Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Call Me Kara

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 04:

Earth 3

Cat Grant was a busy woman, a woman with a mission. The mission was simple, the media destruction of the former President of the United States. Samuel Lane was missing, or at least the military would not say where he was, but the man couldn’t hide forever. She had Winn, yes she had learned his name, Cat knew all the names of her employees now, tracking the bastard, looking for any signs of online activity, military movements in regards to the General and sightings of Superman, who true to Cat’s suspicion, was apparently done with the human race.

The fact that Lois Lane and Clark Kent had also disappeared was a slap in the face to Cat. Why did she never notice before? When she had started out in journalism, if someone had told her a pair of glasses, a different hairstyle and a meek attitude could fool the public, including her, as to Superman’s identity, Cat would have laughed. Of course she figured out Supergirl was her assistant the first time she saw her, even through her doubts caused by the double, she recognized Kara’s eyes. It was simply impossible to not recognize someone you saw every day as a superhero. Perhaps that is why Superman always kept a distance from Perry White and talked exclusively to Lois Lane and James Olsen.

James Olsen was another dead end. She had asked the man several times to contact the Man of Steel, only to be told he was no longer answering Olsen’s calls. Cat believed him. He had become a shell of his former self, as had Winn.

Cat had eventually come to understand the multiverse and what had happened to Kara. Of course the police report had given her minimal hope. There were indeed men dressed as DEO agents in pieces on the floor of Kara’s apartment but also a large amount of blood on the floor, the type unable to be classified. No one knew the state of Kara when Allen took her through whatever dimensional hole he had made and with Superman not saying a word, Cat feared the worst, yet still held a glimmer of hope for the best. She had to believe that one day a hole would open up in the National City sky and Supergirl would fly back into this world, hovering in the air with her sunny smile and the colorful uniform that she somehow pulled off.

Her assistant Susan, walked into her office without being requested. The woman was in her forties, with raven black hair and a dry demeanor, as though she were sleep walking through life, the exact opposite of her Kara. She had no idea the coffee Cat liked, had made her calendar a mess to the point Cat had no idea whether she was coming or going or even who would be at the meetings she attended. Still Cat was nice to her, a promise to herself that she would begin acting as courteous and respectful as her attitude would allow. Perhaps that was the problem. With Cat acting differently and Kara not there to mediate her moods and protect the other employees from her wrath,the atmosphere had changed drastically.

“Miss Grant, you have visitors who do not have an appointment. They say it is urgent that they speak to you now.”

“I have a board meeting in ten minutes Susan. You should know this since you scheduled it without consulting me first.”

So perhaps Cat Grant had not completely changed.

“Yes Miss Grant, I told them this but they were quite insistent I give you their names. The older woman said she is Dr. Eliza Danvers. Her daughter Alex is accompanying her.

Cat froze. Eliza and Alex Danvers, Kara’s foster mother and the sister she had only seen in passing. Kara had told her the family took her in after her parents died in a fire. Kara had not lied about that at least. An exploding planet would have quite a bit of fire.

“Cancel the board meeting and show them in at once.”

“If we cancel the board meeting then…”

“Do as you are told.” Cat told the woman with an icy tone that informed her assistant that there would be no further discussion if she wanted to stay employed.

“I will let the board know and have them brought up right away Miss Grant.”

Susan scurried off and within a few minutes a pleasant looking woman walked in along with her rather angry looking daughter Alex.

“Thank you for seeing us Miss Grant.” Eliza started. Cat motioned to the couch and the two women sat, Cat taking a seat on the couch across from them. On closer inspection the two looked very tired, probably as tired as Cat felt.

“Of course… do you have news?”

Eliza took in the woman before her. Kara had told her what an inspiration and role model the media mogul had been to her. Alex had told her how the woman refused to call Kara by her correct name, and worked her to the bone on minimal tedious tasks even after four years. Eliza didn’t exactly like Cat Grant based on Alex’s stories but she needed the woman and could tell she cared about Kara on some level.

“No I don’t. That is why I am here. I want to go after my daughter and I need your help.”

