Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Survivors

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 40: Supergirl

From the personal journal of Dr. Jessica Ryan

Notes from therapy session 3-17

Kara continues to make improvements in some aspects of her life. Since coming back from Fortress and time with Clark she has appeared more calm and confident. The reckless behavior that rose when she first moved to National City has seemed to lessen. She has reported no instances of self harm or suicidal thoughts since her return.

Kara is still intent on trying to manipulate Luther and use him to her advantage, despite warnings of loved ones not to. She disagrees that she is too young and emotionally fragile to play head games with someone in his league. This can only cause harm. Despite her desire to please her family, in particular her father, she has become more stubborn, believing her decisions are being done for the good of everyone. She believes protests from others are either a sign of a lack of faith or needless attempts to protect her. Therefore she is determined to follow through on whatever she feels is necessary. Her sister can no longer talk her out of reckless actions and instead follows along to protect Kara from herself, which will place them both in danger.

Kara has indicated she will be making public appearances soon when the right time presents itself. In my opinion she is in no way ready for the consequences of this action, even if taking out the fallout from the escapees who wish to kill or capture her. She is not ready to face her Aunt and Uncle. She is not ready for the pressures and scrutiny the world will place on her and should she fail to save someone, could easily slip back into self-destructive behavior or suicidal thoughts. Kara has not had a panic attack in over a year and believes these are past her. She refuses to acknowledge that all the underlying problems are still there waiting to surface with the right triggers. She has spent her time on Earth doing everything she can to blend in, even hide in the background of life, staying away from attention. Now the world’s attention will be on her. This is in itself could be a trigger that brings about more self-destructive behavior. New concerns have been added, such as a red room she is obsessed with and the discovery of alien bars and alien alcohol. Substance abuse had never been a concern in her case before. If the pressure of National City is too much, may begin discussing with all involved Kara moving back to former location. The instability of moving to National City has caused her to fall back to behaviors she had made headway in beating and has given rise to more reckless, dangerous and potentially deadly actions.

Since returning from Fort she has been friendlier and seemingly lighter hearted. Not going to college this semester may have something to do with this. She has spent most of the day in the Red Room at base, training against multiple opponents or at home, staying in communication and searching for targets using her new toy. The knowledge and technology she possesses combined with her raw power gives her almost god like ability without the maturity to handle it. I believe right now she is experiencing a calm before a storm that she is not aware is coming.

Kara confessed that she had asked her new toy to find Barry A. Barry A was found in a Central City coffee shop along with a female identified as Iris West. She saw he was smiling and cut the feed. Kara claimed she was happy he had moved on and appeared happy. I do not believe this is the case but getting her to admit that it isn’t is futile. She has also been spying on Luther despite my numerous suggestions not to attempt to play games with him.

The biggest concern with Kara going public is her temper. Her rage would be a more apt description. When I first met her, her face was vulnerable, sad, even when seemingly happy and she cried often. Over the years, her tears have lessened but her eyes have hardened. She has grown into a beautiful young woman but her smile hides the repressed emotions she has bottled up inside her. She has killed twice with no remorse. She feels tremendous amounts of guilt over the death of the mother and child when she was 13, over surviving Krypton while so many others died, over the lives lost because of the prison she believes she brought here and lives lost because of her birth family. Yet in regard to her enemies, she feels absolutely nothing but hate and attacks with no mercy, intending to kill. If she is forced to kill her aunt the damage will be catastrophic. While she has never had a dissociative personality, the two sides of her psyche are becoming more extreme. The farther apart she splits, the greater chance of a violent episode in public. It is more important now than ever that she control herself. Therapy continues every night and family therapy every third night. Focus will remain on anger management and discussing her mother’s message with her, something Kara has refused to elaborate on besides our talk on the first night at Fort.

National City DEO downtown headquarters

Kara Danvers hit the floor face first, her lip busted and nose cracked, blood trickling down her face.

“Stop!” Webb yelled. “Lights off!”

The red glow of the bulbs overhead gave way to soft UV rays. Kara’s nose and lip healed nearly instantly.

“Leave them on!” Kara shouted, picking herself up. “How am I going to learn to continue fighting when injured if you keep giving my powers back to me every time I get hurt?”

“Your form is horrible. I told you if you…”

“Rao Jack, I’m not letting you beat me on purpose! You have a little more experience than I do. Sorry if I keep getting hit!”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem fighting that Kryptonian in the bar.”

“I used everything I had. Speed, heat vision, freeze breath, everything. I was also fighting for my life. In here all I have are my skills in sparring that are worthless since I have never been able to go at someone with full speed. Give me a break okay? I’m not getting beat on purpose!”

Webb took her in, the anger on her face, the determination, the blood. He had hit her twice in the face and flinched each time but didn’t believe she had let him. He had to be sure though.

“Lights on!”

the voice activated red lights shown once again and Kara felt slightly dizzy before composing herself. She stepped slightly forward, arms hanging loosely by her sides, giving away nothing. It was a technique invented by Bruce Lee, no extra movement, no standing on traditions, just quick, brutal street fighting, designed to take an opponent down quickly. This combined with Krav Maga and Kara and Alex Danvers fighting philosophy was complete. Defeat your enemies quickly and permanently. Do not stop until they are unable to offer any sort of counterattack.

