Chapter Text
“Green Lantern?” Kara did her best to keep the skepticism from her voice, but she couldn't help it. Martians made sense to her. Aliens of every race and species were a fact from her time on Krypton. She knew beings with marvelous, breathtaking abilities, but what J'onn was describing to her now felt absurd.
“Rumor has it there's a Corp of them, spread out amongst the stars. Their job isn't unlike ours – to keep the worlds under their watchful eyes safe from threats.” He shifted his focus back to the footage that had prompted this meeting. Maggie had gotten word about a group of black market arms dealers. Her informant said that whatever these dealers had acquired, it could take down Supergirl. Before the D.E.O. could come up with a plan to storm the warehouse, this new player had taken down the entire gang. The video didn't show much - only a green blur whooshing by, flashes of light, then the same blur whooshing way. Given the green light, Kara – and everyone else at the D.E.O. - had suspected a Kryptonite-powered weapon. Those fears were quashed when their sweep of the warehouse showed no radiological markers for the dangerous element. And in the weeks since the raid, reports had trickled in of a woman in a black and green suit with matching green mask saving people. Whoever this new player was, they weren't evil. But it had been weeks and nobody at the D.E.O. could figure out what their agenda was...until J'onn uttered the phrase “Green Lantern.”
Kara crossed her arms, assuming a defensive posture. “So if they're here for a public good, why haven't they made themselves known to us? You'd think they'd want to team up.” Her voice was tinged with the slightest amount of hurt. This was Kara's city, after all. She'd done the hard work. It wasn't fair for someone else to...one-up her. As soon as she thought it, she pushed that thought away. National City wasn't some territory. She could play nice. If J'onn had heard her selfish musings, he didn't disclose it. She was thankful for that.
Kara's phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw an email from Snapper. “Well, I might get a chance to do some more investigating.” She held up her phone. “Snapper wants to figure out who the vigilante is.” Kara made her way toward the door.
“It's Green Lantern,” J'onn said.
“I'm not calling her that,” Kara yelled back over her shoulder.
An hour later she was over at L-Corp, riding the elevator up to the CEO's suite. Quelle surprise, Snapper wanted Lena Luthor's take on what had happened. It was only the third time since Lena had sent her all those flowers that Kara had seen L-Corp's radiant CEO. The first time, they sat on a couch and Lena had said Kara was her hero. The words, and Lena's keen, knowing smile, had set loose a wellspring of emotions and feelings inside of Kara. Rather than be scared of it, though, Kara had wanted more contact to make sure the feelings she felt were real. After Cat Grant sent her a long email concluding in no uncertain terms that her budding relationship with Mon-El was nothing more than his repeated attempts to guilt her into liking him, she didn't want to rush.
Lena, though, had pulled away from Kara after that night. Kara hoped it wasn't something she'd done. Maybe she'd not hid her reaction to the flowers as well as she thought...or maybe she'd hid it too well. Either way, Lena had thrown herself into work. That was the company line that Jess gave her when Kara stopped by every day that first week. The second week, she only caught a glimpse of Lena as she made for the elevator. “Sorry, Kara – board meeting. Gotta go.” Kara caught Lena's furtive glance to Jess.
Before Kara could follow up, Jess had intercepted her. The young Asian woman's smile was cheery, even if her eyes belied the uncertainty and worry that Kara knew too well only came from covering for your high-powered boss. “Oh! Um, yes. Ms. Luthor is very busy. If you have any questions I can pass them along to the L-Corp PR offices and they'll make sure Ms. Luthor gets back to you in a timely fashion.” She let it slide, though, because going through what Lena had was bound to leave someone with some things to unpack.
She was surprised, then, when Jess told her that Lena was in her office and that Kara could go in whenever she wished. Kara took a beat to collect herself. She was nervous. Rao, she was so nervous. As she pushed open the doors to Lena's office, though, her fear melted. There was Lena, as radiant as ever, right in front of her. Lena broke into a wide, easy smile when she saw Kara enter the room.
“Hi, Kara. Come on in,” Lena gestured to the couch. Kara followed her lead and sat down.
“Are you here as a friend, or a reporter?”
“A reporter.” She saw Lena’s smile waver and quickly added, “and a friend”.
Lena leaned forward. “How can I help my favorite reporter...and friend?”
“Well, I need a quote. There’s a new vigilante in town and Snapper wants me to get your thoughts.”
“You mean Guardian?”
“No, um...the other one. A woman, uses some kind of green energy?”
For a moment, Kara swore she heard Lena's heartbeat accelerate, but then it calmed. Lena shook her head.
“I haven't. Why do you think she's a vigilante?”
Kara adjusted her glasses. “Well, she's operating outside of the law.”
“Supergirl operates outside the law.”
“That's not true. She's got the D.E.O. on her side. And, y'know...she's good friends with the President.”
Lena chuckled. “Well, all the same I don't really have much to say about whoever this...Green Light person is. But good for her - we need more Supergirls, fewer Supermen. Hey, there’s your quote.” Kara furrowed her brow. Something was off with Lena. It was as if everything that had happened – being framed, being abducted, almost dying – hadn't registered for her at all. Instead, Lena was positively cheery.
“What's wrong?” Lena inquired. “You're doing that crinkle again.”
Kara gave a quick shake of her head. “Nothing! It's just...the last time we talked you seemed like you were in a very different place. Did something...change?”
Lena shrugged. “I guess I just decided that I can't let my mother or anyone else control my life. Fear stops you from acting.”
“Well, for what it's worth I really like this new attitude.”
