Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

My name is Kara Zor-El. Twenty-four years ago, my planet, Krypton, was in serious peril. My cousin, Kal-El, was sent to a planet called Earth for his own safety and protection.

You may know his story.

The story you don’t know is that I was sent to protect him.

Kara jumped at each explosion that happened around her. She was young but old enough to know that her planet and everything she’d ever known was dying right in front of her. Holding her mother’s hand, she dashed to the pod bay and watched as her aunt and uncle sent her cousin away.

Looking up at her father, she saw that he was scared but trying to hide it. “Your pod’s coordinates are interlocked with Kal-El’s. You will follow him to Earth.”

“I’m not afraid, Father,” Kara told him honestly.

In reality, she was sad. She knew that these were the last moments she had with her parents, and although she knew it was for the best, she did not want to say goodbye.

Holding her hands, her mother knelt to her level. “The trip is long, but you’ll sleep most of the way, and we’ll be with you in your dreams. You’ll journey to Earth to look after your baby cousin, Kal-El. Because of the Earth’s yellow sun, you’ll have great powers on this planet. You will do extraordinary things.”

With tears now building in her eyes, Kara gripped her mother’s hands. “I won’t fail Kal-El or you.”

Kissing her daughter’s head, Alura spoke confidently. “I love you, Kara.”

An explosion hit close to the bay, causing the ground to shake violently. Kara held onto her mother as tightly as she could and looked out at her crumbling home.

“You must go now,” Alura told her.

Nodding, Kara walked to her pod before hesitating. Then she ran back into her mother’s arms and held in a sob as she held her family for the last time.

“Go!” Her mother finally pulled away and watched as her daughter ran to the pod.

Sitting inside, Kara felt the shield go up around her and sat back as it took off. Turning, she watched as her parents left her field of vision, and her life changed forever.

Things didn’t exactly go according to my mother’s plan. Krypton’s destruction sent a shock wave that knocked my pod off course and into the Phantom Zone. A region in space where time doesn’t pass. I slept there for twenty-four years until somehow I got here.

When I arrived, I was still a thirteen-year-old girl. But in that time, my cousin Kal-El had grown up and revealed himself to the world as Superman. The most powerful man in the universe.

My cousin wanted me to have the same safe human-type childhood he did. So he placed me with my adoptive family, the Halsteads. Eliza Halstead, my adoptive mother, was a scientist who once helped him understand his own super abilities.

They had two sons, Will and Jay. And despite being born on different planets, though they weren’t aware of that, we all shared one thing: we knew our lives would never be the same again.

My cousin didn’t need my protection. I didn’t have a mission anymore. But even though I had all the same powers he did, I decided the best thing I could do was fit in. After all, Earth didn’t need another hero.

I work, for now, in the technology department at CatCo Worldwide Media. An online and print empire built by my boss, Cat Grant. The most powerful woman in Chicago...at least, for the next few days.

Chapter Text

“Listen, I’ve done my part of this. I sent on the information I gathered to my director, and he should be getting on it as we speak.”

“Okay, but why isn’t my internet going any faster?”

Kara stared at the man in front of him, blinking slowly. “Because it’s sick today, Bill.”

The man glared at her while raising his voice. “You better get that internet working, or Miss Grant is going to be pissed.”

Then he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Kara lowered her head and slowly, repeatedly, banged her head against the top of her desk. Across from her, her best friend, Winn Schott Jr., just laughed at her.

“You know better than to try and reason with him.” He snorted, watching as she gave him the finger. “Hey, did you hear? There was an armored car robbery last night. Now, there were no witnesses except for this homeless guy who swears the perp had horns…like, on his head!”

Kara laughed nervously as she shook her head. “Winn…”

“I’m telling you, they’re out there.” He smiled at her. “Aliens!”

“Winn, there are no such things as aliens.” Kara smiled at him, having had years of practice keeping the secret out of her eyes and smile.

“You might feel differently if you read this website.” He told her, ignoring the sound of the doorknob turning.

“You write that website!” She laughed.

“I contribute…” He stammered.

“What now, you got another conspiracy theory, Schott?”

Looking up at her older brother, Kara nodded. “Aliens. They exist.”

“Of course,” Jay smirked as he dropped a bag on her desk. “The barista that packaged these donuts for me was blue. Had to be alien.”

“Okay, just shut up, both of you.” Winn waved away the detective.

Kara opened the bag in confusion, and then her jaw dropped. “You brought me two dozen crullers. What do you want?”

“What?” He shrugged and perched himself on the corner of her desk. “I can’t just bring my little sister her favorite morning snack and say hi?”

“No.”

He sighed. “Fine. I was wondering if you’d help me out with something.”

“What’s up?” She asked, sensing the serious cop tone he was slipping into his voice.

“We’re tracking down the drug dealer who is responsible for at least half and dozen deaths in the last two days. Our tech guys are swamped with work right now, and Voight’s out on this one. I need this,” Jay handed her the phone. “searched for whatever is on it.”

“Jesus.” Winn shook his head. “Six dead in two days?”

“Yeah, this shit is nuts. But I figured if anyone could help us out on this one, it would be this crazy one.” Jay teased.

“Hey, don’t call the person who just hacked a phone crazy.” She raised her brow at him.

“You’re in already?” He came around her desk and leaned over her shoulder to read the screen.

“Why do you always sound so surprised?” She rolled her eyes. “It looks like over the last three days, he’s made…damn, twenty-two phone calls to one number.” Her fingers ran over the keys at a speed that rivaled Usain Bolt on a track, a feat Jay could never figure out how she managed. “It’s a burner phone linked to…Pilsen?”

“Pilsen? Are you sure?”

She nodded, and her printer started up. “Definitely. The name comes back to an Ernesto Varga.”

“How did you get a name off of a burner phone?” He asked as he grabbed the papers.

“It’s me…I can do just about anything.” She quipped.

Kissing her hair, he nearly ran from the room. “You’re the best. I owe you.”

“No hurry. Just get these guys.” She told him.

Waving, he was almost to the door when he turned around and smiled at her. “Also, why isn’t the internet working yet?”

He ducked to avoid the stapler she’d thrown at him and laughed as he let the door shut.

Shaking her head, she growled at him. “I hate you!” Looking at Winn, she raised her brow again. “You have something to say?”

The man in question held his hands out in surrender. “Nope. Nothing…except, seriously, don’t knock the alien thing. You never know, Kara.”

“I guess that’s true.” She told him. “But I still say they don’t exist. So don’t be expecting to run into one any time soon.”

Over a week later, Kara sat in the same spot staring at the television screen with almost a dozen other tech employees. She felt Winn’s arm go around her shoulders as they watched the news coverage of an apartment building burning and people running everywhere.

Their friends at Firehouse 51, whom they’d met through her brothers, were there with many other houses, but Kara had only one thought on her mind.

“Kara…is that?” Winn observed her closely.

“My dad’s place.” She nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

“Didn’t he like, just have surgery?”

She nodded again. “Yep. Heart surgery. Now a fire. This is insane.”

“You should go.” He told her. “I mean…a family emergency has to be reason enough to take a day off.”

Biting her lip, she went to respond when her phone rang. Seeing that it was Will, she grabbed it instantly. “Will.”

“Hey, I can’t really talk, but Dad’s here at Med. He’s okay, but-”

“Yeah, I saw the news. I’ll be right there.” She hung up, knowing he had to work this crazy fiasco, and turned to her best friend. “He’s at Med.”

“Go.” He told her. “I’ll cover anything that comes to your desk.”

“Thank you.” She smiled and hurried off.

“Earl, that fire…that’s my dad’s place. He’s in the hospital, and I really need to-” Entering her director’s office, she froze when she saw who was in there with him. “Oh, uh…hello, Miss Grant.”

“Miss Halstead. Have a seat.” Earl told her quietly.

Sensing something was wrong, she shook her head. “I’d rather stand.”

“Kira, is it?” Cat looked at her. “I got word this morning that you recently ran a hack through our computer system.”

“For my brother, yeah.” She admitted, knowing that Cat would smell a lie anywhere. “He works for the CPD. Intelligence. He came and asked for my help with a case, completely above the books.”

“Are you aware that hacking is against the rules here at CatCo?” Cat asked but ignored her as she went to speak again. “No matter, we just wanted to inform you of your termination, effective immediately.”

Kara stared at them. “Excuse me? You’re firing me. I’m one of your best tech agents.”

“And yet you broke the rules, so how good can you be?” Cat sighed. “Your things need to be out by the end of the day. Don’t expect a recommendation.”

Then she was gone. Kara stood in shock for a minute before looking at Earl, who looked sad.

“Kara, I tried…”

“It’s okay, Earl.” She told him. “I will have Winn grab my stuff for me if that’s okay. Like I said, my dad…”

“Of course.” He told her. “Kara, I really am sorry.”

She didn’t respond. Her brain was reeling, but at the moment, all she cared about was making sure her father was safe and unharmed. Running out of the building, she brought her phone to her ear. “Winn, I need another favor…”

Chapter Text

Kara sat in a chair at the side of the room as she watched Will examine their father. He had soot on his face, neck, and hands as he had stayed inside the burning building to save a friend. She would almost smile if she weren’t so angry with him for nearly getting himself killed.

“Pop tried to play hero,” Jay told them as the patriarch of their family coughed harshly. “He forgot he was in his 60s with a bum ticker.”

“Yeah, well. This is your fault, to begin with.” Pat wheezed out, and Kara shook her head.

“Dad, don’t…”

Jay widened his eyes. “Me?”

“Yeah.” Pat nodded. “Stick me in that fire trap.”

“Pop, stop talking,” Will ordered him, sparing a glance at Kara.

“You said you liked the place,” Jay argued back.

Ignoring them, Will looked at the nurse. “You close on the EKG?”

“Just about.” The woman told him as Pat started to twist away.

“What’s the point of this?” He asked loudly, shoving her away, causing the youngest of the three to roll her eyes.

“Easy.” Will raised his voice. “Paramedics said you were complaining of chest pain. Did you forget you had a quadruple bypass a few weeks ago? Come on, stay still.”

Kara watched as her father vomited into a tray and looked up as Dr. Connor Rhodes, their father’s doctor, entered the room. “Hey, if it isn’t my favorite patient. How you doing, Mr. Halstead?”

“Fine.” He coughed.

Ignoring him, Connor looked at his chart. “So you felt some tightness in your chest, huh?”

“It’s nothing,” Pat told him, though his strained breaths made it sound like the opposite.

“Well, you might be right,” Connor told him, and Will moved to stand by his colleague. “I don’t see any ST elevation or depression. No left access deviation.”

Kara looked up at Jay, who sent her a questioning look, so she just shrugged and shook her head. She didn’t know what any of this meant either.

“Looks like a strong and healthy heart to me.” Connor finished, and Kara felt her heart start to go back to normal.

“Yeah, good. We done?” The belligerent man asked.

“Nope, not yet,” Connor told him.

“Brave man,” Kara muttered quietly, though she heard Jay snort slightly in response.

“You still have a pretty nasty inhalation injury.” The surgeon told him.

“Can I get a CBC, CMP, and a carboxyhemoglobin?” Will jumped in, sending more terms past Kara that she didn’t understand.

“And add a full cardiac workup,” Connor added.

Once Connor was out of the room, Pat started back in on them. “I don’t need all this.”

Kara stood and walked to the bed as Jay spoke. “Calm down; you’re getting yourself worked up.”

“What do you know?” Pat rasped out. “You’re no doctor.”

“Dad!” Kara reprimanded him.

“Pop,” Will warned, but Jay shook his head again.

“Forget it.” The middle sibling said, sounding defeated.

“You had no right to sell my house,” Pat said suddenly, looking at Jay.

Now Jay was fired up. “You want to talk about this again? It was a wreck; you couldn’t take care of the place.”

“You just wanted my money.” He told his son.

“You don’t have any money, you thankless old prick,” Jay shouted back at him.

“Hey, stop that.” Kara jumped between them. “That was uncalled for. Both of you.”

“Oh, just stop it,” Pat told her quickly. “Now do what we agreed on and keep whatever is in your head to yourself, got that little girl?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Will asked, looking between his sister and his father as Jay stormed out.

Kara stared at Pat, an annoyed, almost angry look on her face. “First of all, you were there when we all made the decision to sell the house. So don’t act like this is Jay’s fault. As far as our ‘agreement’, we agreed on only one thing, and it had nothing to do with you or your health.” Then she looked at Will. “It’s nothing. I’m going to go check on Jay.”

Leaving the room, she heard Will gently call her name but ignored it. Walking over to Jay, she sighed. “What an ass.”

Jay scoffed. “That’s being generous.”

They watched as Will walked out and went to them. “Dad’s stable. Why don’t you go in and talk to him? You know, make up?”

“Well, he started it,” Jay argued, clearly upset. “And thanks a lot. We agreed that we were gonna sell that place, and you just stood there. You didn’t say anything. At least Kara tried to shut him up and help me out.”

“What’s the point in arguing with him?” Will asked, glancing at his sister. “He’s old. He’s sick. Just let it go.”

“That’s fine for you to say. You’re not the bad guy here.” Jay told him.

“Jay, don’t do this,” Kara whispered.

“No, seriously.” The detective frowned. “All those times you were away, and all those times you said that you couldn’t leave the hospital, who took care of Dad? Kara and I, that’s who.”

“Leave me out of this,” Kara told him.

Will’s jaw twitched. “I did plenty for Dad. I still do. Who goes and checks on him? Keeps him on his meds?”

“Yeah, all right.” Jay sighed in disbelief. “Tell you what, when he gets out of here, you find him his next apartment.”

Then he was storming away, leaving the other two in silence. Turning, Will looked at Kara. “Do you agree with him?”

“I don’t want to be a part of this. I already said that, Will.” She told him adamantly.

“Cut the crap, Kara.”

“Fine.” She growled. “I don’t know what I think. We’re all busy. Maybe…I sort of agree with him, but not in the way you think.”

“So how, then?”

“You guys aren’t the only one Dad gives crap to, okay? Since I came into this family, he’s been ordering us around. But to go with Jay’s point, yeah, I feel like maybe you could have been around more. But the same goes for Jay.

“You both have demanding jobs, and I respect that. But it always feels like I’m the one it falls on when you guys are busy. I may not be saving lives, but you’ll never know how many all-nighters I pulled for that she-devil Cat Grant because I was taking care of Dad while you guys were somewhere else.”

“Kara…” Will stepped closer, but she sighed.

“Listen, I told Winn I’d call him with an update.” She said quietly. “I’ll be back.”

Then she too was walking away, in the opposite direction Jay had gone.

Chapter Text

“Yeah, okay. That’s fine, just keep it with you, and I’ll grab it when I can.”

Jay walked up next to where his sister sat on the phone and waited. She looked tired in the way her body moved, though her physical appearance never changed. Another thing he could never figure out. He guessed he looked worse than a zombie at this point.

“Thanks, Winn. I’ll call you later, okay? Bye.” Hanging up, Kara sighed. “Winn says if we’re still here after work, he’ll bring food.”

“He’s a good guy,” Jay said absently.

Kara nodded. “The best. After you and Will, that is.”

“So you were pretty quiet down there for a while,” Jay said, edging into the conversation he wanted to have with her.

The blonde shrugged. “Somedays, the supply of available curse words is insufficient to meet my demands.”

“I know you’re being sarcastic, but I think that was closer to the truth than you know.” He told her, a small smirk on his face for only a second before it dropped again. “Hey, what was Dad talking about when I left?”

“Huh?” Kara scrunched her face in forced confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Some agreement you two made.” He reminded her. “What was that about?”

“It was nothing, Jay. Just something we talked about a long time ago that he won’t let go.” She bit her lip.

“Kara…”

“Jay, we all have stuff with Dad. Just…let this go for now? Please?” She asked, and he nodded.

“So, how are you doing with all of this?” He asked, changing the subject for her.

At this, she chuckled. “I honestly can’t decide if I need a hug, an extra-large coffee, six shots of vodka, or two weeks of sleep.”

Jay nodded again. “Well, the coffee around here probably isn’t the best; we can sleep once Dad’s in the clear, and it’s sort of frowned upon to drink in a hospital. But the hug I think I can manage.”

They hugged quickly, and Kara smiled at him before she frowned, confusing Jay. “What’s wrong?”

She looked away for a second, then shot her eyes to his. “Something’s wrong.”

Then she was running, trusting that he was behind her.

“What’s going on?” Jay voiced her question as they entered the room, beeping continuously ringing in her ears.

Will ignored them as he worked on their father, who was unconscious and breathing from a bag. “He’s in V-Fib. Charge to 200 and give me the paddles.”

Kara put her hands over her mouth as she watched her brother fight to bring their father back to them, but her heart had shot into her stomach, and she had a bad feeling it wouldn’t be rising anytime soon.

Next to her, Jay hugged himself, looking like a lost child as his eyes stayed on their father. Neither moved to comfort each other.

“Will?”

Kara snapped back as Jay spoke, not knowing who to focus on. She settled with looking at her father. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Will look at Jay and then land on her, but she didn’t pull her focus from Pat. She only had one thought on her mind.

This can’t be happening again.

Just as she had an hour before, Kara sat in the chair at her father’s bedside. This time, though, she listened as Will spoke to a neurosurgeon. Their father hadn’t regained consciousness.

“How long before you restored sinus rhythm?” The man asked.

Wil crossed his arms and hesitated. “He was down around five minutes.”

“Well, that’s consistent with what I’m seeing.” The man nodded. “Almost no EEG waveforms.”

“What does that mean?” Jay asked Will.

“Do you want to tell him?”

The eldest glanced at Kara, who still wouldn’t look at him, and sighed. “Are we not seeing some brain activity?”

“Artifacts.” The man said. “Distortion, interference. Dust on the window.”

“Okay, I…I’m not following,” Jay said again, and everyone could hear the emotion in his voice.

“Your father’s brain dead.” The surgeon told him, and though Kara had somehow known it deep down, hearing the confirmation brought tears to her eyes.

“So…he’s just not coming back? Like, you—you’re saying that there’s…there’s no chance?”

Looking at Jay sadly, the doctor sighed. “If I had to calculate the odds, I’d say one thousand to one against.” Then he looked at Will. “This vent could be…put to better use.”

This time Kara did look up, using all of her effort to only keep tears in her eyes and not heat. Jay started yelling, and Will blocked him while the surgeon, whose first name she now learned was Sam, left the room.

Then Jay was gone, and Will looked at their father for a second before slowly looking at her. “Kara…”

Shaking her head, she let the tears roll down her cheeks as Will rounded the bed. Then his arms were around her, pulling her up and holding her tightly. She gave in to the tears and cried into his scrubs, not caring who saw or what she looked like at that moment.

Their father was brain dead.

As she cried, one statement echoed in her head.

Remember what we agreed.

Chapter Text

“I don’t like that guy, man.”

Kara leaned against the wall next to her brothers as they processed the news they had just been given. After her breakdown in Pat’s room, she’d gone quiet again and had decided to listen to what her brothers had to say. They didn’t push her on it, and for that, she was grateful.

“I want a second opinion.”

Will sighed. “He’s our top neurosurgeon.”

Jay scoffed, shaking his head. “So all your degrees, all that money, all those years in school, this is the best you can do?”

Looking at his sister, Will faced Jay. “Jay, Dad almost died two years ago. He’s been living on borrowed time.”

This time, Jay stood. “Abrams didn’t say Dad had no chance.”

“One thousand to one is no chance,” Will told him.

Kara watched them carefully and moved closer when she saw the look on Jay’s face. It was animalistic and angry, but also pained and protective, unbelieving. She thought it matched what his heart felt and knew it matched her own.

She also knew that this fight wasn’t going to end well for any of them.

“You just want to give up?”

“I’m trying to be realistic. I’ve seen a lot of patients in his condition.”

“There goes that doctor voice.”

Adjusting her glasses, Kara crossed her arms and moved, so she was nearly between them in case fists started swinging.

Will’s face hardened. “I’m sorry, but I am a doctor.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, we got that message,” Jay told him. “Dad knew you thought you were better than us.”

“Jay, please…”

He ignored her. “We always came in second, you weren’t there, and now you want to decide what happens?”

“That is not true, Jay.” Will stepped forward.

Sensing the brewing fight, Kara stepped in and planted a hand on each of their chests. Using her extra strength only slightly, she shoved them back a few inches and held her ground.

“Stop this. Now.” She looked between them. “We’re grieving, and we’re exhausted. But I’ll be damned if I let any of us say anything we’re going to regret.”

“So what, you want Dad to die?” Jay shouted at her. “You’re being uncharacteristically quiet about all of this. Usually, we can’t get you to shut up.”

Whipping her head to look at him, he saw all of the anger and pain she held tightly wound within her and wished he could take back what he said. “Jay, don’t act like you’re the only one who has lost something today. This is on all of us. Did you forget that if Dad dies, this will be the fourth parent I’ve lost? And tragically at that? So, don’t act like I don’t care.”

“Kara…” Will started to speak, but she cut him off.

“No, I don’t want Dad to die, Jay. I want him to live so badly, it hurts. But not like this. This isn’t living.”

Both men stared at each other for a moment before she put her hands down, knowing they weren’t going to come to physical blows. She saw them both rub their chests where her hands had been and internally winced as Jay looked down at her.

“Hey, when did you get so strong, anyway?”

She just shrugged and muttered a quiet ‘I’ve always been strong’ before a woman’s voice was heard calling to them. “There you are.”

Kara moved to stand beside Jay as the woman joined them, and Will gestured to his siblings. “Ms. Garrett, this is my brother, Jay, and my sister, Kara.”

She shook Jay’s hand and sighed. “I’m the hospital’s COO. I heard about your father. I’m…very sorry.”

“Thank you,” Will answered for them.

“I want you all to know that there’s no hurry in making any decisions about Mr. Halstead.” She told them. “You have the full support of this hospital. And we will provide your father with any and all resources.”

“I appreciate that,” Jay answered quietly.

“We take care of our own.” She told him, patting Will’s arm. Then she pulled out her card. “This is my cell phone. You call me if you need anything.”

When she walked away, Jay shook his head. “It’s decided. We’re not giving up.”

He left them and walked in the direction of the ED. Standing in silence, both Will and Kara were lost in thought. Finally, Will spoke.

“Kara…we shouldn’t have said what we said. I can’t speak for Jay, but in all of this, I did for a second forget that you’ve lost your parents before. I’m sorry.”

She shrugged but didn’t speak.

“Now I have to ask…what do you want to do?”

Fixing her glasses again, she shook her head. “You know of all four parents I’ve lost, he’s the only one I didn’t get to say goodbye to.”

Cocking his head to the side, he looked confused. “Wait, but I thought…”

“It doesn’t matter, Will.” She told him quietly. “I’m going to go call Winn. I promised him an update.”

Then she too was walking away, leaving Will all alone in the hallway.

Chapter Text

Kara sat across from Jay in their father’s room, and both were silent. She’d barely been on the phone with Winn before he was leaving the office and offering to come to the hospital. She didn’t want to admit she needed him, but her family was fraying her nerves, and she needed the backup, so she accepted his offer gratefully. He’d even offered to drop her box of office possessions at her apartment before arriving, knowing that was also a point of stress for the young woman.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Jay looked up at her. “What are you thinking over there?”

“That he didn’t have to love me…but he did.”

Jay searched his sister’s face and felt his heart break apart even more than it already had. It was easy sometimes to forget that she hadn’t been born into their family, just as much as it was to forget that she’d lost everyone else she’d ever called a parent.

And he had forgotten.

It made him feel guilty to know that he had forgotten that his sister’s birth parents had died in an explosion. He didn’t know much about it, but he knew that she had almost not made it out alive.

That was a thought he had to push away as he stared at their father because as painful as losing him was, Jay didn’t know what he’d do or how he’d handle it if he lost Will or Kara.

The latter chuckled and leaned back in her seat, the ghost of a smirk on her face. He frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m just thinking about the first time I ever saw him. He reacted a lot better than I would have to having a thirteen-year-old girl just…plopped on his doorstep. Especially with his general attitude about things.”

“What does that mean?” Jay asked her quietly. “You were adopted, chosen, not plucked randomly from space.”

Almost snorting at his choice of words, she shook her head. “Nothing, nevermind.”

It was only a few minutes later when Will slid open the doors to the room and joined them. She prayed to Rao that this encounter would go better than the last few. She really couldn’t handle another argument.

Walking in, he squeezed her shoulder before focusing on Jay. “Hey, Jay. We gotta…gotta take Dad off the vent.”

“What?” Jay looked up, his eyes wet and red. “No, no, no. He…we’ve been sitting with him, and he blinks his eyes. And I grabbed his hand, and he squeezed my hand. He squeezed my hand.”

Kara watched as her brother begged to be told that something good was happening but knew it wouldn’t come. She’d seen and felt the same things he had but knew deep down what Will was about to say.

“Those are just reflexes. They don’t mean anything.”

“I’m telling you, man; he knows we’re here.” Jay insisted.

“He doesn’t. He can’t.”

“We can’t. He’s…” Jay started to break down. “He’s gotta come back, man, ‘cause…that can’t be the last conversation I ever have with him.”

Kara bit her lip as she remembered Jay's use of ‘thankless old prick’ and how those words would haunt him forever. She didn’t want that for him.

“Look, whatever regrets you have, you’re not going to resolve them here. You just gotta accept that.”

Now Jay was angry again. “Don’t tell me what I gotta accept.”

Glancing at Kara, Will went to his brother. “Jay, the reason Gwen encouraged us to take our time with Dad? His bypass was twenty-nine days ago. If he dies before thirty days are up, regardless of why it’s a fatality for the hospital.”

“So what?” Jay asked him.

“So Gwen’s just trying to keep Dad alive for one more day, so the hospital doesn’t take the hit,” Will shouted at him.

Kara stood. “I can’t…”

Grabbing her phone, she rushed out of the room as Will called after her. “Kara, wait!”

“Look what you did.” Standing, Jay closed the gap between himself and his brother. “Look, I get it, you feel betrayed. I don’t care. I care about Dad. I care about Kara!”

“And you think he’d want to be kept alive to buff some numbers?” Will yelled back, angry at the world for doing this to them. “You think Kara wants to sit here forever and stare at a man who is never going to talk back to her? To see him wither away in this bed and not get to say goodbye? If you really cared, you wouldn’t do that to either of them.”

This time Jay had had enough. “You need to get out. You got to get out, man.”

“They’re using him.”

Jay was done. “That’s your problem.”

“Jay, he’s gone!”

Without Kara around, Jay finally shoved his brother out of his face. They stumbled out into the hallway and were immediately surrounded by fellow doctors and hospital staff. They struggled against each other for a few minutes, both trying to work out their stress and grief. Then Jay struck him in the face, and both let go of each other.

“Stay away from Kara,” Jay told him. “She’s been hurt enough for one day.”

“Doc, you okay?” A security guard asked.

Jay looked at him, apologetically before retreating into the room again. Watching his brother in sadness, Will just nodded to the man and walked away. As he left the ED, he turned slightly to see his sister hugging his fiancé, crying her eyes out. He couldn’t help but feel like all of this was his fault.

He was a shitty brother, he decided, and needed to find a way to fix that. He may not be able to help their father now, but he could at least help them.

Chapter Text

Will stood on the roof overlooking the city. It had been a long and painful day, and he couldn’t get the idea that his siblings hated him out of his mind. Jay had made his feelings pretty straightforward, and though Kara hadn’t said anything, she’d stayed out of most of their conversations and had left the second he’d started in on them.

“Hey.” He was startled from his thoughts as Natalie walked up, putting her hands on his arm in comfort. “You okay?”

Looking down, he sighed. “I could have been a better son.” He told her honestly. “Could have been a better brother.”

Natalie’s heart broke for him, and she shook her head. “Oh, Will…your dad knew you loved him. And so does Jay.” She rubbed his back. “And you know that Kara absolutely adores you.”

Looking up at her, he nodded in acceptance before leaning into her touch. “How is she?”

His fiancé sighed. “She’s upset, understandably. But not at you. She’s just tired and sad and couldn’t take the fighting anymore.”

The redhead frowned. “Did you know this is the fourth parent she’s lost?”

Natalie shook her head. “She’s adopted?”

“Yeah,” Will told her. “It’s not something we talk about, because honestly, it doesn’t feel like it. I sometimes forget that we don’t share blood. But then something like this happens, and it wasn’t until she said something that I remembered how much she’s lost.”

“How did she lose them?” Natalie asked him quietly.

He turned to face her, still keeping their physical contact. “When our parents adopted her, they told us that it was a fire. When she got comfortable with us, she said her home exploded…she’d barely gotten out alive.”

“That’s terrible.” Natalie kissed him. “But there is something important to remember.”

“What’s that?”

“She still has you, and she still has Jay.” She reminded him. “And you still have both of them. And me…you will always have me.”

Nodding, he gave her a small smile. “Thank you.”

“Always.”

Taking a deep breath, Kara walked back into her father’s room. Jay was alone now, and she figured he and Will had argued themselves out. At least, she hoped they did.

Sitting down on Pat’s other side, she sent her brother a small, reassuring smile to try and alleviate the tension. “Sorry about that.”

“You okay?” His voice was scratchy.

She shrugged. “No, not by a long shot.” She paused. “But I will be. Eventually.”

“Listen, I’m sorry about before…”

Kara shook her head, her glasses slipping slightly down her face. “Please don’t be. Having to make a life or death decision when family is involved…it’s never easy.”

“What do you mean?” He asked curiously, brows furrowing.

She sighed. “When my parents died, we knew it was the end before we could escape. There was only enough time and resources to get two people out, so my aunt and uncle sent my cousin out first as he was only a baby.

“Then they had my parents get me out. I knew they were all going to die, and I had to choose to stay with them or leave and protect my cousin. He was only a baby, a newborn, so I knew what I had to do. But it doesn’t make the decision any easier.”

“I didn’t know any of that.” He told her. “I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. “It’s life, Jay. All life is different, but some things remain the same. Unfortunately, this is one of them.”

He nodded in silence, and they looked back at their dad. The doors slid open quietly a few minutes later, and someone cleared their throat.

“Hey, guys.”

Looking up, Kara smiled. “Winn.”

Sending her a sympathetic smile, he walked over and took a seat in the chair next to her. “Sorry, it took me so long. Dropping your stuff off took slightly longer than anticipated.” Then he looked at Jay. “Hey, dude, I’m sorry.”

Jay just nodded. “Thanks, man.” He paused. “Thanks for coming.”

The younger man shrugged. “Your family is pretty much all I have in that department, so…”

They lapsed into silence again, and Kara leaned on the side of the bed. Her left hand reached out and grabbed Winn’s, who moved his chair closer to hers. They stayed like that for a while before the doors opened again, and Will came in.

“Hey, Winn, thanks for coming.” He said after a minute, hoping to ease the room’s tension.

“Like I told Jay…he’s family.” Winn sighed.

“Kara…”

“We’re good, Will.” She told him honestly, fiddling with her glasses.

Knowing she only did so when she was nervous, he went to speak until she slowly shook her head and glanced at their brother. Seeing her gaze shift, he set his sight on Jay.

“I’m sorry, Jay. For everything.” Will’s voice cracked, and Kara squeezed Winn’s hand. “For not being there for you, and Dad, and Kara. For not giving either of you space to grieve. We’ll keep him on the vent as long as you want.”

Blinking slowly, Jay spared a glance at their sister and saw agreement in her eyes. “Who am I kidding, man? I know he’s not coming back. Let him go.”

Both boys looked up at Kara, who had tears in her eyes and a death grip on Winn’s hand. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “He wouldn’t want this. Just let him go.”

Clapping Jay on the back, Will sat down next to him and nodded sadly at his sister. Kara held Winn’s hand in her left and her father’s in her right. She saw Winn lean over and clap Will on the arm, rubbing it slightly, sharing a look of sorry with the grieving doctor, before dropping his hand and leaning closer to her.

Taking in the comfort of having the three most important—living—men in her life around her, she finally let her heart grieve for the man she had lost. She prayed she would never have to do this again, at least not for a very long time.

Chapter Text

Kara sighed as she finally unpacked the box Winn had dropped off for her from her old office. Getting fired still stung, but not as much as everything else that had happened since then.

Glancing at the simple urn on her mantle, she sighed. It had been about a week since her father had died, and she still couldn’t believe it. An investigation was opened, and his death, along with others, was ruled a homicide, as 51 found signs of arson. That thought made her stomach turn to stone, knowing she could have stopped it and maybe save her father’s life in the process.

She had to shake those thoughts away physically. She had promised Pat she wouldn’t tell anyone about her powers or her true family heritage, and she couldn’t have known it would end this way.

Pulling a picture of him out of her box, she ran her thumb over it before using her purple sweater to wipe the dust off. Then she walked over and placed it next to the urn and stared at it. He’d always made it clear that he wanted to be cremated when he died, so none of them had any problems with that. What they did have a problem with was figuring out who would be keeping his ashes.

She had been shocked when the boys chose her. She still questioned if they had chosen correctly, but they had been adamant. After their arguments at the hospital, she’d forced them to sit down and have the serious talk that they’d started in shouts, and though all had things to apologize for, both boys had owned up to the fact that of all of them, it had really been Kara doing most of the work.

To them, it only seemed fair for her to keep his ashes close by. Besides, they’d said, they spent more time at her place than either of their own anyway.

She continued to go through the box of her things before transitioning to the things she had taken from Pat’s house when they cleaned it out. Her hands tightened on a piece of fabric and lifted it out to hold in front of her. She couldn’t believe he’d kept it for all of those years.

Her tunic. The same one she’d been wearing when she landed on Earth and literally crash-landed into their lives.

Her phone rang out loudly, and Kara rolled her eyes. “What?”

“Is that how you answer the phone now?” The woman’s voice snarked to her.

Chuckling, she plopped down on her couch. “Sorry, Trudy. I thought you might be one of the boys.”

“Still mad at Jay, huh?” The older woman asked, referring to his risky, nearly suicidal stunt during the mission to avenge their father.

“Extremely.” She said honestly. “The next time I see him, I’ll probably kick his ass.”

“Good, the kid deserves it.” She said offhandedly. “So, how are you doing?”

Kara smiled at the woman’s question. She hadn’t had an easy time adjusting to her new family when she first arrived on Earth and had made the impulsive decision one day to run away. The officer to find her had been none other than Trudy Platt, and from that day forward, they’d had a special relationship.

“I’m okay.” She ran her fingers over the fabric of her tunic. “I mean, I’ve been better, but I’m okay.”

“Uh-huh.” She could tell Trudy didn’t believe her. “Well, I’m calling to tell you that Jay took his lunch early today. He got a phone call, I think it was Will, and then hurried out. Just a warning.”

“Great.” She muttered. “Thanks for the head’s up.”

“Any idea what it’s about?”

Groaning, Kara turned to look through the wall, seeing two bodies walking up the stairs at the end of the hall. “I have a thought, yeah.”

“Well, good luck.”

“Thanks, Trudy.” Turning off the call, Kara shook her head and walked to the door, opening it before they had knocked.

“How do you always do that?” Jay asked her in frustration before walking inside.

“Come in, why don’t you?” Kara snarked but nodded for Will to follow. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company at one o’clock in the afternoon when you should be at work?”

“Well, see, that’s what we were thinking about you.” Jay snapped at her.

Confused, Kara looked at Will, who winced. “I went by your office to see if you wanted lunch. All I found was Winn, who looked like he’d just seen a ghost, and someone that wasn’t you at your desk.”

“Shit.” She let the word slip from her mouth quietly.

“Why didn’t you tell us you got fired?” The eldest of the three asked.

Looking at Will, she sighed. “It was last week, and let’s be honest, it hasn’t exactly been a great seven days for any of us. There was a lot going on.”

“Was it before or after Dad?” Jay asked, sitting at her kitchen table.

“Same day, but before I left for Med.” She told them. “Had nothing to do with that.”

Jay stared at her as Will started to speak before cutting him off. “Son of a bitch.”

“Jay…” She shook her head, knowing he’d figured it out.

“It’s because of that favor you did for me.” He chuckled wryly. “They fired you because I had you run a hack at the office.”

“That was my choice, Jay. I knew the risk when I did it.”

“Wait, so he’s right?” Will snapped his gaze to look at her.

She nodded. “That’s what Cat said, yeah.”

“The Devil herself did the deed?” Jay asked, shocked. “Damn, no wonder you looked so frazzled when you got there.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well, what can I say? Cat scares all.”

“You should have told us,” Jay said quietly. “I’m sorry I got you fired.”

She waved him off. “Stop it; you didn’t do anything, Jay. She didn’t fire you.” Then she paused. “Hm, I’ll have to ask Trudy if she tried. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me.”

“So, what’s your plan?” Will asked, curiously.

“I honestly have no idea.” She told them. “I keep looking for tech jobs and then feeling like…”

“Feeling like what?”

She slumped back against her chair and let her body deflate. “Feeling like it’s not what I want. All I have ever known is fixing stupid things for snotty people. I guess I just want to help people in a different way, you know?” She sighed. “I don’t know; I guess I just feel like I’m waiting for something that isn’t going to happen.”

Rubbing her eyes, which were devoid of glasses as she usually was while at home, she missed the look shared between her brothers.

“We have to get back to work, but why don’t you meet us at Molly’s later?” Jay suggested. “Drinks are on Will.”

“Says who?” Will teased. “Maybe I’ll buy Kara’s drinks, but you’re on your own, buddy.”

“That hurts, Will. That really hurts.” Jay told him.

Kara laughed. “Hey, I am the baby of the family. And I was just fired.”

“Low blow, Kara.” Jay shook his head. “Low blow.” She just laughed again as they left, happy to have that conversation out of the way.

Kara opened the door to the bar and smiled at the familiar feeling it brought. Waving as she passed the friends she’d met through her brothers, the blonde was almost to the bar where they sat when she felt a hand on her arm.

Turning, she stopped. “Oh, sorry, hi, Sergeant.”

Voight nodded to her. “Jay tells me you’re in need of a job. Turns out, I’m in need of a tech genius.”

“Jay…” She sighed. “I’m sorry he dragged you into this.”

“I’m not.” He told her honestly. “I’m not being nice when I say I need someone. Things haven’t been as smooth since Mouse left. What do you say?”

She stared at him for a minute before nodding. “You’ve got a deal.”

“Good. Be at the precinct at seven, and Trudy will get you started on the paperwork.” He told her, the hint of a smirk on his face.

“Thanks, sir.” She smiled. “Hey, can I ask you a quick question?”

“Shoot.”

“Jay…did he only ask you because he feels guilty? He thinks it was his fault I got fired.” She inquired. “Is he just doing this to ease his guilt?”

Voight shrugged. “Maybe. But I also know he wasn’t about to take no for an answer when he came in today. He talked up your skills for nearly ten minutes before I could stop him to tell him I was good with it. He may feel guilty, but he also knows you and what you can do. Remember that.”

She smiled genuinely this time. “Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Definitely.” He toasted her lightly. “I look forward to it.”

“Me too.” Then she turned and walked straight to Jay at the bar.

Walking up behind him, she hugged him, catching him off guard. “What the hell?”

“Thank you for butting into my business.” She smiled as she boosted herself onto the stool next to him.

“Voight got to you?” He asked unsurprised. “Well?”

“What’s going on?” Will wondered, out of the loop as usual.

Kara smiled. “As of tomorrow morning, I’m a civilian employee for the CPD. Specifically Intelligence.”

“Oh, good, so you can buy your own drinks then,” Will told her, and Jay laughed.

“Oh no, you don’t.” She raised her brows and laughed. “You promised me free drinks.”

“Did I hear free drinks?” Herrmann asked behind the bar.

“Will’s buying mine tonight.” She smiled.

“Good man.” The firefighter told them and walked away.

Will groaned, causing Kara and Jay to laugh again. It felt good to get back to normal.

Chapter Text

Kara sat at her desk, typing away furiously as she searched for information on their perp. They had picked up a case of a suspicious high-class robbery, but so far, there had been a lack of information that had everyone on edge.

She’d been working with Jay’s unit for over a month and found that she had to actively work to keep her powers in check. There had been many times where she’d accidentally let slip a comment on something she hadn’t been a part of or had known someone was coming before anybody else had, and someone had questioned it.

She loved her new job, but she seriously needed to get a handle on herself before she blew everything.

“Find anything?”

Looking up at her brother, she shrugged. “The prints all came back to people who work there or their customers. Or to people who aren’t in the system. Then there’s one set of prints that I can’t even begin to analyze because they’re either smudged or not a fingerprint.”

“What the hell does that mean?” He asked her, confused.

“It means I can’t trace it because it doesn’t even look human.” She told him bluntly.

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to believe Winn’s crazy theories now.” He joked.

“Of course not.” She winced internally. “I’m just…telling you what I see.” Then she paused. “They’re coming out.”

Jay sent her a look, and they both turned to see Kim and Kevin come out of the interrogation room with their suspect. As he walked past, Kara’s body froze. She watched as he slipped his hat back on and noticed a slight ripple in his skull just before it was covered. As if he sensed her, the man turned to look at her and tipped his head.

“You look familiar.” He rasped out.

Scrunching her face in confusion, she shook her head. “Um…okay?”

Then the man turned and left. Looking at their friends, Jay sighed. “Did he give you anything?”

“Yeah, a possible address of the next hit,” Kim told him. “3125 Haddock.”

The blonde typed it into her computer. “It looks like it’s a high-end jewelry store.”

“Fits the pattern,” Kevin told them. “I’ll call Voight.”

Turning to his sister, Jay sighed. “Thanks. You meeting Will for dinner tonight?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’m meeting him there after his shift. Hopefully, you guys will catch this asshole, and we can get some sleep tonight. This case has been annoying.”

“Hey, you’re doing great.” He told her, lightly hitting her shoulder. “Not your fault the prints are weird.”

Nodding as he walked away to his desk, Kara bit her lip. Tugging lightly on her blue shirt, she stared at the fingerprint. It definitely didn’t look human. If she had to guess…it looked more alien than anything else. And that thought scared her more than she cared to admit.

“So, how is the wedding planning going?” Kara asked her brother as they walked back towards the hospital.

He shrugged. “I guess it’s on schedule. I’m not really sure. But according to Nat, we’re good.”

Kara laughed. “You are so pathetic.”

“Hey!” He laughed with her. “I don’t know how any of this works, don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not!” She insisted. “I’m just stating a fact.”

“Ouch.” He smiled as he led her onto a less populated path. “You’ve been hanging out with Jay too much.”

“Well, I do work with him now.” She reminded him.

“Yeah, how is that going?” He asked her and watched as she fixed her glasses. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“What are you talking about?” She asked innocently.

“Whenever you’re nervous, you mess with your glasses.” He told her. “You’ve done it since you were thirteen.”

“So the entire time you’ve known me.” She muttered. “Great.”

“So I will ask again, what’s wrong?”

Hesitating, she stopped him for a moment. “Will…what would you say if I told you that I thought Winn might actually be onto something.”

“For which thing?” Will chuckled. “He’s a good dude, but man, does he love his conspiracy theories.”

“About the…aliens.” She forced the word out of her mouth and waited for his reaction.

“Aliens.” He studied her face. “Seriously, Kara, what’s going on?”

“I just…” Her eyes slid from his face to something behind him. “Will.”

Turning to see what she was looking at, she saw a tv on in the store behind them. On the screen, they saw news coverage of a building that had partially collapsed. It looked like people were still inside.

“Will…that’s the address I gave the team earlier.” She told them, her voice shaking. “Jay’s there.”

“Hey, we can’t freak out yet. Come on; we’ll drive down there.” He told her, grabbing her arm.

Both siblings jolted as another part of the building went down on the screen, and Kara’s body stiffened. As her brain ran a mile a minute, she shook her head and stared at her older brother.

“Will, I’m really sorry for this.” She told him.

“Sorry for what?”

Ripping her arm out of his grip, she stripped her coat off and threw it at him. Then she lifted her hand to her glasses and whipped them off as well, shoving them into his hand.

“Kara?” He asked, confused. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Saving our brother and our friends.” She told him simply. “I’m really sorry.”

“Kara, there’s nothing we can-”

The words Will spoke were cut off as Kara ran away from him and jumped. He watched as she landed hard on the ground and then jumped again, this time flying away in the blink of an eye. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

“What the fu…?”

Chapter Text

Kara barely registered her own thoughts as she sped toward the jewelry store her friends were trapped inside. As she got close, she squinted her eyes to look and see how many people were still stuck inside. She counted about a dozen men and women trying to escape and someone with a gun directing them quickly out of the building.

If that was her brother, she was going to kick his ass. Right after she saved it.

Taking a deep breath, she listened in and heard the familiar raspy voice of her boss. “Halstead, you gotta get out of there. The building won’t hold much longer.”

“There’s still civilians inside here, Sarge.” Her brother’s determined voice came back to her over the radio.

“Halstead, I gave you an order.” Voight barked into the radio.

“I’m not leaving these people here!” Jay yelled again, the sound of the building shifting echoing in her ears.

Cursing her brother, she shot down just as the structure he was standing under dropped.

Jay tried not to think about his surroundings as he rushed to get people out of the building. He knew it could only be a matter of minutes before the spot he was standing in was turned to dust, his own body along with it, but he wasn’t going to leave innocent civilians inside while he ran to safety.

He knew he wasn’t making it out alive, but maybe if he saved enough people, his siblings wouldn’t be as mad at his decision. He knew this would crush them, no pun intended, so he pushed the thought of them out of his head.

Just as he did so, the building groaned. “Everybody down!”

As everyone dropped to the floor, including himself, he braced for impact. It took him a second to realize that nothing came and that everyone around him was whispering and talking in confusion. Looking up to see what happened, his heart stopped.

The spot he’d been standing in had indeed fallen, but it hadn’t made it to the ground. Instead, he saw that it was resting on the hands and shoulders of a young woman in blue, her blonde hair blowing around her as she pushed it above her.

When she looked up, his eyes widened. “What…how…?”

“You need to get these people out of here, Detective.” She shouted at him, ignoring his questions.

Knowing she was right, he ushered them out one at a time while keeping watch on their savior. Another groan was heard, followed by a pop, and water started spraying around them as pipes were bursting.

“Oh, come on!” She shouted.

As the building shifted again, he watched as she forced more of her strength into holding it up. So much so, she started to yell at the effort, and he saw her hands fold into the concrete like it was clay.

The second the last person was out, he turned to her. “Kara?”

“Jay, you have to get out of here.” She told him. “Now.”

“Not without you.” He told her, and the building shifted again.

“Go! I’m right behind you!”

Trusting her, he ran, and the second he cleared the building, it came down on top of her. Jay stumbled back into the team as he watched it.

“No!”

“Jay!” Hailey screamed and grabbed him.

“Did…did you see that?” He asked them. “That girl…”

She nodded. “Yeah, no one knows who she is, but holy shit, she’s strong.” Then she paused. “She got everyone out.”

“She…” He watched, his heart beating wildly out of his chest.

“Jay…” Hailey frowned. “Let’s get you to an ambulance.”

“I’m fine.” He pushed her away.

“You’re ridiculously pale.” She pointed out. “It’s like you’ve seen a ghost.”

He blinked at the building. “I saw…something.”

The team didn’t recognize her. Jay knew that she only took her glasses off if she was at home, but he couldn’t believe that no one had seen that it was her. Then again, he’d known her since she was thirteen, so he was a little more in tune with her than anyone else.

Then he remembered that the building had fallen on her. How would he tell Will about what happened and why she was inside the building when it went down? How could he tell their brother that he’d gotten a few dozen people to safety, but not their little sister?

He was about to argue with Severide about getting her out when everyone’s voices started getting louder.

Then he saw why.

The concrete that had just fallen was starting to move. Everyone watched as the rubble shifted before being thrown aside. Then the woman stood and looked shell-shocked around at everyone. Her clothes and hair were soaked, and her chest was heaving as though she hadn’t been getting enough air. Other than that, she looked utterly unharmed and way more confident than he’d ever seen her.

He saw people pull out their phones to capture the moment, but all he could do was stare at her. Slowly, she turned to look at him and shrugged, chuckling slightly. All he wanted to do was go and talk to her, but as if she sensed his thoughts, she bent her legs and shot into the air, flying away into the dark sky.

Jay’s mind was reeling. His sister had caught a building with her bare hands and survived it falling on top of her. Then she’d flown—and since when could people fly?—away, leaving everyone in shock and disbelief. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but he was sure as hell going to find out.

Now he just had to figure out a way to tell Will.

Chapter Text

“Shoppers of Garrett Jewelers appear to have a guardian angel. When what many report to be a female flying form rescued them from certain death.”

Kara squealed at the newscaster’s words and set her pizza on the coffee table. She’d put on dry clothes, though her hair was still wet, as she’d been waiting to see what they would say about her on the news.

“Leyna Nguyen is live at the scene.”

“Thank you, Rick. Guardian angel or human wrecking ball?”

“What?” Kara shouted, her jaw dropping at the words.

“There is destruction all over the block of Haddock. And one…”

This time Kara stood. “Well, you try saving a building for the first time. See if you don’t make a mess.”

The broadcast paused, and Kara heard a sigh from behind her. “Oh, my God.”

Turning, she saw both Will and Jay standing there and smiled excitedly. “I know! It’s incredible!”

Running over, she hugged Jay, and everyone heard his bones crack. “Ow.”

She pulled back quickly. “Oh, sorry. That was…that was too hard. I’m just…I’m so excited. I still can’t believe I did it.”

Her voice was coming in pants, but they knew it was because she was freaking out.

“Yeah,” Jay told her. “Neither can we.”

“Are you okay?” Will, ever the doctor, asked her quickly.

“Me?” She asked incredulously. “Am I okay? Jay, are you okay?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Were you scared?” She sighed, correcting herself. “I mean, I was scared too, but you…you had to be terrified. Because you had no idea I was coming to save you.”

“Yeah, how exactly were you able to do that, by the way?” He asked her. “I feel like there something massive we missed.”

Kara bit her lip and stared at them. “Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag now, huh? Sorry, Dad.”

“Wait, Dad knew?” Will chimed in.

Kara nodded. “Yeah, so did Mom. It’s…why they adopted me.”

“Wait, hang on.” Jay waved her off with his hand. “So Mom and Dad knew, but you never told us? Start talking.”

Kara sighed. “You guys know Superman, right?” They nodded. “I’m his cousin.”

“That doesn’t begin to help us understand any of this,” Will told her.

“Wait…your cousin.” Jay studied her. “The one you told me about in the hospital?”

She nodded. “When I was thirteen, my planet, Krypton, was dying. My aunt and uncle sent my cousin Kal, or as he’s known on Earth, Clark, away so that he could live. My parents did the same and gave me the mission to watch out for him.

“But the explosion knocked my pod off course, and I ended up in a place called the Phantom Zone. Time doesn’t exist there. I was stuck there for about two decades before I got loose and ended up here. I guess a long time ago, Mom had a project that involved helping Clark figure out his powers, and he wanted me to have the same normal childhood he did, so he brought me to you guys.”

“That’s why you said you were dropped on our doorstep.” Jay realized. “Because they hadn’t sought you out, Clark dropped you off.”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“And tonight, when you mentioned Winn being right about aliens existing…” Will prompted.

“That’s partially because I’ve been feeling guilty about not telling you guys about me.” She told him. “Plus, I don’t know, I’ve been seeing some weird things at work lately.”

“The fingerprint,” Jay said, and she nodded again. “You think it’s alien?”

“I honestly don’t know, but it didn’t look human to me.” She told him.

“I need a drink,” Jay said as he leaned against her counter.

“Right! Yeah, we need to celebrate.” Kara agreed, running to grab him a glass, as well as one for Will, forgetting her worry for excitement again. “It has been so long; I almost forgot how to fly. Well, not so much how, but more, more how it feels, like…scared, but good scared. Like…like that moment right before you kiss someone for the first time.”

She handed them the drinks and didn’t think anything of Jay downing his in one sip. “And now…Now it’s like…I’m not sure what comes next. Or maybe I am sure, and I’m just afraid of what it means. And if it means what I think it means.”

“Okay, Will, if you’re not going to say it, I am.” Jay sighed, squaring his shoulder. “What were you thinking?”

“Jay, don’t…” Will started, seeing how happy she was, and then trailed off.

That stopped her in her tracks. “What?”

Jay gestured wildly to the picture of her on TV. “You exposed yourself. To the world. This secret you have? You’re out there now, Kara. Everyone will know about you, and you can’t take that back.”

“I don’t want to.” She told him in confusion and watched as he sighed. “This is what I was talking about, Jay. I’ve always felt the need to help people, and tonight I finally got that chance.

“I…” She sighed, her excitement leaving her along with the warm feeling of her brothers’ presence. “I didn’t travel two thousand lightyears just to be a techie.”

“What if people figure out who you are?” Jay asked her, stepping closer to her as Will observed them from the side. “What you are? It’s just…” He stared at the picture of her on the news.

“It’s not safe for you to do anything like that. Ever again.”

“Jay, cool it,” Will said, seeing the look on his sister’s face.

When their father died, he thought he’d never seen her so broken, but watching her take in Jay’s words was hurt on a whole other level. She’d been so excited, and now she just looked small and weak, very much unlike the woman he saw on the news tonight.

“Oh.” She said quietly, her lip trembling. “I’m kind of tired, I…I just caught a building on my shoulders. I’m gonna go to bed.”

Jay scoffed and shook his head as Kara swallowed thickly. “You should go.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Jay told her as he turned and stormed out of her apartment.

“Jay!” Taking a deep breath, Will looked at his sister. “Kara…”

She looked up at him, plastering a false look of calm on her face. “You should go, too. Natalie will be looking for you…so will Owen.”

