Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Survivors

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 30: First Kills and Kittens

“Alex and Kara started college.” Connolly told his Martian boss, walking into the alien’s office.

“I am aware. Dante is moving into the building they are living in. Why are you telling me things I already know?” J’onn asked.

“Because I don’t think you realize how short time is. We need to have a plan. As of right now, we have captured or killed thirty two Rozz escapees and none of them are talking.”

“Especially the dead ones.” J’onn pointed out. Connolly and his team had still not learned restraint or subtly.

“The live ones don’t know anything. According to you, Astra is keeping whatever she has planned a secret from damn near everyone. She is setting up cells all over the world and one doesn’t know what the other is doing. She is operating like Al Qaeda. We are running out of time and we need to look at contingency plans.”

“Plans for what, exactly? We don’t know what we are facing.”

“Exactly. In four years, Alex is going to graduate college. I need her on my team. She joins us and we support Kara. Only Kara can bring Astra out of hiding.”

J’onn took a look in the man’s head and only saw automatic guns and Jessica in a blue bikini.

“Stop reading my mind, Director. I recognize that look on your face and I am well aware how to protect my thoughts.”

J’onn sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Alex will never join the DEO. She won’t take orders from us because Kara won’t take orders from us. You really want someone like that on your team?”

Connolly laughed a bit. “You can say that about every one of my guys. Besides she won’t have to take orders because my team’s primary purpose is going to be to work with Kara.”

“Kara does not listen! She is not disciplined! She is reckless and emotionally unstable!”

“People said the same thing about me.”

“And they were right!”

Connolly took a seat, taking in the Martian who was normally cool and collected at all times. If there was one thing that could make him lose his cool quickly, it was the Danvers sisters.

“Maybe they were right, and I know Kara won’t take orders… from you. But she does listen, she wants to get this done and she will work with me, not for me. That is a huge difference in her mind. She just needs to be handled right. I have been managing a team of Alphas for years now. I can work with her, get her to see reason and teach her patience on the battlefield. Alex will listen to me. I’ve been training her for years. My team either supports her when she gets ready to go public, or I lose half my team. Judging by the agents you have working here, I think we both know we can’t afford to lose one. Jack is doing the best he can but half of them piss their pants when we come up against an actual hostile alien.”

J’onn shook his head. “What do you mean you lose half your team?”

“I only got four guys, J’onn. Dante will quit and back the girls and so will Hawk. They have told me this. We either back the girls or Kara and Alex go off with two of my guys and we are out of the loop. To be honest Ty will follow them and working without Ty isn’t as fun and Jack knows you will dump even more work on him so he is coming too. Then its you and a squad that is barely better than the one you inherited. Oh Vivian is ours too. You get on her nerves more than I I can get Alex as an agent, she could be invaluable. She is smarter than anyone we got now. Ma and Pa Danvers would be on our side and you know how brilliant they are. We don’t have anyone who could understand how aliens work and figure out ways to stop them that would be in their league. What is your problem with Kara? I get that she almost killed you but in this body and that face, c’mon Director Henshaw, you had to have suspected that reaction.”

“She heard me from thirty two miles away. It appears Dante has done an excellent job. She is paranoid to an extreme. She doesn’t trust anyone but Dante, Alex and her parents. She is dangerous, Connolly. You know this.”

“So are her aunt and uncle. Alex and Kara, every time I bring them up you refuse to talk about them. What is your problem with Kara? Really, no bullshit. Yeah, she can be a might bit nuts sometimes but who isn’t?”

J’onn took the man in and tried to read his mind…

“Cut it the hell out J’onn or I am trying out my new lighter.”

“Fine. I screwed up. You know my people were killed, wiped out, by White Martians.”

“Yeah.”

“What I have never told you, what I have never told anyone, is that I had a family. A beautiful wife and two daughters, M’yri’ah and K’hym. They were… my world, my everything. I watched them die, I watched them burn with my wife. My people were killed but I escaped. The memories of my wife and daughters are the ones that haunt me every night. When Kara first landed, I saw a chance I suppose. A chance… that is why I pushed your team so hard to find them. I saw a chance to possibly redeem myself. I would take them into hiding, leave the Navy, leave everything behind and raise them, give them whatever they needed, keep them hidden and safe.”

