Chapter Text
ˋ°•*⁀➷ ★ˋ°•*⁀➷ ★
The day had been painfully long. Training with the other Avengers was not for the weak — not that Kate was. Or at least she did her best to believe so. Well, she had been chosen by the Clint Barton (AKA Hawkeye, AKA her partner, AKA her friend) to be part of the team. Who used to be one of the founding members of the Avengers back in 2012. That wasn’t nothing.
Kate Bishop let out a sigh as the thoughts swirled in her head and her building’s elevator went higher and higher. She couldn’t wait to take off her shoes and fall on her couch with a slice of pizza in her hand. The bag she was holding was heavy, full of arrows Peter had designed for her (something about explosions and trackers), as well as other useful weapons.
The elevator stopped with a ding that pierced the silence surrounding Kate. Her limbs hurt from all the boxing she had practiced with Yelena and Kamala. The doors slide open, revealing the empty floor. Two doors on the wall facing Kate, one on the left and a fourth one on the right.
Pulling her keys out of her pocket, Kate went to the door on the left. The keychains jingled against each other as Kate inserted the key in the key hole. There was the mini-bow that Clint had offered her the previous Christmas, a bear wearing an “I Love Paris” shirt that Yelena had brought back from one of her missions, a metal cheeseburger from America…
Kate twisted the key and pushed the door open ; she realized that something was very wrong the second she entered her apartment.
Her place was the best thing she could have ever wished for. It opened directly into the wide living room, along with the open kitchen and its island (which was more of a bar counter) on the left. The wall opposing the entrance was actually a giant window overlooking New York’s skyscrapers. Lucky was sleeping in the side of the room, in his dog bed. Yeah, being an Avengers had its perks. She even had two couches and a TV. However, what wasn’t part of her furniture was a blonde girl.
Yep. There was a girl in her house.
And clearly, that girl was very drunk because she was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling and muttering something to herself — Kate couldn’t make out her words but it really wasn’t her top priority at the moment.
Kate silently reached for the zipper of their bag, eyeing the girl who hadn’t noticed her. The blonde was under some sort of red blanket and only the heels of her red boots were visible. She was also wearing big sunglasses on top of her head.
Kate put her hand in her bag and grabbed the first thing that she found — well, second, she didn’t want to blow up the intruder with a grenade. She pulled out a stick of metal and pointed it toward the girl who let out a small giggle for no apparent reason.
Was it some kind of test ? Was the girl dangerous ? And why on Earth was she in Kate’s apartment ?
“Get out of my apartment,” Kate said as confidently as she could, getting flashbacks from when she had first met Yelena — who had also broken into her place.
The girl startled and got on her knees, staring at Kate with wide eyes. “Who are you…?”
“What are you doing here ?” Kate asked, her stick still in the direction of the girl. “What do you want ?”
The blonde’s red blanket slipped and Kate realized that it was actually a cape. And hidden underneath was a blue suit and a red skirt.
“How did you get his ?” Kate whispered, staring at the red and yellow “S” painted on the girl’s chest.
“What are you doing in my house ?” the blonde girl slurred, pushing back the sliding sunglasses on top of her head. She slowly stood up and nearly tumbled in the process.
Kate let out an unamused laugh. “Excuse me ? You’re the one who broke into my apartment !”
The girl turned around, staring at the place on the floor she had just been laying on. “Ohhh. That’s why I couldn’t find the couch.” The girl let out a chuckle, as though the situation was very funny.
“How did you end up here ?” Kate asked, even though the answer was pretty obvious. She wondered how many drinks the girl had had to end up in someone else’s place. And how she had managed to enter her apartment if she was so drunk…
“I followed my dog.”
Kate looked around the room suspiciously. There was no sign of a dog apart from Lucky who was still sleeping peacefully. “What dog are you talking about ?”
The girl opened her mouth with a smile. “My dog. Krypto.”
“There’s no dog here apart from mine,” Kate replied, waving the metal stick in the air.
“Oh, he’s here,” the girl nodded with a laugh. “I followed him.”
“Listen, I don’t know who you are and what dog you’re talking about but you need to leave.”
“Why ?” the girl whined as she tried (and failed) to take a step toward Kate ; she caught herself on the floor lamp and chuckled to herself again.
“Because you’re drunk and I don’t know who the hell you are ?” Kate suggested. The girl didn’t seem dangerous and Kate was hoping that she could get her out of her apartment without a fight.
“Well then we can get to know each other,” the blonde smiled widely.
Kate’s eyebrows shut up in the air. “Listen Blondie—”
“I’m not Blondie,” the girl cut off with a confused frown. “I’m Kara.”