“Hey…” He walked to her and kissed her head. “I don’t understand all this yet, but I’m proud of you, okay?” She nodded, and he sighed. “I brought your jacket and glasses back. They’re on the counter.”

“Thanks.” Then she turned and walked into her bedroom.

Watching her walk away, Will let himself out. Dammit, Jay.

Chapter Text

Kara got to work early the following day, her mood sour. She’d been excited so excited the night before until she’d let the boys inside. To Will’s credit, he hadn’t said anything other than that he was proud and had texted her three times that morning to make sure she was okay, but she still wasn’t sure how he felt about her continuing this new path.

She knew exactly how Jay felt.

She didn’t look up as he walked into the bullpen, instead going about putting her things away. The jewelry store thief was still out there, and though she had her suspicions about it being an alien, she still had to work every angle she could. She might have shown her powers to the world, but she wasn’t about to lose her job over them.

Turning on her computers, she took a deep breath and focused on the screen, not letting her eyes wander either right or left. Having her desk in direct eye contact of her brother’s was annoying during times like these.

Unfortunately, the man had other ideas.

Slowly approaching her desk, Jay sighed. “Can we talk?”

Looking up at him, she sat back in her seat. “Are you going to be happy for me? Or is it about work? Because if it’s not, then we have nothing to talk about.”

Pushing him away hurt her heart, but she couldn’t let him sit there and tear her down. She’d finally found something she could do to help people up close and personal, and he couldn’t even pretend to be happy for her.

She watched as he walked back to his desk and listened as everyone else filed in over the next few minutes. As Ruzek and Hailey arrived, the man looked excited.

“Hey, did you guys see the news? That girl from the collapse yesterday was on it.” He told them.

“Yeah, it’s the only thing anyone is talking about.” Kevin agreed with his friend.

“Supergirl.” Everyone turned to look at Kim. “Cat Grant over at CatCo named her Supergirl.”

Hearing the name sent a spark up Kara’s spine, and she smiled. “Cool name.”

“It definitely fits.” Hailey agreed. “Metropolis has Superman; it’s about time the world got a female superhero.”

“You know, this is stupid.” Jay barked out, looking at everyone.

“What, your masculinity hurt because you got saved by a girl?” Antonio joked with him as Voight came to the door of his office.

“No, I just don’t think it’s a good idea to be sensationalizing whoever she is.” He answered and glanced around the room. “We don’t even know who she is or where she came from.”

“Well, clearly, she’s from the same place Superman came from,” Kim suggested. “They have the same powers, right?”

“Yeah, I don’t ever remember you getting this pissy whenever Superman made an appearance,” Kara spoke up, staring daggers at her brother.

“Well, Superman can handle himself,” Jay told her. “Besides, are we even really sure we can trust her? Who knows what danger she’s brought with her? Kara, I thought at least you of all people would know better than that.”

The room went quiet as they stared between the siblings. Hailey whacked her partner on the arm, telling him he’d gone too far.

Kara nodded, pain filling her eyes. She knew he had been upset, but she never dreamed that he would stop trusting her. That was almost worse than anything else she’d been through in her life.

“You know, Jay, your flexibility amazes me.” She stood slowly and walked around her desk. “How is it that you get your foot in your mouth and your head up your ass all at the same time?”

At that comment, everyone either whistled quietly or turned away in shock. Turning away from her brother, she faced Voight. “I’m so sorry to do this, but my best friend Winn…well, an emergency came up, and I’m his emergency contact. He has no other family in town…”

Voight nodded. “Take the day. If you need any more, we can revisit it later.”

“Thank you.” She told him. “Call me if you guys need me. I can hack from outside the building.”

Then she grabbed her purse, shot a dark look at her brother, and sped out the door. When she got outside, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Winn’s number.

“Hey, think you can pull a family emergency and meet me at my place? It’s important.”

It was an hour later, and Kara held her arms around her stomach. She stared out at the city and let the wind from her rooftop flow through her hair. It wasn’t long before she heard footsteps on the stairs and knew Winn was joining her.

“Kara?” His voice was loud and searching until he spotted her near the edge. “Hey, uh, are you okay? Also, whatever you have to say, can you make it quick? I’m not really into being this high up.”

It was now or never, she knew, so she turned to face him. “Okay, um, Winn, I am going to tell you something about me that only three people in my life know. Can I trust you?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, his face grew serious. “Yeah, yeah, of course.”

“Good. Um…I just,” she sighed. “I really want someone to be excited for me. And I, um…okay, how do I…” Looking at the sky as if for help, she tried to come up with a way to come out and say it. “Okay, uh, there’s something about me that for most of my life, I’ve run from it. But last night, I embraced who I am, and I don’t want to stop.”

“Oh my God, you’re a lesbian!” He exclaimed. “Oh, Kara, that’s why you’re not into me. This is, this is great news!”

“Wait; what?” Reeling from the comment he just made, she shook her head. “No, I’m not gay! I’m…I’m her!” When he gave her a confused look, she sighed. “The woman who saved the building!”

She chuckled a little, hoping to see some excitement. Instead, he also started to chuckle. “Okay, right. Did the boys put you up to this?”

Realizing he didn’t believe her, she turned and walked toward the edge of the roof. Then he got worried.

“Kara, what are you doing?” She didn’t stop. “Hey, Kara! Get away from the ledge; you’re gonna get hurt!”

With one last smile at her best friend, Kara held her arms out beside her and let herself fall backward.

“Kara!” Winn screamed, running to the edge.

Just as he was getting ready to pull his phone out to call for help, a blur flew past his face, flipped, and landed behind him. When he looked up, Kara was fixing her glasses from the short trip.

Without trying to settle his breathing, Winn looked like he might cry. “You’re…you’re her!”

Nodding, she shrugged. “Yup.”

Then she chuckled and waited for his reaction.

“I have so many questions.”

Chapter Text

Winn rifled through the Chinese food as he looked at the fabric on Kara’s kitchen island. “So, how is it? Huh? How does it fit?”

Kara came out of the next room, her eyes wide. She wore a blue long-sleeved crop top, red short shorts, and a red headband in her hair. “I’m not flying around saving people in this thing. I…I wouldn’t even wear it to the beach.” She covered her stomach. “Where’s my cape?”

“Capes are lame!” He told her. “You can tell your cousin I said that.” Then he paused. “Actually, never, never do that.”

Kara felt a lot better about this new version of the suit as she walked out of her bedroom to show Winn. This time she wore a long-sleeved blue shirt made from a sturdy material, a gold belt, and a red skirt. Her hair hung naturally around her shoulders, and she was excited.

She cleared her throat, pulling him away from the task at hand, and he stood.

“Oh.” Quickly remembering she still wore her glasses, she slowly pulled them off and looked at him hopefully.

“Kara, you look really pretty without your glasses.” He told her, transfixed.

“Winn.” She said with a teasing tone.

“So,” he clapped his hands together and sat back down by his police scanner. “uh…to be a superhero, you need a crime. I hacked into the CPD…there’s a car chase on the 112 freeway.”

Kara smiled. “I could do a car chase!”

Before she knew it, Kara was flying past police cars to get to the car they were chasing. This was a thrill she never knew she needed, and she was excited to finally get the chance to prove herself. Then she tried to fly around the corner and flew directly into a wall.

“A cape aids with aerodynamics; I should have thought of that!” Winn exclaimed as she walked out in the same suit, this time with a cape attached.

“West Chicago Bank reporting a 432. Sixth and Spring.”

Winn turned to look at her seriously. “You, uh…you’re sure you’re bulletproof?”

Taking a deep breath, Kara nodded and smiled. “I hope so!”

“And if Jay is there?”

Kara sighed. “Then that’s his problem, Winn.”

Arriving at the bank, Kara saw that there was a standoff with the police. Looking around, she saw that Intelligence was, in fact, on the scene, and though she didn’t want it to bother her, it did. She didn’t want to mess up in front of them—especially in front of Jay.

Steeling herself for what she had to do, she flew down and landed between the police barricades and the gunmen. Staring at them, she ignored her friends' calls, who thankfully had no clue it was her and made her way towards the shooters.

As the bullets bounced off of her, she started to grin. She was beginning to like this superhero thing, and she knew she couldn’t give it up now.

Walking forward, she grabbed the first man’s rifle and yanked it from his hands, flipping his body, so he landed in a heap on the ground. Then she grabbed the other man and punched him so hard, he flew backward a few feet.

Turning to face Intelligence as the cops moved in, she smirked before flying off.

“So, they were there?” Winn shook his head as he examined Kara’s bullet-ridden cape. “How was that? Was it awkward? I bet it was awkward. Oh! Did Jay have one of those patented “Halstead Heart Attacks” you guys are so famous for? I bet he did.”

As Kara was changing into her newest suit, Winn was happy to keep rambling. “Oh, I wonder what Will thinks of all this. Has he called? Is he freaking out? What do you think he’ll say when he sees the footage of you and the bullets? Did they even know you were bulletproof? Do you think he’s told Natalie anything about this? Do you think Jay will tell the squad?

“Also, I can’t believe Voight or Platt haven’t figured it out yet. I mean, they are Sergeants. I know you work in a unit full of detectives, but I can see how many of them wouldn’t see it. Antonio, maybe, but still Voight and Platt? Those two are scary good at their jobs. Do you think they know and just haven’t said anything? How do you think that would work for your job there? Are you going to start showing up at all their crime scenes now?”

Throwing the cape in her garbage can, he shook his head and changed the subject as rapidly as his thought process moved. “Alright, the new cape is made from a structured polymer composite. It’s much sturdier than…”

Winn’s voice trailed off as Kara walked out of her room, donned in what they both now knew was the final version of her suit. She walked with an air of confidence she’d never had before, and the atmosphere around them felt as if the universe knew what a critical moment it was for everyone.

“And, uh…” He chuckled lightly as he stared at her. “this one has the ‘S.’ For ‘Super.’ Just like your cousin.”

Turning to look in her full-length mirror, Kara smiled. “It’s not an ‘S.’ It’s my family’s coat of arms. The House of El.”

The radio scratched, and a voice rang out that interrupted their moment. “Four-alarm fire at Gates and Igle.”

Winn furrowed his brow. “I’m assuming you can’t catch on fire…”

Shaking her head, Kara sighed. “I’ll be back.”

“Go get ‘em, Supergirl!”

Kara was flying fast, and the breeze was blowing through her hair. She realized that while she had grown up in the city for a good portion of her life, she was not yet perfect in her ability to locate any location by just an address.

Slowing to a stop, she hovered in the air for a moment and focused on the sounds around her. The unmistakable sound of sirens filled her ears, and she waited until she could pinpoint the direction they were coming from. Turning her head, Kara nodded as she located the blaze coming from her right and took off in that direction. As it was in Firehouse 51’s territory, she knew they would need the assistance.

The first dart in her shoulder took her by such surprise that she stalled for a minute as her body went into shock and filled with searing pain. The second hit her in the side, causing her to fall from the sky as fast as she’d flown up there. She slammed into the top of a pickup before involuntarily rolling off and hitting the ground hard.

Laying in the wet puddles of an alley, Kara registered the fact that she couldn’t move. She had no idea what was happening or how it was even possible for something like this to occur. She heard footsteps approaching quickly and barely had time to look at them before her head lolled to the side, and she was swept up by darkness.

Chapter Text

Kara woke slowly, but the second she remembered what happened, her eyes roamed around for information. Her body still felt weak, and her wrists burned, but she had no idea why or who had attacked her.

Turning her head, she saw a man standing above her and tried to rip her arms out of the cuffs that she now saw were around her wrists and glowing green. When she was unable to do so, the panic set in.

“Made of low-grade Kryptonite.” The man she now recognized as Chicago’s mayor, Samuel Lane, informed her. “Radioactive mineral from your home planet. It weakens you.”

“Where…where am I?” She panted out, her body still weak from the minerals around her. “Who are all of these people?”

Gesturing to the two people standing near him, he stepped back so the woman could come and unlock one of Kara’s wrists. “This is my security detail. Agents Olsen and Danvers.”

Kara sat the second her wrists were free and stared at them. “Where are we?”

“Oh, this place? Just a neutral site that we rented out for the night.” He told her. “Just long enough for us to explain to you who we are and how we know about you.

“You see, for as long as life itself, people all around the world have wondered about life on other planets. We had no proof; therefore, we could quell the worry of our people. Then your cousin came along. As soon as he showed his powers to the world, the government set up a special division to handle matters pertaining to the presence and/or invasion of anything…extraterrestrial. Like you.”

“But…everyone loves Superman.” She reminded him.

“Not everyone. It’s just not popular to say it.” He shook his head. “But you’re right; once the huge outpouring of love came for your cousin, the division was shut down.”

“So what is this, then?”

He sighed. “Even though the division was shut down, the president and other notable officials knew that we weren’t alone in the universe. We had proof. We also knew there was a possibility of getting more…immigrants.

“So we worked in secret. Each time a president is sworn in, the former leaves him detailed plans on how to handle these threats. Whenever any alien presence is seen or even hinted at in a city or state, those appointed officials immediately set up a task force in order to handle any more that might show up.

“This includes you. The moment you arrived on the scene, we set to work gathering essential items and information pertaining to you and your kind. All of that has been sent to our chosen team, and they should be discussing it as we speak.”

“You’ve chosen a team?” She asked, still slightly in shock. “What team?”

“Not that it is any of your business, but as you have thus far been unthreatening towards us, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you.” He paused. “We have chosen the CPD’s Intelligence Unit as our new alien-fighting task force.”

Kara’s heart stopped for a moment. “Intelligence?”

“Heard of them?” He asked. “Their unit is already specialized, and with this new order, they will have even more jurisdiction and power than they did before. Sergeant Voight is a good cop, and while he has been a bit controversial over the years, he is the perfect man for this job.”

“But…I’m not a threat!” She told him as they walked into a different room filled with computers. “All I want to do is help.”

“While that may be the case, you aren’t the only one out there.” He told her and gestured to a screen. “Fort Rozz.”

“Fort Rozz?” Kara wondered why the name sounded so familiar.

Lane nodded. “Krypton’s maximum-security prison.”

Oh. she thought. That’s why.

“It was banished to the Phantom Zone.” The mayor continued. “The same place your ship got stuck. But just like yours, it didn’t stay there.

“We’re not sure how your pod got loose. What we do know is this: you pulled Fort Rozz with you. When it crashed, the alien convicts, the worst criminals in the galaxy…they all escaped. And you brought them here.

“These beings…some of them have powers from your darkest nightmares. For over a decade, they’ve stayed hidden. But in the last year, many have been emerging, making themselves known. We think they’re planning something. We’re just not sure what it is yet.”

Kara looked up quickly. “The building I caught. Those jewelry heists. That’s them, isn’t it? I knew there was something off about that guy…”

“Yes, Intelligence seems to have had an alien suspect in custody that they will need to find again.” Lane agreed.

“I can help them. I can help the team stop them.” Kara told him confidently.

“How?” He asked, walking past her. “You couldn’t even stop us from capturing you.”

“I’m still learning.” She said with a fire in her voice.

“Our job is keeping people in the dark about alien life on Earth, and nothing says ‘covert operation’ like a flying woman in a red skirt.”

“But, I-”

“You want to help? Go back to whatever day job you had before you started this wannabe-superhero project of yours. If they’ll take you, that is. You’ve been asleep for twelve hours and should have been at work over an hour ago.” He told her sternly. “Let Intelligence handle this. It is no longer your concern. You are not wanted here.”

Ignoring the hurtful words that the once-popular mayor spewed at her, Kara sighed. She watched him walk away before realizing what he had said to her. She was late for work. While that ordinarily would have been a reason in itself to panic, they now knew about her existence and wanted her gone. She had to know what they knew and had to find out what they thought about everything.

She also needed to see her brother and make sure he didn’t spill her secret to everyone she cared about, or her life would be over before she knew it.

Chapter Text

Kara tripped as she hurried up the front steps of the precinct and threw the doors open. Her glasses were askew on her face, and she desperately hoped she’d button her red blouse correctly. She’d been in a hurry to get there, and her brain was still scattered from everything she’d learn that morning.

“You’re late.”

She physically slid into the building as she made the running turn towards the gate that led to Intelligence and sent an exasperated glance at her friend. “Yeah, I know!”

Ignoring the rest of what Platt was telling her, she swiped her palm and took the stairs, dangerously, two at a time. When she made it to the top of the stairs, she nearly crashed into Antonio.

“Shit! Sorry.” She winced as he helped steady her.

“You good? Where’ve you been?” He asked as everyone’s eyes fell on her.

“I, uh…” She walked to her desk. “I overslept. Sorry, it shouldn’t happen again.”

Voight didn’t speak to her but continued on his speech. “All we know at this time is that these heists seem to have been caused by these…aliens.”

“Aliens.” Ruzek shook his head. “I can’t believe they’re real.”

“Dude, what did you think Superman was?” Hailey teased him. “It’s not like drugs can make you fly, so it clearly wasn’t that.”

“Yeah, but I mean…aliens!” He gasped. “That doesn’t freak anyone else out?”

“Yo, you make a good point.” Kevin jumped in. “Did Lane even say how we’re supposed to go about fighting these things? I mean, if they’re anything like our resident Supers, our bullets will barely touch them.”

“Luckily, in addition to the information and the new orders he gave us, the mayor was kind enough to give us some new toys,” Voight told them. “Everyone, follow me downstairs, and I’ll show you.”

“Yeah, the construction they suddenly did and got done in under a week? Wait until you see our new digs.” Antonio mentioned.

As the unit filed out behind their leaders, Jay hung back and waited until he and Kara were out of earshot. “Hey, where have you been? I called you like twelve times, and Winn told us you left last night and never came home.”

She nodded. “Yeah, you can thank the mayor for that.”

“Lane?” Jay asked, shocked. “What does he have to do with this?”

“Telling me everything Voight just told you.” Seeing the question behind his eyes, she shook her head. “No, he doesn’t know who I am, but he definitely knew how to get my attention. Kryptonite darts.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Yeah, me neither, until I got shot out of the sky by two in the skin.”

Jay stopped, grabbing her arm. “What? Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, now. But that shit hurts like hell and apparently keeps me down. So…good to know.”

When they joined the group, they watched as Voight used his palm on a new scanner on the wall of the Roundup where the cage was kept. After it registered, a panel in the wall slid open, and the group walked into a large room filled with everything hi-tech.

“Holy shit,” Ruzek said as his jaw dropped.

Spinning slowly to look at everything, Kim’s eyes went wide. “This is…incredible. And totally overwhelming.”

“According to Lane, if we’re going to be dealing with all things outer space, we need the space and tech to do so.” Voight barked out. “He also sent over a few trinkets of Supergirl’s that they collected over the years.”

Gesturing to a far wall, he led them over to the display of alien tech. As they turned to see it, both Halsteads stopped.

Hitting her arm slightly, Jay stared at everything. “Is that…?”

“My pod,” Kara whispered, her throat almost closing up.

Hearing the emotion in her voice, he looked down at his sister and sighed. “You came here in that?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t seen it since…”

Jay didn’t say anything but squeezed her shoulder. Then he turned to his team. “Are those new weapons?”

“Alien upgrade. It will be a trial and error at times to figure out what works on which alien, I guess, but at least we have something.” Antonio supplied before pointing at a box of glowing green bullets. “This, however, we know works on Kryptonians. Superman and Supergirl, for example.”

Feeling Jay’s eyes dart over to her, she nodded. “Looks dangerous.”

Antonio nodded. “To them, yeah. For us, it’s a game-changer.”

Kara watched silently as Voight and Antonio went over everything with their team. Not only had they been given new weapons and Supergirl items, but they were also gifted an entirely new and efficient computer database to search that identified any known alien elements and suspects.

Kara still couldn’t believe that any of this was happening. Her coming out with her powers was supposed to be a good thing, like when Clark came out, but all it proved to do was scare everyone, including herself. All she wanted to do was help, but it seemed that it would be hard to do knowing that her friends and family were hunting her down and didn’t want her there.

You aren’t wanted here.

The mayor’s voice rang out in her mind, and she paired the words with the vision of her brothers’ faces from the week previous. She’d missed the fear on their faces when they first arrived, but now it was all she could think about.

They were the only family she had left, and they were afraid of her. How could she focus on anything else when she knew that even if she gave up her powers forever, her brothers—the most important people in her life—would forever look at her with fear in their eyes.

As everyone filed out of the room, Kara gestured to a computer. “Do you mind if I…”

Voight nodded. “Knock yourself out. I’ll call down here if we need you upstairs.”

She wasted no time in sitting at the machine and exploring its contents.

Watching her carefully, Jay cleared his throat. “Sarge, I’ll meet you up there. I’m going to stick behind for a second.”

Voight must have nodded his consent because it was only a moment later that the panel was sliding closed behind their team, leaving the siblings alone.

“So…this is all crazy.”

Nodding at his words, she stood and walked slowly to her pod. Gently reaching out to run her fingers across it, her heart clenched. “You have no idea.”

“So what do you think about dinner tonight?” Jay asked suddenly, causing her to turn with a brow raised. “You, me, and Will. You could invite Winn if you want. I know he’s been helping you with everything this week.”

She blinked slowly at him. “If you’re trying to stage an intervention or something, it won’t work. At least Winn is excited for me. That’s more than I can say for you and Will.”

“Kara, that’s not fair.” He raised his voice. “You’re being reckless. Look at all of this shit! This is all to find and hurt you.”

“You think I don’t know that?” She yelled back. “But I am not just going to sit back and do nothing when I know now that I can help people. This is what I’ve always wanted, Jay! But by the time I was ready to tell you, Mom was gone, and Dad made me promise not to.”

“Well, now it’s Will and I asking you,” Jay told her. “Make that same promise to us that you did with Dad.”

Her heart dropped. “No. I won’t. You can tell Will that I say no to dinner and that I’ll talk to you guys again when you aren’t being stupid…or hurtful.” She started to walk away when she sighed. “You know, being my big brothers, I thought at least you would support me. Or at least be happy for me.”

Jay didn’t know what to say, so they stared at each other, silently fighting their own battles.

Chapter Text

The new bunker was silent as Kara and Jay stared at each other. She had been vulnerable with the last statement she’d made, and she wasn’t even sure it had gotten through to him. It was one thing if their team or mutual friends had been against her, but to be at odds with her favorite people on Earth killed her a little inside.

Their staredown was interrupted when a loud screech filled the room, and Kara ducked to cover her ears. When she looked up, she saw Jay was at her side instantly. Seeing that he wasn’t in pain, she looked at him, confused, until a voice filled her ears.

I’m communicating at 50,000 hertz. If you can hear this, you were not born on this Earth.

“Kara, are you okay?” His voice had a slightly panicked tone to it.

Using his arm to balance, she nodded and pushed herself over to the computer. “Uh, yeah. I need the system.”

Painful, isn’t it? Kara shook her ear out to try and alleviate the ringing. The humans of Chicago will suffer ten times this pain if you don’t face me. Meet me at the Chicago River Power Plant. How many innocent people are going to die until you prove you are not a coward, Daughter of Alura?

As the ringing stopped, Kara looked up at Jay. “He’s back.”

“Who?”

The panel slid open, and Hailey rushed in ahead of the team. “Trespasser at the Chicago River Power Plant. Witnesses say he didn’t look human.”

Jay looked back at Kara. “Alien?”

“I have a pretty good feeling.” She nodded and typed quickly into her new database. “Got it. Definitely alien, but no idea how to identify him yet.”

“Suit up,” Voight called out. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with here, so grab whatever you can handle and get out there. We need to contain this as quickly as possible.” He turned to Kara. “We’ll be back.”

“Be safe.” She told them and watched as they filed out.

She used her vision to watch through the walls as they drove away before running to the loading dock. Ripping open her shirt as she went, she wasted no time in shooting into the sky and flying in the direction of the power plant.

Landing so hard the concrete broke, Kara looked around for their current offender. When her vision was blocked, she focused on her other senses.

“Clever,” she called out to him. “picking a spot lined with lead. But I can still hear your heartbeat.”

It wasn’t until the last second that she felt his presence behind her and turned to find him landing nearly on top of her. He threw a punch immediately, and she was sent rolling across the ground, grunting at the effort.

“On my planet, females bow before males.” The alien she now knew as Vartox told her.

Standing, Kara balled her hands into fists. “This is not your planet.”

“You look like Alura.” He said, ignoring her previous statement.

“How do you know my mother’s name?” She demanded, her belly turning to ice.

Vartox glared at her. “You don’t easily forget the name of the woman who condemned you to prison.”

“Fort Rozz?”

“She was our judge and jailer.” He told her. “Can’t kill her…so killing you will have to do.”

With pain she didn’t know she still had inside her heart, she jumped forward and flew at the murderous alien. Knocking him through a concrete wall, she ran up and watched as he stood, amazed by the strength she had just shown.

As Vartox stood, Kara threw a punch that he easily deflected before throwing his own into her gut. Groaning at the pain, she wasn’t able to stop him from grabbing her around the neck. He blocked her airway as he looked at her before throwing her so far she crashed through the side of a building where she rolled along the floor. Sparks from the power lines fell on top of her.

She stood, staggering, but was knocked down again as Vartox jumped in from the hole her body had made in the building. “Just because you wear that symbol on your chest doesn’t mean you’re him. Fighting him would be an honor. Fighting you is just exercise.”

Though she knew she shouldn’t be offended by the evil being’s taunts, she was and threw another punch at him. He blocked her easily, and she started to wildly throw punches to see what would land.

Grabbing her arm, he threw her to the other side of the room. “You actually think you could stop me? That you’d be able to stop any of us?”

Picking her up with ease, he flung her away, so she went crashing through the side of the building again and landed on a pile of large metal coils that scattered as her hard body collided with them. Breathing heavily, she was starting to wonder if Vartox was right.

So far, she hadn’t been able to contain him, and she could barely land a punch. How was she supposed to help anyone if she couldn’t even stop one alien?

He landed next to her again and trapped her under his boot when he placed it directly over the symbol on her chest. Reaching out, she grabbed onto his axe as he swung it down, moving her head just in time. Angered by his ability to make her question herself, she used all of her strength to launch herself into a standing position, effectively throwing him off of her.

She watched as he grew angry and barely had time to move before he was throwing the axe at her again. This time it hit her, nicking her arm and causing massive pain to fill her body. Grabbing the wound, she missed as Vartox ran to her and tackled her to the ground.

Choking her again, he sneered in her face. “Now you know what it’s like to bleed. Soon, your whole city will bleed.”

He brought his other hand up to press against her neck and straddled her as he used enough force to end her life. Her vision was starting to go blurry when an explosion hit near them, and Vartox turned.

“Go again!” Voight yelled as the unit ran closer to them. “Take him down!”

Seeing that they had better weapons this time around, Vartox fled, running the power plant's length. As the team got close to her, she stayed on the ground.

“You guys follow that guy,” Jay told them. “I’ve got her.”

“You sure?” Hailey shouted, torn between helping his partner and going with her unit.

“Trust me.” He yelled to her. “She won’t hurt me.”

Nodding, Hailey hurried off and left Jay and Kara alone. He dropped his gun instantly and grabbed her body instead. “Hey, hey, I’m here. I got you. I got you.”

Running his hand up her arm to the wound as she nodded, he pulled out a small baggie and winced at her. “This might hurt.”

Without another warning, he ripped the chunk of metal left behind from Vartox’s axe out of her skin and placed it in the baggie to keep from contaminating the evidence.

Quickly helping her up, they turned at the sound of footsteps running toward them. Instantly, Kara raised her hands in the air as they held their guns on her.

“Halstead, you okay?” Antonio yelled.

Jay nodded. “Pulled a chunk of something out of her arm. We can run it through our new system when we get back.”

“Good.” Voight strolled over to her. “Looks like you’re coming with us…Supergirl.”

Chapter Text

Kara tried to keep her cool as she sat across from Voight and Antonio in the Interrogation Room. She had watched from the other side of the glass many times, and she didn’t need x-ray vision to know that her brother stood there now.

“So, Supergirl, you got a name?” Antonio asked her, leaning against the wall.

“My name is Kara Zor-El.”

“That’s interesting.” He told her. “We know a Kara, too. Not exactly a common name, unless you knew that already and want to throw us off.”

She shrugged and leaned back in her chair. “What can I say? Some people just like to be original.”

“I don’t know if you know this, but we have the means to hold you here.” Voight finally spoke up. “Will we be needing them?”

Eyeing him cautiously, she let the look in her eyes turn to steel. “You don’t hurt me; I don’t hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“So tell us what you know.” He implored.

“Where do you want me to start?” She wondered, risking a glance at the glass.

“Start with how you got here and how you went about saving Detective Halstead.”

Taking a deep breath, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m from a planet called Krypton, and yes, that is the same place Superman is from. He’s my cousin. I was thirteen and sent here to protect him because he was a newborn when we left our planet behind.”

“But he’s clearly older than you, and he’s been around longer,” Antonio questioned. “How is that possible?”

“We were sent in two different pods.” She told them, acting like she hadn’t seen that exact pod only hours before. “Mine got clipped as our home exploded, and I got knocked into this place called the Phantom Zone. Time doesn’t exist there, so I got stuck for twenty years; my cousin didn’t.

“When I finally got here, he was grown up and had already become a superhero. So I hid myself away and decided that the world didn’t need another…person…like us. I thought it was better that way. And it was…until that day I saw your detective on the news, trapped inside a building.”

“What about that specific situation made you come out?” The younger detective asked.

Looking at the glass, she didn’t care that they knew she was looking at Jay. “Seeing that situation reminded me a lot of what happened to my home. When I heard that your guy was trapped inside…I didn’t want his family to lose him like Kal and I lost ours. I didn’t really think about what I was doing, I just jumped, and suddenly there I was…holding up a building.

“After that, I knew I couldn’t go back to my normal life. It was like a lightbulb went off that was shining its light on my destiny. I figured if my cousin could do it, then so could I.” She paused. “Clearly, that isn’t the case here.”

“Tell us about the alien you fought today,” Voight suggested, and she nodded.

“His name is Vartox. I don’t exactly know what planet he’s from, but I do know that he was imprisoned in Fort Rozz with a whole lot of dangerous alien criminals.”

“Dangerous according to who?” Voight pressed.

She hesitated. “According to Vartox….my mother.”

“Your mother?” Antonio furrowed his brow. “How?”

“My mother was the equivalent of this Earth’s most powerful judge. She told me stories of the bad guys she put away. I didn’t know that it was in the Phantom Zone or how bad they really were.”

“So what does this alien want?” Voight leaned across the table to be closer to her. “What is his play? To get at you?”

She shook her head. “It might be an additional quest now that he knows I’m alive, but it’s not the end game. Fort Rozz crashed here when I did, apparently, and stayed mostly hidden until this year. I guess a bunch of inmates escaped.”

“So there’s a whole prison of dangerous aliens that are running free and want to kill you.”

“Right.” She nodded. “Vartox said something about not being able to stop ‘them.’ I don’t know who he was talking about, but it didn’t sound good. He said…”

“He said what?” Antonio pushed himself off the wall.

Kara sighed and looked down at her hands. “He said that this whole planet would bleed from whatever they are doing. He said that not even my cousin or I could stop them from whatever they are planning.”

“Well, that’s a pleasant thought,” Ruzek said on the other side of the glass. “Hey, where’d Kara go anyway?”

Jay shrugged. “Platt said she got a phone call from Winn and had to leave.”

They watched Voight, and Antonio asked a few more questions, and Jay felt anxious seeing his sister on that side of the glass. When they stood and left the room, the superhero following them, Jay walked out of the viewing booth and looked at them.

“So what are we going to do with her?” He asked, wondering what he’d have to tell Will and Winn after this.

Voight glanced at her before shrugging. “She hasn’t hurt anyone and told us what we needed to know. She’s free to go, as long as she knows that if she steps out of line, we’ll be all over her.”

Kara nodded at him and watched as everyone left the hallways. Everyone, that is, except Jay.

“Are you okay?” He asked her quietly, leaning against the wall. “How’s your arm?”

She brought a hand to where her skin knitted itself back together in front of his eyes; the only indication of an injury being the rip in her suit.

“I’ve never felt pain like that before.” She paused. “Uh, I’ve never felt pain.”

He asked his next question with sympathy. “Did you know about your mom?”

“Her job? Yes.” She took a steadying breath. “But what she did to them…no, Jay, I didn’t have any clue.”

“You know this is why we don’t want you going out there.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Showing yourself, showing this.”

“But we didn’t know anything about this until today.”

He nodded. “Listen, we didn’t understand your powers and seeing what you did…finding out that not only were you an alien but that we had confirmation of life on other planets…and now with these escapees…” He trailed off.

“These aliens would give anything to get revenge on your mother, and the only way that they can do that now is to hurt you. So knowing that it means that there are threats out there that we can’t save you from, and you have no idea how much that scares us.”

“Really?” She asked with a wry chuckle. “Why do you think I jumped in to catch that building you were trapped in? Besides, you know what I can do! I have all the same powers as he does, so why do you both keep treating me like I don’t? I mean, come on, Clark-”

“Isn’t my little sister!” He hissed, and they stared at each other as she deflated a little.

“I’m just trying to protect you, Kara.” He pled quietly. “We both are.”

Kara looked down, and when she lifted her head again, he saw that her eyes were red. “Well, you were right. The world doesn’t need me.”

“Kara…” He pushed himself off the wall, but she shook her head and turned, walking out of the hallway.

Jay watched her go, a million thoughts running through his head, and just as many feelings in his gut, making him feel sick. They’d screwed up, he realized, and now he needed to find Will and figure out how to fix it before they lost their sister forever.

Chapter Text

It was quiet and dark in Kara’s apartment as Kara sat alone on the couch. Thinking back on the week she’d had was proving to be more emotional than she thought, and she’d landed on embarrassed and stupid not too long before then.

She’d ditched her glasses the second she got home, knowing she wouldn’t need them in the safety of her apartment, and had gotten out of her suit as soon as she possibly could. Shoving it into the back of her closet hadn’t been what she had wanted—she wanted to throw it into a fire pit and watch it (and her short-lived dreams) burn—but she couldn’t bear to ruin something Winn had worked so hard before talking to him.

Maybe she’d let him keep it as a reminder of what he’d been able to accomplish. Or as proof that he actually knew Supergirl for the week she was around.

She was lost in thought, twirling her mother’s necklace in her fingers, when someone knocked on the door.

“Kara, it’s us.” Will’s voice spoke through the door. “Can we talk?”

Turning to face the door, she looked through it and saw both Will and Jay standing there. Will had his hands shoved in his pockets while Jay held a large bag in his hands. It looked like his gym bag, so she figured he’d picked up Will and had come directly from work.

“I know you can see us,” Jay said quietly, though Kara had no trouble hearing him.

Kara simply looked away, ignoring her brothers’ plea to come in. She hoped they would take the hint and go away, but it seemed as though Jay had other ideas.

“I know what you’re thinking.” He said calmly and sounded more vulnerable than she’d ever heard him. “That this is all your fault. But it’s not.”

Kara looked back at the door and pulled her legs up on the couch. Folding her arms over her bent knees, she laid her head on them as she listened to him speak.

Now it was Will’s turn to speak. “Before you came to live with us, we were the stars. And then you came along, and…I mean, how could we compete with you? With a young girl who was so vulnerable and had lost everything? God, Kara, you were so sad and scared all the time; it broke our hearts before we even started to become close.”

“So, you know, we were happy when you grew up and decided to go into a field that had no chance of being dangerous or risky like we did.” Jay continued. “Somehow, you know, you feeling like less…being kept out of sight…it made us feel like more.”

Kara bit her lip as she listened to him speak. She knew there had been some issues growing up, but once they bonded, she thought it had all gone away. It didn’t hurt to hear their revelations as much as it might have the week prior, but she still couldn’t get the look on their faces when they stormed into her apartment out of her mind.

“Now,” Jay said in a stronger voice. “the world needs you to fly, Kara.”

His sentence was barely finished when she yanked the door opened and stared at them. “I can’t, guys. I can’t do it.”

Her voice sounded defeated, but she didn't try to hide it as that was exactly how she was feeling.

“Yes, you can.” Jay’s eyes had hardened, and he was now looking at her the same way he had when she was sixteen and learning how to drive.

The way he looked when she’d freaked out being amongst the other cars and cried that she couldn’t drive and would never be able to. It was his look of faith, determination, and pure trust that she knew couldn’t be faked.

His eyes held the same ferocity, if not more, as he stood on her doorstep.

“Kara, you can.” He told her. “Your family believes in you.”

Nodding, she dropped her shoulders. “Yeah, I can see that you do, now.”

“That’s true,” He shook his head. “But I wasn’t talking about us.”

Kneeling to unzip his bag, he pulled out a small tower-looking device with a glowing crystal on top.

“Did you take that from the precinct?” Will questioned his brother, but both of his siblings ignored him.

Kara reached out and took it, holding it gently. “That’s Kryptonese writing.”

Jay nodded. “Yeah. It was with the stuff that the mayor brought over. It was recovered from your pod.”

Moving away from the door, the boys followed her inside as she set it on her coffee table. “How did you know what it was?”

“After you left the precinct, I thought about what you said.” He told her honestly. “I’ve been trying so hard for so long to keep you happy and safe that I missed the moment I became the reason you lost both. So I went looking for something to show you I was on board with whatever it is you want to do. Then I found this, and this popped up.”

When she finally got it set up, the boys flanked her sides, unsure how they should act. They had agreed that they would do this on her terms, and all they could do now was wait.

Touching a spot on the top of the device, Kara waited until a single, holographic image appeared in front of them.

“Who is that?” Will asked from her left.

Kara’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “Mom…”

“What?” Both boys looked at her in shock and found her staring longingly at the woman dressed in blue.

Then the woman started to speak.

“Kara, my brave daughter.

“By now, you have become the woman I knew you would grow up to be. And though you were sent to Earth to protect young Kal-El, your destiny is not tied to his.”

As the boys shifted next to her, she let her hands fall and gripped one of theirs in each hand. She felt them tighten their grips and was glad to have them here for this moment.

“There is no correct path in life. You will lose your way many times. What’s important is that you find your way back to the brave girl you always were.

“Be wise. Be strong. And always be true to yourself.”

Letting go of the safety of her brothers’ hands, she walked toward the image slowly, her breath ragged as she held back her emotions. Lifting her hand to touch the woman, the picture went out. Kara’s body sagged with a cry, causing the boys to move quickly.

She was wrapped in Will’s arms a moment later as sobs shook her body. “It’s okay. We got you.”

He spoke words of reassurances as Jay laid a hand on her shoulder to squeeze. A few minutes later, they felt her cries subside as her body stiffened, and she pulled away from Will. Setting a determined look in her eye, she turned to look at Jay.

“So, what do we do now?” She asked him, seeking guidance in his eyes.

This time, standing in the same spot he’d been in when he’d yelled at her about her powers, he smiled. “First things first. You need to change.”

Kara laughed and nodded. “Yeah…”

Smiling at them, she sped out of the room, causing Will’s eyes to go wide. “Whoa. I mean, I knew she could do it but seeing it in person…”

Jay hit him on the shoulder with what looked to Will like pride on his face. “Just wait until you see her in the suit.”

Sure enough, she walked out only a moment later and stood in front of them. She had her hands fisted on her hips, and her cape blew behind her in the breeze. Will stared at her in awe.

“My God, Kara…” He shook his head. “Let me guess, Winn?”

She nodded and shrugged. “Yep.”

“Matches your cousin’s suit, if I’m not mistaken.” He commented, and she nodded again.

“You’re off shift, right?” She asked him, and he told her he was. “Good, you can finish the cold pizza in the fridge.”

Then she turned to Jay. “Now, let’s go catch Vartox. I have a bone to pick with him.”

“I’m following you, Supergirl.” He smirked. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

Chapter Text

“We found Vartox.” Voight’s voice echoed off the walls of the unit. “Has anybody gotten ahold of Jay yet?”

Standing from her desk, Hailey nodded. “He texted me, saying he was on his way. He should be here any minute.”

“What did you find, Sarge?” Antonio asked him, walking up to see the picture taped to the whiteboard.

“The piece of metal that Halstead pulled out of Supergirl’s arm had a unique nuclear thumbprint that Kara’s computer was able to trace. Satellites picked him up, heading towards the city in an oil truck.” Voight relayed the information to his team.

“He did say he wanted to destroy humans,” Antonio remembered from their interrogation of Supergirl.

Voight nodded. “So we round up our gear and head out to stop him. I don’t want this thing getting anywhere near my city.”

“You won’t be able to stop him.”

Everyone turned to look at the top of the stairs, where they found Supergirl standing in front of them with her arm crossed. Jay was only slightly behind her.

“What is she doing here?” Voight asked his detective, his eyes shifting from the alien to Jay.

“She’s here to help.” He told them. “She’s right; there’s no way we can take him on alone. We only just started at this alien thing, and whatever this Vartox is, he is way more in control than we are right now.

“But Supergirl can match him better than we can. She’s our best play here, and you know it. It would be wrong to push her help away because we’re afraid of what she can do.”

“Where’s the change of heart coming from?” Kim asked him. “A few days ago, you couldn’t stand her.”

Looking back at her, he sighed. “It was pointed out to me that I would have no issues if Superman showed up right now. That’s something I am working through. But right now, we need Supergirl.”

“Well, hang on,” Ruzek told him. “What if we’re not all on this ‘trusting an alien’ bandwagon yet?”

“Then you’ll have to get over it.” Kara chimed in. “People of this city will die because of something I did. I started this. You have to let me stop it.”

“She saved my life.” Jay reminded them. “I trust her.”

He shifted his gaze to their sergeant and waited. Voight looked carefully at his detective, looking for any sign of doubt. When he only found fire and steel, he nodded. “Okay. We will monitor the fight from our bunker.”

She nodded, and everyone took that as a sign to file out quickly. Standing in the back, Voight looked at her. “Make sure you win.”

Kara nodded again, this time with a confidence that Jay admired. Then she was gone.

Out on the deserted freeway, Vartox’s truck sped along the road as he made his way towards the heart of the city. He was so focused on his mission that he missed the spot of blue and red flying behind him.

“Do you have eyes on the target?” Voight asked through her comms.

Using a traffic camera, the team zoomed in as they saw her land feet in front of the speeding vehicle. “I got him.”

They watched in a mixture of nerves and awe as she steeled herself for the impact and slammed her body into the front of the truck. It instantly blew up in flames, and Vartox was thrown through the windshield, his body rolling along the ground.

As Vartox stood, his axe stuck in the ground by his side, the truck exploded even more. Kara didn’t even flinch. Watching from the bunker, Hailey smirked. “Damn, that’s badass.”

Jay chuckled a little but kept his eyes on the screen. He knew that she could handle herself, but the big brother instinct inside of him still swelled with worry.

“You never should have come back for more.” The male alien’s voice came loudly out of their speakers.

Kara didn’t answer. Instead, she flew at him, her face set in determination. Vartox dodged her as she passed and grabbed her leg. Jay nearly flinched until she kicked him with her other foot, and the detective realized she’d done it on purpose.

She’d clearly learned from her earlier fight with him and was using it to her advantage. Good for her.

Kara landed again, and as he ran up to throw a punch, she flew up into the air, causing her bent knee to strike him in the face. He went rolling again, and Kara also landed, bringing her fist down into his face to halt his recovery. She threw another punch at him, but this time he was ready for her.

Catching her fist in his hand, he threw his other arm around and sent her flying backward through the air.

“Oh, no,” Kim whispered as she watched, voicing everyone’s fear.

“She’s not strong enough,” Ruzek said quickly, looking as if he was moving to grab a weapon.

“Why?” Antonio asked him. “Because she’s a girl?”

Jay smirked. “That’s exactly what we were counting on.” When everyone turned to look at him, he sighed. “Before I left earlier, I had Kara’s computer analyze the metal in the axe. It’s powered by a self-generating atomic charge reaching temperatures up to 2500 degrees.”

“How does that help?” Kevin wondered, turning to face his friend.

Beside him, Antonio shook his head in amazement. “If it gets any hotter than that, it’s going to explode.”

“She just has to get close enough to do her thing.” Jay agreed with him.

Back on the road, Kara flew down and kicked Vartox hard enough to send him flying into the wreckage of his truck. As he stood to recover, Kara ran at him and threw an uppercut that put him on the ground again. As they fought, Kara threw punches, and Vartox swung his axe until finally, Vartox got the upper hand.

Falling on the ground, Kara gasped in pain and tried to fly away. Vartox, expecting this move, caught her again and threw her back down to the ground. Then he punched her in the chest, causing her whole body to break clean through a slab of concrete.

Kara lolled her head around as Vartox panted in effort above her. “Stop, I…I give up. I don’t wanna die.”

Vartox only sneered at her. “Give your mother my regards.”

Then he swung his axe down on top of her. This time, however, Kara was ready for it.

“Supergirl, do it now,” Jay yelled into the comms, watching her every move.

Grabbing the handle in her own hands, she held the weapon so that the metal was directly over her face as she shot her heat vision at it. This caused it to start heating to an extreme temperature. She only hoped she had enough energy in her to get it to the temperature they needed.

As she fired her vision at the weapon, she could feel her enemy forcing against her strength as it lowered ever closer to her face. Forcing out more energy, Kara started to panic.

“It’s not working!” She cried into the comms. “I can’t do it.”

“It’s why you were sent here,” Jay told her quickly, hoping the confidence he had in her could be transferred through his words. “I believe that now. You have to believe it too.”

As if she had received renewed strength from her brother’s words, Kara focused all of her energy on this one fight. She noticed the axe growing hotter as it turned a fiery-orange color and used it to push the man and his weapon off her. Vartox started to scream as she increased her heat, and finally, just as she was going to push herself harder, the axe exploded, sending Vartox in one direction and the shattered pieces of his weapon in another.

Taking a minute to breathe and get her eyesight back, Kara stood from her spot and walked to the edge of the slab she’d broken. It gave her a significant height difference over her opponent, who laid on the ground watching her.

“It’s over.” She informed him.

On the ground, Vartox shook his injured head. “You think I’m the threat? You have no idea what’s coming.”

As soon as he stopped talking, he reached for a piece of the axe that was still intact and stabbed it through his heart. This startled Kara, but she knew she couldn’t do anything as she watched him take his last breath before the life was snuffed out of him.

“He’s dead.” She told the team over her comms.

“Not your fault,” Voight told her. “Now help contain the fire until 51 gets there. Then get back to the precinct. We have a lot to go over.”

“Yes, sir.” She smiled a little, then turned to put out the flames from the destruction she’d caused.

Chapter Text

“So Voight offered you a deal, huh?” Jay smirked as he sipped his beer.

After her long fight with Vartox and her first successful win as Supergirl, the boys had agreed to take her out for drinks at Molly’s, entirely on them. Even though she was tired and had to speed scrub the soot from her skin, she had missed the little moments with her brothers and had accepted almost immediately.

Kara nodded with a look of uncertainty and guilt on her face. “Yeah, he figured you were right tonight when you said the team needed alien help.”

From the seat next to her, Will shook his head. “And he still doesn’t know that Supergirl is his genius techie?”

“No! And would you be quiet about that?” She hissed at him. “The last thing I need is the entire city finding out my identity.”

“Well, then you’re going to have to be careful.” The siblings looked up as Winn, a beer in his hand, slid into the booth’s empty seat beside Jay. “You’re sort of a terrible liar.”

Glaring at him, Kara continued her point. “Anyway, like I was saying, there’s a reason why Clark keeps his identity a secret. Not only would it keep him from having a normal life, but it also put his whole human family in danger.”

“Wait…Clark? Like, as in, Clark Kent?” Winn asked her, and she sent him a look. “Clark Kent is Superman?”

Jay patted him on the shoulder with a sigh. “Why don’t we try keeping the freakouts to a minimum while in public, huh?”

Nodding, Winn visibly swallowed. “Yeah, cool, I can do that.”

The Halsteads chuckled at their friend as Herrmann hurried over to the table, a tray of blue and red shots in his hands. Smiling into her beer, Kara raised her brow. “Hey, Herrmann, what you got there?”

“I call these the Supergirl shot.” He told them excitedly. “In honor of Chicago’s own superhero.”

“Well, in that case, we’ll each take two,” Jay told him, winking at his sister.

“Yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about!” Herrmann shouted. “Just be careful, too many, and we’ll be taking your keys for the night.”

As he wandered off, Will shook his head. “He looked right at you and didn’t notice anything.”

“He was standing only like three feet away from me at the building collapse, too,” Kara told him. “Perfect, close-up look at my face and everything.”

“I cannot believe that by just putting on some glasses and pulling your hair back, no one can tell the difference.” He said in disbelief. “It’s insane.”

“Hey, man, it’s worked for Clark for about three decades. He hasn’t been caught yet, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Kara said, unbothered by it.

Deciding to move on from that subject, Winn lifted his blue shot glass. “To your amazing journey as Supergirl.”

“And the stories that are yet to come,” Will added, causing Winn’s eyes to go wide.

“Wait, you’re going to keep being Supergirl?” He asked excitedly. “So does this mean the Super Friends are back?”

“We are not calling ourselves that.” Kara laughed and raised her own glass of red liquid. “I know it’s called the Supergirl, but I want to make the toast to you guys. Without you, all three of you, I never would have embraced the real me. The me that my mother believed I could become when she saved my life and sent me here. So thank you…even with the arguments, I don’t think I could have made it through this journey so far without your support.”

Then she turned to Jay. “Thank you for what you said tonight. The way you stood up to the team…you didn’t have to, but it meant the world. I know finding out your sister is an alien isn’t exactly news you get every day, but…you were there when I needed you to be, and that’s what matters. When I gave up on myself and I don’t think anything else could have stopped that alien today, you believed in me. I know I couldn’t have if we’d still been fighting, so…thanks.”

She lifted her shot and threw it back with ease before watching the three men do the same. They did both in rapid succession and set the glasses down with a cough.

“Holy shit, that’s strong.” Winn coughed out.

“How did you do that so easily?” Will asked her. “We’re all going to be shitfaced by the time we leave here.”

“She’s always been able to handle her booze.” Jay reminded them, but when he saw her fiddling with her glasses, his eyes narrowed. “What?”

Smiling a little, she winced. “Guys…I’m an alien. My metabolism is like…way higher than that of the average human.”

“I was wondering why you never gained weight but ate more portion sizes than the rest of us at every meal!” Will shook his head.

“Wait a minute.” Winn stopped them, his voice already starting to slur. “You can’t get drunk!”

When all eyes turned to her, she just shrugged. “Yeah…it’s a curse sometimes. Like right at this moment.”

Looking up, the group saw Platt walking over to their table. “Hey there, guys. Do you mind if I steal my girl away for a few minutes?”

Will moved so that Kara could slide out of the booth just as Stella brought over their food. Turning to them, she glared. “Touch my curly fries, and I’ll kill you all.”

Then she turned to walk away, ignoring the way all three men reached forward and stole some friends from her plate. Rolling her eyes, she followed Platt to a secluded table and sat across from her.

“So,” Platt said as soon as they were sitting. “are you okay? You’ve had a pretty rough week.”

Kara winced. “I’m sorry about all that. I know that you and Jay vouched for me with Voight. But Winn is all good now, so hopefully, it won’t happen again.”

The older woman shook her head. “That isn’t what I meant.”

Panic filled the blonde’s stomach as she fought to keep her cover. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You have a bit of soot on your cheek.”

“Shit.” Quickly grabbing a napkin, Kara rubbed at her cheek until she caught sight of the look on Platt’s face. “Ugh…dammit. How long have you known?”

The sergeant shrugged. “Since you saved Jay from the building collapse.”

“The entire time?” She asked in shock. “How?”

“Honey, I’ve known you a really long time. You know Randy and I consider you like a daughter. It wasn’t that hard to figure out. I mean, let’s be honest, you show yourself for the first time when Jay is in imminent danger. You know when people are coming even before their footsteps can be heard, and you know things about cases that the team hasn’t even spoken about yet.”

“You didn’t say anything,” Kara observed the woman’s face.

“It wasn’t for me to say,” Platt told her. “I knew you would come to me when you felt that the time was right. It was just nice knowing that you were out there, helping the people we couldn’t.”

“Thank you,” Kara said, emotion filling her voice. “I know you don’t want to keep secrets from Mouch, but…”

“I won’t tell him.” The woman promised. “Like I said, it isn’t for me to say. I think you should tell him because you know he’ll support you no matter what, but that is for you to decide.”

Nodding, Kara sighed. “You know Voight has me working with the team now.”

“Yeah, I know, Kara. We just established that I helped you get the job.”

Kara shook her head. “No, I mean he has…me…working with the team now.”

Platt looked at her for a minute before laughing. “Oh, you are so screwed.”

“Yes, thank you, I’m aware of that.” Kara smiled.

As she took a sip of her drink, Platt waved her off. “Alright, go on back to your group of idiots. I just wanted you to know, no matter what, I’ve got your back.”

“Thanks, Trudy.” Kara smiled. “I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Bright and early.” She smiled. “If you get there early, we can yell our good morning greetings to the rest of the unit and disturb their hangovers.”

“Oh, you’ve got a deal.” Kara laughed openly and went back to her table.

“Everything okay, over there?” Jay asked quietly as she resumed her spot next to Will.

Kara nodded. “Yep. She knows, by the way. But it’s cool…she’s got my back. Just like all of you.”

Chapter Text

Kara shook her head in amusement, reading the drunk texts from Winn and her brothers as she walked up to the door of her apartment. They had been so drunk when they left the bar she had to promise Voight she’d get them all home safely.

She winced as she read one from Natalie. Your brother just puked blue vomit all over our bathroom. What the hell were you guys drinking tonight? And how are you not hammered along with him?