“You thought she might be another daughter and Clark a son.” Connolly reasoned. J’onn nodded.

“Not a replacement but perhaps a chance to not fail someone again, the way I failed my daughters. But when I saw her with the Danvers and realized how lucky she was, the best I could do was be her friend, protect her from afar, both of them. I thought… I might become a father figure to her one day. But I screwed up. Every time I tried something I screwed up. I had no idea what I was doing and instead of bonding with a fellow alien, she tolerated me and I can’t blame her. I should have been the one to help her but I couldn’t.”

“You didn’t fail her J’onn. You have given her a lot. Because of you being here she isn’t being hunted by the DEO, she has an identity. She appreciates what you have done. They all do.”

“Yet, I still feel like I have failed her. I will never forget phasing through that bathroom door and seeing her tiny frame, leaned against it. I will never forget the panic and shock I felt, seeing what she had done to her own arm with her fingernails, the blood, the delirious look on her face. She nearly killed herself. I failed her. I haven’t been what she needed.”

“She has gotten better.” Connolly pointed out.

“She almost had a panic attack yesterday in school. She can barely speak to people in her classes. Scratch that. She can’t speak to people in classes. She just walked around with her head down and that fake smile she has perfected.”

The man shook his head. “You followed her?”

J’onn shrugged his shoulders. “If she had a panic attack a doctor would have needed to be on hand who wouldn’t ask questions when a needle wouldn’t pierce her skin. I was also… worried about her. She means a lot to me, much more than I mean to her. I don’t plan to follow her everyday but yesterday, it was her first day and I wanted to make sure she was okay.”

“She called Jess after school I guess. Jess told me she would be near Kara’s apartment on the off chance that Kara might call her. She wasn’t expecting it but it happened because Jess wasn’t home until ten o clock last night. She wouldn’t talk about it of course but I doubt she spent six hours with Kara talking about the weather. Kara will be ready. I am hiring Alex as soon as she graduates and we are working with Kara.”

J’onn gave up. He needed Connolly in the DEO and Connolly like always would do whatever the hell he wanted to do. He only had one chance to keep the girls out of this.

“You said it yourself. We are running out of time. Step up the pressure. Astra and Non have to be somewhere and someone out there knows where. If they are setting up cells like you think then there has to be a purpose. For now the mission stays the same. Find them and kill them. Take the rest prisoners if you can but Astra and Non die.”

Connolly agreed. He had planned to kill them anyway. If he didn’t Kara would have to and in his mind, that was unacceptable.

The next day, after an exhausting night of talking to Jess, Kara woke up with a mixture of dread and hope. Part of her wanted to try to face the world today, succeed where she had failed the day before. Another part of her wanted to stay in bed with the windows closed and pretend she was still in Midvale and when she felt like getting out of bed she could open the curtains and there would be the beautiful Atlantic ocean, her personal view, placed there just for her. Instead, if she got out of bed, the blonde would see the city, tall buildings, emissions from thousands of vehicles poisoning the air, the sounds of a million machines operating at once, a million voices in the city alone and thousands of smells, 90% of which were not pleasant.

“I should go back to Midvale.” Kara mumbled.

“No you will not and you are not staying in bed today. You did good last night, Kara. Time to put your plan into action.” her sister told her. Alex had come home yesterday afternoon, worried that Jessica was there, concerned over what could have happened to make Kara call her after being so determined not to attend therapy any longer. She left them alone, going over syllabuses in their room and was also happy. No matter what happened it was for the best if Kara finally woke up and realized she still needed help.

“I don’t have a plan. I have a lot of techniques to put into practice. I don’t know if they will work. I do know if I stay in bed I won’t have to worry about any of them.” the blonde mumbled.

“And I know if you refuse to get out of bed I will call Mom and she will be on the first flight here. Dad will insist on coming too, meaning Clark is going to miss his first grade classes and Dad will miss work plus they will have to buy three plane tickets, all because you won’t get out of bed. I promised I would call them if it happened.”