“Okay, everyone in this place thinks you and Alex are interns screwing around in the combat rooms. You Kara Danvers, are about to stop coming here, at least once you come out flying on television. You need to be able to coordinate with us so that means when you dress in these stripper clothes, as your father calls them, you are going to be in the DEO quite a bit. You have kept a low profile, glasses, the hair, not many people pay attention to you. Plus, I have kept you in only certain areas where there are minimal personnel. That being said I don’t want anyone to know you are the girl in the cape, so put this mask on.”

Webb tossed her a black ski mask, which she dutifully donned. He opened the door and four DEO agents she did not recognize, not that she knew any outside of her own special forces team, stepped inside.

“Gentleman, this is a potential recruit. She believes she is ready to take down multiple opponents and said most of the agents here are jokes when it comes to fighting. No holds barred, no gloves or protective gear. When I say stop you stop immediately. Is that understood?”

The men quickly agreed they would stop.

“I was talking to her, gentlemen. If you underestimate her, she will kill you. She may kill you anyway so good luck. Begin.”

The four did begin, but none seemed to take more than a few steps. They surrounded her, two in front and two in back, but none made a strike. Whether it was because they were asked to gang up on a small girl or they didn’t want to be first was unclear.

Kara decided to make the first move, turning and delivering a thorough kick to one behind her and an arm bar on his friend. She tossed the agent over her shoulder into the other two who were rushing, sending all three back. The first one she struck tried to stand and she sent an elbow to his temple while he was rising, knocking him unconscious.

One down, three to go.

The three men just saw their teammate knocked out. Before they could take their eyes off him, Kara attacked again, punching one in the throat, landing a lowered fist into the next man’s groin, and striking the third’s eye socket. The speed which she moved was incredible, no hesitation in her movements, no sloppy footwork. She had memorized these battles in her mind, gone over and over the movements, nearly every day in her head since she was 14. They had become second nature to her.

The man holding his throat and gasping for air was kneed in his nose, sending him to the mat for the last time today. He would wake up much later in the infirmary.

Two remained, one with a rapidly swelling eye and one doubled over. Performing a perfect spinning leg sweep, the unfortunate bent over agent completed his fall to Earth. A kick to his ear while Kara remained low, taking him out of commission.

Kara smiled behind her mask at her one remaining opponent. He looked at the three on the ground and back at the small masked girl in black.

“Can I give?” he asked, only to be met with six quick strikes to his chest and a kick to his stomach, followed by a kidney shot. He grabbed his side and screamed, before Kara grabbed the back of his head and slammed him onto the mat, face first.

She stepped back and took in her former opponents.

“Did I kill them?” she asked worriedly, seeing all were at least asleep, and three of the four bleeding.

“If you did, they deserved it. Pathetic. You did well. I like the aggression and the initiative to make the first moves. I wish Alex would have been able to do that. I beat the hell out of her this morning. She may have a cracked jaw…”

Kara screamed and struck, her fist only finding air. She swung wildly and felt her wrist grabbed and her arm bent to the point of breaking. She was brought to one knee by the man who had her arm locked into a submission hold.

“Amazing. You just took out four agents, trained by me, in less than a minute. I say one little lie about breaking Alex’s jaw and every bit of discipline, form, intelligence leaves you. You attack, all rage and no brains. Five years of training and one little comment causes it all to go away and you turn into a clumsy idiot fighting at a bar.

“You didn’t hurt her?” Kara gasped through the pain.

Webb let her arm go.

“Nope. I would never do the things I do to you if I didn’t know you could heal in seconds. Kara, you need to keep your head. You may see Alex hurt one day and losing yourself into rage is going to do her no good. You are fighting to win, not for revenge, so keep your damn emotions out of it. Discipline is the only way you win. You are going to be goaded. Non is going to say things to you, things that will anger you. He is going to call you a privileged little spoiled girl, say things about Clark I bet. He will threaten the boy, threaten your family. He is going to see how strong you are mentally and emotionally. He will try and make you cower in fear. That worries me because it’s easy to do right now. You always said you wanted to be a target, draw them out of hiding? They are coming, kid. You are going to get what you want. You have decided you are strong enough to take the fate of the human race on your shoulders. I hope you really are strong enough. Cold and disciplined, always thinking while losing yourself as well in your training, not emotions, Kara. You have to remain cold when fighting or he has won before he even hits you once.”

“I will. I promise, Jack. I am ready. You just caught me by surprise.”

“Yeah, that can’t happen. Fights are all about surprise and you know this. Okay kid, get out of here while I try and wake these idiots and determine which ones need a hospital or can just go to the infirmary here.”

“No, I’m not ready. I have more. One more round.”

Jack looked closely at her, trying to determine if she had any ulterior motive. Deciding she probably didn’t, the two faced off again, trading strikes and blocking each other’s kicks until Kara broke into his guard and raked his face with her hand.

Jack grabbed his cheek, that was now stinging from the four small gashes on his face, delivered by Kara’s fingernails.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, irritated.

“I hit your face. It’s not like it’s the first time.”

“You didn’t hit my face, you clawed at it. When you hit, hit! Are you going to cut Non’s cheek? If you break into my guard break my eye socket, not claw my face once. At least go for the eyes if you want blood with your nails.”

