least some of it was from embarrassment, her eyes resting at about Daisy’s chin. “Nothing is wrong it’s just…”

Daisy ran her thumb along Kara’s lower lip before kissing her softly. She waited for Kara to sigh against her, before pulling back. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” She adjusted how she was balanced on top of Kara. “If I read you wrong and this is too fast for you, that’s fine. I’m gonna need a very hot shower, but it’s fine.”

“No!” Kara’s eyes finally snapped back to Daisy’s. “I do, want this. Sex. This feels like that’s where it’s going?”

Daisy’s lips twitched up. “What’s up then?”

“It’s just…I’m not…exactly the same as a human. Down there.” Her face had flushed a bright red. “I know I should have mentioned it sooner.”

“Hey, you’re fine.” Daisy brushed their noses against each other, her thumb rubbing a circle against Kara’s face. She looked at Kara curiously as the words really processed. “Should have expected that.”

Kara was looking at her cautiously. “It’s not anything um… it's not tentacles but um…”

“Are we going to need condoms?” Daisy hadn’t put that down as a possible risk of sex with an alien but probably should have. Was it bad form to ask the person with super speed to go get them? Cause she was really not wanting to put her shirt back on just to take it off again.

Kara snorted, “No, we don’t need condoms.”

Daisy smiled, pleased to see embarrassment fading from Kara. “I suppose now’d be the time to mention SHIELD tested us all for STDs regularly. Not sure if we could pass something to each other, but I’m clear.”

Kara’s face was still flushed. “Oh, right, that’s a thing you’re supposed to do. I um…don’t have anything?”

The awkwardness was cute, and fuck, Daisy knew she had it so bad. She leaned in kissing Kara, languidly sliding her tongue into Kara’s mouth. And Kara just ran so hot temperature-wise, it was intoxicating getting her hands on her. With a final nip, at Kara’s bottom lip, she nuzzled against Kara, before speaking directly into her ear. “So, what do I need to know to make you feel good?” And if she nibbled at Kara’s earlobe while her hands moved downwards before sliding up her shirt, nails dragging against Kara’s flushed skin, well, the mewling sound Kara made was worth it.

Chapter 47

Notes:

Sup! I'm gonna just stop pretending this is early and accept this is basically the new normal time.

Also, I have started up another fic cause I just have no self control. So ya know, two fics updating a week for a while.

Kara woke up feeling warm and languid. She was very contented ooze. The sunlight was warm as it soaked into her skin, warm cozy blankets. She reached for Daisy but found only sheets that no longer carried her warmth. Kara opened her eyes, and couldn’t help the goofy smile as she spotted Daisy sitting on the kitchen island, scrolling on her phone.

It was a thing about Daisy, she had a tendency to perch on things, or curl into corners, always just slightly out of the way, taking up as little floor space as possible, and no respect for where and how a human was supposed to sit on a thing. It was charming, Kara found most things about her charming. Not the weapons squirreled away everywhere anytime she really looked over the room. But she really didn’t care about that, just enjoying watching Daisy’s face as she sipped at her coffee while doing something on her phone.

“Morning.” Daisy’s words had a funny lilt. And the way she was smiling, the crinkle to her eyes, it was all so very warm.

Kara felt like she was glowing, also, knew she’d flushed as she realized she was very naked under the blankets. She rolled out of Daisy’s bed and stole the top sheet as she did. Wrapping it around herself she realized her clothing wasn’t on the floor. She was going to have to borrow something of Daisy’s or make a super-speed rush for her room in a sheet.

She’d worry about it later. Kara might have used a little bit of super speed to get from the bed to the kitchen, and then leaning into Daisy. She breathed in before trilling in greeting as she dropped her head onto Daisy’s shoulder. “Morning.” She felt all fuzzy and warm. “Last night was really nice.”

Daisy’s laughter was soft and breathy as she looped an arm around Kara’s waist. “Yeah? I thought so too.”

Kara knew she was glowing, everything just felt right as she picked her head up and kissed Daisy. She was smiling too much for it to be more than a pressing of lips. “I need to get ready don’t I?”

“The trees won’t plant themselves.” Daisy was grinning, her hand sliding under the sheet, her calloused hand sliding to Kara’s hip. “You should probably shower.”

The effect that hand had was unfair. Kara pressed another quick kiss on Daisy’s lips before stepping away. “I don’t want to…but we can’t be late.”

Daisy just laughed, picked up her coffee mug, and raised it in a salute.

Kara used super speed to press another kiss on Daisy’s lips, “I’m going, I’m going.” It was hard though. Hard when she kept remembering what Daisy flushed with pleasure looked like, the way sweat had pooled, the rush of being pressed together intimately. She swayed and then didn’t pull away, instead leaning back into Daisy, kissing her again, slower this time.

Daisy’s hands were on her then, her mouth trailing down Kara’s neck. She purred as Kara’s fingers scratched at her.

“We shouldn’t,” She whined, melting into Daisy more. This was terrible time management, “I’m trying to make a good impression…on my coworkers. It’s very important.”

Daisy hummed against her. “Very important.” She gently pushed Kara back a half step. “Go on, shower. Fifteen minutes for the French Toast in the oven to be done.” Her smile was smug, and it was kinda earned.

Kara sighed but then took off for her apartment.

////

Katie Adams pulled on the company t-shirt they were all being forced to wear for this. She was not a unisex cotton t-shirt woman. Half the perks of working in her position was wearing designer clothing, and it not breaking the bank. The other half was the insurance plans. The reputation of L-corp certainly wasn’t a perk. But the environment and how it looked in her file to participate in these things were important for promotion.

She walked over and picked up a shovel from the neat stacks. “I’m going to break a nail.”

Haleigh made a sound of disgust from beside her. “I have a spa appointment after this.”

“Smart, I’m calling the nail tech before work tomorrow to see if they can fit me in.” Katie stared at the field of land down the side of the banks of the river, little flags stuck where trees needed to be planted. “I should have faked the flu.”

Haleigh gave a nod of agreement. “Do they have gloves?”

Katie looked around. “They have to.”

“Oh look, office alien is here.” Haleigh scoffed.

“What is your problem with her? She’s sweet.” And naive to a degree that was concerning. Katie did not see an alien choosing to work for L-corp going well. Just because she didn’t think their new CEO was going to murder the alien for ‘science’ didn’t mean L-corp was a bastion of alien safety.

Haleigh scoffed, “Is it even legal for her to work for the company?”

Katie eyed her coworker, well fuck, she really disliked finding out people she moderately liked were bigots. “Alien Amnesty is getting signed. It’ll be legal and even if it wasn’t we have Luthor lawyers, who’d bother about it?”

“With Quake about to go full supervillain and slaughter innocent people? Amnesty is dead in the water. President will have delayed it by Tuesday.” Haleigh scoffed. It was galling she was probably right.

Katie spotted the gloves, “Good luck with your digging.” She walked to the gloves, muttering under her breath. “Bitch.”

She eyed her nails as she grabbed gloves. Maybe she should just bite the bullet and cut them? She’d decide at the first water break if the nails were too much of a problem.

“Katie! Hi!” Kara popped up right beside her.

“Jesus,” Katie turned staring at the brilliantly smiling alien. “Hi, you’re a morning person aren’t you?”

Kara shrugged, “Sometimes!” She picked up a pair of gloves and tossed them to someone behind Katie. “Do you want to work with my girlfriend and I?”

Ah, the famous girlfriend who packed Kara ridiculous amounts of food for lunch at least half the days of the week. Katie had listened to a lot of gushing about the famous ‘Daisy’. Woman sounded like as much of a Care Bear as Kara was. “Sure, is the girlfriend as good at digging as she is at cooking?”

A dryly amused voice came from just behind her elbow. “Fewer fire extinguishers needed for failed digging attempts than cooking.”

Katie turned and nearly choked on her tongue at the sight of ‘the girlfriend’. Because that was not a living Care Bear.

“Daisy, this is Katie from the front desk, and Katie, this is my girlfriend Daisy.” Kara happily chirped in introduction. She was practically floating with bubbly happiness.

Daisy held out her hand, the cocky half-grin on her lips. She did not look at all how Kara had described. Daisy’s dark brown hair was falling over one shoulder. The makeup around her eyes was done with a slightly heavy hand, but neatly. The scar across one cheek was eye-catching though. As was the long-sleeved grey shirt she was wearing underneath the green L-corp tree-planting shirt. There was a flannel shirt tied around her waist, dark wash jeans and what looked like military boots. The type of woman who looked like she belonged in a rough part of the city. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Katie’s brain felt like it was rebooting as she accepted the handshake. “Nice to meet you as well.”

The way Daisy’s grin grew with the amused glint in her said she knew exactly why Katie was a bit tongue-tied. She didn’t poke though, instead, she looked at Kara. “So, which direction are we headed?”

Katie followed along, watching fascinated as Kara eagerly led their trio to a group of flags. There was a skip in her step. “Should we just dig holes since some people will have trouble with that, and let other people do the tree planting bit?”

Daisy huffed, her shovel balanced against one shoulder. “If you dig that much you’re going to eat the whole snack table out. Also, I think you’ll kill Katie here.”

“How fast can you dig?” Katie had a terrible feeling she’d made a horrible decision. If she ended up longing for death she was going to find a way to make Haleigh’s life hell for showing her bigot colors before the digging started.

Daisy shot her an amused look. “She’s a machine.”

Kara bumped her shoulder into Daisy’s. “Boo.”

And, Katie was surprised at the ease between the two. It wasn’t what she’d have expected, but she’d seen plenty of odd pairings in her time. “Well, as long as both of you accept digging is not my strong suit. Or physical labor in general.”

“I’m tech support, we can both pretend to work.” Daisy replied as she eyed the area with the flag Kara had brought them to.

“And here I thought you were a veteran?” Katie had been picturing a soft butch with a penchant for baking from what Kara had said.

Daisy shrugged before placing her shovel against the ground. “Airforce Chairforce.”

Kara leaned over, kissing her girlfriend’s cheek. “You have abs.”

“It’s like you want to see me do work.” Daisy stepped on the top of the shovel head, and stepped down, forcing it into the soil. “You’re digging too, Danvers.”

Katie sighed and walked to the flag next to the area Daisy had started digging. “They have machines, with engines to do this kind of thing.”

 

In the time it’d taken Katie to get a foot and a half into her hole, Kara’d gotten two feet down on her second hole. Katie had also begun to sweat. She looked up as Daisy joined her, easily sliding her shovel into the ground. “You’re annoyingly in shape.”

“Yeah, by most standards.” Daisy shoveled up dirt with a depressing amount of ease. “If it makes you feel better, basic training sucked ass. I threw up from running, more than once.”

Katie used her foot to force the shovel into the ground. “It does a little bit.”

Daisy smiled. “So if you hate physical labor so much, what are you doing at ‘good publicity, physical labor day’?”

“I want that Christmas bonus and a promotion.” Katie grit her teeth and she hefted the shovel full of dirt up. “What did Kara do to convince you to come?”

“She asked, nature is good, and I don’t know, it seemed fun.” Daisy dug up another shovel full.

Katie eyed the woman. “As optimistic about L-corp as Kara is?”

Daisy snorted, “No. But it’d be kinda hypocritical of me to give her a hard time for taking a risk on it. Besides, so far she hasn’t been wrong. And Kara’s smarter than people give her credit for. If she thinks Lena Luthor and her company are worth taking a chance on, then they’re worth taking a chance on.”

That was…disgustingly touching actually. She got why the puppy love. An ability to cook, abs, and sincere belief in Kara? Kara’s puppy love gushing was making a lot more sense. Katie paused, catching where Kara had stopped digging, and was looking at Daisy like she was Christmas or something. Huh, the alien had better hearing than humans. Also, Katie was going to be third-wheeling for the rest of the day, wasn’t she?

 

Katie handed her can of soda to Daisy. They’d bonded over digging holes. “Please.”

Daisy hooked the tab on the can of Sprite and opened it before handing it to Katie. “Your nails are fabulous, but how do you type?” She leaned against Kara, where Kara was devouring her third free work sandwich.

“Practice,” Katie did what could only be called ‘glugging’ it, as she drank as much of it in one go as possible…actually all of it. God, it was so nice. The sugar was as needed as the liquid, only water while doing labor only went so far.

Daisy leaned back, “You had fun in college didn’t you?”

Kara picked up an apple, “Why does drinking Sprite mean she had fun in college?”

“You didn’t party did you?” Katie easily crushed the can and tossed it into one of the large trashcans that was out to prevent them all from littering.

Kara shook her head, “No? I mean I never saw the point.” Which of course she hadn’t.

Daisy smiled at Kara, which Kara might be the most obviously besotted, but Daisy looked at Kara and her whole face just went soft. “Human alcohol doesn’t work on her and loud noises are iffy.”

“What that’s…true actually.” Kara tapped her glasses. “They keep me from being overwhelmed.”

Katie hesitated, that seemed like something maybe they shouldn’t be talking about. But also kinda fascinating. She’d had several pressing questions since she’d realized Kara was the building alien. “Glasses keep you from being overwhelmed?”

“They’re lead, she’s allergic to it, but it helps keep her hearing closer to human normal.” Daisy grinned. “Which, how being a plant ends being mildly allergic to lead, I don’t know.”

Kara’s cheeks puffed up, “I’m not a plant.”

The teasing in Daisy’s voice and her delighted smile were telling. “You photosynthesize.” She leaned over and kissed Kara briefly, but just long enough to steal Kara’s protests. And that was a human who didn’t give a shit she was dating an alien.

Katie raised a perfectly sculpted, brow. “You two are going to give people cavities.” But she was pretty sure she liked their vibe. Also, she was fascinated. “And a plant?” Because Kara Danvers looked like Barbie, not a fern.

“My evolutionary ancestors were birds. Or well a mammalian species of bird and our wildlife evolved from plants, not the ocean.” Kara lit up as she spoke. “Not monkeys like you two.”

“I just think it’s wild how many alien species ended up bipedal and kinda human looking.” Daisy popped one of the cookies into her mouth. And while she wasn’t devouring food like Kara, she could eat.

Kara practically glowed as she started chattering, one hand curling in Daisy’s. “It's kind of like how so many different evolutionary branches of Earth species are crabs. There are some traits that life is prone to develop. Regardless of planet. So you,” She poked at Daisy with a grin. “Come from a monkey, that came from a fish. Whereas I come from a bird that was a plant.”

Daisy tilted her head. “Weird question, but is it a hatching day instead of a birthday?”

Kara flushed and fuck they were adorable. “The sentiment remains the same, but technically yes?”

“Are you sure you should be talking about your alienness here?” Katie looked between them and also realized a change in topic might be needed if she wanted to not swipe on some terrible life choices on a questionable app later.

Kara spluttered, but Daisy replied easily. “You already know she’s an alien. It's not like you know her exact species, it's not compromising.”

Katie frowned, “How would knowing her species be compromising?”

“It's how you can start linking different members of the same species on this planet. Once you know the species, you can link her to others, and the more you fill in that map, the more you can start spotting others.” Daisy squeezed her girlfriend’s hand.

“And most people who can pass prefer to stay in the closet, so to say.” Katie finished for her, after all, she could understand that, completely. She didn’t wear trans pride pins to work after all. And she looked at Kara and felt…sad for her. Because if she was out, at L-corp, most of the alien community if there was one, probably considered her radioactive.

Kara nodded, “People usually think I’m autistic, not an alien.” She took a bite of her apple.

That was…sensory issues, cultural confusion, and Kara’s general Karaness, the assumption of neuro-divergence made sense. Also, considering the alien thing, she probably didn’t think like a typical human. “Rude of them.”

Kara smiled, leaning back, her eyes closing as her face tilted toward the sun.

Right…photosynthesis.

“Felix!” Katie called and waved to Felix from legal as he was walking by.

Felix looked over, dirt smudge on one cheek, his usually immaculately gelled curls out of sorts. He looked at her, his eyes flicking to Kara and Daisy, and then back to her. Squaring his shoulders, he walked over. “Five holes, if anyone tries to make me dig another hole I’m calling out sick tomorrow.”

“If there’s any more holes to be dug, Danvers has it. She’s a machine.” Katie handed a second can to Daisy to open for her.

“How many holes did you dig?” Felix asked Kara while sitting down at the picnic table.

Kara’s face flushed, “Thirty-one.” She leaned into Daisy. “Daisy and Katie did fifteen.”

“Daisy did most of that work.” Katie was not ashamed of that. It was her first day in over a year to leave the house for a location that wasn’t the gym without high heels. Digging was not one of her skills.

“You did at least six holes worth of digging.” Daisy raised her free hand to Felix. “Sup.”

He was dubious, but joined them, holding out his hand. “Felix, I work in legal.”

Daisy shook his hand. “Daisy, and tech support at RadioShack. Very unimpressive, I know.”

“And less than four months out of the Airforce.” Kara corrected, looking at Daisy like she was challenging her to disagree. She got a soft look instead of an argument.

Daisy tilted her head in acknowledgment. “Still adjusting to civilian life. And gotta say, digging holes makes more sense than explaining how to use a power button on a desktop.”

Katie and Felix both winced in sympathy. She took her can of now-opened soda from Daisy, getting the tab on a soda can was difficult with how long her nails were. “I worked in a normal office straight out of college before L-corp. My manager didn’t have their mouse plugged in.”

“You should hear what my parents call me to ‘fix’ for them.” Felix looked at Kara. “Thirty-one holes?”

“It’s the sun,” Daisy leaned into Kara, a grin on her face.

Kara sighed, but she had a smile tugging at her lips. “I photosynthesize. I’m less tired than when we started.”

