Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The rumours on Miss Luthor renaming her company have gone around for weeks, but nobody found anything solid. Miss Grant needs the exclusive! But LuthorCorp has closed its ranks. Nobody is talking. Miss Grant however knows something about Miss Luthor. She knows something nobody else does. 

Back when she was just Perry White’s assistant writing for the gossip column, when Lena Luthor wasn’t so popular and Lex Luthor hadn’t gone completely insane, she found the scoop that could have made her carrier. 

She always hung out around high class clubs in hopes of finding a scoop. Always bringing her camera, always taking pictures of people that looked suspiciously well dressed. One day she got lucky. 

She ran into a raven-haired girl. The girl was only about 16 years old. She couldn’t place her, but she knew she had seen her before. Not in the forefront, but somewhere in the back. So, Miss Grant stuck around, hiding in the shadow of the allay. Her patience was rewarded not soon after. A tall blond girl about two years older showed up carrying drinks. They started to talk, but soon talking turned into kissing and kissing turned into the younger one pressed against a wall, a hand wandering up her skirt. 

Miss Grant made good use of her camera. The next day she received a call from Lex Luthor. But Miss Grant wasn’t stupid. Realising who she took pictures of, she made sure to make a good deal. That scoop could have launched her career, but Miss Grant wanted more. She wanted an empire. Turns out the money the Luthors paid her would soon become the first building block of CatCo Worldwide Media. 

Chapter Text

Breaking news:

“Plane miraculously saved!”

“Just minutes ago, flight 237 to Geneva suffered a total engine failure. The plane was circling the city. While everyone feared the worst, the plane was somehow saved and landed on the Hudson river. How remains unknown for now. The passengers are being evacuated as we speak. The FBI arrived at the scene only minutes after the landing and has blocked off the entire area. There is no further information as to what caused the engine failure, but everyone is taking a breath in relief and thanking whatever forces out there that this incident ended without loss of life.”

“Kiera! Kiera! Kiera! Get me a lettuce wrap. And what is that sound? Get rid of it! I need to work. There is an investigation I need to conclude.” 

“Yes, yes Miss Grant!” Kara clutches her notepad in her hand. She hurries out, calling maintenance on the way. Ten minutes later, she comes back bringing Miss Grant her lettuce wrap and a green smoothie. She hands Miss Grant her tablets and a glass of water. 

“Thank you. No go back to your desk. I need to work. And sent the new reporter, Jack, in.” 

“Yes, of course.”

That evening, Alex - Kara’s sister - waits for her at her apartment. 

“You could have exposed yourself! What if somebody finds out you saved that plane? What if the public finds out who you are?” Alex paces the length of Kara’s apartment, her voice sounding increasingly enraged and worried. 

“What was I supposed to do? Let you die!? I was careful. Nobody knows who I am, and nobody saw me close up.” Alex sighs. 

“I guess it’s time then. Come with me.” Alex leads her to an office building not far from their apartments. Upon entry, she flashes a badge. They are greeted by a grumpy looking black man. 

“If it isn’t Agent Danvers and her alien sister!” 

“Director Henshaw. This is my sister, Kara.” 

“This organisation’s aim is to keep the public in the dark about alien life, not about flying women saving planes,” he grunts at Kara. 

“Please, hear me out. Kara is just as strong and powerful as Superman. She could aid us in certain situations. I don’t want her flying around either, but she can help people. She could join us. Help us from the shadows. If that is something she would want,” Alex finishes, turning to Kara. 

“Fine, give her a tour. We could use her help. She has to go through training though, just as everyone else. And she is to maintain her position at CatCo. We don’t need to raise any suspicions.” 

Alex grabs Kara’s hand, pulling her sister along who up to that point has been standing slack-jawed, completely surprised and confused by what she is witnessing. 

“Come on. I’ll show you around and tell you everything.”

And this is how Kara’s training at the DEO starts. During the day, she is still Cat Grant’s assistant. But during the late and early hours, she trains with her adoptive sister for any possibility. While the DEO does not want her to expose herself to the public, she still sometimes sneaks out to save people. She makes sure she is a blur, a ghost who comes and goes. Rumours about a blond flying woman in black saving people from car wrecks or falling off buildings start to spread. 

Rumours that especially Cat Grant is interested in. Unfortunately, there is not a single clear picture, only eye witnesses who aren’t even sure what they saw. Her DEO co-workers give her the nickname: Supergirl. 

Chapter Text

About a year later, Kara finally finishes her training and is allowed to go on her own missions. She is enjoying potstickers and pizza with Susan, Lucy, and Alex. Lucy is a lawyer working at the pentagon and also the DEO’s consultant for legal matters. Susan, also known as Agent Vasquez, spent many hours teaching her how to stay in the shadows, moving in and out before anyone notices. They became close friends to both the Danvers sisters as they always have each others’ backs. They are joking about the untruthfulness of the latest action movie when their attention shifts to the news report on the radio. 

“We just received news that there was an explosion on board the Venture. We can only hope that Superman is hearing this.”

Kara is out the room and dressed in her standard black suit before Alex can blink. She comes back, but Alex stops her. 

“You can’t do that in brought daylight. I’m sure Superman is already on his way,” Alex reminds her. 

“I know it’s risky, but Kal can’t save the Venture on his own. It’s too big for one person. It has to be both of us. I’ll only go to the back and be out there as soon as it’s on the ground.”

By the time Kara arrives, her cousin is already there. She heads to the back and blows out the fire while grabbing the back of the Venture, turning it to a landing position. They land the Venture in a field, and Kara only winks to Kal quickly before she takes off. Superman gets all the credit, but at the end of the day, she doesn’t care as long as everyone is safe.

The next day coming into CatCo, Kara finds Cat Grant standing in front of her desk holding a box with all of Kara’s belongings. A mousy blond rushes away from her mumbling something about coffee. Kara tails after Miss Grant who is walking to the empty desk next to Jack and placing her belongings onto it. 

“Jack is your new partner. Your first job as a reporter is to interview Miss Luthor on the Venture and find out why she wasn’t on board. And get me something good, Kara!” With that, Miss Grant leaves a stunned Kara behind. 

The joy of finally being promoted fades the next moment as she realises her assignment. “Miss Luthor?! As in we have to interview Lex’s little sister?” Kara asks Jack, a crinkle on her forehead. 

“Yeah, you got a problem with that?!” he asks back. 

“No! No! I’m good.”

That’s the day Miss Danvers walks into Lena Luthor’s office for the first time. She lets Jack take the lead, which he does anyway. He marches into Miss Luthor's office with full confidence. Ensuring her disguise, Kara makes herself a little smaller than usual. She adjusts  her glasses while entering and falling behind Jack. The last thing she needs is a Luthor to figure out that she is the mysterious flying woman. 

“Jack Williams! What brings you here? I heard you moved to CatCo?” Miss Luthor greets him, faking a smile. 

“Yes. I am here for CatCo. I’m researching the Venture explosion. You had a seat booked, but you never showed up. Why is that?” Using the moment, Kara takes in the bright shining office with a wall of windows behind the main desk. A white couch sits with a glass coffee table on the left and small bar and safe on the right.

“What you mean to ask is if I had anything to do with the Venture explosion. You wouldn’t be asking me if my name was Smith.” Miss Luthor’s bare tone interrupts Kara’s train of thought.

“But it’s not!” He counters. 

“There is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why I wasn’t on the Venture. There was an emergency with the renaming ceremony for my company tomorrow. I’m here for a fresh start. Let me have one.” Kara’s interest perks up as she catches the words renaming and fresh start. 