“What could I possibly do? I am not an expert on interdimensional travel.”

Alex held in her look of contempt for the woman as best she could while she answered.

“We have been hiding the last six weeks with Kara’s cousin. Once it became clear that the President was taken out of power we have decided to stop hiding. Now it is time to act.”

“General Lane is still on the loose.” Cat reminded the women.

“General Lane is a pile of ashes and the government is keeping it quiet because they do not want the world to know that not only is Superman gone but he will destroy anyone who has ever harmed Kara. He is not doing well. None of us have been doing well.” Alex explained before continuing on, missing the satisfied grin that crossed Cat’s face for a moment.

“Superman told us that Allen was wearing a device across his chest when he arrived. He was also wearing the device when he arrived the first time in this world. He told Kara that he needed help getting back to his world the first time he visited our Earth. Apparently he needed her to push him through the breach. I find this strange since he didn’t need anyone pushing him through when he arrived. Superman says Allen told him that he most likely could not hit the correct speed carrying Kara when he left the Earth a second time and required a push as well. We have theories about why he was able to get through to this Earth but not able to get back without help as well as the device he had on his chest that must have allowed him to augment his superhuman speed in the first place. Kara has been gone six weeks and I doubt that he would have a problem helping her back here. Since we both know he couldn’t possibly force her physically to stay and from all accounts that I have heard of the man he wouldn’t, that leaves two possibilities. One she doesn’t want to come back or two she is…”

Alex couldn’t finish the sentence. Refused to even think it. Eliza had talked to her about this possibility and she shut her down each time, once throwing a computer at the Fortress of Solitude into a wall, shattering it beyond repair. Even Lois Lane, as bold as she could be, would not mention the possibility of Kara’s death. Kal El had already accepted it is a foregone conclusion. He had seen how much blood she had lost and doubted even in alternate world anyone would have compatible blood.

“Calm down Alex.” Eliza told her daughter, still dressed in black even though she was no longer a part of the DEO. There actually was no DEO any longer, just a prison for aliens who had been recaptured or never released, thanks to Kara, after Non’s defeat. It was staffed not with elite agents but prison guards.

“Why would Kara not want to come back? Her family and friends are here.” Cat pointed out.

“If she thinks she would still be hunted she wouldn’t return for fear that they would use myself or my mother to get to her. I would stay away from us too if I thought my presence mean’t Kara would be in danger.” Alex explained. “There is also the possibility…”

“Yes?” Cat encouraged, getting frustrated. She had hoped the women had news, not guesses.

“Kara and I were not in the best place when she was taken. We were working on some things between us. She had been exhausted from the battles over the past year, she had her faith in her mother destroyed by her aunt who I killed, an aunt she had been very close to as a child and was part of Non’s plan before I killed her. She had a parasite attached to her at one point that caused a hallucination so real she believed she was back on Krypton and with her family. To her it was like losing them all over again. She also had been frustrated by her relationship with James Olsen and I am honestly not sure if she was in love with him or more depressed about Barry Allen leaving and seeking out comfort, hoping she wouldn’t be alone for the rest of her life. In the two weeks he was here I understand the two became very close. Losing Barry and basically being shunned by James, she was in a bad place. Kara also had a career she excelled at and had not been promoted in four years and a boss she looked up to as an inspiration who couldn’t be bothered to call her by her correct name.”

Alex stopped at that point and openly glared at Cat. Cat met her eyes for as long as possible before the intensity of the woman’s eyes backed her down, something she was not used to. Alex Danvers was highly trained and Cat suspected an exceptional warrior who was on the edge of losing her self control. She knew Kara’s sister was extremely protective of her and worked alongside Kara from her talks with Olsen and Winn.

“Then to be hunted and injured by those she worked with, side by side, it is entirely possible Kara does not want to come back.” Alex finished.

“Or she can’t because she is…” Eliza started before Alex cut her off with a “Mom.”