“I wasn’t saying that you’re— What do you want ?”
“I just want my dog back.”
“Well I don’t have your dog.”
“I know you don’t have him. But he’s here.”
Kate let out a sigh as she lowered her stick (her arm was starting to ache anyway). “Alright Kara… How about I help you find your dog and you leave ?”
“Excellent idea,” Kara replied, placing her hands on her hips. She looked like Superman more than ever and Kate wondered how she had stolen the suit away from him. Without a warning, she spun on her heels and went straight to Kate’s bedroom, clapping her hands and whistling.
“Krypto ? Krypto, where are you ?”
“Krypto ?” Kate whispered, following Kara after putting her stick down on the couch.
Kate hit the light switch as she entered the room. Kara let out a groan and placed her hands in front of her eyes, as though she was being blinded.
“Oops. Sorry,” Kate winced, switching the light back off. She hoped that Kara wouldn’t make any comment on the giant teddy bear on her bed that her mother had offered her for her birthday a few years before.
“It’s fine,” Kara mumbled. “Is that your boyfriend ?” she then asked with a smirk, eyeing the teddy bear.
Kate ignored her and let the silence fill the room for a few seconds before speaking again : “So…” Kate started, glancing at the girl who dropped herself on the ground to look under Kate’s bed, “How did you get inside ?”
“Through the window,” Kara said, waving her arms toward the living room.
Kate peeked her head through the threshold of her room. One of the window’s panels was opened. She cursed herself for thinking that being on the seventeenth floor of her building could keep her safe — she was in New York after all.
“Right… And you followed your dog through the window ?”
“Yeah ? He can fly.”
“That’s useful,” Kate commented as she watched Kara slowly getting back up with a wince, hand on the side of her head.
“Yeah, it’s pretty fun.”
“Did you—”
A bark coming from the living room interrupted Kate who turned around to see a white dog with a red cape sitting on her couch, right next to Lucky who had silently woken up.
“What the—”
“Krypto !” Kara exclaimed as she stumbled through the bedroom to get to her dog. She walked straight into Kate who put her hands on each side of the girl’s shoulder to help her stay up — and away from her. She could smell the alcohol coming off of Kara but there was something else too, something Kate didn’t know, as though the scent wasn’t coming from Earth.
Kate frowned as she stared at Kara, who simply stared back with a confused smile. Her hair was wavy and her eyes were gray but Kate was pretty sure that they would look blue in the sun.
“Where did you get that suit ?” she asked softly, not tearing her eyes away from Kara’s face.
Kara blinked once. Twice. Her stare seemed to harden slightly. “Superman gave it to me.”
“Why did Superman give you a suit like his ?” Kate whispered. Was Kara his girlfriend or something ?
“I’m his cousin,” Kara said, pulling away from Kate’s hold. She nearly fell again and Kate tried to reach for her but Kara pushed her arm away lightly and leaned against the wall before whistling.
“Krypto, come here !”
The dog barked again and jumped off the couch, and started to float before running toward its owner in the air.
“He does fly,” Kate commented as the dog literally rammed into Kara and hurled her on the bed. “Holy— Are you okay ?”
Kara burst out laughing. “Of course I’m okay,” she smiled. “Aren’t you the greatest dog in the universe ?” she then told Krypto who was jumping around her like a maniac.
“Is your dog on drugs ?” Kate asked with a frown.
“He’s happy to see me,” Kara replied as she tried to push Krypto away to get out of Kate’s bed and… Kate’s bed.
“Can you please get out of my bed ?” Kate asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest in what she hoped was a menacing pose.
“Right,” Kara slurred. “Yeah, sorry.”
The blonde girl rolled out of the bed and fell on the floor but got up as though it was nothing. She grabbed Krypto under her arm and stumbled out of the room. Kate carefully got out of the way as she walked past her.
“Do you walk around with a metal stick in your pocket ?” Kara asked, nodding her head toward the staff laying on the couch.
“Actually I usually carry my bow around. With arrows.”
“Why ?” Kara asked as she sat down on the floor, looking up at Kate.
“Because I’m an Avenger,” Kate said with a shrug, trying to hide the pride her situation brought up in her.
Kara raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You are an Avengers ? I didn’t see you on TV.”
Kate huffed. “I’m discreet. I don’t do it for fame.”
“Right,” Kara nodded with a yawn.
“You should go to sleep since you’re so tired,” Kate said curtly.
“Really ? Aww thanks !” Kara exclaimed as she let go of Krypto and got up. Surprisingly, the dog stayed quiet and simply trotted around Kara’s legs.