Katie paused, “Wait, why are you eating so much then?”

“I need about ten thousand calories a day. These sandwiches don’t have a lot of protein.”

Felix whistled, “That explains a lot.”

Katie so deeply agreed. And how unfair was that? She was a sweaty and exhausted mess, and apparently, it wasn’t her imagination that Kara was glowing. “You’re lifting the trees when we start planting after lunch.”

////

Kara laughed as she watched Felix’s nose scrunch as he realized there was a worm on his hand. He shook it off, shooting her a baleful look. She stood up double-checking they’d buried the tree correctly. “The worm’s not too bad.”

“Never liked worms, or mud, or a lot of things my father wished I liked.” He grumbled, but he accepted her hand up.

She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Here, you’ve got some dirt on your cheek.”

Felix pulled his gloves off before gently taking the handkerchief. “You just have a fabric handkerchief on you? Girl, what planet are you from?” He paused, eyes widening. “I mean…um…sorry?”

Kara laughed at his panicked expression. She handed him a water bottle, but her attention was caught by where Daisy was wheeling a tree over to Katie in a wheelbarrow. The sun hit Daisy’s brown hair showing the almost golden tone some of the brown had. Daisy face was light and happy as she teased Katie. Her shoulders were loose and just…Kara sighed. Because everything was good.

“Oh, you have it bad.” Felix laughed patting her on the shoulder. “I’ll give it to you, you picked a hot one. Not my type, but we’ve all been there.”

Kara’s head snapped around to him. “What do you mean?”

Felix patted her shoulder again before dropping his hand. “The hot, bad boy or in your case girl. I get it. Painfully attractive, commitment issues, probably some leather jackets, the bad financial decisions. We all go through it.” He paused as his phone went off. Actually, most of the people in the field’s phones went off.

“What’s that?” Kara looked around in confusion as Felix yanked his phone out, or well most people yanked their phones out.

“It’s the is our boss a supervillain alert.” Felix said absently and then hissed. “Well, fuck.”

Kara peeked over his shoulder. Ah, the arrest of Lillian Luthor had hit the news. And that it was for being head of the terrorist group Cadmus. She looked over at Daisy and, the viciously vindicated expression on Daisy’s face was…really pretty. Kara felt a rush of butterflies in her stomach. Would it be bad to walk over and kiss her mate?

Notes:

Have been reminded I should link this more, so for anyone interested, the discord server. https://discord.gg/beTHvwBQ

Been noticing in the comments an assumption that Alex is bad at her job? And like...that's more the DEO just sucks. Alex is shown to be a very capable scientist in a very niche field and is a perfectly capable SWAT officer. She's just got no business being in a position of command or in a role involving skills that aren't science or like SWAT raids. She's a disastor person, but she's not a useless moron. She's an emotionally chaotic alcoholic.

And like, with Alex&Kara which ever one of them grows out of their toxic co-dependent situation is always destined for the one left behind freaking out. Kara just turns her unhappiness inward while Alex turns her's outward. Both super unhealthy ways of dealing with pain. But like, there's a reason Kara and Maggie do not gel in the show, for a while. And it's because Kara feels threatened by Maggie's role in Alex's life. not that Alex's reactions to Kara becoming more independent are acceptable, but their co-dependency is not a one-way street.

Chapter 48

Notes:

Happy Halloween! I'm currently lost in Dragon Age The Veilguard, it is very good so far. Only like one day of playing in, but so far its fantastic!

Daisy’s feet dropped to the floor, the rest of her automatically sweeping the room with her gun. It was a supply room, no people. The most light in the room was from her LED mask, which, Kara still hated, but Daisy was kind of starting to dig. The way it made everyone except for Kara deeply uncomfortable was kind of hilarious. She moved to the door, took a breath, her heart rate slowing. And then she breached.

She pulled the trigger dropping one as she came out of the supply room. Moving smoothly, quickly down the hall she shot a man coming running from the sound. Even as he dropped she pivoted ninety degrees shooting another Cadmus member between the eyes through the glass wall into the lab.

It was mechanical as she moved, the alarm started blaring at the eighth man she dropped. The sound and flashing lights didn’t matter, she’d sabotaged the vehicles in the garage, and the doors out. They were trapped in here, they just probably hadn’t realized it yet.

She ejected her empty clip, and slid in a new one, as she started a final sweep of the floor. It was muscle memory as she then moved up the stairs. She shot out the light at the top of the stairs, causing the guards at the top of them to flinch. Which was all it took to drop them both.

 

Daisy came to a stop, ten minutes later. She hadn’t had to use her powers once. She holstered her gun. Cadmus really was a group of science radicals. They depended on secrecy and the occasional alien weapon. It left them kinda helpless when they didn’t get to pick the fight. She walked back down to the second floor and opened the door to the cells.

Cadmus had fucked up using veterans as their pool for human experimentation. Well, veterans, agents, cops, minor ‘nobodies’ who got too close, or who General Lane could feed them. If they’d been going after immigrants or the homeless it’d have made the outrage less workable in the media. Lillian Luthor and her fellow leaders were prejudiced in more ways than just against aliens, and it fucking showed.

She hit the lights and looked at the people in the cells. The disgust tasted like acid on her tongue, being right didn’t feel good when it was like this. Daisy pulled out her burner phone and and dialed 911. Time to give more people the opportunity to start tearing the poison out of their own world.

-”911, what is your emergency?’-

Daisy looked at the humans in cells. “716 Washington St. Metropolis. I just killed twenty-nine Cadmus agents and there are five human test subjects on the second floor, fourth door down from the top of the stairs. Three are conscious, assume blood loss, some degree of starvation, and physical neglect at best. The building is secure, I won’t be here when first responders arrive. But I’m opening the cages.” She hung up before they could reply, and then pulled up the pre-prepared text blast for a list of three news stations and eight reporters and hit send.

The cops weren’t going to be able to control the scene in time to prevent images of human test subjects and body bags being removed from the building. Images that were going to do more damage than a single thing she’d said. Because this shit would prove it.

Daisy sent vibrations through the phone turning it to dust. Raising her hand every lock on the cell doors snapped. She met the eyes of the most aware-looking guy who’d at least managed to get to his feet. “Help is on the way. You all are going to be alright, they’re going to get you out of here.”

////

Lois Lane stared at the memory stick left on her desk. The sticky note with one word ‘Sorry’ on it, was telling. She plugged it into her old laptop which wasn’t connected to any network, cloud, or other devices. She opened up the stick and felt her stomach turn at the titles of the folders inside. She clicked open the one that said ‘open me first’.

She leaned back in her chair. Quake was polite enough to give her the opportunity to choose who took down her father. Her, a reporter she trusted to hand this to, or Quake would find someone in three days if it hadn’t hit print or news by then. But it was a courtesy.

Lois knew her father was a monster, she looked at the folders. Reading about exactly what he’d been using his power for though…It was going to be a long morning.

////

Kara felt twitchy as she headed to the front desk. She spotted a very stressed-looking Katie at her desk. “Katie!”

The woman’s harried attention snapped to her and away from the security guard she’d been talking to. “Kara? What are you doing out here, you should get to the labs where it’s safer.”

The protests outside the front doors did not sound…friendly. Kara winced at some particularly loud shouting. “I wanted to make sure you were ok. It’s crazy out there.”

They all cringed as a brick hit the front glass.

“Kara, the glass is bulletproof, and Ms. Luthor already ordered to keep the front doors locked till this blows over.” Katie looked out at the furious mob. “This is going to be as bad as when Lex went off the deep end if bodies start turning up.”

Kara paused, “You worked here when Lex was CEO?”

“Hmm, had just started.” Katie’s eyes stayed on the crowd. “This is going to get ugly. A lot of people died when Lex turned the sun red. And Lillian founding a terrorist organization? It’s going to be bad. Especially with the President announcing the delay in signing Alien Amnesty this morning.” Katie’s face was tight. “Thank god we don’t work in PR.”

“If we keep just doing our jobs it’ll blow over right?” Kara tried her best reassuring smile at Katie.

Katie shook her head, but her face was wry. “You certainly chose an exciting time to sign on. And stay on the science floors today. The lobby is just going to be security today.” Her shoulders tightened as she looked at where security was keeping the protest away from the door. “Well, once they’re done out there.”

“You’re going to be ok?” Kara checked because it was…the whole world felt like it was waiting for the next shoe to drop. She was pretty sure Daisy and Kal were busy dropping the other shoe in Metropolis at the moment.

“I’ll be fine, once things get locked down down here it’ll be just me and security and probably some card games. I’ll be truly suffering.” Katie's face went straight to business as she straightened, eyes snapping over Kara’s shoulders.

Kara turned and felt relief at the sight of Lena safely entering from the garage elevator. The crowd outside the building saw Lena as well. The shouts and chaos increased, the crowd pressing toward the windows.

The security guards in the lobby took off toward the front doors. And Kara saw it out of the corner of her eye. One of the guards, drawing a gun. He should not have had a gun.

“NO!” Kara moved, not Supergirl fast, but fast. She nearly skidded to a stop between Lena and the guy with a gun, one hand outstretched toward the security guard with a gun, her back to Lena. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Move, alien girl.” He snarled aiming the gun over her shoulder.

She moved, keeping Lena behind her. “We can talk this out, nobody needs to get hurt.”

“They’re monsters!” He shoved the gun forward.

Kara shifted, both hands up, trying to make herself as wide as possible. “Lena’s not her mom or her brother.”

“Richard put the gun down.” Lena ordered from behind her.

That didn’t help, Richard snarled. “I could have stopped Lex! I protected him and he killed all those people!” His eyes were wide, his gun threatening a security guard trying to move closer. “STAY BACK!” Richard’s gun and eyes went back to Lena. “I didn’t like Lex, never liked him. But it was just paranoia, just me being silly. And then people died!”

“You couldn’t have known, it wasn’t your fault.” Kara tried to bring his attention back to her.

His eyes narrowed. “Wasn’t it? Wasn’t it all of ours? To let someone that powerful, to keep going? All those weapons deals, the grandstanding against Superman. And now Lillian? I won’t let that happen again.”

Kara let her eyes go white for a second, the faintest flicker of heat vision, enough control that it wouldn’t really look like that. It worked, Richard’s focus returning to her. “You can’t judge someone just because of what they might do. That’s not fair, everyone deserves to have a chance.”

“You don’t understand!” Richard pressed closer, fury radiating from him. “People will die! They haven’t found the bodies yet, but Lillian’s bodies will be there. I won’t stand here when they find her’s.” He gestured toward Lena.

“My dad!” Kara choked out. “I understand. I promise I understand what is happening, what the risk is. Cadmus took my adoptive dad. They took him and he never came home. I know what happens when secret agents in black come for people like me. I know any human connected to us is at risk. Jerimiah, my blood aunt, so many. Trust me, this isn’t right. You don’t want to do this. It’s not too late to stop.”

Kara cautiously moved her hand closer to the gun. “You don’t want to hurt anyone. You’re just trying to help. But this isn’t how to do that. This isn’t you. It’s just the fear. You’re better than this. We’re better than this. You can choose to be a better man. You just need to put the gun down.”

The police sirens broke the moment of hesitation.

Kara knocked his arm up as he fired, the bullet flying into one of the support beams instead of her or Lena. And then she tackled Richard to get the gun away. Because she couldn’t do it how Supergirl would.

There was a crack as Kara tried very hard not to hurt Richard as she got the gun out of his hands. Which was hard. But then she was pulled up and off by two of the other security guards, but she had the gun. She winced as Richard scrambled, getting grabbed by three other guards. His nose was definitely broken, and bleeding really heavily.

“Kara!” Lena was next to her immediately as one of the guards took the gun from Kara’s hands.

Kara sighed in relief. “Everyone’s ok?”

“Yes,” There was a panicked edge to Lena’s voice as she looked at Kara with the funniest expression. “Thank you.”

She smiled, her shoulders slumping. “Oh good.”

“You bwoke my nose?” Richard muttered as the police came rushing in.

Kara looked up at the cops, they must have been close. Probably expecting violence from the protesters. There was a lot of talking. Kara was mostly just relieved she’d managed to stop things before someone got hurt without revealing she was Supergirl.

Richard struggled as he was cuffed. “No. No! Why would you stop me! You’d break my nose to protect a Luthor!? What kind of alien does that!?”

One of the cops turned, frowning. “You did that to him?”

“I didn’t mean to?” Kara didn’t like the way the cops were looking at her.

////

Maggie marched into the Chief’s office. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

“Sawyer,” Chief Richmond was resigned as he looked up. “What do you want me to do, it’s done. It’s in the prosecutor’s hands now. We both know Slater probably isn’t going to bring charges.”

Her jaw tightened. “It’s bullshit, and we both know it. Adams is a xenophobic bigot. It's the clearest case of self-defense I’ve ever heard.”

Chief Richmond looked at her. “Want to explain to me how you even know about it already? They haven’t even settled the suspects into interrogation yet?”

“Science Division, it’s my job to know when aliens get brought in.” Maggie dropped her hands onto her hips. “Also, the media knows, L-corp has glass walls on the first floor.”

“That’s unfortunate, but as I said, Adams made the arrest. Slater can throw it out if it’s bullshit or not. Now get out.”

Maggie’s smile was not kind. “Yes, Sir.” She turned on her heel, time to go muscle her way into whatever interrogation room Adams stuck the alien in. If she closed the door with a particularly firm hand, that was her own business.

The importance of getting to the alien was key. Aliens rarely cooperated with police, which was a good thing. With the…delicate nature of alien legality saying anything was usually a terrible idea. The danger was the alien getting so spooked they tried to escape, in any way possible. She only needed five minutes in that room to hopefully convince the alien to lawyer up and most importantly not try and run for it.

Maggie made eye contact with Detective Lee also from the Science Division. He gave her a nod, and moved, voice picking up volume.

“Adams! So your wife find out about that girlfriend of yours yet?”

Maggie sent a silent thank you and calmly slipped into the interrogation room. She hadn’t known what to expect, with aliens the range of options was always wide. But preschool teacher, and blonde girl next door weren’t exactly on the list. But would be easier to sell to Slater to make Adams drop the whole thing. “I’m here to help you, but we don’t have long.”

The woman looked up, her eyes piercingly blue behind her glasses. She definitely passed as human to the highest degree. “I want my call.”

“Oh good,” Maggie took the seat across from her pulled out her pad and a pencil, and pushed it over. “My name is Detective Maggie Sawyer with the Science Division. My job is cases involving aliens. You shouldn’t have been arrested, and I’m going to try and get you out of this. But I need you to listen very closely, ok?”

And good for the woman, she looked distinctly suspicious. “I want my call.”

“Adams is going to drag that out to try and get you to talk. Don’t tell him anything, insist on speaking with a lawyer. Write down the number of a person who can help you. Someone human, someone who can safely walk in here and kick up a fuss. I’ll call them for you. If they kick up enough fuss Adams will have to let you have a lawyer and get your call. This isn’t who you want for support, it’s who you think can safely make a fuss.” Maggie’s fingers twitched, wanting to press them against a rosary.

The woman picked up the pencil and wrote down a number. “Thank you, if you’re really helping.”

Maggie slid the notepad and pencil back into her jacket. “You can thank me when we get you out of here kid. And I didn’t stop to get it, what’s your name?”

“Kara Danvers.” And, handcuffed to the table, Kara still held out her hand to shake.

She reached out and shook Kara’s hand. “Good to meet you, remember you’re exercising your right to remain silent, you want a lawyer.” Maggie glanced up and got up. “I’m calling the number. Lawyer.”

Maggie waited for Kara to nod, and then got up to head for the door before Adams could come find her fucking up his stupid case. Too late to get out without being noticed, the door slammed open and it was several people. But the woman at the head was immaculate in a high-end business suit and briefcase in hand.

“This interview is over, I need time with my client.” The woman set her briefcase that had to cost a few thousand on the table.

Kara blinked, “Who are you?”

“Laurel Lance, L-corp. My team and I will be handling your case, Ms. Danvers. As an employee we will be making this go away.” Laurel Lance, shot a look so sharp it could cut at Maggie. “You were leaving, Detective.”

Maggie looked at Kara, and for an alien, she really wasn’t alarmed at a Luthor-paid lawyer coming to her defense. She looked back to the lawyer probably being paid more than her entire department, and tipped her head before heading out.

She really didn’t need to worry about being noticed. The whole station was in chaos, and she saw what could best be described as a flock of very expensive lawyers, and a dangerously furious-looking Lena Luthor demanding things from Chief Richmond. That was…oh whatever this was it was going to be a shit show. She B-lined for where Lee was watching in morbid fascination from one corner. “What’s the situation?”

He looked over at her. “The alien? Yeah, she’s a lab tech at L-corp and she broke the other guy in custody’s nose stopping him from murdering Lena Luthor. And Lena Luthor is not happy her employee who just saved her life was arrested for getting the gun away from the perp.”

Maggie whistled, well that was a shit show. “L-corp hires aliens?”

“Apparently, she’s threatening a whole suit against the department.” Lee sounded delighted. “How long till Richmond folds?”

She pulled out her cell phone and entered the number Kara had given her. “I don’t know, but let’s see if we can make it worse.” She hit enter and raised the phone to her ear.

It was answered promptly, a sharp, no-nonsense tone on the other end with some bite. -”Danvers.”-

Maggie internally sighed, family. That wasn’t exactly what she’d been hoping for. “This is Detective Maggie Sawyer with the NCPD. I was given your number by a Kara Danvers who was arrested for assault an hour ago.”