Kara rolled over on her back and glared at her sister.

“Guilt trip, Alex? That is what we have come to?”

“I use whatever weapon I have in my arsenal when it comes to your stubborn self. Besides you don’t want me to miss class and if you stay here, so do I.”

Kara practically growled but in a whirlwind, Alex couldn’t even see, she was dressed, hair done in a pony tail, glasses on, looking like an average everyday college girl.

Alex looked her over approvingly.

“You look great, White NCU shirt, your favorite faded jeans, red and white Nikes. It is a shame you are going to have to undress again. You forgot to shower, dork.”

Kara practically screamed in frustration but as always did as Alex instructed. Okay, not always but half the time anyway. The other half, Alex would call Eliza or Jeremiah to get what she wanted.

An hour later both girls were walking to campus, Alex’s classes on the same side this time as Kara’s. The motorcycle sat unused today, meaning Kara would probably be taking a cruise through the city tonight.

Alex left her with a hug at the art building and Kara walked in bravely, head held high.

“I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. I will remain calm. They are just people, nothing to be scared of. I will be social, I will say hi and if someone asks my name, I will give it, my first name, not my last, my real first name. I will also stop talking to myself because people will think I am crazy which I am but I have to pretend not to be.”

The blonde made it to the art room where she would spend the next three months discovering the history and practice of Photo Realism, something Kara was already good at and enjoyed.

“Hi.” the girl at the canvas next to her said.

Kara gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, smiled and turned towards the girl.

“Hi, my name is Kara. I am from North Carolina. I am a freshman.”

The short haired brunette seemed surprised by the extra information but laughed it off.

“Nice to meet you. Ashley and the same except for North Carolina. California girl. So are you as excited as I am about this class?”

The blonde froze. Her and Jessica had talked about introductions but not followups. For a moment Kara flashed back to when she was first learning English. Jessica had told her to talk to classmates like she talked to classmates in Midvale. She had this.

“Gosh, I am so excited.” Kara told her and followed up with a laugh, then smiled larger. She left the snort out but did adjust the glasses on the bridge of her nose.

Ashley took her in and wondered if she wasn’t a bit crazy based on her smile or maybe just a lovable nerd. Before she could ask and to Kara’s relief, the class began. Unlike the other classes, they were allowed to draw whatever they wanted to give the teacher an idea of where they were at, instead of going over attendance policies. Kara drew the view out of her apartment window. Hopefully next week she could have access to paint.

After class she hurried out, mumbling a quick goodbye to the girl next to her and pleased with herself. She had gotten her name out, a bit of background and met someone. She had absolutely no interest in learning anything else about the California girl but she had completed her goal for the day. Jessica and Kara had established a number of goals, some daily short term and some long term over the years. The short term goals could be anything from not cutting or burning herself to talking to someone other than Alex for five minutes and not clenching her fists while she did it.

Sometimes she was successful, sometimes she was not.

After class she texted Alex that she was fine, no issues but would be meeting with Jessica tonight for follow up and review of the day. Alex offered to pick up Chinese and meet up at the apartment.

Kara went through her next class with no problems. The photography class was smaller and no one introduced themselves so she breezed through it.

The depression she had woken up with lessened during the day but it was what happened after class that put her in the best mood she had been in for years.

Kara walked slowly home, sniffing the air discretely and working on separating the smells. She had a number of them identified until she hit one, a foul one she had never smelled anywhere on Earth and after the Metropolis trip, Kara was certain she had smelled everything.

Looking around for the source, she followed her nose into a crowd on a sidewalk and pinpointed a man in a hoody walking very quickly, head down, hood up. Strange since in National City it was always warm no matter the season. She saw him enter a parking garage. Kara followed at a distance. Her X Ray vision was of no use since his back was to her. His internal organs looked no different than that of a human but the scent he was emitting was definitely not human. His spine also seemed slightly thicker and less flexible.