“Enough Alex! We have to consider the possibility that she could be gone. Miss Grant if that is the case I still need to get my daughter back. She would be buried on that Earth in the ground. Kryptonians have different traditions when it comes to saying goodbye. She is not to be buried in the ground! Kara deserves to be prayed upon by her customs, and honored by her customs, especially the prayers. Kal El deserves the right to mourn her properly! Whether she is alive or dead I need to find my daughter and if going to another universe is what I have to do I will do it!”

Cat took in the woman, calm minutes ago but so desperate now, as if she was hanging on by a thread to her sanity.

“Understand Miss Grant, when Superman dropped her off with us she was a scared girl who had been asleep, in statis for years and didn’t even know it. The baby she was supposed to protect was grown and she was a 13 year old child entering a delicate time in her life, and she had just lost not only her parents but everything she knew and loved. She couldn’t speak English, she had powers she had never had before and was very afraid. We took her in and loved her and she is blood to us. There is nothing, no length Alex and I will not go to find her. If she doesn’t want to return we will stay there, support her as we have always done. But I have to have my daughters, both of them.”

Cat hurt listening to the desperation in the woman’s voice. Alex had tears in her eyes and was looking at the floor, her anger gone, giving way to sadness.

“What can I do to help?” she asked.

“I plan on assembling a team of the best scientists in their fields, mostly specializing in the fields of quantum physics, advanced mathematics, and structural engineering. Superman knows the vibrations Allen used to travel to this Earth he was from, the frequency if you will. He can replicate it for us, give us a baseline, a map. He can obviously not carry us to this other Earth and doubts he can get there without whatever device Allen was wearing on his chest. We are going to build a vessel, one that can get us to where she is. While we may not be able to reach the speed required to open a breach we can match the vibrations and frequency and I believe with sonic technology and replicating the speed of the surrounding air by finding a way to harness Tachyons. If not a vessel perhaps something that can at least open a breach, by firing tachyons at a certain point. Tachyons have never been proven though has found evidence in the past that they exist. A particle that travels faster than the speed of light is needed and need to isolate that particle first. We will jump into the breach if we have to. What we need from you Miss Grant, is simple. We need money.”

Cat was shocked at the bluntness of the request. Not that she had a problem with it, she appreciated straight forwardness, but Eliza Danvers did not strike her as a woman who would ask for money at anytime. The fact that she had admitted this need showed Cat how truly desperate she was.

“How much?” Cat asked, surprising both women.

“We aren’t sure. We plan to keep the team small, only the best. I think everyone we ask will jump at the chance to open a doorway or even a way to visit other universes. But they will still want to be paid. I can’t exactly go to the government and ask for a grant, or a private corporation. The focus would be more on the study and possible military or profit potential of such a venture rather than a way to reach Kara. Honestly you are the only one I know who has limitless resources and though you never showed my daughter the proper respect she deserved I believe you did, you do love her. It was impossible to know her and not. No one besides Alex spent as much time with her as you did.”

The possibilities were astounding to Cat. She did have nearly limitless resources, having the largest media company in the world tended to make one very, very rich.

She also owed not only Supergirl but Kara. Both had saved her in one manner or another, whether it was from murderous ex employees or from herself without ever asking anything in return.

Cat stood up and walked to the glass door. She did her best not to scream employees names any longer from behind her desk.

“Winn? Come into my office.” Winn had been doing his best not to stare at Alex, planning on jumping her before she left the building and beg for any information she had on Kara. Now he had the chance to hear it firsthand and practically ran towards the door.

“Yes Miss Grant?”

“Winn, I trust you know Alex very well but have you met her and Kara’s mother?”

“Yes Miss Grant. We met last Thanksgiving.”

“Winn I need you to go to personnel and instruct them to begin looking at potential replacements for your position.”

“Uh…” Winn was wondering if he had really been asked in to be fired in front of Kara’s family.

“From this point on, while you are still a Catco employee and will receive your same pay, perhaps more based on certain factors, you will be under the direct supervision of Dr. Danvers. Catco is issuing an open ended grant to Dr. Danvers on a project outside of our normal scope but one I believe in strongly. We are going to find Kara. If the board has any problem with it I will simply remind them who owns this damn company and what happened to the last man who tried to take it from me. Dr. Danvers, Winn is the best IT I know and… he has other talents that fall into the grey areas of the law. He will assist you in whatever fashion you need. I would suggest the three of you begin looking for a suitable facility. I doubt this will be a short term project and I would like you to get started as soon as possible.”

