Chapter 5
Lena Luthor was having a bad day.
Granted, that wasn’t saying much, seeing as she couldn’t remember the last time she had a good day. At least, not since her brother decided to wage a one man war against Superman, killing hundreds of people in the process. Now, she had been pulled out of her nice, cushy lab in LutherCorp’s science division to try and keep the company afloat as investors understandably pulled out while the board tried to rip what was left to shreds and the media crucified her for the curse of having grown up in the same house as Lex.
In fact, the only thing that had been getting her through the days was her best friend Sam, her daughter, and a good glass of scotch at the end of the day on her balcony overlooking Metropolis.
Sighing, she reclined on the lounger, breathing in the night air as she looked over the city for a moment before turning to the tablet in her hand and taking a sip of her drink. Lex had nearly bankrupted the company funding his obsession with the Man of Steel, and Lena was doing everything she could to avoid laying off as many people as possible. Unfortunately, the very thought of taking a pay cut was anathema to executives who not only made millions every year, but also fought her every attempt to move the LuthorCorp in a new direction.
“Are you sure about this?” A voice whispered above her.
“I’m from the future, of course I’m sure,” a second, raspier voice replied.
“But what about her brother?” Asked the first. “If he found out she was helping us…”
“Lena is ten times smarter than Lex,” the second voice countered. “And a hundred times braver. In my time, she basically treated an assassination attempt as nothing more than a morning jog. If you wanna beat Reactron, you need her help.”
“I dunno, El,” the first voice whined. “She looks really busy. How can I ask her to just drop everything and help me stop some nutbar in National City?”
Smiling, Lena leaned back in her seat. “You could start by coming down and speaking to me yourself.” She watched with equal parts amusement and confusion as National City’s own brand new superhero peeked over the edge of her roof before sighing and floating down.
“Hello, Miss Luthor,” she said sheepishly. “Sorry to disturb you.”
“Not at all. Supergirl, correct? I’ve seen you on the news.”
“Oh, well, thank you,” Supergirl said, shuffling her feet. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”
“No, she hasn’t!” The raspy voice from before called out. “She had never heard of you before today.”
Supergirl flushed and looked reproachingly towards the roof while Lena chuckled into her drink.
“Who is your friend?” She didn’t know what she was expecting, but a second Supergirl dressed in a leather jacket and combat boots was not even close to making the list.
“I go by Flamebird,” the second Supergirl said. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Lena looked between the two women, analysing their similarities and differences. Looks aside, there was an earnestness to Supergirl that her counterpart lacked. Flamebird, however, reminded Lena of some of the veterans she had met while working in the prosthetics lab with the way she stood tense and ready for action, her eyes constantly darting back and forth as she scanned her surroundings for any incoming threats.
“Likewise,” Lena drawled. “I had been expecting a visit from a Kryptonian ever since my brother was arrested, but this… why haven’t I heard anything about there being a second superhero flying around National City?”
“My hero days are largely behind me,” Flamebird replied.
“Because you’re from the future?”
Supergirl cringed. “You heard that?”
“The two of you weren’t exactly being subtle.” Flamebird smirked. Clearly she wanted Lena to hear their little discussion, but what she couldn’t figure out was why. “You mentioned something about needing my help?”
Supergirl nodded, her confidence returning. “Do you know about the villain Reactron?”
“Everyone in Metropolis knows about him. Not many people can stalemate the Man of Steel.”
“Well, he’s in National City, and I was wondering… that is to say, I’ve been told you’re pretty smart…”
“I’ve heard something similar,” Lena teased. She smiled when a flush worked its way up the hero’s neck as she fumbled over her words.
“She wants your help stopping Reactron without turning National City into the next Chernobyl,” Flamebird interrupted. “His suit uses cutting edge biomedical technology and is powered by thorium-232.”
“Please,” Supergirl entreated. “He’s after me because of my cousin, but he doesn’t care who gets in his way. If I don’t stop him, innocent people are going to get hurt.”
“I want to help, really,” Lena replied. “But with my brother’s trial, and the company falling down around me, I can’t just drop everything and go across the country to hunt supervillains.”
“Miss Luthor, we can fly faster than the speed of sound,” Flamebird reminded her. “Commuting isn’t really an issue.”
“I guess that’s true.” Sighing, Lena knocked back the rest of her scotch. “Well, if nothing else, this should help me win back some good will from the people.”