“You’re renaming LuthorCorp?” someone squeals from behind Mr. Williams.

This is the first time Miss Luthor notices the blond woman practically hiding behind Jack. 

“And you are?” Miss Luthor asks, quirking an eyebrow. She offers her a hand. The woman carefully steps up, adjusting her glasses. 

“Kara, … Kara Danvers.” She shakes Miss Luthor’s hand with a feather light touch. Finding it hard not to notice how beautiful Miss Danvers is, Miss Luthor makes a note to tell her to get rid off those silly glasses if she ever gets the chance. 

Miss Luthor looks the blond straight in the eyes, but she immediately averts her gaze. 

“Well, Miss Danvers. Like I said, I want to make a fresh start in a new city. My brother hurt a lot of innocent people, and nothing will ever make up for that. But if I can use this company for good, if I can change people’s perspective, maybe I can have a life outside my family name. Hopefully renaming LuthorCorp can be a start for that. Can you understand that?” Miss Luthor asks her earnestly. 

“Yeah.” she hears Kara not much more than breathe. 

“Do you have any more questions?” Miss Luthor asks her. Miss Danvers blinks like a deer in the headlights, racking her brain for an intelligent sounding question.

“What do you plan on doing after renaming the company? Do you have any plans for what direction you want to pursue? What fields do you want to work in?” Kara asks, now with a bit more confidence in her voice. 

The Luthor smiles at her and happily answers the question. “Well, I personally was always interested in quantum physics and bioengineering. So, this will be my first focus, but I also want to do more research into clean energy. LuthorCorp already has a huge IT department, which I will continue as it is. Smartphones and computers are a huge part of our lives nowadays.” 

Miss Danvers rumbles through her bag and takes out a notepad, writing down the answer she got. “Mmm, do you have any concrete projects in mind?” she asks after a few moments. 

“Come to my press conference tomorrow, and you’ll find out,” Miss Luthor answers, quirking an eyebrow at her. 

“Sure,” Miss Danvers mumbles, looking at her noteboolk.. 

“Thanks, Miss Luthor. That is all. Good day,” Jack replies cutting their conversation short. He leaves without waiting for Miss Danvers. 

“Good day,” Miss Danvers echoes and follows him. 

Lena sits back in her chair, relaxing a bit. That went better than she expected. She is intrigued by the blond woman. Who is she? She has never seen or heard from her. Is she a reporter? Maybe a rookie? That would explain why she followed Jack Williams from the Daily Planet, now CatCo, around like a dog. Nevertheless, she has to get back to her work. 

Jack playfully punches her in the arm. “Lena Luthor likes you!” He smirks. 

“No! She doesn’t. She doesn’t even know me!” Kara answers, somewhat embarrassed. 

“Yes! She does! She never answered any of my questions so enthusiastically or let me ask even more. Who would have known? The cold CEO has a soft spot for shy blonds.” he replies with an even deeper smirk now. Kara pushes him back slightly, making sure not to use too much of her strength. 

Miss Luthor’s eyes wander around the reporters while she walks on stage. Somehow, she hopes to see the blond with ridiculously large glasses amongst the reporters. She doesn’t find her, which is disappointing. She really had hoped that Miss Danvers was interested in her work, but maybe she was just being polite. She is about to start her speech when she spots her talking to a redhead in a leather jacket and black jeans. They hug briefly before Miss Danvers walks over to the other side of the cowed. 

Passing by the crowd, Miss Danvers eyes some of the gathered people somewhat suspiciously. Every once in a while, she dips her glasses down just a little bit. Arriving at her destination, Miss Danvers does a 360° turn, looking at the buildings around while dipping her glasses the same way. Turning back to the stage, she adjusts her glasses and focuses on Miss Luthor. 

‘Odd.’ Miss Luthor shakes it off and begins her speech. 

She is half way into her speech when there is somewhat of a commotion in the crowd. She looks over to Miss Danvers but doesn’t see her. Instead, she finds the redhead who has singled out a person and is putting cuffs on him while pulling a gun out of his pocket. 

The next thing Lena remembers is the sign next to the stage blowing up. Then she finds herself in front of a police officer. She suddenly feels so sick that she has to fight the urge to throw up. The police officer looks just as puzzeld  as she feels. Next thing she sees is a red man with blue hair fall from LuthorCorp’s - or now LCorp’s - roof. The redhead and a black man go to cuff it and drag it away as fast as possible. 

That evening, Miss Danvers shows up at her office. “Sorry to show up unannounced, but you never got to the point where you talked about your projects.” Miss Danvers is clutching her notepad to her chest, adjusting her glasses.

”Mmm, I guess I didn’t. Have a seat.” She points at the chair across from her desk. Miss Danvers sits down. 

“Does Mr. Williams know you’re here?” she asks. 

“He’s interviewing witnesses.” Miss Danvers answers her. 

“And you didn’t want to do that?” Miss Luthor asks, somewhat curious, noting how Miss Danvers elegantly avoided answering her question. 

Getting up, she heads to her bar. “Do you want something to drink? I have some good scotch or wine,” she offers. 

Miss Danvers seems to have lost her speech for a moment. “N, …No thanks. I still have to work for another few hours.” 

“Water it is,” Miss Luthor decides, pouring herself a scotch and Miss Danvers a water. She turns. “But I have to ask. What does a reporter do that late in the evening? I mean, it is almost the end of the work day.” 

Miss Danvers once again adjusts her glasses. “Well, you know deadlines and everything. The news never sleeps.” Miss Luthor hands her the glass of water. Miss Luthor notices that Miss Danvers seems to take the glass just as gently as she shook her hand the other day. 

Sitting back down, she sips on her own glass, taking in the view of Miss Danvers. Her hair is in a tight ponytail. She has striking blue eyes. She sits a little straighter than the last time, but something still seems to make the blond nervous. Miss Danvers takes a small sip from the water and then places the glass on the desk. 

Taking her notepad again, she asks. “So, what projects are you working on?” Miss Luthor notices how Miss Danvers gets more confident with every question she asks. To Miss Luthor’s surprise, Miss Danvers is quite educated when it comes to science. She quickly catches on to her explanations, jotting everything down. 

About half an hour into talking, they are interrupted by Miss Danvers’ phone ringing. She rumbles through her bag in search of her phone and quickly answers. “Alex. …. Yes. I’ll be there right away. And no, I didn't. forget about the assessment tonight!” Miss Danvers smiles an apologetic smile. 

“Sorry, I” 

“You have to go.” Miss Luthor finishes her sentence. 

“Yeah, there’s an emergency. Kind off.” She smiles awkwardly while adjusting her glass. 

Miss Danvers gets up and hurriedly packs up her notepad and pen. She is about to rush out, but Miss Luthor calls her before the door closes behind her. 

“Miss Danvers! Feel free to come by anytime.” Miss Danvers only nods in response and leaves. Miss Luthor sighs, swirling her scotch. She somewhat enjoyed talking to the reporter. ‘She is a reporter doing her job. She came for an interview not a friendly chat,’ she tries to tell herself. Better not to get her hopes up for now.

Chapter Text

Kara walks into CatCo caring two cups of coffee. It is her third day as a reporter. Jack, who can be a jerk at times, is actually not that bad to work with. While he will never be Kara’s best friend - Lucy - she knows she can learn a lot from him. Handing Jack a coffee, she asks, “So, what did the witnesses say yesterday?” 