“What do you mean ‘thanks’ ?” Kate questioned, unsure of what she had seemingly just promised the girl.
“Thanks for letting me stay the night !” Kara said joyfully as she sat down on the couch, putting her feet on the coffee table and spreading her arms on each side of the couch.
“But I didn’t—”
“Honestly, I don’t think I could find the way to my apartment now. I’m sooo drunk.”
“I’m not invit—”
Kara yawned. “What’s your name again ?”
“Kate.”
“Thank you Kate.” Kara closed her eyes and let her head drop backward.
“I can’t let you sleep here !” Kate exclaimed, growing annoyed at the girl’s careless attitude.
Kara opened one eye to glance at Kate. “Why not ?”
“Because I don’t know who you are. What if yo-you try to kill me in my sleep ?”
Kara burst out laughing and closed her eye again. “I swear I won’t. I should be worried that you will try to kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you.”
“Good. Me neither.”
With a sigh, Kate sat down on the floor, next to the coffee table, not too close to Kara.
“You’re not from Earth either, right ?” she asked softly. She didn’t even know that Superman had a cousin. Apparently, the planet he came from had been destroyed, leaving him the only survivor.
“Nop,” Kara replied. “But I live in Metropolis now.”
“Metropolis ?” Kate repeated. “You’re far from there.”
Kara laughed. “No I’m not.”
“Yes. You are.”
Kara opened her eyes to look at Kate with bewilderment. “Are we not in Metropolis ?”
“No, we’re way up north. New York.”
Kara groaned loudly and Kate resisted the urge to let out a chuckle. “Krypto,” she complained. “Why’d you take me here ?”
The dog barked and Kara laughed. Does she speak dog language ? Kate thought. The girl promised herself not to fall asleep as she watched Kara closing her eyes once again. Sure, she claimed to be Superman’s cousin and even wore a suit like his, but she still didn’t know her. She had a thousand questions she wanted to ask but she wasn’t going to say anything to the blonde girl. Kate was going to be in full defensive mode.
“So do you have any superpowers ?”
Kara stretched her arms above her head and took her feet off the table. “Yeah.”
“Like Superman ?”
“Technically, he has my powers. I’m older.”
“Really ? From how much ?”
“A few years,” Kara whispered. Slowly, she reached for her shoes and started to take them off with difficulty. She was wearing white socks with unicorns on them underneath.
“So you have laser eyes and everything ?”
“Yeah, do you want me to sho—”
“No !” Kate exclaimed. “No need.”
“Okay good because it actually gives me the worst headache ever when I’m drunk. It happened to me once, when I was on a planet with a yellow sun. I wanted to cut my head off.”
Kara seemed very amused by what she was saying and Kate could only nod as an answer.
“Of course I can also fly. And I’m super strong. And I don’t— Wait. What are your powers ?”
Kate raised her chin with satisfaction. “I don’t have any.”
“But you’re an Avenger…”
“I know. They say I’m one of the greatest archers in the world. I think I’m close to reaching Clint’s level.”
“Who’s Clint ?” Kara frowned.
“He’s a friend. My mentor. Idol. Partner.” Kate let out a small laugh, considering all the things Clint was to her.
“Right. And just because you’re good with a bow they let you be part of the Avengers ?”
Kate’s smile dropped. Was the girl always so rude with everyone ? So… purposely impolite ?
“That’s easy to ask, you’re so some kind of goddess,” Kate spat as she stood up, earning a confused look from Kara.
“Thank you ?”
“It’s not a compliment,” Kate said as she turned away from her and went to her room.
“Wow, wow, wow, what did I say ?” Kara slurred as she stood up and followed Kate. Krypto barked but stayed on the couch, waving his tail rapidly. Lucky barked too and Krupto groaned.
“Nothing. I’m going to bed,” Kate lied. No way she was sleeping with a stranger in her house. Maybe she should just fight her. Fight Kara and force her out of her apartment.
“Listen, you don’t trust me, I get it,” Kara said with an eye roll. “But there’s no need to act so bitchy.”
“Excuse me ?” Kate scoffed. “You broke into my apartment !”
“And I apologize for it. Happy ?”
“No.”
“Alright,” Kara said harshly. “I’m leaving then. Since I’m bothering you so much.”
“Good idea.”
Kara nodded a few times and went back to the couch, where she had left her knee-high red boots. She grabbed them and whistled once ; Krypto jumped off the couch, went to Lucky, barked at him with what sounded like affection and followed Kara as she walked to the door. Her steps were still shaky and she tried a few times before successfully getting the door handle. Kara opened the door widely, and loudly hit her head with it.