Grinning, Supergirl rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Lena, picking her up. “Oh, thank you, Miss Luthor! You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Not a problem,” Lena gasped. She looked over at Flamebird who was watching the two of them with a look of profound sadness. The expression only lasted for a moment, but it was enough for Lena to wonder about this supposed time traveler. “I’ll do some research tomorrow, see if there’s anything in my brother’s old files that might help. If nothing else, I can probably whip up a pair of lead-lined boxing gloves or something.”
“That’s great!” Supergirl chirped. She paused and looked around awkwardly before continuing. “Um, well, if that’s all, I guess I’ll see you later. Oh! Here, I’ll give you my number, you can contact me if you find anything out.” Lena watched in a sort of fugue as Supergirl looked around for something to write down before Flamebird grabbed her by the arm.
“I’ll make sure she gets it, Supergirl. Why don’t you head back to National City? Finish up that other job of yours?”
Supergirl tilted her head in a way that reminded Lena of a golden retriever before her eyes widened. “Right! Okay. I’ll see you later?”
“I look forward to it,” Lena said, smiling as Supergirl flushed. She looked between the two of them once more, shuffled her feet, then schooled her features into something more serious before nodding and taking off leaving Lena alone with Flamebird.
“She’s excited,” Flamebird observed, her raspy voice sending a shiver down Lena’s spine. “She’s trying to prove she can be her own hero without relying on her cousin.”
“Well, seeking out a Luthor is about as far from getting Superman to help as one can get,” Lena noted. “So, you’re from the future?”
“I am,” Flamebird. “But I get the feeling you don’t believe me, though.”
“It certainly stretches the boundaries of credulity,” Lena retorted.
“So do aliens flying around stopping criminals,” Flamebird countered. “Trust me, you’ll see weirder.”
“Well,” Lena drawled. “If you brought Supergirl here, is it safe to assume we know each other in the future?”
“We did,” Flamebird said. “And I assume you want some kind of proof beyond the fact that I look just like Supergirl?”
“That would certainly be helpful.”
Flamebird took a deep breath and turned towards the balcony. “Would something I and Supergirl couldn’t possibly know be enough?”
“For now.”
“In the fifth grade, Cindy Ryan stole your boyfriend. After months of planning, you stole her diary and exposed it to the entire school.”
Lena raised an eyebrow, unwilling to let her face show how surprised she was. “If I told you that, we must have been quite close in the future.”
That same sad expression flashed across Flamebird’s face as she reached up and fiddled with something under her jacket. “We were,” she whispered.
“And yet, you can’t seem to look me in the eye,” Lena observed. “I’m guessing the… future you came from was not a fun one.”
“It wasn’t,” Flamebird replied. “But that’s a story for another time. May I see your phone, I’ll give you a number to contact Supergirl if you figure out anything to help her stop Reactron.”
*(OoO)*
After spending the night and most of the next day in the upper atmosphere feeling sorry for herself, El decided to meet Kara at CatCo as she was walking out with James and Winn at her side.
“El!” Kara cried out. “What are you doing here?”
“Besides introducing myself to your friends?” El asked.
“Oh, that’s right!” Waving between El and her friends, Kara rushed to make the introductions. “Winn, James, this is El.”
“Wow,” Winn muttered, looking between the two of them. “I know you already told me about there being another you from the future, but, up till now, I didn’t really believe it.”
“Wait,” James stepped in. “Another you? The future?”
“That’s right,” El replied.
“Whoa, what’s with your voice?” Winn asked, only to get smacked in the head by Kara. “Ow!”
El rolled her eyes and unzipped her jacket exposing her throat.
“I didn’t think Kryptonians could get scarred like that,” James said skeptically.
“They do when their throat’s been ripped out,” El replied dryly, zipping her jacket back up. “How’s Lucy?”
James’ eyes widened while Kara started to look a little uncomfortable. “Have you heard anything from Lena yet?”
“Lena?” James asked.
“No,” El replied, ignoring him. “It’s been a day, she’s going to need a bit more time to figure out how to counter Reactron. At least wait until Winn’s algorithm comes up with something.”
“Wait,” Winn stepped in. “How do you - oh,” he cut himself off. “Right. Future. Cool. That’s totally cool. Definitely not freaking me out at all.”
El smiled at him and turned back to her counterpart. “Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go meet with the other person I meant to introduce you to?”
“Sure!” Kara exclaimed. “I’d love to. Can James and Winn come along?”
“Not this time,” El replied. “Where we’re going humans are only really allowed by invitation.”