“Sit down and I’ll fill you in.” They start talking about their interviews yesterday and, agree to do a balanced piece. The article informs about the attack at the renaming ceremony as well as the new direction Miss Luthor is planning to take with her company. In the end, Kara is proud of their work, it being a fair piece showing both sides. They get the article back from Snapper with more red than black. Kara huffs, but Jack convinces her to take it easy. “It’s always like that with Snapper.”

Kara spends the next few weeks working at CatCo getting the hang of being a reporter. One day, she is called into Miss Grant’s office. Miss Grant signals for her to sit down on the couch while she sits down next to her. 

“So, I see Snapper is treating you well. Your first few pieces are tolerable. How do you feel about aliens?” Miss Grant gets straight to the point. 

Kara stumbles over her words. “A-Aliens? As in outer space aliens? … Miss Grant, they don’t exist.” replies adjusting her glasses and faking a laugh. Cat Grant only shakes her head.

“What planet do you live on?” 

Adjusting her glasses again, Kara answers, “Uuhhh, this one.” 

“Were you raised in a barn? Ever heard of Superman? Come on, Kiera, you work for a newspaper. That means you do need to read the news.” Kara makes a mysterious pause. “Sometimes.” she stares at Kara.

“Don’t be ridiculous! KIERA! Your first story involves an alien.” 

“I guess. Why?” Kara is once again adjusting her glasses.

“I have a source at the NCPD that claims there is an alien underground in National City. Their meeting point is a bar. I want you to go there. Get to know them. Earn their trust and write about them. It’s time for the world gets to know them.” Miss Grant pauses. 

“O-Okay, but wouldn’t an established journalist be better for this?” Kara asks, unsure. 

“Sending in some hard-core journalist like Jack will only scare them off. They live in the shadows because they don’t fit in. If you force them to open up, they will just shut you out. I don’t want to scare them. I want to get to know them. I want do know their stories. Can you do that?” 

“I guess.” 

“Good. Once they trust you write about them, write about how they got here. Why they are here. What they can do. Show the people that they don’t need to be afraid. Show us that they aren’t monsters. I know you can, because I know that big heart of yours.” Miss Grant finishes by waving in the direction of Kara’s heart. She hands her a note. “Here is the address. Report only to me and only to me. Now off you go! CHOP! CHOP!” Miss Grant claps her hands, and Kara hurries out. 

On her way out, Kara runs into Miss Luthor, almost knocking the CEO out of balance. “Oh my gosh! Miss Luthor! I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there!” She quickly steadies her, grabbing her arm. 

The raven-haired woman laughs it off. “No harm done. What has you so absent-minded?” she asks, a little worried. Miss Danvers adjust her glasses. 

“I just got the weirdest assignment.” 

“How weird? Do you want to tell me about it?” Miss Luthor looks more worried now. “No, it’s fine. Just weird.” 

In that moment, Miss Grant comes out her office. “KIERA! Don’t you dare! Didn’t I say? CHOP! CHOP!” Miss Danvers dips her head. 

“Sorry, Miss Grant. I’ll be gone in a second.” Miss Danvers dips her head and rushes to her desk to grabs her bag. Miss Luthor follows her. She places a hand on Miss Danvers’ arm to stop her from rushing off. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?” 

Miss Luthor glances back at Miss Grant. “Well, anyway. If you want to talk or anything, give me a call.” She slips Kara her business card. 

“Oh, thanks. I need to go though. Sources don’t interview themselves.” Miss Danvers adjust her glass laughing nervously.  “I guess this is going to be interesting.” A crinkle appears on her forehead. 

“Are you sure this assignment is fine? You seem worried.” 

“KIERA!” 

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just ...” 

“KIERA!” Miss Danvers sighs. 

“I better go before Miss Grant has a heart attack.” She shoulders her bag. “Have a good day, Miss Luthor.” 

“You too. See you again?” Miss Luthor asks lifting her voice hopefully. 

“Sure.” Miss Danvers gives her one last timid smile and makes her way to the elevator. Miss Luthor watches her until the elevator closes. Then she takes a deep breath and heads to Miss Grant’s office.

“What are your motives with Kiera?” Cat asks Lena in an almost accusing tone. 

“What are yours?” Lena asks back dryly. 

“None of your business.” Cat answers with the same tone. 

“None of yours either.” Lena responds. Cat laughs. 

“I run a media company. Other peoples’ business, is my business. Anyway, Kiera is my employee, so her business is my business.” 

“What assignment did you give her? She seemed quite disturbed.” Lena asks, obviously still worrying about the young reporter. 

“That is not to be discussed until it’s published. Let’s get to the reason you’re here. This Gala is not going to plan itself!” So, the two women settle down in Cat’s office to go over options for the joint project they’re planning.

Chapter Text

“Alex! We have a problem!” Kara is on her phone the moment the elevator closes behind her. 

“A hello would be nice.” Alex answers with a mocking tone. 

“Hi! Anyway, Cat wants me write about aliens. As in outer space aliens!” Kara pushes on in a rush. 

“What?!” Alex’s voice is an octave higher than usual. 

“That’s what I thought. She is sure they are real and she even gave me an address of an alien bar. She wants me to hang out with them and get to know them. Then she wants me to write profiles about them. And of course, I would love to do that. If aliens ever get a chance to If there is a chance for aliens to live in the light, without being afraid in the future, I want to be part of that. I know how hard it is to hide. even when you look human. And there are more aliens that don’t look human than those that do. But I also know about the DEO and what the DEO stands for. I know why the presence of alien life on earth is a secret and I signed a freaking NDA! If the public finds out that aliens are real there will be more people threatening them, and most of them don’t deserve that. They went through more than most humans can imagine and they deserve quiet peaceful lives. Putting them in the spotlight like that, it’s not right, but someone has to stand up. Things will never change if we don’t do anything. What am I am going to do? Aleeex!” Kara finishes her ramble with a whine. 

“Okay, okay. Calm down, Kara. There is no harm in checking out that alien bar, is there? Even if you don’t write the article, it might be a good place for you to make some friends besides Lucy and me.” Alex sounds almost excited to find some non hostile aliens. 

“Okay. I guess I can do that. Should I go in there as Kara Danvers or Kara Zor-El? Because they might be more open if I am one of them.” 

“Uhhh, go in as Kara Danvers. It’s too risky. You are there for CatCo. If you want to write about them, you can’t get to know them as Kara Zor-El and then write about them as Kara Danvers. But hey, if you make a closer friend, we can consider telling them.” 

“Thanks Alex.” 

“I will talk to Hank, but Cat’s right. I think it’s time the government acknowledges aliens officially. There are already plenty of websites that claim alien sightings creating fanclubs but also fear. If the public needs to get to know them, as people not some mysterious threads.” 

Kara is being watched by a group of suspiciously odd looking people lingering on a corner. Kara rounds a corner and walks down a dark alley, searching for the non-existant house numbers. Pieces are crumbling from the red brick houses, where broken windows are boarded up. The street has far too many potholes, and here and there you can see someone sleeping in a rusty car.  Turning one last time, she finally finds the number she is looking for. She knocks on the door, and a man with three eyes peers out. 

“Password.” 

“Dollywood.” The door opens, and she is let in. 

She takes a look around. There are two men chatting at the bar. A tall man standing behind the bar joins their conversation every once in a while. A group of people play pool in the back of the room. The lights are quite dim, and the place has a strange smell to it. There is a small stage with one lonely microphone in the middle and a karaoke sign above. A few other patrons are spread out around the place.  It is not obvious at first sight that these people are alien, but at second glance, she sees the differences. Heading to the bar, she orders a club soda. 

“You new here? I haven’t seen you around. You realise this is not exactly your kind of crowd.” Kara smiles at him. 