“Sorry Jack.” Kara told him, schooling her face. “I guess I am tired. I’m going to see Mom and Dad before I grab Alex and we get out of here. Tomorrow?”

Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Depends. We might have a lead we need to check up on. I think we found an alien bar right here in National City. You and big sis feel like doing some field work tomorrow night?”

“Yes!”

“I will let you know, tomorrow. Get out of here. You did okay today, except for your little emotional outburst of sloppiness. Be happy and relax.”

Kara walked out, hating the feeling of leaving the red rays, as her strength came immediately. She no longer felt hot, was no longer sweating and her heart rate went back to its normal place. She felt once again as if nothing on this Earth could phase her, as if she were a robot instead of a person, no more effected by physical sensation than Kelex.

She made her way to her mother’s lab, pleased to see Eliza was in Jeremiah’s lab. Walking to the cabinet, she found what she was looking for, a DNA collection kit. Taking the swab and collecting Jack Webb’s blood from under her fingernails, she secured it quickly in her pocket before Eliza returned.

Kara had given much thought to the red solar rays. She wouldn’t be able to replicate the device without studying it. She was always watched in the room because only Jack’s DNA could open it.

Jack’s DNA and the red sun room were her’s now. Kelex had already made a replica of his eye after hacking into the red sun room but he could not replicate DNA.

Problem solved. Jack goes in a mission, Kara enters the room and examines bulbs, sends specs to Kelex and she has her own red sun rays.

After a quick word with her mother and father assuring them she was okay, she moved back to the training rooms to grab Alex. The girl spent a ridiculous amount of time training this Agent Chase who Webb saddled her with. Alex seemed to enjoy being around the young agent so perhaps she could be a friend to her big sister. The blonde hoped so, Alex needed friends she could relate to.

Opening the door to the training room without bothering to X Ray it first, to say she was caught by surprise would be an understatement.

For once, Chase had Alex pressed against a wall.

It was not a maneuver Kara was familiar with, one that involved legs wrapped around each other and lips meeting aggressively.

“What the hell!?” Kara shouted, surprised.

Both women looked at her, springing apart from each other. Kara immediately got over her shock and embarrassment took over. Face on fire, she looked down and backed up.

“I… sorry… I was just… I am heading home and… yeah… I will see you there, Alex… later! Whenever you aren’t… yeah… sorry I didn’t knock… not that there is anywhere to really knock. That… there should probably be a lock on these doors…”

“Kara, please don’t say anything to Mom and…” Alex started.

“Are you serious?” Kara asked. “You think I would ever dream of telling them something like this? I love you, I don’t want to see you dead! She is a damn agent! Do you know what they would do if they found out?”

“Yeah… we got caught up in the moment and…”

“And she is going to die from some untraceable poison or incurable disease if Dad finds out about this. Lock the door! Come to our apartment, but c’mon Alex, you are begging to be caught. Just… yeah, I’m going home. If you two want alone time later let me know and you can have our place, alone, away from a base full of secret agents and our parents!”

“Thanks… I should probably come too.” Alex admitted.

“Uh, you may want to compose yourself a bit, Button your shirt and… wow. Okay I will wait for you in the parking garage.”

The two girls did make their way home an hour later and relaxed not saying a word. Kara sat in the open window sill with her kitten in her lap and Alex sat on the couch flipping channels absentmindedly. Finally she could not take the silence.

“Okay, say something.” the older sister ordered. Kara stopped gazing out over the city and looked at her sister with a grin.

“Sorry, I was kind of lost in thought.” she told her sheepishly.

“About what you saw?” Alex guessed.

Kara shook her head. “No, you making out, being pushed against a wall… nope, not lost in thought about that. I tend to not pay attention in the past or now when you are having… intimate moments.”

“Does it freak you out?” the brunette asked, voicing one of her greatest fears. Kara had known for years that Alex was gay of course, even seen her with girls but never to the extent she walked in on today.

“Freak me out? No, it makes me jealous. Ever since that red sun room and feeling like… like I did on Krypton, has sort of fired up my imagination. I had thought I couldn’t for so long and now its… it could be possible, but… of course I can’t let anyone in my life because they would be in danger and… oh Rao, you are lucky. Seriously, do you know what I would give to feel that with anyone? I wouldn’t even be picky at this point! Wait, how old is she?”

“23. Been with the agency for 3 months, recruited by Jack, right out of college. Supposedly she is a great shot and her Dad was some legendary CIA agent. Bachelor’s degree in abnormal psychology, great investigative instincts but her hand to hand sucks.”

“Her hands look like they knew what they were doing.” Kara pointed out. “Seriously, if anyone finds out she could be fired. Be careful.”

“I will… what’s wrong?” she asked, seeing Kara’s face concentrate, listening to something out in the city. Kara put a finger up.

“Clark… stop listening without permission.” Kara said out loud.

“I don’t care that you found our voices, it isn’t your business what we are talking about. You do not get to spy! Wait how long have you been trying to find our voices? Thirty minutes? You sorted through the noise… I am so proud of you! No, of course I can hear you fine. Why would I listen to Connolly’s house tonight?”

Kara’s face turned red for the second time that day.

“No! Do not listen to them. They are not fighting. I don’t care how many swear words they use. Do not even think about trying to look! No, she isn’t beating him, just do not listen to them… I know they are very close, focus on the sound of waves. That always helped me sleep. Focus on waves and only waves. Do not listen to… don’t even mention Mom and… stop it! Okay, concentrate on TV or something. Stop eavesdropping. Its rude.”