To her mild surprise, the man did not go higher into the parking garage, but entered a door to what looked like an electrical room. Kara hid behind a concrete pillar, able to see the man give a look around the garage and close the door behind him. That look with her X Ray vision through the pillar was all she needed. His face almost resembled a werewolf’s, hairy with long sideburns. The skin appeared grayish and the eyes were larger than a humans. Though his size was not abnormal, Kara guessed he was very strong and most likely had weapons. She had seen this kind before in her early history classes on Krypton.

Vrangs, a warring race that had actually conquered and enslaved Krypton in the past until the death of Val Or inspired a revolution. Vrangs were not allowed on Krypton from that point on. Even being present on the planet was a high crime, worthy of the Phantom Zone if the Vrang wasn’t killed on sight.

The blonde approached the door, looking inside and down the stairs. She was surprised to see past the electrical room, another door was present. Through that door, Kara could barely make out from the angle of vision, another girl, arms chained to the top of the wall, hanging in her bonds and very frightened obviously. The Vrang was near her and Kara heard his threatening words. He was toying with her.

He had obviously been on Earth a while judging by how well his English was. A blind fold was placed on the girl’s head and the Vrang sat down in a chair to watch her. He had turned this basement into some sub level lair and Kara wondered briefly what happened to the man who actually was supposed to work down here. Had this Vrang somehow managed the job or was impersonating the maintenance man?

Kara shook her head, because none of that mattered right now. She quietly opened the door and moved down the stairs. Once she was in the electrical room, the blonde pulled the handle off the door and quicker than the Vrang could react, she had the girl in chains free and to the top. Standing behind her, Kara took the blindfold off and told her to run. The hapless victim did not need to be told twice nor did she look back at the blonde whirlwind who had saved her.

Once she was away, Kara moved quickly to the office she had left the Vrang.

He was standing there, hood down and scowl on his face, trying to figure out what had just happened and very surprised by the blonde teen standing in front of him.

“Just like a Vrang, Your species isn’t happy unless it is enslaving those who are weaker.”

The alien looked at the small girl, surprised at her speed and her absolute lack of fear when faced with him. Humans typically ran away screaming but by what he had already seen it was obvious she was no human.

“Who are you girl? How did you do that?”

Kara grinned at the ugly beast.

“My name is Kara Zor El, daughter of Alura Zor El. I am guessing you were in Fort Rozz and she sent you there. My mother ruined your life, sentenced you to an eternity of nothingness. What are you going to do about it?”

The Vrang was enraged at the name. The House of El was supposed to be dead! Astra had told them all that Krypton was destroyed and everyone on it dead, vaporized and thrown into their god’s light.

“You are Alura’s daughter? You dare to face me? You dare to talk to me as an equal? Do you know what I am?”

Kara did not answer, instead moving quickly and punching the alien in the face, crushing his nose and sending him back to the wall. She stood unmoving when he picked himself off the ground and hit her in the mouth.

The creature was definitely stronger than a human but nowhere near her league. The girl touched her lip, saw blood on her finger and grinned.

“Thanks, I needed that. No one can blame me for it.”

“For what?” the Vrang asked.

Kara answered by hitting him in the body multiple times at a blur. The Vrang felt every punch like a jackhammer was placed on his stomach and torso. Looking down all he saw was a blur where her arms had been. She had him pinned against a concrete wall and the wall was beginning to crack behind him.

Kara hit the alien with an upper cut, sending him to the roof. He landed and caught an elbow in his nose, shattering the pieces that still remained whole and disfiguring his face permanently.

Stumbling away dazed, trying to find the exit, Kara stood behind him with an evil smile.

“Should have stayed in Fort Rozz when it crashed.” she told the Vrang and swung hard, her fist striking the middle of his spine and shattering it, the thick solid structure no more than bone chips now. He fell face first to the ground unmoving.

Kara rolled the creature over and knelt next to him.

“Your people are cowards at heart, enslaving those weaker than you, relying on your weapons and once those are gone, you run. You took a girl for what? You had to have power over someone, didn’t you? You planned to torture her? Or kill her? Now you are going to answer my questions or I will kill you slowly and we both know you are too much of a coward to face death and feel what your victims have felt. Where are Astra and Non?”