“I am just where I need to be.” She holds out her hand. “Kara Danvers.” 

He shakes her hand. “Mon-El of Daxam.” She cringes internally. 

“Well Mon-El, what is there to do here?” 

“Well, Imra’s group is playing pool over there. They are usually open to strangers, so you could join them.” He points at the pool table. She smiles. 

“Thanks.” Picking up her glass, she heads over to the group playing pool. “Hi guys. Mon-El thought I could join you for a round of pool?” 

“You care to tell us your name, Blondey?” a short brunette quips.

“Hey, go easy on her. She’s a first-timer.” The other brunette puts her in place. 

“Kara. Kara Danvers. You any good at pool?” she pipes back with a challenging glare. 

“Oh, you’re on! I bet twenty that you can’t beat me.” 

“Okay then. Twenty I can. And what should I call you?” Kara places her glass on the nearby table.

”Maggie. And this is Imra and Violette.” The short brunette points first at the other brunette and then at the purple purple woman with the magenta dots on her forehead. 

“Violette, how fitting,” Kara remarks with an amusing tone.

“Well my original name is: Viomeckandu Generation 75351.” 

“Viomeckandu Generation 75351? Yeah, I’m going to call you Violette.” 

“Good plan. But color me impressed, you pronounced it correctly. Not many humans get that right.” 

“Oh, thanks.” Kara blushes. She needs to try harder at this blending in thing.

“Okay Maggie. Are we going to do this?” 

“You want to start new girl?” 

“Sure.” Kara gets ready for the first shot. 

They are soon deep into their game. Kara gives Maggie a head start at the beginning, but she sure as hell is not going to let her win. They discuss recent events and end up joking and laughing. 

Soon, another woman Nia and her boyfriend Brainy join the group. Maggie surrenders her twenty dollars to Kara with a glare. Laughing, Kara hands it back and tells her to get drinks with it. They end up getting two rounds of shots, and Kara thanks Rao for her immunity to human alcohol. After the shots and a well deserved helping of fries and chicken tenders, they move on to darts. An hour turns into three, and it’s suddenly evening. Realising how late it is, Kara almost freaks out. Her phone shows that Cat sent her three text messages asking if she’s okay. 

“Sorry guys, I have to go. I was supposed to check in with my boss an hour ago. She is going to be so mad.” Kara quickly grabs her stuff. 

“Wait!” Nia calls out. Give us your number so we can add you to the group chat. When we hang again, you should join us.” 

“Sure.” Taking Nia’s phone, she types in her number. “Great! I guess I‘ll see you around. Have a good night, everyone.” She leaves among a chorus of ‘you too’s. 

Kara quickly rushes out and hurries back to CatCo. “Keira, there you are! I was about to send out a search party. How dare you just disappear!” Cat Grant glares at her. “You got me worried. Your assignment isn’t exactly the safest.” She glares some more. “Spill,” she demands as she closes the office door behind Kara. 

“So, I made a few friends. They seem nice. They added me to their group chat. I’m just going to hang out with them for a while before I ask to interview them. I don’t think they would take it kindly if I demand information right away. They need to trust me. They should be part of the whole process. It is their lives, afterall,” Kara explains. 

“I am glad to hear it. See, that is why I picked you. You understand the sensibility this assignment requires. You are going to do great, Kara,” Miss Gant encourages her. 

“Thanks.” Kara beams back at her.

Kara sets her bag on her dining table. The card Miss Luthor gave her falls out. Picking it up, Kara finally looks at it. It not only has her business contact, but her private number is also scribbled on the back. 

Kara sighs. 

What am I going to do with you? 

Miss Luthor seems like a decent person, but can she trust her? Kara has seen firsthand what her family is capable of. On the other hand, 

You are too kind, too smart to be like them, aren’t you?

She enjoyed talking about science with her. LCorp’s projects are always cutting-edge technology. It may not be the same as Krypton’s research, but it is somewhat intriguing. 

You are passionate, your eyes glister when you talk about your work. 

She misses that sometimes. Not wanting to decide anything tonight, Kara leaves the card next to her computer. 

Somewhere hidden deep within a mountain, a hole is ripped into the Space-Time-Continuum. A beautiful, old woman with long silver hair steps out into the room. Her beauty is only diminished by a long healed scar crossing over her right cheek and eye. She looks around. Everything in the room is covered in a thin layer of dust. Her gaze falls onto a familiar hand scanner. It shows the year 2016. She pulls a device out of her pocket. Pressing it twice. Once again a blue and white anomaly appears. Out of the portal a slightly smaller and younger woman with blond hair steps out. She looks expectantly at the older. “Look at that dear. It finally worked.” 

The following five weeks passes by in no time. Kara spends her time working alongside Jack on some articles.Two to three times a week, she head to the bar, spending the evening with her new ever-changing group of friends. Alex and Susan soon join. Lucy does as well. To everyone’s surprise, Director Henshaw shows up in the third week. Grumpy as ever, but still. He even sings karaoke. Miss Grant gives Kara the mornings after she goes to bar off, because technically she is working. 

One evening Nia shows up enraged, slamming the latest CatCo issue in front of her. 

“She is a reporter!” She screams into the group. Kara steps back in shock. Everyone stares at her. “Care to elaborate?” Imra asks with an unusual sharp tongue. Kara takes a deep breath and steps back up to the table.

“It’s true. I am a reporter. Now before you ask. Yes Miss Grant sent me to get to know you and write about you, but I would never do so without your consent. I am not only here because of Miss Grant, I am also here because I want to be here. First it was mostly out of interest and as soon as I got to know you also because you are my friends.” Kara makes a brief pause then continues. 

“I know how sensitif the information and trust you shared with me is, I would never dream about publicating it without consent. An Miss Grant would never approve of it anyway.” Kara finishes her speech by deep looking into everyone's eyes to convey her honest intent.

Things are tense after that. No one really trusts the Danvers and their friends. Two weeks later Kara being distracted by confronting Nia about which song to sing for karaoke, takes the wrong cup.

“No! Kara wait!” Brainy leaps up screaming in worry. It is too late. Kara already has the liquid in her mouth. She squeezes her eyes, pulls a face in disgust. Shaking her head in an attempt to get rid of the liquid, she looks at Brainy. 

“Uhh. What was that?” Everyone stares at her gapping. 

“Only a microliter of the drink you just swallowed would kill any human.” Brainy answers.

As in slow motion, Kara’s eyes go wide as she starts comprehending what just happen. “Oh!”, Adjusting her glasses she continues. “Oh. Well let's do karaoke?”, she tries to distract. Taking a step towards the stage she feels her head spin. 

Stabelling on herself on the next table, she pinches her eyes. “Uh. Well that is strong.” She shakes her head in an attamed to remove the cloud that seems to engulf her senses. A few minutes later, the cloud seems to remove. 

Or at least I don’t notice it anymore.

“Well then  Karaoke.” She straightens up and walks towards the stage with as much grace as possible.

Miss Luthor comes into CatCo about a month after giving Miss Danvers her card. Miss Gant asked her to come by to discuss further details about the opening of the new wing at the local childrens’ hospital. They are working on as a joint project. Miss Luthor makes sure she is a little early, wanting to use the extra time to talk to the young reporter. The day Miss Danvers came in her office alone, she seemed to gain more confidence, but after seeing her so concerned about her new assignment, Lena worries about her. She is disappointed to find Miss Danvers’ desk empty. 

“Mr. Williams?” 