Alex continued to watch, impressed with Clark’s mastery of his hearing and concerned that he knew enough to cause her parents to ask questions.

“I know Justin can spy on everyone in the world but I am not doing it, am I? I also don’t listen into other people’s homes if I can help it. Neither should you. Clark there are private things… don’t argue with me about practice. I am proud you found our voices, but I taught you those things so you could drown sound out, no listen to people. You might not like what you hear and don’t even think of looking inside some else’s house. Have you found the DEO yet?”

Alex shook her head. Of course, Clark would ease drop with his new powers. The kid always was too nosey for his own good. She just hoped he didn’t see or hear anything that would scar him for life.

“Work on finding it during the day, seek out Mom and Dad’s voices. I can hear them, they are on their way home. Do not mention anything Alex and I were talking about, ever. Stop listening to us. If you want to practice call me and we can hang up and talk. Love you too.”

Kara stilled for a moment until she must have heard something that made her happy.

“He turned the TV on.”

“You can seriously keep track of Mom and Dad at the DEO and hear him?”

“Yep. I have them dialed in and heard him saying Kara and Alex, loudly. It was hard to miss. Okay, so you and Agent Chase huh?”

“Not a big deal. Just having some… fun.”

“Fun that could get her fired. She doesn’t seem the type who would risk her professional career for fun.”

“Yeah well, I think after our scare today the fun is over. So bum, enjoying having the semester off?”

“You have no idea.” Kara admitted. “By the way, Jack mentioned some possible field work we might participate in tomorrow night.”

“Sweet!” Did he say what?”

“No, but does it matter? We can start doing something. I feel like I am going crazy sitting here waiting.”

Alex laughed at the disappointment on her face. “So go save the day. Isn’t that what you wanted to do?”

“Yeah, but I need the right opportunity. If I show up at a bank robbery the police are going to wonder who I am, what I am and why I am there. If I just show up at a random car wreck, people are going to wonder why I am getting involved if I am not an emergency responder. I have to be known before I show up at rescue scenes like that. I can’t get blasted for not only what I am, but what I am doing. It has to be something big, something only I could handle to give me an excuse to get involved.”

“Plane crash.”

“Yeah, something like that but not as extreme.”

“No, I just got a news alert on my phone. A plane is about to crash. Its lost power to two engines. 747 and headed for downtown National City. If it crashes in downtown, the loss of life would be… the Fire and Police are trying to evacuate the area but there isn’t enough time.”

“I can’t catch a plane!” Kara shouted.

“Why not?”

“It’s not that easy! Planes are delicate! If I try to just stop it in midair it will crumble…”

“What’s the worst you can do? They are all going to die anyway,” Alex encouraged, while running scenarios in her head, trying to figure out how to catch a speeding, pressurized tube without crushing or decompressing the aircraft.

“Okay, I can do this?” Kara questioned, then zoomed to their room and exited again. Alex hoped Kara was wearing the blue and red and not one of the others. Her sister was about to change the world and she really did not need a suit that would get her more grounded.

Clicking on the television and placing her com in her ear, the special one Kara had made just for her, she figured out that her calculations were not needed. Loki was on the job.

Kara flew in a near panic, trying to stay calm. She was wearing her suit, one of her suits, and she had only tried them on in the Fortress. Now she was actually flying in one, not in the dark but in the light of day, towards a doomed airliner.

“Kelex, you better answer.” she ordered.

“I’m here, Kara. What is the problem?”

“The problem is a loaded 747 with two engines down, heading out of control towards downtown National City. I need to stop this from happening. Options?”

“To limit loss of life, I would recommend using your heat vision to rupture the fuel tanks on the jet, causing an explosion and limiting deaths on the ground. The deaths of the passengers must be treated as a foregone conclusion.”

“Not an option. We are saving everyone.”

“The odds of a successful…”

“Never tell me the odds, just how to do something. Can a 747 fly on 2 engines?”

“Theoretically but if it is having difficulty getting to an airport it is likely the pilots have lost all control.”

Kara saw the aircraft flying towards her, in slow motion to her. She moved faster, thought faster and this always caused the world around her to slow down. She saw the grim determination of the pilots and the barely hidden despair.

Flying to a stop above it, the plane picked up speed in her vision as she lost focus. The blonde chased the plane from behind and could tell by its rate of decent, speed and trajectory it would indeed crash right into the business and social hub of the city.

“Kelex? Can I get underneath it, grab onto it and lift it up?”

“You will most like push your hands into the underside and the plane will buckle around you. Any sudden stop in speed will kill the passengers and destroy the plane.”

“Okay, give me something! I’m running out of time.”

“I’m thinking.”

“You are thinking? You are the most advanced computer on this planet, how the hell is it taking you this long?”

“You want a scenario that involves no loss of life. I can only give you the most probable, but not guarantee no loss of life.”

“Give it to me! I have maybe 40 seconds to do something!”