The Vrang looked at her from the ground, his abnormally large eyes wide, barely blinking. His mouth was moving but no words came out. His nose was useless and he was barely able to breathe. He felt like he was drowning on the blood and bone chips from his nose.

“Answer the question or I will burn you alive.” the blonde warned, her eyes lighting up.

It made no difference to the Vrang. He could feel nothing, could barely breathe and could not speak.

Kara noted his mouth opening and closing, trying to say something. A quick look with her X Ray vision showed her what she had done. This man would never move again and most likely never speak again.

The Kryptonian patted him on the cheek. “I told you, you should have stayed on Fort Rozz when it crashed. Don’t worry, you will be back in a cell in no time and maybe if they decide you are worth it, someone can fix your spine or give you a robotic one if they have that technology here. I doubt you know anything anyway. Astra wouldn’t trust a Vrang with the truth about anything. I am surprised she let your kind live. If I didn’t have a place to contain you, I would kill you myself.”

Kara walked to the ground floor of the parking garage, slipping out as soon as a car had driven by to the upper level. She was glad to see that girl had not returned and wondered how long it would be before she told a police officer what had happened and where. It wouldn’t do for police to find the Vrang.

The blonde opened her contacts and called Dante.

“Are you okay?”

“I am perfect. There is a Vrang who is not. I followed one into a basement in the parking garage at Louis and 51st. He was keeping a young girl prisoner. I rescued her and let her go. I don’t know how long till police get here but you guys need to collect the Vrang.”

“Kara, are you okay?!” Dante repeated again, definite apprehension in his voice.

Kara wiped the bit of blood off her mouth and smiled.

“Never better Dante. I let him hit me once to get a feel for his strength. You also should hurry if you want him to talk. I shattered his spine and he has serious internal bleeding. I think if he gets quick medical intervention he may be stabilized and perhaps can give information if he has any. The species are cowards and should break easily. I left him in the basement. He isn’t going anywhere.”

Kara ended the call, picked up her backpack where she had left it by the door and strolled home, humming to herself. She felt alive, exhilarated. Finally she had been able to fight something stronger than a human, a species hated by Kryptonians,, and not only fought and defeated it easily but saved a young woman.

National City was turning out to be a pretty good place to be after all.

Kara entered her apartment to find a very annoyed Alex with boxes of Chinese food in front of her.

“Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here before me. Why don’t you answer your phone? Since when do you not answer my texts? This is two days in…”

“Chill, Alex.” Kara interrupted her with a laugh, shocking Alex. Kara looked happy, ecstatic almost. Alex had not seen her with so much obvious joy on her face in a very long while. Probably the water park trip after her first water slide experience. “I ran into an alien on the way home and followed him. He had a girl captive underground so I went in and rescued her, kicked the Vrang’s furry ass and called Dante to come and get him.”

Alex’s blood ran cold as she really took her sister in. There was a bit of smudged red next to her lip and it was not lipstick.

“He hurt you.” she whispered, not used to anything being able to hurt her sister except herself.

“Yeah, he was pretty strong, not as strong as me though and a lot slower. I let him hit me to gauge his strength. He was nowhere near my speed. I turned his internal organs into swiss cheese in seconds. I got a little carried away though and shattered his spine. I just meant to break it and paralyze him from the waist down but I got excited. I think the DEO can get him stabilized enough for him to at least talk. Not that he would know much. Vrangs enslaved Krypton a very long time ago. I am honestly surprised Astra and Non and the other Kryptonians let him live. They were probably going to use him for a suicide mission. One pawn off the board though. One full week in National City and we have already taken down an alien hurting humans. Who needs the DEO for anything besides clean up, right?”

“Kara… why didn’t you call me?”