“Miss Luthor. What can I do for you?” he asks, looking up from his screen, opposite to Kara’s. “I am looking for Miss Danvers. Do you happen to know where she is?” 

“Yes. She works on an assignment that requires late nights, so she gets the morning after off. It’s usually Mondays and today.” Mr. Williams answers her. 

“Oh. Thanks. Do you know when she will be back?” 

“Usually she comes in between 12 or 1, but she could be heading straight to an interview or something. Or sometimes she just disappears. I don’t really know.” He leans towards Miss Luthor whispering. “If you are asking me. She keeps odd hours.” 

“Thank you. Have a good day.” Miss Luthor dismisses

“You too, Miss Luthor.” 

“Alex! No! No! You cannot do the calculations for the transmap portal! You almost blew us up last time!” Kara is rushing to her desk just as Miss Luthor leaves Miss Grant’s office. She searches through her desk drawers with one hand while using the other one to hold her phone and juggle her bag. 

“No, Alex! I am doing the quantum entanglement! How often do I have to tell you stick to bioengineering, that’s what you do best.” 

Miss Luthor stands in front of Miss Danvers’ desk waiting for her to emerge from her desk drawers. 

“Alex! You don’t even know what polymorphic atoms are!” Miss Danvers stands up, holding a folder with a logo that says DEO in the air. 

“Found it!”, she pauses. “Oh!” Her brain starts processing.  “Miss Luthor!” Miss Danvers tries to hold her up hand to show Miss Luthor to wait for a moment. Only she ends up waving the folder in front of the CEO’s face. She looks at her hand, disturbed at her own action. “Oh! Well, one moment.” 

Turning back to her phone call, she shoves the folder into her bag. “Alex. I said no! I am doing it. End of discussion!” She ends the phone call. 

“Sorry about that!” Miss Danvers stands up straight, dropping her phone in her bag. “What can I do for you?” She smiles. 

Miss Luthor clears her throat. “I just … I know you are working on something for Miss Grant, but I have a new project I am working on that I was hoping you could write about.” 

“Sure, I would love to.” Kara takes her calendar out and flips through it. “This week is crazy. I don’t think I can come by before Monday morning.” 

“Oh, okay. That’s …” 

“I am so sorry. I have to finish a huge project by Friday. I can find someone else to do it, if you want?” Miss Danvers offers. 

“No. It’s fine. Monday morning works.” A moment later Miss Luthor speaks again. “Wait, aren’t you off Monday mornings? Mr. Williams said that you work on Miss Grant’s assignment the night before.” 

“No, it’s fine. I can just shift things a little. It doesn’t matter to me.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, absolutely. What time?” 

Pulling out her phone, Miss Luthor answers after taking a look at her own calendar. “Ten?” 

“Ten it is.” Miss Danvers makes a note in her calendar. Looking at her watch, she notes, “Sorry, I have to go. I’m already late. I only came in to pick up some stuff.” 

Miss Danvers quickly drops her calendar and another folder from her desk in her bag. “Have a good week.” She starts walking away before Miss Luthor can say anything while picking up her ringing phone again. “Alex! Yes, I will be there in a minute!” is the last thing Miss Luthor hears before she is out of earshot. 

“Told you. Sdd hours.” Mr. Williams pipes up from is screen. She glances at him and he turns back to work. 

“Not just odd hours.” she mumbles to herself while walking to the elevator. 

Chapter Text

It takes four days for Miss Luthor to see Kara Danvers again. She is looking over the results of one of her private experiments when Kara Danvers storms into her office followed by a disturbed security guard. 

“I am so sorry, Miss Luthor. I told her LCorp had closed, but she is just so fast.” 

“I’m sorry Miss Luthor.” 

“It’s okay, Miguel. Just go back to your post.” The guard leaves. 

“Miss Danvers, I have to say I didn’t expect you here this late.” 

“I really am sorry. I just found out a friend of mine is missing and you are our only lead.” Miss Luther looks at her, eyes glistening with curiosity or suspicions. Which Kara can’t tell.

“Uhh, that came out wrong.” she corrects herself in a rush, adjusting her glasses. “I don’t mean to accuse you of anything. You’re not the lead. Not like that. I mean,”, she adjust her glasses again. “I’m looking for someone you might know. I was hoping you could give me an idea of where to find her,” Miss Danvers rambles on. 

Miss Luthor holds up a hand as her gaze softens. “Take a breath.” Miss Danvers inhales deeply. 

“Now, who are you looking for?” 

“Veronica Sinclair.” Miss Luthor raises an eyebrow. 

“Roulette. I rather you not go after her. She’s dangerous.” Miss Luthor says with an intense stare. 

“Please. I promise you I can handle it.” Miss Danvers pouts at her. “And I won’t go alone. A friend and my sister are coming with me. My friend is a Detective for the NCPD and my sister is a Federal Agent. I am sure I will be safe.” 

Miss Luthor sighs and turns towards her open laptop.

“She holds poker and fight club nights for the elite. Not that I would waste my money like that. The location changes every night. This should be the location of tonight and this is the last phone number I have of her.” 

She writes everything on a note and folds it. She stands up and rounds her desk, stepping towards Miss Danvers. She holds out the note. Miss Danvers goes to take it, but before she can pull it out of Miss Luthor’s hand, Miss Luthor pulls it back. 

“Promise me you will be careful.” 

“I promise.” Miss Danvers answers and pulls a little stronger, while Miss Luthor lets go. Stepping a little closer, Miss Luthor bites her lip. 

“You know you can use that number I gave you. You don’t have to fight your way through security at this time of night.” 

“I… I should go, before my sister calls in the strike team.” She jokes. Miss Luthor chuckles. 

“Okay.” 

“Enjoy your night.” Miss Danvers turns heading to the door. 

“See you on Monday?” Miss Luthor asks after her. 

“Sure.” Miss Danvers turns around before finally leaving. 

Maggie and Alex wait for her outside LCorp. 

“DEO strike team stands by, just in case.” Alex tells her. 

“So Little Danvers, where are we going?” Kara hands Maggie the address. They get into Alex’s car and drive there. 

Slipping the glasses down her nose, Kara looks into the old wearehous. There are a few rich men and quite a few women around poker tables. In the middle is a cage where the fights are held. At the moment, Mon-El is showing off his strength and speed with the audience betting on how much he can lift. Then he has to dodge the bullets of automatic weapons. 

“What do you see?” Alex asks.

“Approximately a hundred people, most of them upper class. A bunch of waitresses who aren’t treated very nicely. Roulette is holding some kind of bidding contest on Mon-El’s abilities. He looks like he’s about to break down, though.” 

“Backup is three minutes out.” Maggie tells them, getting off the phone with her superior.  “Let’s just hope he can hold out that long.” 

After a minute, Kara decides, “I am getting him out. He won’t hold out long enough.” She quickly changes. 

“Kara if they can contain him, they might be able to contain you.” Alex worries. 

“No. They’re using lead to keep him contained. I don’t have that weakness. I’ll be in and out before they know what happened, and then I can zip-tie everyone with superspeed. It’s not like they expect a Super.” 

“No, you get Mon-El out and we block the doors until swat gets here. You’re not fast enough to get to all of the people in there. They’ll know what happened. And they shouldn’t see you,” Alex argues. 

“Fine, just Mon-El. Maggie, you block the back. Alex and I the front.”

“Got you.” They fall into action. 

Kara speeds in, breaking through the cage easily and using her heat vision to cut through the bars. She makes quick work of Mon-El’s chains and weights. The moment she passes Alex at the front, Alex shuts the doors behind her. 

She can hear some surprised murmurs until Roulette speaks up. 

