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Kara had already been living in Lois Lane's apartment for a considerable amount of time, as Clark had told her that it wasn't appropriate for her to stay in the guys' area. Although everything was exciting and new at first, the routine was already beginning to overwhelm her. She undoubtedly enjoyed her friend's company. Lois was brilliant and possessed a contagious energy, but she hated when the moment came to be left alone at home. Lois, Clark, and Jimmy were still working at the Daily Planet newspaper, while the Kryptonian's only concern was being Supergirl: saving people and smiling at the cameras. Since there were still many things she didn't know about Earth, her cousin had forbidden her from getting a job for the time being.
«You must adapt completely first, Kara», Clark had told her for her own good. Although Kara felt like she was going crazy from boredom, she ended up accepting his conditions. She didn't want to become a burden or be considered a troublesome guest who didn't understand Earth's social norms.
"I hate this." Kara grumbled, floating a few inches above the bed. The cell phone in her hand wouldn't stop vibrating with messages from her suitors. She was already tired of it, but she kept replying out of mere courtesy. After all, she was Metropolis's second savior, the Girl of Steel who inspired hope in the hearts of the citizens. She couldn't just tell people to go to hell, not even via text message. At least, that's what Clark had told her.
She had made a huge mistake by letting herself get carried away at that conference with Cat and inviting every person she deemed worthy of her. To make matters worse, she had created a profile on a dating app in a fit of competitiveness, aiming to prove to Jimmy that she was desirable too, but why did she need to meet more people? The only person she cared about romantically was Jimmy Olsen.
Thinking of the photographer caused her a shiver of excitement. She longed to be with him at that moment, to hear his cheerful voice and hold his hand. He was still reluctant to formalize a relationship and kept offering the same silly excuses as always, but Kara didn't care, as long as she could spend time by his side. Perhaps Jimmy could reciprocate one day, in the meantime, Kara would wait as long as necessary. She had already wasted twenty-two years of her life serving Brainiac, trapped in a ship, waiting a little longer for the man she loved wouldn't hurt her.
She glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand: Jimmy was due to return home soon. Kara's face lit up with enthusiasm, and she changed clothes in the blink of an eye. She left behind her pink nightgown and shorts to put on jeans and a T-shirt. She would go to his apartment with the intention of surprising him and bringing him some hot dogs, because he would surely be hungry after a long day at the Planet. Afterward, they could relax watching TV for a while, snuggled on the couch while sharing the food and watching their favorite series. Clark would be busy with Lois that night, so they would have all the time in the world to enjoy their privacy. It was the perfect plan!
Without wasting any more time, Kara launched herself through the window like a bullet. She would apologize to Lois later for breaking the glass. Besides, she was already used to those little household accidents.
First, she stopped by the street stand that sold the best hot dogs in Metropolis and bought four, they even gave her an extra one simply for being Supergirl. Kara thanked the good man with a gentle smile and then set off for Jimmy and Clark's apartment, sneaking in through the bedroom window, which they always forgot to close or left open on purpose for her. She liked to think it was their silent way of telling her that she always had a place there.
She left the food on the nightstand, sat on the bunk bed, and waited for the photographer with her hands in her lap, her back straight, her cheeks flushed, and a nervous smile on her lips. He was supposed to have arrived already, but there was still no sign of Jimmy. Kara looked at the door, then at the window, and finally at her phone, which remained silent. She waited a few more minutes until her patience ran out and worry surfaced: what if something had happened to him? What if he had been in an accident on the way? She shook her head to drive those thoughts away and jumped up, determined to go out and look for him, but her super-hearing caught something that forced her to stay right where she was.
"I can't believe you left National City to move to Metropolis."
That was Jimmy's tense voice coming from the building's hallway, likely near the main entrance. He sounded a bit flustered, but not entirely annoyed. Rather, it seemed like he was surprised by something.
"Is that how you welcome me after not seeing each other for so long, James?"
The voice that responded belonged to a young woman. Her tone was melodious and conveyed amusement, as if she enjoyed making Jimmy uncomfortable. Kara frowned, displeased by the thought, and focused on the sound, but she didn't remember ever hearing her before. Who was she, and why had she come to Metropolis? Her instinct told her that this woman was not just an old friend coming to visit.