 

Maggie hung near the entrance waiting for the very intense Danvers sister. The one who’d demanded a location and then hung up. A pissed-off alien trashing the police department was not going to be helpful, and she needed to head that off. She was going to need the comfiest of comfort foods after this shift. But, Luthor was properly distracting everyone with the lawyer nightmare she’d dumped on Adams, asshole deserved it. Only reason Richmond hadn’t folded already was because of how person non-grata Luthor was.

The auburn-haired woman striding into the building, hair cropped just below the ears, and looking like she was there to go to war. Yup, that was probably Danvers.

Maggie moved to cut her off, even as her eyes snagged on the side arm attached to the woman’s hip. She plastered on a smile. “Can I help you, Danvers?”

“Sawyer?” The woman was looking down her nose at her.

“One and the same,” Her smile was forced. “You might want to not bring a gun into a police station if you want to help your sister.”

Danvers didn’t flinch, or look in the slightest bit intimidated. She pulled out a badge. “Alex Danvers FBI, which one of the two-bit cops arrested my sister?”

Maggie blew out a whistle, well shit. Blondie hadn’t fucked up with the who she’d picked to send an SOS for help to. This was going to get Adams on administrative leave and if she was lucky demoted back to beat cop. Pissing off Lena Luthor and a local FBI agent? “I think you’re going to want to meet Detective Adams, Agent.”

////

Kara smiled as she walked out into the public foyer of the police station, Maggie’s hand on one shoulder. She turned, looking at Maggie. “Thank you.”

“Didn’t do anything, kid. Your sister and lawyers are very scary.” Maggie had a grin as she opened up the last half gate into the public area. “You’re a fun one. See you around.”

Lawyer Lance cleared her throat.

“In a friendly and non-law enforcement way.” Maggie winked at her. “I’m going to go see if your sister is done finding new things to threaten to charge Adams with.”

She smiled waving as the detective left. Kara looked at Ms. Lance. “She helps with um…aliens?”

Ms. Lance sighed, “Try not to incriminate yourself to a police detective. It makes my job more difficult.”

Kara pushed her glasses up her nose. “But then it’d be boring?”

Ms. Lance’s lips twitched. “You may want to send Ms. Luthor a card.”

Kara paused, “Do you think she likes brownies? What am I saying, of course, she likes brownies. Everyone likes brownies.” She glanced through the front of the building for the building across the street. The distinctive heartbeat that bit too fast for a human was there. She grinned. “Thank you again, for being very scary and good at your job, Ms. Lance!”

 

Kara landed lightly on the roof of the building across from the police station. She didn’t hesitate, lunging into her girlfriend’s arms, and hugging Daisy as tight as she safely could.

Daisy wheezed but hugged back fiercely, her grip tighter than any human could manage, a buzz of vibrations washing through Kara. “I leave for one day!” But her tone wasn’t angry or even upset.

And Kara melted into her mate, safety settling. She smiled against Daisy’s shoulder. “Guess you’re not the only one who’s been arrested now. They took a mugshot and everything.”

Daisy snorted against her, her arms tightening. “I’ll frame it for you.”

Notes:

So, Alex and Maggie have met, not the same meeting as in canon.

Chapter 49

Notes:

I appreciate you guys a lot!

James had his camera ready as he walked near the protests outside L-corp. They’d gotten worse. The evening news had come with the news of what Quake had spent the day doing. Three Cadmus bases, sixty dead, and thirty-seven human experiment subjects rescued. And he’d give Quake that, she’d managed to get the media there in time to get the most damning footage possible.

So here he was, the tension in the air was heavy, like the air before a thunderstorm. He knew this city, and he knew his friend. So he was here, in front of L-corp, waiting for a lightning strike to capture to film. A photo that could say a hundred words.

The change came then, a rise of voices, and then they dropped to murmurs as everyone looked up as Supergirl floated down.

James raised the camera and started taking photos. The back of the heads of the crowd with their posters became the foreground of the shot, and there, the center of the frame was Supergirl with her cape billowing behind her, and framing everything, behind Supergirl, was L-corp. The giant black ‘L’ of its brand impossible to miss. A Super above the crowd looking every bit a god above mortals, standing between the mob and L-corp.

He kept clicking the shutter, taking frame, after frame, as Supergirl floated down to the ground. It never stopped being inspiring sometimes. James knew better than most that Kara, and Clark, they were just people. But they also weren’t, because they would stand there, silently commanding the world to be better, unflinching in the face of darkness. Daring humanity to be better.

////

Daisy paused, looking up from her laptop at the sound of a knock on her door. That was weird, she hadn’t been expecting anyone. Getting up she set the computer aside, her vibrations buzzing under her skin as she walked over and opened the door, only to soothe as she caught the eight-year-old lunging for her.

Laughing, Daisy caught Xal, hugging them tightly. “Hey kid, what are you doing here?”

“Uh, I was hoping we could talk?” Trel said awkwardly from behind Xal in the hall.

She looked at the barely out of their teen years being. The stress and anxiety weren’t hard to see. Daisy hooked Xal’s arm, helping the kid clamor up and onto her back, as she waved Trel in. “Of course, come on in.”

Trel’s shoulders were curled inward as they shuffled in, pulling the hood off of their head, their yellow scales showing as their eyes flicked around the apartment.

Daisy walked to the fridge. “You guys want some food?”

Xal happily hummed as they locked their limbs around her. “Do you still have the seed mix?”

“And a Tupperware of melon.” She opened up the fridge and glanced at Trel, yeah she was feeding both of them. Trel looked exhausted and Xal was eight. “I still have too many carrots, and I think I’ve got some oranges too actually. Have some juice too.”

“Do you still have pomegranate?” Xal eagerly peered over her shoulder.

“You can peel it if I do.” Daisy spotted it sure enough on a back shelf and passed it to Xal before continuing to pull out every bit of fruit and veg in the fridge.

Xal happily hummed. “Missed you.”

She smiled, “Missed you too kid. Heard you and Sarah have been spending a lot of time together?”

“Her parents are nice, and Mr. Morgan reads us stories and Mrs. Morgan makes these really nice seed cakes.” Xal chattered happily as Daisy started cutting every veggie and piece of fruit onto plates. “We’re reading the Hobbit. It’s really great, and Mr. Morgan says Earth has lots of dragon books. And we read My Father’s Dragon just like you said we should, and then Mrs. Morgan let us chew as much chewing gum as we could just like in the story! Sarah says you should get a symbol like Supergirl. But you probably shouldn’t use House Kasius’s crest, even if you are a Duke. Cause ya know, they’re evil.”

Daisy smiled, listening to the chatter, purposely not looking directly at the awkward early twenties Trel looking around. “Gotta say I agree, least favorite relatives. What do you two think I should use?”

“Well, Wally said you should just use a big ‘Q’, but that’s silly.” Xal was talking like they hadn’t been texting her pretty frequently every day. It was just…sweet as they reminded her why she liked kids. “I think you should use a rictor scale thing. The squiggly earthquake line.”

“I could see it, but where’d I put a symbol? I don’t think a big crest on my chest is really my vibe.” Daisy asked, she wondered if she was going to get conned by kiddo alien puppy eyes. Wally’s were particularly lethally adorable.

“You could put it on your shoulder like a patch? Or are you waiting for Supergirl to propose a formal union so you can use her sigil? That’s Fred’s theory.” Xal explained.

Daisy tapped Xal’s arm to indicate they should climb down. Ignoring the feeling she felt at the idea of things with Kara ever…really lasting like that. “I think it’s a bit early to be considering marriage there.”

Xal dropped down and trotted over to the table where they started peeling the pomegranate with their little claws that were starting to grow back a bit. “But you killed the bad guy who was hurting her. That’s what mates are supposed to do.”

Daisy poured juice. “It’s a bit more complicated than that with adults. And takes a lot more time.”

“That’s lame, you saved her.” Xal stuck their tongue out slightly in concentration as they peeled the little bright red seeds out of the fruit.

Daisy laughed softly walking over and setting a plate in front of each of them. She met Trel’s eyes, “Please, eat. We can talk about whatever you need to afterward.” And she knew she made the right decision when she saw how fast Trel ate. She wanted to sigh, things weren’t good money-wise then. A barely twenty-something suddenly having to raise an elementary schooler wasn’t going well. Daisy purposely ignored the fact she was only a handful of years older than Trel likely was. Mid-twenties were young whether it felt like it or not.

 

Daisy waited till she was sure Xal was distracted by Mario Kart, with headphones over their ears, and a heating pad under them, before setting the mug of herbal tea in front of the Trel and sitting down across from them at the table. “So, what’s going on?”

Trel ran their tongue against the back of their teeth. Their eyes flicked up from where they’d been staring into the tea mug. “You said if we needed help, for anything. I don’t…I don’t know who else to ask.”

“I meant it.” It was funny, this wasn’t where Daisy ever would have seen herself, just being able to offer to help someone. It was clean. But it filled her with a calmness as she looked at the delicate yellow scales of Trel across from her.

“I was barely scraping by before you found Xal. I don’t…The Morgans can’t watch Xal all the time, Sarah’s going back to school and I don’t have an image inducer for Xal, just the one for myself. I can’t just leave them in the apartment all day, and without an inducer, I can’t send them to school or daycare or anything, even if I could afford it and I…I don’t know what to do.” Trel’s face was tense, but determined. “Please.”

Daisy nodded. “So employment you’re not getting stiffed on pay because it’s under the table, and an image inducer for Xal are the main problems then?”

Trel looked at her with desperation. Their hands shaking. “Yes.”

“I’m new to National City.” She waved to the still fairly empty apartment, even if she was kinda proud of how it was starting to turn out. “So I don’t know every contact or way to help you the easiest way, but we can figure some stuff out, ok?” Daisy waited for Trel to breathe out. “First, though, even if it takes a while to fix everything for you, I’m not going to let you or your cousin starve or end up homeless.”

Trel’s shoulders shook, “I can’t pay you back for that.”

Daisy shook her head. “You don’t need to. I promised to help. First things first, we’ll get you a card with enough money on it for you two to be ok for a month or two while we get you set up better. After that, we can look into getting you better papers so you can find a better-paying job, and see if anyone in the local community is selling another image inducer. I’m going to get you in touch with some people who might be able to help. I’ve got…”

“Cadmus.” Trel’s tongue wet their lips. “I can’t have them noticing us.”

And she more than got that. “Look, we’ll figure out what we can tonight. And I’ll make sure you still have the detective's number, the one who helped find you. She knows more people in the community than me. Then we keep you and Xal away from me, at least till Cadmus is more dealt with.”

Trel shook, and then burst into tears, the words, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” spilling out as they sobbed.

 

Daisy passed one of the burner phones she kept in the apartment over to Trel, it was nicer than their cell phone had been. “Ok, so you’ve got a PayPal account connected to your debit card set up on here. I transferred a few thousand in.” Ten thousand, but Trel could find out the exact number later. She’d figure out what exactly they needed financially to be stable later. But with Cadmus, she didn’t have time to establish an entire life for them fast enough. The money would keep them set till she could really root into the problem. “Your contacts are transferred over, but I put in Detective Sawyer’s. Call her in the morning. I’ll see what I can do about cleaning up your legal documents. Just remember, photograph them with the phone and text me what you have. It’ll give me a place to start. The childcare…talk to Sawyer, if she doesn’t know anyone who can help with that, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Trel’s voice had a wet warble to it as they clutched the phone, unicorn thrown blanket over their shoulders. “I can’t pay this back.”

“Well money was Lord’s, so think not paying it back is a net positive for the world.” Daisy grinned. “Now, anything else that you need right now? I can have Supergirl bring by some more pomegranate while you think about it.” She was really hoping Kara’s attempt at thank you brownies was going well upstairs. The lack of a fire alarm was mostly reassuring. Kara’d probably love the excuse for a break from attempts at baking.

“I…if it’s not a bother?” Trel definitely had the same obsession with the fruit as Xal. Not that Daisy was positive it was a fruit and not a berry? Something else? Pomegranates were weird and she should probably google them.

////

Kara wrapped her arms around her mate’s waist and buried her face into Daisy’s neck. She sighed in contentment. “You’re amazing.”

“Thanks?” Daisy had laughter in her voice as she leaned back into her, fingers lifting from her keyboard.

She trilled softly while pulling Daisy flush against her. “I heard most of you with Trel, before you had me get groceries.”

“Unauthorized surveillance?” Her tone was teasing. “Is Supergirl breaking the law the same day she was arrested? I think I might be a terrible influence. Bad girl shenanigans everywhere.”

One of Kara’s hands slipped under Daisy’s shirt, her fingers gently running over the scars there. “Heard my name.” She kissed Daisy’s neck instead of arguing with her about how wonderful her mate was. Daisy’d just get more and more glib.

Daisy’s breath caught slightly, but then she cocked her head slightly, offering more of her neck to Kara. “So avoid your name when talking about you. Noted.”

She huffed against her and sucked, carefully. And Kara felt a rush of pleased daring as Daisy made a soft noise, her muscles loosening against her. It was maybe kind of like a lot, but maybe it wasn’t? as she unbuttoned Daisy’s jeans.

“Oh,” Daisy reached back, her fingers tangling in Kara’s hair, and gently guiding her head up a bit while she twisted enough to be able to kiss her. A buzzing hum in her throat as Kara slid her hand down Daisy’s pants.

Kara’s other hand was tracing the shape of the letter ‘El’ against Daisy’s stomach. Because she hadn’t meant to, but hearing Xal suggesting Daisy wear her crest was something. Something really good. It was stuck in her head, the image of it. Her mate, with the name of El on her. Daisy who was kind, and wonderful. Who she couldn’t get enough of.

The soft sounds from Daisy made Kara feel all floaty and warm like she was drunk but better as she focused on sliding her fingers through the wet heat. The solid warmth of Daisy’s body in Kara’s arms felt right. All of it was lovely.

Kara was grateful her mouth was pressed against Daisy’s. Daisy starting to pant into her mouth. If she hadn’t been kissing her she’d have said she loved her. Loved the feel of her, loved the sounds she made, loved the humming vibrations, loved the sound of her laugh, loved the furrow Daisy got when she was hacking, loved the bashful expression when she burned things, loved every time she came home and Daisy was there, loved her.

////

Daisy came to a stop as she walked into her kitchen. She blinked as she stared at the vase in the middle of the kitchen island. Blinking didn’t change it though, that was a vase with flowers. She walked over, reaching out, her fingers brushing against the bright yellow petals. Daisies. It was a bunch of brightly colored daisies.

All yellows, pinks, whites, and oranges. The delicate fluttering sensation in her chest was…strange. She wasn’t sure when she’d started smiling, but she had. Daisy just kinda stood there, staring at the flowers, until she felt the faint gust of Kara swooping in through the window.

“Morning!” Kara breezed in, sliding a Noonan’s coffee cup into her hand.

Daisy glanced at the to-go cup and then got kinda stalled out at just how radiant Kara looked.

Kara was not stalled out, and lightly pecked her lips, smiling too much for anything else. “Are the flowers ok? I just saw them and thought of you.”

“They’re good.” Daisy set the coffee down, and plucked a pink daisy out of the vase, and neatly slid it behind one of Kara’s ears. “Thank you.”

Kara beamed, throwing her arms around Daisy’s shoulders, and leaned forward and carefully brushed their noses together. “Oh good, I was worried you’d want different ones.”

The warm bubble in her chest was precious. “They’re beautiful.” She hadn’t actually gotten flowers before. It was funny, it was such a little thing, but it was exactly the kind of thing Kara Danvers would do for a girl. She kissed her girlfriend. She wasn’t going to lose a second of this while it lasted.

////

Lena’s head was pounding with the reminder of just how much scotch she’d had last night. The lack of protestors this morning had been…Supergirl had protected her. Was giving her every bit of the second chance she’d asked for. Supergirl, Quake, Kara…everyone willing to give her a chance was an alien. Wasn’t that ironic?

Humans on the other hand? It was hard. And it was going to get worse. The news that morning had been worse than the hangover. The police at the third Cadmus base Quake had cleared out had started digging up bodies.

By the time she’d left for work, they’d already found thirteen sets of remains. She knew it would be more. Far, far more. Apparently, her mother hadn’t just had a few skeletons in her closet, she had mass graves. At this rate, Lillian was going to prove to have been better than her golden boy at being a monster. It’d be impressive if it wasn’t so awful.

She opened up the folder of the report from PR. It was grim as she looked at it. Their stock numbers were dropping. This year was going to be a loss as well. Without a shiny invention to sell to the board, if they kept bleeding financially she gave the company another year, tops before it was unsalvageable.

Jess’s voice came through the com. -“Ms. Luthor, Ms. Danvers is asking to see you?”-

That was, she’d been half expecting a resignation letter. She hit the button. “Send her in.”

The ten seconds Lena had before Kara came bursting in were not enough to prepare her for the radiating joy from the woman.

Kara was smiling as she entered, even had an honest to god pink flower in her hair. “Hi Lena! I brought you brownies.” She walked straight to her desk setting down a plate with plastic wrap over it and a bow on top. “Thank you, for the lawyers, and for getting me out of custody yesterday.”

“You saved my life, possibly everyone in that lobby’s lives. It was the least I could do.” Lena stood up from behind her desk. “It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing, it was important.” Kara's smile softened.

It struck Lena that what Kara was looking at her with was pride. She paused, then brushed it aside into a box to be dealt with later. “Well thank you for the brownies.”

Kara pushed her glasses up her nose. “I made them last night, it took a few batches, but I think I got them right this time. Extra chocolatey, chocolate is one of the best things about Earth.”

Lena couldn’t help it, she raised a brow, amused and charmed despite herself. “You’ll have to eat them with me then.”

