Chapter 1
Chest still heaving, Kara dropped down into the DEO. As usual, a flurry of agents clad in black were scuttling around the secret base, tablets in their hands. Her sister and J’onn were stood chatting by the surveillance screens. The hero had just come from a rather mismatched battle with a shapeshifting alien attempting to pull off a credit card scam. Even when the figure inflated to several times his size, he’d been no match for Kara’s strength. Eventually she’d handed him over to Lucy Lane’s division of law enforcement, watching with satisfaction as he was driven away.
“That’ll be the last time he tries that,” Kara said as she approached them.
Alex chuckled, patting her sister’s shoulder as she stopped beside her. “You did a good job. No property damages whatsoever. The mayor will be pleased.”
“I mean it was helpful when he immediately ran into a park.” That had been the figure’s biggest mistake. Taking the fight well away from civilians meant that Kara had the range to restrain him however she saw fit. It was almost too easy. Not that she ever wished for the bigger challenges.
The older Danvers sister smiled. “You’re going to hate me for this, Supergirl. But we need you to go back out.”
Kara gave the woman a slightly withering stare but smiled. She wasn’t tired in the slightest - was kind of enjoying her missions if she was being honest, but she was keen to get back to her apartment at some point. A subterranean invasion of lizard mutants had disrupted her work on Friday afternoon and Miss Grant was going to kill her on Monday if she didn’t get the admin tasks she’d been assigned done. It was Saturday afternoon now, but she knew with Eliza coming up to visit them tomorrow, she wasn’t going to get any other opportunities.
“We’ve received threats on Lena Luthor’s life in Metropolis, and we need you to go and make sure nothing happens.”
Weather channels had been warning the nation for days that a blizzard-like storm was about to sweep into Metropolis from the North. The idea of going there didn’t fill Kara with joy. For the most part, the Kryptonian could handle large weather systems, but extreme winds did cause problems from time to time. Not to mention the stupid decisions that the city’s civilians often made during intense weather. She cringed as she remembered escorting a drunken frat boy home after he’d attempted to walk three miles for pizza in a freak blizzard and almost froze to death. Shelving her memories of icy storms for a moment, Kara recalled what her sister had said.
“Wait a minute. Did you say Lena Luthor? As in Lex Luthor’s sister?”
Alex nodded, crossing her arms. She knew Kara had conflicting feelings about the Luthors, which was understandable given the family history, but it seemed like the new CEO was really trying to change things for the better.
“I’m sure you’ve heard this at CatCo, but she’s about to move to National City. She’s supposedly rebranding LuthorCorp as a real force for good. Climate change mitigation, cancer research, and alien asylum at its heart.”
Kara hummed, absent-mindedly biting her fingernail. “Cat Grant has been quite excited about her move to the city. She said the work Lena’s proposing is really promising and will do wonders for magazine sales. Why doesn’t she have her own safety detail? I thought she was like a billionaire?”
“She does have security, but we want you there at Metropolis Airport too,” J’onn said. “Miss Luthor is about to launch an extremely important piece of technology that could improve alien amnesty forever. Anti-alien groups are not happy with it and have made several threats already on her life. Luckily, we intercepted them. We want you to monitor her at Metropolis Airport until she gets on her flight to National City later as a precaution.”
Kara nodded slowly. “Do you want me there as Supergirl or Kara Danvers?”
Alex winced slightly. “That’s the thing. She can’t know you’re watching her.”
“So let me get this straight,” Kara said, cell phone against her ear as she pointlessly packed a suitcase for a flight she wasn’t getting. Pausing for a moment, she dropped her work laptop and notebooks into the case. She might as well try and get those admin tasks done if she was going to be there for a few hours. There was also a new article Kara was halfway through writing. Once again, she was trying to prove to Cat that she was ready to be a reporter. It would be the tenth successive weekly article Kara had written to try and build her portfolio. “You want me to monitor a woman I’ve never met for potential assassination attempts... All the while unbeknownst to her because she’d refuse our help. And you want me to keep my identity a secret?”