Feeling bad for the woman, she typed out a quick reply. Sorry, that would be Herrmann’s fault. Free blue and red shots in honor of Supergirl. Jay and Winn were the same way when I dropped them off.

She sent the message off quickly, hoping her soon to be sister-in-law wasn’t too mad at the state she’d dropped him off in. She would have offered her couch up to them, but they wouldn’t all fit, and after the long day she’d had, she needed a few hours of peace and quiet to settle the adrenaline that was still coursing through her veins.

She was so lost in thought she nearly tripped on the box that sat on the floor on her doormat.

Looking around, she didn’t see anyone else in the hallway, but that wasn’t unusual for that time of night. Shrugging, she lifted the parcel and saw that it had a mailing slip on it, showing that it had made the journey to Chicago from Metropolis.

“Oh, Clark…” She smiled and opened the front door, carrying the box inside.

Setting it on the island, she tore it open and found herself biting her lip. Inside the box was a red blanket made out of Kryptonian fabric. It was a blanket she’d recognize anywhere, as it was the one her aunt and uncle had wrapped him in for his journey to Earth. Lifting it out to hold closely, she found a letter underneath it.

Hey Kara,

There isn’t much I can say here that we both don’t already know, but I wanted you to know that I was thinking of you. I have been following the crazy stories coming out of Chicago this past week and wanted you to have something to let you know that no matter what you come up against, you can do anything.

I have been waiting for this moment since the day you arrived on this Earth, but I knew you had to choose it for yourself. I’m glad you finally did. I may not have gotten the chance to know them, but I do know that our parents would be proud of you. And though I have also never met your brothers, I hope they are proud of you, too. I know I am.

Enclosed is a gift from me to you. I might technically be younger than you, but I figured we could count this as a hand me down as I'm older than you here. I know that with you, it will be in good hands.

And who knows? Maybe one of these days we’ll get to show the world how we work side by side. I’d be honored to fight alongside my family. All you have to do is say the word, and I’ll be there…provided Mr. White will let me take some vacation time, and Lois agrees to it.

Be safe out there, and give them hell. I believe in you.

Clark

P.S.—Good news: this cape won’t shred.

P.S. #2—Lois says hi. She told me if I didn’t add her in here, she’d write a piece about males ignoring their girlfriends in the workplace, so…

Though she had tears on her cheeks, Kara smiled as she read her cousin’s handwriting. She hadn’t seen him in a long time, and she missed him like a lost limb. But knowing he was proud of her, proud of what she’d chosen to become, made that hurt a lot less hard to handle.

Holding the blanket in front of her, she pictured it on her suit, flying behind her in the wind. It had been the first cape he’d used when he started out, she knew, and it felt like a passing of the torch to be holding it in her hands, waiting for it to be added to her suit.

Walking over to her coffee table, she picked up her laptop, opened up a blank email, and began to type out a message.

Dear Clark,

I just got home and saw your package. You didn’t have to do that…but I’m glad you did.

This week has been…crazy, to say the least, but today was the day it finally turned around. I think I have finally found what I was meant to do, and I have to thank you for letting me find it on my own. I don’t think I would have been ready for any of this if it hadn’t been for Jay’s near-death experience.

Speaking of Jay, I wanted to make sure you knew something. I know you chose a long time ago not to work with the government, but I have decided to help Jay’s unit, the Intelligence Unit of our police department, as they search for any other alien activity in the city. I hope you will keep your pride in me as I work alongside them. I promise you…they are good people.

Funny enough, I also work for them as my day job, so I’m sure the next time we talk, I will have many funny stories for you about the overlap there as I haven’t told anyone but Winn and my brothers about my secret. Well…and Trudy, but she figured it out on her own, so I don’t count that.

I guess what I just wanted to say was…thank you. I have a big reputation to live up to, but I think with a little time, I can show the world that I am just as good as you.

Let’s talk again soon, okay? I miss you.

Kara

P.S.—How the hell do you vanish from work whenever someone needs help without losing your job? I still haven’t been able to come up with any good excuses. Help a girl out?

Hitting the send button, Kara set the computer back on the table and carried the blanket/cape to her bedroom. Placing it on the bed, she went about completing her nightly routine before climbing on top of her covers.

Staring at the red fabric, she bit her lip. She knew it was supposed to be used as her new cape, but she desperately wanted to curl up with it and hold a small piece of home in her arms for one night. Knowing Winn was way too drunk to do anything with it that night, her emotions won over as she grabbed it and draped it over her body.

It could become a cape tomorrow, she decided. Tonight, however, she would snuggle under the warmth of her home planet and drift off into a dreamless sleep, excited about what the next day would bring for her new super-powered journey.

Chapter Text

Kara sighed as she let the warm coffee from her mug work through her system. Considering it was precinct coffee, it wasn’t the best, but after the late night she’d had, she needed the caffeine in her blood. She knew very well that the substance wouldn’t do anything against her alien DNA, except for providing some of the calories she needed, but she figured it was the thought that counted.

“Late night?”

Looking up to see Jay standing in the doorway of the break room, she sighed. “Yes.”

Chuckling, he nudged her out of the way to grab his own coffee. “I saw on the news that Supergirl saved a group of teenagers from a crazy bird-looking man.”

The blonde shrugged. “I heard them screaming and went to check it out. It was definitely one of the Fort Rozz escapees, so at least that’s one more put away.”

“And how does Voight feel about it?” Her brother asked, leaning his back against the counter as he sipped his drink.

“Wishes he would have called me in first, but ultimately glad that this is off the streets.” She shrugged. “I can’t just sit around and wait for him to tell me to jump, Jay. I was sent here to help people! I want to help people.”

“I know you do, Kara.” He told her, the faintest hint of sympathy and understanding in his voice. “But you also have to be careful. We hunt aliens now, which by the way is the weirdest thing I’ve ever said, which means that if someone thinks you stepped out of line or have become a threat, we’re coming after you.”

“Jay…”

Walking forward, he shook his head. “You know I support you. But please be careful because I don’t want to have to fight you, or worse, lose you.”

Nodding, Kara gave him a half-smile as they walked into the bullpen. “I know. It’s how I feel every time you walk out those doors on a case.”

“Yeah, well, at least I have multiple weapons to protect me if things turn bad.” He told her, quirking a brow.

She leveled him with an amused glare. “Jay. My brother. My loveable idiot. Did you forget that I am a weapon?”

“Yeah, yeah, shut up.” He teased. “You’re about as scary as a puppy who just tripped over a small curb.”

Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me? I could literally melt your shoes onto the ground right now and walk away while you struggle to move.”

“Who is struggling to move?” Kevin, his store-bought coffee in hand, got to the top of the stairs and looked at them.

“Me, apparently, when Kara kicks my ass,” Jay responded readily, hiding their secret with the ease of an undercover officer.

“Little Halstead kicking your ass?” Kevin chuckled. “Yeah, right. She’s harmless.

“First of all,” Kara sat in her desk chair and crossed one leg over the other. “everyone needs to stop calling me ‘Little Halstead.’”

“Never gonna happen,” Kevin muttered, fist-bumping a laughing Jay.

“Second, I could kick all of your asses and not even break a sweat.” She challenged with a smug grin.

“One day, I might actually take you up on that offer.” He joked, getting his desk together for the day.

“Now that I would pay to see,” Jay smirked, sending a glance to his sister.

“Good, I could use the money.” Kara raised a brow at him as the rest of the team slowly filtered in.

It wasn’t long before Voight stormed out of his office, his jacket in hand. “We’ve got a case. There was a break-in at Plastino Chemicals. There were two guards on duty; one was killed, and the other is at Med in critical condition.

“Jay and Hailey, I want you guys at Med checking on our vic. If he’s even somewhat conscious, I want any details he can give us. Everyone else is with me at the plant. Kara, look into the plant and tell me what sort of chemicals they keep there, if they have beef with anyone, anything that might cause someone to rob the place.”

She nodded and sat down to start typing. “Do you want me to call Supergirl?”

He shook his head. “This isn’t an alien matter. She can sit this one out.”

Kara watched as the team left, and Jay shrugged at her before following his partner down the stairs. Sighing at her boss’ outlook of her superhero alter ego, she forced herself to start the research they needed. She did need to pay the bills, after all.

“You and Kara seem to be back on good terms,” Hailey stated as she and Jay walked to the ICU to check on their victim.

He nodded. “Yeah, we worked everything out. She’s still as stubborn as the day she moved in, but I don’t expect that to change any time soon.”

The blonde detective smirked. “She’s not the only stubborn one in the family.”

“Hey.” Jay shook his head. “I thought you liked that about me.”

Hailey chuckled. “I never said that. You stubborn Halsteads always seem to get in trouble one way or the other.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that Supergirl isn’t doing herself any favors by pissing off Voight.” Hailey shrugged as they arrived at the nurse's stand.

Jay asked for Connor, hoping the guy was out of surgery and turned on his partner. “Hey, I can’t control what she does. She has a mind of her own.”

“Like I said, stubborn.”

Hailey just smiled, and Jay felt as if the floor had suddenly fallen out from below him. “Shit. She’s going to kill me. How did you find out?”

“I’m good at my job, Jay.” She told him quickly. “She’s not exactly the best at excuses. Besides, it was mostly how you changed your tune so fast when it came to her last week. The way you stood up for her and spoke to her…I’ve never seen you that way with anyone but Will or Kara.”

“You can’t tell anyone.” He said quickly. “If anyone found out that couldn’t be trusted…”

“You know I won’t, Jay,” Hailey said seriously. “But honestly, how does no one else see it through the glasses?”

“That’s what I’m saying!” He joked. “But I guess it’s worked for her cousin for the last few decades; it is bound to work for her.”

“Hey, guys.”

The duo turned and faced Connor, who looked exhausted.

“Hey, man,” Jay told him. “Sorry to bother you. What’s the deal with our chemical plant victim?”

Connor sighed. “Sorry, guys. He died on the table.”

“Shit.” Hailey groaned. “Any chance you found anything useful for us?”

“Actually, yes,” Connor said and handed them a baggy containing what looked to them like a stinger. “I hope you guys know what that is because I haven’t seen anything like it in my entire career.”

Jay sighed. “We don’t, but I think we know someone who does.” He shook his head. “Thanks, man.”

“Good luck.” The surgeon told them as they parted ways.

Lifting his phone, Jay followed Hailey out of the building. “Hey, I’ve got a picture for you. And forget what Voight said earlier. We’re going to need Supergirl on this one.”

Antonio and Kim stared at the foreign object that a crime scene tech had just pulled out of the dead guard’s body. “What the hell is that?”

“I don’t know, but it matches the picture Jay sent of what Connor pulled out of the other guy,” Kim told him. “It’s not human. What I don’t get is what would an alien want with a chemical facility?”

“This whole facility specializes in chemical manufacturing,” Antonio told her as they walked away from the scene. “Sodium hypochlorite, ammonium nitrate.”

“Ingredients for a chemical bomb?” She asked quickly.

Her partner nodded. “Yeah. We need to find this alien, fast.”

“Before anyone else gets hurt.” Kim shuddered then felt her phone vibrate. “It’s Kara. She has an update on the stinger and the type of alien we might be dealing with.”

“We better get back, then.”

Chapter Text

The second Voight’s shoe stepped into the bullpen, Kara was jumping up from her desk.

“You’re looking for a Hellgramite.”

He eyed her warily. “That was fast.”

“It’s why you hired me, isn’t it?” She hurried next to him and walked beside him down to the bunker. “I spoke with Supergirl. That stinger Connor pulled out of the guard? She says she’s seen it before on Krypton.”

“She has?”

Kara hesitated. “Her mother sent one of their kind to Fort Rozz.”

As they walked in, they found Antonio waiting for them at the computers. “According to the data that was salvaged from the wreckage of Fort Rozz, there was a Hellgrammite prisoner.”

Voight nodded, pondering this information. “What do we know about his species?”

“Not much,” Kim said from a desk as Kara pulled up the images and data they had stored.

“According to Supergirl, it’s basically a large insect, but he can camouflage himself into any shape he wants. Humanoid included.”

“So we have a giant insect trying to steal bomb-grade chemical compounds.” Voight shook his head. “This job never ceases to surprise.”

“You guys take him down, and Supergirl can take him out just like with Vartox,” Kara suggested.

Voight grunted. “Call me if she contacts any of you.”

Then he walked out, leaving his three employees behind.

Kara bit her lip and turned to her friends. “Why does it feel like he doesn’t like Supergirl?”

“She’s an unknown quantity.” Antonio shrugged. “I mean, come on, you know Voight. He likes to know all the elements in the problem, but he isn’t sure what to do about her. We just have to give it time.”

Kara thought about this as the other two left the bunker behind their boss, leaving her in silence.

At an abandoned warehouse on the other side of town, the Hellgrammite mopped up his wounds. The building was dark and quiet, but it proved to be a good hiding spot for him as he planned his next attack.

His thoughts were sidetracked, however, when a man landed next to him. Jumping up, he tried to scramble away, but someone else landed in his path. Running from both men, the alien was stopped by a beam of heat vision hitting the floor in front of him.

“I don’t want any trouble.” He croaked out, hoping they would leave him alone.

“Then you should have stayed hidden,” The one man told him, circling the spot he sat in. “under your rock with the rest of the insects.”

“I have to eat.”

“General Astra promised she would take care of all your needs on this world. Her only request was your loyalty.”

“Tell her I prefer to go it alone.”

The man hit his shoulder. “Tell her yourself.”

Fear filled the Hellgrammite’s eyes as he looked up and saw the woman floating down from the sky. “I don’t want any part of whatever you’re planning.”

“Like I told you all when we first crashed here and escaped Fort Rozz, we are stronger together.” She told him. “There’s a Kryptonian working with the humans. My niece, in fact. She calls herself Supergirl. You will make excellent bait to help me capture her.”

The Hellgrammite took a deep breath. “I’ve seen what happens to people when they take on someone wearing that ‘S.’”

Now Astra was angry. “This is not an invitation; it’s a command.”

Then she left without giving him the chance to deny her again.

The group was sitting around the bullpen, going over the evidence of their case, when Kara’s computer started beeping rapidly. Jumping up from his desk, Jay hurried over to check it since she was out grabbing dinner for all of them.

“Do we have news on the Hellgrammite?” Kim asked, watching as he read the information.

“Yeah.” Antonio interrupted as he ran up the stairs. “It looks like there are six confirmed attacks on chemical plants across the country over the past year. He’s been making his way here with enough chemical components to build a weapon of mass destruction.”

“Hang on…I’m not sure that’s true,” Jay said, his face a mixture of confusion and worry. “According to the scan Kara ran on his blood, his alien DNA doesn’t seem to be carbon-based like humans. It has a chlorine foundation.”

Looking through her files quickly, Hailey grabbed a piece of paper and showed it to Voight. “Each of those facilities stored confiscated DDT, which is a chlorine pesticide.”

“So if he’s not building weapons, what does he need DDT for?” Voight asked her.

“He’s eating it.” Everyone turned to stare at Adam with a shocked look on their faces. “What? It doesn’t take an idiot to make that conclusion.”

“He’s right,” Jay told them after typing some things into his sister’s computer. “According to the database, based on the atmosphere of the Hellgrammite’s planet, DDT would be the closest thing on Earth he could find to food.”

“Wasn’t DDT banned a while back?” Kevin asked, confused.

“Yes.” A light of understanding dawned on Hailey’s face. “The government’s been destroying the remaining stockpiles. His food source is shrinking.”

“Well, if this thing is hungry, let’s buy him some dinner,” Voight told them, setting the paper on the nearest desk.

“I’ll call Supergirl.” Jay offered but stopped when his sergeant grunted. “What?”

“We can handle this.” He told everyone.

“All due respect, Sarge, but she’s way more equipped for this. Especially since she’s seen one of them before.” Kevin said carefully.

“The mayor came to our unit, not to Supergirl,” Voight thundered. “Besides, she’s hiding something from us, and if we can’t trust her, we can’t really know if she’s on our side or not. Now, if anyone has a problem with that, you are welcome to stay behind. Everyone else suit up.”

As the team filed out, Jay shared a worried look with Hailey.

“Voight, no sign of the hostile on our end.”

Jay and Hailey sat in their car as they followed behind a truck carrying a few tons of DDT. It was a trap they had set for the Hellgrammite, but so far, there had been no sign of it anywhere.

“Copy. Stay alert. Let’s hope this moveable feast is too hard to resist.”

Sighing as they were given their orders, Jay shook his head. “This is ridiculous. Given the Hellgrammite’s superior sense of smell, he should have sensed the DDT in the atmosphere by now.”

“Okay, then where the hell is he?” Hailey wondered as she gripped the steering wheel.

Just as she spoke, the alien jumped from the side of the bridge they were on and landed on the truck bed. Then he looked up and saw the team.

“Voight, the target is on the truck,” Jay yelled into his comm.

Both detectives leaned out their windows to shoot at it just as it shot stingers at their car. The duo dodged most of them and heard them hit the material of the car’s rear seats. It wasn’t until the being jumped on top of their vehicle and shot through the roof that one landed in Jay’s leg.

He screamed out as pain filled his body and looked up to see the Hellgrammite tear a hole in their roof. Reaching in, it grabbed Jay and pulled him out of the vehicle, and before she knew it, they had disappeared from Hailey’s view.

“Jay!” She screamed as she pulled the car to a stop, jumping out and looking around.

She waited as everyone else skidded to a halt beside her and saw Voight throw himself out of his SUV. “Halstead?”

She shook her head. “It took him.”

“Dammit!” Looking around at the team, he shook his head. “Get back to the bunker. We need to find him. Now.”

Chapter Text

“Voight!”

Everyone in the unit froze at the voice and looked up to see Kara storming into the precinct, their food forgotten. Her eyes, darker and angrier than they had ever seen them, were focused solely on Voight.

“She should have been there.”

“Kara…”

“If she were there…” She cut herself off. “If you trusted her instead of pushing her away, she could have stopped this.”

“Or maybe she’d be captured and dead, too.” He argued with her.

“I know to you, he might just be one of your detectives, but to me, he’s my family. Does that mean anything to you?” Her voice echoed off the walls, and though she sensed Platt standing behind her quietly, she didn’t turn. “Can you even begin to understand that I have lost almost every other family member I have ever had? All I have left are Will and Jay. Now, because of your inability to trust people, I might not even have him.”

“We have every satellite and tactical drone up in the air, and every cop with boots on the ground searching this whole city for him,” Voight told her, ignoring her attack because he knew she was scared and hurting.

She nodded. “And now you have Supergirl, too.”

“Kara…”

“She’s going!” The blonde screamed back at him as Platt set a hand on her shoulder. “She already knows about it, and she’s going. It was your selfishness that kept her out of it before, and all that did was get my brother kidnapped by a crazy rogue alien. You hired her to help this unit deal with these aliens, yet you’ve decided not to use her. Explain to me how that makes sense.”

She paused for a second and looked around at the team, none of whom answered her.

“Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I sure as hell want my brother back, so she’s going.”

Turning to leave, Voight stopped her. “Where are you going?”

“To find my brother and tell him what happened.” She told him, sharing a look with Platt.

“I’ll go with you,” Hailey spoke up. “If they have your brother, they might want you, too.”

Not arguing with her logic, Kara stormed out. When the women got to the garage, Kara turned to her friend. “Listen, Hailey, I know you mean well but-”

Hailey stopped her. “Hey, I’m just here to help you establish an alibi. I know you need to go. I’ll go talk to Will and fill him in. Call me if you find him.”

Staring at the other blonde for only a moment, Kara sighed. “He told you?”

She shook her head. “No, I figured it out. I tricked him into admitting it, but that’s not his fault. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thank you.” Tearing her clothes off, she nodded at Hailey. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Go get him, Supergirl.”

Groaning in pain, Jay’s body was limp as he was dragged across a dirty warehouse floor. As the Hellgrammite dropped him, he grunted, listening for anything that could help him get away. Then a voice filled his ears.

“Where is the Kryptonian?”

It took his injured brain a second to recognize the voice, but when it did, he felt his heart plummet into his stomach. He’d only heard the voice once when it was coming from the Kryptonian device he’d brought Kara a week earlier.

“She didn’t show.” The Hellgrammite told her. “But this is one of the human agents. I’m hoping it’s enough to keep you off my back.”

As their intended target walked away, Jay painfully flipped himself over and stared at the woman in front of him.

She knelt and smiled at him. “I’ve been waiting quite some time to get one of you alive.”

His heart beat wildly as he stared at her, hoping Kara wouldn’t be too crushed by the revelation. He knew he was lying to himself in that hope.

…

Flying over the city, Kara forced herself to slow down and focus on everything she was hearing. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and filtered through the noises that were assaulting her from every direction.

She could hear dogs barking, people speaking, bells ringing, cars honking, and sirens flying through the streets, but Kara only needed to hear one voice.

There were many times where she would have loved for Jay to stop talking or stop bothering her. Now, all she wanted was to hear his voice again, not only as proof that he was still alive but to help her find his location.

She knew it was a longshot, but she told herself she had to try.

Jay swallowed the anxiety in his throat as he pulled himself to a sitting position in front of the elder Kryptonian. He knew now what their race was capable of on this planet, and though he wanted to believe his sister’s birth mother was on their side, it was becoming clear that she was not.

He sincerely hoped Kara never had to find out.

“You’re bleeding.” The woman told him, standing above him as if to assert her dominance. “Human beings are so fragile. It’s amazing any of you make it out of infancy.”

She walked a few steps past him, causing her back to act as a barrier. Typically, Jay would question her tactical skills, but they both knew he was too injured to take her on at that moment.

Grunting as he turned, Jay stared at her. “Alura…”

This stopped her, causing her whole body to tense. “How do you know that name?”

“I saw a hologram of you.” He informed her. “A message from Krypton. It was on the ship that brought your daughter to Earth.”

Now the woman sighed, confusing him. There was something different about the Alura that stood in front of him from the version he’d seen only a week prior. He wondered if it was the result of Krypton’s destruction or losing her daughter for most of her life.

Either way, he had a feeling Kara would be upset at the sight of her.

“Twins were rare on Krypton. When we were children, Alura and I took great pleasure in confusing our parents.”

As realization dawned on him, Jay shook his head, now understanding why he saw those differences. “You’re Alura’s sister.”

“I am General Astra.” She corrected him, her sudden military voice and posture familiar to him. “And what is your name?”

He knew not to give his name to a hostile, so he just watched as she circled him again. He briefly wondered what his team would tell their friends, especially Will.

This time, she chuckled. “You are very brave. Braver than most of your race.”

“There is no reason to kill me or anyone in Chicago.” He said desperately.

“Is that what you think? That my goal is to simply kill humans?” Astra asked him, crouching to be on his level. “You are so very wrong. I am here to save you all.”

Glaring at the alien, Jay prayed his attempt at a rescue would work. “Supergirl will find me.”

Across town, Kara was still flying over the city, filtering out the useless noise. She knew she was still new to using her powers, but her mind and heart screamed at her that if she couldn’t get them to work when her brother’s life was on the line, she didn’t deserve them at all.

She was just getting frustrated when something different hit her ears.

“Supergirl will find me.”

Her eyes snapped open, and she pinpointed the direction it came from. “Jay.”

Shooting forward, she made sure her comm was working. “Hailey, call Voight. I found him.”

“Where?” The woman’s worried voice filled her ears.

“A warehouse at the corner of 78^th and Washington. I’m going to get him back.”

“Supergirl, wait,” Hailey said, careful of using her name in case anyone else was listening. “Voight will want you to wait for backup.”

“I don’t care,” Kara told her honestly. “He had his chance. Now I’m taking mine.”

“Okay. We’ll meet you there.” The detective replied. “Be careful.”

This time, Kara didn’t reply as she sped to her brother’s location. She hoped he lived through this, or his captors wouldn’t be the only ones with hell to pay.

Chapter Text

Landing just outside the warehouse, Kara took in her surroundings. It was dark now, as the sun had set during her search, and though she had x-ray vision, the lead in the area kept her from seeing what was hiding there.

Moving forward with caution, she approached the building entrance and tried to look around for anything that could give her a sign of either her brother or her current foe.

It barely took a second to find a familiar face.

Rushing forward, Kara sighed. “Jay.”

“No!” He waved her off. “Get out of here; it’s a trap.”

She froze instantly, trusting him as she always had. Turning to look around, she was punched in the face so hard she was thrown backward into a pile of cement and concrete. It took her a second to recover from the shock of the attack, but when she turned to face her opponent, her stomach clenched painfully.

With her hair blowing around in the breeze, the General stood in a battle stance, looking at her. “It’s been a long time, little one.”

Jay watched as Kara panted and stared at her, shell shocked. Having clearly expected the shock, Astra continued to speak.

“Look how you’ve grown.” She told her niece. “So beautiful.”

Now Kara stood. “But you…you died. When Krypton exploded…everyone died.”

She shook her head in disbelief, and the look on her face hurt Jay more than any injury he’d ever gotten in his entire life.

“You died.” Her breathing started to pick up. “Aunt Astra.”

Astra took no time in easing her niece’s pain. “Except I wasn’t on Krypton when it perished. I was a prisoner aboard Fort Rozz.”

Jay took a second to realize what her statement meant. According to their intel, if she had been a prisoner on Fort Rozz, it was because she’d been banished there by her own sister. He couldn’t imagine doing that to either Kara or Will, no matter how bad a crime they may have committed. To subject your own sibling to something so terrible, a person had to be either corrupt, void of emotion, or hiding something.

Then he remembered the woman in question was his sister’s mother and thought of what that meant for her.

Hearing that her mother had sent her aunt to a maximum-security prison that also happened to be located in a place where they would be trapped for eternity wouldn’t be easy to handle. He knew his sister well, better than anyone, and he knew this would crush her. He only hoped they would be able to help her back up when the time came for them to do so.

“Did your mother not tell you?” Astra continued. “How she sent me away? Banished her own blood? Imprisoned me for speaking the truth while she told only lies?”

“Why did she send you to Fort Rozz?” The blonde’s voice was quiet.

“For being a hero.”

‘No,’ Jay thought. ‘Kara’s a hero. You’re just insane.’

“For trying to save our world.”

Kara took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. She hadn’t forgotten her injured brother on the ground next to her, but seeing her aunt alive after so many years caused her mind to overload.

“I remember so many nights, sitting on your lap, listening as you taught me all the names of the stars.”

Her voice shook as she spoke, giving away the tears she was desperately trying to hold back.

“Then let me educate you once again, dear niece.” Astra took a step closer and brushed a lock of hair away from Kara’s eyes. “Your alliance with the humans is misplaced. Do not stand against me. I let one planet die; I will not do so again.”

Looking between them, Jay wasn’t sure what would happen. Astra was asking her to choose between her birth family and her chosen one. It was a struggle that Kara had been dealing with from the moment she entered their family, he knew, and though he figured she would see through Astra’s lies and help them out, he understood the pull of family allegiance.

Then he saw a familiar look of steel on his sister’s face and knew which side she had chosen.

“Funny,” her voice was steady now. “I was going to say the same thing.”

Once again, expecting the response, Astra threw another punch and sent Kara crashing through multiple walls. Her body landed with a cloud of dust, and though he knew she was bulletproof, he prayed she would be okay against one of her own.

Kara was on her feet instantly, and both women blasted their heat vision at each other. Knowing he had to help in some way, he crawled forward and grabbed the radio from his discarded vest.

“5021 George, requesting back up from Intelligence at-”

He yelled out as he was yanked into the air and came face to face with the Hellgrammite prisoner. In the wake of Kara’s family revelation, he’d forgotten the being was still out there. The Hellgrammite tossed him easily, throwing him into the fence that stood near them.

Before he could catch his breath, the alien was nearly on top of him, trapping him against the fence. Lifting his hand, he slowly retracted a stinger from his palm and waited as Jay stared at it in fear.

“It’s nothing personal.” He told the detective. “Just every species has a will to survive.”

Panting from the effort it took to keep himself upright with his injured leg, Jay looked him in the eyes. “You know what most species also have?” Then he kicked him in the groin, causing the Hellgrammite to freeze. “Those.”

It only stopped the insect for a second, but it gave Jay enough time to dodge the next punch. Grabbing his outstretched arm, he pulled it around the being’s back and stabbed its own stinger into its heart.

He gurgled for a second before Jay threw him on the ground and leaned back against the fence for support. Then he looked up to watch the other fight.

Across the building, Kara still had her heat vision focused on her aunt.

“Maybe I was wrong about you.” Astra taunted. “Join me, little one.”

“Never call me that again.” Kara roared and lifted herself into the air.

Forcing her beam of heat upward, Astra took the bait, and they hit one of the rafters, causing it to fall where Astra stood only a second before. Anticipating the General’s moves, Kara flew back as Astra came at her and used both fists to punch her in the chest.

Recovering quickly, Astra threw various punches, and Kara followed suit. Astra watched as Kara landed on the ground, looking up at the other Kryptonian. Then Kara charged again, only to be sent flying across the warehouse by a single kick.

This didn’t keep her down for long, and she was back in the fight a moment later. Jay watched as power lines exploded in sparks near them and started to worry that Astra had too much training to be defeated in this way.

His fears were confirmed when she kicked Kara in the face before tackling her and crashing into the hard ground below them.

“You chose for it to end like this, instead of allying with your family. Now you can die alone.” Lifting her by the neck, Astra sneered. “You might want to rethink the cape.”

“No!” Jay barely registered his scream as he watched his sister fly out of the building with more strength than he’d ever seen before.

Just as he started to hobble over to try and defend her, a blur of red and blue flew past him, slamming the other alien into a steel pillar. Then, almost as quickly as she’d arrived, Kara threw her aunt in the same direction she’d just come from and turned to finally acknowledge her brother.

“Jay.” The relief in her voice came out like a breath of fresh air for them both. “Are you okay?”

Stumbling forward, she met him halfway, and both grabbed each other in a tight embrace that they didn’t intend on breaking any time soon.

Unfortunately, Astra had other plans.

As soon as they’d gotten ahold of each other, a blast of air hit them, sending them back onto the ground. “I figured with how our fight went, you haven’t quite mastered that one yet.”

“Stop! Stay where you are!”

Both Jay and Kara looked up in time to see their team rush into the building, weapons trained on the hostile Kryptonian. However, the feeling of relief was short-lived as Astra sped across the room and grabbed Voight by the throat, lifting him into the air with ease.

“You possess no weapon that could harm me.” She informed him.

Voight didn’t bother to struggle against her. “You are so wrong.”

Lifting a glowing green dagger, he stabbed her in the arm. Her scream of pain echoed off the walls as she dropped him and turned to look at Kara, who was lying on the ground next to Jay, staring at her.

Then she launched herself into the air and exited through the roof. As the team ran over and helped them up, signaling into their radios for an ambulance for Jay, Ruzek looked up at the ceiling.

“Who the hell was that?”

Kara glanced at Jay before letting out a heavy sigh. “My aunt.”

Everyone turned their shock on her, seeing the sad look on her face.

Shaking his head, Voight holstered his weapons. “Any more family we should know about?”

Rolling her eyes, she moved to drape Jay’s arm around her shoulder, and with Hailey on the other side, they limped to the entrance to meet the approaching ambulance.

Chapter Text

Kara leaned against the doorway and watched Ethan remove the Hellgrammite stinger from her brother’s leg. He hissed at the sting he felt as it came out but handled the trauma better than any other person might have.

After making sure Hailey would stay with him on his journey to Med, Kara flew off and made sure to show up at the hospital after enough time that wouldn’t seem suspicious, but also in time to make sure he was well taken care of.

They both knew the other had a lot on their minds, so they stayed mostly silent, only answering questions when Ethan needed information on the injury. Once he was finished removing the stinger and stitching up the open wound, Ethan set an ice pack over the bandages and stepped back to address the siblings.

“Well, the wound doesn’t seem infected, and it didn’t hit any major muscles or arteries, so you should be fine to return to full duty in about a week.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Jay nodded to him, and they watched as he left the room and was replaced by Will.

“What the hell happened out there?” He demanded of them. “Hailey said something about Kara having an alien aunt that attacked you?”

She nodded. “Yeah, apparently Kal and I aren’t the only ones who survived the destruction of our homeworld.”

“My God, Kara.” He shook his head. “Are you okay?”

Biting her lip, the blonde ignored her question by looking at Jay. “How are you doing?”

He scoffed. “Well, I wish I had your healing powers.”

She shrugged. “I mean…you took down the Hellgrammite with no help from me.”

“Yeah, well, you were a little busy.” He quipped before realizing what he said.

The room fell silent again, and the boys watched as their sister dropped her gaze to the floor. Hailey had given Will the basics of what had happened, so he knew he felt as bad as Jay did when thinking of her fighting her family.

Not being able to stand the silence anymore, Will took a step closer to her. “I can’t even imagine what you must be feeling right now. I mean, after all this time, finding out you still have family.”

Now her head snapped up, and they saw sincerity mixed with love in her features. “You’re my family.” She stepped further into the room and faced both of them. “My aunt…we have to stop her. I have to be ready for her next time. My powers won’t be enough against her.”

This time she addressed Jay directly. “Show me how to fight. Train me to be as good as you.”

He smirked. “I’ll make you even better.”

Smiling, she walked to Jay’s other side and sat on the bed next to him. “On Krypton, I remember Aunt Astra and my mother always arguing.”

“Like siblings do.” Will teased.

She nodded. “And when I asked my mother why they could never get along, she said that it was because Astra didn’t have faith in people.”

Jay suddenly had an unreadable expression on his face, and he turned to look at Will. When he turned back, she looked up to see that sympathy and understanding replaced the indifference.

“You wanted to know if we have faith in you.” Jay deduced. “Of course, we do.”

“We always have.” The eldest of the three chimed in. “When you first came to live with us, our parents told us that you would be sad and fragile, having just lost your home, your parents, friends. But you never let that loss diminish your light.”

Jay sighed and shifted slightly, still holding the ice pack to his injury. “You’ve always had the heart of a hero, Kara, way before you put on that ‘S.’”

They all chuckled until Jay stood, and both siblings jumped forward. “Jay, what are you doing? You need to rest.”

“There’s something I need to show you.” He told her. “Something I’ve been working on.”

Seeing the happiness and mischievous look in his eye, she nodded. “Okay.”

As they turned to leave, Jay looked at Will. “You coming?”

Back at the district, Kara entered the bunker with Will, whose face was one of utter surprise. He hadn’t seen the new workspace yet, and everything blew him away.

“Wait, hang on, is all this stuff yours?”

Kara nodded. “Yep. It’s everything that was found when I landed. Including…”

Will ran his fingers over her pod and looked back at her in both awe and pain. “I can’t believe this is how you got here.”

“It was where I lived for over a decade.” She said honestly. “I may have been asleep in the Phantom Zone, but this is where I was, realistically.”

“Damn.” He pulled back and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She told him. “I may have lost a lot, but this pod brought me to you. As a child, I saw it as a curse; now, I know it was a blessing.”

Before he could respond, Jay walked in. “Okay, everyone has gone home, so we’re safe.”

“Awesome.” She shrugged. “So…what it is that you wanted to show me?”

Gesturing for her to follow him, he walked to a hallway behind a bank of computers. They arrived at a door, and Jay stopped, turning to her. “Your cousin has a base, or a fortress, I guess, according to the media. Obviously, we don’t know much about it, but we do know it’s a place that he’s been able to commune with your Kryptonian ancestors.”

Her brow furrowed. “How? They’re all gone.”

“They’re no longer alive, yes.” Jay nodded and then pointed to a palm scanner next to the door. “The door will only open for you.”

Glancing in confusion at Will, who shrugged back, she lifted her hand and allowed the screen to read her prints. Then the doors opened, and tears filled her eyes. Walking forward quickly into the blue-lit room, she felt her brothers behind her.

“Mom.” She stared at her for a moment.

“Hello, Kara.” The hologram of Alura responded.

Shaking her head, she looked back at Jay. “Wait…I don’t understand.”

“The message we found in your pod, it had some sort of code written into it.” He told her. “Obviously, I didn’t know what it was, so I sent it to Mouse. He looked it over and told me it was part of an interactive artificial intelligence program that’s culled from living memory. He helped me set all of this up. It’s not really her, but…”

“Jay…this is incredible.” Will breathed out.

“Kara, I have been programmed to offer you assistance here on Earth,” Alura told her.

Nodding, Kara swallowed down her tears and faced her brother again. “Thank you, Jay.”

Jay kissed her hair. “We’ll let you two talk.”

Will waited until they were out of the building and inside his car before turning to his brother. “Tell me the truth. How bad was it?”

“It was bad,” Jay told him, knowing he was talking about Kara and her aunt. “This Astra…she’s her mom’s twin.”

“God.” The redhead breathed out, staring at the building as if he could see their sister through the walls. “I can’t even imagine what she’s going through.”

“I thought it was Alura at first. Then when she told me who she was…I knew it would crush her.” Jay shook his head. “It was worse.”

“What do you mean?”

“From their conversation, it sounded like they were close. She kept calling her ‘little one’ as if she’d always done it. Kara said she remembered Astra teaching her things when she was little. Dude, the look on her face…” He trailed off for a second. “She was heartbroken.”

“Hailey told me they fought,” Will said quietly. “How did that happen?”

Jay stayed silent, lost in the memory of Kara’s face at the sight of her once-beloved aunt.

“Jay?”

Blinking as he forced the image away, he sighed. “Sorry. Uh, Astra made her choose.”

“Choose? Choose what?”

“Her or us.”

“Seriously?” Will was shocked. “Who makes someone choose something like that?”

“A revenge-seeking alien who wants to ‘save’ our planet from the same destruction of Krypton.” The detective shrugged. “Alura sent her to the alien prison.”

“Shit. Do you think Kara will be okay?”

“Honestly?” Jay rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know.”

Nodding his head, Will started the car. “Your place?”

Jay hesitated before shaking his head in disagreement. “Let’s head to her place. I have a feeling she’ll be needing some comfort when she gets home.”

After they left, Kara put her focus solely on the remaining image of her mother. “I…I’m not quite sure what to ask.”

“Whatever it is you wish you could ask Alura, you may ask me.”

Feeling the emotion bubble up in her chest, she let her tears fall. “I’d ask for a hug.”

“I am not programmed to do that.”

Nodding in understanding, she forced her brain to recalculate. “Then tell me about my Aunt Astra.”

Chapter Text

It was dark in the bullpen as everyone had gone home for the night, with only the light of Kara’s computer shining in the corner.

Between her father’s death, coming out as Supergirl, and finding out her aunt was alive, Kara had not had the best few weeks. No one had seen or heard from Astra since their fight in the warehouse, other than a few rogue aliens, but the blonde Halstead knew it was only a matter of time before she showed herself again.

Since then, she spent a lot of her time recording anything she could remember about her aunt, including everything she had been told by her parents and the hologram of her mother. She’d gotten most of their useful information from it, but it didn’t help ease her pain at all.

In all honestly, Kara wasn’t entirely sure how she felt. When she first saw Astra again, she’d been relieved that another member of her family had survived the destruction. Then reality hit her full force, and she was forced to accept that some of her memories may have been faked by her brain as a coping mechanism to handle the trauma she’d experienced.

She was so lost in thought, she almost missed her phone ringing. “Hey, Winn. Listen, I’m not really up for talking right now.”

“Kara, where are you?” Winn shouted into the phone, and Kara had to pull it away from her ear.

“I’m at work. Wait, where are you?” He didn’t usually go to clubs or parties, so she was confused by the loud music and voices she heard around him.

“Have you looked at a clock or even a calendar lately?” He asked quickly.

Furrowing her brow, she opened the app on her computer, and her jaw dropped. “Shit! I’m on my way.”

Hanging up on her friend, Kara nearly leapt from her chair. Grabbing her things with the ease of her superspeed, she raced to her car and drove as quickly as she could to her apartment to change.

She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten the joint bachelor/bachelorette party she and Jay were throwing for Will and Natalie and knew they would give her shit for almost missing it.

Throwing open the door to Molly’s, Kara ran in so fast she slipped on a puddle of spilled beer. She fumbled for a second before strong hands steadied her, and she looked up to see Jay watching her with concern.

“You good?”

She nodded. “Yep. So good.”

He gave her a look that only a brother could give. One that clearly called ‘bullshit’ on her response.

“I’m good, Jay.” She told him. “I was working on my notes about Astra, and I just…lost track of time.”

“You know you don’t have to do that alone, right?” He looked sad for her.

“I know.” She forced a smile onto her face. “But right now, let’s forget her and celebrate our brother, who miraculously found someone to marry him.”

This time, Jay laughed. “Right? Natalie deserves better than him.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.”

The siblings turned and smiled at Winn, who stood next to them with two drinks in his hands. “You double-fisting it tonight, Schott?”

Rolling his eyes at Jay’s comment, he handed one of the glasses to Kara. “Like you’re one to talk. I figured Kara would need a drink after her rush here, not that it actually does anything for her.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault this planet has weak-ass liquor.” She teased and looked up to see the happy couple walking towards them. “Incoming…”

“There you are!” Natalie smiled as she hugged Kara. “I was worried you weren’t coming.”

“I’m so sorry.” She told her future sister-in-law sincerely. “I got caught up at work and lost track of time.”

“Everything okay?” Will kept his tone light, but she knew he was worried.

She wanted to be annoyed by her brothers’ concern, but she couldn't blame them after everything that had happened.

“Yeah, just compiling some research on someone we’re keeping an eye on.” She shrugged, knowing that it was enough for both the boys to understand and Natalie to not question. “But now we’re here, and it’s time to celebrate! Nat, we were just saying that you deserve way better than this guy.”

“Yeah, are you sure you want to be stuck with him?” Jay picked up her joke, knowing she wanted to move on from the former subject.

“Hey! I’m not really feeling the love here, guys.” Will pouted.

Shaking her head, Kara grinned. “Oh, you’ll get over it, you big baby.”

As the boys bickered playfully, Natalie turned to Kara and Winn. “Thank you for this party, Kara. You guys didn’t have to do this.”

“Hey, you’re about to be my sister.” Kara reminded her. “I won’t be outnumbered anymore. Besides, I’ve never had a sister, so I’m really excited about it.”

“Well, good, because I have a feeling I’ll need help hauling those two out of here tonight.” She laughed.

Kara shook her head. “I’ll make sure they don’t give you issues.”

“You know, I have to ask.” Natalie glanced at the boys. “How is it that you are so much better at drinking than they are?”

“Let’s be honest; I’m better than them at everything.”

The other woman nodded. “Good point.”

“We heard that.”

As they laughed at her brothers, they heard a group of people from Med calling them from across the room. Nodding her head to Natalie to show her it was okay to go, Kara looked around the room and saw Platt and Mouch sitting at a table by themselves.

Winking at Winn, she gestured to them, and the friends moved in their direction. Smoothing down the back of her green dress, Kara plopped into the seat next to Mouch, causing him to jump.

“What the hell?” He shouted as Winn sat on the chair next to Platt. “You can’t scare an old man like that!”

“Oh, stop it, you’re not old.” She smiled at him affectionately.

Across the table, Platt pulled out her phone. “Okay, picture time.”

“Trudy…”

“Hey, we don’t have kids of our own. You’re the closest we’ve got, okay? Give us this one.” She scolded the younger woman, but Kara just smirked and rolled her eyes.

She smiled with Mouch for the picture and then shared a look with her friend. “So it’s been a crazy few weeks, am I right?”

Winn nodded. “For you, maybe.”

“Wait.” Mouch was confused. “What happened?”

Knowing what they were doing, Platt drank her beer before shrugging. “Have you guys found her yet?”

Kara shook her head. “Nope. I’ve been searching both at work and after, but I’ve got nothing.”

“Who?” Mouch looked between them. “Will someone please fill me in?”

“My aunt,” Kara told him and sipped her drink.

“I didn’t know you guys had any other family.” He said sympathetically.

“We don’t.” She waited for the gears in his head to turn, and once she knew he understood, she continued. “Yeah, apparently, my biological aunt survived the explosion at home.”

“When did you find out?” He asked her before looking at his wife. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t blame her.” Kara shrugged. “It was the day Jay got kidnapped.”

His mouth opened slightly, and he hesitated before speaking. “Wait, when Brett and Foster got back to 51, they said it was one of those aliens that attacked.”

Winn nodded. “Oh, it was.”

Platt chuckled. “You’re still not getting this?”

Mouch looked between them all for a second before shaking his head. “Hang on, what’s happening here?”

Dropping her head with a chuckle, Kara sighed and glanced around. Then she carefully slid her glasses off and stared at him.

“Okay, I’m confused,” Mouch said again. “Hey, by the way, has anyone told you that with your glasses off, you look a lot like…”

As he trailed off, Kara just smiled and nodded, sliding them back on. “Which is why I only take them off when I’m at home or in the suit.”

“Oh my god.” The firefighter’s face went pale as he stared at her. “You’re…”

“Yeah, Mouch. I am.” She patted his shoulder. “I’ve been feeling bad about keeping the secret from you, so I figured we’d let the cat out of the bag tonight. After all, you’re family.”

“Who else knows?” He wondered, looking around at everyone partying.

“The boys, Trudy, Winn, Hailey, and now you.” She informed him. “For now, that’s good with me.”

“Hang on,” he scoffed. “are you telling me that Voight has no idea?”

At his question, Platt shook her head. “I wondered the same thing, so I put some feelers out. He has no idea. He’s too caught up with what Supergirl’s hiding and the emergence of these aliens to see what’s right in front of him. Besides, he trusts Kara, so he doesn’t think she’s hiding anything. Otherwise, he might have put it together by now.”

“I sort of feel bad, but then he says something about not trusting her, and it pisses me off, so I figure it’s a trade-off for now.” The blonde admitted. “I’m sure I’ll either tell him, or he’ll find out eventually.”

“Can I yell across this crowded room right now and tell him he’s an idiot?” Mouch asked, looking up at the sergeant seated at the bar.

Kara grinned. “Yes, but also no.”

Shaking her head at the two people she loved most, Platt turned to Winn. “So, I guess not all of your conspiracy theories are wrong.”

He nodded. “Yeah, apparently. I just never expected my best friend to be one of them!”

“That’s right!” Mouch sighed. “This means you’re technically an alien?”

“Not technically, Mouch, I am an alien.” She told him before winking at Platt. “So, do you have any questions?”

He nodded almost robotically. “So many…”

The girl let out a loud laugh, and though she didn’t know it, both Winn and Platt felt better seeing her happy again. If only for one night.

Chapter Text

Kara hid her head as she walked through the back entrance of District 21. It had been almost a week since Will and Natalie’s party, and they still hadn’t seen or heard from Astra. Though she knew she shouldn’t let it get to her, it was, and that frustration was now coming out in front of citizens.

She had gone out as Supergirl earlier that morning and had saved a group of children in a school zone from getting run over by two men fighting as they drove. When one of the men confronted her about damaging their cars, she snapped back and had accidentally injured him in the process. She wasn’t proud of what she had done, but she couldn’t take it back now.

Because of this, she hoped Jay wasn’t there yet so she could hide and avoid the confrontation she knew would happen eventually. Unfortunately for her, he was waiting for her as she walked up the stairs.

“Hey, bro.” She said, quickly walking past him to her desk.

Ignoring her attempt to blow him off, he waited until she set her stuff down before grabbing her arm and hauling her into the break room, shutting the door behind them and pointing to the newspaper on the table. “‘Supergirl scares young children at a local school.’ Road rage! What were you thinking?”

Rolling her eyes, she leaned against the counter. “They were about to run over an entire soccer team. It’s always men who go crazy behind the wheel!”

“You cannot lose control like that!” He told her, and she straightened her back at his tone.

“Those two idiots nearly killed people, and you’re getting mad at me?” She scoffed.

He shook his head. “That’s the thing, Kar; I’m not mad. I am controlling my anger. I suggest you get into the habit.”

“Really, Jay? I’ve seen you lose your shit thousands of times.” She reminded him.

He sighed. “Remember what Lane told you? There are people out there who fear your cousin. It’s not because he has god-like powers. It’s because of what he might to do them if he ever lost his temper.”

“But we’re not here to hurt people!” She exclaimed.

“Tell that to the guy you put in the hospital this morning.” He said quickly. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you’re stressed about your aunt. But you can’t take it out on other people.”

Kara looked at her shoes and didn’t respond.

After a moment of silence, Jay stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder. “Listen, this isn’t how I wanted to start the day.”

Kara watched as he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a box of donuts. “Are those crullers?”

He nodded. “Happy Earth Birthday, Kara.”

This time, she sent him a small smile. “Earth Birthday?”

“Yeah, well, now that I know you’re not from here, I realized this probably wasn’t actually the day you were born.”

After she’d landed on Earth, Pat and Eliza had realized that Krypton hadn’t kept the same calendar as they did on Earth and decide to tell everyone her birthday was the same date she arrived at their house. She was surprised Jay had figured that out.

“Mom and Dad figured it was easier this way.” She told him. “I don’t know what day coincides with the Kryptonian calendar, anyway.”

He nodded. “Hey, it’s the day you became a Halstead, so it’s good enough for me.”

“Earth Birthday.” She repeated. “I like the sound of that. Did you come up with that?”

“Hey, don’t act so surprised. I can be clever when I want to be.” He smirked.

She was about to respond when the door opened, and Ruzek stepped in. “Uh, sorry for interrupting.”

“What’s up, Adam?” She questioned, seeing the nervous look on his face.

“The mayor’s here.” He said quickly.

“What the hell does he want?” Jay wondered as they followed him back into the bullpen.

Kara winced. “Probably nothing good.”

They waited as the mayor approached their group with his security and a man who looked more like a scientist. “Sergeant Voight.”

“Mayor Lane.” Voight’s normally gruff voice was even tighter. “What can we do for you?”

“First, we will wait for your resident alien to arrive.” He informed everyone. “I had your desk sergeant make the phone call.”

“Supergirl?” Kara wondered. “What do you need her for?”

“Now that is none of your business, Miss Halstead.” The mayor turned his gaze on her knowingly. “In fact, why don’t you take the rest of the morning off? I’m sure your sergeant here wouldn’t mind.”

Glancing first at Jay, she looked at Voight, who nodded in annoyance at the other man’s orders. Without saying anything, she grabbed her belongings, including her new box of crullers, and left.

As she hurried down the main staircase, Kara’s eyes caught Platt’s, and both women made their way into the back room. Setting her things down on a bench, the blonde looked at her friend. “Can you hide this stuff for me? You can even have some of the crullers.”

“Of course,” Platt told her. “Do you think this is about this morning?”

Kara winced. “I don’t know. I hope not.”

Looking around to make sure no one was coming into the room, Kara sped into her suit. Platt helped her sneak out the back door and stopped her just before she could fly off.

“Hey, by the way, happy birthday.”

Kara smiled. “Thanks.”

Then she was gone and landed a second later at the roundup entrance, where the group had moved. Looking around, she nodded at Jay before frowning at the mayor. “Well, I’m here.”

“So, I’ll ask again.” Voight faced him. “Is there something we can do for you?”

“I need you to approve an immediate transfer.” The man told him. “A member of your field unit to my command.”

“Really.” Voight narrowed his eyes. “And who would that be?”

“The lady in red.”

As everyone turned to look at her, Jay looked at the mayor. “Technically, Supergirl doesn’t work for the department.”

“When I tasked your unit with this job, I didn’t expect you to recruit foreign assistance.”

Voight shrugged, and his jaw twitched. “Yeah, well, she can be helpful.”

“Why do you need me?” Kara interrupted, unsure of what was happening.

Lane continued to speak to Voight. “The army has been developing something. An anti-insurgent combat device. Project code-named, RT. They have tasked me with getting her to help test it for them.”

“Hang on,” Antonio interrupted him. “what if she says no?”

“She has no choice.” He told them. “We have an executive order forcing you to comply. It’s been signed by the President. You can take it up with her if you like.” Then he turned to Kara. “Unless you don’t think you’re up to it.”

The blonde glared at him. “I’ll do it.”

“Supergirl, you don’t have to.” Jay turned to her quickly.

Looking up from the contract, Voight nodded. “I agree with Detective Halstead.”

Ignoring them both, Kara lifted her chin as if daring the mayor to try anything. “What do you need me to do?”

He scoffed. “Fight my robot.”

“It’s not a robot.” The scientist told them, causing everyone to face him. “It’s an anthropomorphic pseudo entity with combat capabilities.”

“It’s a what, now?” Kevin questioned, voicing what everyone else was thinking.

Lane sighed. “I stand corrected, Doctor.”

The doctor pressed a button on his tablet, and the large container next to him opened to reveal a human-shaped robot in all red. “I call it Red Tornado.”

“Supergirl, I don’t think this is a-”

“When and where?” She replied, ignoring Jay’s protest.

“Tomorrow. Noon. I’ll have my assistant send over the address.”

“Fine. Bring it on.”

Chapter Text

As she sat on her balcony, Kara stared up at the stars. Though Jay had been right about her ‘Earth Birthday’ being the day she became a Halstead, it also marked the day she considered the anniversary of Krypton's death. It was no secret that she loved her family and friends on Earth, but she still mourned the lives and experiences lost on that day.

Wearing a gray and white baseball shirt and black leggings, she curled up in her chair and imagined what her life would have been like if she had continued to grow up on her home planet. Though she longed for it, she couldn’t imagine her life without Jay and Will by her side.

She only wished there could have been a way to have both.

Though she was lost in thought, she wasn’t startled by the sound of her front door opening inside her apartment. She figured after everything that had happened that day that someone would be coming by to check on her, and anyone who would do it had a key, so she continued to watch the stars until she heard a voice.

“Hey, you here?”

‘So it’s Will they sent.’ She thought.

“Physically, yes.” She called back. “Mentally…well, that’s debatable.”