“Oh, I couldn’t.” But Kara was grinning, and clearly excited about it. “If you insist though!”

She watched the woman and…she had to say it. “How can you believe me, after what my mother did to your family?”

Kara paused, her face was still gentle, still kind, but it was more serious then. “You’re not your family.” She met Lena’s eyes, unafraid. “Our family raises us, puts burdens and expectations on our shoulders, but it's who we are inside that determines who we become. Besides, Supergirl and Quake both agree with me or they wouldn’t be protecting you.” She grinned slightly at the end in victory.

 

Lena was on her third brownie as she watched in some horror as Kara swallowed her twelfth. “I’m going to have to eat salad for a week.”

“That’s terrible,” Kara’s nose wrinkled. “Have you been to the Chinese buffet on 34th and Adams?”

The image of the calories this alien had to eat was baffling. “Do you eat vegetables, at all?”

Kara grinned like a schoolgirl sharing a secret. “Not very many, they don’t taste as good as ice cream. And I know you humans agree with me. Ms. Grant likes burgers on top of her salad.”

Lena laughed, and god, when was the last time she’d laughed? She brushed her fingers off. “I’ll remember that for the next charity gala with her, I end up in. Thank you, for this.”

“Oh right, I should get back to work. Sorry, I can stay late to make up the time?” Kara adjusted her glasses.

“No, you don’t need to do that. I thought your supervisor called and offered you the week off, with pay?” Lena frowned slightly, it was company policy in cases of traumatizing events.

Kara made an ‘oh shucks’ sound. “Dr. Xie called and explained it, and the HR lady, who was very nice by the way. But I don’t need time off.” She paused looking at her. “You know, my friends and I do game nights on Fridays, you’d be welcome.”

Lena was never going to stop being surprised by this woman. “I’m your boss…”

“You’re my boss’s, boss’s, boss’s, boss.” Kara smiled that bright victory grin. “And everyone could always use more friends.”

“I didn’t come here to make friends, I came here to make a difference, to redeem the Luthor name, not that that seems possible with Lillian destroying it, again.” Lena had bent too much, letting Kara feed her brownies. She couldn’t take more ultimatums, more betrayal. And Kara didn’t deserve to be painted with the Luthor brush, more than she already was.

Kara watched her, the awkwardness of boundaries that shouldn’t have been crossed being reinforced not seeming to bother her at all. Just quiet concern on her face. “I understand you not wanting to be friends. But I’ve been the new girl in town, on the planet, and I put my guard up too, but I was miserable. And if I hadn’t let someone in, my sister, I think I would have drowned in it. So if you change your mind, you’re always welcome, and I happen to know all the best coffee shops and places to eat in the city. And I’m ready to eat, just, all the time.” She smiled, “I’ll leave you to your work though, Lena. Thank you again, for the very scary lawyer, I think Ms. Lance scared them as much as Alex did.”

If she’d been a child, before Lillian had beat the habit out of her, Lena would have bit her lip in indecision, a desperate longing rising up against common sense. The words nearly burst out of her. “Wait!” Well, if she was going to break her own rules, she was going to do it completely. “I need something without sugar in it after the brownies. Coffee and you can tell me if your sister really arrested Detective Adams? Since you shouldn’t be in the labs after yesterday, and the mob isn’t braying for my blood today?”

“I won’t let any angry mob hurt you, even if they aren’t at the doors today.” Kara beamed. “Have you been to Noonan’s yet?”

Lena’s expression felt more genuine as she accepted she was going to let this woman into her life. As more than an oddity of a hire for a lab she rarely if ever stepped foot in. And well, Kara had literally saved her life yesterday. At least if betrayal came it wouldn’t be murder. “I take it Noonan’s is a coffee shop we’re headed to?” She was sure her security would appreciate the coffee. She should probably buy them pastries as well if she was making them escort her somewhere in public.

“Noonan’s is only the best.” Kara happily insisted. “Even Daisy agrees!”

Chapter 50

Notes:

TW: For Daisy's usual barely not suicidal mindset. Just heads up for that.

Final four chapters to go!

Alex dropped the two six packs of beer on the kitchen table, eying the laid-out maps and folders of papers. “You found something?”

“I think I’ve located every Cadmus base left.” Daisy picked up one of the beers and popped the cap off with her bare hand. “I got weird looks printing this many maps.” She pulled out a sheet, that was a map of the country, with twelve red highlighted spots, which would explain the twelve paperclipped folders. “And since we don’t need them growing any more heads, we need them all gone by the end of next week.”

Alex eyed the locations, she also didn’t miss the marked spots where she knew bases Daisy had already wiped out were. “I haven’t taken a vacation day in years and Lucy has me on desk duty because of the Lillian arrest.”

Daisy shot her a wry look, “Are you surprised? Superiors don’t like their agents going off the reservation.”

“We got the head of Cadmus.” Alex wasn’t particularly upset about it, she didn’t regret it. “I assume I can borrow a sidearm?”

“I’ve re-stocked from the raids, so how much firepower do you want?” Daisy looked at her clearly waiting for her order.

Alex grinned, so maybe her sister’s girlfriend wasn’t terrible. “How much firepower do you have? Because I saw what was in Kara’s apartment.”

Daisy reached for a tablet and started scrolling before clicking into something and passing it over. “Highlight what you want, we can grab it from the storage locker I stashed it in later.”

“No one is taking anything that can blow up a tank.” Kara cut in as she set down the pizza boxes. She was shooting them both a chastising glare. Only then she was smiling at both of them.

Alex cast a look at Daisy, getting the same look back. “So, how do we take out twelve bases at once?”

Daisy glanced between the two of them. “We pick two likely locations for keeping Jerimiah, feed the rest to Lane.”

“How much intel do you have on these?” Alex frowned flipping up a folder, her eyes scanning the neatly typed-out report with relevant documents printed out. It was blatantly apparent she’d written intelligence reports for the government, or specifically the military before. But then, Alex already had known that about the woman.

“It’s sketchy, Cadmus worked very hard to not have central servers, very compartmentalized operation. And they’re not large. But following the money, and stealing all the intel I could from servers, it’s something. Depends on the base. Some I have everything down to blueprints, others it’s more guesswork.” Daisy flipped open the top box, and pulled a piece of pizza out.

Alex frowned slightly. “Didn’t you dating my sister mean less take out around? You have a grocery shopping app.”

Daisy’s face flushed slightly. “I tried to make a duck thing from the cookbook Kara got me. My apartment is airing out, not touching duck again for a while.”

“It’s the first inedible attempt in over a week.” Kara bumped her shoulder into Daisy’s. “And now we have an excuse for Chinese and Pizza.”

“Winn’s on his way with the Chinese?” Daisy checked, but there was a softness as she looked at Kara, as was only right. And expected of anyone who spent time around Kara.

“He should be here soon.” Kara frowned looking at the map. “He’ll need to run the backend?”

Alex hummed, she could see what Daisy was planning. “We’ll need someone to run communication while the rest of us are boots on the ground.”

 

Alex took a swig of her third beer, nothing harder since she needed a clear head for this. “So we can rule out the four bases with less than six regular personnel.” She looked at Daisy for her to agree. It wasn’t Winn or Kara who were military.

“Yeah, Jerimiah would have to be someplace big enough to maintain control for over a decade, or if brainwashing or something worked and he drank the Kool-Aid, he’s too smart to be wasted someplace minor.” Daisy frowned, tapping the table. “We can probably cross off the two big ones too, the risk of those being found by a Super is too high. Nothing highly damning would be kept there unless they wanted it found.”

Winn pulled the folders being crossed out and added them to the DEO pile.

Kara frowned at the stack. “That still leaves us with six bases to where Jerimiah might be.” She grabbed the black marker crossing off the bases they’d ruled out. “Does location matter?”

And that was…interesting. “Keeping him within plausible hearing distance of a Kryptonian who knew him would be a mistake.” She took the black marker from Kara and crossed off two bases concerningly close to National City, and one near Metropolis.

“So three.” Winn looked around them. “Why can’t we take all three of these?”

Alex shoved the box of eggrolls toward him. “Once they realize we know about these places, they could go to ground.”

Daisy hummed in agreement. “Every survivor is a risk of rebirthing Cadmus in a new form. Have to burn the fuckers out.”

“You’re talking like it’s a hydra,” Winn grumbled.

“Well, they like their Greek mythology and monsters. So let’s burn the fuckers.” Daisy probably didn’t just mean that metaphorically. “Look at any monstrous organization, they don’t just vanish when you ‘win’ against them. It’s about hobbling whatever comes out afterward as much as possible.”

Winn stabbed an eggroll with his chopsticks. “That is…depressing.” He frowned. “How do we ensure when we raid, that the DEO is doing their raids?”

Alex looked at Daisy, and then back at the map, every piece she knew about the DEO resources. “Lucy will hit them fast and hard and as close to simultaneously as possible.” It was the military option, and with how chaotic things were turning politically…it was the only way Lucy would be sure the President wouldn’t try and stop her. She looked at Winn. “The day she picks, we move on our targets.”

“Which leaves us back to which two.” Kara frowned at the stack. “Lillian is mean. Just to be mean, not because it’s smart.” She bit her lip. “The one in Oregon. It’s close, the right size, and she’d want Jeremiah near enough for it to hurt us, hurt him.”

Alex swallowed. “The Oregon and Nevada bases then.”

Daisy picked up the folder of the one in Louisiana and dropped it in the DEO pile. “Right, let’s see what we can do to plan how we do this.”

And she felt it, the burning determination that wasn’t useless. They were going to really do it. Progress, and something like hope. She looked at her sister and reached out wrapping her fingers over Kara’s hand.

////

Kara sighed as she flew through her apartment window, exhausted. But she paused at the sight of Daisy sitting on the couch, legs pulled up with her arms around her knees. She shot a look at the clock, it was four am. Kara’s foot set down on the floor. “Daisy?”

Daisy looked up, and the expression on her face was painful. “Hey, sorry for just coming up here while you were gone.”

“You’re always welcome here, you know that.” Kara unclipped her cape as she walked over, eyes never leaving her mate. “Nightmares?”

Daisy huffed, her expression wry. “Obvious, huh?”

Kara hesitated but then threw her cape over Daisy’s shoulders before sitting on the opposite end of the couch, she didn’t think that Daisy wanted to be touched. There was a tension in Daisy’s shoulders.

Daisy’s fingers touched the cape, she sniffed slightly, her eyes casting to Kara. “Ocean?”

“Shipwreck off the coast off of Alaska, fishing troller. Winn called when it hit his alerts at the DEO.” Kara smiled. “Everyone survived, the fisherman even tried to give me a fish. Which kind of gross, and I’m not sure what I’d have done with it. I used heat vision to heat up hot chocolate for everyone.”

Daisy made a slow, slight nod, something like warmth on her face as she pulled the cape around her slightly more securely, but her expression was dark. “That’s good, sounds great really.”

She didn’t reach out, no matter how much she wanted to. Kara pulled off her boots so she could curl up on the couch, watching Daisy. “Do you want to talk about it?”

There wasn’t a reply, not for a long time. Daisy’s eyes not really focused, but looking at the fabric of the couch. But she did speak, finally. “I have a sister.” Daisy’s voice was soft, like it hurt her to say. “Her name is Kora.”

Kara sucked in a startled breath. Because…what? But also, everything about Daisy was silently screaming with turmoil. So she was careful, “Kora?”

Daisy’s fingers pinched, rolling the red fabric between them. “Time travel, so she died before I was born, but now she’s seventeen. I’ve only been in the same room as her…a dozen times?” Daisy shook her head. “Ten, I’ve been in the same room as her ten times.”

Kara wet her lips. “What happened?”

“What didn’t?” Daisy scoffed before her shoulders curled inward. “In the original timeline, she committed suicide. In a field of daisies. She couldn’t control her powers, so she killed herself. The loss is why Jiaying left Afterlife and met my dad a few years later. But time travel, and suddenly Kora was alive, and it was all…complicated.”

Kara stayed quiet, listening.

There was a pause as Daisy seemed to gather her words. Her fingers traced through the fabric where the massive Y-shaped scar down her front was. “It was my fault our mom died in my timeline, and in the one where Kora lived it was hers. Dead mom, the genocide of our people, and I was given a choice. I could go and save Kora, who I’d met once, or I could go save Jemma, my best friend, the closest thing to a sister I’d ever had. I chose Jemma.”

“Did you save Jemma?” Kara knew nothing made any of this less awful. But if Daisy managed to save Jemma, that was something. And Daisy’d mentioned Jemma before, never as if she was dead. And Kara hoped desperately she was right.

“I did.” Daisy blew out a long breath. “I was trying to leave SHIELD, had been trying to leave for over a year by then. But it never stopped, there was always something that they needed me for. I knew…it shouldn’t have hurt, when she and Fitz asked me to die for them. Again.”

“Daisy…” Kara reached out then, her hand laying down over Daisy’s knee, the sharp stab of pain. The gaping horror at the idea she might not have ever met Daisy. “You died?”

Daisy’s eyes closed. “When you lifted Myriad up, you described it as cold.” Her eyes opened, her eyes meeting Kara’s for the first time. “Because space is cold, so’s death. For humans, the change in pressure…your blood feels like it boils as you die. And it was awful, but it was…I wanted it. To die. It felt like…it wasn’t how I wanted to leave, but it felt inevitable, I could finally stop.” Her voice cracked, reaching up wiping roughly at her eyes, refusing to cry. “But then Kora brought me back.”

Kara wanted to cry for Daisy, she didn’t think enough people had.

“I’ve died twice now and been brought back.” Daisy swallowed thickly, her gaze not leaving Kara’s face. “I’ve never been allowed to die, Kara. I don’t want to die, I like it here, this is…fuck, it’s probably the happiest I’ve just been in…I don’t know. Ever? But if I die, don’t bring me back. I don’t want to be brought back.”

And it wasn’t a question, no matter how much she wanted to shrink away from the very idea of it, Kara knew grief, and she hadn’t been allowed to shrink from it since she was a child. “I promise, I won’t let anyone try.”

Daisy’s hand dropped on Kara’s hand. “Thank you, and still do CPR though.”

Kara’s smile was sad, but she still smiled, shifting her hand and threading her fingers with Daisy’s. “Still do CPR, got it.”

“Thank you, and I’m sorry for…asking.” Daisy squeezed Kara’s hand.

She shook her head, “Don’t be.” Kara knew her brow had a crinkle in it. “Kora’s still in your world?”

Daisy let out a long breath. “Yeah, she wanted to be a hero, to be the SHIELD agent. And I couldn’t stay, even for her. She didn’t want to hear anything I had to say that wasn’t what she wanted me to say. I offered to take her with me, here. But I couldn’t stay for her. I’d been trying too hard to get out.”

Kara understood, or not entirely. But she understood the pain of how things with family…could be all twisted up. How what your family wanted from you could be all wrong. She wasn’t sure if she was pushing at something that shouldn’t be pushed at or not. “Do you think you’ll ever see her again?”

“I don’t know.” Daisy’s voice was rough. “She knows how to follow if she wants. But she’s as stubborn as I am and hates me.” She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face. “She wanted me to be perfect, and I’m not. And I couldn’t…if I’d stayed for her, been what she wanted I’d have been SHIELD still. Maybe it’s wrong I didn’t stay.”

“No, you didn’t do the wrong thing.” Kara stopped holding herself back, very awkward position Daisy was in notwithstanding. She pulled Daisy into her arms. And Daisy let her, even if she didn’t unfold from the ball she’d curled herself into. Kara just hugged her mate. “You can say no. That’s never wrong.”

The air around Daisy hummed, briefly, a buzzing feel traveling through Kara’s arms from where she was holding her. And no doubt she was biting back examples of when saying ‘no’ was wrong. Purposely completely missing the point. But she didn’t say any of the contrary things that no doubt were on her tongue. Because Daisy was buzzing with discomfort. Instead, the buzzing faded, and Daisy tilted into her ever so slightly. “Thanks.”

Kara pressed a kiss against the top of Daisy’s head, before settling her cheek against Daisy’s hair, and just holding her. It took a moment to realize Daisy was crying. And it hurt, like swallowing kryptonite, that Daisy cried silently. Because she knew why she did. And it cracked her heart to know it wasn’t because Daisy had hidden it from people who cared, but more likely because no one had cared.

 

Kara’s fingers traced Kryptonian glyphs on Daisy’s back. The fabric of the cotton t-shirt was soft against the pads of Kara’s fingers, the early morning sounds of the city outside the apartment felt faded and distant. It felt trance-like, the in-between being asleep and awake. Laying here where she’d managed to stretch out on the couch with Daisy on top of her; her in her supersuit still while Daisy was in pajamas, the cape the only blanket over them. It didn’t feel quite real, and kinda completely real.

The soft light of the sun rising pulled Kara’s attention. She could see it, in the softening of the darkness. And she knew…she didn’t want the sun to finish rising and to just go off to work, leaving Daisy to RadioShack and Cadmus. It’d be wrong. So she risked possibly waking Daisy, not that she thought she was asleep. “We should go camping.”

There was a rumbling grumble from Daisy. “Camping?”

Kara was just pleased at the response, even if it didn’t sound particularly happy. “Yes, like a vacation. It’ll be fun.”

“Have you even been camping?” Daisy asked disbelief in her tone, clearly dubious about the whole thing.

“It's nature and hiking, you could really see the stars!” Kara smiled as Daisy picked her head up from her shoulder, looking at her with so much doubt it was kind of hilarious.

Daisy stared at her. “You’re serious. You want to go camping?”