“Exactly,” Alex said from the other end of the line. “Don’t forget it would be helpful if you can befriend her too, so you don’t seem creepy.”
“Fantastic.”
Kara could hear her sister’s eyeroll over the phone.
“Kara, you’ll be fine. You’re great at making friends. And besides, you might have more in common than you think.” Pulling a scarf around her neck, the Kryptonian grabbed the last of her things and swept her belongings out of the front door.
“And what exactly do we have in common?” Kara asked as she descended the staircase, somewhat curious.
“A brilliant genius with a complex family history, moving to a new place for the first time? Sound familiar?”
“You did not just compare her move from Metropolis to the destruction of my planet,” Kara retorted, but there was no bite in it.
“I’m sorry. You know what I mean though?”
Kara smiled softly. “We’ll see. I’ll speak to you soon, Alex.”
The flight to the airport was mostly seamless. As she neared Metropolis, she noticed the clouds were growing dark and grey, and the temperature had dropped harshly below zero. Wind whistled around her, blowing her hair in all directions. As she landed discretely near to the airport, she noticed that there was already a blanket of snow forming on the ground. After efficiently adorning her civilian clothes and running her fingers through her hair a couple of times, Kara approached the main doors to the terminal. With her super-hearing, she quickly scanned the building for suspicious conversations. Other than catching a few exchanges she definitely /didn’t/ want to hear, there was nothing too out of the ordinary. Lowering her glasses, her x-ray vision confirmed the same.
It didn’t take long for Kara to find Lena Luthor. With a little help from the DEO, Kara scanned her way into the executive suite. Her eyes quickly landing on a figure sat at a table in the far corner. The woman was laser focused as she typed on her laptop. The hero was momentarily taken aback by her appearance. Even from a distance, Kara could tell that she was staggeringly beautiful. An interesting detail for Alex to have left out. Perhaps she hadn’t even noticed, too swept up in her whirlwind romance with the dimple-cheeked FBI agent.
Lena Luthor’s dark brown hair was swept up into a neat ponytail, her lips were painted red in stark contrast to her pale skin, and she looked to be wearing an immaculately tailored maroon suit. Realising she was most likely rudely staring, Kara composed herself and took a seat on a nearby table. Out came her well-loved CatCo laptop. At least from this distance, she could get some work done and keep an eye on the businesswoman. A brawny security guard sat at the far end of the table from the Luthor in a dark suit. The pair seemed relaxed in one another’s company. Other than Lena, the security guard, and two well-dressed women having cocktails over at the ornate looking bar, the executive lounge was empty. If this was all she had to deal with today, Kara wasn’t particularly worried.
Just when Kara was getting really immersed in her article on how the Alien Amnesty Act was only a steppingstone towards true equal rights, she heard footsteps. Glancing upwards, she realised with surprise that the expensive looking heels belonged to none other than Lena Luthor.
“Sorry to bother you,” the polished CEO said, their eyes instantly connecting. “But I think we’ve crossed paths. Do you work for CatCo Media?” With her security guard behind her, the pair’s looming presence made Kara feel tiny even with her superpowers. Appearing to sense Kara’s apprehension, Lena turned to the guard and dismissed him politely. The large man seemed sceptical but returned to his seat. Kara faintly heard her thank ‘Rick.’
“Kara Danvers.” The Kryptonian outstretched her hand which Lena shook gladly. “I’m Cat Grant’s assistant.”
“I thought you were familiar,” Lena smiled. “May I?” She gestured to the seat opposite Kara’s. The superhero raised her eyebrows but nodded quickly. She reached out and moved her laptop out of the way. This was an unexpected turn of events. Kara presumed that if she was even going to engage with the woman it would have to be initiated by herself. And even then, would most likely be short-lived. She certainly didn’t expect Lena to just join her.
“And you’re Lena Luthor?” Kara asked gently. The businesswoman narrowed her eyes for a moment, calculating, before nodding.