"Thanks to the media, I found out you're dating Superman's cousin... What was her name?... Superwoman?" She pronounced the name with a touch of curiosity and a poorly hidden disdain.
"It's Supergirl." Now irritation was clearly present in Jimmy's tone. "And no, I'm not dating her."
Kara's mouth opened for a second, ready to let out a complaint that, in the end, no one would hear, but she closed it immediately, swallowing whatever she was about to say. A bitter taste spread across her tongue, and her fists clenched at her sides out of habit. Jimmy hadn't lied; it was true that they weren't dating, how could she refute it? Nevertheless, hearing those words spoken so flatly in front of a stranger with whom he had clearly shared a history hurt more than she was willing to admit.
"And why not? She's an alien and you love everything related to extraterrestrials." The irony creeping into the woman's words made Kara's anger boil in her veins. "Don't you like her?"
At that inappropriate question, Kara suddenly stopped breathing, wishing with all her soul that Jimmy would say something to confirm what she felt. That he would confess that yes, he liked her, that she was more than just a friend.
"Yes, I like her..." Jimmy's abrupt pause made Kara's heart race. For a brief moment, she clung to a small, silly hope. Maybe he would dare to say it. Maybe he was going to confess to that woman that there was something special between them. However, what he said next shattered her heart into a thousand pieces: "But as a friend. That's all." The words fell like a bucket of ice water on the back of Kara's neck.
"I see." The woman let out a high-pitched laugh that drilled into the Kryptonian's ears. Kara felt her chest suddenly tighten. Her fingers trembled, and she had to lean against the wall to keep from swaying, as her knees were beginning to give way. "That means I might have a chance with you."
Thus, Kara understood that this woman hadn't arrived by mere coincidence: she had come with the intention of claiming Jimmy's heart, and by the way she spoke, she seemed to have every advantage. Her confidence was overwhelming. She knew which buttons to press and what words to use to sow doubt and reclaim lost ground.
"Wait, wait, Supergirl..." Jimmy tried to interrupt urgently.
"Supergirl is an alien, honey." The woman didn't let him finish. "We already have Superman, why do we need another one? He's more than enough for us. He's a grown man. On the other hand, this Supergirl..." She went silent for a few seconds, and Kara managed to imagine in vivid detail the contemptuous smile on that woman's face. "She tried to destroy Earth, who can guarantee she won't want to do it again in the future? She's a ticking time bomb just waiting for the right moment to explode."
"But she..." Jimmy tried again, but it was in vain, because the other woman continued her speech without mercy.
"She's a living weapon, don't you realize, James?" She spat with disdain. "Do you really want something like that in your life? You saw how she fought Superman, not once, but twice." She emphasized. To her, Supergirl was nothing more than a threat disguised as a heroine, a latent danger that in the least expected second could unleash chaos on Earth.
Suddenly, the air became difficult to breathe in the room, and Kara's chest compressed. The woman didn't know her; she didn't know what she had suffered: the trauma of having been forced to participate in genocides under Brainiac's mind control, nor the battles she had fought to redeem herself. She didn't know that Kara had cried for the worlds she had helped destroy. And yet, with just a few sentences, she had managed to drive a dagger into her deepest wound and pulverize her self-belief.
Kara remained leaning against the wall, her gaze lost, remembering the first time she arrived on Earth, when she captured Kal-El and handed him over to Brainiac. She didn't remember well the second time she had faced him in «Eradicator» mode, she only had fragments in her memory, and most were blurry. Despite everything, she was no longer a weapon, even though the remorse for her horrible acts still tormented her. Yes, sometimes she had questionable attitudes, but it was because she still hadn't finished adapting to Earth, and frankly, she didn't believe herself capable of ever doing so. It took her cousin a lifetime to achieve it, and even then, he still had his slips. But she wasn't like Kal-El; she lacked his patience, generosity, and kindness. She was impulsive, clumsy, and often said inappropriate things.
Hearing that stranger voice her insecurities with Jimmy present without him denying them was more than she could bear. No, she shouldn't even be there hidden in the room like an intruder. She had no business listening to a conversation that was none of her concern. She needed to learn to respect others' privacy, after all, it was a fundamental rule on Earth.