“You will have to fly under the aircraft, get to the strongest point, between the wings. Match the speed of the plane while flying in a standing position. Use your hands to gently nudge the underside up and level out the plane then guide it into a canal behind downtown. If you can manage not to puncture the hull, it should float. I would recommend the center front landing gear. Of course there is a bridge and there is absolutely no way to avoid that but the civilians downtown would be safe and the passengers have a chance at swimming from the wreckage even with the possible hull breaches from the wings snapping off on the bridge.”

“Fine, I will figure something out. I’m under it now.”

Kara flew under the fuselage and gently placed her hands under the plane. The material began to buckle and tear.

“Try flying in front of the plane backwards but with some pressure on the front, perhaps slowing the momentum, then back to the middle, leveling it out. If you place to much pressure on the nose the whole plane will crumble however.”

“Damn it Kleenex, she can barely make turns with her cape and you expect her to do that?” Alex complained, speaking up for the first time.

“I can do this.” Kara decided, trying to convince herself. She could hear everything, the burning metal, the heartbeats and cries of the passengers, the prayers being said. She heard chaos in the streets of the city as people realized they had to run for their lives. Closing off her hearing she shot to the front of the plane and touched the nose, falling back and only placing a bit of pressure. She could tell the plane was slowing somewhat and if it slowed much more it would drop from the sky, straight down.

She didn’t have time to appreciate the comical looks of the pilots as they gawked at the little blonde girl who was suddenly in front of their plane.

Slipping back underneath, she found the landing gear bay, and punched through the compartment, grabbing the strong steel, it molding around her fingers.

“Landing gear retracted inside and I have a firm grip on the steel supports. Will it hold Kelex?”

“Odds are against it, but at this point you really have nothing to lose.”

“Alex, have you been working with him on sarcasm?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing. Tom’s movies are a bad influence. If you can’t do it Kara, then back off. You can rescue people on the streets, maybe put out…”

“I got this.” Kara assured her, becoming more determined the closer she got to the city. She adjusted her grip on the incredibly durable steep usually relied upon to land the aircraft safely. The plane had lost momentum but was still flying at a high rate and she had fifteen seconds.

Kara lifted and felt the plane buckle around her. There were new screams and she knew the pressurized tube was bending around her. Still, she held onto the steel with her hands and began moving up, slightly and then more urgently, praying to whoever would listen that the plane would not break apart.

She heard the metal cracking, but kept pushing, slowing the plane and lifting it higher.

The plane stopped buckling. Kara closed her eyes then opened them when she didn’t hear screams of people falling out. She was gently and slowly flying the slightly bent 747 towards the downtown area. She began slowly lifting higher and the plane barely cleared Catco Tower. Cat Grant, who had refused to leave, stood on her balcony, mouth open, watching a small girl holding up and flying a 747 above her building.

“The plane has decelerated and by some miracle it has not broken apart.” Kelex told her. “I would recommend you place it down as soon as possible. The hull is still under considerable strain.” Kara looked around and saw the closest open spot in National City. The baseball stadium was being used but everyone in it was looking up, players included. Kara gently guided the plane down and was glad to see the players had enough sense to run from the field.

Twenty thousand fans and the players watched the eerie sight. The plane that reached from home plate to nearly the centerfield fence was gently sat down. It jerked a bit as Kara walked out from under it, but all in all it was a silent affair.

Kara Danvers found herself in a baseball stadium, next to a passenger airliner she had just caught, surrounded by thousands of people and not one of them were saying a word. Even the passengers inside the plane were trying to come to grips with the fact that they were safely on the ground.

Kara should have been happy, elated. She had pulled off something even her robotic butler didn’t think was possible.

Instead, she felt every single eye on her. Despite her resistance to temperature, she began to sweat. Her eyes were wide and she looked around, looked for any place to hide but she couldn’t.

She had done it. There was no going back. She would never be able to hide again, not truly.

“Kara, I think there are enough photos of that symbol on your chest and your pretty face. Time to leave.” Alex ordered, watching live coverage and seeing that the TV station covering the game now had golden shots of the miracle girl. She also saw her sister had a deer in the headlight look. If Kara had a panic attack now, the results would be catastrophic.

“Kara! Fly now!” Alex snapped, trying to get her attention.

It worked. Kara closed her eyes, shook her head, and with a sonic boom, was high in the air. She kept climbing until she was well above the cloud cover.

“Kara? You okay? Didn’t pull any muscles, right? This would be a bad time for a panic attack. You have never had one in the air before and we probably shouldn’t see what happens, right?”

Kara, nearly a mile above the ground, heard Alex but was not focusing on her. Instead she looked at the city below. She knew she couldn’t be seen but it appeared to her as if all of National City was looking at her, pointing to the sky.

“What have I done?” the girl whispered.

“Saved about ten thousand people at least. Let’s celebrate with pot stickers. Fly home to me and we can party, or just eat ice cream and watch reruns of stupid shows. Just come home, Sweetie. I’ll take care of you. It is going to be alright.”

“Alex, what have I done?”

“What we planned Kara.”

“They are all looking at me. They are scared of me. I bet the Air Force will be looking for me soon.”

“They are not scared of you. People are trying to figure out who you are, but that is all. The news channels are already wondering if you are an angel. Come home and you will see no one is scared of you.”

“I can’t come home. Its daylight. If anyone sees me fly into our window, our building, they will know.”