“I guess my reputation precedes me.”
“I mean your reputation at Catco is for scientific innovation and flawless outfits. So, if that’s what you’re referring to…” Kara winked. She faltered for a moment. Where did that come from? Her mission aside, the hero was mostly surprised at how easily that had come out. Normally Kara made a fool of herself around women that looked like Lena Luthor. The woman’s resultant chuckle and soft blush made the hero glad she’d taken the risk.
“That’s not the reputation I was referring to. But you flatter me, nonetheless,” Lena said with a soft smile. Rao, she could stare at that smile forever.
“You were saying we’ve crossed paths?”
The businesswoman nodded, bringing her hands together and resting them on the table. “Not directly, per se. But Cat Grant speaks very highly of you. She mentioned that you might be interviewing me about my medical alien technology in the near future?”
Kara was dumbfounded. “She did?” Quickly, she made sure to close her jaw and look less surprised. “I – uh – I’ve been trying to make reporter for some time. I didn’t realise she was actually considering it.”
“Sounds to me like it might be closer than you think.”
Touched, the budding reporter was about to thank her for the possibly life changing news when an announcement disrupted her thoughts.
“Good afternoon. Due to the worsening weather conditions, some departures have been delayed. Please see the departures board for updates.”
Both Kara and Lena’s eyes darted to the departures board in the corner of the lounge and watched as almost all the flights added two additional hours to the departure time.
“Shoot,” Lena exclaimed with a sigh.
“Are you in a rush?” Kara asked.
“I’m supposed to be speaking at a conference in National City early tomorrow morning. At this rate I’m not going to get much rest at all.” The superhero looked at her sympathetically. It was times like this where Kara wished she could just be open about her super abilities and fly people where they urgently needed to go. The strict instructions from the DEO were enough to inhibit her impulsiveness, however.
“Which flight is yours?” Lena asked, disrupting Kara’s thoughts.
“Oh, the National City flight too. I’m seeing my sister.” The Kryptonian’s cheeks heated up slightly. Despite lying about her identity every day, it didn’t make it any easier. Safety came first though. By saying they were on the same flight, Kara could ensure that she kept Lena safe right up until she boarded the plane too. And she could feign a local family emergency and dip out of the airport when she was done. It was a flawless plan.
The CEO smiled. “I suppose we’re in this together, Kara Danvers.”
An hour later, Kara had made considerable headway with her article and surprisingly, Lena Luthor was still sitting with her. She was at the other end of the table now. The businesswoman had what looked to be a mix of prototypes and other documents sprawled all around her as she typed on her laptop. If she got to know Lena better, she was definitely going to suggest she was a little less casual with her personal info. Come to think of it, she’d offered up her flight relatively quickly too. For a genius, she appeared to be lacking in common sense when it came to self-preservation. What if Kara had been the assassin?
Surveying the lounge every so often, Kara saw nothing out of the ordinary. The two women drinking had disappeared now, both clumsy in their movements and no doubt seeking out fast food. An elderly man had entered the lounge and Kara feigned rubbing her eyes to scan all his belongings but there were no weapons in sight. He appeared to just be an affluent pensioner. It didn’t stop her keeping one eye on him, however. She knew how deceptive assailants could be. She was humoured to see Lena’s security guard watching the man too.
Through floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the darkening sky could be seen. Whistling winds were beating against the glass and the snow was really beginning to pile up outside. Kara glanced up to see Lena staring out the window, lost in deep thought as she chewed on her lip. The Luthor had fastened up her maroon blazer jacket now, clearly feeling the slight bite to the air. Despite the audible whir of the airport’s heating around them, it wasn’t doing much to heat the large space.
“Sorry if I’m being presumptuous,” Kara said a little apprehensively. “But why don’t you fly with a private jet? You could have been out of the city hours ago.”