“Let’s just stay calm and get out of here.” They start moving toward the blocked door. Kara helps Alex out after putting Mon-El down. She hears the panic start when they realise the door isn’t opening. The NCPD swat team arrives just in time. 

The next morning, Miss Luthor opens the National City Guardian. “NCPD gets anonymous tip about illegal fight club and poker round. Serval arrests were made, and the investigation is still ongoing. According to witness accounts, some of the fighters were being held prisoner, and on special occasions, had to fight to the death.”

Miss Luthor receives a message from an unknown number. “Thanks for your help. I was able to get my friend out. KD” 

Miss Luthor answers her. “Glad it worked out. Was he one of the fighters? LL” 

KD: “Something like that. He got caught up with the wrong crowd. Happens sometimes with his kind of people. Usually he’s fine because he’s really tough and can fight his way out, but Roulette  found his weakness and trapped him.” 

LL: “May I be frank?” 

KD: “Sure” 

LL: “It doesn’t sound like he is the best person for you to spend your time with.” 

KD: “My sister says that about you. Honestly, I can’t stand him, but he always treated me fairly. He doesn’t have the kind of safety net I have. His life isn’t the steadiest, but he is a decent person, and I don’t want to see him hurt.”

LL: “You sister doesn’t like me spending time with you?” 

LL: “Can I ask why?” 

When Miss Danvers doesn’t answer for the next few minutes, Miss Luthor sighs and puts the phone away.

Kara looks at her phone. How is she going to answer that? Deciding not to make any rash decisions, she slips her phone back in her uniform. There is a rouge alien on the docks in the harbour that need to be caught. She could use the distraction. 

“Everybody, listen up. Infernians, like the example we have here, can produce heat and send flames from their hands, so sand clear of that. You better have your freeze breath ready, Agent Zor-El.” Director Henshaw tells her. 

“Of course.” 

“Okay, let’s do this clean. In and out before anyone notices. Does everybody have their liquid nitrogen gun ready?”  A general yes goes up. “Agent Zor-El engages first, and while she keeps the alien busy, alpha team under Agent Danvers cuffs it.” 

They take down the alien smoothly. 

“What now boss?” The younger woman asks looking around. “No we organise. We need a place to live. We need identities and resources. Fortunately I know quite a few I haven’t made use of. Yet.”

Chapter Text

“Hold the elevator.” A hand reaches out to block the doors. Kara gets in. 

“Thanks.” She stands next to Miss Luthor facing the door. They stay silent for a moment as the elevator starts moving. 

“I’ll answer your question. I just want some time to think about it” Miss Danvers breaks the silence.

“O- Okay.” Miss Danvers’ phone rings. 

“Alex! … Put him on. Mon-El, I told you no Zacarien-El. No, I don’t care what your friend says. No Zacarien-El! … And no, you can’t sell it either! You know what happened last time. Listen to Alex, or I will tell her to throw you in containment. And tell Lara, if I ever catch her or you smoking that stuff again, I will drop a mountain on you. … No, geographically!” 

Miss Luthor chuckles. Kara hangs up the line. “What?!” She asks offended. 

“Nothing.” They’re silent for another moment. 

“Sometimes it feels like I’m in kindergarten when it comes to those two.” The elevator dings, and the doors open. They get out, walking towards the exit. Miss Luthor hold the door open for Miss Danvers. 

“Well, have fun babysitting your kindergarteners.” She says with a slight smirk. Miss Danvers only huffs. 

“Nice day to you too.” They both go separate ways

Kara picks up her phone, thinking about what to write. 

KD: “Growing up, my sister always had to protect me. So she doesn’t trust any of the new people I meet, especially if I don’t introduce them right away. Some of it is big sister paranoia, but it’s also because of Lex. He betrayed someone in my family in the worst possible way. My family is okay now. But even though he walked away without being physically harmed, the things Lex did to him out of hatred are still painful. He knew Lex for a long time and loved him like a brother, but one day they fought and Lex turned on him. It wasn’t all Lex’s fault, but if you are that close to someone, you can at least try to figure things out. Lex never even cared to listen.”

Lena is about to watch a movie when she receives Miss Danvers’ text. She turns the TV back off and sets down the remote while grabbing her phone. She somewhat dreads the answer but also wants to know and there’s no putting this off. Curling up on her couch with her favourite blanket, she opens the message. She half expects some cop out answer, but then again Miss Danvers said she wanted to think about it. She is quite surprised at the length of it. 

She starts reading. “Growing up my sister always had to protect me. So, she doesn’t trust any of the new people I meet, especially if I don’t introduce them right away. Some of it is big sister paranoia, but it’s also because of Lex.” That is what she thought. She takes a deep breath. 

They are just like everybody else.

“He betrayed someone in my family in the worst possible way.” 

Okey that is different. Who did Lex not betray? 

A part of her wants to run away right now, but the other part is too curious to see where this goes.

“My family is okay now.” She lets out a breath, feeling the tension lift off her a little. 

“But even though he walked away without being physically harmed, the things Lex did to him out of hatred are still painful. He knew Lex for a long time and loved him like a brother, but one day they fought and Lex turned on him. It wasn’t all Lex’s fault, but if you are that close to someone you can at least try to figure things out. Lex never even cared to listen.”

Lena drops her phone in her lap. Her hands are shaking. She feels tears streaming down her face. She never thought about this. She never thought about what would happen if she ever met someone who actually got hurt by Lex. Not just the haters that only know the public statements. No, someone who actually has a personal connection to Lex. Pulling the blanket further up around her shoulders, she wraps her arms around her knees. Her phone slides to the floor. She doesn’t know what to answer. She takes some time to calm down. 

Picking up her phone, she glances at the contact. She doesn’t even have a picture for Miss Danvers’ contact. 

Kara is sitting on her couch eating potstickers while thinking about what to write in her diary. Her phone rings. She picks up, seeing it’s Miss Luthor. 

“Kara.” She hears a gentle, broken voice. 

“Hey. Are you okay?” Kara’s voice sounds softer than Lena has ever heard it. 

“I… I don’t know what to say.” 

“That’s okay. I didn’t tell you to get an apology or anything. I didn’t want to make you feel bad. I just wanted you to know.” Kara hears Lena sob. 

“I… I should probably leave you alone.”

Someone hammers against Kara’s apartment door. Kara goans. 

“Not now!” The hammering gets louder.

 “Can you give me a moment?” Kara asks Lena, getting up to open it. 

“Imra!?”

“Mon-El, Kara, he, Maggie is with him, I called her right away when I couldn’t reach you. But she doesn’t know what to do. You are the only one who knows that kind of stuff.” 

“Imra breath. Tell me what happened.” 

“He took something they called White Dust or Alkanruh.” 

“Shit. Text Alex to get a med kit and an IV. Grab my dishwashing liquid and my detergent, as well as as much baking powder as you can find.” Imra texts Alex while Kara turns back to Lena on the phone. 

“I am so sorry. I have to go.” Kara’s voice is full of worry. 

“Is everything okay?” 

“No. I have to fix this. I am sorry. Call I you back?” She hangs up before Lena can reply, jumping into action. 

Imra comes back from the bathroom with the detergent. Kara quickly grabs the other things. With a blow of wind and 30 seconds of movement, they are at Mon-El’s bar. 

“Okay, we need something to mix all of these together.” Someone shoves a bucket into her hand. Imra and Maggie start unpacking things and throwing them in. Alex arrives with the IV and starts setting up. Kara adds some water to the mixture. “Okay. I am going to hold him down to keep him calm. Alex and Maggie, force him to drink this.” 