“Yeah, but that’s not any different from any other day.” He quipped, sitting next to her, a beer in his hand that he had grabbed from her fridge. “I texted you a few times.”

She checked her phone and finally saw the messages she had missed.

Will
Happy birthday! Drinks on me tonight?

Will
I saw the news. You okay?

Will
I talked to Jay. He’s worried about you.

Will
You home? I could go for a beer.

Will
I’m coming over. You better have something to drink.

Wincing, she looked back at him. “Sorry. I turned my phone to silent.”

“I thought I might have to get Jay to put out an APB on Supergirl.” He teased, but the tone behind his words was tense.

Looking down at her own drink, Kara fiddled with her glasses. “What are you even doing here? You’re wedding is like…right around the corner. You should be at home with your family.”

“You are my family.” He reminded her sternly. “And I told Nat what today was, so she understood. She told me to tell you happy birthday and that she’s got a gift for you.”

“Still, I feel bad.” She told him. “Is he okay?”

Knowing what she meant, Will sighed. “Broken wrist, a few shattered bones. He’ll need surgery, but he’ll heal.”

She closed her eyes to block the feeling of humiliation they held and felt his gaze on her.

“What happened out there, Kara?”

Standing, she walked up to the railing and leaned against it. “I just got so mad. Those guys nearly killed a bunch of kids. Then that guy got in my face and tried to throw a punch, and I just…reacted.”

“I saw the clip online.” He admitted quietly. “I have never seen you get that mad. Ever. Not during a fight with dad, or Jay and I, or even in any footage against another alien.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Will.” She stared out at the city. “Listen, Jay already yelled at me this morning, so if that’s why you came here, don’t bother. I don’t have it in me to fight with you.”

“That isn’t why I came.” He told her. “Not the only reason, anyway.”

“Sorry.” She turned to face him. “I’m just on edge today.”

“I can see that.”

Wanting to change the subject, she smirked. “So, apparently, I’m fighting a robot tomorrow.”

At her comment, Will’s brows lifted. “Robot? I didn’t know CPD used robots.”

She shook her head. “It’s from the military, actually.”

“Wow.” He looked shocked. “You do know you can say no, right?”

“I can’t.” She insisted. “I have to show Mayor Lane that I can be a team player. That Kal and I can be trusted.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.” Will set his beer down. “He will come to see that through all the good you do. You just have to give it time.”

She went silent again and sat back in her chair. Will copied her actions, and the two watched the city lights shine against the dark sky. After a few minutes, Kara sighed.

“I got really lucky.”

Turning his head to look at her, Will furrowed his brow. “How so?”

“You.” She continued to stare at the sky. “And Jay.”

“Well, I’m not sure how lucky you got. We can all agree we’re idiots.” He chuckled, taking a sip of his beer.

She looked at him. “I’m serious, Will. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have you guys through all of this.”

“You’d find a way to make it work.” He told her. “You were born to be Supergirl.”

“I meant surviving on this planet.”

He saw the vulnerable, sincere look on her face and sat forward. “Kara, there’s something you should know. You can survive anything. The very fact that you’re here proves that. But I know how much you miss Krypton.”

She looked down. “I’m sorry. You think I would have worked through that by now.”

“Are you kidding me? That’s not something someone just gets over.” He reminded her. “What you went through was horrible, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if you never got over it.”

“Thank you for coming tonight.” She moved a piece of hair out of her face.

“Of course.” His face showed only love. “Jay wanted to come too, but he was worried he’d upset you more after everything that happened today.”

Rolling her eyes, she picked up her phone and waited as it rang.

“What?”

“I’ve got cold beer, and we’re about to order some pizza.” She told her other brother. “Come over and help Will eat his share, so it doesn’t go to waste.”

“You sure?”

“It’s my birthday; you can’t say no to me.”

He chuckled. “Fine. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

“Yay!” She hung up and frowned at the look on Will’s face. “What?”

“We’re getting pizza?”

“I’m sorry, did you want Chinese?” She quipped back.

“No, I’m just saying I don’t ever leave pizza behind.” He sent a mock glare in her direction. “I bet I’ll eat more than Jay.”

“I’ll pay you twenty bucks if you do.” She cocked an eyebrow. “I’d bet on myself, but there’s no contest there.”

“I hope you get fat one of these days. It will make me feel better about my life.” He joked as they stood to go inside.

“Ha! Not on this planet.”

Chapter Text

The sun was shining brightly as the Intelligence Unit stood in the field and watched as Mayor Lane’s team unloaded the case that held their robot.

“I can’t believe you talked us into that last night.” Jay groaned, trying to hide his hangover.

Standing next to her brother, Kara crossed her arms and sighed. “Hey, I didn’t tell you guys to drink that much.”

“No, you just made a bet on who could eat more pizza.” He reminded her. “That’s cruel and unusual, considering you can eat us under the table.”

This time she smirked. “Easiest twenty dollars I’ve ever made.”

They continued to watch the mayor’s team roll out their equipment, and finally, Kara looked at him. “I don’t say this often, but I am craving a good fight right now.”

“Just keep your cool.” He told her, his hands on his hips. “You got this.”

As the Red Tornado walked out of its case, the siblings stared at it. Once they got it into position, Jay patted her on the arm, and everyone walked away to give them space to fight. Walking over to the station that Lane’s team had step up, Jay stepped up next to Antonio.

“I got twenty-dollars on the robot.” The older detective said to him.

Jay scoffed. “Forty on the alien.”

In front of them, Voight looked at Lane. “If at any point I don’t like what I’m seeing, I’m ending this.”

“Which I would completely understand,” the mayor told him. “if you had any authority over me.” Then he looked at the military scientist. “Dr. Morrow. You can begin.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Standing across from the red machinery, Kara shook out her hands and prepared to test out what it could do. Just as the thought crossed her mind, it lifted its head, and she knew it was game time.

Getting in the fighting position that Jay had taught her, she focused on her target. Curing her hands into fists, she bent her knees slightly and narrowed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she waited for the Red Tornado to makes it move.

Immediately, its hands started to spin, and he lifted them, forcing wind to pick up in massive forces. It reminded Kara of her freeze breath just before it sent her flying through the air. When he finally realized what happened, she turned in time to see it fire two missiles in her direction. They hit her before she could move, exploding on impact.

“What the hell?” She shouted to herself.

Back on the ground, Lane looked at Voight. “Maybe she’s not taking this seriously.”

Hearing the comment from her spot in the sky, Kara shot off as the robot sent another missile her way. She was pissed off now, and she knew she had to up her game in order to win the fight. Flying face down, she broke through the ground and disappeared under the soil.

Looking around for any sign of her, the Red Tornado’s targeting system beeped as it lost detection of her. Then a fast-moving tunnel was seen just barely above the ground, and a moment later, a blur of blue and red flew out and knocked it to the ground.

As it started to stand, Kara stormed over and threw multiple punches while dodging one or two from the AI. Though it tried to fight back, Kara’s strength seemed to overpower it.

Back behind the station, Dr. Morrow’s tablet started beeping. “It’s experiencing system damage.” Then he looked at Jay, who stood behind him. “The test is over. Pull the plug. Now.”

“Supergirl, you won.” He said into the comms.

Outside, Kara missed his message and continued to throw her punches. When that didn’t satisfy her, she waited until it lifted its arm and used her freeze breath to cover it in ice before punching it again, severing the hand from the arm.

“Supergirl, stand down,” Voight yelled into his comm. “That’s enough.”

Finally hearing the voices in her ear, she stepped back, panting. Seeing the damage she’d inflicted on the bot, she waited as it looked down at its ‘injuries.’

Then it shot into the air and disappeared from view.

As everyone ran over to her, Jay was at the front of the group. “Are you hurt?”

“No.” She told him, still trying to locate the AI.

“She must have triggered his emergency self-preservation function.” Dr. Morrow told them.

“I can’t see it.” Kara, now panicked, told them.

The doctor nodded. “He’s in stealth mode, making him one-hundred percent undetectable.”

“This is your fault.”

Turning, the entire unit saw Lane get in Kara’s face and unknowingly hovered behind her in support.

“You asked me to fight it!” She shouted back.

“And now your recklessness has unleashed an uncontrollable killing machine on Chicago.” He hollered back before storming away.

Turning to face each other, Jay looked at Antonio. “Looks like you owe me forty bucks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” The man sighed. “don’t rub it in.”

“Sergeant, I’m so sorry. I didn’t-” Kara started to speak when Voight cut her off.

“Not your fault.” He told her, staring after the mayor. “There’s something they aren’t telling us. I say we figure out what that is, so we know what we’re dealing with here.”

“I’ll call Kara,” Jay told him, sending a covert glance to her. “She can start looking into it.”

“Good. I want to know everything about this Red Tornado.”

Back in the bunker, everyone gathered as Lane and his crew stormed in. “A billion-dollar investment, eleven years of R&D, and what do we have? A paperweight.”

Back in her civilian clothes, Kara stayed silent as she worked at her computer, knowing she would only make things worse. Instead, she fiddled with her glasses and got to work analyzing the materials that made up the armor of her flying red foe. It would take a little while to narrow down the exact elements used, but she wasn’t overly concerned about it.

She knew now what the thing was capable of, and if she had to, she would fight it again. There was no way she would let it destroy her city or harm any of the citizens that lived in it. She knew that if it came down to it, she would sacrifice herself to save them, and she was secure in the knowledge of it.

Though they weren’t thrilled with the idea, her brothers knew it too. She’d spoken to them about it over dinner, and they knew now that this had been her destiny. They couldn’t keep her from it, no matter how much they wanted to protect her, and they would just have to deal with it if and when the time came.

Turning to face the group, Lane made sure they knew how angry he was. “I want this thing found and destroyed before it turns Chicago into a war zone.”

“Destroy it?” Dr. Morrow asked. “You can’t do that.”

“I’ve already called your superior.” He told the man. “We agreed that the last thing the army needs is a bunch of wounded civilians on the nine o’clock news.”

Sharing a look with her brother, Kara could see that he was worried about her fight and how this would turn out. None of them liked the idea of an out-of-control murderous robot on the loose, and they would all sleep better knowing it was gone.

Everyone except its creator, that was.

“I’ve invested too much time and effort into this…”

“Into what, Morrow?” Lane argued. “The Red Tornado failed. And so did you. You can leave now.”

Everyone in Intelligence watched as the doctor stormed out before glancing at each other. He didn’t seem happy, and they all got the feeling Lane wouldn’t be hearing the last of him.

Chapter Text

“This is pointless.”

Typing into her computer was getting on Kara’s nerves, but Voight had asked her to stay late to try and locate the Red Tornado, and she couldn’t tell him no. Jay had offered to stay with her, but the look she’d given him had him backing off with the promise of dropping off food if she needed it.

That had been three hours earlier, and Kara was becoming weary and tense with every lead that didn’t pan out. It seemed as though the AI had been programmed with incredible technology allowing it to disappear, and not even her x-ray vision could pick it up.

“Well, don’t you look chipper.”

Jumping out of her seat, Kara growled at the interruption. “Yeah, well, if this stupid robot would just come out and say hello, I’d be the happiest goddamn alien on the planet.”

Platt shook her head. “I think you’d probably have more luck with a flyover. You’d probably just run into it.”

“Gee, why didn’t I think of that?” Kara snapped at her. “Oh, I know! Because that would involve telling my boss why I wasn’t here at the computer searching. You really don’t get how this whole ‘secret identity’ thing works do you? God, can you just cut the snark for one night? I just need a little goddamn peace for once!”

Kara’s eyes widened immediately as she stared at her friend in horror. “Oh, my God. Trudy, I’m…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that. I…I…I don’t know what happened. I just snapped.”

Platt narrowed her eyes as she looked at her pseudo-daughter. Walking forward, she pressed a button, turning the computer off. “Forward the phones and your system. We’re going.”

Kara stayed in her seat, looking at her in confusion. “Where are we going?”

Turning back to look at her, Platt glared. “Chop chop.”

Looking after her in embarrassment and fear, Kara quickly did as told and ran after her mentor.

Sitting in a booth at Molly’s, Kara nursed her beer. It was a rare night where none of their friends were around, so she didn’t feel the need to pretend as she normally would have.

Across from her, Platt took a long sip of her own beer and leveled Kara with a glance. “Here’s the thing, Kara, everybody gets angry. Everybody. I mean, come on, you know this, you work for Voight. And there is no pill that will eradicate this particular emotion. I know this because if there were such a pill, I would be popping those babies like Pez.”

“Trudy, uh…I’m so sorry. I’m…really sorry about-”

“You apologize too much,” Trudy told her. “which is a separate, although not unrelated, problem. No, this is about work. And anger. Whatever you do, you cannot get angry at work, especially when you’re a girl.

“When I was a patrol cop, my sergeant picked up a chair and threw it out of the window because somebody finished off the coffee and didn’t refill it. And no, he did not open the window first. If I had thrown a chair or my God, if I had thrown a napkin, it would have been all over the department, and I would have been reprimanded. It would have been professional and cultural suicide.”

Fiddling with her glasses, Kara frowned. “Then what do you do?”

Now Platt sat back in her seat and sighed. “Well, you need to find a release. You need to…take up some boxing or start screaming at your housekeeper. But the real key, Kara, is that you need to figure out what’s really bothering you.

“For example, I am annoyed with some of our new recruits, so I took it out on you. And you’re so mad at me, but—and this is the important bit—you weren’t really mad at me. You were really mad at something else. And you need to find…find that anger behind the anger. And you need to figure out what is really making you mad and upset.”

Looking down at her beer, Kara nodded. “You’re right.”

Eyeing her carefully, Platt leaned forward. “I think I know a way. Just let me know when you’re ready for it, and you can use our garage. You can even bring the chuckle twins if you want.”

“Thanks, Trudy,” Kara said as a high-pitched frequency hit her ears. “Shit.”

“What’s up?”

She looked up at the gray-haired woman. “One of the boys hit their panic button. I think they found Red Tornado.”

“Where is it?” Platt asked, already throwing money on the table and getting ready to follow her into battle.

“Nowhere good.”

It was dark in Millenium Park as people strolled through Cloud Gate Plaza together. Among them, Jay and Will walked side by side, talking about their little sister.

“It was insane, dude,” Jay told him. “She practically destroyed the thing.”

Will shook his head. “I wish she’d tell us what’s going on in her head; you know, let us help her.”

“Honestly?” Jay looked at his brother with a dejected look on his face. “I don’t think she knows.”

The redhead opened his mouth to speak again when two cars pulled up alongside them, and the mayor stepped out. “Detective Halstead. I see Sergeant Voight isn’t taking our new threat very seriously.”

“He has our techie working after hours to find your crazy murder robot,” Jay told him, hostility clear in his voice. “So no, actually, he is taking this seriously.”

“You better be careful, detective; you wouldn’t want to-”

He couldn’t finish his sentence as the wind started to pick up rapidly. Both men looked up, and Jay instantly grabbed his gun, stepping in front of Will at the sight of the Red Tornado. Behind him, Will slowly clicked a button on his watch, signaling his sister.

She had only given them the watches the night before, but he sincerely hoped they worked. He got the idea behind it—using a high frequency that only the Kryptonians could hear—and knew that her cousin’s friend had one as well. She had told them that Winn had made them for everyone who knew her secret, and he prayed that their friend was as smart as he seemed.

Stepping slightly away from his younger brother, Will stared at the robot in shock. “I’m guessing that’s the robot?”

“I wonder how you figured that out?” Jay yelled at him, trying to get people out of the way.

Will followed his lead, helping people to safety as quickly as he could. They both knew that this AI wasn’t here to play nice, and they wanted to minimize the casualties as much as possible.

It seemed as though they had the right idea when it raised its hand, forcing hurricane-strength winds in Jay’s direction, sending him flying back into the reflective monument. “Jay!”

Running to him, Will knelt and ignored the cars pulling up near them. Stepping out of one, Platt sent a look his way, only turning to the AI and mayor when Will motioned that he could care for their loved one.

“I order you to disengage immediately!” The mayor yelled, showing no fear in his confrontation.

Platt wasn’t scared either. She knew backup was on the way.

They watched as the Red Tornado lowered itself to the ground and watched them. When it lifted its arm to throw a punch at Lane, Will started to stand. He paused when a blur of blue landed and caught its fist in her hand.

“I’m not going to let you hurt them.” She told it, the need to fight clear in her eyes.

She immediately threw a punch, but the robot seemed to be ready for every attack she gave. As Will helped his brother stand, blood running down his forehead, they watched their sister kick the red machine. It skidded backward across the pavement before looking back up at them.

The group stood in the area now devoid of civilians watching as the wind picked up again and a massive tornado formed in front of them. Then the AI stepped out from the center and walked toward Kara, the weather formation flying down the street.

Looking between the two paths of destruction, Kara was torn. She knew she needed to stop the tornado from destroying the city and hurting people, but she couldn’t let the Red Tornado hurt her family either.

Then, as if deciding for her, the AI shot into the sky and flew away.

Deciding she would find it a different way, she spent no time waiting as she too took off for the sky and went straight for the spinning tower of destruction. Though she knew the act would send her brothers into a fit, she shot into the middle of it and started to fly in the direction that went against the wind.

Screaming with the force it took to fight the wind and debris, she forced herself to keep going. Just when she thought she might not be able to stop it, the air started to feel lighter, and soon after, the twister was gone.

Floating in the air above the traffic jam that had formed, Kara looked around, her chest heaving from the effort. She ignored the audience pointing at her in awe and happiness, focusing on how she would find her foe again.

Then she turned and flew back in the direction of her brothers, knowing that Jay would need medical help.

Chapter Text

Sitting in his room in the ED, Kara stood next to Voight, Platt, and Will as Connor finished his exam on Jay. Though he’d hit his head, he didn’t seem to have a concussion or need stitches, which everyone was grateful for.

Looking at the group, Connor sighed. “Well, nothing’s broken. He’s lucky.”

“You saved my life.” Jay looked at his sister, still in her Supergirl persona. “Thank you.”

“You let that thing get away.”

Turning, everyone saw Mayor Lane walking up to them. Knowing that Kara was going to get riled up, Will glanced at his brother.

“I thought you were on our side.”

Walking out of the exam room, Kara’s nostrils flared. “I tried. It…it fought harder this time, faster. Like it learned a thing or two from the last go.”

“It’s like it knew you would choose to save people,” Will commented. “The tornado was just a diversion to get away. He used your humanity against you.”

“And now more innocent humans could be in danger.” Lane blamed her. “If anything else happens, you and the entire Intelligence Unit will all be held accountable.”

“Are you kidding? That thing was brought to them by you.” Will fired back, annoyed that his siblings were under fire.

“Thank you, Doctor; I would implore you not to step into government business that you know nothing about,” Lane replied, his eyes casting a glance at the redhead.

“First of all, your death robot nearly killed his brother,” Voight stepped in before Kara could. “so, he has a right to comment. Second, we need to get some sleep. Today has been stressful. We can meet back at the bunker tomorrow and see what Kara has found in her search.” Then he looked at Will. “Feel free to join us, Doc.”

Turning to face the mayor, Kara glared as he stormed out, his team behind him.

“What’s your plan?” Voight asked, facing her.

She shook her head. “I’m going to try and do a flyover; see what I can find.”

“Good luck.” The man told her and led Jay out of the building.

Will sighed. “Why does it feel like you know something they don’t?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Because I just got the results back from my test on the limb it left behind. And I know why they built the damn thing.”

Back at the district, Kara was standing with her tablet when Voight and Jay walked in. Hurrying over, Kara looked at her brother.

“Are you okay?” They both knew they were acting the part, but they also knew it was necessary as no one else knew her secret.

“Yeah, that robot packs a punch, though.” He told everyone. “No wonder Supergirl fought so hard.”

“Speaking of which,” Kara fiddled with her glasses. “I found something interesting in my analysis of the thing’s arm.”

“Well, what is it?” Antonio asked, seeing the look on her face. “You don’t seem pleased.”

“Is it something we can’t identify?” Kim asked, walking over to look at her screen. “Oh, shit.”

“Uh-huh.” Kara nodded at her. “The computer broke down the materials in the dermal covering during my initial scan. It’s made of a biosynthetic polymer which contains traces of lead.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” Ruzek asked.

“It suppresses x-ray vision.” Hailey realized, leaning against her desk.

Voight’s jaw tensed, and he looked directly at Kara. “You’re positive about this?”

She nodded confidently. “I ran it twice. Then I confirmed it with Supergirl.”

“So, what does that mean, Boss?” Kevin asked, looking at the angry faces of Voight, Jay, Hailey, and Kara.

Ignoring the question, Voight stormed through the bullpen. “Kara, call our friend in blue. Tell her to meet me at the mayor’s office.”

Then he turned the corner and was gone.

Kara landed at the same moment Voight stepped out of his car and waited for him to join her on the steps of City Hall. As he walked up, she crossed her arms over her chest and held a steady gaze.

“Kara Halstead told me to meet you here.” She told him when he was finally in front of her. “I assume you have a plan?”

He nodded. “I do. Did she fill you in on what we found?”

“She did.” Kara’s curiosity got the better of her. “I thought you couldn’t trust me. Why have me here now?”

“Honestly? I’m not buying what the mayor is selling.” He told her. “He has an agenda that I am not on board with, and I know you aren’t either. It was pointed out to me recently that if I trusted you more, we’d be able to get more done. As long as you’re willing, I think I’m ready to start.”

Thinking back to her outburst during the Hellgrammite incident, Kara internally winced. “You’ve got a deal, Sergeant.”

“Good.” He gave a wry chuckle. “Now, let’s go see what our city’s leader has to say for himself.”

Being a police sergeant and Supergirl, they got through security pretty quickly and made their way through the building in search of the mayor’s office. Upon arriving, Voight sent her a look before storming into the room.

Having been caught by surprise, Lane jumped from his desk. “Sergeant Voight. I didn’t know we had a meeting today.”

“We didn’t.” Voight’s gruff voice helped to portray how angry he was at the man.

“Ah, Supergirl, I see you’ve come to screw up yet another operation?” Lane goaded.

“Not me this time, Mr. Mayor.” She smirked, crossing her arms again and standing solidarity beside her sergeant. “Though I do think you have some things to answer for.”

“Excuse me?” He shouted, rounding his desk to come near her. “You do not get to speak to me that way. Need I remind you that you aren’t even technically a citizen! If it were up to me, you would be locked up with the rest of your kind.”

“Well, it’s a good thing it isn’t up to you,” Voight told him.

Glaring at them, Lane sighed. “What can I do for you, Sergeant?”

Walking around him, Voight sat in one of the chairs at his desk, giving off the air of being in control. Following his lead, Kara sat in the one beside him, crossing one leg over the other with a devious glint in her eyes.

Once Lane was sitting across from them again, an angry yet timid expression on his face, Voight told him their reason for being there. “So, my tech genius analyzed the material on the arm Red Tornado left behind after fighting Supergirl the first time. You know what she found?”

“What, Sergeant?” Lane sounded annoyed.

“Traces of lead.” Kara enlightened him, seeing the curious look on his face. “What, were we not supposed to see that?”

“That material is top of the line…a prototype. How the hell did a tech nerd get through it?” He demanded an answer.

“Because she’s good at what she does,” Voight replied, sending a warm feeling through Kara’s chest. “Maybe you should get better employees.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Voight sat forward. “You lied to us, Mayor Lane. The military never contacted you with this project; you contacted them. You pitched the idea and funded it, letting them build it for you, am I right?”

“Now, hang on-”

“The traces of lead we found on it...it suppresses x-ray vision.” Voight reminded him. “The android wasn’t meant to fight insurgents. It was designed to kill Kryptonians.”

Kara’s stomach went icy as she now realized what Voight had figured out ahead of everyone else. The mayor wanted her dead, along with her cousin. It made sense when she thought about it, but it didn’t make the hurt lessen at all.

The only thing that helped was knowing that Voight was now on her side.

“You’ve got Fort Rozz aliens locked up in your bunker.” Lane barked out. “Monsters. Abominations. Some of them have wings. Some have horns. And others spit acid. Do you know the difference between them and her?” He smirked. “She’s blonde.”

“She saved countless civilians’ lives yesterday and continues to do so every day.” Voight reminded him while Kara sat hurting next to him. “She saved your life yesterday. You don’t owe her fear and contempt. You owe her a thank you.”

Voight stood suddenly, and Kara followed suit. Without waiting for his response, they walked out and ignored everyone who looked at them or tried to speak. When they finally made it outside, and a bit away from the building, she turned to him.

“Thank you.” She sighed. “You didn’t have to say that. I know you aren’t my biggest fan.”

“You saved my guy twice.” He told her, referring to Jay. “I can’t keep pushing you away. But I do have to ask. Do you have any idea where we go from here? Because I’m stumped.”

Looking around at the people walking past, the blonde nodded slowly. “You know…I think I have a way to find Red Tornado.”

Chapter Text

“The android isn’t acting alone.”

Standing in front of her friends and teammates, Kara gestured to the whiteboard. After analyzing the last few fights with Red Tornado, she’d come to see a pattern and had a pretty good idea of how to draw him out.

Now she just had to convince them to believe her tale.

“I came and looked at the arm with your techie.” She lied, hoping either Jay or Hailey would step in and help if she stumbled. “It’s a drone with an incredibly advanced GPS system.”

“So, hang on, what are you saying?” Ruzek questioned her.

“You’re looking for Frankenstein’s monster. You should be looking for Dr. Frankenstein.”

“So, Morrow is still controlling it.” Jay realized.

Kara nodded. “He has to be.”

“It’s also why it's targeting Mayor Lane.” Voight continued for her, having already discussed the plan with her before meeting with the team.

“Well, that makes sense,” Antonio added. “Morrow wants revenge on Lane for mothballing his project.”

Kim leaned back in her desk chair. “So, if we take out Dr. Morrow, we take out Red Tornado.”

“Okay, that’s great and all, but how are we supposed to find this Morrow?” Kevin asked them.

“We draw out the android,” Kara told him.

“I called Kara on the way over here,” Voight informed them. “She has her system working on a way to do that and also trace the relay signal he’s using to control it so we can follow it back to him.”

“No wonder she ran out of here so quickly.” Hailey shrugged, sending her a covert glance.

“Supergirl will keep Red Tornado occupied,” Voight told them, moving over Hailey’s comment. “until we can shut it down.”

“So, we back up Supergirl and Kara hacks Morrow’s system?” Ruzek wondered, trying to catch up to the plan.

“Unfortunately, no,” Voight told them. “Someone is going to have to go into the field to shut it down, and we can’t be sure it is safe enough to send her in. One of us will have to do it.”

“I’ll go.” Hailey offered, knowing Jay would want to be with his sister in the field. “Kara can walk me through the steps beforehand, and you guys can back up Supergirl.”

“Our best bet is to put this plan in action tomorrow.” Kara sighed. “Upton can get comfortable with the system, and Sergeant Voight can get in contact with the mayor to fill him in.”

“Everyone, go home and get some sleep,” Voight told them. “Hailey, Kara’s waiting for you downstairs to walk you through it. The rest of you, we’ll meet back here tomorrow and set up everything else.”

As everyone went their separate ways, he turned to Kara. “Think you can keep your cool this time?”

She gave one short, confident nod. “I’m not afraid of my anger anymore. I can use it. Channel it to work for me, not against me.”

“Good,” Voight smirked. “We’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

Standing in Mouch and Trudy’s garage, Kara stared at the setup they’d prepared for her. Though they weren’t her parents, she would forever see them as amazing stand-ins and would be forever grateful for everything they had and continued to do for her every day.

The second he’d heard from Trudy about Kara’s current issues, Mouch had set to work getting everything together for her. She’d have to pay him back later in some way.

“Wow!” Turning, she saw Jay enter the side door to the spacious garage, followed by Will. “How do Mouch and Platt end up with a massive garage in this city?”

“I thought Rock Balboa practicing on dead cows was cool,” Will commented, looking past the punching bag to the cut-in-half car Mouch had picked up from the junkyard and hung from the ceiling.

Kara shrugged as Jay set his stuff down and put protective gear on his hands. “Well, I can’t exactly join a kickboxing class.”

Chuckling, Will walked over to her. “You know, I never heard of Superman having to work out his rage off the battlefield.”

“First of all, that’s because you didn’t know who he was outside the cape before I came out.” She reminded him. “Second of all, that is because he’s a man.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jay asked, bouncing on his toes slightly to warm himself up.

“Girls are taught to smile and keep their anger on the inside.” She told them. “Go ask any other woman you know, and they’ll tell you the same thing.”

“I mean, it’s not like cops or doctors are encouraged to be angry in public.” Jay countered.

“Well, then this will work for all of us.” She smiled, gesturing to the setup and taking off her glasses. “Okay, so…say what you’re mad about and then let the fists fly.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jay told her, beating his fists together. “Let’s do this.”

Kara looked at Will. “Not joining us?”

He shook his head. “Uh, no. I’m just here for the free beer and to make sure this idiot doesn’t hurt himself.”

“Hey!” Jay protested.

Will just shrugged. “Hey, Kara can’t get hurt, so it’s just you I have to worry about. Now get going. I hear you both have a big day tomorrow.”

Taking his stance in front of the bag, Jay held his fists up. “I can’t stand Mayor Lane.”

“Ugh, I can’t stand him, either.” Kara scoffed and threw a bare-knuckled punch into the hood of the car.

“I hate how he acts like he’s the President or something.” Jay sent his fists flying again.

“I can’t stand the way he talks down to me like I’m the enemy.” Kara punched harder.

Jay threw a few more punches as he spoke. “And I really cannot stand how he talks about you and your cousin!”

Now that she was riled up, Kara’s fists flew and didn’t stop. “I hate how my emotions get the best of me. And I hate how the last thing time I interacted with Dad, I was yelling at him.”

Settling his punching bag, Jay paused. He glanced at Will before they both focused back on their sister, who had tears running down her cheeks as she rammed her fists into the broken vehicle.

They didn’t think she even knew they were there.

“I hate that I have to keep this secret from my friends. I absolutely cannot stand that I had to keep it from you for my entire life. I’m angry that I will never find what Will and Natalie have.” She continued, oblivious to her brothers’ concern. “And I hate that I am never going to get to have a normal life!”

Throwing her fist back, she slammed it into the dent she’d made, sending the engine and other vital parts flying out through the backside of the car.

This time Will didn’t wait for her to continue and stood. “Kara…”

Stumbling back, her breath came out in pants. “Oh, my God. Trudy was right.”

“Right about what?” Jay asked quietly.

“There is anger behind the anger.”

Confused, Will moved toward her. “Are you okay? Are there like, extra emotions that we don’t know about on Krypton?”

Shaking her head, Kara went and plopped onto the couch that Will had vacated. “No, no, I thought…I thought I was mad seeing…”

When she trailed off, Jay furrowed his brow. “Seeing what?”

She sighed. “Seeing you guys living your lives…dating, being engaged, not having to hide your real selves…it makes me realize that I am never going to have what you two have. Someone who knows everything about me. My perfect partner at a game night or during a night at Molly’s.”

Watching as she wiped her tears away, Will frowned. “Kara, you’ll find someone…”

“Growing up on Earth, I never felt normal.” She revealed, sending them into shock. “And though I promised Mom and Dad I wouldn’t, I always thought that if I started to use my powers, my life would make sense.

“But I’m realizing that…being myself doesn’t make me feel more normal. And it never will. Because my normal life ended the second my parents put me on that ship. And that makes me…so…mad. I hate that I will never have what you have…that I will have to sit by and watch you find the people you can share your every secret with while I am alone.”

“Kara, you are not alone,” Jay told her. “You have to know that.”

“You don’t understand, Jay. You can’t understand.” She said earnestly. “You guys are human. You don’t have to worry about someone finding out your true bloodline. You won’t have nightmares every night of your whole family—your whole world—blowing up in front of your eyes at such a young age.”

“You’re right.”

Looking up in surprise, both Jay and Kara stared at Will. “What?”

He nodded. “You’re right. We don’t have to worry about that, and I think we forget it because it’s easier to push it away. To us, you will always be our little sister. But I know that, at least for me, I never thought about how different your life has and will be from ours. And I’m sorry for that.”

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to smile. “Thank you.”

Throwing an arm around her shoulders, Jay squeezed lightly. “I promise that one day, you will find someone you can share everything with. It might not be right away, but I promise it will happen for you.”

“How can you be so sure?” She wondered, slipping her glasses back on.

“Because, as pessimistic as I can be, I can’t believe the universe would see you doing so much good and then deny you happiness. I just don’t believe it.” He said with a confidence that Kara couldn’t argue. “Now come on, Mouch told us there would be food and beer when we were done out here. Let’s go see what they’re cooking.”

Smiling genuinely now, she wrapped her arm around his waist, and they followed their brother out of the building.

Chapter Text

The following morning, Voight was standing in the bullpen, a smug look on his features as he watched the mayor and his team climb the stairs. He waited, in no hurry to follow the orders he knew would be coming his way.

This time, Intelligence was in charge. And from now on, that included Supergirl.

“Well, I’m here.” The man told Voight. “What was so important you had to pull me down here?”

“I think we may have a solution that will rectify your screw up.” The gruff man stated. “But we’ll need your help…”

Across town, Hailey stepped out of her car and looked at the GPS on her phone to make sure she could contact her team and find her target. “Signal’s in. I have a position on Morrow.”

As she entered the building where he was hiding, Lane stood in an alleyway cleared of all residents a few miles away. He waited as he saw the Red Tornado land before flying at him. But as it threw a punch, the robot flew right through him.

Realizing something was wrong, he landed and tried to punch again, resulting in the same outcome. Walking around to face the mayor, Red Tornado gave him a once-over and stuck its arm through the hologram again.

Back in the bunker, Lane saluted toward the machine Kara had set up for them that projected his hologram to the alleyway before she’d gone to ‘run the technology from the van.’ “How did you manage to project a thermally accurate 3D hologram of me over seventy miles away?”

Voight stared him down. “Technology from those Kryptonians you’re so scared of.”

He made a face at the sergeant before their attention was pulled to the screen monitoring the fight. A bullet ricocheted off the AI, causing him to turn and see Kara standing behind a rifle timed to send ammunition it's way.

Standing to look at her, Kara stepped to the side and went to face it. Knowing her team was watching from a safe distance away, she readied herself for the fight. “I think I got its attention.”

Then she flew straight at it while it copied her actions.

Hailey walked through the messy warehouse, her gun drawn in case of any attack. She knew that Kara was handling the actual robot, but she was apprehensive of what the doctor would have prepared for her.

Moving around a few shelves, she went to take a step forward when a voice spoke behind her. “That won’t do anything.”

Spinning to face Morrow, Hailey held her gun in front of her, unafraid of any consequences that would come with her actions. “You need to stand down.”

Ignoring her, Morrow gestured to the device he wore on his head. “Telepathic relay interface to control his cerebral matrix. If you want to stop him, you’ll have to cease any neural function from his creator. You’ll have to kill me.”

Not relaxing her stance, the blonde detective tried to reason with him. “You don’t have to throw your life away…”

He scoffed. “The Red Tornado is my life.”

Taking her by surprise, he grabbed a baton and swung at her, knocking the gun from her hand. As she fought him in hand to hand combat, Hailey knew they were smart not to send Kara in, as it would have been hard for her to fight him and keep her secret from everyone else.

As she fought the doctor, Kara copied her motions on the battlefield. Though she wasn’t aware of it yet, the combat that Morrow was using to fight Hailey was causing the Red Tornado to mimic him against the alien.

Trying to get the upper hand, Kara ducked as it threw a punch at her. Flying a few feet in the air, she stuck her foot out and flew back down, kicking it in the face and sending it sprawling along the concrete. As she flew at it, and it stuck its hands out to send tornado-like winds in her direction.

They continued to throw punches at each other before it was able to stand and launch her into an old dumpster. Approaching its prey, it lifted Kara by the throat, slamming her into the ground again.

Back in the warehouse, Hailey was trapped in Morrow’s hold as they fought over the gun. Knowing that Kara was most likely in a similar state as she was in that moment, she sent her elbow into his face and spun, pulling the trigger without a second thought.

Staring at the man as his body slumped, she heard Kara’s voice in her comms. “You did it.” Then a moment later, she spoke again. “It’s still going.”

Hearing Kara’s panicked voice and seeing the fight in front of him, Jay hurried to check in with his partner. “Hailey.”

He waited for a second before she responded. “No commands are being transmitted to the android. Supergirl, it’s become sentient.”

Groaning, Kara readied herself as the AI sent her flying along the ground again. Then she stood and stared at it across the alleyway. She knew she had to take it down here, or it would continue to wreak havoc on the city.

Watching from their position on a rooftop, Jay waited as Kara panted heavily. Then he held his breath as she planted her feet firmly into the ground and let her heat vision tear from her eyes directly into the center of the robot’s chest.

The bot faltered only slightly as it was hit, but as the team watched its movements with hopeful expressions, Jay’s eyes never left his sister. As she continued to blast him with her vision, she forced extra energy into her attack that left her screaming out at the effort and smoke rising from her eyes. He’d never seen her so upset, and it took everything in him to stay in his spot and not run to her and protect her from everyone and everything that had ever caused her pain.

On the ground, though her actions made it seem like her mind was in the fight, memories flew through her brain at a speed that rivaled her superspeed.

Hugging her mother goodbye on the launch pad as her home exploded around them.

Her parents' faces as they hugged each other in comfort, watching her pod take off, leaving them behind.

The image of Krypton’s final destruction. Pieces flying in every direction as she sped away from it.

Using those memories as a catalyst for her attack, she pushed herself harder than she ever had before, and only a moment later, the AI broke apart into small pieces that flew off in different directions around her. The force caused dumpsters and grass to catch fire, and everything shook as her powers dissipated from the area.

Dropping to the ground as she let up her attack, she heaved her breath in and out, allowing herself to recover from the intensity of her power.

“Supergirl, are you okay?”

Sitting up on her knees, Kara looked horrified as she took in her surroundings and saw what her powers and anger caused. Nodding rapidly for the rest of her team to see, she tried to get her heart to stop beating as fast as it was.

“I’m here.” She croaked out. “I’m…I’m okay. It’s over.”

Looking up to where the team was leaving their safe zone, she raised her hand and waved, letting a lingering Jay know that she was okay. Only then did he pack up his gear and follow everyone else off the roof.

Chapter Text

Kara sat at her computer as the team rolled back into the bunker. Watching them file in, she waited for Jay to enter the room and catch her gaze. Nodding back to him, she knew she couldn’t hide her true feelings from him, but she wanted him to be able to get through their debriefing before his worry for her took over.

They spoke with Mayor Lane for a little while before he left and then spoke together as a team for a bit longer. When they had finally finished going over the night’s insane events, Voight looked around at them and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“I want to make something very clear to you all. It hasn’t been a secret that some of us, myself included, have had issues with this whole alien-fighting business and having an actual alien on the team. That changes now.

“This team has always been about taking down the bad guys in this city and bringing justice to those who try to tear it down. That now includes beings from a different planet. We need to find a way to live with that and recognize that our jobs just got a lot harder.

“Now we’ve all heard some things said over the last few days from the mayor and his team. All of that—the lies, the rumors, the hate—leaves with them. Our unit is now working with Supergirl, and we need to get used to that. We can all have our own opinions and our views on how to do things, but one thing we cannot afford to argue about is having her on our team. I won’t have it. From now on, she is one of us. If anyone has an issue with that, feel free to put in for a transfer.”

Looking around, he saw everyone nodding in agreement.

Then Antonio spoke. “After today, she’s got my vote.”

“Okay,” Voight said, satisfied with their responses. “we’ve had a long day. Let’s go home and get some rest.”

Jay hung around until everyone had filed out, and when the last person was gone, he was moving toward his sister. Pulling her tightly to his chest, he felt her arms go around him and hold on just as tightly.

“I know it’s a stupid question,” he sighed. “but are you okay?”

He felt a shudder run through her body. “No.”

“Hey,” he pulled back and looked at her red-rimmed eyes, knowing how upset she was. “why don’t you come stay at my place tonight? We can call Will and Winn, order some Chinese food, and watch the game.”

She gave him a small smile and nodded. “Maybe just you and Will? I love Winn, but I think I just need a night with my brothers.”

“Fine with me.” He told her and led her out of the bunker. “More food for us.”

“Wait, so the robot developed a mind of its own?”

Nodding at her brother, Kara picked up her container of sweet and sour chicken and curled into the corner of Jay’s couch. “Yep. Even after Hailey shot the doctor, it kept going. I think the technology was so experimental, they didn’t even know what they were dealing with yet.”

“Wow.” Will set his beer down and shook his head. “How the hell did you even go about defeating it?”

Jay chuckled. “Oh, she didn’t defeat it. She destroyed it; blew it into a billion tiny pieces.”

“Wait, seriously?” Looking back and forth between his siblings, the redhead made sure they weren’t trying to trick him. “How did you manage that?”

“Heat vision.” She shrugged, not wanting to think of the memories that plagued her at the time.

“It was scary,” Jay told them and dodged a piece of chicken she threw at him. “Hey, I’m just being honest. There was smoke coming from your eyes.”

She blinked. “There was?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah. Have you ever pushed it that far before?”

“I’ve only been at this for like two months, Jay.” She reminded him. “And most of the times I’ve used it, you’ve been there.”

“I’m just saying,” he sighed. “I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of that fight.”

Now she smiled. “Well, the good thing is, you’ll never have to. I can’t imagine ever being so mad at you that I’d use my powers against you. At least not to a fighting extent.”

“Thank God. We wouldn’t last two seconds against you.” Will agreed. “And that’s without your powers.”

“You’re damn right.” She laughed.

She leaned forward to set her food on the table again when she accidentally knocked her bottle onto the hardwood floor. Wincing, she hurried to the floor.

“Shit. Sorry.”

Jumping up to grab a wad of paper towels, Jay shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not the first time.”

As she reached up for the towels, she slid her hand against a large piece of glass and gasped. “Ow!”

“What happened?” Will asked, taking his eyes off the game playing on the television to focus on his siblings.

Rising from the floor, the boys watched as she held up her hand, a small flow of red rolling down her finger. “I’m…bleeding.”

No one moved as they took in what this meant. If Kara could bleed, it meant her powers weren’t working. That also meant she wasn’t bulletproof, couldn’t fly, and was just as human as everyone else.

Coming back to reality faster than his younger siblings, Will moved forward and pressed one of the towels to her finger. “Hold this on there for a second. Jay, do you have a first aid kit?”

Nodding, the detective hurried to grab the box and was back in record time. He watched as Will pulled the towel off her finger and examined it, a practiced look of calm on his face.

“It’s just a cut.” He told them. “Just needs a bandage, which means no stitches, thankfully. It should heal in a few days.”

Kara didn’t speak. Since the sight of blood, she’d gone quiet.

Lowering himself to crouch beside her, Jay eyed her carefully. “K?”

“I’m bleeding.” She said again. “I’ve never bled before…at least not on this planet.”

Seeing the panic rise into her eyes, he was quick to reassure her. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sure your powers just need to recharge after today.”

“Jay’s right,” Will jumped in. “You just started using your powers, and suddenly you’re pushing them harder than ever. I bet you’ll be kicking our asses again tomorrow.”

Swallowing the lump that had risen in her throat, she nodded. “You’re right.”

She didn’t believe the words she said. She could only hope they were.

As the game came to an end, the boys picked up their garbage and carried it into the kitchen. Kara had fallen asleep about thirty minutes before that, and they’d draped a blanket over her, opting to move her into the spare bedroom later.

Neither wanted to admit they were worried about her.

“She’s not okay, is she?”

Turning, Will looked at his brother. “I don’t think so. Jay, she’s never been hurt before. She’s never even had a cold. What happens if her powers don’t come back?”

The other man shrugged, looking through the doorway to watch his sister sleep. “I don’t know, man. You should have seen her today. I’ve never seen anything like it. All her anger, all the things that have ever hurt her, they all came out in that fight. You could hear her screaming from our rooftop.”

“I know it hasn’t been that long, but I just got used to not having to worry about her getting hurt or worse,” Will admitted. “I’m not ready to go back to that feeling.”

Jay nodded. “Me neither. I’m also worried about how she’d take it. She already looks at herself as being in her cousin’s shadow. This will kill her.”

“So, we wait,” Will decided. “and hope that they come back. For her sake, and ours.”

“And the city’s,” Jay pointed out. “Now that she’s shown herself to the world if she suddenly goes away, these aliens we’re dealing with won’t hesitate to come at us full force. Especially her aunt.”

“So, let’s keep our fingers crossed, then.” Will sighed. “You want help getting her to bed?”

“Nah,” he shook his head. “she may eat enough to make a giant starve, but she barely weighs anything. I’ll get her.”

They finished cleaning up, and only when Will was finally on his way home did Jay approach his sister again. He watched her sleep and noticed how her face pinched together as though she didn’t like whatever image she was seeing in her head.

Glancing at the door to his spare bedroom, he leaned over and lifted her into his arms. She curled herself into his chest, full of trust even in her sleep. As a well of protectiveness filled his body, he sighed and turned, heading in the direction of his bedroom.

Laying her on one side of the mattress, he tucked her in and watched her unconsciously move until she was comfortable. He went about completing his nightly routine and then climbed under the covers on his own side of the bed.

As he turned out the light, he flipped around until he was settled and finally closed his eyes. Just as he was starting to drift off, he felt a hand reach out and grab his. Looking down at his sister, he saw that she was still asleep, but now her face was calm and relaxed.

If nothing else, it helped to give him enough peace to sleep without worry.

Chapter Text

“The loss of your powers is undeniably traumatic. You may feel confused, or even frightened they’re lost forever.”

Sitting cross-legged on the floor of the bunker, Kara let a tear slip from her eye as she looked up at the image of her mother. It had been a few days since she’d bled at Jay’s house, and since then, her powers had still not returned. Though her loved ones had tried to take her mind off of it, she had never felt more helpless in her life.

“Your battle with the android drained your Kryptonian cells of their solar energy. You are now as vulnerable to your environment as any human, subject to pain, sickness, death. But have faith, Kara. Once your cells have reabsorbed sufficient radiation from Earth’s yellow star, your powers should return.

“Do not be afraid. Lean on those you trust. It is my deep regret that I am unable to be there with you myself, my beloved daughter. As always, my collected knowledge is at your disposal for further analysis.”

“Thank you,” Kara said and sighed when the image of her mother disappeared. “Mom.”

“She’s right, you know.”

Turning, Kara looked at her brother, sadly. “Hi.”

“How long have you been here?” Kara didn’t need superpowers to see the concern hidden behind his façade of normalcy.

She shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Sighing at her brush-off, Jay walked forward and grabbed her hand, helping her up from the floor. “Come on; you’ll be fine. You know that. This happens to Superman too, where he loses his powers for a couple days, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s been two days, and I don’t feel any different.” She told him as they left the room and made their way to the main precinct in order to be on time for work.

“You’re just going crazy because none of us have left you alone all weekend.” He told her, and she knew he didn’t feel bad about it.

“It’s okay,” she shook her head. “I know you’re all just worried.”

“Yeah, well, now you get to be out here in the real world and see what it’s like to be human.” He teased as they walked up the stairs to their bullpen. “You might learn a thing or two about what it’s like for the rest of us.”

“Great, just what I need.” She joked back, but her tone lacked the humor she wanted.

As she reached her desk, she froze and looked up at Jay. Something felt weird in her body, and she didn’t know what it was, but her head instantly went fuzzy.

“What’s wrong?” He asked quickly, grabbing her elbow to steady her in case she fell.

Blinking twice, her face contorted, and she lifted her sleeve to her face to cover her nose.

This time it was Jay who blinked at her. “What the hell kind of noise was that?”

“I sneezed.” Kara realized as she’d never experienced it before.

He scoffed. “That was not a sneeze. That was someone’s house exploding.”

Smacking him lightly, Kara rolled her eyes. “Shut up. I’ve been around lots of people this weekend, and my immune system never had to deal with this before.”

“You sick, Little Halstead?” Ruzek asked, looking at them from his desk.

Even as she glared at him, she could feel her eyes water for another sneeze. “Stop calling me that.”

Then she sneezed again, and Jay grabbed a box of Kleenex. She slumped into her chair with a pout on her face that made her brother laugh.

“You look like Owen when he doesn’t get a treat when he wants one.” He chuckled, referencing their soon-to-be nephew.

“I don’t like being sick!” She told him as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Yeah, well, deal with it.” He shrugged as Voight walked out of the breakroom.

“Someone sick?”

Antonio gestured in her direction. “Kara’s got a cold.”

Frowning at her, the older man sipped his coffee. “Why don’t you go home? It’s a slow day…we’ll survive without you.”

“But…” she paused. “are you sure?”

“Do it,” Jay told his sister. “You’ll feel better if you rest and spend some time not fielding questions from a bunch of people.”

She knew he was not only referencing the unit but everyone who had shown up to check on her over the weekend. “Okay.”

Nudging her shoulder, he lowered his voice. “Call if you need anything, okay?”

She nodded as she grabbed her stuff. “Thanks.”

Kara sighed as she waited in line at the coffee shop. She’d never taken a day off since she landed on Earth, and though she craved alone time, she didn’t know what to do with it. Finally moving up to place her order, she told the barista what she wanted, and with a quick glance at the door, waved the person over.

“I’ll grab his order, too.”

“Thanks.” The man gave his order, moving to follow Kara to the end of the counter to wait on their drinks. “Much better than the stuff at Med. I’m guessing it’s the same for the district, seeing as you’re getting your coffee here instead of there.”

“You have no idea.” She told him, nodding at the scrubs he wore. “Just getting off shift?”

“Yeah,” Connor admitted. “What are you doing here? Intelligence not working today?”

Instead of responding, Kara sneezed again. “Ugh. I hate colds.”

He nodded in understanding. “Ah, I see. I’m guessing Voight sent you home. What got you sick? I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard about you getting so much as a hangnail.”

“You’re hilarious.” As they grabbed their drinks, Kara rolled her eyes. “I had a constant stream of visitors in my apartment this weekend.”

“Rough weekend?” He wondered as they walked down the street.

“You could say that.” She fiddled with her glasses. “It was the anniversary of my family’s death and my adoption. It just hit a little harder this year, I guess.”

“Wait, you’re adopted?” He smiled. “I didn’t know that.”

She shrugged. “Not many people do; we don’t advertise it because sometimes it’s easy to forget.”

“Yeah, well, you landed a good one.” He told her. “A family, I mean. Will and Jay are good guys.”

“The best brothers ever.” She told him. “But also, annoying if you’re having a crappy time and they’re concerned.”

“Well, just lay low and get better, and they’ll go back to normal.” He assured her as they waited at a crosswalk.

“Yeah. You’re right.” She gave in, listening to the advice that everyone was giving her. “Intelligence can survive without me for one day.”

Just as she spoke the words, the ground started to shake, and both individuals lost their footing, hitting the sidewalk. Around them, tires screeched on the cars that spun out of their lanes, and one edge of a bridge crumbled like dough.

As she stood, Kara looked around at people running, screaming, and trying to regain their footing as the quake came to a stop. Knowing she didn’t have her powers and couldn’t fly off and help anyone was pushing guilt back into her head and heart, and she felt her hands curl into fists.

Looking around to check on Connor, her eyesight caught a break in the ground, quickly making its way across the pavement. Her jaw dropped, feeling the shock of knowing that something like this didn’t happen in Chicago normally, and wondering if this could have been alien-related.

However, she didn’t have much time to ponder the thought as she heard another screech of tires. Turning, she watched in frozen terror as an SUV came barreling toward her and wondered if this were the way she would die.

She was a freaking alien who saved the world on a daily basis, could deflect bullets and fly and shoot lasers from her eyes, and she would die by being hit by a car. She couldn’t believe this was how things had turned out.

Then, out of nowhere, something hard slammed into her side, and she hit the ground again with a loud crunch.

Chapter Text

Connor's ears were ringing, and it took him a second to realize what was happening. He remembered talking to Kara before the ground started to shake, and they’d both fallen over. Looking around in a panic, he saw her standing and staring at everyone running past them.

Then he saw the SUV heading right for her, and he scrambled up, tackling her to the ground as the vehicle hit the fire hydrant behind them.

Water sprayed out around them, and he moved to help her up. “You okay?”

Her face was pinched in pain. “No, no.”

“Might be broken.” He told her before the realization of reality hit him. “Oh, God.”

Tearing his jacket off, he gently grabbed her arm and tied the fabric around her in a make-shift sling. Helping her up, he looked at the arm she held against her body and frowned. “We should get you to Med.”

Even in her pain, she knew that couldn’t happen. “No. I’m okay.”

“Kara, you’re seriously injured.” He told her, worried she’d hit her head.

“Gee, I hadn’t noticed.” She rolled her eyes. “Listen, Will and Natalie live not far from here. We can go there.”

“Kara-”

“Connor, I can’t go to the hospital, okay?” She snapped, moving in the direction they would need to go in to get to her brother’s house.

Hurrying after her, Connor shook his head. “Listen, as both a doctor and your friend, I don’t feel comfortable with this.”

Groaning in frustration, she spun and pinned him against a building. “I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you.”

“Why are all of you Halsteads so stubborn?” He asked her.

“Connor, do I have to physically have the ‘S’ on my chest to get you to listen and trust me?” She asked him in a hushed voice, looking around to make sure no one could hear them.

He stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth and then closing it again. He did it two more times before Kara rolled her eyes again and walked away.

Connor followed behind her, still struggling to find something to say.

“Anybody home?”

Walking into Will’s house, Kara and Connor could hear Owen crying upstairs and knew that the poor kid was frightened about the experience.