Kara blinked as moisture fogged her eyes. She swallowed with difficulty, a thick knot tightening in her throat, preventing her from swallowing properly. She moved toward the window with a heavy heart, and upon hearing the jingle of Jimmy's keys as he opened the door, she shot out the way she had entered, leaving the hot dogs on the nightstand. She didn't pick a specific destination; she just flew and flew over the Metropolis sky, furiously wiping away with her forearm the tears that, every now and then, appeared without permission and blurred her vision. She couldn't stop thinking about how that woman had described her existence as something superfluous, as a threat and an oddity that had no place in Jimmy's life.
Suddenly, the Flamebird device on her wrist that allowed her to communicate with others lit up, announcing a call. Kara looked at it with indignation, yanked the watch off, and threw it from the heights. She didn't want to hear from anyone at that moment; besides, who else could it be if not Jimmy? Surely he had already realized she had been in his room because of the abandoned hot dogs. It was more than obvious that he wanted to offer her an explanation, but Kara didn't wish to hear any justification that would only make the wound deeper.
At some point, without being aware of when she had made the decision, she altered her trajectory toward Antarctica. The Fortress of Solitude came into view as the snow fell heavily, concealing the silhouette of the Kryptonian structure. Kara landed, her feet sinking into the snow. She headed toward her cousin's base of operations, and the robotic guardians guarding the place were quick to approach her, asking all kinds of questions about her state and her unexpected arrival. Kara ignored them, as she only had one goal in mind: to visit the place where she had left Brainiac's CPU.
Upon entering the chamber, darkness greeted her. Kara stood still, her arms hanging at her sides and her eyes fixed on the spot where she knew the consciousness core of her jailer and sole companion for twenty-two years was located. Brainiac's hologram materialized in front of her. Seeing him, Kara experienced mixed emotions: on one hand, she feared him, and on the other, somehow, she missed his company, despite the toxic relationship they had shared. Brainiac had been the closest thing to a family she had known for so long, her only father figure, albeit an abusive one. Even so, his holographic presence reminded her that, at least, she had had a place where she belonged, a loveless place, but a place nonetheless.
"Primus?" She whispered hesitantly, expecting the hologram to react, to insult her or belittle her as he had on so many other occasions. But he was just standing there, looking past her. "Father?" She insisted once more, raising her voice, but Brainiac's image remained static.
Kara's face contorted into a bitter grimace. She closed her eyes, holding back the tears that stung her retinas. What had she been thinking when she decided to return to this place? Primus Brainiac despised her for being a traitor, for being weak, for being a disappointment. There was nothing for her there, only the shadow of a past she couldn't change and a father figure who had never truly loved her. But the overwhelming feeling of loneliness that had lodged in her chest after listening to Jimmy's conversation had guided her to the only being who could understand her, even if it was only to hurt her once more. Of course, there was also Kal-El, who always cared about her and offered his unconditional support, but she didn't want to ruin her cousin's night with her emotional problems. He was happy with Lois, and Kara wasn't going to be the burden that ruined his evening.
Kara sat on the floor, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Then she buried her face between them, and her hair fell forward, hiding her expression.
"Father..." She whispered to herself, hugging herself tighter. "I feel so lonely." Her shoulders shook from the crying she was striving to suppress. She had believed she had found her mate, someone to whom she could confide her secrets, fears, and hopes. She had seen in Jimmy that special person who would accept her just as she was, with all her imperfections, her traumas, and her complicated past. She had placed in him the faith she had denied everyone else. But she had been wrong. Jimmy would never accept her. Now she understood why he always changed the subject when she spoke of her feelings: deep down, he was still afraid of her. He feared she was a ticking time bomb, just as that woman had mentioned.
"I used to feel lonely too."
Kara blinked and whipped her head up upon hearing that voice, as familiar as it was unexpected. Her heart skipped a beat in surprise. She hadn't even heard him arrive, as she was so absorbed in her own misery that she had blocked out external stimuli. Turning around, she met Clark's worried face, causing shame to warm her cheeks. How long had he been there? Had she ruined his night with Lois Lane?