“Okay… okay…” Alex told her, trying to keep her calm. “The desert. Fly like you are going to the DEO base. Remember that small mountain, the one we said was more like a dirt hill? It’s on the side of the road, right? Fly there. Stay over the clouds and then drop straight down. Go on the far side of the mountain away from the road. I will be there in an hour with clothes. Land, stay hidden and make sure no one is watching you. If they are, let me know and we can find another spot. I’m leaving now.”

Forty five minutes later Alex found Kara under a rocky outcropping hidden from the desert road, shaking. She handed her a bag with her favorite jeans, boots and a Midvale High Soccer tee. Once Kara put on the glasses and her hair turned to a dark shade of brown, she seemed to relax. She adjusted the earpiece a bit and her hair became even darker.

“You done, Elvira?”

“Too dark?”

“Maybe a little. Let’s get home. Mom and Dad are going to meet us there with Clark. They are pretty proud of you. So am I.”

“I would still be in that baseball field, getting interviewed by police or passed out on the ground if not for you.”

“That’s one of the many great things about me. Let’s go. You are actually still shaking and since it is my bike, you get to ride on the back this time.”

Metropolis- Daily Planet

Perry White was excited, dumbfounded and angry. He was excited that whatever had happened in National City would probably be the story of the century, if not all of history. Thousands saved by an impossible act witnessed by the millions watching on TV and those on the ground. Impossible for the act to be a hoax.

He was dumbfounded because despite seeing it over thirty times since it happened, he still couldn’t believe his eyes. The girl was blonde, maybe 5’8, possibly 120 lbs and couldn’t be a day over 19. She had picked up a 747 in midflight, no, mid crash, and gently landed it in a damn professorial baseball stadium. It simply wasn’t possible and yet it happened.

He was angry because it happened in Cat Grant’s back yard, literally over her building. He was scrambling to find out what happened and she no doubt had reporters from the Tribune, her magazine and her television stations scouring National City, looking for this kid.

“Lane!”

“Yes Chief?” the eager young girl asked. She was new, fresh and had tremendous drive but little experience. Something told him though that a young girl may be more comfortable talking to someone closer to her age rather than an older reporter.

“Take that new kid, what’s his name, Olsen? Yeah, Olsen. I’m giving you a shot here, Lane. Find out who she is and how she did that. I want her life story, I want pictures, I want her damn autograph. I want her before Cat Grant finds her. Understand?”

“You want… me? Really?” she asked excitedly.

“You want to be big one day it doesn’t get bigger. You get the story the world is going to remember you. You don’t and you are going to sit through watching Cat Grant name and brand this girl into her product. If Cat gets her claws into an impressionable kid like her, she will control her. Flights in an hour. We won’t let Grant beat us. Go!”

Lois ran through the press room, grabbing Olsen who was still watching the replay being shown around the world over and over.

“Can you believe this, Lois? Look at her. She is what 17 or 18? What’s with the S? And the whole outfit, she was ready for this. She dressed to be noticed.”

“She could have saved the effort. She could have worn a potato sack down and the world would have noticed her. Pack your bags, Olsen. We have 55 minutes to get on a plane to National City. We are going to find her.”

“We won’t have trouble. A girl like that who dresses like she does, wants to be noticed. She wanted to be seen. But she didn’t stick around.”

Lois caught his meaning.

“She wanted to be seen but not by the public so much. That symbol, she didn’t wear it accidentally. She wanted it to be seen. Why an S though? Unless it’s not an S. It is kind of drawn weird. Screw it, time for theories on the plane, Olsen. Let’s move. We have the story of the century to tell.”

CatCo

Cat Grant paced in front of her desk before addressing the crowd gathered in her large office. Present were every investigative reporter on her payroll from all her media outlets.

“I want to know who she is in the next hour. We have her face, she dresses like a caped cheerleader for Team USA. This cannot be hard to find. I want the science department to work out the physics of what she did. I want to know how a person can fly, how a 747 can be carried and gently sat down in a damn football field.”

“Baseball…”

“Does it matter?! I saw her fly over my head. This was no hoax. Everything has changed. Every news outlet in the world is sending teams to National City, to my turf. No one gets to her before we do. I want marketing working on a name for her, until we get a real name. Call her… I don’t know, figure it out, bring me some proposals in the next hour. We will have her named by the morning press releases. Go!”

Cat walked out to her balcony for a moment before getting to her own work. She was still a reporter at heart and a damn good one. She had no doubt her old mentor and tormentor Perry White had a team of freelance reporters already on commission in National City and was no doubt flying a team across the country now. Cat would not be beat on her own turf.

Her eyes drifted up, to where not three hours ago a 747 that could have destroyed her building was instead guided by a tiny girl over all the skyscrapers to the one safe place to land with no damage. Cat saw the girl clearly, hard not to in that outfit. The girl was focused, even a bit worried but determined. One of the things absent from her face was strain.

The weight of that plane was nothing to her. She was more focused on not tearing it apart than paying any mind to the weight she must have been lifting. Smart kid.

How strong was she? She caused a sonic boom when she lifted off from the stadium. Her face before she took off may have looked blank to some, but Cat recognized it. Despite the attention, this was a girl who was not used to it nor wanted it but nearly realized it too late. Cat had her own anxiety issues, who wouldn’t growing up with her mother, and this girl had the look of someone who just realized what she had done and had no idea how to deal with it.