Lena considered her response for a moment before saying, “I can’t really claim to be at the cutting edge of climate-based innovation and then just hop on my jet.” She had a soft humoured smile as she looked at the budding reporter. There was something about the businesswoman that just made Kara feel so at ease. Disconcerted as she didn’t want to let her guard down too much, the hero wondered how the green-eyed woman made her feel so at home. She was itching to learn more about the CEO.
Kara chuckled softly and nodded. “Sorry. I suppose that makes sense.”
Lena waved her hand, dismissing the apology. “It would be quicker. And certainly, a lot safer. It’s just morally not really an option for me. It’s funny really because I can’t think of a single one of my wretched board of directors that wouldn’t leap at the chance. But it’s just a symbol of status for them.”
“You don’t need status if you’re already at the top.” Kara raised an eyebrow. Lena hummed with a smile. Her piercing eyes lingered on Kara’s for a long moment and the reporter felt butterflies rise through her stomach. She coughed, releasing the sudden tension, and turned back to her laptop. She needed to stay focused if she was going to keep Lena safe. The woman in question settled back in her seat too, her brow furrowed with concentrating as she typed.
Despite trying to focus on her article, Kara couldn’t help but speculate about the Luthor. She seemed so normal. You’d never believe she was one of the richest women in the United States, nor from such a notoriously evil family. The stranger had a soft vulnerability to her that Kara hadn’t anticipated, and she certainly lacked Lex’s exuberant charisma. She’d never met Lex Luthor in person, but she’d heard countess stories from Clark about the man he’d once called his best friend. Lex being so magnetic is partly what made his downfall so hard on Clark. Without really thinking, Kara had kind of presumed Lena was going to be same kind of powerhouse. She couldn’t really be more mistaken.
“Are you excited to move to National City?”
“Excited might be a strong word,” Lena said with a shrug. “Taking over LuthorCorp in National City has been in the works for quite some time now. I’m not sure it would be my city of choice.”
Kara nodded, slightly saddened for the woman that she seemed so unenthusiastic. If Kara was moving across country, she’d want to be wholeheartedly ready to do it. When she’d first arrived on Earth, it had felt like her whole life was moving forward without her. She knew how it felt to have no control over your future.
“So where would you go? If you had the choice.”
“Ireland.”
Kara raised her eyebrows. “Interesting. Can I ask why?”
“Well for starters, it’s beautiful. Rolling hills go on for miles and the Wicklow mountains climb into the clouds. It’s just so peaceful. And I have a sense of anonymity there that I just don’t have here. I feel very safe there.”
The budding reporter looked at her earnestly, touched by her vulnerability. The softness to Lena’s expression demonstrated her sincerity. As their eyes connected, Lena blushed and quickly looked away.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m oversharing so much. You probably just want to get your work done.”
“Not at all. I’m always keen to make new friends.” Kara paused for a moment, thinking. “Until you make it to Dublin, maybe I could show you around National City? Make it feel a bit more homely?”
Lena seemed startled by the offer. Her red lips were parted. “Are you – you would do that?”
Kara nodded, waving her hand. “Of course! I was new to the city once. I know how valuable a friend can be.”
The dark haired Luthor stared for her for a long moment before nodding with a soft smile. “I’d really like that. Thank you, Kara.”
A comfortable silence elapsed between the pair as they got back to work, only the sound of keyboards clacking disrupting the peace. The storm outside was darker now, making the well-lit lounge feel like a sanctuary. It was sometime later when a low rumble disrupted the quiet, causing Kara to glance upwards. She was just about the comment on the storm when she noticed the CEO blushing.
“Wait, was that your stomach?” Kara asked before she could stop herself.
Lena’s cheeks were an adorable scarlet now and she smiled. “I’m perhaps overdue a meal.”
“Oh, well that won’t do.” Kara smirked. She retrieved her cardigan from the chair behind her and buttoned it up. She quickly locked her laptop, watching as Lena did the same and moved the files into a briefcase. With the CEO’s security guard, Rick behind them, the pair wandered over to the bar. They were about to place their food orders when the young man at the cash desk faltered.