"Do you remember when I sent you that message through the transmitter?" Clark asked calmly, sitting on the floor next to Kara. The hologram's light illuminated their faces. "I was desperate to find someone who could understand me, someone like me. I spent years feeling like the only one of my kind, carrying the weight of being different in a world that didn't fully accept me." Melancholy appeared in his eyes behind his glasses.
Kara's gaze shifted forward, focusing on the motionless image of Brainiac.
"I remember." Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she recalled that day when her cousin first contacted her and she disobeyed Brainiac's orders just to go see him. "But it's not pleasant. I hurt you, Kal-El. I handed you over to my father. I put everyone in danger." Her voice wavered as she spoke. No matter how many lives she saved as Supergirl, she would always be the Kara Scion who had betrayed her only real family.
"That's not true." Clark's tone turned even softer. "It wasn't your fault; you were just following orders. Brainiac had total control over you. You didn't make those decisions because you wanted to; you made them because you had no other choice." He reached out a hand and placed it on Kara's tense shoulder, sensing the tremor growing in his cousin's body. "And that doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a survivor." He acknowledged, forming a sweet, warm smile as soon as Kara turned to look at him. Both pairs of blue eyes met in the darkness of the chamber. "You lived under Brainiac's yoke for twenty-two years, and yet you have the courage to smile and do good. You picked yourself up after falling, fought your own demons, and chose to be better. That's not something just anyone can do, Kara." His voice was filled with genuine pride.
Kara's eyes gleamed with a watery shine that began to slide down her flushed cheeks. Her lower lip trembled, followed by a stronger, steady shake that ran through her from head to toe. The knot tightening in her throat grew tighter, preventing her from saying a single word to express everything swirling in her chest. Instead, a heartbreaking sob escaped her lips. Clark said nothing more, he closed the small gap between them and wrapped his arms around her, enfolding her in a tender, brotherly hug.
"It's okay, Kara." Clark's voice trembled with emotion too. "I'm here. I won't leave you alone." He whispered, resting his chin on her head and stroking her blonde hair. "Family is here to support each other. You don't have to carry all of this alone."
Kara clung to her cousin with a strength capable of fracturing human bones, but Clark, being Kryptonian, only felt the desperate grip of someone who needed company. Kara's fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt, and her body shook with sobs. She could do nothing to stop the hiccups and intense spasms shaking her chest. Tears flowed profusely, soaking Clark's clothes. Crying in such an exposed way was not like a warrior like her. However, it wasn't possible to stop at that point. The avalanche of emotions she had suppressed for months overflowed without control. It was the first time that loneliness and sadness had overwhelmed her in that way, feeling so unprotected and, at the same time, so relieved to be able to share that burden with someone else.
"That's it." Clark whispered with a knot of thorns coiled in his throat. He held her tighter against his chest to contain her trembling. Tears also streamed down his face in silence, because seeing Kara like that broke his heart. "Don't keep it inside. Let it out. You don't have to be strong all the time, Kara. It's okay not to be."
Both remained in that position for a long time, embraced in the center of the chamber. Kara's sobs gradually subsided, as did the tremor shaking her body, reducing to short breaths and deep sighs that soon regained their normal rhythm. Her fingers loosened one by one, relaxing the tension that held them rigid, until only her forehead remained resting on Clark's chest, her clouded gaze fixed on the metal floor. She felt exhausted, but also strangely light. Tears still dampened her cheeks, though they no longer flowed with the same intensity.
"Thank you, Kal-El." Kara sniffled and wiped her eyes with her arm. She raised her head, pulling back from the embrace to look her cousin in the eye. "I really needed that."
"You don't have to thank me." Clark smiled at her, took off his glasses, and wiped away his tears with the pad of his thumb. "You know you can always count on me, no matter what." He paused upon remembering something important and reached into his pants pocket. "By the way..." He pulled out an object that gleamed under the light of the room: it was the Flamebird watch Kara had thrown from the sky. "I believe this belongs to you." He held out the device, which had its screen damaged by a crack in the glass. "You won't believe it, but this thing fell right on my head while I was walking." Clark put his glasses back on and laughed softly. "I was so distracted thinking about what I'd have for dinner with Lois that I didn't see it coming. It hit me right on the crown of my head." He reached up to his head and rubbed the spot where he had taken the hit.