“Who are you, child?” the woman whispered. “What are you?”

Whatever she was, a girl who could lift a 747 and fly at supersonic speed was not attacking the public. Instead she saved thousands and didn’t stick around for the praise.

Flying and super strength. The stuff of comic books. Cat had heard it before in urban legends. One she had heard not long ago, something about a… girl… who had…

Gotham City Children’s Hospital. The legends told about the girl who held up a support beam, lifted a large beam off a fireman, who one Captain swore could fly before he was told by his superiors to shut up.

She sent a text to her Gotham outlet to reinterview the fire fighters who claimed to have been saved by the mystery girl.

Her clothes. She wore a cape. Was it why she could fly or was it to help her control her flight? No, a girl as strong as that wouldn’t need a cape to fly. If she had the strength she most likely flew with no help either.

The material never tore. She maneuvered all over a plane with blown engines and her clothes were never torn by the wind shear.

What material could stand up to that activity?

The S. Was it an S? Close enough.

Cat picked up her cell phone and dialed marketing.

“George? I want every news affiliate we have asking who is Supergirl? That is tomorrows headline for the Tribune. I also want it immediately online and on the news. Who is Supergirl? Not who is the Super girl. It needs to say who is Supergirl, super and girl one word. Why? That’s her name now. Get a trademark on it, that triangle and S she wears associated with the name Supergirl.”

Cat walked inside and called her assistant over, a bumbling fool in her opinion, but the girl could multi task.

“I want her picture passed around by everyone who works in this building and is not a reporter. Tell them to hit the local college hangouts, the campus itself, Malls, look over year book photos of high schools around National City. Check the boardwalks. She is beautiful. Someone has to know her. Tell anyone that can find an actual name and location, verified, will be getting quite a large reward. This is a race to find her first and I will not lose.”

Myriad Construction Site

Astra and Non watched the large monitor, the coverage playing the same scene over and over. Astra soaked in the sight of her grown niece, the face she had dreamed of for so long.

“Any chance of passing her off as a Daxamite is gone. She has displayed that symbol quite proudly on her chest. Everyone not afraid of you will be after her now, if not for the bounty, then for revenge or ransom from you.” Non told her.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I will simply fly to National City and appear in the sky. She will find me. I finally know where she is. I am so close.”

“Everyone knows she is the daughter of Alura!”

“I don’t give a damn! If they touch her they die horribly. She will soon be under my protection.”

Non laughed, causing Astra to grab him by his throat. It didn’t take the smile off his face.

“You don’t get it, do you? She knows you are on Earth. Tyn would have told her. She didn’t want to come to you. She killed him instead. Where did she learn to fight, to kill? She snapped another Kryptonian’s neck! She knew there were other Kryptonians on this planet, knew where Tyn was from and killed him. She is wearing that symbol in full view of the world. She is obviously under the Governments control. Who else would have taught her to fight?”

“I don’t know! But I know she will come to me!”

“That cape, it was one of those blankets Lara always insisted Kal El be kept in.” Non continued. “He is alive. She knows about other aliens, I guarantee she knows about Rozz, and she has Kryptonian technology. That shameful skirt she wore was obviously manufactured by our technology. What else does she have that she has shared with the humans? She is a danger to us. Of course she is calling out to you but it isn’t because she needs rescuing.”

“She needs me!”

“She didn’t need you to kill him. She handled that on her own. The spy we sent to investigate the Gotham City Hospital report never returned. Fort Rozz was blown up less than two weeks later, with a nuclear blast, no less. She is working for them or with them and if she has access to Kryptonian technology she likely knows why you were in Rozz.”

“She has been obviously frightened by you! She would have come to me. I would guess Tyn threatened to bring her to you. Have you been offering a bounty behind my back, husband?”

Non closed his eyes and relaxed when Astra took her hand off his throat.

“No dear. My loyalty has been and always shall be to you. I am simply stating facts. She is dressed in a manner which would anger Kryptonians. She displays the symbol of the House of El, no doubt knowing about Fort Rozz and setting herself as a target. She wants to be hunted and she wants you to come after her. She likely wants us both. I am sorry to say this Astra but she is baiting you.”

“Kara is not her mother. She…”

“Kara Zor El is not your little niece you left on Krypton. This one is very much like the rest of her family, a cold blooded killer.”

“You don’t know that. She could have been defending herself. He could have threatened to hurt her.”

Non let out a breath, knowing no amount of arguing would do any good.

“So I suppose you will fly blindly to National City? Draw more attention to our race? Shall we go public before Myriad is ready?”

“No. Send out word that any alien attempting to harm her will be put to death immediately.”

“By her no doubt.” Non muttered.

As much as he hated the House of El, the man grudgingly admitted he was impressed with the manner in which she dispatched Tyn. She had every opportunity to escape. Instead she deliberately put him in an indefensible position and purposely snapped his neck, leaving no doubt. Whether it was the government or she taught herself, she definitely had skills. “Perhaps we should hire an outside consultant to approach her? Someone who will work for money alone, not loyalty or have cause for revenge. He can attempt to capture her. If he succeeds you will have her. If he fails we know for certain that she is our enemy.”

“If he harms her, you will both be dead.” Astra countered.

“Would you like her to be with you? Until you can determine who has influenced her and what she thinks she knows about you, some harm may have to occur. It isn’t like she can stay injured. Either you walk into a trap or she is brought to you. Which shall it be?”