“I’m really sorry but we had to send our chef home. It looks like the storm’s picking up and he has two young kids he had to get back to.” The bartender didn’t look much older than twenty, with shaggy brown hair and patchy stubble.
“That’s okay,” Kara said, turning to Lena. “What do you reckon, shall we go scope out the food court?”
Lena nodded with a slightly strained expression. She seemed less enthused by the prospect of fast food than the Kryptonian. Kara noticed this but was convinced that as soon as she showed the Luthor her mouth-watering fast-food combinations, she would see the error of her ways. There were just about to depart the lounge when Kara’s phone rang.
“Oh sorry, one sec. I need to take this,” Kara said politely, excusing herself from the lounge. Lena nodded and Kara could hear her going back to talk to the bartender. Slipping away, the hero turned a corner and went to rest against one of the terminal’s walls before accepting the call.
“Hey, Alex.”
“Hey. How’s it going?”
“Really good actually,” Kara said, now deciding to move away from the wall and a little deeper into the airport. In the background, she was still listening intently to Lena talking in the lounge. “She’s so nice! And God, Alex, you could have told me she looked like that? The newspapers really don’t do her justice. And wow, her clothes? I bet the suit she’s wearing costs more than my entire month’s pay check.”
“Kara, I didn’t send you there to date her. How’s the security going? Any sign of the potential attackers?”
Refusing to be perturbed by Alex’s knockback, Kara responded, “If you’re going to send me to be a professional bodyguard, you could at least be happy that I like the target. Everything’s fine so far. Did the threats you intercepted contain any specifics?”
“I suppose I’m glad you’re getting on.” Kara could practically hear her sister’s eye roll. “No specifics. Just that it would be tonight, and she wouldn’t be getting a chance to launch the new technology.”
Kara hummed, watching as a tired looking family complained to an airport staff member, no doubt about the delays. In the short time it took for the man to complain, the youngest child had climbed up onto his suitcase and looked to be falling asleep completely sat up. Kara winced. At least she wasn’t responsible for any children with this. She couldn’t imagine having to entertain them with delay after delay.
“Don’t worry, Alex. I’ll stay alert. She also has a security guard to who seems pretty on it. He’s been glaring at people a lot.”
Alex chuckled on the other end of the line. “Good to hear it.”
A surprisingly loud howl of wind caused Kara and several other passengers to glance over at the windows. The Kryptonian was surprised to see around a foot of snow stacked up against the large glass flanking the terminal. Grimly, Kara watched as the departures board flickered with new flight times, this time jumping by three hours or more. Oh dear.
“Alex, are the roads still passable? Because I think we’re going to get stuck here if not. The flights are getting later and later.” Kara waited a long moment as she listened to Alex typing on the DEO console.
“It says that the weather’s getting worse. It was supposed to move eastwards, but it’s stalled over the city. The forecast just said it won’t move until morning now.”
“That’s not good,” Kara said, biting her lip. “I should probably get back to Lena and see what she wants to do.”
“Keep me updated. Stay safe, Kara.”
“Always do. Speak soon.”
When Kara got back into the lounge, Lena was still chatting with the bartender, the man telling her about his university studies now. Rick was standing behind her, clearly eavesdropping on the conversation.
“Have you seen the flights?” Kara asked as there was a lull in conversation.
Lena nodded. “Aaron here was just saying that the roads out of the airport might be impassable now too. We could really get stuck here.”
Kara grimaced. She couldn’t fly them out without exposing her powers and even if she did, the severe weather would make it a miserable experience. They were going to have to wait this out together. They watched as Aaron disappeared to go and speak to his colleagues.
Considering the long night ahead of them, Kara excused herself to use the restroom. The bathroom was busy. There were several women grumbling about the storm as they waited for cubicles. As Kara was washing her hands, she heard her phone chime in her pockets. It was a text from Alex.
Lena’s security never showed up this morning. I don’t think the guard is who he says he is. Be careful.