“Kara?” Will’s voice echoed down the stairs just before he appeared, and his body showed confusion at seeing Connor. “Connor?”

“Your sister’s a pain in the ass, Halstead.” The other doctor told him in lieu of a greeting and walked to the kitchen.

Looking at his sister, he noticed the sling and hurried forward. “What the hell happened?”

“Connor tackled me.” She shrugged, wincing at the pain in her arm.

Walking her into the kitchen so they could look at her arm, the redhead shook his head. “That doesn’t explain anything to me.”

Sitting at one of the barstools at the counter, the blonde sighed. “He saved my life and then argued with me the entire way here.”

“Thanks, man,” Will told him, ignoring the last part of her sentence as he moved the limb around.

“Ow! Watch it, will you?” She shouted at him.

“Well, it’s definitely broken.” He told her calmly.

“Will?”

Turning, the three people in the kitchen watched as Natalie walked into the room.

Kara winced. “Sorry, Nat.”

“Kara! What happened? Was this because of the quake?” She asked, rushing forward to help.

Connor nodded. “We had to dodge a car and hit the ground. She took most of the fall.”

“Connor, why didn’t you take her to Med?” The woman asked, grabbing a glass of water for her almost-sister.

Will sighed. “Our place was probably closer-”

“Because my alien DNA wouldn’t look too good on a lab report in my file.”

The room went silent as each person had a different look on their face. Connor look exasperated, Natalie was confused, and Will was sending her a questioning glance.

“Hang on, what?” Natalie looked at her carefully. “Connor, did she hit her head?”

“Nat,” Kara faced her. “I’m being serious. You know Supergirl?”

“You sure about this?” Will asked his sister, handing Connor’s jacket back to him as he wrapped one of his own shirts around her as a sling.

“She’s family, Will.” The blonde said quietly. “And it was the only way to shut this one up on the way here.”

“Kara, you…” Nat was shocked. “You’re her?”

She nodded. “Yeah…I’m sorry we didn’t tell you until now.”

Wrapping her arms around the injured woman gently, Natalie shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why?” Now Kara was confused.

Natalie pulled back and looked sad. “Because I know how much you’ve lost and how hard it must have been to keep this from people.”

“Thanks, Nat.” Kara smiled. “You two are just the latest to find out. I’m sure everyone in our group will know soon enough at this rate.”

“Okay, can I ask my question now?” Connor asked, moving forward. “I thought you were bulletproof.”

“That’s not a question.” Kara quipped. “I lost my powers fighting Red Tornado.”

“Shit.” He let the word slip from his lips accidentally. “So, you lose your powers, and two days later, you’re both sick and injured.”

“You’re sick?” Will looked back at her in concern.

“Yeah, I’m just going to stick an ‘out of order’ sticker on my forehead and call it a day.” She nodded and winced as she jostled her arm before glaring at her brother. “You know, you could have told me how much this hurts.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, well, I didn’t know you’d ever need to know.”

“I hate you.” She told him. “Now, can someone give me a ride back to the district? I have a feeling they’re going to need me.”

“Do you guys have any prisoners there right now?” Will wondered, worried that a breach may have happened.

She shook her head, causing them to feel relieved. “No, thank Rao. But I have a feeling they’re going to get pulled in to help, and this would be the perfect opportunity for my aunt to strike.”

“Your aunt?” Natalie looked at her fiancé. “I didn’t know you had an aunt.”

“My biological aunt.” Kara sighed. “Long story short, she was put in prison by my mother, and the prison survived when Krypton died, and apparently, I accidentally brought it here with me. Now she’s pissed and wants to take over the world. It was a great family reunion.”

“What happens if your powers don’t come back?”

“Connor!” Will scolded his friend.

“It’s okay, Will.” Kara looked down. “They will. They have to, or I don’t know what I’m going to do. And once they do come back, this arm will heal, and I’ll be back to normal.”

“Kara…”

“Will. You’ve talked your breath away this weekend. I don’t want to hear it again.” She told him. “I talked to Kal last night. He said his solar flares started this way, too.”

“Solar flares?”

Kara nodded at Natalie. “Yeah, he likes to name all our powers. ‘Solar flares,’ ‘heat vision,’ you get the point.”

“What a nerd.” She laughed, and Kara joined her.

“Thank you! That’s what I’ve been saying!”

Rolling his eyes, Will grabbed his keys. “Just for that, I’m telling him you said that. Now come on, I’ll give you guys a lift wherever you need to go. My shift starts soon enough, anyway.”

Waving at Natalie with her good hand, Kara followed her brother and Connor out of the house, groaning as they started complaining about her. She loved having more people know her secret, but now Will could complain about her even more, and as a sister, she couldn’t stand it.

Chapter Text

Holding her broken arm against her body, Kara took in the pandemonium that was the precinct. There were citizens, both injured and not, piling into the lobby, searching for a safe space to rest or get help. Every officer had been called in, it seemed, and was in use as they tried to quell any worries that people might have.

Walking up the front steps, the blonde carefully pushed her way through the crowd as she made her way towards the gate leading to Intelligence. She was halfway there when someone shoved past her, sending her and her injured arm into the front desk.

“Dammit!” She hissed, cradling her arm closer.

“Hey! Watch it over there. I’m serious.”

Kara sighed as Platt looked her over. “Thanks. This is insane.”

“What the hell happened to you?” Platt asked quickly while trying to solve any issue she came across simultaneously.

“I got tackled out of the way of a car.” She responded as simply as possible.

“You have to be careful.” Her mentor scolded. “You headed upstairs?”

“Unless you need me down here?” Kara partially joked.

“Get up there. I’m sure they need you.”

Nodding to the woman, Kara sucked in a breath and pushed her way back into the crowd. She managed to reach the stairs without another incident and went to punch in her code when the gate buzzed and opened for her.

Turning to look at Platt, the grey-haired woman had already moved on to something else but held up her hand to show she’d helped her out. Smiling for a second, Kara finally moved up the stairs and heard everyone talking before seeing them.

“There are a string of calls coming in about robberies, fire, massive crowds, et cetera,” Voight told the team. “We need to get out there and help. It sounds like a nightmare out there.”

“I can confirm that.” She told him, and the whole unit turned to face her. “The lobby alone is a disaster.”

“What the fuck happened to you?” Jay hurried over to meet her at her desk and ghosted his fingers over her arm.

“It broke when Connor tackled me.” She rolled her eyes. “Saved my life but broke my arm.”

“Why aren’t you at Med?” Voight questioned her.

She had to fight against her natural urge to shrug. “Connor, Nat, and Will looked at it and said I would live. They dropped me off, and I promised I’d get it looked at later.”

“Kara…” Jay looked conflicted.

“Oh, don’t you start, too.” She warned him. “I had to tell them my deepest secrets for them to let me go.”

Understanding and realization jumped into his eyes, and he nodded. “Okay. But if it gets worse, you’re going, and we’ll figure it out.”

“Thank you.” She sat gently in her desk chair and turned her computer back on. “Now, get out there. I’ll monitor both civilian and alien issues that come in and let you guys know where to go.”

The unit knew not to mess with her, so everyone filed out except for Jay, Hailey, and Voight. She ignored their presence until Voight tapped his knuckles on the table.

“Are you sure you’re okay to stay and do this?” He asked her, concern coloring his usually tense face.

“I’m good.” She didn’t have to force the steel into her eyes. “Besides, a broken arm is nothing compared to what’s happening out there.”

“If you need to go, you go. Do you understand me?” He made sure they were looking directly into each other’s eyes to make the promise. “I’m not messing with anybody’s health in this.”

She nodded. “I promise you; I won’t need to.”

Accepting her answer, he stormed out of the room. Facing her brother and his partner, the alien sighed. “I promise you, I’m fine. As soon as my powers come back, it will heal. You need to go out there and help, Jay. This city is going crazy right now.”

“Call me if you need me.” He said adamantly. “I’m serious. Don’t try and play hero right now.”

“I won’t. Now, go!”

Taking a deep breath as they left, she only had to wait a second before her phone was ringing off the hook, and she dove in to handle each call.

“Yes, I will direct some officers to your location as quickly as possible,” Kara told the crying woman on the phone. “Make sure you keep him warm, calm, and awake.”

She finished answering the call and turned when she saw someone came running up the stairs. “Trudy?”

“Please tell me someone is up here.” She begged quickly.

“No, they’re all out. Why? I can send them somewhere; just tell me.” Kara understood her panic.

She’d spent the last two hours answering phone calls and trying to calm people against everything from ‘what if’ questions to severe injuries. As Supergirl, she did this all the time, but she wasn’t used to doing it while powerless.

Platt sighed. “The bodega a block over is being robbed, with hostages, and I have no one to go there.”

“I’ll let them know right now.”

“Thanks.”

Kara tapped her headset. “Guys, is anyone available to get over to that bodega around the corner from here? They’re being robbed, and there are multiple hostages.”

“Negative, we’re all on calls still.”

She winced and looked at Platt in sympathy. “According to Voight, everyone is held up on calls still.”

“Dammit.” Platt cursed.

Kara watched as the woman tried to figure out what to do. Watching her struggle was painful for the young woman, so much so that she tore the headset off and stood. “Screw this.”

“Kara?”

Ignoring her, Kara took off the sling before tearing off her clothes and tucking them in her desk drawer. Then she stormed out of the room.

“Kara, don’t you dare!” Platt hurried after her. “You don’t have your powers.”

“Yes, thank you for reminding me.” The blonde turned to her. “Listen, this weekend, you told me that I cannot stop trying to help people.”

“Yes, when you get your powers back.” The sergeant argued. “You’re not bulletproof right now! You could get shot.”

“I can’t do nothing.” Kara shot back, trying to move past her.

Platt stopped her again. “Honey, you getting killed is not going to help anybody.”

“I have to try.”

“Kara, the bullets are not going to bounce off you this time.”

“They don’t know that.”

“Kara!” Platt watched as the girl she loved like a daughter dodged her and ran out of the building.

Pulling out her phone, she dialed Jay and waited until he picked up.

“Platt?”

“Please tell me you can get back here.” She skipped the pleasantries. “You need to get to that bodega robbery.”

“Kara told us about that. Hailey and I just finished at our scene; we’ll head there now.”

“Step on it. Kara just put on the suit.” She made her way back to the lobby.

“Goddammit. We’ll be there in a few.”

“Jay…”

“Don’t worry; I’ve got her.”

In their car, Jay smacked his hand on the wheel. “Goddammit, Kara.”

Hailey looked at him. “Hey, we’ll get there. Those guys don’t know she doesn’t have her powers.”

“Yeah, well, if they don’t end up killing her, I might.” He told his partner. “This is exactly what I told her not to do!”

“Right, because you wouldn’t have done the same exact thing.” She quipped. “It’s a Halstead trait. You’re all too stubborn for your own good.”

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response.” He told her as he sped around a corner.

“All I’m saying is that you can’t judge her because both you and Will do the same thing.” She stood up for her friend. “Can you imagine how hard it is for her to sit on the sidelines during this whole thing?”

Jay just tightened his hands on the wheel and stared straight ahead. He hadn’t had to worry about her in a long time, and now she was throwing herself head-first into danger without her powers.

He was seriously considering locking her up forever.

“Get behind the counter!”

“Please don’t do this to my store!” The defenseless owner cried as he stared down the gun in front of him.

“Shut up!” The man behind the weapon yelled. “Don’t make me shoot you.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Turning to the doorway, the men held up their weapons in Kara’s direction. “That’s not going to work on me.”

“Stay back.” The man told her. “Don’t come any closer.”

Moving forward with one hand outstretched to him, she kept her eyes locked on his and ignored the shaking in her other hand. “You don’t want to hurt these people.”

“Hey!” The man moved his eyes to something behind her and looked panicked.

“Put the gun down.” Jay’s voice reached her ears, and she was annoyed.

“Stand down, detectives.” Kara pulled the man’s focus back to her. “Don’t look at them; look at me. I know you’re scared. We all are.”

Shooting his eyes down for only a second, Jay saw her hand shaking and wanted to interfere, but knew the man could get spooked and shoot her.

“You want to save yourself, your family.” She continued, ignoring her brother. “But don’t you see that we are all in this together? There are about a dozen ways that I could stop you right now. But I don’t think I have to.

“Because this is not you.” Then she looked around at the other men. “This isn’t any of you. I believe that we are better than this. We choose who we want to be. And I know you’re going to choose to be a better man.”

Holding her hand out for the gun, Kara and the detectives behind her held their breaths as they watched the gunman struggle to decide what to do. Then, slowly, he lowered the weapon and allowed her to take it from him.

Then he held his hands up and allowed Jay and Hailey to run over and cuff him and his friends.

Turning to look at her, Hailey smirked. “Damn. You’ve got a way with words.”

Smiling lightly, Kara took a deep breath and followed them out of the store.

Chapter Text

“That was…that was better than catching a plane.” Back in her civilian clothes with the sling, Kara spoke with Hailey as they stood in the Roundup, waiting for Jay to finish locking up the men they’d brought in. “You know what, that was better than the time I stopped the hold-up at the pizzeria, and the owner gave me twelve pizzas.”

“That was good pizza.” The other blonde admitted. “You know Jay is going to kill you for this.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, it’s been a long time coming, let’s be honest.”

“You’re not worried about that?”

She snorted in laughter. “I’ve had worse nightmares about failing AP Chem in college.”

“Are you clinically insane or just incredibly annoying?”

Throwing the door open with a loud bang, Jay stormed in and came right for her.

“I don’t know,” Kara replied with humor in her voice. “probably both.”

“Do you seriously think this is a joke?” He hollered at her. “That was the exact thing I told you not to do!”

“Did you really think I’d listen?” She argued back. “Besides, don’t act like you wouldn’t have done the same exact thing!”

“Told you.” Hailey shrugged.

“Stay out of this.” Jay snapped at her before turning back to his sister. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Of course not. But I cannot sit by while people out there need my help. I’m sorry if that bothers you, but now you know how I felt about you and Will before I came out.” She glared at him. “You can’t ask me not to be who I am, Jay.”

“And you can’t ask me not to worry about you and try to keep you safe!” Both women could see the pain and fear in his eyes. “I cannot lose you, Kara.”

“I’m sorry.” She said quietly. “Not having my powers is killing me. I had to do something.”

He sighed and went to speak again when the building shook for the second time that day, and all three of them struggled to stay standing. It lasted only a few seconds, but when it finished, they were worried.

“What was that?” Jay asked, looking around for any damage.

“That wasn’t an aftershock; that was an explosion,” Hailey told him, looking at Kara.

She nodded. “It’s got to be the gas line.”

They moved to the staircase, but as they approached, a groan filled Kara’s ears, and she looked up to see a cabinet about to topple on Jay and Hailey, who walked in front of her.

“Watch out!”

Running forward, Kara shoved them away, and the cabinet fell, landing on her body.

“Kara!” Jay shouted in fear, but before he could rush to lift it, it flew into the air, hitting the wall.

Standing in front of them, Kara stood in her suit with a smirk on her face, the sling gone and her powers back in full force. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“It must have been what you needed.” Hailey smiled. “Welcome back. There’s a city out there that really needs you.”

Nodding at them, she shot out through the open door and flew over the destruction. Seeing a school bus teetering off the broken edge of a bridge, she flew to it and caught it just as it was about to fall. Hearing the kids inside questioning what happened, she went over to the window and smiled at them before flying away to help everyone else.

As the team packed up to leave for the night, Jay walked over to Kara’s desk. “You want to come with us to Molly’s? I’ll buy you a drink to celebrate the return of your powers.”

Smiling at him, she sighed and shook her head. “Rain check? I have something I have to do.”

Following her gaze, he nodded in understanding. “You want backup?”

“No, I’ll be okay.”

Tapping his fingers on the desk, he sighed. “Okay. Call me after.”

“I will.” She leaned back in her chair. “Tell Will I’m back to full strength, okay? I know he’s worrying about it.”

“You got it.” He promised. “Good luck.”

Kara waited until everyone but she and Voight had gone home before standing and walking over to his office. Knocking on the open door, she watched as he looked up from his paperwork.

“Got a minute?” She asked, hope in her voice.

He nodded, gesturing for her to come in and have a seat. “How’s your arm?”

Plopping into the chair on the other side of his desk, she shrugged. “That’s what I came here to talk about…sort of.”

“I’m listening.” He leaned back in his chair and gave her his full attention, which she appreciated.

“I lied to you.” She admitted. “I’ve been lying to you for months now.”

“You know what I tell everyone, Kara,” Voight told her carefully. “If you’re in trouble, tell me so that I can lie for you.”

She nodded and stood, turning to walk and look out the doorway into the empty bullpen. “I know. But this wasn’t something that I was comfortable sharing with everyone yet. But with the number of people who know now…and after today…

“I am Supergirl.”

“Kara, I know that it can be hard to stay behind while your brothers and everyone go out and help the city, but you don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not.” He started, and Kara rolled her eyes.

Unbuttoning the front of her shirt, she turned and watched as he stilled at the symbol on her chest. The room fell into silence as she waited for him to speak. She knew how he was when he found out the people closest to him, the people he trusted, were lying. Now she could only hope he would forgive her.

“I’m sorry.” She said after a few minutes.

As she sat again, his eyes locked onto hers. “Explain this to me, please.”

She couldn’t read how he felt, so she opted for buttoning her shirt again as she spoke. “When you and Antonio interrogated me, I told you the truth. My name is Kara Zor-El, I came from the planet Krypton, just like my cousin, and I really did only reveal my powers because Jay was in danger. I couldn’t let him die. I’ve lost too many family members already.”

“And your aunt?”

She fiddled with her glasses and then made a face as she ended up putting them on his desk. “I guess I can take those off…you know Eliza Halstead made those for me when I first moved in? They help to block out all the extra input I receive without them.

“I didn’t know Astra was alive. All I knew was that Kal and I made it out before everything was destroyed. My mother told me that my aunt had disappeared. I just assumed she was on Krypton somewhere when it exploded. I don’t know what she wants with Earth, but it can’t be good.

“Sarge, my parents sent me to Earth to take care of my cousin and maybe, just maybe, protect this planet as they couldn’t protect ours. That is all I am trying to do. I thought that the world didn’t need anyone other than my cousin, but now I realize that it does.”

“Why didn’t you just tell us that? Why lie and make your brothers lie?” He wondered. “Why not trust us?”

“The boys only found out that same day I saved Jay. They didn’t know any of this. My parents and I kept it from them. As for everyone else…” Kara considered her answer carefully. “When you’re an alien, and you’ve lost your world, and you’re dropping into a new one, you don’t have a choice.

“When you are an alien, you’re willing to sacrifice anything, everything, betray your fundamental instincts just to fit in. To belong somewhere, to find your place in this world. But I realized that if I was going to trust others with this secret, you should be one of them. If you want me to tell the team, I will.”

“But you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust them or don’t want them to know. It’s just dangerous for me, especially when more people know than don’t.” She looked down. “I’m sure I’ll tell them eventually, I’m just…not ready yet.”

“I can respect that.”

“What?” Lifting her head, she saw that he was pulling out a bottle of scotch from his desk.

“I understand having secrets.” He told her. “I’m only angry that I didn’t figure it out sooner.”

Unable to stop herself, Kara let a smile fall onto her lips. “Trudy figured it out immediately.”

“Of course, she did.” Voight chuckled. “So…drink?”

“I wouldn’t say no.” Now she was able to relax.

“Does alcohol even affect you?” He asked as he handed her the glass.

“Nope.” She smirked. “But I can always appreciate a good alcohol.”

“Good.” He gave a rare smile. “So who does know about your secret?”

“Let’s see…Jay and Will, obviously. I told Winn right away. Trudy told me right after that case with Vartox. Hailey figured it out soon after that, and then we told Mouch. Then today, when I broke my arm,  I had to tell Natalie and Connor.”

“What happened today?”

“I lost my powers when I fought that Red Tornado last week.” She bit her lip.

“Well, then, this must have been an interesting thing to explain to Jay.” He dropped his phone on the desk.

Looking over at it, she stared at a picture of her that was being spread around the internet. “You know, I’ve seen a lot of pictures of myself recently, but this one…this one feels different.”

“That’s because it’s you, not Supergirl, who was able to stop that robbery.” He told her. “From what I was told, you’d make a good hostage negotiator. But I’m glad that we have you on the team. I am selfish enough to admit that.”

“Thank you.” She told him. “That means a lot.”

Voight held up his glass. “To your powers coming back.”

Kara did the same. “To trust.”

Chapter Text

“This is ridiculous.”

Two days following the quake, Will insisted that Kara come to Med to make sure her arm was, in fact, fully healed. Though they both knew it was, the older brother in him needed to know for sure. As it was against the rules for a doctor to treat their own family members, Kara sat still as Natalie checked her arm.

“Just indulge me, will you?” He asked, giving her a look over his fiancée’s shoulder.

“You’re overreacting.” She told him.

“No, I’m not.” He insisted, crossing his arms. “Nat, tell her you would have done the same thing.”

As Kara rolled her eyes, Natalie smiled. “Sorry, babe. I’m going with your sister on this one. You know, the literal alien?”

“Oh, come on.” The redhead groaned as Kara laughed.

“I told you!”

“Yeah, whatever.” He watched as Natalie stepped back. “Well?”

“Well, she’s perfectly fine.” The brunette told him. “Actually, she inhumanly fine. The only thing that is wrong is that she’s missing work to be here.”

“Thank you, Nat.” Kara nodded at her. “I’m sorry my brother wasted your time and took you away from your other patients.”

“It’s no problem.” The woman told her. “He would have worried even longer, and then I’d have to hear about it at home.”

“Oh, shit, that’s true.” Kara agreed with her.

“Hey!” Will interrupted them, a disapproving look on his face. “I don’t appreciate you guys making fun of me.”

As Natalie washed her hands, she grinned. “Sorry, babe. Kara, are you coming for dinner this weekend?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.” She smiled. “Text me with whatever you want me to bring.”

“Will do.” Natalie moved to the door. “I’m going to check on my other patients. I’ll make sure Maggie has your discharge papers at the desk, okay?”

“Thanks, Nat.” Will smiled at her, and Kara could see the love between them.

It made her heart warm considerably.

“You got lucky, you know.”

Turning to her, Will nodded. “I know.”

Slipping her light blue cardigan back on, Kara stood and laid her hand on his shoulder. “She’s way too good for you.”

Will shook her off. “Oh, be quiet.”

“Hey! All I’m saying is that she could have chosen anyone, and she chose an overbearing, overprotective, alien-sister-having nutjob.” Kara dodged as he swatted at her head.

“Don’t insult me.” He teased as they left the exam room and approached the desk. “You know what they say about respecting your elders.”

“You know, thanks to my time in the Phantom Zone, I’m technically older than you.” She smirked as he grabbed her paperwork from Maggie.

“Thanks, Maggie.” He shook his head. “Technically, I don’t care.”

Rolling her eyes again at how annoying he could be, she went to speak when a voice filled her ears. ”You need to leave, David.”

“No, listen, listen, they’re giving me full-time hours.”

“That’s enough! You need to leave.”

“No, no. This isn’t about me.”

“Maggie.” Kara looked at her in concern. “Call security.”

The trio turned to look at the exam room Natalie walked out of as an older man shoved a teenager out after them. “He’s the one leaving.”

“Hey, Maggie, call security?” Natalie asked quickly.

“Already on it.” The nurse told her.

“Alright, I’m going to need you to wait in the lobby, okay?” Natalie told the young man.

“But that that that's my baby!” He argued, and the hair on Kara’s neck started to rise.

“Not anymore.” The older man told him.

“What does that mean?” The boy’s voice was rising in panic. “What does that—what does that mean? Lily?”

The pregnant girl in the room looked at him sadly. “I’m giving the baby up.”

Kara’s eyes flipped between the two sides, carefully watching them both for any signs of movement.

“Did he talk you into this?” The boy, David, asked her as he gestured to the girl’s father. “I’m the father! I have a say!”

The man grabbed him now, and Kara instinctively took a step forward as two security guards rushed over and held him, turning to take him outside. He screamed the entire way, and Kara felt terrible for both parties.

Natalie looked at her sadly, and Kara nodded. Because Natalie was a mother and Kara’s parents had given her up, they both understood the hard choice made here and the indescribable agony of losing your child.

“Hey, what are you doing back here?”

Fiddling with her glasses, Kara leaned against the nurse’s desk. She had walked out of the ED not long after the earlier commotion, but something in her gut told her to stick around, so she’d turned around almost immediately.

“I wanted to make sure Natalie was okay.” Kara only slightly fibbed. “We both understand the connection between a parent and child and how hard the decision is to give up that child, so I figured she might need someone to talk to.”

“You know what that’s like?” Maggie wondered, her tone filled with compassion.

The blonde nodded. “I’m adopted. My parents had to send me away when I was twelve just before they died, so I know what it’s like to have to make that decision but have no choice.”

“I’m so sorry.” The other woman told her. “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, no one really does.” She shrugged.

“You guys hide it well.”

“We didn’t, and still don’t, mean to hide it,” Kara told her. “We just don’t advertise it because it doesn’t feel like we aren’t blood-related.”

“I can see that.” Maggie smiled. “You guys are close. It’s nice to see.”

“Hey Maggie, will you page OB and tell them we’re on our way up?” Nat’s voice came from the exam room, and the nurse nodded.

“Copy that.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw the doors slide open and registered the young boy's familiar face from before. She slowly slid her glasses down her face to use her x-ray vision to check him.

Her stomach instantly went cold.

“Maggie,” she stood up straighter. “it’s the boy. He has a gun.”

“What?” Maggie glanced at her in confusion, but the blonde only nodded.

“Trust me.”

The girl inside the room, Lily, frowned as she saw him. “David?”

“Don’t worry,” he told her. “I’m gonna take care of everything.”

Then he pulled the gun from his pocket, and everyone jumped into action.

Natalie threw herself in front of her patient as Maggie called the police. Kara looked around at the exits, silently calculating how many people would be able to get out before he could start shooting.

She knew she wasn’t going to be one of them.

Suddenly, the girl’s father charged him, and the two men fought, as Maggie yelled into the phone.

“Security, code silver! Active threat in the ED!”

Kara quickly helped usher people out of the building as a gunshot echoed through the room and everyone froze.

Chapter Text

Kara’s blue eyes flicked around as people ran past her in panic. A second gunshot echoed, and she watched as a security guard fell, blood starting to coat his white shirt. Then her eyes caught a side door opening and watched as Will poked his head into the room.

He was about to step out when he caught sight of Natalie on the ground with the father and shut the door behind him, stepping in further. Then his eyes fell on his sister, and he frowned at her.

Ignoring the look her brother was sending her, she hurried forward to try and help one of the fallen men when David wrapped his arm around her neck and held the gun to her head. As a second security guard came in with his weapon raised, David started yelling back, and Kara held her hands in the air in surrender.

She flicked her eyes to look at Will and shook her head as subtly as she possibly could without tipping the boy off. She knew that while her brother was worried, he also knew that she’d placed herself there purposely.

She’d get shit for it later, but she didn’t care.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

Turning her attention back to the situation, she saw Ethan crouching on the ground, trying to move toward the fallen security guard. “I’m a doctor. Let me just take a look.”

“Okay.” David gave in, allowing Ethan to move to the guard.

They saw the guard’s gun at the same time, and David shook his head. “Don’t move! Don’t!”

Kara stayed put as he reached down to grab the second weapon. Now two guns were being held on her, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to control the path of both.

Watching as Will rushed around the desk, Kara sent him a glare as David swung them around to face him. “Hey, hey, hey! I said stop moving!”

Her brother held his hands above his head. “I’m a doctor. I can help.”

David pointed one of the guns to an exam room. “Get…get in there. Now.”

“This room here?”

“Yeah, yeah. Now, now.” David told him.

Then Connor poked his head out of his father’s exam room and tried approaching the girl’s father. “We need to help this man.”

As his ex-girlfriend cried for her father inside her room, David shook. “It wasn’t my fault.”

“But you don’t want him to die, do you?” Connor asked calmly, locking eyes with Kara.

He knew she wasn’t in danger, but he wanted to let her know his plan.

“No,” David told him, pressing the gun close to her face. “Help him, help him.”

“Okay.” Connor dropped to the floor immediately and pulled his gloves on.

Then David spun them again, watching as extra people ran through the doors. Looking at Maggie, he pressed his arm tighter against Kara’s throat.

“How do I lock the doors?”

Maggie looked at them nervously. “You need keys.”

“Get them!” He hollered at her. “Now! Now!”

As Maggie held up the keys, David nodded. “Alright, lock all the doors. Now!”

Looking around, he pulled her back, so she had to walk backward until they were hidden behind a pillar. “Hey, they…they, they can see me! They can see where I—they’re gonna shoot me!” Then he saw Will. “Hey, you. I have to cover the windows! What do I use?”

Will looked pissed. “I don’t know.”

“How about…how about…how about sheets?” He asked the doctor. “You have lots of those, right? Do it, now.”

As Will grabbed the sheets, David shoved her toward him. “You…help them.”

She took the sheets her brother handed her and moved to help him cover the windows. As he ripped the tape they needed to hold the sheets in place, Kara held the sheet up to the top of the doorway.

“Hey,” Will whispered as he secured it to the wall. “can you do something?”

She shook her head. “It’s too risky. If I move too quickly, he’ll start shooting. I may be bulletproof, but the bullets bounce off of me, and they could hit anyone. If I’m not careful, we could have a bigger problem on our hands.”

“That makes sense.” He told her as they moved to the next window. “You’ve given this some thought.”

“This isn’t my first fight.” She reminded him. “Listen, though, if he starts to get an even itchier trigger finger, turn the attention on me as much as possible. I’ll take him down.”

“What if someone sees you?” He wondered now, just realizing what that would mean for her.

“Will,” she looked up at him. “if it comes down to these people or my secret? I won’t hesitate to shout it from the rooftops. Their lives—your life—come first.”

“Okay.” He said reluctantly. “I’ll make sure it turns to you if need be.”

They were pulled back when David started yelling at everyone. “I just want to get my girlfriend and my baby out of here. I don’t want to hurt anybody else, but I will if you get in my way.”

Kara felt Will grab her hand and squeeze as they watched David talk to Connor across the room. The surgeon was fighting like hell to save the father’s life, but it wasn’t looking good. As Connor and Maggie made sure he was getting them what they needed to save the man’s life, Kara clutched her brother’s hand back and hoped she was reassuring him.

She hated that he, and some of her closest friends, were in this position. She wished they were all as bulletproof as she was.

Then Natalie came out and told them that Lily was about to deliver, and Kara knew things were going to get more complicated. Following her brother across the room, she listened as Natalie directed the boy to get the supplies she needed.

He pointed his gun at Will. “You heard her. You get it.”

Will nodded, moving to grab the necessary supplies, and David turned on Kara. “You get in there. Go. Now, now.”

She moved carefully in the direction of the room he wanted her in and made sure not to turn her back on him as she did. Entering the room, she listened to Lily scream and sighed. She was frustrated that she couldn’t help, but she knew that she was risking everyone’s safety if she moved too soon.

She had to wait for the right moment to step in. But waiting, she knew, was torture.

Will walked over, catching her eyes for a moment, and she knew they had a silent plan in their heads. Then he looked at David. “Dr. Manning is gonna need another set of hands to deliver your child.”

The boy nodded. “Yeah, okay. Help her, help her, help her!”

She saw Will disappear past the wall that divided the rooms and took a deep breath to keep her calm. Though he had annoyed her at the moment, she thanked Rao that Will had made her come in and get her arm checked. If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been there when the shit hit the fan.

“I just couldn’t let him take our baby like that, Lily,” David told the struggling girl. “I could…I couldn’t do it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Kara doubted the girl would forgive him after this, especially considering he shot her father, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

“We can raise this kid together.” He told her.

However, Kara ignored him as she peeked around the door frame and saw Ethan sneaking forward to grab the gun from him. She shook her head at him, knowing it wouldn’t end well, but he waved her off, ignoring her protests.

“I know we can. And I know that’s what you want too.” David continued, oblivious to the doctor’s movements.

“No.” Lily cried as she spoke. “I just want my life to go back to normal. I wanna finish high school. I wanna go to college.”

“No, no, no, no. That’s your dad talking, alright? And I’m gonna fix everything as soon as we get out of here.” Then Ethan accidentally stepped in a pile of glass, crushing it beneath his foot and alerting everyone to his position. “Hey. Get back! You stay where I can see you, alright?”

Then he pointed the gun at April, who Kara saw hiding behind a curtain, and made her handcuff him to the nurse’s station. Lowering her glasses slightly, Kara decided she needed to take stock of everyone who was still trapped inside the ED.

In addition to the people she already knew about, she could see Connor’s father in his room, and a small boy in the room April had just vacated.

“I want my mommy.” The little boy cried from his doorway, and Kara felt horrible.

She watched as April ran back in and helped him back into bed just as David stormed over and tore the curtain down so he could see everyone. “I will shoot the next person that tries anything!”

Kara narrowed her eyes as she watched him pace the room. She would have to act soon, she knew, and that meant telling her secret. Her life would change after today, and she couldn’t do anything but let it happen.

She just hoped she wasn’t traced back to her cousin.

Chapter Text

Kara tapped her foot quietly as she watched the scene play out in front of her. She could hear Connor’s frantic directions to Maggie as they worked on Lily’s father mixed with the cries the young girl gave as she tried to deliver her baby.

This wasn’t going to end well, she knew. She just hoped they could prevent as many casualties as possible. However, with as frantic as David was, she wasn’t sure that would be the case.

“You!” Looking up, Kara straightened her back as David stormed over to her. “Come with me.”

Grabbing her by the arm, he held his gun to her chest as they made their way to the door. Handing her the keys that Maggie had discarded, he shoved her forward and grabbed her shoulder with one hand, the gun in the other as he made her unlock it to allow Ms. Goodwin inside with the materials they needed.

“Open it!” He demanded, and Kara did as he asked.

Once Goodwin had slid inside, he grabbed the blonde by the neck and spun her around. She gave him the keys as he demanded and shared a look with the elder nurse as she tried to talk him down.

“David,” Goodwin said carefully, following them as he escorted Kara back to her room. “David, what are you doing with the gun?”

“Just help me.” He pleaded with her. “Okay?”

He pointed her in the direction of Connor and Maggie before shoving Kara back into her room. Then she watched as Goodwin checked on the patient, soon leaving the room to speak to David again.

“David,” she said carefully. “Lily’s father is not going to last much longer down here.”

David looked over in fear. “Uh, but the doctor said he needed blood, and they got him blood.”

“He needs surgery and a full trauma team if he’s going to survive.” She told him.

Looking back at the injured man, David sighed. “Just Lily’s dad. No one else.”

“But I’ve got a very sick little boy down there and a man with a bad heart. They need to go, too.” She tried to convince him.

“No,” he was becoming agitated again. “Just Lily’s dad, and then we’ll see.”

Nodding, Goodwin took the battles she could win. “Okay.”

Kara watched as David led her over to Connor and Maggie’s exam room and thought about what move she should make. Though she could hear and see what was happening around her, she didn’t have any medical knowledge, so knowing just how bad each patient was fairing was hard for her to gauge.

“David, please.” Goodwin pleaded with the gunman. “Let me talk to the police for you, try to figure a way out of this.”

They had successfully transferred Lily’s father out of the ED, but SWAT had tried to bust in, causing the boy to hold her at gunpoint. Kara cursed SWAT and their attempt to overpower him as all they had managed to do was make him even angrier.

“No!” He insisted but was interrupted when April stepped out of her room.

“I need a doctor in here!” She told them, and everyone saw Ethan hold his hand up when the gun faced her. “This boy is not responding to his medication. I can’t get his fever down.”

“David, please,” Ethan begged. “just uncuff me so I can check on him.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Kara watched as David snapped at him before looking at April. “Deal with the kid yourself.”

As he finished speaking, a loud ringing filled her ears, and her brother’s voice carried over to her. “Nat, fetal heart tones just flipped to the other side.”

“I just felt something shift.” The girl said in a panic. “Does that mean the baby’s coming out?”

Lowering her glasses again, Kara looked into the next room to see what was happening. If she was going to intervene, she needed to know what to expect.

“Let me see.” Nat moved to feel the baby. “The baby just went transverse.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” David asked, and Goodwin spared a look in Kara’s direction.

“Come on, Will…” Kara bit her lip as she waited for the signal to jump in.

“The baby’s turned sideways in her uterus.” He told David. “She can’t deliver like that.”

“So, what happens now?” The scared father asked him.

“Now, my brother gives me the signal, and we put the attention on me,” Kara muttered to herself in annoyance and anticipation.

“We need to move her upstairs,” Natalie told him.

He shook his head. “No, you do it here.”

“Well, then I need you to get me something out of the Pyxis.” She gestured in the direction she needed. “A medication, Terbutaline.”

Goodwin waved them off. “I’ll get it.”

“Are you going to turn the baby?” Will lowered his voice to talk to his fiancée.

She sighed. “Water hasn’t broken yet, and the Terbutaline should soften her uterus.”

“She’s in labor.” Will reminded her. “We could cause a placental abruption or a prolapse.”

“Well, he’s not giving me any other choice.” She snapped back and watched as he sighed before giving her an apologetic look. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly and then raised his voice. “So, Kara, I heard about your idiotic bodega stunt.”

‘Good,’ she thought. ‘he’s finally bringing me into it.’

“Jay’s a blabbermouth.” She shouted back. “He had no reason to tell you about that.”

“Really? Because I think he had every reason to tell me.” Her brother’s voice held pretend annoyance so well, she figured there was some truth to his argument. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that they needed help and no one else was available.” She retorted. “Tell me you or Jay wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing.”

“We’re talking about you right now, not us.” He told her and saw Goodwin’s confused expression as she entered the room again.

“What’s going on?” She asked Natalie quietly.

The brunette sighed. “Kara is Supergirl.”

The elder nurse let her jaw fall only slightly. “What?”

“If we can keep the attention on her, it gives us time to help everyone and possibly keep anyone else from getting hurt,” Will said quickly as his sister yelled back to him.

“It seems like we’re always talking about me.” Kara made sure she placed herself in a spot where she was in David’s eye line so he’d pull the gun away from them and point it at her. “Why can’t we ever talk about the stupid shit you two pull? Because let me tell you, it happens a lot.”

“Hey!” David yelled, taking the bait and walking to her, the gun raised to the same height as her face. “Stop that.”

“Excuse me, but I’m trying to have a discussion with my brother if you don’t mind.” She said, using as much snark in her tone as she dared.

“Well, sorry, I’m just really tired of watching you get thrown off the tops of buildings,” Will replied, causing Kara to roll her eyes instinctually.

“I mean, at least I can fly.” She told him. “You shouldn’t be that worried.”

“My God, you’re annoying. I don’t know how Jay stands working with you every single day.”

“Hey!” David yelled at them.

Kara waved him off. “Oh, don’t worry about it. He’s right. I was an extremely irritating child.”

“I don’t care!” He shouted at her. “I want you to shut up!”

“Yes, what a good idea, Will!” Kara ignored the boy. “Why don’t you shut up for once and let me speak!”

He was about to respond again when another loud tone sounded, and everyone turned to look in the direction of Connor’s dad’s room.

This was going bad really fast, and Kara only hoped they could fix it quickly or more people were going to die.

Chapter Text

“That man needs to be moved upstairs.” Goodwin stormed out of the exam room. “He just had a heart attack.”

It had taken them a few tense minutes to get Connor’s dad stabilized, but once they did, it was evident that he needed to be in surgery immediately. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in David’s plan.

“No.” He told her. “No, no, no, no!”

Kara thought he sounded like a toddler when he didn’t get dessert before dinner.

“Not after what happened last time.” He argued, and Kara once again cursed SWAT and their attempts to get inside.

“If he dies, they’re going to hold you responsible.” She informed him.

“I didn’t do anything to hurt him!” David shouted.

“It’ll be the same as if you had.” She sighed. “Look, David, I know you didn’t want any of this to happen, and it’s not too late to walk it back. They were taking your child away. That’s something anyone can understand. Please let these people go.”

“No, no! Because then I go to prison, and then my kid is just gone forever!” They could tell he was ready to cry.

“There are worse things,” Kara said from her room, causing both Goodwin and David to look at her. “My parents wanted me more than anything in the universe, and they still had to give me away. Then they died, and I had to grow up without them and without ever being able to find them or speak to them.

“I grew up wondering why it happened and why I wasn’t good enough. At least your child will have you alive, and maybe you’d be able to get some rights to see them. I never had that, David.”

As she finished speaking, Lily screamed from her room, and as they rushed over, Kara gazed through the wall in time to see Will lay her back against the bed and check her eyes.

“She’s hypotensive.”

“What’s that mean?” David asked quickly, panic dripping into his voice.

“Her blood pressure’s dropping,” Goodwin told him.

“She must be bleeding from somewhere.” Natalie jumped in.

Now, Will was pissed. “We’re losing the baby.”

“We need to do a c-section now, or you’re going to lose them both,” Natalie said frantically, quickly losing her temper.

“Well, if either of them die, I’m gonna kill you.” He told her.

“Hey!” Will shouted this time, and Kara knew he was worried about losing the love of his life.

Kara wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Fix it!” David shouted. “Now.”

Moving back from the room, David put his fists on his head and panicked about what to do.

In Lily’s room, Will lowered his voice so low, he knew only Kara would hear him. “I’m sorry, K. We’re going to need help soon.”

Kara knew he felt terrible about her having to reveal her identity, but as long as she saved their lives, she could live with the consequences.

“Dr. Rhodes?” Kara watched as David grabbed Nat and dragged her to where Connor was standing. “Lily needs your help.”

“I’m not leaving my father,” Connor told him.

Natalie frowned. “Connor, I think her uterus ruptured. She needs immediate surgery before she and the baby bleed to death.”

“I will do the surgery,” Connor agreed. “if you agree to transfer my father upstairs.”

“No, you can fix him here.”

“I can’t!” The surgeon shouted. “He needs an operating room with a bypass machine!”

“Operate on Lily, or I will kill you right here.” David moved the gun, so it was on Connor now.

Connor frowned. “You want to kill the only person who can save her?”

“I will transfer his father.” Everyone turned to look at Goodwin. “And I give you my word; I will not let SWAT in. Please, David, Lily and the baby are losing valuable time.”

“Okay.” He relented and followed the doctors with his gun as Goodwin pulled out her cell phone.

Stepping out of the room to watch them, Will glanced to the room next door and saw his sister standing in her doorway. When she saw him, she nodded, showing that she had a plan; all he needed to do was focus on his patient.

When Natalie and Connor got to the room, she saw them both glance at her before turning to Will. “Bring whatever blood we have to the hybrid OR. Prep her belly, scrub in. I’m gonna need your help.”

He moved again in the hybrid OR’s direction and passed Kara’s room, where Goodwin stood in the doorway making her phone call. “Daniel, I…I…I’m…I’m bringing another patient out. Uh, but it’s getting out of hand in here, and I need you to keep the SWAT back. Listen…”

Kara moved forward slowly, laying her hand on the woman’s shoulder. When she turned to face her, Kara pointed to herself and then at the phone. Understanding when the young woman meant, Goodwin shook her head.

“Are you sure?”

The Kryptonian nodded. “Tell him.”

“Sharon?”

“I’m here, Daniel. Listen, you need to tell SWAT that they cannot enter yet.” She sighed. “We have Supergirl in here, but she’s in civilian form. You guys need to let her handle this.”

“Okay.”

As Goodwin hung up, she looked at Kara. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“If this goes the way I think it will,” she looked around the room and kept her eyes on David. “more than just you and Dr. Charles will be finding out my identity today.”

Kara shared a look with Goodwin as they pushed Mr. Rhodes’ gurney to the door to be transported out. The blonde knew she had to act quickly, but she needed as many innocents out as she could get, and if she acted now, her friend’s father might die because she acted rashly.

It was better to wait for the perfect moment.

As Kara moved to unlock the door again, Goodwin called out to the people behind the door. “Daniel?”

“We’re here, Sharon.”

“I’ve got a gun on me.” She told him. “So, if anyone charges through when we open this door-”

“No one’s gonna do that. I promise you. You can open the door.”

Goodwin looked at Kara first, who nodded before turning to the teenager. “He’s my friend. I trust him.”

Seeing him nod, Kara pulled the door open and found Dr. Charles waiting for them. “Give me the patient.”

As soon as Goodwin had wheeled the gurney out to him, Kara shut the door and locked it again. Then he walked them back and put Kara in her room before moving to watch everyone else perform the c-section on Lily.

Lowering her glasses again, Kara watched the procedure from her spot across the room.

“Sats are good. Ketamine’s in.” Will said, watching her vitals on the screen behind him.

Looking up at his colleagues and friends, Connor sighed. “Everybody ready?”

He cut into her stomach, and even from across the ED, Kara knew the amount of blood coming from the young girl was dangerous.

“Her uterus ruptured.” Connor groaned as they worked to control the bleeding.

David started to panic as he and Goodwin watched through the window. “Wait, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know.” The woman told him honestly, hoping the girl survived this ordeal.

Back inside the room, Natalie winced. “The baby’s floating in the abdomen. Need suction.”

Connor’s adrenaline was through the roof. “I’m in there.”

He pulled the baby out as quickly as possible, but while they checked its vitals, a loud tone sounded, alerting them to more problems.

“Mom’s pressure is crashing.” Kara heard her brother said frantically. “O negs running in.”

Moving quickly, Natalie grabbed the baby boy and hurried away to check on him as the rest of the team worked on Lily.

“Keep suction going,” Connor told Maggie. “More laps.”

Knocking on the door, David tightened his grip on the gun. “Don’t let her die! You hear me?”

Kara watched with bated breath as she saw Goodwin turn slightly and hold her hand up, telling her to wait to make her move. Trusting the woman, Kara did as she was told.

“What’s happening with the baby?” David asked Natalie, lowering the gun, so it hung next to him.

Her soon to be sister-in-law sighed as Maggie came to help her. “His color’s coming back. He’s stable for now.”

“Guys, I need a little help over here!”

Kara focused harder on the surgery Connor and her brother were performing and saw that things weren’t going as they wanted.

“Wait, what about Lily?” The boy wondered, shifting his gaze from his son to her.

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” Connor told him. “What…what have we got left?”

“I’m hanging my last two of FFP,” Will told him, keeping his movements steady as he breathed for her. “She’s not stable.”

“Alright,” Connor’s voice was tense. “keep suctioning.”

Goodwin, David, and Kara watched and waited as they worked tirelessly to save the young girl’s life. Then, just as it looked like they wouldn’t be able to stop the bleeding, Connor managed to tie off the bleed and finish the surgery.

Goodwin took her chance to talk to David again. “See? Lily’s okay. They stopped the bleeding, and…and your baby’s here. Just like Kara said before, you can still have a meaningful life with him, David. Please put the gun down. I promise to make sure this baby stays a part of your life.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’m taking Lily and my baby, and we’re getting out of here.”

Realizing she wouldn’t be able to talk him down, Goodwin sighed and stared at him. Then she moved her hand as if it had twitched, but Kara knew what it was—a message to get ready to move.

As the group of doctors woke Lily up, Kara surveyed the area to decide her best plan of action. She was ready to pounce when she needed to but also wanted to keep as many people out of the line of fire as she could.

Then David stormed into the room, and she knew her time was up.

“Hey, Lily, we’re gonna go right now, alright?”

Connor shook his head. “That’s not happening.”

“She can barely move in her condition,” Will told him.

“Stop talking,” David told him, holding up the gun again. “We gotta go. Lily, we gotta go right now. Alright?”

“David, no.” The brave girl told him.

As he debated the logistics with her, Kara saw Goodwin move slowly behind him, lifting the baby from its bed. Knowing David would freak out when he saw, Kara steeled herself and walked out of her room.

Seeing her movements, Ethan and April tried to wave her off, but she ignored them as she strode across the ED. Everyone’s eyes shifted as Goodwin backed out of the room with the baby, David and his gun following her.

“Give me my son.”

“I can’t do that, David.” She told him.

Before he could see Kara moving to them, he swung around and pointed his weapon at Connor, Will, Maggie, and Natalie, who had tried to advance on him. Kara took this opportunity to place herself between him and Goodwin.

“Ms. Goodwin, hand him over.” Turning back to face her, he became even angrier as he found Kara standing in his way. “Hey! I told you to stay put.”

Moving so that his gun was focused on her, he walked forward as she felt Goodwin move further away behind her. “I don’t usually like to listen to anybody holding a gun on people I care about.”

“Get out of my way.” He told her, moving so he stood right in front of her. “Now.”

Holding her hands out, she glared at him. “No.”

“If you don’t move, I will shoot you in the face!” He shouted at her.

“Then do it!” She shouted back.

Letting her instincts take over, she moved quickly and pressed the palm of her hand against the barrel of the gun as he pulled the trigger, effectively stopping the bullet from advancing.

Now he looked scared as he stared at her. “You…you’re her!”

She nodded. “I am. And if you don’t put that gun down, I’ll sear your hand off and make you put it down.”

Moving away from her in fear, she advanced on him until a loud gunshot sounded, and his body hit the floor, dead on impact.

As the room filled with SWAT members, Dr. Charles, and other police officers, Kara moved away and made her way to where her brother stood. When she reached him, he tore his gloves off and pulled her close to his side.

He knew she had a code about not killing anybody, and although they all knew she had no choice in this case, as her brother, he knew she would be beating herself up for this for a very long time.

“Are you okay?” He asked her, searching her for any signs of shock or emotion.

Shaking her head, she turned her body from the scene and pressed her face into his chest, letting a sob rip from her throat. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly and rested his chin on her head.

“It’s okay.” He told her quietly as her body shook. “You’re okay. I’m here.”

Chapter Text

After being questioned by the police, Will managed to get Kara alone in a room to help her calm down. Though she knew she had to do it, being the cause of someone’s death went against every principle she and her cousin held, and it would be a long time before she stopped seeing his bloody face in her sleep.

Though the first thing she wanted to do was call Clark and discuss what happened, she knew there was something else that had to be done first. That phone call would have to wait.

Once Will managed to talk his traumatized sister down from going into shock, he held her again and told her that he had Natalie gather everyone together so they could talk about what happened. Though they’d all been stuck in the hostage situation, Kara knew he was referring to everyone finding out about her secret family heritage.

“You got lucky,” Will told her, her hand stuck tightly in his own as they walked to the meeting room where everyone had gathered.

He was right. As Lily had been so out of it from blood loss and the boy in April’s room had been hidden by the wall, the only people to find out her secret that day had been Goodwin, Dr. Charles, Maggie, Ethan, April, and David. With the latter being dead, only those in their makeshift work-family knew.

“I did.” She agreed with a sigh.

Stopping outside the door, Will faced her. “Hey, can I ask you a favor?”

She nodded. “Anything.”

“Stay with Nat and me tonight?” He asked with concern on his face. “I know you can handle yourself and that you probably just want to go home, but I would feel better if-”

“Yes.” She interrupted him. “Thanks.”

It worried him that she agreed so quickly, but he would inquire about that later. He opened the door, giving her a look of support, and the siblings came face to face with everyone sitting at the conference table. Natalie sent Kara a smile as they entered and stood in front of them.

“Thank you all for meeting like this,” Kara said awkwardly. “I know we need to talk, and I needed it to be before we all went our separate ways.”

“We should probably wait for Dr. Rhodes to join us, don’t you think?” Goodwin wondered, but Kara shook her head.

“Connor actually already knew before today, so I told him he could go be with his father.” She fiddled with her glasses.

Seeing the nervous habit, Will put his hand on her arm and continued for her. “I know you guys probably have a lot of questions, but please go easy on her.”

He sat in a chair next to Ethan, leaning back to prepare for any challenging questions that might be thrown their way. Kara looked around the table and chose the seat between her brother and Natalie, causing her nerves to ease slightly as she knew she was supported and protected on both sides.

She knew Will had left that spot available, purposefully choosing not to sit by his fiancée, for that very reason.

Dr. Charles leaned forward to look at the blonde. “Unless anyone has any objections, I have two questions to start.” He waited for a moment as they all let him speak. “First, are you okay?”

Blinking the residual tears from her eyes, Kara shrugged. “I don’t know. We have a code not to kill anyone, and even though I know it was the only way, it doesn’t make what I did any easier.”

He nodded. “Just know…you saved all of us today. Now, how exactly was it that you could do all that?”

Sitting back in her chair, she forced herself to relax. “Well, as you guys have probably figured out by now, I’m the one that’s been flying around the city in a skirt and cape.”

“But…I mean, how is that even possible?” April asked her from her seat beside Ethan.

“As more and more people are finding out, I was adopted by the Halsteads when I was twelve. I was originally born on a planet called Krypton, but my planet died when I was twelve. My parents sent me here to save my life and take care of my baby cousin. Our planet orbited a red sun, but as your planet has a yellow sun, that’s how I get my powers.”

“So, your cousin,” Maggie raised her eyebrows. “is that Superman?”

Kara nodded. “Yes. He is older than I am because the pod I was sent in got trapped in a section of space where time doesn’t exist. I don’t know how I got out, but when I landed, it had been over two decades, and Kal was already grown, so he brought me to live with the Halsteads. Eliza was a scientist who helped him once, and he knew I’d be safe with them.”

“So you’ve been keeping this secret for her all this time?” Ethan asked Will.

The redhead shook his head. “Jay and I only found out the day she showed her powers to the world…when she stopped that building from falling on him.”

“I promised my parents—Pat and Eliza—that I wouldn’t say anything to them until we were ready. After our mother died, our father made me promise not to tell them, as he was worried something would happen. So I hid myself away and tried to be normal. But then he and that building collapsed, and I couldn’t let Jay die.