Kara nodded, “Yes. You wanted to retire, and instead, you’re fighting a war for me. I think if I leave you anywhere that has wifi access you’ll find a way to be a hero.”

Daisy’s whole face went soft. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against Kara’s. “You’re not allowed to be this nice.”

“Nope, you can’t stop me.” Kara’s fingers still absently tracing against Daisy’s back muscles as she sighed happily.

Daisy pulled back, “Does it have to be camping?”

“What’s wrong with camping?” Kara giggled slightly.

“I’m a city girl, Kara. Cities, concrete, wifi. Do you know how awful SERE training is? May dumped me in that because she didn’t have time to ‘teach me the basics’.” Her gaze was dry. “I ate bugs, Kara. Nature sucks.”

Kara’s nose wrinkled at the bugs part, but she was genuinely smiling. The relief to see Daisy so much more settled. That she’d helped her. Even if she hadn’t been sure she was doing the right thing at all. “But it’d be us, no superhero stuff, no bad guys, just stars.”

“Bugs that will only try and eat me.” Daisy’s brow was raised, but her eyes were soft, and there was a lilt to her mouth that said she was content.

“We can bring bug spray. Or those candles, the ones that keep the bugs away. Because that spray smells terrible.” Kara was warm straight through like this, being here in this moment.

Daisy huffed, dropping her head back against Kara’s shoulder. Her voice a mumble. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Zrhueiao.”

Kara’s face flushed, which was ridiculous, it was just a term of endearment. But then…Kara’s heart thudded in her chest as her eyes widened as they snapped to the top of Daisy’s head. “You said Zrhueiao?” Her mouth was suddenly incredibly dry. She could just see the tip of Daisy’s nose scrunch slightly.

“Was the pronunciation terrible?” Daisy’s tone was half apologizing.

“How…that’s Kryptonian.” And Kara’s arm had wrapped around Daisy, her heart cracking again but in such a sharply wonderful way she couldn’t have described it.

Daisy hummed, “I haven’t learned much, yet. Was it that bad?”

“You’re learning Kryptonian.” Kara tightened her arms around Daisy. Her eyes squeezed shut as she pressed her nose into Daisy’s hair. She was never letting her mate go anywhere.

////

Daisy was sipping from a travel mug as she reached her workstation. Red polo shirt and khaki pants on. Even if the caffeine was mostly a placebo effect since the serum, she needed it after last night. She paused as she saw Drew heading for her. Looking up, both hands curling around the mug, she watched him approach.

“Johnson!” Drew was holding a printed-out sheet. “Did you tell a customer to grow a brain!?”

“He brought his laptop in, six times in a week and a half for the same problem.” Daisy ignored where Fred had just choked. She wasn’t intimidated by Drew of mediocrity and power tripping because of a manager promotion.

Drew puffed up like a gopher. “You are in customer service!”

Daisy sipped from her coffee. “It was that or tell him to stop downloading octopus videos off questionable websites and to just get a membership at the aquarium.” She actually had no idea what the guy’s thing with octopus videos was. Because it wasn’t weird porn, it was just…octopus’s. He just kept torrenting like foreign aquarium tank streams and giving himself the worst viruses.

“You also told him to do that!” Drew raised his hand jabbing his finger at her. “Stop insulting the customers or you’ll be looking for a new job!” He turned on his heel, marching off.

She rocked back on her heels. “Think he’ll actually fire me?”

“There’s three of us for tech support, and you’re part-timer.” Fred snorted. “It’s his funeral if he fires you.”

Daisy shrugged, it wasn’t like she was that attached to the job. She turned only to pause at the sigh of the small vase with daisies on her desk. “When did…”

“Your girlfriend dropped them off about twenty minutes ago.” Fred said from where he was unscrewing the casing of a laptop that looked like it’d been run over by a truck. “Just a friend, huh?”

She couldn’t help smiling to herself as she took her seat and pulled up her tickets for the day. “I may have missed the obvious there.”

He snorted, “The Karen’s computer build is all yours.”

“Thanks, it's like you want me to get fired.” Daisy wasn’t worried, it was like the problem customers could sense they weren’t going to get anywhere with her. She wasn’t above admitting she found joy in watching their dreams of harassing their way to victory die.

“Just think, if she leaves a bad review, Drew will be back.” Fred was enjoying this too much.

Daisy hit print on the ticket. “Maybe I’ll charm her.”

“Johnson, white picket fence people are allergic to you.”

She glanced at the clock. “You take octopus guy when he comes back if I can charm our Karen of the day?”

“Deal.” Fred agreed instantly.

 

Daisy smiled as she waved at their terrorist, Maggie, who was happily walking out of the building. The pulling of her hair up into a high school varsity soccer girl ponytail, change of make-up to strictly traditional, buttoned-up polo, and sticking some shiny stickers to her name tag had worked like a charm. Also the perky valley girl voice. She turned, popping a gum bubble as she looked at Drew and Fred. Her voice was still obnoxiously perky. “Well look at that boys, I’m a charming young lady.”

“What the fuck.” Fred was gaping. “How…how are you doing that?”

Daisy reached up taking out the ponytail, shaking her back down. “I’m everyone’s type. Have fun getting Russian spam off Octopus Guy’s computer.”

Chapter 51

Notes:

Yo! We're getting close!

Kara set her prized box down on the table as she sat with Katie and Felix, who were kind of work friends! She was excited she was making friends now! Even if they weren’t in her department. “Hey guys!”

“Kara,” Felix greeted as he added dressing to his lunch salad. “You’re looking perkier than usual today.”

“I got cupcakes, do you want one?” She opened up the box of a dozen cupcakes, each with icing petals like flowers on them.

Katie whistled. “Those are gorgeous, did you pick them up at your first break?”

Kara’s smile felt silly, but she felt all warm and bubbly. “Daisy sent them.”

“This is better than flowers to you, isn’t it?” Katie took the offer, picking up a purple rose one. She looked at Felix. “You’re splitting this with me.”

He sighed. “You’re going to ruin my diet.” But he didn’t sound upset about it.

“So much better than flowers.” Kara lifted one neatly from the box. “And she’s making this Hunan Beef dish, lots of spices!” She paused before taking a bite of the pastel pink cupcake she’d pulled out. “How are your days going?”

Katie smiled while neatly cutting the purple cupcake in half. “Well, since Supergirl got the mob to go terrorize government buildings instead of us, the front desk hasn’t been too bad. Triple security, but they’re more comforting than anything else.”

Felix made a hum of agreement, “Working on a patent request for the new window sealant. Not sure I want to know what it was originally made for.” He stabbed at his salad. “Ms. Lance is on a warpath about something above my paygrade though.” He leaned forward. “Personally, I think her boyfriend forgot an anniversary or something.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Katie said while picking up her wrap. “What was it last time, her birthday?”

“Hmm, I don’t know why she puts up with him.” Felix tilted his head. “He’s hot, but there’s got to be limits.”

Kate shot a look at Kara. “He says this, but his last boyfriend was a DJ.”

Kara popped the lid off her container of leftovers from takeout the night before. “What’s wrong with a DJ?”

“So many things…but not his abs.” Felix sighed. “But at least I didn’t date Victor.”

Katie tipped her head. “Victor was perfect until he started talking. And then he wouldn’t stop talking about his thoughts on feminism.”

It was new, but she liked these two. And she had super hearing, she knew the other employees were avoiding both of them for spending time with her. She could probably get them to eat a second cupcake, they were really good. “I haven’t dated someone like Daisy before.”

“As in her vibe or the dating part?” Felix asked, dumping the chicken on his salad before taking a bite.

Kara was never quite sure how these conversations should go with humans, but she was pretty sure she was doing it right. “Both?”

 

Kara was through her sixth cupcake when her phone buzzed. She opened it up, expecting a Winn alert to go do something Super. It was a message from James. She swallowed. “Oh, um…that text alert for if a Luthor is a supervillain? It’s about to go off for Lex.”

Katie and Felix both went completely rigid. Katie’s voice was tense. “What did he do?”

“The Tribune is about to release an article on their website and on the tv subsidiaries before the full expose in the paper tomorrow.” Kara looked up at them. “One of the reporters, Amira Ahmed, found financial ties between him and every guard at the prison he’s in.” And she knew Daisy’d found more. It wasn’t even a bet who’d dropped the bait there for the reporters to pick up.

“Fuck.”

////

Lucy stepped into the armory, the door closing behind her. She looked to the unlocked door into the room they stored the kryptonite in. “I’m impressed you waited this long.”

“Been busy, and Superman was dragging his feet.” Daisy pushed off the wall she was leaning against.

“I presume the kryptonite is dust then?” Lucy found it interesting to see Daisy dressed as Quake, but at the same time, no mask, and just herself as well. The in-between of Daisy Johnson and Quake.

“Yup, also, wasn’t expecting the Lex story to drop today, Amira followed the intel I passed to her like a bloodhound. Was expecting her to take another week.” Daisy tossed her a USB drive.

Lucy slid the drive into a pocket, it wasn’t like the cameras were on. They’d all been looping when she’d walked down here, and Daisy had no reason to turn on her. “I assume Lex won’t be an issue much longer?”

“No.” Daisy’s head cocked. “Does that bother you?”

She considered this odd alliance she’d made in a gutted apartment weeks ago. “You’re making powerful enemies. And we both know Supergirl will flinch from the violence you’re enacting, it's shocking she hasn’t already.”

Daisy blew out a breath. “I don’t like killing.” She met Lucy’s eyes. “But if I do this now, right now, hundreds won’t die later. We both know if Cadmus gets roots set down they’ll inspire a level of violence and hate that will take decades to remove if it’s even possible. And while you’re right to think Supergirl’s a far better person than me, why does everyone think she’s against killing? She works with you.”

Lucy felt her eyes narrow. But then…how many aliens and humans did the DEO kill in a year? It wasn’t like Kara could possibly be unaware. That detail had never been a thread she’d pulled before. But Kara knew the condition of their cells. The violence they enacted. Her mother had been a high judge on her planet, her aunt a General. That was…an alarming thing to consider.

And more alarming…Kara had killed, hadn’t she? Not even just in the choice not to save people that she had made before putting on the cape. Non’s body, with his eyes burned out from his head. How many aliens had been on Ft. Rozz when Kara threw it into space? Had anyone even spoken to her about it? Fuck, had they even filled out paperwork recording that? They had to have.

Lucy changed the topic. “When is my father’s domino going to fall?”

“I gave the information to your sister, what she does with it is her business. If she hasn’t dropped anything on him by Monday I’ll give it to someone else.”

Lucy shook her head. “Don’t do that, you’re dumping too much at once.”

Daisy’s hands fell on her hips. “Legal opinion?”

“Opinion knowing you’re about to murder Lex Luthor.” Lucy replied dryly. “They can’t take more than two monsters in a week.”

“Ok, I can contact Lois, if you don’t want to.” Because she was a decent person, for as terrifyingly deadly as the woman was.

Lucy’s shoulders set more firmly. “No, if we’re going to set back the anti-alien movement twenty years, I need to be capable of speaking to my sister.”

Daisy nodded. “Fair. The information on that drive, Wednesday afternoon.”

“You and time limits.” Lucy looked at her watch and then back at the woman. “Speaking of which, security sweep will be here in five minutes.”

“Only need two.” Daisy pulled the goggles and lower face mask on. She didn’t turn it on though, just adjusting it on her face.

Lucy would despair for DEO security if she didn’t know Daisy was a hacker, black-ops, and alien abilities. “Good luck.”

“You too.” Daisy clicked her mask on, the mask lighting up. The unnerving face, unblinking as it faced her.

Shaking her head Lucy turned and left the room. She had things to think about, work to do, a meeting with the President to arrange. And ensuring the paperwork didn’t say Supergirl had murdered her uncle.

////

Cat Grant walked into Amira’s office and shut the door. “Ah, good, you’re still here.”

“Ms. Grant?” Her reporter straightened in her seat, reading glasses perched on her nose.

“Close your laptop.” She waited for the click of the closed laptop before setting a bottle of the most expensive ginger ale the assistant of the week had managed to procure on the desk. “I would have brought an aged whiskey but you’re Muslim. HR would have sent an email, it would have been wasted on you, a pointless mess.”

Amira picked up the glass bottle of specialty ginger ale. “I’m needed at the studio in an hour?”

“To discuss your findings about Lex Luthor, yes, I approved pulling you for it.” Well, it was nice to know she’d beat the news in getting to the woman. “There’s something you need to know. I’m amazing at a lot of things, but a soft touch is not a thing I am often complimented on. So band-aid off quickly then.” Telling a person they’d gotten a man killed wasn’t a typical problem to be dealt with. “Lex Luthor is dead.”

Amira’s eyes widened slightly. “How?”

This part would not be comforting. “Brain liquified, hole through the room of his cell. She hasn’t claimed responsibility.”

“That was faster than I expected.” Amira leaned back tapping her fingers on the surface of the desk, her brow furrowing. “She’s in endgame then.”

Well wasn’t that interesting. “You knew you were setting up Lex Luthor to be murdered?”

“He’s a mass murdering serial killer who got life in prison because he was rich and his intended victim was an alien.” Amira’s gaze was cutting. “He’s been capable of leaving his prison since his third month there. It was a matter of time before we had another massacre. Of course, Quake was going to remove him from the board.”

Cat took the seat across from her. “I find myself surprised, a rare thing.” She had been overlooking the newer talent at the Tribune.

////

Daisy landed on Lena’s balcony and clicked off the mask as she slid open the door. She took in Lena sitting on her couch, bent over, a bottle of scotch on the table in front of her, the lights off. The news had gotten here faster than she’d made it. She walked over before coming to a halt. What was there to say?

“It’s real then?” Lena looked up, her eyes red.

“Yes.”

Lena gave the faintest of nods. “Well then. Did he suffer?”

“No.”

Lena reached out and poured a slightly concerning amount of scotch into the partially filled tumbler in front of her. “Well, you might as well have a drink then, Quake.”

“You want to have a drink…with me?” Daisy glanced around the office, and Lena had sent her office staff home. She couldn’t feel a heartbeat for several rooms. She edged slightly closer, before awkwardly perching on the edge of the coffee table. “How much have you had already?”

“Does it matter? Drinking this whole bottle won’t change the fact my brother was a life-ruining monster.” And ‘ah’. Lena was drunk.

Daisy picked up the bottle of scotch and unhooked the lower face mask, letting it drop around her neck. She took a tiny sip. If there was poison, her system could probably tank it. But she was going to wait to be sure before she risked another sip.

Lena took a generous swig from her tumbler. Huh, heterochromia, one of her eyes was green, the other a greenish blue. And she looked gutted. “You know Lex was the one person who made me proud to be a Luthor. Made me feel loved.”

“What was he like, as a kid?” Daisy asked. She didn’t flinch from the sharpness from Lena then. “Like as a kid. I’m assuming it wasn’t torturing small animals and cackling like a cartoon villain.”

“No, he’d have seen that as gauche.” Lena hesitated. “Why would you want to know any of that? He’s dead.”

It was a gamble. But she knew it was the moment to make it. She raised the bottle of scotch to her lips and swallowed more than a mouthful, before setting it on the table, out of Lena’s reach. Woman was drunk enough already. And then, Daisy didn’t need to lie in the least. “I know what it means for the people you love to become monsters, or maybe to have always been monsters but you never saw it.” She shrugged. “And who else are you going to tell? A therapist you have too many trust issues to see?”

“It's not paranoia if they are really out to get you.” Lena knocked back her own scotch.

“You’re not wrong.” It wasn’t like Daisy’d have spoken to a therapist without direct orders to do it. “They put me in anger management therapy as a kid. Like talking to someone would make over thirty foster homes by the time I was sixteen better.”

Lena seemed to realize the scotch was out of reach if she didn’t want to physically stand up. “You’re in my office.”

Daisy weighed her options. But she tipped her head and picked up the bottle, pouring two fingers into Lena’s tumbler. Woman was going to need a puke bucket by her bed if she had much more. “So tiny Lex, piano and chess?”

“I was better than him at chess, he hated losing.” Lena looked away from her, not that she was seeing anything in the room. “He protected me from Lillian, Lionel, the press. He was my hero. I should have known better, he tried to have me killed.” She raised her tumbler toward her. “I appreciate being alive from that.”

“Your parents sucked.”

Lena half choked, half laughed. “Elegantly put.”

She grinned slightly. “You ever let Lex win at chess?”

“Never,” Her lips curled. “He’d have never forgiven me for letting him win. It’d have been worse than losing to his little sister. I should have, just to see the look on his face.”

“See, I never graduated high school, nobody ever doubts they’ve won fair and square if I let them have a win.” Daisy had never minded letting various foster siblings, foster parents, even the team sometimes, have an easy win. People liked you more when they were happy, winning made them happy.

Lena’s brow furrowed, even if there was a glazed quality to her eyes as she looked at her. “You’re a hacker, a phenomenal one. I’d hire you if you weren’t.” Lena waved to all of her. “You’re clearly intelligent.”

“No fancy college degree, no high school diploma, even when they should know better, everyone underestimates street trash.” She took another drink from the scotch decanter. “Are you saying your brother wouldn’t have thrown a fit to know it was someone like me, an uneducated, fucked up science experiment, who was the one to find his little prison palace scheme and bring it all crashing down?”

“He’d never have believed it.” Lena scoffed. “It’d be worse than the tantrum he threw when he lost the National Science Fair when he was eight. The only year he ever lost.”

Daisy hummed. “Lost it huh? What did an eight-year-old Lex Luthor’s tantrum look like?”

 

Daisy sighed, looking up at the familiar sound of a cape. “You came.”