Three hours and a few freeze breaths later, they’ve forced the solution through his system and gotten him to a stable condition. Alex and Maggie drive him to the DEO for further observation. Kara  flies home and drops on her couch, falling asleep immediately.

She wakes up from her own scream. The ghost of the nightmare still lingering. 

The gun is cold and heavy in her hand as she holds it up, to point it at the man in front of her. Her whole life, she never wanted to kill someone. Now she has no choice. At the same time the man pulls up his gun. A shot is fired, a second shot is fired. She screams in pain as the bullet hits her chest. 

Her girlfriend sits up next to her rubbing her back. “It was just a dream. We are here now. We will fix it and then the nightmares stop. It won’t be long now.”

Chapter Text

A tall blond man walks into Miss Luthor’s office. “Mr. Smith. Thanks for coming. This will be quick. I just want you to do a routine background check on somebody. The usual. Try to look into personal things. This is not for business, only my personal interest in the person. Can you do that?” 

“Sure. Give me two days, and I will have the information for you. Who are we talking about?” 

“Kara Danvers. She works as a junior reporter at CatCo. Don’t cross any boundaries. I don’t want her to feel like I spy on her.” 

“Okay. I will be subtle. Is that all?” 

“Yes. Thank you.” 

“Damn it! What was I thinking? That is never going to work!” Lena crumples her notes and throws the paper as far away as possible. She moves her hands over her face  and massages her temples. 

Looking back up, she sees someone picking up her notes. Tracing the person’s movement, she recognizes Kara. Kara straightens out the sheet, looking at it. A crinkle appears on her forehead. After a minute or two, she walks to Lena’s desk and grabs a pen. Using Lena’s desk, she crosses something out and writes something else next to it. Then she hands Lena her notes back. 

“Here! Try that!” Lena looks at her, raising an eyebrow, but takes it anyway. Looking over the adjustment Kara made to her calculations, she gasps. Grabbing a pen and a blank sheet, she starts writing. After five minutes, she drops her pen. 

“Oh my God, that works!” 

Looking up, she sees Miss Danvers still standing in front of her. “Oh! Sorry, I…”, Lena searches for words. 

“Got lost in science.” Kara completes her sence.

“Yeah. How did you know?” 

“It used to be like that for me,” Kara says quietly, lost in memories. A shadow crosses the blonde’s face. It fades as quickly as it appears. Obviously shaking herself out of her memory, she presses on. “Anyway. Miss Luthor, what did you want me to write about?” 

“Are we back to Miss Luthor now?!”, she lift a challenge eyebrow at Kara. 

“Oh…”

“Miss Danvers, you just saw me geek out over science. I think it is more than overdue. Everyone who sees me like that gets to call me Lena.” 

“Well then you-” 

“Kara it is.” She interrupts the reporter. “Take a seat.” Lena begins talking about how she is about to release windows with integrated solar panel functions. Kara makes sure to take notes. After two hours, they wrap up their conversation, having discussed everything from the idea to the release in two weeks. Kara packs up her notes and gets up. 

Lena is quick to follow. She grabs Kara’s arm before Kara can leave. “Can we talk?” she asks in a soft voice. Kara sighs. 

“Look Lena, I don’t really know what happened. I was still very young at the time. All I do know is that the fall out was massive and that my family would never trust a Luthor ever again.” Kara can see unshed tears in Lena’s eyes. 

Lena turns away, looking out the window. “I… I… I just can’t help but think that, if I had known what was happening, that he was slipping into madness, maybe I could have done something.” Her voice is distant. A tear slips down her cheek. Kara drops her bag. She stands behind Lena and places a hand on her shoulder. She gently pulls Lena around to face her. 

“Look at me!” There is a determination in Kara’s voice Lena hasn’t heard before. “There is nothing you could have done. You were just a kid. What happened to Lex isn’t your fault! It is nobody’s fault! It was a lot of things coming together that finally caused him to snap. You can’t blame yourself for it! If someone doesn’t want help, you can’t help them.” Kara pulls Lena in a hug. Lena stiffens at the sudden display of affection. “It’s okay. You are allowed to feel whatever you feel.” At this point, Lena can’t stop herself from crying anymore. She clings to Kara and hides her face in Kara’s shoulder, not caring to keep her composure anymore. 

When Kara finally pulls away, Lena feels somehow lighter. Wiping away her tears, she smiles at Kara. “Thanks. I really needed that.” Her voice is still hoarse from crying. 

“Yeah, I could tell.” 

“Mmmh, there is something else I was meaning to talk to you about. It’s… I hope I’m not overstepping here, but is Miss Grant treating you okay? She seemed kind of… tough,” Lena asks, making meaningful pause. 

“What? Why do you think that?” Kara asks, oblivious to what Lena is hinting at. 

“Well, she screams at you across the entire bullpen while purposefully getting your name wrong.” 

“Oh! That! I’m used to it by now. And being able to work with her is worth it in so many ways.” Kara pauses and thinks for a while. “Miss Grant is all prickly on the outside, but once you get past that… there is this inspiring person inside.” Kara’s eyes begin to shine with obvious adoration.

“You talk about her like she’s a superhero.” Lena notes, surprised. 

“In some ways she is. Whenever I am confused or overwhelmed, I can come in her office. She somehow senses it. It’s like her Superpower.” Lena smiles at her, seeing the sparkles in Kara’s eyes when she talks about Miss Grant. 

“She really does inspire you, doesn’t she?” Lena smiles.

“Yeah. She is tough, no doubt about that, but she taught me so much.” Kara’s smile grows wide. 

“I’m glad to hear that.” Glancing at her watch Lena realises what time it is. “Oh, God. We have to go back to work.” 

“What time is it?” 

“1 pm.” 

“Shoot! I was supposed to meet my sister for lunch.” Kara quickly picks up her bag. “Good day.” Kara rushes to the door.

“Don’t be a stranger.” Lena calls after the woman who always seems to disappear faster than she can blink.  

Sitting down at her desk, Lena picks up her calculations and looks over Kara’s notes again. The woman who just left is a stark contrast to the shy and scared woman she met only a few months ago.

She opens her eyes at the sound of clapping. Sitting up she feels soaring pain in her chest. Looking down she expects blood, but there is none. The clapping gets louder as a figure walks towards her. The clapping fades as only the clicking sound of a woman’s shoes on concrete are heard in the otherwise silent room. Her eyes drift to the other man, her brother. He is lying lifeless in a puddle of his own blood. 

She sees the woman’s shoes first. Impressive fancy heels. Her eyes drift further up as the woman comes closer. A woman of impressive statue and wavy blond emerges from the shadows. She is wearing a plain dark blue, unusually tight cut suit. “Great leaders make great sacrifices.” 

The ring of an alarm clock goes through her apartment. She open her eyes to the first rays of sunshine.

Chapter Text

Mr. Smith enters Miss Luthor’s office. “Good Morning Mr. Smith. What do you have for me?” He hands her a folder. 

“So, this is the basic rundown: Miss Danvers has been working for Miss Grant for 3 and a half years. Originally, she started as Miss Grant’s personal assistant. She only got promoted to being a report a few months ago. She is rumoured to be the best assistant Miss Grant ever had. Before working at CatCo, she studied and worked at National City University. She has a Mayor in Quantum Physics and a Minor in Journalism. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in the top of her class and won the school’s engineering prize. Miss Danvers never did any postgraduate studies, though. Before her time at NCU, she  attended Midvale High with her older sister Alexandrea. 