“After that, I knew that I had to do more…just like my cousin. I was sent here to do more than just sit behind a desk. So Winn made me my suit, and I haven’t gone back since. I’ve gotten lucky by having most of my team not figure it out yet. But today…well, I knew I needed to protect everyone.”

“That’s…incredible.” April smiled at her.

Maggie turned to Natalie. “How long have you known?”

“During the quake, Connor tackled her, and she broke her arm.” The brunette told her friend. “She’d lost her powers recently and needed help but knew that if she came here, we’d do bloodwork, which would be bad for obvious reasons. So she had him bring her to our house, and that’s when he and I found out.”

Kara nodded. “Listen, I have no problem answering any question you guys have, no matter how big or small, but I need to ask you all a massive favor.”

“We are asking you guys not to tell anyone.” Will took over for her, knowing she was getting worked up. “The only people right now who know are everyone in this room plus Connor, Jay, Hailey, Winn, and Platt and Mouch.”

“And Voight,” Kara added and shrugged when he gave her a look. “Sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you. I told him after the quake.”

“Okay, so Voight too, then.” He added to his list. “I know that this is a lot to ask, but if anyone found out that we couldn’t trust…” He trailed off.

“I cannot and will not lose my sister to some government agency that wants to experiment on her or something. I just won’t.”

“I understand that finding this out is not something that you were expecting.” Kara picked up where he left off. “And, I completely understand if you are scared and want me to keep my distance. But I promise all I want to do is help this city and everyone in it. I will stay away from Med as much as possible if you want me to, but please…keep this secret between those of us who know. That is all I ask.”

At this statement, Goodwin stood from her chair and moved to the end of the table. Looking down in guilt, Kara waited for her to leave, only to be surprised as she laid her hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Kara…you saved our lives today.” She told her. “You didn’t have to reveal your powers, but you did because you care more about saving people than saving yourself. That is a remarkable trait to have, and it makes you a wonderful hero, super or not. I think I can speak for everyone in this room when I say that we will keep your secret for you, and you are welcome in this hospital any time.

“We…all of us…we cannot even begin to know how to repay you. Just knowing you are out there is enough to help me sleep better at night. Do not ever forget that you have a community to lean on if you ever need it.”

Smiling up at the woman, Kara nodded. “Thank you, Ms. Goodwin. You guys can actually thank Will for me being here today. He was playing overprotective brother and dragged me in.”

“Oh, come on, not this again!” He complained, glad that she was teasing him again as the haunted look on her face disappeared.

“Yeah, he’s known for that.” Ethan joked with her, causing laughter to fill the room.

Glancing at her brother, she nodded at him. He knew she was thanking him for helping her handle this talk and for taking care of her even though he’d been through the same event she had. She may have been the bulletproof one, but sometimes even superheroes needed someone to lean on.

Goodwin had been right, Kara thought to herself. She had a community to lean on whenever she needed them. However, at least for tonight, she would rely on her brother and let Supergirl have a night off from crime-fighting.

There would be enough of that in the following days, anyway, she guessed, and let herself relax in the comfort of her family.

Chapter Text

“Shit.”

Looking up from the table she was pushing closer to the wall, Kara frowned at Maggie. “You okay?”

The nurse sighed. “No. I can’t reach high enough to loop this end of the banner around the hook.”

Kara smirked, leaving her task to take the item out of her hand. “Let me.”

Looking around to make sure no one was watching them, she flew slowly into the air and was able to successfully loop the ribbon where it needed to hang before lowering herself to the floor. Then she laughed at the look on her friend’s face.

It was the night before her brother’s wedding, and as they were using Molly’s for their reception, some of their friends had volunteered to set up the bar for the party. Kara had been one of them, wanting to make sure the day was as perfect as it could be for her brother. She felt he deserved it after putting up with so much shit in his journey before finally connecting with Natalie.

“I still can’t get over that.” Maggie smiled at the blonde’s use of her powers. “It’s so cool.”

Kara shrugged. “I think so too.”

“Really?”

“I hid my powers for decades, Maggie.” Kara reminded her friend. “I spent all that time watching Kal use his powers, and now that I can use them again, I just can’t get enough of them.”

“I wish I had your powers. Do you know how much easier my job would be?” Maggie laughed.

“Yeah, but then you have to come up with excuses as to why you can do it or why you need to leave, and it gets exhausting.”

“Oh…I forgot that part. Good point.”

They moved on to finish their other tasks, and Kara shrugged when the group was finally able to sit and have a drink. Because the trio sat in the corner of the bar, Kara felt she had no need to worry about who heard her talking.

“Do you guys know anywhere I can find someone who designs bulletproof dresses? Could I just google it?” The Kryptonian furrowed her brow. “Maybe search it on Etsy?”

April chuckled. “I’m not sure that’s how that works.”

“Yeah, besides, couldn’t Winn just make you one like he did your suit?” Maggie questioned over her martini.

“Um, no, thank you,” Winn told her as he approached the table. “I can do suits, but dresses? Who do I look like? Vera Wang?”

Kara laughed. “Winn, what are you doing here? I thought you and Jay were taking Will out for drinks?”

He nodded and plopped into the seat next to her. “We did. He wanted to stop by here before we called it a night. Which is probably both a good thing and bad because he really needs sleep.”

Though she was confused, Kara quickly found out what he meant as he heard loud talking from the bar and shook her head. “Oh, Rao.”

Her brothers stood arm in arm against the barstools swaying to the music Herrmann had put on in the background. Their eyes were closed, and they each held a beer in one hand.

“Should we do something?” April asked quickly, with an amused look on her face.

Kara snorted. “You mean besides laugh?”

“Kara…” Maggie chided, and the blonde shrugged.

“Hey! Everyone was thinking it; I just said it.” She defended herself. “Besides, that’s sort of my go-to move when it comes to their drunken antics.”

“Good, because it looks like you’re driving them home tonight,” Maggie told her.

“Actually, no.” Kara shook her head. “I flew here. Winn?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll handle it.” Her friend sighed. “You’re lucky you guys are like my only family.”

Hugging him, Kara smiled. “You’re the best, Winn. Thanks.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t say you wouldn’t owe me.” He joked, and she nodded.

“Of course!” She promised. “Anything.”

Winn nodded, staying silent. He knew what he wanted but wasn’t sure if she would be able to give it to him. Instead, he held his tongue and let them celebrate her brother’s last night as a single man.

As soon as Kara shoved her brothers into the back of Winn’s car, she rounded the corner and shot into the air. It was a beautiful night, and she smiled as the cool air blew through her air and ruffled her cape.

The following day, her brother and friend would finally be married, and she couldn’t be happier if she tried. Their relationship had seemed like a roller coaster at times, but they finally found their way back on track. She couldn’t wait to have a sister and be able to call Owen her nephew, officially.

Her heart clenched, however, at the thought of their parents not being able to attend. It was cruel that life had taken that chance away from not only her but her brothers as well. They’d lost Pat so close to the wedding that Kara was shocked her brother didn’t postpone but also knew that he was right about continuing with the good things in life. Though she, Natalie, and Jay had told him that they would support him in whatever he chose, he was adamant that they keep on living and celebrating the happy moments.

And if that was what her brother wanted, that was precisely what she intended on doing.

Kara was so lost in thought she didn’t see the body flying at her at a faster speed until it slammed into her and sent them both sprawling out into a parking lot atop an industrial building. The ground cracked as she landed with a groan, and two soldiers landed smoothly in front of her.

Attempting to calm her panicked heart, she took a few steps backward. “Who are you?”

They didn’t need to respond as Astra appeared in front of her. “They’re with me.”

“Astra.” Kara ground her teeth against the name as the Kryptonian soldiers grabbed her and held her in place.

“My dear niece.” Astra’s voice held a condescending tone. “Did you really think this was over?”

Timing out her attack, Kara sent her fist flying from the soldier’s hand into the face of the other. Then she shoved her elbow into the gut of the second man before attempting to fly away. Unfortunately, her aunt was faster and grabbed her, holding Voight’s Kryptonite dagger to her neck.

The pain of the element had her groaning. “Why doesn’t Kryptonite hurt you?”

“Kryptonite?” Astra chuckled as she released the blonde. “Is that what you call it? It’s just like any other dangerous substance.” She kicked her in the chest. “Shield yourself in the right materials, and it becomes harmless.”

The general gestured to the glowing device on her suit, and Kara realized she was severely outnumbered. “Afraid of a fair fight?”

“I don’t want to fight you, Kara.” The woman told her. “I’ve been blaming you for things that happened a long time ago.”

As she went to rest her hand on the girl’s shoulder, Kara jerked back. “Don’t touch me.”

“Your mother always said you had the heart of a hero,” Astra told her. “I need for you to be a hero, Kara. It’s time for us to be a family again.”

“You’re not my family.” Kara spat at her.

She thought of her brothers, sloppy drunk and probably begging Winn to drive them through somewhere for food. Of Natalie at home with Helen taking care of Owen and getting ready for the wedding. Of Mouch and Trudy having dinner at home much like any other night. Of her friends who either knew her secret or didn’t, but supported her anyway. Those were the people in her family, not this evil woman in front of her.

“I know you hate me,” Astra told her.

“Good,” Kara said as she backed herself into the sidewall. “We understand each other.”

Then she flung herself over the side of the wall, smashing a hole into the ground and disappearing from sight. Though Astra’s soldiers ran to find her, they knew she was long gone.

Chapter Text

Kara smiled as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror placed in the corner of the room. The eggplant-colored dress she wore brushed against the silver heels she donned on her feet and fit her figure perfectly. Her hair had been curled and pulled back, so that half was tied up while the rest brushed her shoulders.

To keep her secret safe, Natalie was more than willing to let her wear her glasses with the outfit.

“You know, it really isn’t fair.”

Turning to look at her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Kara scrunched her face in confusion. “What isn’t?”

“The fact that your alien DNA makes you the most gorgeous one in the building on my wedding day,” Natalie smirked as she and Maggie looked at the blonde.

The woman in question laughed, shaking her head at their jokes. “Oh, stop it. First of all, that’s not a real power I possess, unfortunately. Second, there is no one more beautiful than you right now, Nat.”

When the dark-haired doctor smiled, Maggie nodded. “She’s right.”

“Will won’t be able to think straight when he sees you up there,” Kara told her. “I’m afraid he may need to be resuscitated. It’s too bad there won’t be any doctors in the place.”

The other two laughed at Kara’s antics as the door opened, and Natalie’s mom came into the room with a bottle of champagne, signaling they only had a short amount of time before they had to be ready to go.

Grabbing a glass as soon as it was poured, Kara turned to them. “I will be back shortly. I’m going to go check on my brothers.”

“Okay, but make sure you’re back at least ten minutes before the ceremony starts,” Maggie told her, having been put in charge.

Giving her a mock salute, Kara held her glass and pushed the door open with her back. Once she was out in the quiet hallway of the church, she took a settling breath.

She was unbelievably happy for her brother and Natalie, but she couldn’t forget the attack Astra had staged the night before. She hoped her aunt stayed away from the joyous occasion but prepared herself to defend her family—her true family—if need be.

She hadn’t told anyone but Winn about the encounter yet, so she shook her head free of the thoughts, knowing the boys would see the worry on her face if she thought about it too long.

Kara sipped from the flute in her hand as she passed the main hall, catching a glance of the photographer capturing pictures of the exquisitely decorated room. They’d taken their separate family photos, as well as the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and the only thing left were the group shots after the ceremony once Natalie had made her reveal to Will.

Arriving at the correct door, purposefully arranged across the building from the bride’s chamber, Kara used her hearing to make sure they weren’t indecent before knocking as she opened the door a few inches.

“Mind if I interrupt?”

She watched as Natalie’s father, Owen, and her brothers looked up at her with smiles on their faces. She knew they must have been telling jokes and preparing each other for the day to come.

“Auntie Kara!”

Laughing for the hundredth time that day, Kara carefully knelt and grabbed Owen in a big hug while also keeping her drink from spilling. “Well, don’t you look handsome.”

The boy’s face crinkled. “What’s that mean?”

“It means you look all grown up.” She told him as they pulled apart.

Knowing what her arrival meant, Natalie’s father chuckled and grabbed Owen’s hand. “Hey, kiddo. Why don’t we go check in on Mommy before everything starts, huh?”

As Owen nodded enthusiastically, Kara sent the man a smile. He left the room only a moment later, leaving the three Halsteads alone with thick emotion floating between them.

“So, how’s it going in here?” She asked them, smirking at the looks on their faces.

“Jay’s being a beast,” Will told her. “I hope you get hazard pay for having to put up with him on a daily basis. So much hazard pay.”

“I don’t, but I appreciate the acknowledgment.” She teased, moving forward and hugging Will. “You guys look amazing.”

Jay took his turn to embrace her and shook his head. “I don’t know about us, but you look beautiful, Kar.”

She blushed a bit and chuckled as she adjusted her glasses. “Thanks, Jay.”

Studying her carefully, Will tilted his head. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“I just…I can’t believe you’re actually getting married today!” She shrugged.

Jay clapped a hand on his brother’s arm. “I know, right? I still can’t believe Natalie hasn’t left you yet.”

“Yeah, well, she clearly has good taste.” Will retorted, the nerves of his upcoming nuptials clear on his face.

Moving forward, Kara grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. “Hey, you have nothing to worry about. She’s more ready for this than anyone ever.”

Sending her a look of appreciation, he hugged her again. “This is crazy.”

“I know,” Jay told them. “Though, you guys have basically been married since you met.”

“I feel like just yesterday we were teenagers, and I was meeting you guys for the first time.” She led them over to the couch, and they sat.

She could see the distraction worked as Will’s face lit up with a smile that held many memories. “I remember you were so scared of the popcorn machine; you crawled under the kitchen table.”

“I forgot about that!” Jay’s eyes widened. “I always thought that was weird…I guess now we have that answer.”

Rolling her eyes, Kara sipped her champagne again. “Hey! I had never seen one before!” Then she sighed. “But you were so great. You crawled under with me and helped me calm down by letting me sprinkle the small crystals on it.”

“You remember that?” Will looked shocked.

She nodded. “Of course. It was the first time I felt like you guys didn’t absolutely despise me for coming in and uprooting your lives.”

“Kara…” Jay turned to her, looking pained.

Shaking her head, Kara set her glass on the table and grabbed one hand from each in her own. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just wanted you guys to know how lucky I am to have you. And I know that Natalie and Owen feel the same way.”

“Jeez, K, are you trying to make me cry?” Will chuckled, looking away to hide the emotion on his face.

“Hey, this is your wedding day.” Jay reminded him. “There’s a pot to see when and who will cry first.”

This time, the redhead gaped. “Seriously? Kara, our brother’s cruel.”

Kara picked up her glass again and raised her hands in surrender as Jay laughed. “Uh-uh, Kara’s already in the pot. So, if I’m cruel, so is she.”

“I’m disappointed in both of you.” Their older brother joked. “Does Winn know about this?”

“He’s the one holding the list and the money.” The blonde winced playfully.

Using the skills only she and Clark had, she dodged the throw pillow he threw at her and laughed. “Hey, be careful! If you mess up any part of this look, it won’t be us you have to worry about. Maggie will kill you.”

Then she looked at her watch and winced again, this time in realization. “Speaking of which, I need to go because I was supposed to be back with everyone like three minutes ago.”

They stood, and Kara pulled them in for a group hug that none of them pulled away from for a bit. Then, finally, Kara separated herself and smiled at them.

“It’s almost time. You ready?”

Will nodded. “More than ever.”

“Good. I’ll see you out there.”

Then she walked out and looked around to make sure no one was watching before using her superspeed to take her back to Natalie’s prep room. Later, as the doors opened and the brunette in white stepped into the sanctuary, Kara glanced at her brother and grinned.

She loved seeing how overwhelmed he was by his about-to-be wife’s beauty and wasn’t afraid to show the tears that gathered in his eyes. Glancing out to the pews, she found Winn, who rolled his eyes but smiled, pointing at her.

Not only was she glad her brother was happy, but she’d also just won the pot against him. It was looking to be a great night, indeed.

Chapter Text

“So, let me get this straight, you didn’t tell them about Astra and her minions attacking you last night?”

“Oh, my God, Winn! Quiet!” Kara looked around carefully as they waited for their drinks at the bar. “It’s Will and Natalie’s big day. It can wait until tomorrow, and I’ll tell Jay and Voight then.”

As wedding guests mingled around them, dancing to music or catching up with people they hadn’t seen in a while, Winn stared at his best friend. “Kara, you know they would want to know.”

“I know…” She sighed. “I’m going to tell Jay first thing in the morning. But Will and Nat have been preparing for this day practically since they met, okay? I’m going to ruin that unless I absolutely have to, and I shouldn’t have to if Astra knows what is good for her.”

As they were handed their drinks, Winn shook his head. “I’m just saying that they are going to be pissed when they find out.”

“Why?” They moved through the crowd in search of the happy couple. “I have perfectly good reasons for keeping it to myself, and it isn’t like she hurt me or anything.”

“Um, I think using Kryptonite against you counts as hurting you in their eyes.” He told her. “Mine too.”

Rolling her eyes, Kara waved at Natalie and plastered a smile on her face. “Fine, but she didn’t stab me with it or anything. I’m fine, and we will deal with it. Now, can we please just have a good time and celebrate the fact that my older brother finally ended up with the girl of his dreams?”

Her friend sighed in defeat. “Fine. But if you haven’t told them by Tuesday, I’m telling them.”

“Deal.” Kara smiled and dragged him over to the bride and groom. “Ah!”

Kara and Natalie squealed and hugged tightly as the boys rolled their eyes and engaged in a ‘bro hug.’

“Congrats, you guys!” Winn was great at playing the supportive friend that had no cares in the world. “Finally married.”

“I know.” Will couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. “It seems…surreal.”

“I finally have an official sister!” Kara laughed, one arm still secured around Natalie.

“Hey! What, are Jay and I not enough?” Will teased.

“Uh, do you want to hear all about girl things, boys, et cetera?” The blonde smiled.

“How would that be any different from the last few decades?” He asked, a smirk plastered on his face.

Kara’s jaw dropped. “First of all, ew, no. Second, that never happened, so hush.”

“Well, I’m just glad to give Owen even more family.” Natalie stepped in, knowing how far the siblings could take their teasing. “He is so thrilled to have ‘Uncle Jay’ and ‘Auntie Kara’ in his life for real now.”

“We love it just as much,” Kara told her honestly, causing Winn to nod enthusiastically next to her.

“Trust me; she’s telling the truth. You should hear how much she mentions him. It’s insane.”

Smiling at the dark-haired man, Natalie sighed and let herself fall away from Kara and rest against Will’s side. “That’s just one more reason this was the best idea ever.”

“You sure about that?” Everyone turned to see Jay and Hailey coming over to them. “I can have a car out back in two minutes, and you can still split.”

Smacking him lightly at his joke, Kara shook her head. “Oh, stop it. You know they belong together. I mean, you can basically see the rainbows and hearts shooting out of their eyes.”

“And on that note, I think it’s time for a dance.” Will turned to his bride. “Shall we?”

“I think I shall.” She laughed, and he pulled her to the dance floor.

Turning to her partner, Hailey set her drink on the nearest table. “I know this is out of character for me, but Jay Halstead…would you like to dance?”

Raising a brow at her, he too set his drink down. “Why Hailey, what has gotten into you?”

The detective just chuckled and led him in the same direction his brother had gone, leaving Winn and Kara alone again. They stood side by side for a few moments before Kara heard a click of someone’s tongue and turned in time to see him grab her drink and set it on the table.

“Winn, what are you doing?”

Facing her, he held his hand out. “Well, we can’t be the only ones not dancing. So, Kara…will you dance with me?”

Smiling at his antics, the Kryptonian nodded and walked with him to the dance floor. Arriving out there, they found a spot in the middle of the crowd that had gathered close enough to her brothers but far enough away that they couldn’t interrupt each other.

The friends dance for half the song before Kara raised a brow at the look on her friend’s face. “What are you thinking?”

Looking down for a second, Winn sighed and smiled lightly at her. “You just…you look really pretty tonight, Kara.”

She felt herself blush. “Thanks, Winn. That’s sweet of you to say.”

“No, I’m serious, Kara.” He was looking at her so intently, she felt her stomach drop in anxiety. “I know you think you’re just average looking or something, but you’re not. You are stunning even when you’re not flying around in the cape.

“You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I just…I wish you saw that the same way I do.”

Blinking in shock, Kara had no time to respond before he was leaning in and placing his lips on hers. As soon as her brain registered what had happened, she pulled away only to see Winn’s face falling.

“Um…”

He shook his head. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She told him, still in shock.

He pulled away from her, and she felt terrible. “Winn…”

“No, I…I’m fine.” He told her. “I just need some air.”

“Winn!” She hurried after him, but as soon as they were off the dance floor, he spun on her.

“Just leave me alone, please.”

Kara froze, having never heard that request from her best friend. This was not something she was used to dealing with, and now she worried that she had really screwed things up.

Kara stood at the front of the crowd next to her friends as they watched Natalie and Will get into their limo in order to head home and change before going on their honeymoon. They both hugged their family, and when Will got to her, he sighed.

“Try not to get hurt or impaled by Kryptonite or anything while I’m gone, okay?”

She knew he was teasing her, but her smile was tight as she thought back on her conversations with Winn during the night. “I’ll do my best.”

He was too swept up in happiness to see the blatant lie and moved on to Jay. She waited, her arms wrapped around herself as they waved to the crowd, and finally drove away.

The crowd started to disperse, and Kara was finally able to spot her friend walking away. “Winn, wait!”

She watched as he came to a stop, allowing her to hurry to his side. Nearly everyone was back inside the bar by the time she did, so she wasn’t worried about anyone hearing their conversation. It was an awkward situation for both of them, but she knew she had to make things right.

“Listen, Winn-”

“Kara, I’m really sorry,” Winn told her quietly.

She shook her head. “It’s fine; it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course, it matters.” He wasn’t taking his eyes off of her again, and she knew this conversation would be like the last. “I haven’t told you much about my family, but my dad kept his feelings bottled up for years until he exploded. Because he was a coward…like me.”

“No…”

Winn continued past her protest. “Look, I know I dropped this huge bomb on our friendship when I kissed you, and I should have told you how I felt a long time ago. But I was…I was too scared to say anything; I was too scared to stand up for myself.

“Kara, I am going to tell you the truth now. I’m in love with you. I have been in love with you for a long time. Since before you were Supergirl.”

“Winn…” Kara’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want things to change.”

Biting his lip, Winn nodded with a sigh. “Before this whole Supergirl thing, I probably would have gone along with that. God, I just would have pretended that kiss never happened. But I don’t know if I can sit and smile and eat potstickers and pretend like it is not killing me.

“Kara, I cannot keep bottling things up. I am too afraid of what could happen.”

Looking down, the blonde tried to keep the tears from falling. “So…what does this mean for us?”

“I don’t know.” Her friend told her honestly before continuing past her.

Kara stood in silence as he walked away behind her. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. She would never have guessed that her best friend was in love with her, and now because she didn’t reciprocate those same feelings, she might have lost him forever.

Finally, letting the tears fall, she allowed herself to slump against the side of the bar as her chest heaved with sobs. Bringing her hand up to cover her mouth, she squeezed her eyes shut and felt the warm tears fall onto her hands.

All she wanted right now was for a black hole to swallow her up.

“Kara?” Jay’s voice echoed into the cool night air. “Hey, some of the guys are looking to do a shots competition, and I could really use the extra money. I figured if you got in on it…”

His voice trailed off as he approached her and saw the state she was in. She didn’t need to see his face to know he wore a concerned and on-guard expression. His whole body radiated the feeling of a protective older brother, causing Kara to change her mind.

Someone else could have that black hole. All she wanted now was her brother and a loving hug.

As Kara moved forward, instinct had Jay opening his arms and holding her close before he could register what was happening. Grabbing the back of his suit tightly in her fists, Kara allowed him to grab her glasses from her face so she could press it into his chest.

Then they stood there—confused older brother and devastated younger sister—and held each other, taking and providing comfort where necessary, hoping that whatever happened next would be easier than the things that had taken place that night.

Chapter Text

Kara groaned as she typed codes into her computer. The bunker was unusually quiet for that time of day, but she welcomed it after everything that had happened.

It was two days after the wedding, and Winn still wouldn’t speak to her. Though Jay had insisted he stay with her, she sent him home with Hailey after the wedding. Instead, she sat on her balcony with a glass of wine and wondered where she’d messed up.

She wished she had seen the signs of his feelings before that night, thinking that she could have stopped the event somehow. It sent her down a long weekend of self-loathing and pain that she didn’t want to repeat.

Until he spoke to her, however, she was down a best friend.

The sound of the door opening surprised her, but she didn’t look up. She had a good feeling that Jay was coming to check on her, but as she hadn’t told him about Astra’s attack yet, she wanted to put as much space between them as possible. She knew that when he found out about the attack—and her lack of discussion on it—he would be pissed.

“Hey.” Jay waited for the door to close behind him before walking to his sister. “How are you?”

The blonde sighed. “I’m frustrated. I just want to know what Astra is up to. She’s clearly not here for peace, so what is she working so hard towards? I just…I don’t get it.”

He nodded. “I know, but we will figure it out. I was actually talking about the other thing…”

Shaking her head, Kara shoved away from the desk. “He won’t talk to me. I tried calling him like a million times, but he won’t answer. Then he sent me a text yesterday asking me to leave him alone. So I don’t know what else to do.

“I really screwed up here, Jay. You didn’t see the look on his face. He was so hurt, and I did that to him. I’m terrified I lost my best friend this weekend, and I don’t know what to do to fix it.”

Jay sighed and settled his hip on the desk. “First of all, you didn’t do anything wrong. He kissed you, and you don’t feel the same way about him. It would have been worse if you’d played along, and then he found out the truth.

“Second, all you can do right now is give him some space. He will realize exactly what I just said, and I guarantee he’ll come back as soon as he does.”

She bit her lip. “Are you sure? It was really bad, Jay…”

“Hey,” He made sure she was focused on him. “I remember that phone call, Kara. I was overseas, and you were checking in on me again, and you couldn’t stop talking about your new job or the new friend you’d just made. I literally never heard you that hopeful about a friendship. I honestly don’t think I’d ever heard you mention any friend at all up until that point.

“The second I met Winn, I knew you guys were meant to be best friends. I promise you he will come back, and you guys will be fine. Trust me; I’m your older brother. Would I ever steer you wrong?”

She glared at him. “All the time!”

“Okay, well, forget about those times, and trust me now.” He told her. “I am not worried about Winn.”

Nodding, Kara leaned back in her chair. “Well, I am.”

“I know.” He desperately wanted to take her mind off of the situation. “So, tell me what you’ve found out about Astra. Has she made an appearance anywhere?”

Kara’s eyes went wide involuntarily, causing his to narrow. “Kara…”

Before he could finish his statement, both of their phones rang loudly. Confusion washed over their faces until they read the text, and all other thoughts were forgotten.

Grabbing their coats, and Kara’s laptop, they hurried out the door and ran for Jay’s car. They ran into the others along the way, and all prayed that everything would turn out okay.

From: Voight
911. Antonio’s place. Now. Eva’s missing.

Kara’s brain was going a mile a minute as she sat at Antonio’s kitchen table. She had her laptop in front of her trying to locate information on his daughter, but so far, nothing was coming up. She knew she had to give it time to work, but one of their circle was missing, and she was feeling restless.

This was the type of thing even Supergirl wasn’t prepared to handle.

She looked up as Voight walked out of the girl’s bedroom, where Antonio had been holed up, and waited for more information.

Jay spoke first. “So Antonio got a call from Eva at 1:24. Then the last call from Eva’s phone was from the kidnapper at 2:21.”

“I called OCD Tech Lab and put an emergency ping on Eva’s phone,” Kara told him. “I’m good, but they’re faster, and it leaves me space to search elsewhere.”

She knew he understood what she meant when he nodded.

“Already checked all the outside doors and windows,” Ruzek added as he and Kevin came in the front door. “There’s no sign of forced entry.”

“There’s no sign of struggle outside the house either,” Kevin told them.

“No.” Everyone looked up at Antonio emerged from his daughter’s bedroom. “That’s because she never made it home.”

Kara sighed and shared a look with Kim as they took in his appearance. He looked tired and sad, but he also looked sick. She knew that whatever was happening was probably worse than a simple kidnapping.

He walked over to the counter. “She always puts her backpack right here on the kitchen counter. It’s not here, so…”

“I’m running a hack on both of your phones right now,” Kara told him. “The second I find even the slightest clue or possibility, you’ll be the first to know.”

Ruzek shook his head. “I mean, are you sure it’s not something to do with school? Maybe a boy from school?”

Kara watched the detective share a look with Voight, and the information flipped a switch in her brain. She could see the pain on his face and the way his body never stopped moving. She only hoped that they could save both Eva and Antonio before everything unraveled.

“The guy on the phone said I made a mistake.” He admitted, rubbing his arm. “That dealer we arrested last night, Paddy Carter? He wasn’t supposed to get arrested. That’s because I wasn’t at that drug house to do a buy-bust. I was there to score Oxy for me.”

He glanced at Kim, who looked away in anger at having been lied to by her partner, and waited as everyone processed what he’d said. Wanting to give him a break, Kara looked in his and Voight’s direction.

“I can hack the database and get him released.” She was ready to do it the second she was given the go-ahead. “Just say the word, and he’s out on a technical error.”

Their sergeant shook his head. “Keep that option on stand-by. I don’t think it will work now, but we may need it later.”

“I’m sorry, guys,” Antonio said immediately, and Voight put a hand on his shoulder.

The gravity of the situation now weighed heavily on all of them, and a bit later, as they all filed out of the apartment, Kara hung back and stopped him.

“Kara, I know I screwed up, but-”

She interrupted him by pulling him into a hug. “Hey, stop that. You made a mistake, but it’s not like the rest of us haven’t. And God knows we all have our secrets. But we’ll find her, Antonio. I promise you, even if we hit all the walls and dead ends in the world, Eva’s coming home. I’ll do it myself if I have to.”

“How can you promise that in our line of work?” He looked distraught.

Kara sighed. “Just…trust me?” He looked unconvinced. “Antonio. Trust me. You know how skilled I am. I haven’t even brushed the surface of what I can do.”

He nodded, and they followed their team outside. Kara caught Voight’s eye in the doorway, and a million words passed between them in that one silent second.

Secret identity be damned. If she had to, she’d shout her secret from the rooftops in order to bring the girl home. She could only hope it would help.

Chapter Text

Everything that could go wrong seemed to as the team searching for information on Antonio’s missing daughter. Their current dealers weren’t talking, even in the cage, and they were having trouble keeping Antonio away from them. She’d also tried to call Clark for help, but Lois informed her he was off-world and couldn’t be reached at the moment.

Kara couldn’t even imagine what it was like to have your child go missing and hoped she’d never have to deal with this type of tragedy if she ever had her own family. She didn’t think she’d be able to handle it.

Sitting in the precinct’s tech room with Kim, Ruzek, and Kevin gave Kara time to run as many hacks as she could think of running. She’d wanted to text Winn and get his help on it, but she knew that not only did he not want to hear from her, he’d be fired if Cat got wind of his hacking on work soil.

Instead, she’d simply texted him, ‘Antonio’s daughter was kidnapped. If you hear anything at all, please let us know’ and hoped he would at least read it and call someone if the magazine got wind of anything regarding the case.

As she didn’t have her inside man in the media, it fell to her to use every technical skill she could think of to find the girl. Some of the ways weren’t necessarily legal, but she figured Voight could talk his way out of that one if they were ever called on it. Right now, they focused on finding Eva.

“Dammit.” She had hit another wall. “I really hate it when people pull an ‘olden days routine’ and stay off the internet. It makes my job so much harder.”

Kevin nodded. “I can’t imagine how they did this before we had social media and stuff.”

“Must have been a nightmare.” Ruzek agreed with his partner.

Kim sighed. “This is bad, guys. What if we can’t find her?”

“We will,” Kara said immediately. “We have to; there is no other option. Losing your family is something I don’t want anyone else to understand.”

As they all glanced at her, she knew they thought she was referring to the apartment fire that killed her father. They weren’t altogether wrong, but she had also been thinking about her parents and Krypton. The images of that destruction had been haunting her since they’d received the phone call that started this case.

“What do we got?”

They all looked up as Voight walked in the room with Antonio, and Kim handed them a list. “Kara pinged Eva’s phone. It was recovered on the median of I-94 near the Damen underpass. I guess he tossed it out the window. Unfortunately, the nearest camera is two mile markers up the highway.”

“Prints?”

“Not yet,” she told him. “but we did hand-deliver it to the lab, so-”

“What about the hacks?” Voight interrupted her and looked over to Kara. “Have you found anything on the net?”

The blonde shook her head sadly. “Nothing, which is crazy unusual. I’ve run almost every search I can think of, and there isn’t one thing that stands out. They’re laying low, and they’re good at it. It’s driving me crazy, but I won’t stop until I find something. Everyone surfaces at some point, so it’s only a matter of time.”

Before anyone could speak again, Hailey and Jay stormed into the room. They looked both hopeful and distressed, which meant whatever they had was helpful but scary.

She knew her brother’s expressions pretty well, and the one he wore she’d only seen a handful of times. It signaled pain and sadness, something she had hoped they wouldn’t have to deal with for much longer.

“We pulled surveillance from an apartment two blocks from Antonio’s house. It matches the timeline of the kidnapping.”

Hailey sat and quickly pulled up the video, playing it for everyone to see. Then she turned to Antonio. “Are you sure you want to see this?”

He nodded. “Play it.”

It was horrible.

The team watched as Eva struggled against the grip of a man who tried to shove her further into the alleyway towards a car with its trunk open. When she put up a good fight, he got frustrated and punched her. This sent her to the ground, leaving the man with enough leverage to shove her into the trunk and slam it closed. Then he moved away from the car, and Kevin pointed to the screen.

“Right there. Should be able to pull the plate.” He suggested.

As the picture popped up, Antonio turned to them. “Run that plate.”

“Already done.” Thanks to her superspeed, Kara had finished the task before Kevin had finished his thought. “Vehicle’s registered to a Jason Rizzo.”

She moved so he could see the screen, and Voight looked at his friend. “Antonio, you recognize this guy?”

“He looks familiar.” The detective tried to place his face. “I think he might have worked with Carter.”

“He’s got two priors for possession, one for aggravated battery, and…” Kim trailed off, sharing a glance with Kara. “he did two years in Stateville for statutory rape.”

Seeing the look on Antonio’s face, Kara stood and hugged her arms around herself. This was every parent’s—every woman’s—worst nightmare come true, and she didn’t even want to think about what Eva was going through at that moment.

As it was, the images replaced those of Krypton in her brain and wouldn’t go away.

She hugged herself, deep in thought, and stayed quiet as Ruzek spoke. “Address is in Uptown. 804 Christopher.”

“Alright, listen up,” Voight commanded the room, looking at each person. “Before we make our first move, I’m gonna make something crystal clear. From this moment on, we are off the books. You want to walk, walk now. No one’s gonna judge you.”

As his eyes swept over the room, they landed on Kara, who nodded. “I can get there faster.”

“You’d have eyes on the place in case anything happened.”

“I could leave right now. Just say the word.”

“How? What?” Antonio was confused by their seemingly private—yet very public—conversation.

“I did say I’d tried almost every way of searching. This was the only one I hadn’t tried yet.” She reminded him. “I think it’s time.”

“You sure about this?” Voight’s gruff voice traveled over the confused group and focused solely on his techie. “There’s no turning back from this.”

“She’s family.” The blonde shrugged. “I am if you are.”

The sergeant nodded to her. “Well, then, this is where Kara leaves.”

“Wait, what?” Antonio looked at her. “What happened to you bringing her home personally if you had to?”

“I meant what I said, Antonio.” She sighed and, after a glance at Jay, pulled off her glasses. “But I can’t do that as Kara.”

Then she ripped open her shirt and let the team take in this new information.

“Kara…” Antonio’s words got caught in his throat as he realized what this meant.

“I don’t care what you think of me after this, but right now, we focus on bringing Eva home,” Kara told them. “For now, you will have to get over the fact that I lied to you and save it for later. Once she’s home safe, we can talk.”

“Like I said,” Voight told them. “Off the books.”

The room was silent as they stared at the S on her chest. Then she looked at Jay, who nodded.

“Let’s go get Eva.”

Chapter Text

Kara let the wind blow through her hair as she hovered above Rizzo’s house and waited for the team to approach. She prayed that they would find Eva inside, but something in her gut told her it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Supergirl, you got eyes?” Voight’s voice entered her ear through the comm.

Focusing on the building, she used her vision to look inside. “I can see one person inside for sure, but there’s gaps in what I can see. There’s lead everywhere, and I can’t see through that.”

“Get ready to back us up.”

Even though they couldn’t see her, she nodded and watched as they breached the front door. Continuing to use her x-ray vision, she followed the team as best she could around the gaps in her vision, watching as they walked through the house and around the outside perimeter. She managed to find Jay as he walked towards the back door and flew closer to the house.

“Jay, someone’s in that bedroom.” She told him through the comm. “He looks unarmed but be careful.”

Inside the house, Jay glanced at Kevin before kicking the door open and running into the room. “Show me your hands!”

“Okay, okay, okay!” The man shouted back, hands raised in the air. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“Get up!” Kevin told him.

“Okay!”

“Come here, come here…” Antonio entered the room. “Where’s Rizzo?”

The man was panicking. “Uh, he’s not here.”

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know, I swear!” He shouted again.

Jay lowered his weapon. “Why were you hiding?”

“Because I’m scared of Rizzo!” The man gasped out. “He’s an addict. I’ve been trying to kick him out for a month, but he won’t leave!”

“When’s the last time you seen him?” Antonio questioned him.

“About an hour ago.” He was starting to calm down. “I told him that I was gonna change the locks, and he said that he’d kill me.”

“Was he with anybody?”

“I don’t know.” The scared man said honestly. “Whenever he’s around, I stay in here with the door locked.”

Jay watched as the worried father left the room before turning to the man again. “Sit down, shut up. Don’t move.”

Upstairs in the attic, Antonio tore through the objects he found in search of any clue on his daughter. His thoughts were becoming very dark every moment that they didn’t find her, and he prayed that they would find her alive. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to live with himself if they didn’t.

Then he shoved the bed aside, found a bottle of pills hidden under one of the sheets, and paused. He was torn on what to do; as much as he tried to keep his thoughts on Eva, he couldn’t stop the addiction side of his brain from longing for the drugs.

Luckily, he was stopped as soon as he picked them up by the sound of someone on the stairs.

“Antonio?” Turning, he saw Kara watching him carefully. “There’s something in the garage we need you to take a look at.”

The alien held her breath as she watched her friend struggle for a moment before following her downstairs. As she led him towards the garage, she prayed that he could keep his cool as they continued the case.

Walking inside, Antonio moved to close the gap between himself and the team as they looked at a backpack covered in blood. “It’s Eva’s.”

Kara’s heart fell, and looked at Ruzek to continue his comments. He nodded and obliged her silent request.

“So along with the backpack, we found, uh, zip ties, duct tape.” He sighed. “Standard kidnap kit.”

Kevin cleared his throat. “The blood on the bag is fresh.”

“Okay, so that means that Eva was just here,” Voight assured them. “So, let’s hit the streets; find some witnesses. Kara, you take the skies and do a fly-over; see if you can pick up on a trail. They can’t have gotten far.”

“I’m on it.” She told him and went to push off from the ground when Antonio’s phone rang.

The team froze, waiting as he answered and set it to speakerphone. “Dawson…hey. Who am I talking to?”

“You’re talking to the guy who’s gonna put a bullet in your daughter’s head if Paddy Carter don’t walk.”

“I’m working on it,” Antonio told him. “My techie friend is on it, but it’s…it’s gonna take a little longer.”

“You got four hours, Detective.” The man told him.

Antonio shook his head. “Don’t…don’t hang up. I need proof of life.”

Kara’s heart shattered as he spoke, and she unconsciously moved closer to her brother.

“What’s that mean?”

“I need to know my daughter’s alive.”

“No, you need to release Paddy Carter.”

“No, I need to know my daughter’s alive,” Antonio told him. “If I don’t hear her voice, then you got no deal!”

“Daddy, please help me! Help me!” Eva’s voice came through the phone before there was a loud slap, and the man told her to shut up. “Let me go!”

Kara felt tears come into her eyes and looked down when Jay linked his hand with hers.

“Sweetie, don’t worry,” Antonio told his daughter.

“Dad!”

“I’m coming for you.” He promised her.

“Help! Help me!”

“You just be strong.”

Now Rizzo was back on the phone. “Shut up! You got four hours, Detective, or I kill her.”

The team watched as Antonio begged into the phone for a deal, knowing Rizzo had already hung up. Voight moved to console the panicked father.

“New plan. Trace the call on Antonio’s phone.” He told them. “Hit the streets. We’re gonna find some witnesses. Let’s go.” Then he looked at Kara. “Meet me back at the district. I have an idea.”

Looking at her brother in worry, Kara nodded and shot into the sky, leaving her team below her.

“Come on, Eva,” Kara whispered to herself. “give something…anything.”

Chapter Text

Paddy Carter was sitting alone in the cage when the door to the roundup opened and revealed Kevin, Ruzek, and Voight. After instructing Ruzek and Kevin to keep Antonio away from there, the sergeant moved to the cage and opened it.

“Hey, where’s my lawyer?” Paddy wondered.

However, Voight wasn’t in the mood for questions when their inmate wasn’t giving him answers either. “Jason Rizzo is your cousin!”

“So?”

“So, he kidnapped Eva Dawson,” Voight informed him.

“Wait, what the hell are you talking-”

Voight shoved him, causing Paddy to fall onto the bench and hit the brick wall behind him. “You told him to kidnap Dawson’s daughter!”

“No, I didn’t, I swear!” He begged, but Voight just grabbed him by the hair. “Ow!”

“His only ask was that you walk. Why would he do that on his own?” Voight challenged him.

Paddy panted in pain. “Because he’s an idiot and an addict, and every time I try to help him out, it bites me in the ass.”

“How does Rizzo know Antonio?”

“Because he’s been helping me out lately,” Paddy admitted. “Okay, he knows the deal that I have with Antonio. He delivered a package to his house last week. Look, he probably only wants me out to get more drugs. He doesn’t think right in the head, this kid.”

“Where is he?” Voight asked.

“I don’t know,” Paddy replied. “All I can tell you is if you don’t do what this monster says, he’ll kill her.”

Stepping back from the man, Voight paused. “Okay, everybody out.”

“Wait, what?” Ruzek looked confused. “Why?”

“Leave the door open.”

Ruzek glanced at Kevin, who shrugged, and they followed their boss out of the room. Paddy looked around, confused as well, before standing and hurrying to the cage’s open door.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

He froze in his spot, looking around the empty room for the voice. “Who’s there?”

Then his eyes landed on the blonde woman exiting the tech room. Kara simply smiled and bit into the apple she was holding. “Hi, Paddy.”

“You…you’re her!” Paddy cried, shuffling backward into the cage. “But…you only handle alien cases.”

“Actually, that isn’t true.” She told him and moved closer to his ‘cell.’ “It’s especially not true when a case involves someone I care about, so…I’d start talking if I were you.”

“You can’t do anything to me.” His voice quivered in fear. “I have rights.”

“Yeah, see, I didn’t take any such oath, so technically those don’t apply to me.” She shrugged. “Also, there aren’t any cameras down here, and even if there were, I’d just fry them anyway.”

“But…but…I told the sergeant. I don’t know anything.”

Kara bit into her apple again. “Yeah, I heard that whole conversation. I have to say; I don’t believe you.”

“But I’m telling you the truth!”

Rolling her eyes, Kara bit into her apple one more time before throwing it at superspeed. It landed on its intended target, Paddy’s nose, and the man screamed in pain.

“What the hell?” He held his face as blood poured through his fingers. “I thought Supergirl was supposed to be nice and help people! Not hurt them.”

The blonde shrugged again, crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, well, some people just suck the fucking nice right out of you. Now…”

Kara blasted the now-bloodied apple on the ground using her heat vision until it had turned to ash. “You have three seconds to tell me something that helps me find Rizzo, or you’re not going to like the newest cell we put you in.”

“How could it be any worse than this?” He shouted, causing Kara to laugh.

She lifted her hand and gestured to the wall behind him. “Do you have any idea what’s on the other side of those bricks? No? That would be our alien bunker. We keep all those aliens we catch in there until they can be transferred. I’ve got a really nice cell waiting for you right next to an alien that eats human skin to help him transform. I’m sure it will be a great experience; you’ll love it.”

Paddy’s face turned pale. “Okay! Okay! There’s a…there’s a guy. His name’s Gary. He’s got a scrap yard out in Cicero. They like to go out there to get drunk and get high.”

“That’s all you can give me?” She wondered, raising a brow. “Nothing else?”

“No, nothing.” He said weakly, his hand still covering his face. “They find Dawson’s daughter; that mean I get released?”

Slamming the door on him, Kara glared. “It means you might get to live.”

Then she walked over to the door and opened it, finding Ruzek and Kevin still on the other side. “A guy named Gary; friend of Rizzo. Owns some scrapyard in Cicero.”

As Ruzek walked away to get a location, Kevin glanced at Paddy in the cage. “Why’s he bleeding?”

“Because he’s an idiot.” She told him as they went up to their bullpen.

“I didn’t know that idiocy caused people to just start spontaneously bleeding from the nose.” He said with a smirk.

The blonde gave him a look of indifference. “I think It’s a new phenomenon.”

At the junkyard, Ruzek walked up to their man with Kevin, Jay, and Hailey following him. “You Gary McCoy?”

The guy continued to walk through the lot while looking at them. “Yeah?”

“When was the last time you talked to your friend, Jason Rizzo?” Hailey asked as Jay, and the others looked around for any sign of their kidnapper.

“None of your business.” He told them.

Hailey shook her head. “That’s the wrong answer.”

“I’m gonna look around over here,” Ruzek told her and Jay as they continued to question the man.

“You talk to him today?”

“You got a warrant or something?” He asked them.

Jay shook his head. “I don’t need a warrant to ask you questions.”

“Questions about a kidnapping,” Hailey added. “What do you know about that?”

“I fix cars, and I drink beer.” He told them, hoping that would be enough.

“Yo, check this out!” Kevin yelled from his search with Ruzek. “Rizzo’s car is back here!”

“Oh, you’d better start talking fast, ‘cause things are gonna go bad.” Hailey shrugged.

“Go bad?” McCoy raised his brow. “The hell are you gonna do about it?”

Behind them came the sound of metal being crushed, and the group turned to see that Supergirl had landed on a perfectly restored car. Then she lifted it and flew into the air, dropping it so that it became destroyed.

Landing next to her brother, Kara gave a faux wince. “Ooh…I wonder how much that will cost you to fix back up.”

“What the hell?”

“You better start talking because I can do that all day.” The superhero told him.

Ruzek walked up to stand next to Hailey. “Rizzo switched out his car here. What’d you give him, Gary?”

“Make and model.” Kevin detailed, waiting for the response.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He tried again.

Then he walked past Kara, who sighed and grabbed his arm. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Do not grab me, alien freak.” He turned and shoved her, causing the group to jump forward.

Before they could act, however, Kara grabbed his wrist and spun it behind his back. “You ever touch me again, I will rip off your arm and beat you to death with it, you understand?”

He nodded in fear, and she continued. “We’re talking about a kidnapping here, Gary. That’s life in prison for Rizzo and for you if you don’t cooperate. Now, what car did you give Rizzo?

He groaned before giving them the information they needed. Satisfied with his response, she held him a second longer before releasing him so that Ruzek and Kevin could arrest him for trying to hide key information in the case.

As they walked away, Jay and Hailey turned to her. “Well, that was dark.”

She shrugged. “Desperate times…”

He nodded. “We’ll meet you back at HQ.”

This time Kara shook her head. “I’m going to do a fly-over. I’ll have my comm, so let me know if there are any updates.”

Then she stepped back and was gone.

Chapter Text

While the team worked on locating the new car that Rizzo was using, Kara flew over the city in hopes of finding either it or Eva. She couldn’t believe that it had only been one day since they’d started the case, as it felt like an entire week had passed.

She’d also threatened to kill more than one person in that amount of time—which was unusual for her—and felt only a little sick about it. She knew she’d be having a conversation with her mother when they found Eva and could only hope that it would help calm her ever-growing nerves.

“When this is all over, I want my sanity back.” She said aloud to herself as she flew over buildings and houses at a rate that would make another person dizzy.

She had almost finished her second lap of the city when she heard a woman shout at her from a second-story window. Flying down to face her, Kara furrowed her brow.

“I’m sorry to bother you, miss.” The older woman fidgeted in her worry.

“It’s okay,” Kara told her calmly. “What’s going on?”

She pointed to the motel across the alley. “The man in that building…he came here earlier today. I didn’t think anything was wrong until he pulled the girl out of the car. She looked hurt. I’m sorry, I tried calling the police, but they said that was normal for that place…”

Turning, Kara saw the car they were looking for on the street and nodded. “No, you did the right thing. Thank you so much.”

The woman waved her away, and Kara flew closer to the motel. “Guys, I have eyes on our car.”

She rattled off the address of her location, and though she wanted to bust right in, she followed Voight’s instructions to stay put and wait for them.

“Rizzo’s in Room 201,” Kara told the group as they arrived, having asked the woman again for more information.

Voight nodded and gathered them. “Okay, listen up. We’re moving in fast and dark. This offender is armed and dangerous, so you all have a green light.” He turned to Kara. “That goes for you, too. Light the guy up if you have to.”

She nodded, knowing she would do whatever she had to do to bring Eva home.

“Let’s hit it.” He told them. “Antonio. I need you to hang back, bro.”

“Hank, there’s nothing you can do or say right now that’s gonna keep me from going in there.” The detective told him. “I’m going in first.”

Then he walked away and moved to the front door where Kara waited for Kevin's signal before cutting through the lock with her heat vision. As the team rushed into the building, Kara sped up the stairs and entered Room 201, which was covered in graffiti and other disheveled ruins. It looked to be abandoned, so she swept the place using her vision.

When they reached a closed door, she pushed further and hissed in a breath before moving toward it. Voight and Antonio walked up, guns drawn, but Kara shook her head. “There’s no need. It’s only her.”

Looking at her sadly as he realized what she meant, Antonio burst through the door and crashed to his knees next to the mattress that held his injured daughter. “Sweetie?”

“She’s alive,” Kara told him. “I can hear her heart beating.”

Then she watched the painful reunion unfold in front of her as the rest of the team swept the place.

“It’s Daddy. It’s Daddy.” Antonio told his daughter. “I’m here. I’m here. Can you hear me?”

They could hear her soft cries, and Kara waited as she nodded slowly before moving to them and kneeling and gesturing to the tape on her face so that Antonio could see her intentions.

“Honey?” His voice shook. “I have Supergirl here. She’s going to get the tape off your mouth, okay?”

“Hi, Eva.” Kara made sure her voice was quiet and didn’t shake. “Don’t worry; I won’t let the heat touch you, okay?”

She waited until Antonio nodded before focusing her heat vision on the duct tape just enough so that it cut the binding but didn’t hit the girl’s face. Then she gently pulled it away from her mouth and stepped back, handing it to Kim, who stood in the doorway with Voight.

The sergeant made eye contact with her as she did so before turning to grab his radio. “50-21 roll an ambulance to 1900 Fisher now.”

“Copy that.”

Then he turned back and watched as the horror-struck father tried to console his baby girl.

“You’re gonna be okay. You’re safe now. Just stay strong, sweetie. I’m gonna take care of you.”

Antonio followed the EMTs and Eva out of the building before climbing into the ambulance bound for Med. The team gathered as they watched it leave, waiting for Voight to give them further instructions.

So far, they still hadn’t found their guy, and it was pissing them off.

“Rizzo is still in the wind.” He told them angrily.

“Yeah, but his truck’s still here.” Kim shrugged.

Jay sighed. “You, maybe he got spooked when we rolled in and took off on foot.”

“He may have seen Kara out here before we arrived.” Ruzek shrugged at the look Jay sent him. “I mean, she doesn’t exactly scream ‘subtle’ in that suit.”

“Alright, so let’s fan out.” Their boss told them. “Talk to witnesses, look for cameras, do whatever we gotta do.”

“No need.” Kara’s voice came through the comms. “I’ve got eyes on Rizzo.”

After they had found Eva, Voight had sent Kara away to search the city again. However, this time, he wanted her to look for any sign of Rizzo’s voice or anyone who spoke his name. She had only been gone about fifteen minutes when she’d finally found him.

“Supergirl, what’s your 20?” He barked into the comm, and they waited for her to respond.

“We’re at the old factory by your location.” She told them. “He’s inside. He knows I’m here.”

“Supergirl, I want you to hold your position. If he flees, you grab him; otherwise, you wait for us, you understand me?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Okay, you heard her. Let’s get over there.”

Voight sighed as he and Ruzek pulled into the lot attached to the old factory. As they stepped out of the car, he looked up and saw Kara hovering above them, her eyes trained on the building.

He knew she was using her x-ray vision to keep tabs on Rizzo and grabbed his gun. “Supergirl, you still have got eyes?”

He saw her nod as her voice came through the comms. “Yeah, he’s still in there. Just waiting. He’s confused by my non-approach.”

“Stay out here.” He told her as they rushed to the door. “Watch the perimeter.”

They entered the building, and the second Rizzo saw them, he ran. They pursued him as he ran up the stairs and became frustrated.

“Stop running!” Ruzek yelled to him, but the man ignored him.

