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She knew she could stop them. At least a few of them. But not that many. They were time consuming, and by the time she was done with one, the rest were surely wrecking havoc elsewhere. Tornadoes. She could could count at least 10 where she was flying, standing still.
"Brainy…" Kara mumbled onto her comm device. Already defeated, and helpless. "Is there something…?"
"Besides flying on the vortex on the opposite direction, no." He simply said.
"Just take stragglers to a safe place," Alex's voice said. "Material stuff can be replaced, Kara. Lives can't."
She knew those tornadoes weren't natural, if they were she could deal with it. But that many… it was dangerous, she needed to prioritize.
She flew towards one twister that was getting closer to a school, and after making sure there were no people roaming around, she flew on the opposite direction of the vortex, inside the tornado. After a while, it dissolved, but it confirmed her theory that it took too much time.
Kara quickly flew towards another, and another and then another, listening for people being out, or seemingly lost, over the loud blares of the tornado warnings. She helped a family get into their own outside shelter. She flew an older gentleman towards the community center.
She guided a teenager towards the mega store. There were a lot of heartbeats here.
Just before she entered she heard a cat, apparently in distress. Kara looked for it using her x-ray vision, she found it under a car's hood.
It was black, and on the younger side. It reminded her of Streaky. She wanted to fly away, see if she could save more people but the tornado was too close now, and the cat wouldn't survive her flying into the vortex, so she entered the store.
The tornado was about to hit, so she looked for shelter inside, not for her, but the furry friend.
She found herself in a long, narrow hallway packed with people. She stopped in her tracks, looking at the scared faces looking back at her.
"Everyone down, cover your heads." She voiced, still holding the stray cat. The whistle of the tornado closer and closer, the wind picking up.
The building shook, the sound was almost unbearable to Kara's sensitive hearing, but as fast as tornado hit the building, it passed.
The cries around her subsided, and she felt it was secure enough to leave the cat on the floor now.
"Is everyone okay?" She asked, her voice clear.
There was a general assent, but there was a still very loud heartbeat. One she could recognize anywhere. One she had never forgotten.
Kara walked along the hallway, with the excuse of making sure everyone was okay. She found the black cat again, purring around ankles she could recognize anywhere, because of course the cat would pick her.
"I didn't know Supergirl was flying around with a cat now," she said and it's was like music to Kara's ears. That Irish lilt she loved so much, once upon a time.
"Wouldn't that be amazing?" Kara replied, looking directly at Lena's eyes. She was as beautiful as ever. "I didn't know you were back in the city, Ms. Luthor."
Miss Luthor, impersonal, detached. Not Lena or her best friend, even. Miss Luthor, because she lost the right to call her anything else when she lied for years, and then for months hid who she really was when they were tentatively something more than friends.
She wanted to tell her, always. But every-time she tried, her throat closed up.
They never did anything, to be honest. Not even a kiss, but she knew Lena wanted to, and by Rao, Kara wanted it too. So much.
And then… Lena found out, couldn't even look at Kara. Lena packed her bags and left.
The last time she had seen Kara, Supergirl was still wearing the skirt.
The last time she wore that, was three years ago.
"I just got back." Lena swiftly replied. "I have some pending business here, some people have to face me, give explanations."
An opening.
"I understand," Kara gulped.
Lena bent and picked up the black cat, still purring.
"Seems like it likes you," Kara said. "I think you found a new friend."
"At least this one is open about having claws."
Kara nodded, accepting the clear dig at her. "I have to go. People need my help, but I… I'm sure those that owe you, will come through."
Lena said nothing. She kept looking at Kara with cold eyes, scratching the cat's head.
"Do you think it's safe out?"
"I'll make sure to send a team for everyone when it is."
Many hours later, when the crisis was averted, and everyone was safe. Kara found Lena's heartbeat again, she followed it, landing in an unknown balcony.
New, but the heartbeat was there, stubborn, strong.
Kara knocked on the balcony's door. Lena didn't smile, but she walked towards her. Kara noticed the black cat in her arms.
"I didn't came back for you," was the first thing Lena said. "Obviously, I don't plan to get in your way."
"I'm sorry, Lena." Kara said after a beat of silence. "It was stupid of me, not telling you the truth, but I was so scared you would look at me differently, like everyone else, and I ruined it. I ruined us. I didn't want to lose you, but I did anyways by not being sincere."
Kara wanted to say so much more, she wanted to get closer to Lena, wipe the angry tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to hug her, to kiss her, to give them the second chance they deserved. But it wasn't her place.
"I'm glad you kept the little guy," Kara said instead, trying to fill the silence.
"She's getting a chip tomorrow," Lena offered, after a beat. They shared a look, Kara dared to hope. "Maybe you can come with us."
"I'd love too." Kara smiled.