“Because I knew you didn’t have your gun on you. Please tell me you are not carrying a gun to class. Actually with the crime in this city, and now that we know there are murderous aliens, you should probably carry your gun to class. Anyway, he had a girl chained up downstairs in a parking garage. Time was of the essence. I promise whatever he had planned for her wasn’t pleasant. That species makes Daxamites seem like saints. Now lets eat. I am starving and if you are mad about being left out we can find some street crime to stop tonight. Or maybe just go dancing! There has to be clubs that let 18 year olds dance in National City, right? If not we can sneak in. Better yet, I bet Lena is here, of course she is and Lex isn’t. Lena can get us in anywhere. Lets order a couple pizzas too. I am starving and this Chinese isn’t going to cover it. By the way, how were your classes? I loved mine. Tell me about yours.”

Alex stared at her for a moment, taken in by the look of pure joy and excitement on Kara’s face in contrast to the mess she found talking to Jessica when she arrived home yesterday.

Did Kara say she turned his internal organs into swiss cheese and shattered his spine? How could he be alive at all if his spine… all living creatures that have a spine, generally rely on those spines for life.

“Kara… was this… Vrang… alive when you left?” the older sister asked hesitantly.

“Of course. I’m not some psycho killer Alex. I left him in the basement and called Dante. He will probably never walk again but he also won’t kidnap and maybe murder other girls. So pizza? How many?”

While Kara surprised her sister with her happiness and appetite, J’onn needed to determine the status of the Vrang and if the DEO did have any technology capable of giving him enough nerve reaction for speech.

“Doctor Hamilton.” Henshaw greeted on entering her medical wing. The woman could often work miracles in treating aliens or at least keeping them alive long enough for intel should they be injured in the field. Connolly and his team were behind J’onn, wanting an update on the mess they had pulled up fro the parking garage basement.

“Director.”

“Is the Vrang able to talk or will we need to perform surgery?”

Dr. Hamilton laughed.

“It is a miracle he was still breathing when he arrived. He died five minutes after you brought him in and I took him off life support ten minutes later when I saw the internal was no way he was going to live for long. Complete paralysis. If he hadn’t been intubated in the field he would not have been able to breathe. I managed to keep him on life support but his internal organs shut completely down. Whatever alien did this, be careful Director. There is a savage monster out there.”

J’onn stiffened at her assertion and glanced at Connolly who kept his face impassive, showing no emotion.

“Why would you say that Doctor?”

Hamilton pulled up a 3D X ray and sonogram of the Vrang on the screen and began pointing out various clues.

“The Vrang as we know, have incredibly strong spines. This spine was turned to dust, probably with one strike at the exact location needed to paralyze someone with a bullet or metal weapon. His internal organs were mush, barely holding on. Judging by the bruising it appeared his attacker hit him over a hundred times and probably very quickly since he shows no signs that he moved or tried to. The bruising is very localized, all shots to the soft tissues, a few to the ribs that cracked them in half but most directly into the abdomen except a couple to the right of the rib cage, striking where a human liver would be. Whatever this alien is, it knows the exact spots to strike doing the most damage. You and your team didn’t develop super strength and go hunting, did you Connolly? This looks like your team’s style.”

Seeing no smiles on the men’s faces due to her attempt at levity, Dr. Hamilton carried on.

“The nose is shattered, completely gone for the most part, furthering difficulty breathing and the jaw is crushed. He wouldn’t have been able to ever breathe on his own or probably eaten solid food funny thing is, from what the computer can determine, many of the shots to the body were given out at different pressures, almost like the alien was playing with the guy, testing out different amounts of force.”

“I see.” Henshaw said quietly, taking in the visual on screen showing the severe destruction the Vrang had been subjected to.

“I would say only a Kryptonian would have this sort of strength, but there must be another alien out there. Kryptonians will kill obviously but they usually break necks or kill with heat vision quickly. Whatever did this was a savage beast.”

“So was the Vrang. He had a girl tied up. We think he is the reason behind ten girls missing in the past month.” Connolly pointed out.

“I guess he got what he deserved. Still be careful. Whatever this is, that kind of strength and aggression can be a very dangerous combo. If the alien will attack another alien I would suspect it wouldn’t have a problem killing humans as well.”

“Thank you Dr Hamilton.” Henshaw told her then turned to Connolly. “All of you, my office now.”

The five stood around J’onn’s office none sitting, even the director who was packing in front of his desk.