“Ouch,” she moaned, grabbing the side of her face. “Sorry. I’m okay.”
Krypto barked and Kate let out a sigh, grabbing the edge of her nose, already regretting the decision she was about to make. She thought about Yelena again and how they had fought in the beginning, only to become close friends.
“Fine. You can stay. If you stop making snarky comments.”
Kara whooped and spun on her hills before tumbling and falling on her knees. “Shit,” she laughed. “Thanks. I knew you’d come to reason.”
“You can close the door,” Kate said before going to the kitchen side of the room and opening the fridge — she had promised herself a slice of pizza long before meeting Kara. “You want something to eat ?”
“What do you have ?” Kara asked as she dropped herself on one of the chairs of the counter.
“Pizza.”
“Pizza’s great.”
Kate pulled the pizza out of her fridge and put it in the microwave before grabbing two cans of soda.
“Can I ask you something ?” Kara asked, more polite than she had been the entire night.
“Sure,” Kate shrugged as she opened the sodas.
“Why are you part of the Avengers ?”
Kate didn’t have to think long to find an answer. “I enjoy helping people. Making sure that they stay safe and that they feel safe. It’s cool.”
Kara slowly nodded. “I guess that’s why you’re letting me stay here.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“Clark is more of the super hero kind than I am,” Kara said.
Clark ? Kate thought, Superman’s name is Clark ?
“Why not you ?” Kate questioned as she set one of the sodas in front of Kara.
Kara grabbed her can and took a sip. “Clark… he’s an optimist, he believes that everyone has a little bit of good inside of them. And me… I’m more realistic.”
“As in, you think that everyone is a little bit bad ?”
“I suppose,” Kara shrugged.
“You know, if everyone’s a little bad it means that everyone is a little good too,” Kate tried to reason.
“I’m too drunk to have this conversation,” Kara replied matter-of-factly.
Kate laughed a little. The microwave bipped and she pulled two plates out of her cabinet, opened the microwave and threw the hot slices of pizza in the blue plates.
“Thanks,” Kara mumbled when she put the food down in front of her.
“Sure,” Kate nodded as she sat in front of the girl. “Any specific reason you’re so drunk ?”
Kara let out a loud sigh, making Kate almost certain that she wouldn’t answer her question — but she did anyway. “I got into an argument with Clark again. About my place in society and boring stuff like that.”
“He wants you to be a superhero like you,” Kate guessed.
“Yeah,” Kara confirmed. “That’s why he got me that suit,” she added, waving her hand toward her clothes.
“It looks good,” Kate said honestly.
“Thanks. But it doesn’t really feel like me. It’s like…”
“Like you’re a copy of your cousin ?” the dark haired girl proposed.
“Exaclty !” Kara exclaimed, hitting her fist on the counter. “He wants me to wear it to show that I’m part of the good guys but why does it have to be his symbol that I’m wearing ?”
“Totally agree,” Kate said even though she had taken Clint’s weapons, symbols and alias. “You have to choose the symbol yourself. You need to wait for your heart to… accept it.” She felt kinda silly saying those things but she figured that Kara being drunk was the best state of mind she could be in to receive such advice.
“That’s so deep,” Kara nodded with wide eyes.
“I mean… not really,” Kate shrugged, awkwardly looking away from the blonde girl.
“You’re smart. I like you,” Kara slowly nodded with a grin.
“Yeah, you’re not so bad either,” Kate replied, a smile blooming on her face.
“Are you going to finish that pizza ?” Kara asked, her eyes directed to Kate’s plate. The girl realized that Kara had finished her slice during their conversation and that she hadn’t even touched her food.
“I guess you can have it,” Kate answered. “I’m not that hungry anyway.”
“Thanks.”
“Would it be weird if I invited you to train with the other Avengers and I tomorrow ?” Kate asked as Kara reached for the pizza. Her hand stilled in the air and her eyes rose to meet Kate’s.
“I think it’d be weird if I accepted.”
“Maybe,” Kate agreed.
“Okay then. I accept.”
“You just need to promise me that you won’t try to kill anyone.”
“I already swore I wouldn’t kill you,” Kara replied, her mouth full of food. “Wait… Do the Avengers often try to kill each other or something ?”
“Long stories. Thankfully no one died yet.”
“Well, I promise that I won’t purposely kill any of your friends.”
“Amazing.”
Kate bit her lips to hide the smile stretching her lips, observing Kara who was looking at their dogs. Krypto and Lucky were barking at each other, communicating words the two girls would never understand. Krypto twirled in his red cap and Lucky jumped after him, swinging his tail left to right with excitement.