So, this is where it gets interesting: She was adopted by the Danvers when she was thirteen. The Danvers hadn’t even considered adoption until she came to them. The adoption process was rushed, but well executed. You will find a copy of her adoption papers in the folder. I tried to go further back than her adoption, but all I could find was the birth certificate that was used for her adoption papers. 

There is nothing about her time before the Danvers; no school records, no medical records, no home address or any known relatives. The only proof of her existence before the Danvers adopted her is her birth certificate. After the Danvers adopted her, however, there is plenty of  of records. I couldn’t entirely believe this. Someone who doesn’t exist. Nowadays that is impossible. You always find something, even if it’s only an old picture, but every time I thought I had a lead, it turned up empty. Because of that, I told a friend about the case - without the specifics of course - and his idea was to check out the birth certificate. And guess what; It’s fake. Whoever Kara Danvers is, someone made very thoroughly sure that she cannot be tracked.”

Miss Luthor looks through the folder. “She really graduated top of her class? Those grades are impressive. Why didn’t she start working in science?” 

“I don’t know- You said not to go too far, so I didn’t want to question the people she worked with at NCU. What I can tell you though, is that the engine she won the engineering price for is patented by the NCU engineering institute. She finished it in the first year of her Bachelor’s degree and wrote a paper on it called: “Improving engine efficiency for electro engines by reducing surface volume ratio and using surface wave effects”. The paper was praised among the scientific community, and she gave a presentation on it during the engineering conference at NCU that year. Two years later, Maxwell Lord bought the patent, and her name was never mentioned again.” 

“Do you know what happened?” 

“No. She just disappeared from the scientific community. This is all I have.”

“Well, thanks. I will look into it. Can you follow her for a day? Look at what places she frequents. I have the sick feeling that she got herself caught up in something she might not be able to handle.” 

“Sure, I can do that.”

“Make sure she doesn’t notice you.” 

“Ok. Is that all?” 

“Yes, that will be all.” 

Lena enters the office of the Professor with whom she worked before, and he greets her. “Miss Luthor, what can I do for you?” 

“I… am considering employing one of your former students. I was hoping you could tell me a little about her. Kara Danvers?” 

“Are you sure she was my student? The name doesn’t ring a bell.” 

“Tall blonde woman. She graduated 2012 at the top of her class in quantum physics and won the engineering price.” 

His eyes widen. “I think everybody remembers 2012.” 

“Why?” she asks in worry. 

“Like every year, I had an idea about who would be top of the class. But that year was different. Everyone had their expectations, but this blonde shows up. Graduates top of her class and wins the engineering price. I have never heard so many angry and envious whispers during graduation.” 

“Why? I mean, she must be good to be honoured.” Lena asks surprised. 

“Yes, she was. No question, but nobody thought she deserved it. I think she skipped every single class I ever held for her year. I didn’t even know she studied quantum physics until she walked up on the stage during graduation. Later, I talked to some of her classmates. Apparently, she only showed up for compulsory classes and exams. All I know about her is that she passed every exam with an A, even though she never showed up. I never talked to her. I can only tell you rumours.”, he explains. 

“Do you know someone who worked with her?” 

“She worked with Mr. O’Brien’s research group. So, if anyone knows her personally it would be him. I hope that helps with your decision.” 

“Yes, thanks. Have a good day.” 

“You too.”

Lena heads to Mr. O’Brien’s office. He opens the door for her. “Miss Luthor, well that is a surprise. What brings you here? If this will take long, you need to make an appointment.” 

“No, it won’t. I was wanting to talk to you about a former student of yours. I understand she worked for you during her undergraduate studies. Kara Danvers.” 

He sighs. “Kara, yes she worked for me. Come in.” Offering Miss Luthor a chair and sitting down himself, he starts talking. 

“How is she?” he asks, seriously concerned. 

“She is a reporter at CatCo at the moment.” 

“Probably for the best.” 

“How so?” Lena asks. 

He sighs again, “Kara is a puzzle to be solved. She is by far the most talented student I ever had. About a week after she started studying here, she showed up at my office asking for a job. I told her she should come back at the end of the semester. There was no way I would let a first semester freshman tinker in my lab. You know what she said? 

‘You think I can’t do it? Test me! Ask me anything! I bet there is no question about science and engineering you can ask me that I can’t answer you. If I answer all your questions, I get to work for you. If I don’t, I won’t bother you again.’ 

I was pissed at the arrogance, but agreed anyway. If she was going to be like this, I could at least embarrass her. I came up with questions not even my postgrad students can answer. She answered them all with ease. After two thirds of the questions, I already had decided to hire her. It would have been stupid not to. 

During the first week, there was an issue with some paperwork, and I needed to find her at the dorm. I was shocked to see she was experimenting with 2000 Volts on her desk, like it was an experiment you do in middle school. After that I made sure to give her a serious talk about lab safety before I let her anywhere near my lab. I also told everyone else working with her to keep an eye on what she was doing. About two months in, she came up with the idea about the engine she designed. From then on, that was her main focus. 

Before I had her doing easy things, but I know the staff soon discovered that she could fix any problem. You give her a problem and two days, and she will come up with a solution. After that, she worked on various other things, mostly about quantum effects in connection with engineering. She stuck to herself, only working with an IT student. 

She skipped every class, which I do understand considering she knew more than my postgrads, but that did cause a lot of jealousy. With the time she didn’t spent in classes, she was always working on something at home as well. Sometimes she would sneak things into the lab to use the equipment. At first, everyone was impressed by her ideas and experiments. The longer she stayed, the more insane her ideas became, and the more dangerous her personal experiments. 

In her third year, she published two theoretical propositions. The first one on ‘Quantum entanglement and the importance of polymorphic atoms,’ which was strongly critiqued. I felt bad for her, considering she was being called an inexperienced university student, unrealistic and not based on fact. The second was on ‘Artificial gravity and how to bend time. People said things like ‘someone watched to many syfy movies.’ It was hard to watch as someone as brilliant as her slowly descended into insanity. 

She was like a child playing God. I tried to give her down to earth projects, but I don’t think that helped much. By the time she left, everyone was relieved. Honestly, there were times I thought she was going to blow us all up. Her mind is brilliant, that is for sure, but she needs someone to keep her in check.” 

“Do you know where I can find her publications?” Lena asks, thinking of how quickly Kara helped her solve the calculation the other day. It was almost as if she already knew the solution. 

“That’s the thing. A few months ago, I told a fellow researcher to look into them for inspiration, but he couldn’t find them. Someone pulled the last two from public access.” 

“Do you happen to have a copy?” 

“In fact, I do. Do you have a USB drive?” 

“One moment.” Lena finds her USB drive in her bag and hands it over. 

“I wouldn’t go around telling people you have those. Whoever did remove them was thorough. They clearly don’t want them to be accessible.” 

“Thank you so much for this,” Lena says, taking back the USB drive. 

“Just do me one favor; make sure she doesn’t go insane and drift too far from reality. She seems like a good person.” 

“Yes, of course. She is a good person. I am also worried about her. Thank you again.” Getting up, Lena grabs her bag. 

“Enjoy your day.” 

“You as well.” 

“Darling, can you help me with this for a moment?”, the grey haired woman points at the box on the ground. Together they unpack the microscope and set it on the table. 

“We should hire some help with the equipment. I know Lex already set most of the lab up, but we still need people to lift a few heavy things. And we can use the support for other things as well.” 

“I look into it. Maybe we can recruit some of Lex former goons. We need to be careful though. We don’t know how deep the Kryptonian network goes as of now. I we move to many assets at once we might tip them off.”