“Cat… I don’t know what to say.” Alex said, stunned at the conviction in the woman’s voice..

“Don’t say anything, just get her home. At least find out if she is happy and let me know if you decide to stay. That is all I want. Catco has as of this moment started an Advanced Applied Science department. I am very excited about the opportunities this will bring the company. If you need anything, feel free to call or stop by at anytime. As far as funds I will instruct our CFO to begin with five million with more as needed. Lets get this done.”

Cat stood up and offered her hand to both women who took it, still in disbelief over how easy it had been and they walked out. Winn stayed behind. Cat couldn’t help but notice this was the first time he had smiled since Kara disappeared.

“Thank you so much Miss Grant.” he said quietly, meeting her eyes for once.

“Don’t thank me yet. Thank me when it is done. Winn whatever it takes, whatever server you need to hack, whatever classified information you think you might need, take it by any means necessary and make sure if it can be tracked it is tracked to the company and not you. Do what it takes Winn. I know that no one will put more into this than you.”

Winn walked out as shocked as the Danvers but feeling hope for the first time in six weeks. He thought of telling James but quickly decided against it. He felt a bit of bitterness towards the man who had turned down the chance to be with the most beautiful woman, inside and out, that Winn had ever known and still didn’t know where Lucy Lane was or what connection she may have with the man.

He didn’t need Olsen. He had Alex and that was enough.

Earth 1

Barry arrived at S.T.A.R labs desperate to see what condition Kara was in. Instead he found Cisco sitting alone at the main com station.

“Where is she?” he asked. His friend did not need to ask who she was.

“Man I tried to explain that A.R.G.U.S wasn’t like the DEO and what they actually dealt with but she was freaked. She changed into sweats and practically dragged Cait out the door. I think they were headed to Cait’s apartment.

Barry agreed with this, where else would she go, and changed quickly back into his civilian clothes. A wave to Cisco and he was gone, arriving at Cait’s apartment 30 seconds later. He knocked on the door and saw a nearly panic stricken Caitlin Snow, let out an audible sigh of relief that he had shown up.

“She is in the extra bedroom. She is freaked out Barry. I mean really? Comparing A.R.G.U.S. to the DEO? Sure they used to be bastards but not since Lyla has taken over.”

“I was a little surprised to see them so soon and didn’t have a chance to think about what I was saying. I will talk to her.”

Barry walked in the familiar apartment where he, Cisco and Cait had spent many movie nights, and walked directly to the bedroom. A knock on the closed door, followed by a quick opening and a beautiful blonde wrapped around him in an extremely tight hug. Barry did his best not to grunt from the pressure. Kara needed this so he would take a few cracked ribs if it helped her out.

“I am so glad to see you. Are they gone? Did they see me?”

Barry wanted to reassure her, lie and say he they did not, but when it came to relationships or possible relationships he had learned one very important lesson from Oliver Queen’s mistakes. Do not lie.

“Yeah they saw something but have no idea who you are and I told them to mind their own business. They are going to leave you alone, I promise.”

“You… I can’t trust them Barry.”

Barry sat on the side of the bed and motioned for Kara to join him. She did without hesitation, reaching without thought for his hand.

Barry proceeded to tell Kara all about A.R.G.U.S., what they had been and what they are now. He told her about his friendship with Dig and the trust he had in Lyla. Oliver Queen trusted no one outside of a very select group of people and he trusted Lyla.

Kara’s grip on his hand lessened the more he talked, happy that no alien investigations had been conducted or alien life had been discovered on this Earth as far as anyone knew. It seemed Metahumans were the topic of the day. Not that this cleared Kara.

“So relax. They won’t ever bother you. I promise you Kara.”

“Thanks Barry. I know I can trust you.”