Astra took her eyes off the monitor and turned back to Non who feared for a moment that she would choke him once again.

“Who is this consultant who you believe can bring her to us alive? What race is as strong as a Kryptonian on this planet?”

“I have heard reports that our soldiers have had contact with a Czarnian.”

“They are all dead.”

“Except for the one who killed off his race. Remind you of the brothers El?”

“You expect me to let loose Lobo on my own blood?!”

“When he is given a job he completes it. If he is hired not to kill her, he will not kill her. But we both know the Czarnian has taken down strong opponents. She cannot match him in experience.”

“He is psychotic. Worse than psychotic.”

“If you hire him to bring her to you, he will die before failing. If you order her not to be killed or disfigured, he will not. He honors his contracts. It’s either that or send one of our soldiers, knowing they will attempt to kill her or walking into a trap yourself. What will it be?”

Astra look one last time at her niece. The smile was gone from her face and her eyes looked tired. The joy that had been a constant feature of her face on Krypton was gone. Kara knew. Astra bet she knew everything about her crimes. She also suspected Kara knew nothing of the House of El’s role in allowing the destruction of Krypton to occur. Kara had to be made to understand and to do that she needed the girl here.

“Find and hire this Lobo. If she is killed so are you.”

“It will be done.” Non assured her and walked off. Kara Zor El cared for humans. She had just saved thousands. Once she rejected Astra, his wife would have no choice but to treat her as an enemy and she would be Non’s. He would take great pleasure in killing one of the two remaining members of the House of El.

National City- Kara and Alex’s apartment

What should have been a celebratory event was much less so. Kara sat curled up on the couch, practically melting into Alex and surrounded by her parents and brother watching the news. She tried to listen to every attempt to find her, every theory on who or what she was. So far no one was close and she hoped a pair of glasses and different hair would be effective. She also tended to blend the background, unnoticed. All these things would help. Vivian was keeping track of the internet chatter as was Kelex. Kara still couldn’t shake the feeling that reporters or worse, Fort Rozz escapees would be invading the apartment any moment. She refused to consider letting her parents and brother stay the night and would have sent Alex away if she thought she could get away with it. Instead they told her how proud they were of her and left her almost asleep in Alex’s arms.

Once the two sisters had been left alone, Kara let her fears be known.

“Did I make a mistake, Alex?”

“No, you averted a major disaster. You acted like the hero you are.”

“The world will never be the same, will it?”

“Nope,” Alex agreed. “It’s going to be better. It has you now, no longer hiding, out in the open and able to save people whenever you are needed. You are going to make the world a better place, Kara. I knew you were special from the moment I laid eyes on you. You have never disproved my first impression.”

“I’m scared, Alex.”

“Of what?”

“Everything.”

Alex nodded her head and squeezed Kara tighter.

“So am I, Kara. But this? This is what you are. A savior, a symbol of hope. We can deal with the bad guys later. Right now, tonight, let’s just enjoy the world knowing how amazing you are.”

“Thanks, for getting me out there. I think I was going…”

“I will always be in your ear during rescues and at your side during fights. No matter what, you will always have me. I swear, Kara.”

Kara wrapped her arms around her sister and desperately wished she were in the red sun room at the DEO.

“I’m tired. I’m going to take a shower and turn in. Will you sleep with me tonight?”

“Of course. I will also be in the bathroom with you. I worry and I love. You were amazing Kara and I think in the morning you will realize that. But right now, you need me.”

“Thanks…” before Kara could finish her sentence there was a knock on the door. She tensed immediately then relaxed when she saw who it was. Walking over, she opened the door and allowed entrance to J’onn Jonzz aka Hank Henshaw.

“If you came to yell, I am throwing you out the window.” Alex promised.

J’onn shook his head.

“I just wanted to make sure you were both okay and tell you how proud of you both I am.” J’onn gently pulled Kara into a hug and she let him, relaxed that there was not going to be a fight.

“Between the downtown streets, the workers in the buildings, the drivers on the street and of course the passengers, it is being estimated that you saved close to ten thousand people. If you have any nightmares tonight, rub that into whoever’s face. I’ve never seen anything more impressive. Good night you two.”

J’onn left the apartment, leaving Kara and Alex speechless. J’onn admitting pride? Kara really had pulled off the impossible.

“Let’s get ready for bed. I have a feeling it is going to be a long week and I have class in the morning.”‘ the older sister reminded her.

Kara showered then waited for Alex to exit the shower. It was a routine both had done many times over the years, but recently only during major life changes for Kara, moving, starting college and now becoming the first real superhero the world had ever known.

Despite her worry, the blonde slept soundly all night. It was in the morning, after pulling Streaky out of her hair and noting that Alex had woken up already, that things turned badly. Alex had breakfast ready and a newspaper on hand. She handed the paper to Kara, trying not to cringe. Kara took one look at the front page of the Tribune and dropped the paper back onto the counter after seeing the large headline.

Who Is Supergirl?

“I can’t believe they are actually going to call me Supergirl.” she mumbled.

“I’ve always been partial to Super nerd? Should I call Cat Grant and suggest she uses that?”

Kara shook her head.

“No point. It’s out there now. I may as well get used to it. I am Supergirl.”