“Congratulations gentleman. You turned an 18 year old girl into the perfect killing machine.”

Connolly of course became immediately angry.

“She saved a girl’s life! She did what she had to do.”

“She had to turn him into a useless pile of boneless flesh? That is what you have taught these girls they have to do?”

“I taught her to survive.” Dante told the Martian, stepping up to the Martian. “She had no idea how strong that creature could have been. All she knew was he had a girl captive. She did the best she could. You heard Hamilton. She was trying to measure the pressure to use on him.”

“His body made an indention in a concrete wall! Was she measuring when she hit him in the precise location of the spine to disable him permanently? What about when she let him hit her? I guess its not self harm, just testing his strength, right Dante?”

The man looked at the Director carefully. “Who told you she let him hit her? She told me and I didn’t tell anyone. You read my mind, didn’t you? How many damn times do we have to warn you to cut it out?! My mind is my own! To hell with this, I quit. Kara was a hero today, and quite frankly J’onn Jonzz I am sick of you.”

“She killed a man. An alien who was a murderer but a man all the same.”

Connolly shook his head.

“No she didn’t. If she ever asks, if anyone ever asks, Jeremiah, Jess, Eliza, Alex, anyone, that Vrang was taken into custody. He is paralyzed but is able to talk. He knew nothing of any use. He had been murdering girls in the area and Kara put a stop to it. That is all anyone needs to know outside of this room.”

Dante nodded his head in agreement then turned to walk out.

“I will have an account number for human resources to transfer my 401K to by tomorrow. Never bother me again, Henshaw.”

“Dante wait! Damn it!” Webb finished, as it was obvious Dante was not waiting for anyone or thing.

“I’ll talk to him, Jack.” Connolly said with a heavy sigh then looked at the Martian. “How many more times do I have to tell you not to read our minds? Do it again and we all walk. You can have this screwed up organization yourself. We work with you, not for you and its time you remembered that. Show some damn respect and not a word to Kara about the unfortunate death of a murderer.”

The team exited, leaving J’onn alone. The man sat down at his desk putting his head in his hands.

It felt like everything was falling apart. Every nightmare he ever had for Kara, what she could possibly become, was described in vivid detail by Dr. Hamilton. It was a reality. She couldn’t speak to classmates without nearly having a panic attack but put a Fort Rozz escapee in front of her and she becomes a killing machine. No, a machine has boundaries, instructions, Kara was simply a force of destruction.

At the apartment, after filling in Jessica on the excitement of the day, fighting the Vrang and meeting a girl in class and having an actual sort of conversation, Kara left the apartment. Alex had wanted a session with Jessica and Kara promised to meet with her tomorrow night again. For now the girl needed to be free and her bike needed attention.

She drove through the night, taking in the busier parts of National City, getting used to the noise and sheer number of people. She parked outside clubs and enjoyed the music within. After a while, Kara began exploring the darker parts of National City but to her dismay found no actual physical crime taking place, just drug deals that she could really do nothing about. Yes she could stop them but she couldn’t arrest them. They would be back regardless no matter what she did. Kara was not a vice cop.

Stopping at a 24 hour burger place, she noted it was close to midnight and had three missed texts from Alex asking where the hell she was. Kara told her she would be home in an hour and wolfed down two cheeseburgers and a large order of fries.

Walking to her bike she found it had been claimed by another. On the seat was a kitten, an orange Calico with a white streak down both sides. The poor thing was staring at her with eyes that seemed too big for its tiny face.

“You are on my bike. Move or I am sitting on you.”

The kitten made no attempt to move. Kara looked at it closely and saw it had a few fleas, was filthy and malnourished as if it hadn’t eaten in a long while. It sort of remind her of herself when Alex had first found her.

“Seriously move. Fine.”

The blonde picked the kitten up and placed it on the ground. Before she could mount the bike it leaped to the engine block and onto the seat.

“What are you doing? Get off. I don’t have any cat food to give you. If you knew how that stuff was made you wouldn’t want any. Of course when you are starving you will eat anything. I know that well.”

The kitten meowed at her.