“Of course you can. You’re my sidekick. If you can’t trust me who can you trust?”

Kara took a moment to realize what he had said.

“Did you just call me a sidekick?” she asked, faking indignation.

“Well you were dressed the same as me but shorter. I mean most people think I have some Kid Flash working with me now. Hey, Kid Flash! That might be a great name for you. I’ll have to run it by Cisco.”

“Barry I can’t. I mean I can but I don’t know if I could.” Kara admitted. “And I would never be called Kid Flash, so get that idea out of your head, Mr. Allen, before I remind you that your only superpower is jumping out of alleys in a trench coat.”

Barry took a moment to take this in. He debated giving her time to figure out things herself or just breaking the truth to her. Like most everything in Barry’s life he decided fastest was the best.

“Listen, I understand your fear. I had a task force assigned to take me down when I first started. The police have been after Oliver for so long, a member of his team had to impersonate him and fake his own death just so the cops would leave him alone. Being a hero doesn’t always mean being loved. Sometimes it is about doing what is necessary whether it is approved of by others or not. I’m not saying you should get back into the game if you don’t want to Kara but you have one major problem.”

“Yeah? Just one?” Kara tried to joke.

“Maybe a few more but yeah one major problem. You Kara Zor El are a hero. Not because of some costume or because you want everyone to love you. It’s just who you are. As scared as you say you were of revealing yourself you took a huge risk to save my life today. By the way I totally had that. But I appreciate the assist.”

“You were about to be shark food.” Kara told him, bumping his shoulder with hers and rolling her eyes.

“Yeah probably, but I had a hero helping me out. We all need friends. Kara you cannot tell me if Cait ran in right now and said a plane was about to crash over the city you wouldn’t do your best to catch it, revealing yourself be damned. If a building was on fire and I entered to save the people inside you would be right behind me…”

“I would get there first.”

“… no you wouldn’t, but you would be there, saving people and probably using that awesome freeze breath thing you do to put out the fire. You wouldn’t think about it because it would be your first reaction and you would have no choice. Its just who you are Kara. You are a hero.”

Kara sat for a moment pondering what he had said. It was true, not about being a hero, she felt anything but at the moment, but if a tragedy was occurring she could not sit back and do nothing. She just couldn’t. Too many people would die, kids left without their parents, the way she had been. The same way Barry had been. Both had help, those who loved them as their own but losing parents especially at a young age sticks with you.

“But Barry what if I am feared? There is only one thing to be able to harm me and there is only a small amount here. Two bullets locked away somewhere. When someone tried to copy it on my Earth he failed but managed to make the substance I told you about that affected my mind. I have a lot of anger in me and the world never needs to see it come out.”

“We all have anger. As far as that Kryptonite I have an idea of what to do with it, where to put it that it can never be used against you again.”

“Then if I go crazy how would you stop me?” she asked, one of her worst fears after she nearly killed her sister.

“I wouldn’t. I would trust you. I do trust you. I saw how happy you were as Supergirl. Nothing about that has changed. Yeah you were betrayed but this is a different Earth, a different life and you have something you didn’t have there.”

“What?”

“You have me. I won’t leave you on your own, ever. Partners right?”

Kara smiled for the first time since she had returned from fighting Jaws. He could always make her smile.

“Ugh, I hate to think of wearing glasses again but I guess…”

“Kara that disguise sucked. You can’t hide your light as Supergirl because you are exactly the same as Kara Danvers. Besides Cisco would never let you do it. On this Earth, we wear masks.”

“And hide this face?” the blonde deadpanned.

“Yeah, as much as a tragedy as that is, just while you are doing superhero stuff. Now we have one other thing to talk about. Do you definitely want to stay?”

Did she? Kara had thought of the reasons to stay, to go. Her family and friends were there. But did National City even need her anymore? The alien threat was gone and the only threat now were the ones who wanted her dead. If they thought she was gone forever, there would be no reason for them to go after her loved ones. If she popped up on radar flying around, those who wanted her dead would stop at nothing. Since she was attacked at home, the DEO or Lane or whoever the hell was after her, obviously knew everything about her. By this point she was sure even Cat knew about her. She would miss Alex but Alex didn’t need her, no matter how much Kara needed Alex. She could have the best of both worlds here, a fresh start at a normal life and be the hero she knew she had in her. Maybe it was time she stood on her own.