“Of course I did.” Kara’s nose scrunched. “Is Lena drunk?”

“She was drunk when I found her, I’m not sure how much of this she’s going to remember when she wakes up.” Daisy sighed. “We’re not leaving her for her security to get home.”

Kara pulled up, “Of course not, the media is camped out there too.”

“And you can actually fly a drunk person out of their skyscraper office to their skyscraper apartment.” Daisy pointed at herself. “And if a photographer gets a shot of ‘Quake’ carrying off Lena Luthor?”

“It would be really bad.” Kara easily scooped up the passed-out Lena into her arms from the couch. “Um…where am I taking her?”

“Her apartment, it’s the penthouse at Jackson and Pine.” Daisy put the scotch decanter on the sideboard. “I’ll meet you there? I’m going to have to hit the roof and go straight up to avoid anyone realizing I was ever here.”

“Do you have a key for her apartment?” Kara asked, her hold of Lena protective.

Daisy smiled under her mask, Kara’d been right about Lena, at least so far. “Her purse is on the desk.”

 

Daisy found the bottle of ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. She pulled it out, “You find a puke bucket?”

“Trashcan, I double-bagged it.” Kara called from the bedroom.

“Smart.” Daisy walked out of the bathroom with the bottle. “Come on, let’s get her shoes off and get her pinned on her side so she can’t aspirate.” She set the bottle down on the nightstand. “And you already did the shoe thing.” She caught the decorative couch pillow that Kara’d tossed at her.

“Super speed.” Kara teased, as she very gently adjusted the unconscious Lena on her side, cramming pillows behind her to prevent rolling onto her back.

Daisy huffed in amusement as she added to the pillow wall to keep Lena safely secure. “Which is very unfair.”

“Should we put dinner in her fridge?” Kara asked, her gaze sweeping the perfectly put-together but empty-looking penthouse.

“Yeah, if you drop it by? Someone should probably check on her later anyway and I don’t trust her security team further than I could chuck them.” Daisy paused, she could throw people into space. “Further than Lena can chuck them.”

Notes:

And just a quick note on why Lena is less angry about Lex here than in canon. A. From her point of view, he's just tried to murder her, like a couple weeks ago. B. There was never a post-turning the sun red interaction for them. So like he didn't get hooks into her again post pissing her off enough for her to throw him under the legal bus. C. There's no level of perceived betrayal in his death for her to deal with. Quake was quite honest from the beginning about the realities of her position on Luthor shit. D. She did not kill him herself so she's not trying to desperately avoid that reality because she can't deal with it. E. Cadmus and all that horror is kinda top of mind for her and the realities of what Lex&Lillian have been doing is kind of a non-stop horror show she can't look away from or deny.

Chapter 52

Notes:

Early today because I'm off to Thanksgiving dinner and will forget to post if I don't do it now. So Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate, and congrats, surprise early chapter to those who don't.

Kara leaned against the wall, just watching her mate in the early morning light. It felt like she was full of pure sunlight, she was so warm and fuzzy. It wasn’t anything special Daisy was doing. But it was perfect all the same. The most perfect, just the most lovable. It was all bubbly, fizzy happiness to see Daisy, just there.

It was funny, Daisy was just standing there in a t-shirt, dumping chocolate milk over granola. Her hair was mussed, a certain grogginess to her that left Kara feeling privileged that Daisy felt safe enough around her to wake up slowly. Because it hadn’t been like that at the start. Kara sighed happily, the contentment leaking out of her.

Daisy looked over at her, a lopsided half smile on her lips. “What?”

“Morning,” Kara smiled, but what she meant was I love you. Didn’t think she’d ever felt anything close to this before. It was…Kara blinked. That…how long had she been thinking of Daisy as hers? As her mate?

Oh.

That was…this was it? Wasn’t it?

Daisy’s head cocked to the side, unaware of the realization coursing through Kara. She stepped over, catching the front of Kara’s pajama button-up shirt, and pulled her in, kissing her.

It wasn’t even conscious how she kissed back. And the surprise, the confused questions about when she’d latched, just vanished in a soft relief. Because it was Daisy, and that meant it was a good thing.

Daisy pulled back ever so slightly. “What were you thinking about there?”

Kara smiled, leaning into her. “You.”

“Unfairly good answer.” Daisy breathed, and then she was kissing her again. It was all soft press of lips and warmth.

She wrapped her arms around Daisy’s shoulders. Kara smiled as she just breathed, her forehead pressed against Daisy’s. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Daisy huffed, but she was smiling. “Am I?”

“Yes, you are.” Kara fluttered the lightest of kisses across Daisy’s face. Her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, her forehead. Her smile grew at the soft sound of protest from Daisy.

The bashful almost, “Kara.”

Nope, it was good. She pressed another kiss on the tip of Daisy’s nose. Her precious, beautiful, and lovely mate. “Morning!”

Daisy’s face was flushed, something nearly shy there. “You said that already, Dork.”

“You’re dating me.” Kara’s eyes were squinty from how much she was smiling. “I think that means you like that I’m a dork.”

“Hmm…” Daisy pecked her on the lips. “True.” Her hands gripped at Kara’s hips.

Kara’s breath caught in the back of her throat as she was turned and then backed into a counter. She let herself be set on the counter, a soft sound escaping her as her mate started kissing her neck. “Daisy.” her fingers curling against Daisy’s shoulders, one leg hooking around Daisy’s hip to hold them against each other.

Daisy didn’t reply, but the happy rumbling purr answered anyway. Her teeth dug into her neck hard enough that it made a shiver run down Kara’s spine.

“Kara!” Alex’s voice yelped.

Kara’s head snapped over, “Alex?”

“Oh god, would you put pants on?” Alex had spun on her heel, one hand raised pressing against her forehead.

Kara’s face felt hot enough to cook an egg on. “What are you, when did you get here? And I have pants on… it's my apartment?”

Daisy snorted, pulling away, a thing that made Kara want to whine about losing her. “I’ll put some on, Danvers.”

“You…what?” Kara spluttered.

“I texted.” Alex bit out. “The kitchen counter?”

Daisy was barely holding back laughter as she grabbed a pair of jeans and pulled them on. A thing Kara maybe watched a bit too intently. Daisy raised a brow at her as she buttoned her jeans, her grin was shit-eating, before she glanced over to where Alex was. “I’m decent, you can turn around without needing bleach.”

Kara dropped off of the counter she’d been sitting on. “You said you were coming over, not first thing in the morning.” She was pouting.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting…that,” Alex waved at all of Kara and the counter, “At seven am.”

Daisy snickered as she walked back to the kitchen island and stuck her spoon into the probably slightly soggy granola. “Coffee in the pot is fresh.”

Alex’s eyes flicked to where she usually stored the whiskey, but then she grabbed the coffee pot. “No defiling my sister on kitchen counters. I have a gun.”

“Alex!” Kara shot a look at her sister.

“No promises, apparently dorks are my type.” Daisy was grinning as she took a bite of her cereal.

Kara beamed at her mate, her chest felt all warm and mushy. Her mate liked her.

“No.” Alex grabbed the creamer dumping it into her coffee. “There will be no looking at her like she’s a pastry.” She slapped a blueprint on the table. “We are going to break down how we get dad back, and you two, no touching, no weird eye contact.”

Kara threw an arm around Alex in a side hug. “I already took the day off, I get trauma days.” L-corp was really great about encouraging therapy, and mental health and yeah, Lena was trying to avoid supervillains popping up. Cat should probably do that too…a lot of her employees ended up as supervillains.

 

Kara stared at her sister and her mate, “I look ridiculous.”

“I mean, cliched goon, sure. But I think it’s good.” Daisy gave her a thumbs up from where she was standing.

“Ski mask to cover her face?” Alex looked at Daisy.

Kara sighed looking down at the black pants, boots, and baggy black sports jacket she was wearing. The fact Alex and Daisy just had this was sad. It’d look terrible on either of them. Did they just keep non-descript black clothing for her? Both of them? Because there had been options.

“We can do better than a ski mask.” Daisy walked over to the gun safe, because they’d relocated to her apartment for getting gear. She pulled out the box on the top shelf. “I’ve a got face mask. We put the ski mask on you.”

Alex picked up the black ski mask on the counter and crossed her arms. “I get the ski mask why?”

“Because you’re a trained agent and if something goes wrong you’re a DEO agent going off-reservation for a bit. She does it, it’s Supergirl being proven to be involved with my war against Cadmus.” Daisy had a ‘duh’ expression as she passed the box to Kara. “We can set it to Jemma’s face.”

Kara grinned pulling the mask out and carefully putting it over her face. It tingled, as she dropped her hands down. “Is it on?”

Daisy reached up, carefully tracing a specific pattern against the veil, just by her ear. There was a ripple like sensation across her face as Daisy stepped back. “There we go.”

Alex hissed. “Cadmus has that kind of tech?”

Daisy made jazz hands. “One of a kind on this planet.”

“We’re really going to do this.” Kara looked between them and then lunged forward dragging both of them into her arms.

Alex and Daisy both squawked.

////

Alex’s feet hit the ground as Kara dropped her and Daisy onto the ground as they reached the Oregon base. She had her gun out, sweeping the rooftop. Lowering her gun she straightened her ski mask. She set her hand down on Kara’s shoulder and looked to where Daisy was clicking on the bright LED face. She gave her sister’s girlfriend a nod.

Daisy gave them a thumbs-up and then launched herself off of the roof.

Go-time.

She moved to the ceiling vent and waited.

Kara reached down and ripped it up and off.

She shot a glare at her sister, a stupid different person’s face or not. “Quietly!”

The weird face her sister was wearing gave her a ‘sorry’ look.

Alex reached up and yanked the spare ski mask down over Kara’s face. If there was an EMP or something her sister’s involvement in this wasn’t going to be noticed. She held the strange brown eyes looking at her. Kara would be behind her, she pushed herself up and dropped through the open vent.

 

Alex plugged in the USB-looking thing with an antenna into the computer system. “Ok, Winn, you’re up.”

-“Alright, I’ve got the download started, let’s see what’s under the hood.”- Winn’s voice came through the comms.

Kara tapped hers. “If we could hurry this up, our distraction is punching her way through the front door.”

Alex looked up. “Hey, she’s fine. The building isn’t even suffering an earthquake.”

Kara gave a stiff nod, before looking back out the door she was covering.

The base better not start shaking from power use until they knew if this was it or not. Because if Jerimiah wasn’t here, she and Kara needed to get to the Nevada base while Daisy finished up here. “Come on, you’ve got to have something for me.”

-“It’s not magic. Give me a minute.”- The clicking of keys was audible through the comm. -“Ok, I’m pulling up personnel files. Do you see any names on here that look familiar, something Jerimiah might have used?”-

Alex started scrolling, and…it wasn’t a lot of names. This research lab only had fifty regular staff. None of the names were his, or something he’d have used. It felt like a wave of relief. Lillian Luthor was full of shit. “He’s not here, do you have a list of test subjects, prisoners?”

-“That’s a lot of names, I’m sorting out women. Ok, this facility doesn’t have detention rooms. I think it’s procedures for ‘volunteers’.”- Winn was stressed, but he wasn’t panicking yet.

“There’s some guys coming.” Kara hissed from the door.

Alex gestured in frustration. “Go delay them, you’re bulletproof.”

Kara paused. “Right, be back.”

She kept scrolling through pages Winn was pulling up on the screen. “Anything?”

-“I’m not seeing anything. We can go through all of this to see if he passed through the facility later, but I don’t see anything saying he’s there now.”- Winn hesitated. -“I’m sorry.”-

“Shit.” Alex shoved at the metal desk. It was bolted down. No satisfying slam.

-“Nevada, next. And if he’s not there, DEO will find him at one of the others. We’re finding him today.”-

She didn’t believe it. But they had another base to check. Alex drew her side-arm and went to go free up Kara so the two of them could get out of here. Daisy would be finishing up this one without them. She hit the comm twice. “Target not here.”

There wasn’t a need to ask if Daisy had got the message. The ground suddenly bucked under her feet, glass and metal rattling as the entire base started shaking. Message received then.

Alex moved down the hall, heading toward the sounds of fighting. She shot a Cadmus agent, and then took a corner and shot one coming up behind Kara who’d just chucked a guy through a wall. “We need to go, he’s not here.”

“Got that.” Kara’s eyes widened behind the black ski mask.

Alex spun on her heel, bringing her gun to bear on the man coming around the corner behind her.

He came to a screeching stop, his hands raising. But that wasn’t why she didn’t pull the trigger.

“Alex?” He choked out.

She dropped her aim and then shoved her gun into her holster. In the two steps, it took her to get to him she half gasped out, “It’s you.” And then she slammed into him, her arms wrapping around her dad. He was alive, really alive.

He barely hesitated and then he was hugging her back. “Oh god, it’s really you. Look at you.” Jerimiah gasped the words against her as he squeezed so hard the air nearly left her lungs.

Alex’s eyes closed as she held onto him. “You’re alive, you’re actually alive.”

“What are you doing here?” His hand fell on the back of her head like a benediction, like she was treasured and safe and the years of him being dead had never passed.

She refused to let him go, even if she knew she needed to. “We’re here to rescue you.”

“We?” His arms dropped, as he looked up, half hope and horror in his tone.

The crack of a gun firing cut through the hallway.

Alex barely caught her dad, keeping him from falling to the ground. His face slack as blue veins spread under her skin before fading. Her fingers found his pulse immediately. Her shoulders slumped at the feeling of a steady beat under her fingers. She looked up, “What the fuck, Quake!?”

Kara was awkwardly holding the gun Daisy’d insisted she have on her. “Um…?”

“You shot him?” Alex spluttered.

“What?! That was the plan!” Kara gestured wildly. “We find Jerimiah, we tranq him, we get him out.”

Alex clenched her teeth, she was right. She straightened. “You’re right. Get to the DEO, I’ll finish clearing this place out. We’ll meet you there.”

Kara shot forward, scooping up their dad like he was a princess. “Stay safe, I’ll let Lucy know about Nevada.” And then she shot out of the hallway.

And then Alex was just there, alone in the hallway unless she counted the handful of bodies. She didn’t. She cleared her throat, swallowing back tears. There was a job to do before she could get back to her dad. Drawing her gun from the holster she braced herself, and then headed to finish clearing the wing.

 

Alex unlocked the weapons locker. It was empty. She looked back at the last eight empty lockers. Hitting the comm she spoke. “We’ve got a problem in the armory.”

-“Thirty seconds.”- Daisy’s voice replied sharply.

Spotting a clipboard attached to the first empty weapons locker, she walked over and grabbed it. That was a problem. She flipped through, and that was a very big problem.

There was a brief shake of the floor, announcing Daisy’s arrival and then she came through the door. “What’s wrong?”

Alex handed over the clipboard. “The lockers are empty.”

Daisy took the clipboard and clearly saw what she had. “Fuck. C4?”

“And it’s not here.” Alex frowned as she scanned the room. Because they’d have noticed eight storage lockers of C4 if the building was rigged to blow. “I’m assuming you'd have noticed that much C4 if it was here?”

Daisy went very still, a faint hum in the air, and then it faded as she shook her head. “It’s not here.” She handed the clipboard back. “I thought Hank Henshaw was dead?”

“But dead men don’t need to sign out eight storage lockers of C4.” Alex finished. “You can’t take this place down.”

“We head straight to the DEO, Lane needs to know about this, now.” Daisy reached up to her ear. “Winn, tell Lane we’re in route.”

Winn squeaked slightly. -“Won’t the DEO arrest you?”-

Daisy shrugged, “They can try, but I’m not the psychopath with enough C4 to win some terrorism awards.” She looked at Alex. “The getting back to the city is going to suck for you.”

“Do it.” Alex had flown with Kara when she was a foot shorter and a whole lot less stable and aware of human limits.

 

Alex was aware, there were guns aimed at them. Or mostly at Daisy. But she was more caught up in ripping the ski mask off and retching into it. Her knees very much gave out under her. Direction? Fuck, what was a sense of direction? That was like being the basketball instead of a player.

Spitting out the remaining bile in her mouth, she hissed. “Fuck.”

“Are you injured, Agent?” A sharp voice ordered.

Blinking she looked up and, oh she was getting administrative leave for this, not just desk work. “I’m fine, Ma’am.”

“There’s puke leaking onto my floor.” The exasperation was clear in Lucy’s voice.

Daisy spoke up, stupid voice changer on for the first time all day. “Flying didn’t agree with her.”

Alex glared at her sister’s girlfriend. “That was not flying, that was the impression of a hackysack.”

Daisy shrugged, her stupidly evil-looking mask staying directed toward Lucy. “A Cadmus agent by the name of Hank Henshaw, signed out eight lockers worth of C4 in Salem Oregon, two days ago.”

“Lower your weapons,” Lucy ordered the agents. “What do we know, Agent Danvers?”

Alex climbed to her feet, took the two steps to dump the…leaking ski mask into a garbage can, and dropped it. Her steps were…not entirely straight. Daisy owed her a drink for that bullshit of ‘flight’ Not important now. “Winn’s in their systems right now.”

“Of course he is, with me.” Lucy shot a look at Daisy. “You too, unless you want to be arrested.”

Alex groaned, pressing a hand to her stomach as she followed after Lucy. “We left the base standing.”

Lucy gave a sharp nod. “Quake, you have a phone on you, message the coordinates of the place to the nearest FBI office with details.”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am.” Daisy replied pulling a phone out of her belt while striding beside them, and somehow making her voice sound sarcastic even with the voice changer.