“Ooh, secret alien hideaway?” Winn gasped. “Cool! I am definitely jealous.”
“Kara,” James said slowly. “Are you sure going with her is a good idea?”
El rolled her eyes, having forgotten how overprotective James had been at the start of everything.
“James, trust me,” Kara said placatingly. “El and I can handle anything. Anyway, we should get going. I’ll see you guys later. Winn, let me know if anything comes up!”
Grabbing El by the wrist, Kara dragged her off into a nearby alley where she changed into her suit and took off into the air.
“So, where are we going?” She asked once El caught up to her.
“Downtown,” El said. “Follow me.”
The two of them sped through the air as El led her towards Al’s. Touching down in full view of the door, El channeled a little bit of power to her eyes, making them glow in a way no human could as she knocked on the door. The doorman looked between her and Kara, who was still wearing the cape and skirt.
“Is Maggie there?” She asked. “Could you tell her that Supergirl would like her help?”
The hole in the door slid shut and the two of them waited in the alley.
“What is this place?” Kara asked.
“You have x-ray vision and you need to ask?” El asked back.
She chuckled as Kara flushed and peered through the wall. “It’s a… bar?”
“Very good,” El teased. “Anything else?”
“Wait a second,” Kara muttered. “That’s a Tameranian! And she’s talking to a Korugarian!” She gasped. “This place is full of aliens!”
“Which is why we didn’t barge in,” El explained. “The humans see that crest and feel safe, but Kal hasn’t had the best track record with aliens. He tends to solve problems with extraterrestrials using his fists first.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” a familiar voice called out. The two of them turned as the door closed and one Detective Maggie Sawyer sauntered out to join them. “You’ve got aliens in this city on edge, Supergirl. Drawing a lot of attention.”
“I just want to help,” Kara said earnestly.
“You’ve been doing a pretty decent job of that so far,” Maggie replied. “So, what do you and your… friend need with me?”
El nudged Kara encouragingly and she flushed. “Well, you see, Detective Sawyer, I was wondering if I could, maybe, ask for your help?”
“My help?” Maggie repeated. “What could you need my help for?”
“Reactron,” Kara explained. “I’m sure you saw him wipe my face across the freeway yesterday?”
Maggie cringed while El rolled her eyes and smacked Kara on the back of the head. “Hey, none of that. Your sister and I are the only ones who get to make fun of you like that.”
Kara pouted while Maggie turned to her.
“And who might you be?”
“Flamebird,” El replied.
“So, how, exactly, can I help you two with taking down Reactron?”
“Well,” Kara said. “For one thing, I don’t exactly have the authority to arrest him. I… I’m trying to do things differently from my cousin. Work with the police and emergency services.”
Maggie nodded. “I can certainly appreciate that. But it doesn’t answer my question: why me?”
“How many other detectives in the NCPD do you see welcome in a place like Al’s?” El asked. “If Supergirl is going to protect everyone in this city, she’s going to need people who can help her connect to them. You can do that.”
Maggie considered the two of them for a long moment. “I guess police liaison to a superhero would look pretty good on my resume,” she admitted.
“Great!” Kara cheered. “It was… good to meet you, Detective Sawyer. I hope we can work together soon.”
“Why don’t you join me for a drink, sometime, Supergirl?” Maggie asked. “If we’re going to work together, we should probably get to know each other.”
El rolled her eyes while Kara beamed innocently. “I’d love to! I’ve never really gone anywhere as, y’know, an alien. It’d be cool to go somewhere without worrying about the whole secret identity thing.” Watching her sister’s future ex-fiance flirt with her past self was making her feel queasy, and it was with equal parts relief and exasperation that she heard a faint sonic boom in the distance above the city.
“Alright, we appreciate your cooperation, Detective Sawyer,” she cut in. “Unfortunately, Supergirl and I have a little family reunion to get to.”
Kara looked confused, tilting her head as she listened for Kal’s heartbeat. Turning back to Maggie she smiled once more. “It was nice to meet you, Detective Sawyer. I’ll try to get in touch later once we have a plan for the whole Reactron thing.”
El took off while Maggie gave Kara her card. Her younger self soon joined her in the air as they flew out to the desert just in time to intercept Superman on his way to the DEO. He stopped when he heard them coming, and looked between the two of them, a stern frown on his face.
“Hey, Clark!” Kara called out. “What are you doing here?”
“Kara,” Clark said, his arms crossed. “We need to talk.”