Kara blinked a couple of times and remained silent. First, she looked at the watch resting in the palm of Clark's hand, and then she shifted her attention to her cousin's face, taking in the amused expression adorning his features. The image of the imposing Kryptonian walking peacefully through the streets of Metropolis and getting hit in the head by a flying watch made her burst into loud laughter.
"I'm sorry." She expressed through laughs, clutching her stomach with both hands. Tears appeared again, but this time they were of pure joy. "I didn't mean to. I swear." She managed to articulate between snorts. "I didn't know you were going to be right underneath. It was a random throw, like your Earth ball."
"I think you've learned the Kent family tradition very well," Clark joked. Although Kara seemed calmer, he knew that the most crucial part of the conversation was still missing. There was a pending matter he couldn't postpone. "Listen, Kara, there's someone outside who urgently wants to talk to you." He said, emphasizing the last word. There was a glint of complicity in his eyes. "And I think he's about to go crazy." He added, raising an eyebrow mischievously.
"What?" Kara managed to ask as her laughter gradually faded. She wrinkled her nose and tilted her head in confusion. "Who is it, Kal?"
Clark exhaled a long sigh, and then his smile broadened. He stood up and extended his hand to his cousin.
"It's better if you find out for yourself."
Clark's mysterious tone sparked Kara's curiosity. She didn't hesitate for a second and took her cousin's hand, who helped her up very carefully. Her legs were numb after spending so much time on the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught one last glimpse of Brainiac's hologram. «Goodbye, father», she whispered in a bitter farewell before leaving the darkness of the chamber and moving to the upper level of the Fortress, where the supposed guest and the guardian robots awaited.
When she ascended, the first thing that appeared in Kara's field of vision was the image of a completely distraught Jimmy, with reddened eyes, as if he had been crying or was about to do so. Lois was by his side, patting him on the back.
"Jimmy Flamebird?" Kara was unable to hide the surprise that took over her upon seeing Jimmy in that state. However, that astonishment also vanished upon remembering what had happened in his room, giving way to a dismay that dimmed the brightness on her face. She looked away and clenched her fists at her sides, digging her nails into the palms of her hands. "Why have you come?" Her tone was not cold, but rather hurt.
The silence lingered for a few seconds, as the answer Kara received was not expressed verbally. Jimmy ran toward her and, without giving her time to react, wrapped her in a hug. Kara froze, her eyes and mouth wide open, not knowing how to handle Jimmy's physical contact after everything that had happened. Why was he hugging her? What did that gesture mean after what she had heard?
"Forgive me, Kara." Jimmy forced himself to sound firm, but his voice broke on the first try. His arms trembled around the Kryptonian. "I don't know how much you heard, but nothing that woman said is true." Kara's body tensed under his arms, but Jimmy held her tighter, refusing to let go. "You're not a living weapon, you're a superhero who brings hope to people. You're the most incredible girl I've ever met: beautiful, sweet, funny, strong, charismatic, and..." His words got tangled, and heat rushed to his face suddenly as he realized the confession was getting out of hand.
Jimmy heard a giggle behind his back, followed by another, and blushes furiously as he realized that Clark and Lois were witnessing the scene, both amused and touched at the same time. He stepped back slightly from Kara to turn his head and see his friends covering their mouths to hold back their laughter.
"Hey, you two, don't laugh!" Jimmy let out a high-pitched whine, and Clark and Lois quieted down immediately.
What Jimmy didn't expect was to feel a pair of warm hands on his face. Kara gently forced him to turn his gaze back toward her. She needed to hear more. She needed him to open his heart the way she had done so many times before. Jimmy blinked, captivated by the blonde's beautiful eyes. He became trapped in them and forgot everything he had planned to say.
"Kara..." He took a deep breath, gathering the courage needed to proceed and not die in the attempt. "For a long time, I was making absurd excuses because I believed I wasn't good enough for you. I mean, just look at you: you're Metropolis's most eligible bachelorette, with thousands of suitors chasing after you." He laughed, rubbing his neck with visible nervousness. He swallowed, and a sad smile crossed his lips, laying bare his insecurities. "On the other hand, I'm... Well, I'm just Jimmy Olsen. A regular guy who came to Metropolis to pursue a dream and, by twists of fate, ended up surrounded by heroes and aliens."