Lucy didn’t twitch, “Before you ask, Dr. Saunders is seeing to the patient Supergirl brought in forty minutes ago.”

Report into Lane, and then she could book it to the med bay. Lane would be too busy with the raids she was running across the country, and now this to reprimand her for hours. Hours she could spend ensuring her dad was ok, could see what the scans Dr. Saunders was doing showed. She was jittery with how hard she wanted to take off for medical.

Lucy brought them straight into the command center, which was bustling. Every station up and running. It was a wall of sound. Lucy barked as they entered. “Focus on your missions.” She came to a sharp halt by Winn. “Agent Schott. I hear you have some information for me.”

“Yes, I found records of a truck that Henshaw signed out on the same day as the C4. Trying to see if I can find where it went.” His nervous expression was twitchy, as he looked up at Lane.

“Smith,” Lucy turned to the agent at the next station over. “New job, start pulling up every high-risk terrorist target within two hundred miles of Salem Oregon, highlight anything with aliens, Supergirl as of particular interest. Pull junior agents from records, now.”

Kaufman from the media station hopped up from his station. “DIRECTOR!”

“What do you have?” Lane turned on her heel, her stance rigid.

“911 call just came in, armed men with guns on Tubman Street.” Kaufman was panicky. “They’re shooting people.”

Daisy moved. “Supergirl, we’re up.” And sure enough, Kara was there in less than two seconds, in the suit, and face comfortingly her own. “We’ll stop whatever that is, you know how to get ahold of Supergirl if you need either of us for Cadmus.”

“Go,” Lucy ordered.

Kara and Daisy were gone in a gust of superspeed.

And she knew what her dad would want her to do. What her instincts demanded she do, no matter how much she wanted to get to her dad. Alex grit her teeth. “Permission to get a team together to be on standby for support for Supergirl?”

Lucy’s hand gripped her bicep, “Do it, but Danvers, we’re going to be talking.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Alex held Lucy’s eyes, and then she turned to get the team ready. Her legs were steady under her now. There was work to do, the consequences were for her to worry about later.

Chapter 53

Notes:

Sup! See you all next week for the last chapter! This has been a lot of fun! Will say uh...TW for real graphic violence for this chapter.

 

Per request, the server link. https://discord.gg/DG9z4ZMZyK

Kara dropped Daisy above a group of men and then shot off into the building she could hear guns firing in. She swooped to the hall, a gust of freeze breath sending the two men with guns flying before they could break through the door they’d been trying to kick in.

The door exploded in flames, and a woman with flames coating her stepped out. She was panting. She looked at Kara. “Saving us lowly aliens today, Supergirl?”

“What?” Kara flinched at the sound of a gun going off the floor above her. She took off through the hallway floor before the woman could reply.

As she burst through the floor she grabbed the gunman, melting the muzzle of the gun with laser vision as she grabbed the man and flew back down while hanging onto him, grabbing the two the floor below, and then out into the street dropping them next to the slumped men, Daisy’d taken care of. From the sound of heartbeats, she was tranqing them. “They’re breaking into apartments.”

Daisy raised a hand stopping a car from turning down the street with a wall of vibrations. “They’re raiding alien homes.” Daisy’s hands dropped, building up vibrations beneath her only for them to cut off as the billboard, and from Kara’s ears, every screen and tv in the street, and further flickered with a new image, a voice that shouldn’t be so familiar.

The air froze in Kara’s throat as she recognized what was on the screen. “James.”

It was Cat’s office, and tied, and lined up were the staff from the entire top floor. And standing in front of the camera was Hank Henshaw. And it was him, not J’onn. Even if the cold, hard expression on his face wasn’t alien to see on J’onn’s face, his face gave way to metal plating, his left eye an artificial blue light. The skin peeling away from the metal beneath.

-”You have sixty seconds Supergirl. And then I start killing your friends.”-

Daisy grabbed her arm. “I’ve got Catco, your speed will save lives here. Stop the gunmen. I’ll save them. Trust me.”

“Ok, yeah. Stay safe.” Kara swallowed, she didn’t like this, this felt like a trap.

Daisy’s head tilted a smile on her face under the mask. “You too.” And then she was gone in a gust of air, launching herself towards Catco.

Kara took off herself, the faster she took care of the gunman here, the faster she could get to Catco.

////

Daisy crashed through the glass windows of Catco, rolling to her feet. Her gaze swept the office she was near. Twenty hostages, fortunately, Cat Grant wasn’t there, but with the camera equipment still rolling, it was definitely a public trap for Kara. Which made her cautious. Kryptonians weren’t a fucking joke. And she had to wear Kevlar because she was vulnerable.

“Quake.” Henshaw pulled down his shirt, showing a blinking red light on the metal place above his heart. “Kill switch. You shouldn’t have come.”

Ah, that was a bad sign. Which meant delay, delay, delay. “I mean you sent out a public invitation to the party.” The buzz of the vibrations around her told her he was more metal than Corben had been.

“Your people, the alien scum in this city, are dying. You should go help them. Leave.” It was an order.

Daisy stayed where she was, she didn’t like how close to the hostages he was. “Supergirl’s abilities are better at saving lives. Afraid she can’t make it for your little trap. And if being only a quarter alien makes me scum, what does being all metal make you? Like do you bleed blood or do you bleed motor oil now?”

His teeth showed as he replied. “I have a theory about you, Quake.” And that wasn’t a good sign, he wasn’t taking the bait. “I think you’re weaker than you act. The gun, all those bases you slaughtered, you barely used your powers at all. Your suit, a single bullet would drop you, wouldn’t it?”

“Great theory, why don’t you tell me what that kill switch is for.” This was about to be really, really bad.

“The killing, the gun, it's because you’re weak. A failed experiment that should have been put down like the mad dog you are. If you kill me the children’s hospital will be consumed in flame. If you don’t stop me, I’ll kill your Kryptonian girlfriend’s Earth Traitor friends.”

So that was the trap, little children or Kara’s friends. And all while unable to fight to kill. Shit. Daisy needed to delay. Kara had superspeed. She could stop the shooters, and get the C4 out of the hospital. She just had to delay, and hope that the machinery in the psychopath in front of her didn’t include super speed, cause she was fucked if he was fast. “The Children’s Hospital? Really? How’re the kids ‘Earth Traitors’, they have opinions on Fruit Loops or Captain Crunch, not galactic immigration and refugee politics. This is why Cadmus is the worst. Fucking butchers.”

“I was looking forward to seeing the Kryptonian bitch see her little friends dead. I wonder what she’ll look like when I give her your body.”

Daisy’s vibrations barely caught the weight of the attack as Henshaw slammed forward. They caught that, but she wasn’t braced for it, she went hurtling out of the room, through the wall, out the window across the other side, and out into the open air above the street.

Twisting in the air she managed to orient herself before crashing through a window of the building across the street.

Ok, so he was fast. And strong. Great.

Hopping back onto her feet she took off at a sprint before launching herself out through the window and back for Catco.

She hurtled back through the hole her body had just made and slammed into Henshaw.

He went shooting out of the room.

Daisy was really hoping he was sturdy enough to survive that. Shit. She turned to the hostages, yanking her knife out of her belt and slicing James’ zip ties, and shoving the knife into his hands. “Call 911, tell them to evacuate as many blocks as they can. All of you need to run. Now. Don’t hide, run. Tell Supergirl the hospital is where the missing C4 is. I’ll stall.”

“Quake-”

“Now!” She was barely braced as Henshaw slammed into her, both of them crashing through the wall, her vibrations barely blocking as he threw heavy punch after heavy punch at her.

////

Kara’s instincts screamed to get to her mate. But that wasn’t what had to happen. First the shooters, then the hospital. She dropped off another shooter into the pile of unconscious and handcuffed men. The patrol cars were helpful for grabbing them as she found them.

“Supergirl!” It was the flaming alien from earlier. “Get me a block over, I’ll help with these bastards.”

She didn’t question it, Kara just hooked the woman and shot them off for the building, dropping the woman off two blocks over, and then shot toward the gunfire she could hear a building over.

The shooter came flying out of the third-story window.

Kara grabbed the shooter, looking up as the bartender, M’gann came jumping out after. As M’gann hit the air, her body glowed red as she transformed into a great, terrifying white shape.

White Martian.

“You’re helping?” Kara hoped she was at least.

M’gann landed on the street below, not reacting to the cries of fear from pedestrians as they saw her. “I’ll help.”

A burst of heat vision shot the gun out of a man on the roof’s hands who’d been aiming at the street.

“Go, I’ve got this street.” M’gann shot up for the roof.

Hopefully, the shooters mostly survived a pissed-off White Martian.

Kara banked and shot for the nearest patrol car to drop the shooter in her grip at so she could get to the next one. They were spread out. Because it would keep Daisy busy. But it wasn’t Daisy here, it was her, and she needed to get to Daisy, Fast. Hospital first.

////

Daisy sucked in air as she rolled onto her back. Air was good. She was missing air. Choking she crossed her arms, a vibrational wave slamming away from her. The weight of how much power Henshaw had behind him shoved her, a solid foot further into the small crater she was already in.

She was getting real tired of being used to make craters.

A hand grabbed the front of her suit, and then she was being thrown, again.

Daisy twisted in mid-air, and she saw it, Henshaw was going for the civilians, not her. Her teeth clenched, he was done trying to punch through vibrations then. Fuck.

Her feet didn’t even hit the ground as she used vibrations to brace, and sent herself hurtling between Henshaw and the civilians who’d ducked behind a cement bench. It hurt to know what was coming when she couldn’t block fully. Not that she had time to worry about that.

The laser beam from Hank hit her in the back.

Daisy screamed even as she twisted, catching the beam and stopping it from cutting into her. Panting she planted her feet, using one hand to keep the beam away from them. Ignoring the feeling of fire on her back, she swung her head around to the civilians. “Run!”

The pressure from the single laser beam cut off suddenly.

Daisy didn’t manage to fully block the strike that hit her in the chest.

Something cracked.

And then as she hit the ground.

A fist slammed into her face. And another, and another.

Daisy bucked, to try and dislodge Henshaw. He was straddling her as he wailed on her.

Why was she alive?

She managed to grab one of his wrists, and then jerk to the side, and bucked, twisting as she did so, sending him off of her. She couldn’t risk seriously hurting him.

He grabbed the arm that had him and yanked her, his other hand grabbing her by the back of the neck and smashing her through the concrete bench the civilians had just been behind.

She barely got enough vibrations to keep from dying. Choking on her own blood, she flailed, trying to get momentum, but he was dragging her, her feet scrabbling on the ground. And then she was flipping through the air before hitting the ground, flat on her back, again.

Blinking blood out of her eyes she realized what was about to happen right before it did.

Hank swung the rebar from the cement down in an arch.

She couldn’t react fast enough.

It went straight through her thigh.

Her teeth slammed shut to keep from screaming.

Because that’s why she was alive. He wanted it to hurt. And he wanted something from her, or from Kara. Daisy’d give it to him over her dead body.

////

James came to a screeching stop as he led the other hostages out of the skyscraper. It’d been ten minutes, getting everyone zip-ties cut, and then down forty flights of stairs, especially with Kevin having a broken leg and needing help had taken time. But it’d just been ten minutes.

The courtyard was hell.

Craters, smashed cement, overturned cars, running and screaming people, downed poles, the flashing lights of two police patrol cars that had arrived. But one was flipped upside down, the officers trying to climb out. And Henshaw was standing in the middle of it. At his feet the slumped lump that had to be Quake.

James threw his arm out, to stop the others from going out the front door. But it was too late, Henshaw had spotted them. He straightened, Cat Grant wasn’t here, it left him as who was in charge. “You won’t get away with this.”

“James Olsen, Superman’s personal photographer. How does it feel to know you don’t matter enough to Supergirl to even show up?” He stalked forward. Not even bothering with super speed, because why should he?

And he was probably about to die. Kara would save the children at the hospital. He had to believe that. Because it was the right thing to do. “She’s a hero, my life isn’t worth letting that bomb at the hospital off. I’d tell her to save the hospital.”

Henshaw stepped over a slab of rubble. “An Earth Traitor to the end.”

There was a whoosh, the ground bucked under their feet. The glass walls of the Catco foyer shattered. His teeth ached in his head, a pressure in the air, a violent *buzz* against his skin…under it. James’ attention left Henshaw, just like everyone else’s. Because Quake, was getting back up. His mouth went dry because she shouldn’t be able to do that.

Quake’s movements were slow and pained, but she managed to push herself up. Her left arm was bent wrong, rebar straight through her right thigh. As she got to her feet it was…she looked horrific. Dust, dirt, and blood clung to every bit of her. Head wounds bled but…her face was a mess. Several pieces of her shattered face mask were embedded in her face. Her nose was definitely broken, and between the blood and bruising it likely didn’t matter her mask was gone. She spat out a glob that was almost certainly a tooth. And her voice came out, rough, and so painfully human. “Henshaw, we’re not done.”

“These people mean nothing to you?” Henshaw was looking at her in genuine confusion.

“Yeah, and? They’re still people you sick fuck.” Quake reached out grabbing her bent arm.

They realized what she was about to do half a second before she did. It was nauseating as she snapped her arm straight. The snap of it was audible.

Quake’s bloody lips pulled into a vicious grin. “I’ll give it to you, this, is the worst kind of fight possible for me. This goes on much longer, I’ll admit, you’ll kill me. But you’re going to have to work for it first, Coward.”

“Coward!? I’m not a coward. I’m Cyborg Superman!” Henshaw had taken a step toward her and away from James and the others.

It’d have been a laugh if the woman wasn’t clearly in agony, and barely standing on her singular leg that could take weight. “Yes, you are. A sad. pathetic. little man.” She reached up pulling the pieces of broken mask out of her face. She kept talking, horrible rasp still to her voice. “You saw something different, and decided killing it would make you less scared. And guess what, you’ll never stop being the scared little man, making your fear bleed the people you say you give a shit about.”

The air around Quake lit up as a laser beam exploded a few feet in front of her. Her vicious smile grew as she waved her arm that she should not be able to move. “Look around, Coward. You’re a failure.”

Henshaw vanished he moved so fast. The crack of him slamming into the vibrating invisible shield around Quake. And her eyes…had closed, but her jaw was tensed.

James swallowed, it was their one chance. He turned to the others. “Come on, run.” He had to get them out of here. Quake wouldn’t last long, and they needed to be out of sight by then. He looked back at the fight, gritting his teeth, his hands fisting in frustration.

////

Daisy lay in the crater staring up at the sky, the last of her strength fading. Blood loss was a bitch. Her whole body was nearly numb from the horror of the demented cyborg beating the shit out of her. It was agony to even breathe as she lay there, alone. That was a bad sign. She blinked up at the windowless skyscrapers rising up into the sky. She might be losing this fight, but she’d won the war, and…she could accept that.

It was funny, this crater was only a foot or two deep. The lack of gravitonium really limited the crater-making. Or maybe she’d just gotten better at using vibrations to absorb the impact? Felt a little full circle, that she was about to die here. Not this fucking second though. She could buy more time. Probably. Sitting up, she blinked the stickiness out of her eyes. Not blood if she didn’t admit it was. And fuck, Henshaw was going to chuck a car at random civilians. She raised her hand, just barely catching the car.

It hit the ground, harmlessly, to the people not the car, a second later.

She grabbed the arm. “Shit.”

Daisy blearily kept her eye on Henshaw as he came marching toward her.

“Why won’t you just die!?” He snarled as he strode for her.

Oh, this was going to suck.

She spat out another tooth. “I never liked doing what I was told.” Daisy’s arm gave out, refusing to let her get up from sitting to standing. Shit. Kara didn’t deserve this.

“I’m going to tear you apart, Alien Scum.” Henshaw snarled.

Daisy managed to use vibrations to lift herself up onto her feet. “Better scum than a weak little psychopath.” This hit was going to fucking hurt. She wished there weren’t any cameras out, Kara didn’t need to see this.

He slammed into her.

Vibrations kept his deadly hands from ripping her apart as he’d promised.

The force still slammed her, back first, into the crater she’d just managed to stand up in. Air was driven from her lungs as the only thing she could focus on was making a cacoon of vibrations around herself. Shit was fracturing as she hung on. But fuck accepting this.

And then the weight was gone.

Gasping, she dropped the vibrations and…oh that was bad.

James Olsen was standing there, a piece of rebar with cement sticking to it in places in hand. A piece of rebar he’d just slammed into Henshaw’s head hard enough to bend the metal. “Leave. Her. Alone.”

He was going to get killed, but she’d gotten some fucking air in, and Henshaw was too close.

Daisy hooked Henshaw’s foot with her own and swept it out from under him while hitting James with a gust of vibrations. Give the honorable idiot a chance to run.

Henshaw hit the ground, and it was grappling. Grappling she could barely use vibrations in. And Henshaw hadn’t ended up director of the DEO on accident. It was a mess, and then he grabbed the bar through her leg, and twisted it.

The scream, gurgled in her throat as she bit it back, her vision whiting out from pain. And then her air, her throat was cut off. Henshaw’s hand was like iron as his metal bones squeezed her throat shut. She struggled, legs, kicking uselessly, shoving down her vibrations as they cracked the ground. She couldn’t kill him. Her eyes focused for a brief second on him. He was looking down at her with hate so intense it burned, his laser eye lighting up. It was going to pierce her skull.

Boom.

Daisy rolled onto her side retching. The world around her erupted into glowing light so white it was blue, blurs of color.

Chapter 54

Notes:

Hey! Thank you guys for all the comments and kudos and just for being along the ride that has been this fic! I appreciate you all so much! Hope to see you all on future projects!