Kara’s blood ran cold. Taking deep breaths, she rushed back to the executive lounge. Part of her was terrified of what she might be walking in to. Self-criticism was already leaching into the back of her mind. Her only job today was to protect a single civilian and she couldn’t even do that. What kind of superhero did that make her? The Kryptonian shook her head softly, refusing to let her anxiety take control. If something had happened to Lena, then she could spiral. Only then. With a hard-set jaw, the hero scanned her way into the lounge. She shouldn’t have been surprised by the scene before her, but it still made her heart stop.
Rick’s meaty forearm was wrapped around Lena’s neck from behind and he was holding a sharp knife against her ribs. The pair were facing her at a slight angle, their footsteps pattering against the floor as Lena struggled against him despite the limited scope for movement. There was no one else in the lounge, Aaron still missing, and the few other passengers were gone too, no doubt trying to find transport out of the airport. It was just the three of them. Time stood still, the thundering of heartbeats ringing in Kara’s ears.
“Take it easy,” Kara said, taking one step at a time towards them. She couldn’t bear seeing the desperate expression on the CEO’s face.
“Take another step closer and she’s dead,” the guard spat.
Kara stood frozen, chest heaving. Lena was getting out of this unscathed, she was sure of it. She just had to figure out how. Her eyes discretely darted around the room, searching for any chance of a distraction. Distantly, she wondered if Aaron was in on this too or if Rick had just capitalised on his absence. Kara was just beginning to feel like she’d run out of options when her phone began ringing in her pocket. It startled all three of them. Capitalising on the distraction, Lena suddenly swung her leg backwards and her booted heel colliding with the man’s groin. Rick tumbled backwards and Kara was on him in an instant. Tackling the brutish man to the floor roughly, Kara pinned down his arms and thighs. Rick struggled fruitlessly under Kara’s grasp, growing more perplexed by the minute by her strength. She hoped the oaf would be baffled enough to hold his tongue.
She heard Lena rush towards them again and watched as the Luthor kicked the small but sharp knife out of Rick’s hand, sending it sliding across the floor. She quickly retrieved it for herself, pointing it towards the man from where she stood, with a tremble in her hands.
Thankfully, Aaron the bartender burst into the room a moment later with two airport security guards behind him. “Oh my god,” he said, taking in the scene before him. “We heard the commotion, so I called security. What happened?”
“He attacked me,” Lena said. “Kara managed to subdue him. I still – I don’t know how.”
The guards nodded and approached Kara, effectively taking over, and restrained the man with practiced control. They efficiently tied his wrists with zip ties. Until the police arrived, Kara supposed it would do. One of the airport security guards was on the phone now, pacing around on the spot as he described the incident to the cops. After a moment, he moved the phone to rest against his chest. “They’re concerned about their access to the terminal, but we can keep him restrained until they arrive,” he said to them both. “We have a detainment facility.”
Lena nodded and thanked them, the pair watching as the two security guards escorted Rick firmly from the room. Kara frowned as she caught the tremble in Lena’s hands. She was just about to say something when Aaron stepped between them.
“Miss Luthor, please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. Do either of you need medical assistance?”
Kara shook her head, releasing a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding as Lena did the same a moment later. Without anything else to say, Aaron bid them a temporary farewell and went to speak to his supervisors.
Finally alone, Kara turned to face the CEO she was quickly growing fond of. Having only met the woman a few hours ago, the superhero was startled by how much she felt for the Luthor. She built relationships and rescued civilians on a near daily basis, but it never felt like this. Her heart broke as she saw the tears swimming in Lena’s eyes.
“I really trusted him,” Lena said dejectedly. “You must think I’m such a fool.”
Kara shook her head quickly and outstretched her arms, relieved when the CEO accepted the hug. She pulled the woman close in her arms and felt the warm weight of Lena’s chin on her shoulder. Kara’s chest filled with warmth as she felt the defiantly strong beating of her heart.