Jimmy's gaze darkened for a brief moment, regretting not having put a stop to that woman who had returned only with the intention of hurting the most important person to him. His eyebrows furrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line. He had allowed her to speak, to sow doubt and malice, and now he had to face the consequences of his silence. But he was not going to let his fear or indecision ruin what he wanted most in the world.
"As for that girl who came looking for me, she's my ex." His jaw tensed as he remembered the way she talked about Kara. "Yes, we had something, but it ended a long time ago because she never accepted me as I am; she always wanted to change me." His fingers intertwined with Kara's and squeezed them. "And today I was about to let her words affect me. But then I remembered everything we've shared, and I knew I couldn't let her win."
"Jimmy, you..." Kara began to say, but Jimmy gently interrupted her, raising one hand to stop her without letting go of the other.
"Let me finish, please." He asked her with determination. "When you arrived, Kara, when I met you, I knew I had found someone who looked at me without judging me, who saw me just as I was and liked what she saw. And that scared me, because for the first time in a long time, I felt I could be myself without fear of being rejected." Jimmy took another deep breath and cleared his throat. "But a friend told me that love isn't for cowards." He commented, glancing quickly at Lois, who gave him a knowing wink and a thumbs-up, a sign of support that provided the final push he needed. "That's why, Kara Kent, if you'll let me, I would really like to be your boyfriend."
Kara didn't move; her eyes were fixed on Jimmy's, who looked as if he were about to emit smoke from his ears from how red he had turned. His hands were cold and trembling slightly, which contrasted with the warmth of the confession. Kara looked at them with curiosity and remembered that her own hands had also been trembling a few minutes ago, but for different reasons: hers from pain and loneliness; Jimmy's from fear of rejection and the hope of being accepted.
"Hey, but if you don't want to, that's fine." Jimmy hurried to add upon noticing the Kryptonian's hesitation. He loosened his fingers, prepared to let her go. "I understand this is sudden and that maybe you need time to think about it, and I don't want to pressure you or..."
"I forgive you." Kara spoke, and before Jimmy could respond, she raised her head and caught his lips in a clumsy, fleeting kiss. Jimmy's eyes went wide, surprised by the unexpected contact.
When Kara pulled away, her cheeks were as red as Jimmy's.
"I would love for you to be my mate, Jimmy Flamebird." She accepted, feeling her excited heart thumping against her ribs and a pleasant tingling on her lips.
"Awww." Clark expressed from behind, his eyes wide and shiny like a puppy's, moved to his very soul by his best friend's confession and his cousin's response. He had his hands together over his chest and a huge smile on his face. "That was beautiful."
"Take it easy, Smallville, don't go crying on us." Lois joked, giving her boyfriend comforting pats on the back. Although she couldn't deny it, she was also very happy that her friends had finally decided to be together after so long.
"Kal-El, Lois Lane, Jimmy Flamebird and I are finally a couple, just like you two!" Kara exclaimed, overflowing with joy. Her face lit up with a radiant smile. With a swift movement, she scooped Jimmy into her arms and carried him as if he weighed nothing. Jimmy could only manage to cover his red face with both hands. It would be a bit tricky to get used to a woman who could bend steel with her bare hands carrying him like a sack of feathers, but not impossible. A nervous laugh escaped his throat, and his body slowly relaxed in Kara's embrace, trusting that she would never let him fall.
"Yeah, girl, we noticed." Lois let out a short laugh that was instantly smothered when Clark mirrored Kara's movement and, without warning, scooped her up into his arms with the same ease, causing the reporter to let out a shriek as she clung to her boyfriend's neck. "Clark! Warn me before you do that!" She protested through laughs.
"I propose we celebrate with a double date." The Kryptonian suggested, giving Lois a loving look. The idea of sharing this special moment with the people he loved most made his heart beat strongly.
"That's a great idea, Kal-El!" Kara grinned from ear to ear, squeezing Jimmy a bit tighter against her chest. "Let's go!" And with her boyfriend in her arms, she shot out of the Fortress of Solitude toward the sky, back to Metropolis.
Clark, brimming with enthusiasm, did the same. His laughter joined the others' as he lifted Lois. Both Kryptonians soared through the starry sky, enjoying the beautiful view, with their respective partners clinging to them.