Maybe not on her own though, she thought, looking at Barry’s smile.

“I want to stay.”

“Cool.” was Barry’s simple reply. He had too many words to describe the feelings her simple statement evoked so he went with cool to sum them up. No one would mistake Barry for a poet.

Kara ignored his poetic reply with another shoulder bump.

“Barry, the first time you crossed into my universe, you used that metal thing on your chest and made it on your own. When you went home you needed me to push you. When you reached the universe this time you did it on your own but you Kal El pushed you through. Thats what Cait said. I mean I don’t know anyone who is as fast as you except him. Why are you able to reach my universe on your own but not return?”

“Oh that. Yeah I just have to reach a certain speed. Its faster than I can usually run thanks to the Tacyhon device and the particles in it but much easier to achieve if I have someone vibrating at the same frequency I am. I needed your cousin to help me at the last moment because if I had lost velocity for even a split second I wouldn’t have gotten us back. Since I was carrying you, I wasn’t certain I could make the jump at the exact same velocity.”

Kara could understand that but he hadn’t answered the entire question.

“You didn’t need me to get back the first time, did you? You already had it figured out.”

Kara couldn’t help but notice the feint blush on the speedster’s cheeks.

“Yeah, I just wanted you to be the last thing I saw in your world.”

Neither Kara nor Barry could believe he said that, but while it felt awkward to Barry to express his emotions, even those short of professing undying love but a simple admission of fondness, the statement caught Kara off guard and warmed her. The weeks she spent with him were wonderful. Miss Grant was of the opinion that Kara was attempting to make James jealous but that really wasn’t it. It was probably the first time he brought her ice cream. Even when showing off his powers he had brought her something she would like. Maybe James was jealous but when Barry was around Kara found she never thought about James. Perhaps she wasn’t as in love with James as she thought? Maybe it was a crush on a handsome, adventurous man who had a connection to her family. All she knew was when Barry was around, everyone else seemed to take a backseat.

“What if my cousin hadn’t been there? How would you have gotten us back?” she asked.

“I probably wouldn’t have been able to and…” he hesitated.

“And I would have died.” she finished.

“I wouldn’t have let that happen. I already had a back up plan.” he told her with that confident smirk she loved to see.

“A back up plan to raise me from the dead?”

“Nope. I would have left you there, gone into a breach on my own. Once I got back I would simply travel through time to the previous day and come for you sooner, without having to wait for Cisco’s vision. Then the two of us could have escaped or came back here before you were ever injured.”

“Really? Didn’t you say you didn’t like to go back in time? That changing even the smallest thing in the timeline could change everything? Possibly make it worse? I remember that. We were watching Back to the Future with Winn at my place.”

“Yeah but it was worth the risk. The world may have been worse, a number of things could have gone wrong but I only do it in dire situations where I have no other option. You not being alive? I couldn’t think of any world that would be worse than that. You have too much light not to shine Kara. I’m proud to be your sidekick.”

Kara laughed to stop the tears building up in her eyes.

“Thanks Barry.”

“Always. Now it is five. The Central City Mall is open for a few more hours so why don’t we grab Cait and go pick you out a couple of outfits then have dinner at my place. I know Joe and Iris would love to meet you.”

“I can go to a thrift store. The mall isn’t really my style.”

“This is a new life. You don’t have to dress down, wear glasses, be someone you aren’t. You can be whoever you want and for that you need options. The Mall has options. We better hurry though. I’ll let Cait and Cisco know to come to dinner so you will have more people you know. Maybe it won’t feel as awkward.”

Once again Barry had read her mind. How does he always seem to do that?

Kara stood up in surrender. It was time to shop and then meet the family. If this was going to be her life now, Barry was a major part of it. He obviously liked her.

Now she just needed to impress the family.