They chased him up a few more stairs until he panicked, and Adam was able to tackle him to the ground. “Put ‘em down!”

“Get off me!” Rizzo yelled, trying to fight the cop. “Get off of me!”

“Voight, Antonio’s here.”

“Hey!” Voight strode over to them and pressed his gun to Rizzo’s head. “Make a move. Please.”

Rizzo laughed. “Come on; you won’t do it.”

“Then move,” Voight suggested.

“Come on; I want you to do it!”

“Reach for something.”

“Hey!”

Turning, they saw Antonio run into the room, and Voight moved to stop him as Ruzek hauled Rizzo off the ground. “What are you doing? We got this.”

“Is that why you have Kara outside?” The distraught man asked. “Just give me five minutes with him.”

“No, Antonio.”

“Five minutes,” Antonio begged.

With a deep sigh, the older man held out his hand. “Give me your gun. Adam.”

As Ruzek let the offender go, Antonio pounced. Rizzo egged him on, but the ex-boxer turned Intelligence detective had no time to deal with his taunts. He swung punch after punch at the man until Voight had to physically pull him off before he killed him.

“How old is Eva anyway?” Rizzo asked as he stood. “She eighteen yet? She was good.”

Blinded by the rage any father would have in that situation, Antonio pushed past his boss and shoved the man, sending him through the wooden planks behind him and sailing out the broken window they covered up.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.” Ruzek was in shock as they ran to the window to see Rizzo’s broken body on the ground.

Instead, they found him sprawled out on top of Kara’s body, which had cushioned him from hitting the concrete.

Shoving him off of her, Kara stood. “Ugh, get up, you piece of shit.”

Then she looked up and nodded at Voight.

Chapter Text

It had been about a week since they found Eva, and everything seemed to be going back to normal. While Antonio hadn’t had the easiest of times, he was grateful to have his team backing him up. That team, they now knew, had included Supergirl long before she’d been created.

The blonde Kryptonian waited as Ruzek, Voight, and Antonio emerged from the old factory, shaking from the events that had just happened. She knew Antonio hadn’t meant to shove Rizzo out the window, but she was still glad she was able to stop him from being killed, as that would have been another horrible thing they had to deal with.

“Good save.” Ruzek shook his head.

She shrugged and looked down at the pitiful man. “Yeah, well, I only did it for Antonio. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to let him go ‘splat.’”

Voight sighed. “Drive back to the district with Antonio. Adam and I will deal with this and meet you back there. Don’t let him do anything stupid.”

As Antonio tried to cover for himself, Kara nodded. “I will pick up the car and fly it back with him inside if I have to.”

Knowing that was handled, Voight turned away, and Kara pulled Antonio away from them. They were silent as they moved towards his car, and it was only once they were on the road that Kara spoke to him.

“How’s Eva?”

Gripping the wheel tightly in his hands, Antonio sighed. “She’ll be fine…eventually.”

Kara nodded. “I’m sorry about what happened.”

Not wanting to talk about it anymore, he focused back on the road. “Thank you for doing what you did.”

“No matter what crazy shit you have going on in your personal life, you’re a good guy, Antonio. I wasn’t about to let you murder a man.”

“Well, thanks, but I meant about you telling us who you are.”

Looking down at her family’s crest on her chest, she shook her head. “I told you that I had barely brushed the surface of what I was capable of, remember? This is what I meant. I had to let the usual channels run their course, but the second I knew they wouldn’t work, I knew it was time.”

“Why didn’t you tell us before?” She knew he was equally interested and also looking for a distraction.

Shifting in her seat, she sighed. “I had to be careful with who I told. My brothers didn’t even know who I really was until we had that case with Vartox.”

“When you saved Jay.” The detective realized. “Would you really have kept yourself from this if that hadn’t happened?”

She paused for a second before replying. “My cousin, while praised by most, has also received some hate. Like I told Voight when he found out, I never really lied to you when you guys interrogated me.

“When I landed here, it was vital that I keep my powers a secret. For one, I didn’t know how to control them yet. For another, I was just a child. Besides, the world already had my cousin; did they really need me? My parents made me promise not to tell anyone until we were ready.

“We didn’t even tell Jay or Will.” At her admission, Antonio glanced at her with shock on his face. “Yeah, I know. He and I were fighting around that time if you remember. It’s because once I used my powers for the first time in a long time, I realized that I was meant for more than just desk work. He didn’t agree with me—yet.”

“Whoa. Talk about family drama.”

She nodded again. “Thankfully, he came to his senses, but it’s still so dangerous. If anyone who we couldn’t trust found out who I really was…”

“I get it.”

“Please don’t think that I don’t trust you guys. I never would have shown you the truth today if I didn’t believe I could trust you. I just needed to take my time with it. Today it hit me that I should have told you all sooner.

“But Eva is family. So, I don’t regret what I did in any capacity.”

“You, Kara, are one of a kind.”

“Two,” she told him and chuckled. “Myself and Kal.”

“Okay, okay…”

She’d gotten lucky that the rest of the team was as understanding as he was regarding her secret, and they were able to move on pretty quickly.

Now that that was over, however, Kara felt it was time to fess up on other events that had happened. Namely, Astra and her cohorts.

“Everybody, listen up.” Voight’s voice bellowed into the bullpen, bringing everyone to attention, as Kara followed him out of his office with a frown on her face.

Jay stood when he saw her. “What going on?”

“Is everything okay?” Kim wondered, also seeing how distressed her friend looked.

When Voight gestured to Kara, the blonde sighed. “Astra is back, and she’s up to something.”

“What happened?” Jay asked her.

“She and two of her cronies attacked me and tried to convince me to join them.”

“When was this?” Hailey wondered.

Kara winced. “The night before Will’s wedding.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jay’s voice echoed in the quiet room. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”

“I was going to tell you after the wedding, but then that whole thing with Winn happened, and then Eva, and then Will and Nat came home…”

“My God, Kara, you could have been killed.” He told her but stopped when Voight interrupted him.

“She knows it was wrong, but she is telling us now.” He told her protective brother. “Let’s let her continue.”

“Thanks.” She shrugged. “She really just wants me to remember our familial relationship and join whatever it is they are planning. She also has a way to block the Kryptonite, so that’s a no go.”

“Do you know what she’s up to?” Kevin asked from across the room.

She sighed. “Unfortunately, no. All I was ever told was that she and my mother were fighting because of my aunt’s involvement in some destruction to government buildings. Other than that, as you know, I didn’t even know she’d been imprisoned until she kidnapped Jay.”

“Wait, so she can stop the Kryptonite?” Ruzek looked confused. “How is that possible?”

“That’s more awesome news,” Kara told him sarcastically. “She has created a suit that makes her invulnerable to it.”

“That changes the game.” Antonio sighed, resting a hip on the side of his desk. “Why’d she attack you after all this time?”

“Like I said, she’s recruiting me for her crazy cause, whatever it is.” She crossed her arms over her chest and went to sit at her desk. “She said Earth needs both of us. But according to the AI of my mother, Astra’s not a good person, so…”

“She wants you off the board.” Hailey guessed.

Voight shook his head. “This could be the beginning of what we’ve feared since we learned of Fort Rozz being on Earth; a city-wide attack.”

“I’ll head out now,” Kara told him, but as she left the room, Jay followed her.

“Hey, wait up.”

Turning, she looked at him, puzzled. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys…”

He shook his head. “No, no. You were right. We had a lot going on, and it’s not like we’ve really had any time to talk.”

“Oh,” she let out a relieved sigh. “so…what’s up?”

He hesitated before putting his hands on his hips. “I think you should let us handle Astra.”

Now Kara rolled her eyes. “Don’t give me that line you’ve been giving me for months.”

“This isn’t about being ready.” He assured her, knowing that is what she thought he meant. “Astra is your family. And I think, deep down, whether you want to admit it or not, you still care about her.”

“I don’t.” She tried, but he interrupted her.

“Kara, this is war.” He was more forceful this time. “And to win a war, sometimes the enemy has to die. Now, can you look me in the eye and tell me that you’re prepared to kill? Not walk someone into a bullet or threaten it, but actually kill?”

“Superman doesn’t kill.” She reminded him.

He looked at the floor sadly. “If that’s your answer, then you shouldn’t fight her.”

“Jay, it won’t come to that.”

“She has already shown that she’s ready to kill you.” He pointed out. “You have to be ready to do the same. What do you remember about her? What are you holding on to?”

“Nothing.” She told him, her face falling. “It…it’s gone.”

She stared at him for a moment before turning and walking away. A moment later, the sound of mechanical gears told him that she’d gone into the bunker instead of leaving.

He’d won that round, at least. Now, he hoped his words never came true.

Chapter Text

At their hidden base, Astra held a small device in her hand. She was so lost in thought; she didn’t hear anyone come up behind her.

“You didn’t kill her.”

Flinching in shock, Astra concealed the device in her palm and waited.

“You swore to me Alura’s daughter would convert to our cause or die.” The man said again. “It’s not like you to fail to keep a promise.”

Astra turned to face him. “I told you, she’s stronger than we thought.”

“Was it her strength or your weakness?” He questioned.

The General’s face went dark. “You owe Alura nothing. Certainly not her daughter’s life.”

“Kara is nothing like her mother.” Astra insisted. “She can be made to see reason.”

“I sometimes wonder if any of the women in your family can.”

Raising a brow, Astra stepped towards him. “You forget yourself, Lieutenant. I am your General.”

“I have sworn my allegiance to you in every way possible.” He reminded her. “I obey your orders and your heart. If you cannot bring yourself to kill her, there is no shame, and I do not judge. But let me end her and be done with it.”

“Do not question my resolve, Non,” Astra told him. “I will see this through. I will die before I allow another world to end when I could save it.”

“If you die, she dies,” Non promised. “And I always keep my promises, wife.”

…

Kara sat at her desk and pretended to click buttons on her computer while everyone searched for her aunt. In reality, she couldn’t help but remember every good memory she had with her and how the woman’s current murderous spree was slowly overshadowing that.

Kara sat in her bedroom with a device in her hand, sadly looking at the doorway. She’d pressed it a while ago and was beginning to think she would never get an answer.

“Kara.”

Looking up, the girl smiled. “Aunt Astra! You got my message!”

Hugging the girl that ran to her, Astra smiled. “I would never lose track of my spy beacon.”

Pressing them together, they shared a moment of bonding before Kara questioned her. “Where have you been? Mother said you were never coming back. Are you in trouble?”

Astra looked at her as if in pain. “We all are, little one.”

“Why? Tell me. No one else will tell me.”

“Krypton is dying,” Astra informed her. “Our core is unstable. It has been for a long time because of how we’ve harnessed it for power. We became greedy. And now the oceans have changed, and the weather…

“I’m trying to get people to stop and see what they’re doing, and in doing so, I’ve had to do some difficult things.”

“Is that why Mother won’t say your name anymore?” Kara wondered.

Astra looked shocked at first and then sad. “I would do anything to save us…to save you, Kara. But it isn’t safe here for me anymore. I have to go away again. But I didn’t wanna leave without saying goodbye.”

As her aunt hugged her, Kara felt tears come to her eyes. “Please don’t leave.”

“I couldn’t love a daughter more than if Rao had granted me a child of my own.” Astra held in a sob as she tightened her arms around her niece.

Then she stiffened, and when Kara turned, she saw her mother standing in the doorway.

“Kara, leave us.”

“Mother…”

“Now, Kara.” Her mother left no room for argument.

Kara was shaken out of her memory when she heard hurried footsteps on the stairs and looked to see Platt racing into their bullpen. “Have you guys turned on the television at all?”

The blonde watched as Ruzek did as she said and stood when she saw what was being broadcasted on every station.

“An unknown woman is hovering over Chicago Med with, it seems, the same powers as Supergirl.” The team watched as the camera zoomed in, and they got a perfect look at Astra. “Does she mean us harm? Should we be concerned?”

As she moved to walk around her desk, Jay walked towards her. “She’s calling you out, Kara. You don’t have to go.”

She sent him a pained look. “You know that I do.”

…

Inside the hospital, Will watched from the ED doors as Astra hovered above them. He felt people walk up next to him and knew one of them was Natalie when she gripped his hand in hers. “Is that…”

He nodded. “Astra. It has to be. From what Jay told me, she’s Alura’s twin, so that would make sense.”

“Alura?” Ethan was standing behind them.

“Kara’s mom.” He told his friend. “They’re identical.”

“How do you know that?” The male doctor questioned.

Will sighed. “Uh…I’ve seen her. Twice. Intelligence has some of Kara’s stuff from when she landed. Thanks to an artificial intelligence thing from her pod, they were able to create a system that allows her to speak to her mom, or at least her memory, whenever she wants.”

“Wow.” Ethan sounded stunned. “What do you think she wants?”

“Kara.” The redhead said immediately. “She wants Kara to join some crazy cause she has going right now. She’s calling her out.”

“Will…” Natalie’s voice was pained.

He nodded. “I know. I see her.”

The doctors watched as Kara flew up and faced her aunt. “Astra!”

The woman turned to face her.

“No bodyguards?”

“No knife,” Astra smirked. “No armor. No one besides you and me. Will you talk to me now?”

Kara only stared at her, knowing that her aunt was trying to get inside her head.

Astra shook her head. “You can’t say it’s not fair.”

“We’re done with fair.”

Kara let the heat enter her eyes and sent a blast that knocked Astra back. Flying after her, Kara threw a punch that knocked her down even further as onlookers prepared for the worst.

Astra sent a blast of her own that hit Kara in the shoulder and sent her flying, crashing into the side of a building neighboring the hospital. As Astra flew back a ways, Kara noticed a large piece of the building was falling to the ground, and after a second of being torn on what to do, she sped down and caught it.

Flying back into the air, she gripped the slab and waited as Astra came back into view. When she was almost upon her, Kara whipped it at her aunt, and it knocked the other Kryptonian out of the air, slamming into the concrete just outside the ED doors.

Will, Natalie, and Ethan watched as Kara landed and Astra stood, zipping over to a parked car and kicking it at her niece. The blonde was able to turn it to pieces using her heat vision, but Astra was in front of her when she turned again.

Having been punched in the face, Kara was thrown in the air and spun, landing sprawled on her back. Then Astra stepped over her and looked down at her beloved niece.

“Again. Just like Alura.”

“She was a better woman than you’ll ever be.” Kara defended.

“She was a murderer.”

“Liar.” Will could see that Kara was pissed and wanted to help her but knew it would do more harm than good.

Astra shook her head. “Oh, she called me a liar, too. She had to. Had to make someone else responsible for her deception. And cruelty. And weakness.”

“Come on, Kara,” Will whispered to himself. “Get up.”

“Her only weakness was letting you live!” Between the anger she had towards her aunt and hearing that her brother was so close by, Kara gathered her strength and knocked Astra off her.

The General went flying, landing similarly to her niece, as Kara hovered over her. The blonde then landed and threw multiple punches in rapid succession before shoving her a few feet along the grass.

Walking over to her aunt, Kara lifted her by the collar and prepared to throw a fist but stopped before following through with the action. She hesitated for a moment before her body deflated.

Looking around, she heard sirens wailing as she noticed her brother watching her. She didn’t acknowledge him; they just stared at each other for a moment.

Then she lifted Astra again and flew away.

“My God,” Ethan whispered.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Natalie, worried about her new sister, looked up at Will.

His eyes were still focused on where his sister had been standing a moment prior. “I don’t know. I’ve…I’ve never seen her that angry.”

Then he shook his head and sighed. “Come on; we’re about to have an influx of patients.”

The trio turned and got back to work, unable to forget the fight they saw.

Chapter Text

Kara frowned as the Roundup door opened, and she came face to face with her team. She knew they were worried about her, but all she wanted now was to be left alone. It had been a long day, and she needed some time alone to work out her feelings.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she gripped her aunt’s arm and dragged her inside, dropping her at their feet. “Here.”

Voight looked at Ruzek and Kevin. “Containment. Now.”

“We’ll call you when she wakes up,” Jay told her.

Turning, Kara walked away. “Don’t. She can rot.”

They watched her go, and Hailey put her hand on Jay’s arm in support. He was worried about his sister, but he didn’t move to follow her. He knew she needed the space and also knew she had dinner planned with Will a few hours from then.

If need be, he would get something out of her then.

“What?”

Looking up from his drink, Will raised a brow at his sister. “What, what?”

She frowned. “I know you, Will. You have something on your mind. Not to mention the fact that we saw each other earlier. So…out with it.”

He sighed. “First of all, I’m glad your aunt didn’t murder you.”

“Thanks, Will.” Kara rolled her eyes.

“Second, I just…are you okay?” There was concern in his eyes. “Because I saw what you looked like during and after that fight, and you didn’t look okay.”

Slouching back in her seat, the blonde looked away. “Astra was my best friend on Krypton. Then one day, she just…disappeared. Then Krypton died, and I thought that even being gone, she’d been destroyed with it. I was wrong.

“Seeing her now…it hurts, Will. She’s not at all the woman that I remember from my childhood. She’s cruel and horrible. And she is saying all of this terrible stuff about my mother…”

“Hey,” Will leaned forward and captured her hand in his. “We don’t know what happened between your mother and her sister.”

“But, Will…”

“Kara, we can’t know what happened in the past.” He interrupted her. “You know perfectly well that siblings fight, and sometimes, that fighting doesn’t get resolved right away.”

Kara looked up at him sadly. “She sent her to prison, Will.”

He nodded. “I know. Jay filled me in. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to believe these things about my mother.” The blonde closed her eyes. “My mother was amazing and thoughtful and kind.”

“I know.”

“What?” Kara’s brow furrowed. “How?”

He smiled now. “Because she raised you.”

“Will.”

“I’m serious.” He left no room for doubt. “You are probably the most amazing person I know, Kara. You have been since the moment Mom and Dad adopted you. Even before you were Supergirl, you wanted what was best for every person you came into contact with, no matter what they might have done. You considered Owen your nephew before Nat and I even started dating; you basically demanded that we consider Winn family; you look at every one of our friends as if they are your siblings or something…

“Kara, you hold this family together. You do that, not Supergirl. That doesn’t happen without having some really great role models. So yeah, no one is perfect. But your mother must have been something pretty incredible because you came out of all that.”

She had tears in her eyes as he finished speaking. “You’re the best.”

He chuckled. “I think we just established that you are, but I’ll take it.”

This gained a laugh from her, and Will felt better about how she felt after that.

“So, Jay told me about what happened at the wedding.”

Now she groaned. “Ugh. It was so bad.”

“I can’t believe he kissed you.” The redhead looked unsure.

Kara shrugged. “I know! But he did. And now everything is messed up.”

“He’ll come around.”

“I wish people would stop saying that.” She shook her head. “I hope he will, but until then, I can’t know for sure what will happen. He’s my best friend, Will, and now he won’t speak to me.”

“He will.” Her brother was adamant.

“Auntie Kara!”

Will watched as she turned and sent Owen a genuine smile. No matter how she was feeling or what happened in her life, she always lit up at the sight of her now-nephew. She loved him more than almost anything in her life, and he was happy that it could give her a minor distraction.

“Well, if it isn’t my little man.” The blonde chuckled as the boy ran over and hugged her. “What are you up to?”

“Playing.” He smiled. “Mommy says it’s bedtime.”

Kara nodded. “Well, that’s no fun!”

He nodded enthusiastically. “Come?”

“I think Mommy wants to help you, buddy…”

“By all means,” Natalie smiled as she walked into the room, Owen’s favorite blanket in hand. “If Auntie Kara is willing to put her favorite nephew to bed, she should feel free. Mommy gets to do it almost every night.”

“Yay!”

Owen cheered, and the joy on Kara’s face helped her brother feel much better than he did when she had first arrived at his house. The newlyweds watched as the blonde made a show of getting up and chasing the boy before sweeping him into her arms. She held him sideways and tickled the section of his stomach that showed when his shirt rode up. He laughed all the way up to the bedroom.

When they knew that she was fully immersed in their son’s bedtime routine, Natalie turned to her husband. “How is she doing?”

The redhead shrugged. “Not great. About as well as I thought, actually.”

“Did she say anything about what happened earlier?” Natalie moved to sit in Kara’s vacant chair.

“Astra is trying to get her to believe her mom was the corrupt one.” He said and nodded at the shock on her face. “I know. It’s cruel and horrible. But I’m guessing she sees it as a war tactic or even like she’s doing Kara a favor. Instead, she’s just tearing her apart even more.”

“Could that be what she wants?” The brunette shrugged. “I mean, if she wants Kara to join whatever cause it is she has, wouldn’t she want to tear her down first and turn her against everyone?”

“That’s not a bad theory…” He trailed off and looked at the stairs. “I’m not sure she knows about us, but I dread the day she tries to use us for that, or worse, as leverage.”

“You think she’d do that?” Natalie thought of her son in bed upstairs and started to worry. “You think she’d use us to get to Kara?”

He nodded. “She’s not above it, obviously. Don’t worry—you know we’d never let anything happen to Owen, and Kara would die before she let Astra get at him. But I talked to Jay earlier about setting up a plan just in case she tries. We’re working on it.”

“Okay.” She sighed. “I trust you guys, and you’re right. Kara wouldn’t let anything happen to us. But that is what scares me.”

“I know.” He agreed. “But we can’t tell her not to do her job. Jay tried that earlier, and it didn’t work. I think having her aunt involved makes her want to fight even more.”

Moving to stand next to him, Natalie massaged the tense muscles in his neck. “Hey…Kara is the strongest person I know, and I don’t just mean that literally. If anyone can handle this and come out kicking on the other end, it’s her.”

He looked up at her and gave her a sad smile. “I love you.”

“You’d better.” She smirked.

He started to say something else when they heard the stairs creak, and Kara entered the room. Her face was pinched, and she looked pained.

“Owen’s asleep.” She told them. “Thank you for letting me spend some time with him tonight.”

Natalie nodded. “Of course. He loves it when you come by. I bet he loved you putting him to sleep.”

They were silent for a moment before Will faced her. “What’s wrong?”

“Jay called.”

“And?” He wanted this whole ordeal to end soon.

She gripped the back of the chair tightly, careful and calculated enough not to break it. “Astra’s awake. She says she’ll only speak to me.”

Natalie moved again and hugged her sister-in-law. “Hey, just remember that no matter what happens, you have us in your corner.”

“Thanks, Nat.” She smiled at the woman before sighing. “I have to go.”

She turned and headed to the front door but stopped when Natalie grabbed her hand. “Text us when you get home, okay? If you need to come back here after, you can. We’ll stay up for either option.”

She knew the Kryptonian wouldn’t take them up on the offer, but as Will could easily see her phone on Find My Friends and locate her whereabouts, she wasn’t overly worried. Instead, she watched her leave and settled in to wait until they could follow her location home.

Chapter Text

When Kara arrived at the precinct, she wore her Supergirl suit. Though she knew she would be in the safety of the bunker, she felt better having it on while she faced her aunt again. It was an extra set of armor she could wear that wasn’t just built up around her heart or head.

Walking into the room that held Astra’s cell, she folded her arms over her chest. She knew the team was watching on the monitors from the bullpen. She’d asked them to stay away, and though they respected her need to handle it alone, Voight was only willing to let it go so far.

When she entered, the first sight she saw was Astra seated on the bench staring intently at her spy beacon. As the door opened, the woman immediately stood.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Kara sneered. “I’m glad you’re back in a cell.”

“You fought well.” Her aunt told her.

The blonde sighed. “You have two minutes.”

In lieu of speaking right away, Astra lifted the spy beacon and held it against the glass. Kara looked at it in shock, not wanting to believe that her aunt had kept it all this time. The hard look on her face softened slightly, and she felt the longing desire to reach out overwhelm her.

“You still have it?” Her voice was quiet.

Astra nodded. “It’s time you knew everything, Kara.

“When I went on the run, I took this with me. I would hold it in my hand to remind myself of why I was turning my back on my family and betraying the high council. It would all be worth it if you survived.”

“Oh, because you cared about me?” Kara was back to guarding her heart. “Did you care about the people you and your fanatic husband killed?”

Up in the bullpen, Ruzek turned to Jay. “Did you know she was married?”

He shook his head and focused back on the image of his sister.

“We did what we had to do.” Astra insisted. “Alura is the one with blood on her hands.”

“My mother was the best woman who ever lived,” Kara shouted at her.

Astra scoffed. “Tell that to those of us who were thrown into that nightmare prison.”

“I think you went crazy in Fort Rozz,” Kara told her. “I think you stared into miles of pitch-black space until everything good inside of you died.”

She turned and started to walk out when Astra replied again.

“You’re how she caught me.”

Kara froze at the words. She didn’t want to believe what her aunt was saying, but that was a heavy accusation.

“That day in your room.” The woman continued. “Was it your idea to message me with the spy beacon, or was it Alura’s?”

“How could you have done this?” Alura questioned her sister. “You’ve gone against everything our people hold dear.”

“Our people will be dead in a year if they continue treating our world like an inexhaustible playground.” Astra tried to get her sister to see reason.

Alura walked down the steps and stood in front of her sister. “You killed a guard.”

“Non did.” The twin said quietly. “It was…and unfortunate necessity.”

“Come home with me, Astra. I can plead your case in front of the high council. Non will go to prison for life, but your sentence could be commuted.”

“What do I care about prison? We are dying, Alura!” Astra had tears in her eyes. “All of us! Kara is dying. I will not let that happen. I don’t care how many laws I have to break.

“We used to be on the same side, sister. We can be again.”

Alura shook her head. “I cannot be part of your designs.”

Astra nodded, having expected that answer. “Then I am sorry.”

Now Alura looked pained. “Not as sorry as I am.”

Behind her sister, Astra saw two armed guards enter the bedroom. “No. Don’t do this.”

Alura sighed. “I have to. I can’t let you hurt anyone.”

Kara’s brain was moving faster than she ever imagined possible. “I don’t remember that.”

“Your mother signed the death warrants of our entire race, and she used you to do it,” Astra told her, still gripping the spy beacon in hand.

“I don’t believe you.”

“Yes, you do.” Astra was certain. “Much like Krypton, this planet is on the verge of ecological destruction. I can stop it. But the humans won’t like my methods. That’s why I need you; they trust you. Together we can save them.”

The blonde shook her head. “You’re never gonna leave this cell.”

“I am begging you.” The elder Kryptonian was visibly upset and held the spy beacon against the glass once more. “Please help me.”

Instead of responding, Kara hurried out of the room. She’d learned too much information, and her brain felt like it was on overdrive.

“Kara!” Astra cried as she watched her leave. “I love you.”

In the bullpen, Voight looked at Jay. “Jay.”

He nodded and ran out of the room at full speed, knowing the destination his sister had in mind.

“Kara, wait!”

Jay caught her at the exact moment she stormed into the room that housed her mother.

She ignored him. “Did you use me to get Astra arrested?”

“Hello, Kara.”

“Don’t say my name right now.” She demanded. “Did you use me to draw Astra out of hiding?”

Jay stood silently behind her and hoped what Astra had said wasn’t true.

“Yes.”

The look on his sister’s face broke his heart.

“How could you do that?” Her voice shook with emotion.

Being a hologram, Alura’s face was emotionless. “Astra had broken the law. You were the only person she trusted enough to meet. It was necessary.”

“Could she have saved us?” Now knowing the things her aunt said were true, at least partially, she had to know.

“She was a criminal.”

“But what she right?” She shouted, and her voice echoed off the walls.

Jay held his breath and watched the interaction, ready to jump at a moment’s notice. He had over a decade’s worth of knowing Kara’s facial expressions and emotions; he planned on putting all of those instincts to the test.

“I am not programmed to give you that information.”

“Tell me!” Her voice got louder.

“Kara…” He moved closer to her as she stepped onto the platform.

“I’m sorry, I am not programmed to give you that information.”

“You let everyone that I love die!” Kara screamed and approached the hologram. “You left me! You left me alone! You sent me away! How could you do that?”

“I am not programmed…”

Ignoring the emotionless words her mother’s AI spoke, Kara screamed in sorrow and shot her heat vision through her to the wall behind. When it cut off, she was sobbing.

Jay ran and turned off the AI before rushing to grab his sister in his arms as she cried. The sound tore his heart to shreds.

“Hey, hey, hey.” He pulled her to his chest. “It’s not really her.”

“She lied to me.” She cried, letting her tears hit his shoulder.

He pulled back and looked her in the eye. “Kara, that wasn’t your mom. You don’t know what happened then. Only what Astra is telling you now.”

“I know that Astra and I were both given life sentences by my mother.” Then she turned to leave. “We didn’t have a choice.”

Chapter Text

Jay sighed as he walked into the bullpen the next morning. It was too early for the rest of the team to arrive, but he wanted to talk to Voight before they did. His sister was hurting, and though they needed to know the hardcore details on how to stop Astra, he wanted to keep as many personal details of her life in her hands as possible.

Seeing his boss in his office, Jay set down his stuff and let himself in. “Hey, Sarge.”

Voight nodded to a seat, which Jay gratefully took. “Hey.”

“How is she?”

Jay sighed and slumped down. “Heartbroken.”

“That’s to be expected. Where is she now?” He knew it was early, but as he knew his detective had stayed at her apartment overnight, he wondered where she was.

“She said she wanted to do a fly-over.” He shrugged. “She said it helps her clear her mind, so I let her go. Not like I could have stopped her, anyway.”

Voight tapped his pen on the desk. “Well, let me know if you guys need anything.”

“Thanks.” Jay shook his head. “You texted me about meeting up. What’s up?”

Voight turned his computer around and showed Jay the footage of Kara’s fight with Astra outside Med the day before. “We analyzed the footage from the fight yesterday. Something’s not adding up.”

“I know.” Jay agreed. “Not a single alien’s come looking for Astra.”

Voight shook his head. “No, in the fight.”

Jay leaned forward so he could watch the replay as Voight spoke.

“Astra beats Kara twice, and then she loses spectacularly.” The man said, and Jay’s stomach clenched at the image of Kara punching her aunt again. “Something’s off.”

Jay nodded as we watched the footage more closely. “Wait a minute. Look.”

“What should I be seeing?” Voight sat up in his chair.

Jay pointed at the screen; his face scrunched. “Astra steps over Kara. That is the most open and weak stance you can take. Astra’s a warrior; she’d know that. She wanted to lose.”

The men looked at each other and stood simultaneously, moving to talk to their captured Kryptonian.

…

Jay’s hand hovered over his gun as he and Voight walked into the room.

“You let Supergirl beat you.” He looked down at the woman who laid on the bench. “Your troops haven’t come looking for you. There’s only one reason for that.”

“Those aren’t their orders.” Voight supplied. “You wanted us distracted while they carried out their real plan. What is it?”

Jay jumped in again. “Let me make something clear. If I have to come in there and beat it out of you, I will.”

Astra lifted her head. “You’re the one who defeated the Hellgrammite. I like you. But it’s too late.”

“For what?” He asked her.

She sat up. “To stop what’s happening right now.”

…

Across town at Lord Technologies, the building was quiet as four Kryptonian soldiers flew through the glass and broke in. They landed hard enough to crack the flooring and marched through the building as the early employees screamed and ran from them.

As Non stepped forward to grab one of the bystanders, Intelligence ran through the door with their weapons raised. “Stop! Stay where you are!”

Glancing at them, he faced his army. “Kill them all.”

Then he shoved into the air and dodged the bullets that they shot at him. As he was wearing his Kryptonite-proof suit, they wouldn’t harm him, but he enjoyed the game of letting them think they stood a chance.

Below them, the army of various Kryptonians and other aliens fought the Intelligence Unit. Even with their specialized training, they struggled to fight the other-worldly beings and feared that their skills weren’t enough to take them on.

It took them a while, but Antonio, Kim, and Ruzek finally managed to surround Non. He knelt, and they rushed him, only to have him stand and throw them off, sending them sprawling along the floor in every direction. Then he moved towards Jay, who ran for one of their guns.

Just before Non could reach him, they heard the sound of more glasses breaking, and Jay felt a gust of wind as Kara flew in. She crashed into Non’s body, and they both skid along the floor, tearing it to pieces.

She continued to punch him as they slid until he threw her off. They hovered in the air across from each other, and everyone under them watched their encounter closely.

“Do you remember me, little girl?” He spoke carefully, his voice condescending.

Kara glared at him. “You’re Non. Astra’s husband.”

“To think that you’re the last daughter of the once-great House of El.” He taunted.

“You’re going to wish I’d died with the rest of them!”

Then they flew at each other, and the impact caused the room to shake. As they grabbed at each other, they flew upwards and broke through the ceiling into the bright morning sky. Once they were in the air, Non was able to get his punches into the fight, causing Kara to groan in pain. She went to throw her own punch when a light and a high-pitched sound filled her ears, and they turned to see an airplane only feet from them.

Moving quickly so that the flying machine didn’t hit them, they hovered until it passed before flying at each other again. Kara tipped him backward, and to her advantage, she was able to send him rushing toward the ground.

Once they reached the concrete, they slammed through the surface and created a massive crater in which they continued to fight. Then Kara moved away from him, allowing him to grab her by the throat and lift her from the ground.

“Astra was wrong about you.” He sneered. “You’re as weak as any human.”

Behind them, Voight hurried out of the building and trained his gun on the villainous Kryptonian. Seeing the sergeant cock his gun, Non dropped Kara and sped to the man.

Jay and Antonio rounded the corner.

“Let him go.”

Non gripped his arm and spun so that he was behind Voight with his arms around him. Then he shot a beam of heat at them before he jumped, and they were gone.

From her spot in the crater, Kara watched them go in fear.

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them.”

As they stood around the bunker trying to figure out what to do next, Antonio shook his head. “It’s not your fault. They share your powers here.”

“Do we know why they hit Lord Tech?” Kim asked, unsure of how to proceed.

Jay nodded. “The company’s owner, Maxwell Lord, wouldn’t tell us anything.”

“He hates me, and he’s holding it against the team.” Kara shook her head. “That asshole.”

“Okay, well, until Voight is back, I’m in charge,” Antonio told them, and no one argued that fact. “Now I want every satellite we have pointed at this city. Scan it block by block. I want status updates every ten minutes. Get extra tech help if you guys need it.”

“On it.” Kim nodded, and she followed Kevin and Ruzek out of the room.

Kara crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I can get Astra to tell me why Non took him.”

“No way.” Jay shook his head. “That isn’t an option.”

“Do you have a better idea?” She asked him, exasperated.

Antonio sighed. “Are you sure you’re up for it? We saw how Astra affected you yesterday.”

“Do we have a choice?”

He let his body deflate, knowing she was right.

Kara nodded and glanced at her brother before walking away from them in the direction of Astra’s room. The group watched her leave, and as she turned the corner, Jay whipped his head back to Antonio.

“What the hell, man?”

“Hey, you know if we had any other option, I wouldn’t have allowed it. But she’s a grown woman and an alien who is fully capable of kicking my ass, so how would you have solved that? Not as a brother, but as someone in charge.”

Jay stared at him in anger before walking a few steps away. “Dammit.”

“Jay, she can handle it,” Hailey told him and held up a hand when he spun around. “I know that yesterday was rough, but your sister is strong. She can do this. Besides, Antonio is right. We don’t have any other option right now.”

Jay groaned. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

Astra was sitting on the floor when Kara walked in to talk to her. “Careful, little one. These humans are fond of their Kryptonite toys.”

“Where did Non take Voight?” The blonde demanded.

Astra laughed as she turned to face her niece. “I spent years in Fort Rozz. It’s going to take more than a stern voice to scare me.”

“Maybe I’ll have my cousin come down, and the two of us can force you to talk.”

“Kal-El doesn’t have the stomach for it.” Her aunt seemed amused. “He was raised on Earth. He might as well be human. You are the true heir to the House of El.”

Kara sighed. “If you help me, maybe I can help you.”

“You’re trying to manipulate my emotions.” Astra looked impressed. “But you’re undermined by your own fear.”

“I’m not frightened of you.” Kara was confused.

The brunette shook her head. “Not of me. Of the truth I hold. About your mother.”

Kara scoffed and started to pace. “This has nothing to do with her. This is about saving a man’s life. My mother may not have been the person that I thought she was, but I know what you and Non are.”

“Are you so certain of that?” Astra stared her down. “Did Non kill you today when he had the chance? I ordered him to spare you because blood bonds us all.”

Kara chuckled wryly. “Those are empty words coming from you.”

“If they were, you would not be alive,” Astra assured her.

“If blood bonds us all, then why don’t you just tell me where Voight is?”

Now Astra frowned. “Because blood does not bond us to him.”

“I couldn’t disagree more,” Kara argued. “All life is bonded by blood.”

“You speak of your human family.” The general smirked. “The ones who have caged me in here.”

“You’ve done this to yourself,” Kara told her.

Astra looked down in defeat. “Then you have chosen your side.”

She watched as Kara turned to leave and thought back on the last time her family had betrayed her.

Astra and Non stood handcuffed in front of the high council, standing trial for their supposed crimes. She couldn’t believe her own sister, her twin, would send her away for trying to save everyone. Especially when that included the young girl they both loved so much.

“Blood bonds us all,” Alura said to the council. “That ancient proverb comes from a time when Krypton was little more than a wasteland of warring tribes. And although blood is indeed a powerful bond that can unite us, it can also blind us from seeing the truth.”

“The people of Krypton choose not to see the truth,” Astra replied, staring directly at her sister.

Alura walked to her. “Your monstrous plan would have deprived people of their very freedom.”

Astra shook her head. “You are deluded, sister. You cling to the belief that people are inherently good. But they are weak. I sought only to give them courage. The courage to save themselves.”

“You’re wasting your breath,” Non told his wife before sneering at her sister. “She brands us ‘terrorists’ while standing idly by as our world faces annihilation.”

Alura sighed. “Your moral outrage would be far more convincing, Non, if so many had not died as a result of your reckless, delusional actions.”

Alura turned and looked over to her husband, grief surrounding her heart. Zor-El nodded to his wife, showing her that he supported her plan and would be there to help her through it.

Seeing his approval, she moved to a console in the middle of the room. “You give me no choice but to impose the maximum penalty for your crimes. Life imprisonment in Fort Rozz.”

As Astra stared at her sister in shock and fear, Non spoke again. “Very soon, Alura, you will realize that you have not condemned us. You have condemned the sons and daughters of Krypton, including your own.

“Do you hear me, Alura? You have killed your daughter!”

Instead of responding to his accusations, she pressed a button, and a light beam filled the room and surrounded the place where he stood. A moment later it dissipated, and he was gone, having been sent to Fort Rozz.

It was lunchtime when Kara landed back at the precinct. She had left not long after her talk with Astra, needing some time to clear her head. The team knew she had her computer hacking remotely and didn’t argue as she left. Once she had regulated her brain back to a stable level, she dropped onto the stair outside the district and went inside.

“Well, if it isn’t our resident Super.” Platt joked dryly. “How are things?”

Kara dropped a bag of food on her desk as she continued to the gate, buzzing herself into the Intelligence Unit. “I think I liked it better when I didn’t have any blood family alive.”

“Thanks for lunch.” The older woman shrugged.

The blonde nodded and continued up to the unit. Walking over to Jay’s desk, she set the brown bag in front of him and sighed, moving to sit at her own.

“What’s this?” He furrowed his brow as he opened it.

“Lunch.” She plopped into her chair. “I know you forget to eat when you’re stressed, so I stopped by that pub you like.”

His eyes went wide. “The one in Ireland?” Kara nodded. “You are my favorite person.”

Before he could eat it, a loud sound filled the bullpen, and all of their computers changed, showing Non’s image. “This is Lieutenant Non of Krypton. We each possess someone of great value to the other. I propose a trade.”

“This is Detective Antonio Dawson. Excuse me if I don’t take you at your word.” Antonio said to his computer, where he watched Non’s image. “I need proof of life. I need to hear from Voight himself.”

Raising a brow at their friend, Non stepped aside to show Voight tied up in a chair behind him. The room was dark and gave the team no indication of where they might be hiding. Kara saw Kim move silently around the wall to her desk and nodded slightly, telling her it was okay to try and find the feed on her computer.

“Antonio.” Voight’s voice was slow but sounded normal. “Congratulations on your promotion.”

“We will bring you back safe, Hank.” He assured their boss.

Now Non as back. “Which will only happen if you do exactly as I say. I will return Sergeant Voight unharmed if you return General Astra safely to me. You have forty-eight hours or your man dies.”

Then he was gone, and the screens returned to normal.

Kara looked at Jay and shook her head. “Now we know why Non took Voight.”

“So, what are we going to do?” Kevin wondered.

Kim sighed. “I couldn’t locate them. There was some sort of interference.”

Antonio groaned. “If I turn down the deal, Non kills Voight. If I go through with it, I free a criminal with the strength of Supergirl.”

“Which is why that will not be happening.”

Turning to look at the stairs, everyone stood and watched as Mayor Lane and his team entered the bullpen.

“Mayor Lane.” Antonio tilted his head.

“Pleasure to see you again, Detective Dawson.” He gloated.

“Wish we could say the same,” Kara told him with a frown. “What can we do for you?”

“I have been granted authority over this unit by order of the President.” He told them. “As your sergeant is gone, I am the next person qualified enough to handle alien matters such as these.”

Grabbing the file from Lane, Antonio narrowed his eyes. “This feels like a coup.”

“Nothing so nefarious.” The man assured them. “Considering the stakes, Washington wants a commander in place without any personal ties to the hostage. My orders are to locate the alien garrison and return Sergeant Voight safely to his post.”

“The unit is yours, sir,” Antonio told him reluctantly, and everyone could see the anger on his face.

“Order 75!”

Moving to the pickup counter, Kara handed the guy her receipt. “Thanks, Phil.”

“That’s quite the order.” He told her as he handed her the bags of food. “You guys have more people in your unit now?”

She internally winced as she thought about the two extra orders of potstickers she’d ordered for herself. “Yeah, something like that.”

Leaving the restaurant, she handled the bags with the ease of super strength and was halfway back to the district when her phone rang. Shifting the bags so that she could grab it from her pocket, she frowned as she saw the name on it.

“Trudy?”

“Kara, you need to get back here right now.” She told the girl.

Hearing the urgency in her voice, Kara ran.

Chapter Text

The dark atmosphere of Astra’s cell brightened suddenly as the locked doors of her room opened to reveal Mayor Lane. She stood as he walked in and faced him through the glass.

“My name is Samuel Lane. I’m the mayor of this city.”

Astra smirked. “I wonder how many of your fellow humans you had to kill in order to achieve such a rank. And yet you call me a threat.”

Shaking his head as though he had expected the comment, Lane paced around the outside of her cell. “When I was a little boy, my daddy used to take me and my sister to the movies. Saw a picture called The Day the Earth Stood Still. It was about an alien, like yourself, who came to Earth and threatened to destroy it if human beings didn’t change their wicked ways.

“I had nightmares for months. And do you know that still, today, when I look at you, I am right back in that old theater. Afraid.”

“On Krypton, it is a show of great strength to admit one’s fears to an enemy,” Astra told him sincerely, her face sincerely sympathetic.

Lane nodded. “Which is why I told you. I wanted you to know that, by your world’s standards, I am a man of honor. And I take no pleasure in what comes next.”

He moved slightly so that the head of his security detail could move forward and open the briefcase in his hands. Astra became alarmed and moved to the back of her cell at the sight of a syringe and liquid Kryptonite, now understanding their intentions.

As the glass door to her cell opened, two officers rushed in, and she threw as many punches as she could before they were able to grab her and knock her to her knees. Pulling her head back by her hair, they held her steady as Lane’s head officer grabbed the syringe and moved forward.

“Now, you are going to tell me the location of your base,” Lane told her. “The only question is whether you tell me before we start or after.”

The door slid open behind him again, and he turned to see Kara and Jay standing there.

“What are you doing?” Kara hurried inside the room, but the amount of Kryptonite affected her to the point that she swayed and groaned in pain.

Lane was furious. “You can’t just come in here like that.”

“He’s right,” Jay told her as he helped her stand. “The lights, the Kryptonite’s weakening you.”

Kara struggled against him and inched closer to her aunt. Collapsing on the ground next to Lane, she felt her lip quiver at the sight of her aunt in pain.

“This is who you choose to side with?” Astra asked her. “Against your own people? Your own family?”

“Stop it!” The blonde shouted at Lane. “You’re hurting her!”

He looked down at her unsympathetically. “I’m sorry, was she more forthcoming when you asked nicely?”

Jay glared at them. “There’s another way to save Voight.”

“We are not releasing a combatant of this threat level.” Lane looked at him. “You’re a soldier, Detective Halstead; you know how this works.”

Seeing that Astra was now in tears as the Kryptonite came closer to her neck, Kara gasped. “Mister Mayor, we are better than this!”

“We are. They aren’t.” He told her before looking at Jay. “Get her out of here.”

“No, don’t!” She screamed as Jay lifted her to her feet. “Don’t!”

As Lane’s officer slid the syringe into Astra’s skin, she screamed, and Kara followed suit with tears flowing from her eyes. Shifting his grip, Jay wrapped his arm around her stomach and lifted her, carrying her out of the room as she cried.

From his spot in the kitchen, Will observed his sister carefully.

After her encounter with Lane, Jay had called Will, and they convinced her to go to his house for dinner until it was safe to enter the precinct again. She’d curled up in one of their armchairs the second she arrived and hadn’t moved since. Natalie had draped a blanket over her lap not long after and had started making small talk with her.

Other than that, she hadn’t spoken.

Glancing at his wife as he walked back into the room, Will handed Kara her mug of coffee before sitting next to Natalie on the couch.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

Both doctors looked up in shock as she spoke.

“I mean, I know Astra’s made bad decisions, but…” She trailed off and looked down at the warm mug in her hands.

“She’s still family.” Natalie nodded in understanding.

“Right.” Kara sighed. “That’s my problem. Is there something wrong with me?”

“Yes.” Will winced as Natalie smacked him. “Ow! Would you let me finish?”

Kara rolled her eyes but did manage a smirk.

“As I was saying, yes, there is something wrong with you. But it’s the same thing that’s wrong with all of us.” He leaned forward, so he was closer to her. “You care about your family, Kar. It doesn’t matter if we’ve done something horribly wrong or not; you know that they don’t deserve to be tortured.”

“Lane had no sympathy.” She looked at them in disbelief. “He says that we are better than this, but he did it anyway.”

“Yeah, well, his time will be up soon enough,” Natalie told her.

Kara shrugged. “How do we know the guy running against him is any better?”

“Henshaw?” Will shook his head. “I mean, he’s been pro-alien since your cousin appeared, so that has to count for something.”

“I hope so.” The alien agreed and shifted as her phone rang, hitting the speaker button. “Hello?”

“Astra gave up Non’s location,” Jay said, forgoing any pleasantries. “We’re mobilizing now to get Voight.”

Kara sent a confused look at Will and Natalie. “Astra would never betray her soldiers or her husband.”

Jay sighed. “If there’s a chance to save Voight, we have to take it.”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

Hanging up, Kara set her mug on the table and ripped the blanket off her lap. As she rushed to the front door, the worried couple ran after her.

“Kara, wait!”

Natalie grabbed her hand. “Please be careful.”

“What she means to say is don’t do anything stupid,” Will said firmly. “I know you want to save everyone, but we can’t lose you.”

“I know, Will.” She pulled her dress off and stood before them in her blue suit. “But I still can’t make any promises.”

Then she bent her legs and shot into the air. Looking down, Natalie crouched and grabbed the fabric from their entryway. Then, sending her husband a sad look, she walked away to throw it in the laundry.

She couldn’t help much with the current situation, but she could help keep her sister-in-law’s clothes from being destroyed.

Chapter Text

The city's quiet darkness was interrupted as SWAT cars rushed into a warehouse location filled with shipping crates at the Port of Chicago. They sped into their specified positions with their weapons drawn, some already aiming from the vehicles’ open windows, and waited for further instructions.

Back in the bunker, Mayor Lane was watching from their security feed. “Echo Team, you are clear for weapons-free engagement.”

As they disembarked from their cars, Kara flew above them and noticed that the only friendly face she saw was Jay’s. She assumed Antonio knew she’d join the group and knew that Jay would be the best suited to help her out, so he fought for his man to join SWAT on their mission.

As Jay had the same tactical skills and training, it would have been hard for Lane to argue against it.

“Sir, Supergirl’s on-site.” The team leader radioed back to him as he watched her fly over the crates.

“What the hell is she doing there?” Lane asked and turned to face Antonio. “This is a human recovery mission.”

Jay shook his head at the man’s ignorance. “I called her.”

The team came to a halt and waited as Kara landed in front of them, speaking directly to her brother. “The containers are lined with lead. I can’t see through them.”

Jay glanced at the team leader and waited as he gave the order. “Alright, Echo Team. Check those containers and check your six.”

As everyone walked to the surrounding crates, Kara nodded at Jay. She turned and walked up the ramp to the container directly behind them and listened as both men followed her. Using her heat vision to melt the lock, she moved forward and yanked the doors open.

Sitting at the back of the container was their boss. “Voight.”

The trio moved forward instantly until something in Kara’s brain screamed ‘danger,’ and she paused. The image flickered and faded away, revealing Kryptonian devices in its stead.

“Bomb,” Jay shouted, and they turned to run.

“No!” Kara knew they wouldn’t make it in time, so she grabbed the backs of their jackets and sped forward.

Throwing the team leader as far away from the crate as she could, she crouched as it exploded and threw her cape around Jay as she wrapped an arm around him to keep him close. She knew it would protect him from the blast and held him tightly to her side.

The Intelligence Unit watched from inside the bunker, fear on their faces as the cameras were blinded a moment from the light of the blast. Then the light faded, and they saw everyone on the ground.

Groaning as he sat up, the SWAT team leader looked around and walked to meet the siblings on the ramp. “My men…”

Kara sighed as she looked, seeing everyone else had succumbed to the explosions from the surrounding containers. She felt terrible for the man in front of her, as well as their families. She also felt anger towards her aunt and Mayor Lane.

“It was a trap.” Jay gasped as he tried to catch his breath and looked up at her. “Astra played us.”

Shaking her head, the blonde followed them away from the scene and prepared to face Lane and their team again.

Platt watched as Kara paced in the bullpen. She’d been waiting for them when the team returned and had sent Jay down to deal with the team so she could have a moment alone with the distraught girl.

“That man is evil.”

Platt sighed. “Kara, he’s just doing what he thinks is right. Granted, he is completely off base, but-”

“No, no, I see it now.” She told her mentor. “And I will do whatever it takes to stop him.”

“Kara…you’re sounding an awful lot like Astra.”

“Yeah, what if she’s not so wrong?” Kara shouted.

She moved to head down to the bunker, but Platt managed to get in front of her and block the door.

“Get out of my way.” The blonde demanded.

“If you go after Lane like this, then you know what, you’re just proving him right. That you are no different from Astra or Non.”

“What if I’m not so different?”

The grey-haired woman shook her hair and lowered her voice. “You have to be, Kara. Because if you aren’t, then we lose.”

“You don’t understand, Trudy. I feel like I lost everything.” Her voice quivered and was nearly a whisper. “I can’t stop Lane. Or get through to Astra. I can’t rescue Voight or salvage what I had with Winn. Even the memory of my own mother, the one thing I could always count on, is ruined.

“I have nothing left. I don’t know what to do anymore. I have all these powers, but I’ve never felt more powerless.”

“Hey. Kara.” Platt moved to her and grabbed her hand. “It’s going to be okay. Even when things look the bleakest, heroes find a way.”

As Jay and Antonio spoke to Lane, Kara took that moment to approach her aunt again. Though she was beyond angry with her, she knew she needed to try something different if they were ever going to find Voight alive.

Waiting as the doors opened, she entered the room and saw that Astra had her back turned to her.

“They sent you back to try again.” The woman guessed. “What makes you think it’ll be any different this time?”

“Because now I’m ready to hear what you have to say,” Kara told her. “I was afraid to listen before. But today, I got so upset, I couldn’t think. I didn’t want to. I just wanted to hurt someone. Because I was afraid of losing everything that mattered to me.

“Like you must have felt back home.”

Astra turned to face her, waiting for her niece to continue.

“But if we have any hope for the future, we can’t let our fear control us. We have to be better.”

The brunette shook her head. “You give me too much credit.”

Kara sat on the side of the cell, pressing herself as close to the glass barrier as she could get. “Because I know the real you.”

“The woman you knew died on Krypton.” She had tears in her eyes.

Kara shook her head. “I still have faith there’s good in you.”

Astra shook her head again and cradled her knees to her chest. “I am not worth your faith.”

“Everyone deserves faith, Astra. Even you.” Kara said seriously. “Now tell me what happened on Krypton. The truth.”

Her aunt stared at her for a moment before letting out a sigh and starting her story.

“Astra, please look at me.” Astra listened to her sister’s plea from behind her back. “I believe you. I believe Krypton faces annihilation. And far sooner than anyone here will admit.”

She turned to face her sister. “Then why condemn me?”

“Because you killed people, Astra.” Alura reminded her. “No matter what noble goals you hid behind, nothing will ever change that fact. And I am bound by more than blood in this court. But I promise you, I will fight for your cause, not through fear and manipulation, but through compassion and reason.

“It is the only hope to save our world.”

Touching her sister’s face, Alura’s lip quivered as the woman looked away from her. Then she turned and walked over to the button.

“I love you, Astra.”

She hit the button before she could change her mind and let her tears fall as she watched her sister vanish into the Phantom Zone.

“Your mother never stopped believing in me,” Astra told her niece as they sat on the floor together. “You are so much like her, Kara.”

Blinking away the tears that formed in her eyes, Kara sniffled and looked at her aunt. “It’s not too late, Astra. Please tell me where Voight is.”