Kara panted, ice frosting the air just past her lips. Her eyes burning still with heat vision as she stood there, planted, as she realized Henshaw was finished. He was on the ground, smoke curling from where her heat vision had cut through his skull. It was done. Daisy. She spun and shot for Daisy. “No, no, no, no, no, no.” She hit her knees next to Daisy, her hands uselessly hesitating, there wasn’t anywhere that looked safe to touch. “Da- Quake, oh no, no, no, no.”

Daisy wheezed, eyes cracking open. “Sup.”

“Oh Rao,” Kara reached out brushing the synthetic purple hair out of Daisy’s bloody face, her hand fluttering over the horrifying rebar through her leg.

“C4 out of the hospital?” Daisy asked before coughing, which left her spasming in pain.

Kara tried to figure out how to pick up her mate and get her to the hospital. “Yes, and the shooters going after the aliens. It’s done.”

Daisy’s eyes closed as she slumped against the ground. “Thank fuck.”

“Supergirl!” James came skidding to her, ripping the belt off from around his waist. “The bleeding, we need to stop it.”

“Her leg!” Kara took the belt, wrapping it above where the rebar was, and then synched.

Daisy hissed, her body tensing, but she didn’t fight it.

James fell to his knees on Daisy’s other side. “We need to get her to a hospital.”

“No hospital, I’ll heal.” Daisy didn’t even react as James yanked off his button-up and started trying to wipe blood off of her.

Kara ignored Daisy’s ‘I’ll heal’ as well. She looked at James. “Her ribs are broken, do we try and get her on a board so I can fly her out without injuring her more?”

James grimaced, careless of the blood smears he was getting on his undershirt as he gave up on getting the blood off, and just used his top shirt to make a makeshift sling, hooking it around Daisy’s very broken arm. “Get her to someone who can help her, speed is better. I’ll handle things here till the DEO can arrive for clean-up. He met her eyes. “Go.”

“Thank you.” And then she had Daisy in her arms and was launching them off. The pain Daisy was trying not to show, but that it was causing was sharply terrible. But she wasn’t the one feeling it.

Kara didn’t hit a sonic boom this time, it wasn’t safe. But she knew exactly where she was going. Because the human hospitals were out, the DEO was definitely out, which left Markus from the bar. She landed on his tiny balcony, opened and was through the single pane glass into the apartment. “Help!”

There was a strangled battle cry as the man came out of the kitchen with a baseball bat only to come skidding to a halt. “Supergirl? Oh, gods.” He dropped the bat.

“Can you help?” Kara would have to risk the public hospital if he couldn’t. The DEO was out while Daisy was weakened like this. “Please.”

“Get her on the table.” He moved to the closet and started pulling out boxes. “Marcie! I need towels and hot water!”

Kara carefully set Daisy on the table, Daisy’s not broken arm kept a grip on her cape, leaving her sitting. “You need to lie down.”

Daisy winced. “No, you’ll need to get my clothing off.” There was a faint whistle in her breathing. “I think it’s melted into my back.”

“Ok, I’m going to get your wig off.” Because it was something she could do. And Kara needed to do something. She was careful as she unpinned the bobby pins, dropping them as soon as she got them out. Her stomach rolled as she realized several of them were bent, one even slightly stuck in Daisy’s scalp. But she got them out. She pulled the synthetic purple off. “There you go, what next?”

Daisy’s eyes were closed, her breathing careful in the way that said she was trying very hard to stay conscious and aware. “Gauntlets.”

Kara carefully unlatched them, pulling them off, and the tremble in Daisy’s fingers was alarming. She was delicate like Daisy was spun glass, as she slid them off. Asking was awful, Daisy was focusing on breathing. So Kara just reached down, getting the utility belt unhooked and off. Reaching up she got the top of the zipper and got it down. But…if it was really melted into her back… She looked over to where Markus was. “Do you have a knife?”

“Kitchen.” Markus replied as he grabbed a side table and dragged it over to them.

Kara zipped into the kitchen avoiding where Marcie was getting water heating and back before Daisy could tip over. “Why didn’t you just break his limbs or something?”

Daisy choked on a laugh. “He was a robot.” She took a rattly breath, and something was really wrong with her chest. “Didn’t know what’d trigger the shit in his chest. Couldn’t risk it.”

And…Kara pressed a kiss to the top of Daisy’s head. “I’m going to cut your jacket off of you.”

“Is the rebar the worst?” Markus asked as he grabbed something that was likely a scanner of some sort.

Kara grimaced as the knife didn’t work, barehand tearing it was. She got the sleeve detached. “I think her ribs are broken.”

Daisy winced. “Ribs are def fucked.” She managed to adjust to look at Markus. “I can grow back organs. You just have to patch me up.” Her breathing rattled.

“This will be easier if you’re unconscious.” Markus stayed a foot away, holding a syringe.

Kara carefully touched Daisy, meeting her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know, I trust you.” Daisy leaned against her. “Do it.”

Markus didn’t hesitate, he stepped forward and stabbed the syringe in. “Don’t let her slide off.”

Kara would never let that happen. “How can I help?”

////

Lucy stepped into the Oval Office, her uniform crisp and fresh. A thing she was pleased she’d thought to have an agent meet her at the airport with it. And she knew she’d been right to pull every string to come here in person. The office was chaotic, with screens on, interns and assistants running with paper, military advisors, tense security offices, and sitting in the center of the storm was the new president.

Olivia Marsdin looked up from where she was seated, reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. “Director Lane, I believe I ordered you to appear for a video conference three hours ago.”

“Apologies, Madam President.” Lucy came to a smart halt before the other woman. “But it’s imperative we have this discussion in person.”

Marsdin pulled her reading glasses off of her nose. “Ah, another military mind who thinks they have the solution to all the world’s problems.” She waved off an assistant. “What is your suggestion then, maybe you want me to increase your funding so you can better stop the alien threat?”

Lucy could feel the eyes in this office on her. “Hope. You give them hope.”

There were several scoffs, a few men even started to speak, but Marsdin raised her hand, her expression far more interested. “And how do you suggest I do that?”

“Denounce Cadmus, denounce the hate and violence, and let the full weight of the law fall on them.” Lucy didn’t twitch, this was going to go over like a rock with most of the people in this room. “Announce the existence of the DEO and that we are here to protect them from extraterrestrial threats, sign Alien Amnesty, and pardon Quake.”

There was laughter, some outraged, but Marsdin stayed silent watching her. Finally, she cleared her throat. “You have my attention, convince me.”

“You can’t be serious, this is ridiculous.” Admiral McNally cut in.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Admiral. Director Lane, you have the floor.” Marsdin leaned back in her seat, watching with bright eyes.

Lucy’s spine straightened. “I’m the daughter of a General, Ma’am. I followed him into the Army. I know war, and I am telling you this is your one chance to truly make a serious change. You haven’t been president for an entire year yet, you can lay all of this on your predecessors. Cadmus has been a threat to national security since its inception. It's killed civilians, stopped nothing, achieved nothing except for weapons so horrific you might as well hand the election to whoever gets the nomination against you. They’re radioactive, and they’re done.” She pulled out and passed off the folder and handed it to an assistant. “As you’re aware, the DEO has been cleaning up Cadmus bases that Quake hasn’t rooted out.”

“And Cadmus being brought down means I should do as you suggest?” Marsdin was interested though.

“Yes. They are going to keep finding mass graves, Quake’s passed everything she got off their servers to various reporters. It will come out. All of it. If you use this to distance yourself, to reject everything about it, you can show them the way. Give them hope that things will be better. That they can be better. Show them a light at the end of the tunnel. The DEO to confirm you care about their safety, Alien Amnesty to give them a promise of a better future.”

Marsdin folded her glasses, setting them aside. “And pardoning Quake?”

“I hired her to protect Supergirl. I wasn’t expecting this.” Lucy stayed still at the explosion of noise from that. In the broadest sense, it wasn’t even a lie. Surveillance wasn’t protection, but she’d make that lie because they needed Supergirl. And Kryptonian or not someone was going to succeed in killing Kara eventually. Kara needed someone capable of protecting her, and Daisy was effective, principled, and would play ball.

Marsdin stood up, “Enough.” She waited for silence, her gaze staying on Lucy. “You want me to go out there, and tell the people there is hope, the monsters will be prosecuted, the future is bright, and tell everyone to lay down the torches and pitchforks. Civil rights and government protection from aliens. Not quite the brand of hope the Girl of Steel sells?”

“Supergirl inspires us to be better. She is a symbol, and she asks us to offer out hope, help, and compassion for all. A government cannot function with that alone. But we can take a step in that direction.” Lucy stayed completely straight as Marsdin stepped closer.

Marsdin didn’t stop till she was just at the edge of Lucy’s personal space. “You believe that, don’t you?”

“Yes, Madam President.”

“If I say no, what then?” Marsdin asked.

Lucy breathed in. “Then respectfully, I’ll resign my commission, Ma’am.” Because she would not enact abominations for this president. “I’ve served this country, my entire adult life. I have done so without question. But I cannot, I will not continue to serve without question. I have to believe we are better than that.” There was something terrifying but freeing in saying that. “Your orders, Ma’am?”

////

Kara sat in the rickety kitchen chair, her head resting on her arms next to Daisy. Daisy who was still out on the kitchen table in Markus’s apartment. She would be holding Daisy’s hand, but both her hands were broken. Because the snapped upper arm was just the start of the broken bones.

“Do you want some juice, Lady El?” Marcie asked.

She lifted her head, looking up at Markus’s mate. “I couldn’t…”

Marcie set the already-poured orange juice next to her. “Yes, you can.”

“Thank you, sorry for bursting in here on you and just…that was rude of me. I didn’t know where else to go.” Kara sat up, her fingers stayed touching Daisy’s shoulder just slightly.

Marcie’s face had that soft ‘mom’ look on it. “Most of the people who come here come in need, desperate and unsure of where else to go. And we help them, and sometimes they help us. You, your mate, you’ve already helped. My husband doesn’t usually wander our home with a baseball bat but with the shootings, we were afraid.”

Kara looked at the home, and there was a dresser in front of the front door, the drawn blinds. “Oh. I…”

“Were afraid for your mate.” Marcie’s tone was kind as she sat down in another one of the rickety chairs. “And you two being in our home has made our children’s year, even if they know better than to come out when we’re treating the injured.”

Kara smiled, she’d noticed the big eyes peeking out before being shooed back into their room. “I didn’t know, about all this, the community before Daisy.”

Marcie sipped from her own juice. “You were human-raised, yes?”

“Yes,” Kara looked away from Marcie back to Daisy’s face. It was a very swollen and bruised face, even with the cuts healed up. “I don’t know what I’d have done without them.”

“You were very fortunate.” Marcie hummed. “Drink your juice, your mate wouldn’t forgive us if you pass out from low blood sugar.”

 

Kara realized when Daisy was waking up before she moved, the change in heartbeat had her on her feet and carefully touching Daisy’s less damaged cheek. “Hey, hey, you’re ok, I’m here.”

“Ow?” Daisy’s eyes opened enough for her to squint.

“Don’t get up, you’re really hurt.” Kara laid a hand on Daisy’s shoulder.

Daisy winced, “Remind me, fighting Kryptonians with a hand tied behind my back, sucks. Bad.”

“Really? You can’t even open your eyes all the way from swelling.” Kara could breathe easily for the first time in hours though.

“No organs to regrow, had worse…probably. How bad is it?” Daisy hissed as she sat up.

Kara carefully supported her back. “We had to peel some of the skin off of your back.”

Daisy looked at the cast on her left arm that went to the elbow, the one on the right warm went to her shoulder. “Huh.”

Markus came bustling in. “You’re just lucky I could regrow it, the internal damage was harder to treat.” he clucked his tongue. “Please don’t remove the casts without checking with me, please.”

“She’ll check in with you.” Kara said because she’d ensure Daisy did. “Is it safe to take her home?”

Daisy made a slightly grumbling sound.

None of them paid attention to it.

Markus smiled, his mustache twitching. “I’ve written up a list of care instructions. But yes, and go easy with the vibrations.”

“Got that,” Daisy winced. “I’m guessing you have a list of injuries?”

“You’re lucky you are from two of the sturdier races.” Markus passed Kara a folded sheet. “If you need anything else, you know how to get ahold of me.” He paused glancing at the oversized sweatpants and tank top they’d gotten Daisy into. “If I could get the clothing back eventually, I would appreciate that.”

Daisy spoke up while Kara nodded. “I’ll pay you back for this, I promise.”

“I know you will,” He smiled. “You certainly did for the children you placed under your care.”

Kara looked at Daisy, because of course, she’d paid for the medical care the kids had gotten. Just…of course she did. Her voice was unfairly soft. She had to force herself to look back at the doctor. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Daisy shifted on the table. “No one is going to let me try and walk out, are they?”

“No.”

 

Kara pulled on one of Daisy’s growing collection of fuzzy sweaters, while she waited for the water to boil. It felt like she could breathe for the first time in hours. But the antsy desperate anxiety wouldn’t go away. It felt like there was more she should be doing. Was this what Alex felt like every time she ended up waking up on the solar bed? It was just…everything had been crazy and she didn’t know what to do about it. It felt like there was more to do. But doing more would mean leaving Daisy. So short of lives on the line, it wasn’t happening.

She’d barely managed to bring herself to peel out of the suit and dump it in Daisy’s washing machine, as well as all of Daisy’s laundry. The fact Daisy hadn’t teased her about it was alarming. But then…Daisy’d been quiet since she’d gotten her home. It was a relief when the kettle whistled.

Superspeed meant she got to it instantly. Grabbing it off the stovetop, she turned off the burner and poured the boiling water into the two mugs of hot chocolate she’d set aside. A spoon, and possibly more speed than was smart, and she barely kept from darting to the couch where she’d settled Daisy. But that left her hovering, awkwardly with two mugs of hot chocolate and the sudden realization Daisy didn’t have a functional hand to hold a mug with.

“Kara, you can sit down.” Daisy sounded tired, but not unkind. There was a kind of faint bemusement to her tone, for all it was kind of an order.

Kara sat down next to her girlfriend. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think you can’t really hold the mug, and it’s hot so I can’t get a straw, but even with a straw you still wouldn’t be able to hold it and-”

“Kara, I’m fine.” Daisy bumped her slightly with her cast. “You did it, your dad is safe at the DEO, attack on the alien neighborhood stopped, C4 out of the hospital, Henshaw’s dead, and my left arm will be healed enough for a splint instead of a cast by morning. You did good. You can just drink your hot chocolate and take a breath, ok?”

“It just…” Kara didn’t know how to express it.

“It’s been a lot. Crazy stressful, nightmare-inducing day from hell.” Daisy said like it was that simple. Daisy turned, slightly. “What’s going on?”

Kara set both mugs on the table and turned to face Daisy. “I could hear it, what Henshaw was doing to you. And there were just more men with guns and more explosives to find in the hospital and I couldn’t get to you. And you were only here because of me.”

Daisy frowned slightly, “What do you mean?”

“When you knocked on my door, all you wanted was to rest. To not be a soldier anymore. You were tired. But I pulled you in, and now you’re a public hero everyone thinks is a villain. I asked for help with Cadmus, knowing you wanted out, and you’ve been doing nothing but help ever since.” Her gut was twisted on itself. “And you almost died.”

“I said yes, and someone needed to do it? It's not a big deal, I’d have ended up doing it anyway without you asking?” Daisy sounded confused. Which was…the confusion was the problem.

Kara laid her hand on Daisy’s cast, and just… “You accepted a declaration of war because you were already fighting it. But…you didn’t want to fight. You wanted an apartment, learn how to cook, and to be…normal for a while. To just exist and I…dragged you right into the thing you were trying to leave, another war. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Daisy was quiet, clearly considering her reply. “Camping, probably a good idea.”

“...what?” Kara frowned that was…what?

Daisy sighed, “I might be really bad at not being an agent. But I like the life I’ve built here. You included. So you had a point with the camping. But Kara, I wouldn’t change what I’ve done. Any of it. And I do have an apartment, and can kinda cook now. So two out of three.”

“I don’t want you to die for me. Or you to think I’m asking that of you ever.” Kara had been so excited for a superhero partner, and then Daisy’d just been amazing, and she’d lost sight of it.

“I know, and I knew you were coming.” Daisy smiled. “And I was right.” She nudged her. “I could probably be a bit less intense though.”

Kara reached out, brushing some of Daisy’s hair behind one ear. “Maybe less guns and hunting bad guys?”

Daisy leaned into the touch. “I can do that.” She shifted slightly, “Come on, drink your hot chocolate and let the adrenaline high fade a bit.”

She shifted so they were sitting together, sides pressed together, and picked up one of the mugs of hot chocolate. “Do you want yours?”

“Can we just…sit here?” Daisy asked quietly.

Kara didn’t care they were sitting on a couch facing a tv that wasn’t on, at two am in the morning. “As long as you want.” She wasn’t going anywhere.

And, Kara was startled at the feeling as Daisy leaned her head against her shoulder with a nearly silent sigh of contentment. It was…oh…Kara just hummed, the feeling of warmth from her mug reaching her for the first time tonight. The heat from Daisy against her side and shoulder. Her eyes naturally fluttered shut as she let her cheek press against the top of her mate’s head. It was going to be alright.

////

The Oval Office of the United States of America was a distinct location. The gold curtains, antique wooden table, and desk, the familiar flags behind each should of the president sitting before their desk. And on every camera sat President Oliva Marsdin, her hands folded before her in that room. “Good Morning, my fellow Americans. I come to you today after the events of these last weeks of pain, cruelty, and fear, with a message of hope.”