Lena's voice dropped to a whisper, the words silken as she spoke them: “I thought you would.” There was a tenderness to her voice that Kara had never heard before. Lena was – in this moment – vulnerable. No pretense, no sardonic edge to protect herself. It surprised Kara. It was only when she realized that her own heartbeat had climbed rapidly that she cleared her throat.
“I should really get back to CatCo,” she said. “Thanks for the quote.”
Lena nodded her head and stood, Kara following suit. “Any time.” Kara was anticipating another hug. But Lena's hands stayed by her hips as they stood there. Maybe Lena was expecting her to take the lead. Kara fidgeted, jutting forward a shoulder and lifting her hand. “I...uh...” Lena took a confused, tentative step toward her, then reached out and shook Kara's hand. “Thanks again.”
They continued to shake hands. “Yeah, no. It's um...that's what friends are for.” Three seconds ticked by, then four, then five - the shake moving from friendly to awkward. Kara never appreciated exactly how long Lena's fingers were until that moment. As the shake continued into its seventh second, Lena unclasped her hand from Kara's.
“Okay,” Kara said, letting out a sigh she didn't know she'd been holding. “I'm gonna-” she gestured for the door. She paused for another moment, then turned. As she stalked toward the door, her brow furrowed. Why couldn't she have just been normal?
Kara met with Alex a week later for lunch at her favorite restaurant. She'd been fixated on two things ever since that day – her awkward interactions with Lena Luthor and how there was no more progress on finding the identity of this new vigilante. Kara refused to call her Green Lantern; “it's a dumb name”, she insisted. Since she'd already been through the lack of progress about the vigilante with Alex at the DEO, Kara turned the conversation back to Lena.
“I'm just worried that she might be repressing. I mean, something just seems...off with her, y'know?”
Alex shook her head. “If Lena really is repressing this, then ripping off that band-aid is only going to make it worse. You just have to be there for her, okay?”
“Okay. You're right.”
“You don't want another Mon-El on your hands.”
Kara pouted. “When will everyone let that go?”
“He willingly turned himself over to a bunch of creepy space aliens after your rejected him. Probably not gonna live that one down. Like...ever.”
Kara begrudgingly admitted that maybe Alex had a point about Mon-El, then caught the attention of a nearby waiter. She gestured to the plate of potstickers in front of her, then mouthed “another”.
“Hang on. That's your third plate of potstickers. You only do that when we're discussing someone you really like and you need the comfort food...”
Kara gigglesnorted at the statement, following it with a quick “what?” Kara shook her head back and forth quickly. “No. I don't do that. Like ever.”
“This is why I say you're a terrible liar.” Flustered, Kara tossed a crumpled napkin toward Alex. It unfurled mid-air, caught the resistance of the air, and swished harmlessly past Alex. “Oooh. Really showed me there!” Alex said mockingly.
A thunderous crash interrupted Kara's witty rejoinder. Alex sighed. “I'll pick up the check. Again.”
Kara gave a bashful grin. “Sorry.”
She raced to the scene of the noise – a three-story jet black structure made from steel and glass. Emblazoned along the side was National City Central Banking. Kara scoffed. “A bank robbery? Who do these guys think they're up against?” Criminals tended to avoid going for big scores like this after Kara had foiled a string of sophisticated heists. Still, you couldn't get through to every low-life, despite how much she tried. Kara was still high in the air, sweeping the perimeter with her X-ray vision when she saw the green glow streak in through the front doors.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Kara grumbled to herself, before giving chase to the vigilante.
When she got inside, she saw the vigilante firing a ball of energy at one of the bank robbers. It caught the poor sap right between her ribs and sent her tumbling to the ground. Another robber took the moment while the vigilante was distracted to aim a gun at her. Kara's breath hitched. She couldn't make it in time and her vision was blocked. Whoever the vigilante was, they were about to die. The gun went off and Kara expected the vigilante to fall toward the ground. Instead, there was a flash of green as the bullet ricocheted off the vigilante. Kara found herself impressed.
One of the other bank robbers noticed her. “Supergirl,” said the robber, the voice muffled by her mask. Kara turned to see the bank robber lob something her way. Out of reflex, she caught it. “Hah! Just like the old woman said!” gloated the bank robber. A wave of pain stabbed into Kara's ears as the sonic device assaulted her. She let out a pained cry, falling to her knees. The room began to spin. She thought she heard a voice, one that was familiar and tender, call out “Supergirl!” as well. She couldn't tell. Kara slumped to the floor. The pain was so intense she barely registered the flashes of green light. It was only when the stabbing pain was gone that Kara noticed she was being held by the vigilante. Kara finally got a good look at her savior – was that the energy from the vigilante, or were her eyes actually green? Whatever it was, it was a distinct and wonderful shade – different than her suit or the mask that covered much of her face.
“Are you okay?” mouthed Green Lantern. Kara’s eyes went wide.
“Oh Rao, I’m-”
Green Lantern broke into a laugh. “I was messing with you.” Kara heard that loud and clear. Kara narrowed her eyes.
“I do have heat vision, y’know…”
The vigilante crooked an eyebrow, a self-assured smirk on her face. “Looks like you're getting your bearings. Which means it's time I was off. Nice meeting you, Supergirl. I'm Green Lantern.”
Then she leaned forward, giving Kara a quick kiss on the forehead. Kara blamed the final bout of disorientation on the sonic device, even if it had started the moment the vigilante’s lips made contact. Then, the vigilante - no, Green Lantern - was lifting up from the ground. She kept her gaze on Kara as she did. Kara noted that her flight wasn't exactly stable – she hovered precariously, as though something were draining her powers. Then Green Lantern looked away, her power flaring, and was gone.