“Don’t look at me like that. Seriously? Is your Dad Puss in Boots or something? Hold onto a hat while you are at it. You can’t come with me. I am going home. You wouldn’t want to hang out with me regardless. I can barely take care of myself. I am a basket case. I can hardly talk to normal people and the only true joy I really ever feel is when I am stomping the hell out of aliens.”

The kitten meowed again.

Kara sighed, wondering if she should drop this feline off at a pound. But looking at her state, her obvious hunger and the thought of what the DEO would have done to her if she had been in a cage was to close to home. She couldn’t take the cat to a prison.

“Okay I am putting you on the ground one more time and you need to run because my baby’s engine is very loud. Understand?”

Kara tried to pick up the kitten but it quickly jumped up her arm and onto her shoulder, rubbing against her neck and purring.

“Seriously? Why? You don’t want to be around me. My sister used to want to try and perform a heart transplant on your kind. I’m nuts. I am talking to a cat! How much more proof do you need that I am unfit to care for another living creature? Until recently I had people standing outside the bathroom while I was in even stood inside the bathroom while I took showers to make sure I didn’t snap my bones or cut myself with my fingernails. I am not a good person to be around. Wait for the next motorcycle… stop purring. That feels good. Stop it!”

Kara took the kitten in her hand and looked at it once more taking in big eyes she could swear had tears in them.

“Damn it. I really don’t need this.” she muttered.

The next morning Alex woke up, surprised to find Kara already awake. She knew her sister came in very late and the minute she heard Kara inside and made sure she was okay, Alex was in bed. Her and Jessica had an intense session the night before and Alex was emotionally and mentally drained, plus she was still agitated about the fight Kara had gotten involved in.

The smell from the stove area, let the older sister now her younger sister had made breakfast.

“You made breakfast?”

“Yes I did Captain Obvious. I could’t sleep much last night and am ready to give conversing with new people another shot today.”

“Good, You aren’t sore or anything from yesterday right? I talked to Mom and Dad and they want you to call them this morning…”

“You told them?”

“That you got into a fight with an alien? Yeah, probably something they should know about. Stop complaining and call them. I need a plate.”

“Got it right here.” Kara told her, handing over the plate on the bar.

“Uh, thanks. Coffee…”

… cup, right here.” Kara finished.

“Okay then, thanks. So, you are going to meet with Jess again tonight, right?”

“Yep.”

“Thats good…” Alex stopped talking when she heard something move in the cabinet. “What was that?”

“What was what?” the blonde asked.

“Something is in the cabinet.”

“No there isn’t. I was in there getting out dishes. I would know.”

Another rattle of glass was heard. Alex looked at Kara then back at the cabinet.

“Please tell me we don’t have a rat problem. Are you seeing something in the walls and just don’t want me to know?”

Kara shook her head. “Probably the building slightly moving. You know National City and those small quakes.”

“Uh huh. I think I will have a look anyway. That was not a small quake.”

Kara dropped her head but didn’t stop Alex from opening the cabinet.

Alex for her part did not say anything for a moment, just staring into the large eyes on the small creature looking back at her from inside a bowl.

“Kara?”

“Yeah?”

“Why is there a cat in our cabinet?”

“Oh her? Thats… thats Streaky. I found her last night, or she found me and… we have a cat now. Surprise? At least we won’t worry about rats, right?”

Alex shook her head and patted her sister on the back.

“Be waiting for me in front of my last class. I want to know you aren’t fighting aliens without me and it looks like we need to pick up a flea collar and some cat food I guess. Really Kara? A cat?”

“I didn’t want her to follow me. Look at her eyes Alex! How can you say no to those eyes? If I took her to the pound they would kill her, if I left her she would starve. What else was I supposed to do? She crawled up to my shoulder and purred against my neck! I didn’t have a choice!”

Alex looked at the desperation on her sister’s face and it broke any argument she might have had. Alex had picked up a couple orphan kids once and it worked out pretty well. She supposed this might work out too.

“Welcome to the family Streaky. Think we can get her off our dishes. Something tells me she is going to need a lot of baths.”