“The only way to save him is to make the trade.” She said honestly. “The humans will never agree to that.”

Standing from her spot, Kara sighed. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not human.”

Astra walked between her niece and Jay, her hands gripped tightly in Kryptonite handcuffs. Looking around as they entered the bunker, she laid eyes on Mayor Lane and watched as he turned to face them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He questioned them.

Kara held onto her aunt but took a step forward. “Making a prisoner exchange.”

“The hell you are.” He told her, and his security team raised their weapons, aiming for them.

Behind them, Kim and Ruzek raised their own guns.

“Let them pass, sir,” Antonio told him as he, Hailey, and Kevin walked up to join them.

“That alien is the enemy, Detective Dawson,” Lane told them.

He shook his head. “Your orders were to bring Sergeant Voight home. That’s what they’re doing.”

They started to walk out again, but Lane stopped them. “You take one more step, and my men will put you down.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Kara shook her head and shifted her gaze to the SWAT team leader that had stayed on to help them find Voight.

He hesitated for only a moment before lowering his weapon and looking at Lane. “She saved my life, sir.”

Then he ordered everyone else to lower their weapons and nodded at Kara. They watched as Intelligence marched the Kryptonian prisoner out before Lane spoke one final time.

“How do you know Non and his army won’t betray you?”

“I don’t.” She told him. “But I have faith.”

Chapter Text

Pulling into the meeting spot, Jay glanced out the window to see Kara following them. She’d decided to fly on the off chance they were ambushed again, which the team was grateful for as they had no desire to prove Lane right.

As Jay dragged Astra from his car, she raised a brow at him. “Despite your earlier bravado, you’re clearly conflicted about this deal.”

He glared at her. “If it were up to me, I’d leave you rotting in that cell. But I want your people to see that we’re better than Mayor Lane because maybe then we’ll find a way to end this war.”

“You sound just like my niece,” Astra told him.

He nodded. “Yeah, well, she has a powerful effect on people.”

He stopped as Kara landed. “They’re here.”

As Non landed, they took the cuffs off Astra, who looked at her niece. Kara sent her a hopeful look back, watching as her aunt walked away to join her husband.

As she got close, Non looked at Voight. “Go.”

When he made it back to his team, Hailey smirked at him. “It’s good to see you, sir.”

He eyed the Halsteads carefully. “When I get out of here, I’ll remind you about our policy against negotiating with terrorists. Until then, I’ll just say thanks.”

Kara smiled at his statement before her face fell, and she shot her eyes to the sky.

“What’s up?” Jay asked her, noticing the expression on her face.

“Something’s wrong.” She walked forward slowly, keeping her gaze on the sky.

The team looked around and held their weapons steady, prepared for anything that could happen behind her. Then, just as the blonde made it a few feet away, dozens of Kryptonian soldiers flew up and surrounded the perimeter, trapping them inside.

“We’re surrounded,” Ruzek shouted to the group, holding his weapon up to their opponents.

In front of her, Kara saw Astra look at Non with confusion before he spoke. “Prepare to attack!”

The group watched in fear as Kara moved her body into a better fighting stance and glared at her uncle. Above them, the soldiers’ eyes lit up with heat, and they knew there would be no way to survive the attack from that many assailants.

“Stop!”

The team turned their attention back at Astra, who had surprised them all by calling off her people.

“Kara, what’s going on?” Kevin questioned her.

She waved a hand back at him in response, giving him the signal to wait a moment and see what would unfold.

“Stand down!” Astra yelled again.

The look on Non’s face showed he was both confused and angry. “We must strike now, General. We have them at our mercy.”

The brunette stepped closer to her husband. “Honor the agreement, Non. There will be no more battles today.”

Everyone held their breath and waited as Non looked around at his soldiers. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he sighed in frustration. “Withdraw!”

Immediately, the soldiers started flying away, and the team slowly lowered their weapons. When Non finally leapt into the air and left, they completely dropped their guns and took a sigh of relief.

Kara stayed in her spot and faced her aunt.

Astra watched Non leave and then turned to Kara. “Do not mistake my compassion for weakness. This is not a truce.”

“Then let’s call it a start.” She saw Astra nod and jump away.

Taking a deep breath, she thought about the close call they had and shook her head to rid it of what could have been. Then she turned and walked back to her friends.

“Well, that was close.” She shrugged.

Voight nodded. “You got lucky.”

“I know. She told him. “We’re not finished with them yet, but for tonight at least, we can be assured they won’t do any harm.”

“Alright, well…back to work.” He ordered them and Kara sighed as she shot into the air.

“You’ve only delayed the inevitable,”  Lane told them as they stepped into the Roundup. “This enemy cannot be reasoned with.”

Voight shoved his hands in his pockets as he approached the mayor. “We prefer a more thoughtful approach here in Intelligence. Which reminds me,” he grabbed a file from Antonio and handed it to Lane. “your presence is no longer required. You can thank my team for completing your mission.”

“Their idealism will doom this planet,” Lane told the sergeant as he glanced at Kara.

“No,” Voight smirked. “That’s what will save it.”

Kara disliked many things about her job, but there was one thing she hated above all the rest.

As Jay stood next to the rest of the team, all wearing their dress blues, Kara stood next to him in her suit. She grabbed one hand with the other and held them near her skirt, showing a respectful and sorrowful look.

In front of them and everyone else in attendance, police cars drove the families of the fallen SWAT officers that Non and his soldiers had killed.

As the first car approached, the officers and detectives of District 21 raised their hands to salute them, and Kara straightened her back, her hands gripped tighter in front of her. Watching the families drive past, Kara thought about her family and how they could kill innocent people for no reason. She understood that they were in the middle of a war, but she didn’t want to believe that the people she loved were capable of anything close to that.

Pushing that thought away, she thought about her Kryptonian roots and started reciting the Prayer for the Dead. Though she knew that the human families would not know—and because of the way they died, appreciate—the sentiment, it was the only way she knew to honor the heroes that had fallen.

Through the vehicles' darkened windows, Kara saw husbands, wives, mothers, and even children crying at the display of respect by the police department was showing. Seeing their faces broke her heart, and she vowed not to let her alien family cause this again.

Once the final car drove past, everyone brought their arms down and waited for them to turn the corner. Then they relaxed and moved back inside. As the team made their way up to the bullpen, Jay pulled his sister aside.

“Hey,” he nudged her shoulder. “what’s up?”

“This was my fault,” Kara told him.

He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. This was Lane’s fault and Non’s. If you hadn’t been there, the rest of us would be dead as well.”

“My family caused this, Jay.” Her voice shook. “My aunt and uncle…”

“Aren’t you family.” When she looked confused, he sighed. “Just because they are related to you by blood, it doesn’t make them family. Family is built on love and support.”

“Thanks, Jay.” Then she smirked. “Hey, since when did you get so smart?”

“I’ve always been smart.” He teased. “You guys never appreciated my genius.”

Rolling her eyes, Kara shoved him into the room. “Yeah, okay, Einstein. Get changed so we can grab Trudy and meet everyone back at my place. Will and Nat picked up food.”

He complained about their brother’s inability to cook as he walked away, and Kara chuckled as she walked to her computer. She was just about to sit when her phone chimed, and she found a text that made her smile.

From: Clark
Are you okay?

To: Clark
Yes

From: Clark
Do you need help?

To: Clark
If I do, I’ll ask. I promise.

From: Clark
I’m here if you need me, Kara. Remember… Blood bonds us all.

Kara smiled as she replied.

To: Clark
You didn’t learn that in Kansas.

From: Clark
No… I learned it from you.

“You ready?”

Looking up, Kara saw Jay and Hailey waiting for her and smiled. Using her superspeed to change, she met them at the top of the stairs and followed them out, ready to forget that week had ever happened.

She was lucky she had a family to help her do it.

Chapter Text

Kara sighed as she stared at her computer screen. It was turning out to be a slow day of paperwork and meetings that bored her to tears, and she wished she could leave and do a flyover, but being just as bored, Jay offered to buy her at least two drinks after work if she stayed to endure the quiet with him.

It was so quiet in the bullpen that she nearly jumped out of her seat when Ruzek spoke.

“Anybody else see the news bulletin about that escaped convict?”

Nodding, Kevin sat back in his seat. “The Toyman thing? Yeah, why? It’s not like we’ll be put on the case.”

“It’s just…his name looks so familiar.” Ruzek’s face furrowed in confusion. “It’s killing me.”

Curiosity piquing at his word, Kara opened a new internet tab and typed in his name. The man’s given name had her jaw dropping as anxiety started to fill her body. “Oh, Rao.”

“What’s wrong?” Jay, seeing her expression, stood.

She looked up at him. “His name is Winslow Schott Sr. He’s Winn’s dad.”

The siblings stared at each other as the team started to understand how bad this was before both Halsteads hurried for Voight’s office.

“I already know.” He told them as they entered. “I heard. Go. Both of you. I know he’s family.”

“Are you sure?” Jay asked quickly. “The paperwork-”

“Can wait.” He told his detective. “Winn is family, and we take care of our own. Go see if he’s okay and what he knows. We’re not on the case, but if he needs anything, you let me know.”

“Thank you,” Kara told him earnestly and nearly flew from the room.

“Kara, wait!” Jay yelled after her before turning to his sergeant. “Voight…”

“I know, Jay. Just keep me posted.”

Nodding his thanks, the detective took off after his sister in hopes that she hadn’t flown off the second she’d left the room.

…

The second the siblings reached the correct floor at CatCo, Kara’s anxiety spiked. Seeing through the elevator doors, she saw who was waiting for them and felt her hands go clammy.

“Ah, Kira. Come to beg for your job back?”

Wincing as she stepped off the elevator with Jay, Kara sighed. “Ms. Grant! It’s lovely to see you, too. I just came to see Winn.”

“And who is this handsome gentleman?” Cat asked, lowering the edge of her glasses to her lips.

“Uh…” Jay was taken aback by her abrasiveness and glanced at Kara for help.

“This is my brother, Detective Jay Halstead.” The blonde supplied for her former boss, though she knew they had definitely met before this encounter.

“Detective?” Her brow shot up as she studied him. “Intriguing.”

“Yeah…” Jay struggled with what to say. “Listen, like Kara said, we’re just here to check on Winn.”

Cat continued to stare at him for one very long and uncomfortable moment before shaking her head and sighing. “Well, I suppose you’ll have to wait. The FBI came to interrogate Whip about thirty minutes ago.”

“Uh, it’s…it’s Winn.”

“What?”

Kara blinked once. “His name is Winn.”

“Oh, Kira, let’s not get caught up in semantics.” Then she moved past them. “But by all means…wait them out.”

Then she was gone.

“Remind me why I ever thought you were safe working here?” Jay turned to face her. “Because that woman is a lunatic.”

“Tell me about it.” Then she remembered what Cat had told them. “Jay…the FBI? How bad is this?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s go find somewhere to sit and…listen to the ongoings of your old workplace.”

Kara was about to protest when he pretended to scratch at his ear and knew what he meant. Her powers would allow her to hear everything that was being said in the interrogation and give them the information they needed to help out their friend.

“Mr. Schott, you are aware your father escaped from prison this morning.”

“Obviously.” Winn sighed as he sat back in his seat.

They’d been going in circles in the conversation for almost a half-hour, and his head was pounding.

“Has he called you?” Special Agent Chase asked him again.

“No.”

“Has he come to your house?”

“No.” He was becoming frustrated.

“Has he attempted to contact you in any way?”

“No.” Now he was done. “He wouldn’t even know where to look, okay.”

“Mr. Schott, your father is unhinged and extremely dangerous.”

He sighed again and felt his heart fall a bit, though he wasn’t sure why. “So nothing’s changed; that’s good to know.”

“Did he have any friends he might want to contact?”

The tech whiz rolled his eyes. “If it weren’t already apparent by the trail of bodies that he leaves in his wake, he hates people. So no, he didn’t have any friends.”

It was Agent Chase’s turn to sigh. “As his son, you have some-”

“The day my father set off a toy bomb and killed half a dozen people is the day I stopped being his son.”

Then he stood, grabbed his bag, and walked out.

As they sat on a bench near the elevator, Kara’s hand shot out to grab Jay’s arm as she heard her friend speak.

“Kar?” He looked up from his phone, where he’d been texting with Will, to see that her face had paled. “What is it?”

“I know what happened with his father.” She looked at him with a sad expression. “It’s why he always says we’re his only family. I need to talk to him.”

Her brother nodded as they stood. “Go. I’ll wait here.”

Winn sighed as he walked past the balcony of the IT floor and saw a familiar head of blonde hair facing out towards the city. Though they hadn’t spoken in what seemed like months, he wasn’t altogether surprised to see her there.

Pushing open the door, he stepped into the cool air and sighed. “I’m guessing you were listening to that whole thing?”

It was Kara’s turn to sigh as she shoved her hands into her pockets. “I mean, you told me your dad was in prison but that he….”

“Because I didn’t want you looking at me the way you’re looking at me right now.” He told her quietly.

She immediately looked away, fumbling with her glasses and taking a step back. “Listen, I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but I had to make sure you were okay.”

He nodded. “I figured. And as hard as it is still to be around you, I’m glad you’re here. Though I’m a bit surprised by the lack of males in your presence.”

Smirking at his way of inquiring about the boys, she shook her head. “Will is on shift but offered to come here immediately if you needed anything. He said you could stay with him and Nat if you wanted to get out of your place until this wraps up.”

“That’s nice of him.” He paused. “I’m guessing Jay wasn’t as hospitable.”

“He’s out by the elevator, actually.” She smiled at the shock on his face. “He drove me here and even told Voight you’re family, so I think you’re okay with the guys.”

Winn sighed and looked out over the city. “God, things got so messed up.”

“They did.” She was afraid to say too much. “Winn, I’m really sorry.”

“I know.” He paused again before speaking. “I wasn’t lying when I said it still hurts, though.”

She chose not to speak, and the pair stood in silence for a moment.

“And you want to know the worst part?” His break of silence surprised her, but she nodded. “He wasn’t always crazy. In fact, he was a good dad; he was normal. We’d go to his workshop and tinker; build a toy.”

Kara let out an involuntary scoff. “So, basically, the opposite of Pat Halstead, then.”

Win shrugged. “Your dad wasn’t all that bad. At least he didn’t murder a bunch of people. He even saved some there in the end.”

Because her heart still hurt thinking of her adoptive father being gone, she continued on the topic of his father. “So, you never saw any signs?”

“No. He was…he was quiet. Scared to death of losing his job.” His eyes wandered for a second before he continued. “He was angry. I guess no one knew how angry until it was too late.”

He knew she was letting him tell her as much as he was comfortable with when he didn’t push for more information or ask any questions. He was both grateful for it and shocked at the tricks she’d picked up while working at the district.

“His boss stole his toy designs,” He told her. “and got rich off them.”

“Oh Rao,” Kara felt her stomach fall at the thought of such wickedness by another person. “Did your dad fight back?”

“No! He was a coward. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t stand up for himself.” He paused. “Just like me with you.”

“Winn…”

He continued as if he hadn’t said the last part, and Kara wondered if he even knew he had said it.

“What he did was put a bomb in a teddy bear and then sent one to his boss, Chester Dunholtz.” He looked sadder now than she’d ever seen him. “Except his assistant opened the package. It killed her and five other people.”

Though she’d kept the tears out of her eyes, she couldn’t stop the sniffle that came as she prepared to speak. “I know there’s nothing anyone can say to make you feel better right now.”

“Well, hey, you have a homicidal maniac in the family too, so you know where I’m coming from.” He was trying to joke now, and Kara felt as though maybe they could soon go back to the way things had been before the unfortunate wedding incident.

“At least your father knows enough to keep his distance.”

She saw him glance back into the workroom beyond the glass and turn towards his bag. “Except I found this on my desk this morning.”

Pulling out an action figure, he pulled the string attached to it and let it speak.

“Son, come see me at our favorite place. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Kara sighed and glanced inside to see Jay still sitting by the elevator. “Oh, Winn.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Why did you lie to the Feds?” She couldn’t believe he’d hide something like that, though she immediately started to imagine herself in his shoes and thought that she wouldn’t be able to tell on her brothers if that were the case.

“I don’t know.” He told her, and she could see something akin to concern fighting in his eyes. “Okay, I’ve spent my entire life trying to forget what he did, trying not to be consumed by this anger that I have for him…and trying, even in my best moments, to forgive. But I still just hate him.”

Though she longed to hug him, she was afraid of what that would mean for them, so she stayed put, her eyes perking up at the sight of Agent Chase opening the door. Glancing inside, she saw Jay rise and start to walk to them as he witnessed the same, not wanting his sister to get caught up in a federal case.

“I’m leaving an agent here in case your father shows up,” Chase told them as Jay stepped out onto the balcony.

Seeing the look on Kara’s face and the confusion on Jay’s, Winn sighed. “Agent Chase…there’s, um, something I have to tell you.”

Chapter Text

“Absolutely not. This is highly against regulation.”

Kara rolled her eyes as she listened to Agent Chase yell at them. “So? I’m not letting my friend go in there and possibly get hurt!”

“You’re not coming with us, and that is final!” The other woman shouted back.

Jay winced at her words. “Yeah, see, except we are.”

“This is my investigation, detective, not yours. I make the call on who goes and who doesn’t.” She had her hands on her hips as she sighed. “Your friend will be just fine. We have an entire team trained and ready to take his father into custody. You don’t have to worry.”

“That doesn’t help me, Agent Chase. I had an entire fire department at my father’s apartment, people I would give my life for, and he still died. Winn is the closest friend I have, and if he wants me there, I’m going.”

“I’m an expert sniper with both military and police training. I’m in the most elite team in the city, and I’ve dealt with this type of thing before. Also, Winn is family, so I agree with my sister on this one.” Jay told her. “I’m an asset to your team—use me.”

Just as Chase was starting to argue with the siblings again, Winn sighed. “I’m not going without them! So you either let them come, or I don’t go. It’s your choice.”

Chase stared at the trio and frowned at their stubbornness. Though she wanted to yell at them, she stayed silent, wondering how she would make them stay put.

“Uh…approaching the target now.”

“You don’t need to speak into the wire for it to work.

“Oh, uh…yeah. Copy that.”

Kara fiddled with her glasses as she listened to Winn speak into his hidden microphone. Jay, seeing her fear, set his hand on her knee and squeezed.

“He’s going to be fine.” He whispered to her as he sat in full tactical gear along with the team.

She nodded, knowing that he was right. She wouldn’t let anything happen to her friend, and with Jay there, she knew he had extra coverage.

She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. Her brother and friends went out every day into the streets of Chicago and faced this type of threat, and she barely batted an eye. This time, however, her non-police friend was in danger, and she felt helpless to stop it as she sat amongst those who didn’t know her secret.

She sincerely wished Intelligence had been put on the case instead.

“Echo team, move into position,” Chase ordered her team.

“Cop. Moving in.”

As Agent Chase moved to the van to grab her gear, Kara’s resolve—and silence—broke. “You can’t let anything happen to Winn.”

Chase sighed and faced her. “His father killed an agent the last time we apprehended him. We’re not leaving anything to chance.”

“What?”

Now Jay stood. “That might have been some information you could have shared with us.”

“You were the one who wanted yourself and your sister out here with us, Detective Halstead.” Chase fired back. “Now, do I need to remind you who is in charge here?”

“Agent Chase…”

“Miss Halstead, the only reason you’re here is because your friend wouldn’t do this without you. So be quiet and stay out of the way.”

Inside the boardwalk arcade, Winn was scared. He wasn’t afraid to admit it. He was, however, afraid to discover the reason behind it. Was he scared of his father? Or was he scared that he might be seeing his future personified? His greatest fear was becoming like his father, and he didn’t want to face that at all, let alone that moment.

He spun as a doll started to speak. “I love you. Do you love me?”

Grabbing the doll, he walked forward to find his father, missing the glowing red eyes of an oversized stuffed animal on the ceiling. “Dad?”

Turning the corner, he came face to face with the man who claimed him as a son and let his face harden into hatred again.

“God, look at you.” The older man said in awe.

Winn sighed. “You need to turn yourself in.”

His father scoffed. “I broke out of prison for you…for us. I’m sorry I was gone so long.”

“You need a doctor, okay? You need some help. I know someone-”

“My son. My good boy.” The Toyman shook his head in astonishment. “My greatest work.”

Winn scoffed for a second time and held up the doll he still held. “I thought this was your greatest work.”

Watching as his son threw the toy on the ground, Winn Sr. chuckled. “We’re the same, you and I. We’re linked. Together we can do anything.”

Winn’s heart started beating faster, and he desperately wished Kara or Jay were by his side rather than in the van listening. “We are…we are not the same.”

“That genius that lesser people call madness. That’s inside of you too.”

“We got eyes on Schott. Tactical teams, mobilize.”

Kara watched as everyone stood and hurried to the arcade. Watching as they left the van, Chase turned to her. “We can’t do our job and worry about you, too. Stay here.”

Watch as the woman ran away, Jay turned to her. “Maybe call your friend? Might make you feel better.”

Knowing what he meant, she smiled and nodded. “Thanks.”

Then he too was gone.

“Why didn’t you visit me?” Winn Sr. asked his son. “I just wanted to know that you were okay.”

Winn’s voice was quiet as he spoke, emotion filling his senses. “I was not okay. I watched my dad get dragged off to prison when I was eleven for murder. How okay could I be after that, Dad?”

Just as he spoke, the tactical teams burst into the room and raised their guns in his direction.

“Whoa!” Winn was surprised by their forceful entrance. “It’s okay; it’s okay!”

Ignoring him, Chase held her gun to the man’s head. “Hands where I can see them, now!”

“Easy.” Seeing the nod of Jay’s head in the direction of his father, Winn turned and groaned. “Dammit, Dad, put your hands up!”

The other man looked betrayed. “Winn…how could you?”

“Suspect not cooperating.” Chase interrupted them. “Weapons free.”

“No!” Winn shouted and recognized Jay’s shout of the word as well.

Backing up as the guns began firing past him, Winn watched as the bullets hit his father, cracking him like glass until he shattered into a million pieces on the ground. Jay, worried about his friend, ran forward to him and knelt by his side.

“What the hell?”

Winn shook his head, just as confused as everyone else. “It’s not him. He’s not here.”

“I told you to come alone.” The doll spoke again. “Now run.”

“What?”

“Run!” The doll spoke angrily as streams of gas filled the room.

Coughing as he clung to Jay, the men tried to get out but collapsed just as the ceiling broke open, and Supergirl flew in. They watched as she sucked in all the gas and worried how it would affect her if it even would.

Once she had all the gas in her mouth, she nodded at them before taking off out the hole she’d left in the ceiling. Then she shot through the air and made her way over the lake. Only once she was well away from the city did she blow out, releasing the gas.

Then she shot back down to change into her clothes again, knowing her brother and friend would need her.

“He specifically asked you to come to this arcade.” Chase berated Winn as they sat outside the taped-off arcade. “Does your father have some sort of plan for you?”

“I don’t know,” Winn told her dejectedly.

“He said, ‘I broke out of prison for you, for us.’ What does that mean?”

“I have no idea!” Winn told her again.

The agent was not happy. “He called you his greatest work, and he said ‘together we can do anything.’”

“He’s crazy. I mean, I don’t even know why you’re writing all this stuff down. It doesn’t make any sense.” Winn told her as Kara approached the pair.

“You know that they need to document everything.” She told him quietly.

“And how would you know?”

Kara rolled her eyes as Jay approached them. “I work for Intelligence with my brother.”

Eyeing her carefully, the agent walked away as someone called to her from inside. Moving to the spot she’d just vacated, Kara cleared her throat.

“You sure you’re all right?” Winn asked, beating Jay to the question.

“Yeah,” she winced. “I don’t normally inhale.”

“They’re going to kill him,” Winn told them sadly. “They’re going to go find him and then go kill him.”

“Not if we find him first,” Kara told him and looked at Jay. “You call him?”

The older Halstead nodded. “He’s waiting for us whenever Winn’s ready.”

“What? No.” The younger man shook his head. “No way. I’m not getting your team involved in this.”

“Winn, please,” Kara begged him. “I don’t want you to get hurt, and none of us want him on the streets. Whatever Agent Chase thinks she’s capable of, you know Intelligence is better.”

“Kara, no. No.” He told her quickly. “I’m not going to make you all commit a federal offense by going around these guys.”

“Little known fact, we go off the books a lot,” Jay revealed to him. “I don’t know what Kara’s told you, but this wouldn’t be the first time we did something like this.”

“No. This is…this is my burden….”

“Which means it’s mine too,” Kara told him.

“Ours,” Jay added. “You’re family, Winn. As Voight always says, we protect our own.”

As Winn groaned and tried to step away, they stopped him. “Winn, think about everything you’ve done for us. The past few months, our dad’s death, becoming Supergirl…I wouldn’t have been able to survive without you.”

“You’d be fine.” He told her. “I mean, yeah, the Supergirl suit sucked. But you, Kara, with-with everything that you have? Everything that you…that you are? No, you don’t really need me.”

“Except she does.”

Both friends turned to Jay. “These past few weeks have been shit without you, man. She’s barely functioning without you. And I’m willing to bet it’s been the same for you.”

“I know what it’s like to feel isolated and alone.” She reminded him. “I relive that feeling in my darkest moments. But when I’m with you…I never feel that way. When your dad says he misses you, I believe him. Because these last few weeks without you in my life…I’ve been lost, too.”

He paused. “I have a creepy little doll that I could give you for when you’re lonely.”

Kara let out a laugh as Jay rolled his eyes. “Can we please go back to the way things were again? I miss you, Winn.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ve missed you too.”

Jay waited as they hugged, feeling immense relief at their reunion. “Now, come on, Schott, let us be there for you.”

Pulling away from Kara, Winn sighed. “Fine. But I really hope everyone is ready for this because my father is super unpredictable.”

“Luckily, we have a sergeant who is the same way.”

Chapter Text

“So, you have no idea where he’s going?” Hailey asked Winn as they sat in the bullpen listening to the whole story.

“Not exactly, but I bet I know how to figure it out.”

Once they’d convinced him to return to the precinct with them, Jay and Kara had gotten Winn away from Agent Chase as quickly as they could. After arriving, Voight had invited Platt up to join them on their non-case as they knew they could use all the help they could get.

Walking over to the toy that he’d given to Kim for processing, he looked up. “Does someone have a knife or some scissors?”

Ruzek nodded and gave him the scissors from his desk and watched as Winn cut into it. “Hey! That’s evidence.”

“I know, I know.” Winn muttered as he pulled out the chip hidden inside. “But it also has this.”

The team huddled together to see the microchip that he’d pulled out of the toy. “What is that?”

Winn looked up at Voight. “It’s a microchip that allows the doll to speak and move. You see this etching?”

“Is that a ‘Y’?” Kara wondered aloud. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a slingshot.” He told them. “Slingschott Toys was the company my dad created. It went bankrupt, but the old factory’s still standing.”

“Do you think that’s where he is?” Jay questioned him.

He nodded. “Now that I’ve seen this, I know it.”

“Kara, I want you to go check it out. We can’t be seen working this, especially since Agent Chase knows about the relationship you and your family have with Winn. Keep your comm on; Trudy, Winn, and I will be in constant contact with you.” Voight told her as they moved away to get their assignments. “Kim and Kevin, you guys look into all the financials before and after he was arrested. Jay, you and Hailey look into the prison. See if he had any friends or cellmates while he was there who might be helping him now. Ruzek and Antonio, I want you to check into all of Chester Dunholtz’s records. I want to know who he is attached to and who he knows. Someone plays dirty in business probably plays dirty in life, too, so find something we can go on.”

Nodding, the group disbanded and went in separate directions. Kara moved to Winn. “You’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I honestly don’t think I could be safer than right here anyway.”

She snorted. “Tell that to all the aliens downstairs.”

Then she walked away with a smile at the expression on his face.

“Hey, Schott, wait up.”

Turning as he exited the bathroom, Winn saw Jay hurrying towards him. “What’s wrong? Is it Kara?”

The detective shook his head. “No, she hasn’t even gotten there yet. She just left.”

“Oh, thank God.”

“Listen, I need to talk to you.”

“What’s up?”

The expression that settled on Jay’s face had Winn’s stomach in knots. “I know you and my sister just made up, but she told me and Will what happened. I know you were hurt, but don’t you ever do anything like what you did to her ever again, okay? You’re family, but seeing her hurting that way killed us and we can’t let it happen again.”

“I won’t.” He promised. “I shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

“Listen, I know it hurt you too and I’m sorry for that. I also know my sister can take care of herself. It doesn’t mean I will stand back and let it happen.”

“I know. And hey, I’m sorry I ruined that night for you all.”

Jay scoffed, a smirk on his face now. “Are you kidding? Will got married. We never thought that would happen.”

Rolling his eyes, Winn left his friend in the hallway as he went to listen to Kara’s confrontation with his father.

Landing at the old toy factory, Kara found herself locked out by double reinforced steel doors. Blasting through them, she smirked.

“Smart move, but not enough to keep me out.”

Pulling open the doors, she walked inside and found it empty. It was, however, still filled with dozens of old toys that would give her nightmares for weeks.

“Mr. Schott?” Her voice echoed off the walls before a machine much like a woodchipper started near her. “I’m a friend of your son’s.”

A small pinging noise was heard and her body went on full alert.

“Kara? Everything good?”

“Yeah, boss. It’s a toy.” She told him. “Of me.”

She watched as the tiny rolling Supergirl with cymbals approached her. Then it stopped a foot from her and continued to beat the cymbals against each other. She stared at it for only a moment before looking around again.

“I know how much you love your son!” She yelled out, hoping he could hear her. “Think about what’s best for him.”

“That’s all I think about.”

Turning to see him standing a few feet from her, she shot into the air and flew at him as he jumped away. Landing on the top of a large toy block, she glanced at him as he pushed a button and she fell into the block.

Then she realized it was filled with quicksand.

As she struggled to stay standing and not fight the sand too much, she looked up to see him watching her. “Mr. Schott, you have the chance to make it up to your son.”

“I am making it up to him.” He said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Help! Is anyone out there?”

Kara’s heart sped to an inhuman rate as she heard the child’s muffled voice some from the speakers. She didn’t want to hurt her friend’s dad, but he was about to hurt a child and she didn’t stand for that.

“What was that?”

“A child? You have a child here somewhere?” She didn’t want him to know that Intelligence was helping in case he targeted the precinct next, so she made her statement into a question.

“It’s so easy to lure a child if you offer them a toy.” He mocked.

Now she started to struggle, causing the sand to suck her in faster.

“Oh, you’re drowning in quicksand by the way. The more you struggle, the deeper you sink.”

“Kara your brother is en route. Do you need help faster? I can get other units there.”

“No!”

“I’m scared.” The child’s voice rang out again as she used all her strength to try and free herself.

Above them, child-sized boxes moved along a conveyor belt towards the woodchipper machine and Kara felt tears in her eyes.

“I understand even you need oxygen,” he continued. “Soon, you won’t be able to breathe.”

“It’s dark in here and I can’t get out!”

Finally having enough, Kara let the heat enter her eyes as she prepared to blast her way out of the sand.

“Oh I wouldn’t do that.” Winn Sr. told her as he walked away. “Slingschott quicksand is laced with thermite. Add heat…and this whole place will blow.”

“Help me! Help me, please!”

“Game over.”

Walking off the blocks that were conveniently placed like stairs, Winn Sr. waved behind him at her. Then he left, and Kara was panicking.

“Voight, I’m stuck. I’m trapped in quicksand and there’s a child here who is about to be out through a woodchipper.”

“Kara whatever you do, don’t use your heart vision. It will blow up the sand!”

“Already covered that, Winn!” She looked around and saw the machine.

Using her freeze breath, she blew the machine out of the way but it only went a few feet as her breath could only reach so far. Then, looking down at the sand, she realized she could freeze it.

Doing so, she just managed to catch the box with the child in it before it fell into the chipper. Flying it to the ground gently, she tore off the top only to find another toy Supergirl.

“I’m scared.”

Looking around with a sigh, she slumped back on her heels. “False alarm, guys. It’s another toy.”

“And Schott?”

She shook her head, though she knew they couldn’t see her. “In the wind.”

She heard Voight grunt in annoyance. “Just get back here so we can go over what just happened.”

“You know, I never should have agreed to this. We never should have let you go in there. If he would have hurt you…”

“I’m fine.” She promised her friend, who was on the verge of a panic attack, and stood when he pulled out his phone. “Who are you calling?”

“Agent Chase.”

“No, you’re not.”

With the skills of a detective, Kim walked over and grabbed the phone before he could even think about what she was doing.

“Hey!”

“Winn, no. You know they’ll kill him.” Kara reminded him.

“Let them.” The unit went quiet. “The world will be better off for it.”

“Come on, man, you don’t want that on your conscience.” Kevin told him quietly.

Kara nodded. “Yeah, we’ll find him and we’ll get him back to prison-”

“What’s the point, huh? There’s something rotten inside of him, something that can’t be helped.” He was yelling now.

“He’s sick, you said so yourself!” She argued back, knowing the team was waiting to find out what they should do. “One day he was normal and the next he snapped.”

“No, no. It can’t be like that, no.”

“Sometimes that’s just the way it happens.” She told him.

“Well, then what’s to stop it from happening to me? Huh? I already kissed you and ruined everything. That isn’t like me, Kara! How can we know that I won’t snap in another way too?”

The room was silent as he yelled.

Blinking tears away, Kara sighed. “Guys, can we have the room please?”

Platt nodded. “Yeah, we’ll be in the bullpen when you’re ready.”

“Thanks, Trudy.”

As everyone trailed out of the lab, Winn sat. “You know, my father and I were inseparable. Like, we looked the same, talked the same. We were good at the same things…and now he says we’re linked. Like what if he’s right?”

“He isn’t.” She moved to sit in front of him.

“His genes are like ticking time bombs just waiting to go off inside me and turn me into him.”

“That isn’t going to happen.” She said earnestly. “You’re a good person.”

“That’s what people said about him. And then he cracked. And now every time I start to get angry, I think, ‘Could this be it? Could this be the day that I lose everything?’ And then I did. I lost everything when I kissed you and changed everything.”

“Winn, the day your father killed those six people was like for me the day my planet exploded. The course of our lives changed in that single moment. You are not going to turn into your father. Because the day your world was destroyed, you didn’t give in to rage and hate like your father…like my aunt.

“We both lost our worlds and now we’re trying to give back because of it.” Hesitating, Kara gestured to his hand and when he nodded, she linked her fingers with his. “And you and your father aren’t the only ones that are linked. We are too. You, me, the boys…even everyone else in our group. And I’m not going to let anyone mess with that.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you’re my best friend. Plus, I missed you so I’m not letting you go again.”

“Listen…I’m sorry about that.” He winced. “I shouldn’t have done that and I definitely shouldn’t have been mad at you for it.”

“No, you were embarrassed, and I get it. I’m just sorry that it had to happen that way.” She smiled at him. “Now come on, lets’ go upstairs and see what Voight thinks we should do next.”

Chapter Text

“So, how bad is this situation with Winn?”

Kara sighed as she walked with her brother. “It’s bad, Will. I’ve never seen him like this. And his father…boy, he’s a piece of work.”

“You said you fought him?” The redhead inquired.

She nodded. “He thinks he’s doing this for Winn, but he can’t see how much this is hurting him. I feel so powerless to help him.”

“Seriously?” He winced at the look he gave her. “All I mean is that you probably have more power than anyone in this whole thing. Supergirl has no jurisdiction.”

“I tried fighting, Will. All it did was trap me if explosive quicksand and trick me into thinking a child was about to die.” She blinked the tears out of her eyes as she thought of how scared she was at that moment.

“Hey,” her brother squeezed her arm and forced her to look up at him. “you have faced much worse foes than this and come out alive.”

“I know, but….”

He nodded. “It’s Winn’s dad.”

“Yeah.” She sighed and clutched her coffee as they walked back through the doors of the ED. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“Kara Halstead.”

“Oh, great.” She muttered to herself. “Agent Chase, how can I help you today?”

“Miss Halstead, you are under arrest for aiding and abetting a known fugitive.” Chase pulled out her handcuffs and reached for the blonde, who flinched away in shock.

“Excuse me?”

“Hang on-”

“Sir, this doesn’t concern you; please step aside.” She told Will, who stared at Kara in confusion.

“First of all, it’s doctor, and as this is my place of work and she is my little sister, I think it is my concern.” He told the agent, taking the coffee from Kara as she was handcuffed.

“Your friend, Mr. Schott, disappeared last night, and we have not been able to get ahold of him.”

Kara shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense; I texted him this morning!”

“Yes, you did. You’re the only one he has responded to, agreeing to meet you at your agreed-upon spot.”

Internally groaning at her roundabout way of telling him to meet her at the district, Kara shot her brother a look. “Call Jay. Now.”

“Miss Halstead, this would all go a lot easier if you would just-”

Chase was interrupted as the door to their interrogation room opened, and in stepped Voight and Jay.

“Excuse me, but you cannot just-”

“Actually, when you illegally arrest one of my guys, yes, I can,” Voight told her with a feral attitude to his voice. “Agent Chase, I take it.”

Her face set itself in a stony composure. “Sergeant Voight. I was wondering if we’d meet while I was here.” Then she turned to Jay. “Detective. I wish I could say it was good to see you again.”

Jay, knowing he would ruin the situation if he spoke, stayed silent.

“Agent Chase, may I speak with you outside for a moment? Your boss gave my guy permission to speak with his sister and said to have you and I speak further.” Voight told her.

Kara wondered how much of that was the truth as she watched them leave.

Looking up at Jay, her eyes went wide. “Is that a donut I see behind your back?”

He shrugged and set the bag in front of her before taking a seat in the chair Chase had just vacated. “Yeah, well, I figured you’d be panicking, and you know what they say, ‘panicking burns a shit ton of calories’, so….”

Biting into the donut, she cocked a brow. “Who says that?”

“Me. Just now. Eat your donut.”

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. “How did you even convince them to let me have this?”

He smirked. “Told them you were horribly diabetic. I figured Maggie or Will could back us up if needed with that one.”

“Have I ever told you that you’re my favorite?”

“I better be.”

Kara smiled for a second as she finished her donut before remembering why they were there, and she frowned. “Jay…what’s going on with Winn?”

He grimaced. “It’s not good, Kar. Chase has had her guys at CatCo all morning going through his stuff. No one, other than your text this morning, has been able to get ahold of him since last night when you guys left here.”

“Jay, you know he didn’t run.”

He nodded. “I know, and Voight is telling all of this to Chase right now.”

“Did you guys really speak with her boss?”

“No.” He shrugged. “Voight just really knows how to intimidate people, federal agents included apparently.”

“I can’t believe she thinks Winn and I are involved in this.” Kara sighed before looking at her brother. “Can I kill her?”

“No! Oh my god, Kara, you know not to joke about that, especially in a federal building.”

“Just a little bit?”

“Stop it, seriously.”

“Sorry, I’m worried. I can’t help it.” She reminded him. “I need to be out there, helping Winn.”

“Hey,” Jay reached forward and grabbed her hand. “Winn is going to be okay. Not that they know it, but we have the whole unit and Platt working on finding him. He is going to turn up.”

“Jay…you know who has him.” She said quietly. “We both do.”

He nodded. “I know, but if he wants what is best for Winn as he says he does, then he won’t hurt him.”

“I’m not just worried about him hurting Winn, Jay. I’m worried about what he wants him to do.”

Her brother eyed her for a minute. “Hang on.”

He stood and moved to the door. Just as he turned the knob, the door flew open, and they were met with the angry face of Agent Chase. “Detective Halstead.”

“Agent Chase.”

Moving to her suspect, Chase took out her keys and let the young woman out of her handcuffs. “You may take your sister…for now. She’s still a suspect, but you sergeant assures me she won’t be leaving the 21^st district, so I’m releasing her into his custody.”

“This is ridiculous.” Kara rolled her eyes but stayed quiet at the look Jay sent her.

The first thing Winn registered as he woke up was that his head hurt. Badly. Wondering why he was sitting up in bed, his brain instantly remembered being kidnapped as he entered his building, and he felt the fogginess leave his head just as quickly.

“Don’t be scared.” He heard his father say. “I just need you to listen.”

“What do you want?”

“What I wanted for over a decade.” Winn Sr. told his son. “To be your father again.”

“Too late.”

The older man hesitated only briefly as he took in his son’s words. “In any case, it’s all Dunholtz’s fault, and we’re going to make him pay.”

Winn couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Chester Dunholtz?”

“Yeah.”

“Your old boss?”

“Mmm-hmm.” His father was pacing now.

Winn scoffed. “That’s why you broke out of jail, so that you could get revenge on him for what…stealing your dumb toy designs?”

“No.” The man looked almost nostalgic. “No, this isn’t about him stealing a toy; this is about him stealing your childhood…stealing my chance to watch you grow up. I went to prison because of him.

“Winn, I almost lost you because of him. But I have a plan on how we can make it right.”

“You told Jay that you weren’t afraid of what Winn’s dad would do to him, but what he would make him do. Why is that?”

Kara sighed as she rested her forearms against her thighs.

After rescuing her from the federal building, Jay and Voight had brought her directly back to the district so they could find their friend. That had been twenty minutes ago, and now Kara just wanted to do a flyover and find him herself.

Unfortunately, Voight seemed to want to delay that plan for one of his own.

“All he kept saying last night was that he wanted what was best for Winn, and in his twisted brain, that means he and Winn being together again.”

Ruzek scoffed. “Okay, but that obviously isn’t going to happen once he’s arrested or killed.”

“Exactly.”

The group stared at her before Hailey’s eyes lit up in regret. “Oh God…he’s going to make Winn do something to get him locked up or killed too so that they can always be together again.”

Kara nodded. “That’s what I’m afraid of, yeah.”

“Guys…there’s a toy convention going on today at McCormick Place,” Kim told them quickly.

“I’m guessing this dude Dunholtz is going to be selling toys there,” Atwater added, pointing at his picture on the board.

“I think it’s worse than that.” Antonio jumped in. “Chester Dunholtz is receiving a Lifetime Achievement award.”

“Oh, Rao. He’s going to have him kill Dunholtz.” Kara jumped to her feet. “Voight…”

He nodded. “Everybody suit up for undercover work at the convention.”

“I have to be there.” She insisted, and he held his hand up to stop her.

“I know. I’ll let Platt know to stall Chase if she shows up for you, which will give you time to get back here. You need to be there, and I won’t stop you, but if we tell you to pull back, you have to listen.”

She hesitated before finally nodding. She knew that if she disagreed, he’d force her to stay behind, even going as far as to lock her up to get his desired effect.

“Fine. But nothing can happen to Winn. Please.”

Chapter Text

Winn swallowed his anxiety as he walked through the security line at the toy convention and recalled the conversation he’d had with his father only hours before.

“Today is the start of the Chicago Toy Convention, and for that, I made you this special gun.” He held up what looked like a toy squirt gun. “You can take this with you right through the metal detectors and right past security.

“You can also take it onstage when Chester Dunholtz receives his award.”

The idea of murdering someone made his stomach turn, but he knew he had no choice in the matter. His father had slipped entirely into madness while in prison, and now he had no choice but to listen or watch as his consequences played themselves out.

“Now, you’ll walk up to the podium, aim at his face, right between the eyes…and you will shoot.”

“I would never do that,” Winn told him, horrified.

Now his father crouched to be eye level with him. “I know. I know this is a tough thing to do. So I’m going to make it easy on you by taking the decision out of your hands.

“I’ve planted ten bombs in ten different toys at the convention. You won’t know where they are. And if you don’t kill Dunholtz, I’m going to set them off.”

Winn felt his heart beat faster as he tried to plead with his father. “Dad, listen to me. There will be hundreds of people there…kids!”

“Mmm-hmm.” The man didn’t look worried or affected by the thought.

“They will all die!”

“No, no, they won’t, they won’t.” He insisted. “Because you won’t let that happen. You are going to save them by killing him.”

“We’ll both end up in prison.” As the words came out of his mouth, Winn realized that this was his father’s whole plan.

“And that makes this the perfect plan.” Winn Sr. told him. “Because whether we escape or end up in prison or what have you, we are going to be together.”

Winn felt tears fill his eyes. “How did this happen to you?”

His father stood again. “Do you know that even with all the amazing toys I’ve built, you’re the best thing I ever made? You’re just like me.”

“I am nothing like you.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself.”

As he stood in the crowd watching Dunholtz give his speech, Winn felt his heart break. He had no way of contacting Kara since his dad took his watch, and if he alerted the police now, no one would be safe. As the thought of trying anyway passed through his head, he looked down and saw a young boy with a stuffed bear and knew that he had no choice.

Any one of these toys could blow at any moment, and he would not be the one responsible for killing hundreds of innocent people, especially when so many were children.

He took a deep breath and moved to the stage and missed as a man in a baseball cap eyed him carefully.

“Sarge, I’ve got eyes on Winn. He’s got a gun, and he’s headed to the stage.” Kevin said into his hidden mic.

“Everybody move in now, but do not identify yourselves unless absolutely necessary! Do I make myself clear?”

As his team agreed, they advanced on the stage just as Winn made his last step up the stairs.

“Who are you?” Dunholtz asked him as Winn raised the gun. “What are you doing?”

“FBI!” Agent Chase yelled.

“Intelligence! Winn put the gun down.” Jay yelled, forgoing Voight’s order so that his friend knew he had help.

“I’m sorry,” Winn told both Jay and Dunholtz before lifting the gun and firing into the air.

“Take him out,” Chase said into her comms.

“No, wait!” Hailey tried to stop her, but she watched in horror as the team started shooting at Winn.

Then, from somewhere they weren’t sure of, Kara landed in front of him in her suit, and they watched as the bullets bounced off of her while Win hid behind her safely. Once they stopped shooting, Winn looked at Kara.

“He’s planted ten bombs here. You have to find them before he blows this place up.”

Using her x-ray vision, she looked around and couldn’t find them, so she looked below them and saw the Toyman.

“He’s in the basement.” She said in her comms so that her unit could hear and didn’t wait to see Antonio and Kim run off with Kevin and Ruzek behind them.

Then she saw him hit the button to activate the bombs and flew into the air. “He’s turned on the bombs!”

Flying above the crowd, she finally located the devices spread out around the convention hall and looked at the people below her.

“Everyone, come this way!”

As Voight, Jay, and Hailey helped Chase and the security detail get as many people as they could to the stage, Kara looked up and caught a glimpse of the sprinkler system. Using her heat vision to set them off, she watched as the water fell around them before using her freeze breath to create a wall of ice between them and the bombs.

The force shattered the ice into tiny pieces as they exploded and forced everyone backward, including Kara, who fell from the sky and landed on the stage with a loud clang. Recovering quickly, she let her friends handle the cleanup and flew out of the room.

Just as Winn Sr. stood to run, now scared that his plan had failed, he came face to face with the four Intelligence officers. Turning to try and run in the opposite direction, he stopped as he saw Supergirl floating at the end of the room before she flew at him quickly.

“You were way out of your jurisdiction, Sergeant. You should never have been there, impeding my investigation.”

After Winn’s dad had been locked up again, this time in solitary confinement, Agent Chase had ascended upon the district and had been arguing with Voight for an hour. Though the door was closed, the whole unit could hear what they were saying.

“If it weren’t for my guys, you would have had two dead bodies and an escaped convict on your hands! You needed us!”

“Needed you?”

Outside the room, Kara sat at Jay’s desk and bit her lip. “When do you think they’ll stop yelling at each other?”

He shrugged. “No clue. It could be a long night.”

Just as he spoke, the door opened, and Agent Chase stormed out. She stomped her way through the unit before descending the stairs without a word to the team.

“What happened?” Antonio wondered as Voight stepped out after her.

“I just reminded her that she wouldn’t have caught her escapee without our assistance and agreed to let her take full credit if she kept us out of the paperwork.” Voight sighed.

Kara stood and faced them. “Hey, I just wanted to say thank you. From both me and Winn. I might have lost my best friend today if it weren’t for you guys.”

“You did all the work.” Ruzek teased and rolled his eyes as the unit turned on him. “What? You guys know it’s true.”

“No, I couldn’t have done it if you guys hadn’t backed me up.” She told them and turned to her boss. “Especially you. Thank you for standing up for me against Agent Chase. You couldn’t have known for sure that Winn and I weren’t involved, but you stood by us anyway.”

He shrugged. “I know you weren’t involved. You would never have stayed here if you had helped Winn escape, and you wouldn’t have left your brothers alone either, so you couldn’t have been part of it. Agent Chase would have seen that if she wasn’t so consumed with finishing this career-making case.”

“Well, regardless, thank you.” She smiled.

“Where is Winn, anyway?” Hailey wondered. “I thought he’d be right here waiting to see what happened.”

“He had to go call his mom. He said he’d meet me at Molly’s.” She smiled. “It’s good to have him back.”

“Did we hear him correctly the other night when he said he kissed you?” Kim asked her, a smirk on her face.

Kara groaned. “We’re finally past it; please don’t bring it up again. It was so weird.”

Laughing as they disbanded for the night, Jay walked to the parking lot with Kara. “So, is everything really back to normal with you two?”

“It seems like it.” She chuckled. “He told me he wants to discuss the newest editions to his blog again, so yeah, I think we’re okay.”

Then she paused.

“Why…?”

“No reason.”

She stopped and stared at him. “Jay Halstead…did you threaten my best friend?”

“No! You’re a freaking alien; I don’t need to protect you from anyone.”

“Okay, that’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told.” She smacked him. “First of all, you said it yourself, ‘we’re your brothers, and we’ll always protect you even if you’re an alien.’ Second, don’t do that. I really can handle myself.”

He sighed as they reached his car. “I know, but I don’t want to see you the way I saw you that night. I don’t think I’d ever seen you so devastated, except when Mom and Dad died.”

“I love you.”

“Okay, let’s not get mushy.” They both got into the car, and as Jay started it, he sighed again. “But I love you too.”

Then they made their way towards Molly’s.

Chapter Text

Sirens blared as Firehouse 51’s truck, engine, and ambulance pulled up to the scene of a high-rise fire. As snow fell around them, they jumped out of their rigs and started helping the tenants get to safety.

As Boden stepped out of his car, he shoved his helmet on and approached the owner of the building. “Hey, where’s the fire?”

“I think it’s one of the first-floor units. Uh, the hallway’s real smoky!” The man told him as the rest of 51 gathered their gear and approached them.

“Okay, anybody know which unit?” Boden asked, receiving unclear or negative answers. “Okay, people, back behind me on the other sidewalk.”

The owner approached Boden again. “Hey, uh, we’ve got one of those lockboxes, so please don’t start busting down doors, huh?”

Internally rolling his eyes, Boden sighed looked around. “Yeah, I see it.”

“Hey Chief, smoke’s coming from everywhere,” Herrmann told him.

“Yeah, it looks like it’s coming out of the HVAC system.” Boden agreed. “Squad, do a primary search on the first-floor hallway.” Then he turned to his other lieutenant. “Casey, lockbox right there.”

“Got it. Truck and Squad…51, be ready with the hose line.”

As Casey walked back to the truck to get the key to unlock the lockbox, everyone else entered the building to locate the fire. Severide and Cruz walked through the hallway, feeling each door for the familiar heat that came with a blaze like this one.

Once they located it, they immediately started yelling. “Fire department, call out!”

“Help, please!”

“Someone’s in there,” Severide told Cruz before yelling back at the trapped individual. “Stand back!”

Taking their axe, Cruz stepped forward and tried to wedge the door open. When that didn’t work, he used the top of the axe to try and break the door down. When neither method worked, he turned back to his lieutenant.

“This thing is Fort Knox!”

Severide looked around to see if anyone was coming and keyed his radio. “Hey, Casey, we can’t breach the door! We need those lock keys!”

Outside, Casey stuck his master key into the lockbox and froze as he swung the door open. “I don’t have them. Box is empty. Repeat, there’s no building keys.”

Boden listened to his lieutenant speak as dread filled his body. Not only was it a dangerous and illegal situation that the keys were missing, but if they couldn’t breach the door, there would be victims of this fire.

Just as he was about to send more of his guys inside, he caught a glimpse of blue and turned to see Supergirl standing next to him. “How can I help?”

Having never been more grateful to see Chicago’s resident superhero, he pointed to the building. “We’ve got a massive fire on the first floor, unit 106, and we can’t breach the door.”

The blonde nodded. “I’m on it.”

Inside, Severide and Cruz continued to beat their axe against the door so that they could reach the people trapped inside. Just as they were getting tired, their radios clicked, and Boden’s voice came through.

“Hang in there, guys. Backup is on the way.”

Before they could respond, they felt someone behind them. “Watch out!”

The men instantly moved apart, and Kara walked forward, lifting her leg and kicking the door down with one blow. Then she stepped back and followed them inside to see the apartment was filled with smoke and flames.

“Fire’s in the master bedroom!” Mouch called out, realizing that their trapped victim was also in there.

Turning to Kara, Stella nodded. “I got him! You get the flames!”

Without stopping to respond, Kara lifted herself in the air a bit and started to blow her freeze breath at the flames in hopes of putting them out. A moment later, she heard Stella's voice again.

“51, we’re coming out of the bathroom! Can you cover us?”

“Yeah, ready when you are!”

Then she watched as Stella opened the door and ran through the room with a man covered in wet towels. As soon as she was clear, Kara turned to the rest of the guys. “I can finish this! Get them out of here safely!”

“No chance, Supergirl,” Mouch spoke before Herrmann could. “We’re staying with you.”

Rolling her eyes at her father figure’s overprotectiveness, she continued to blow out the flames as Herrmann blasted the hose into the room. It soon froze over and melted the fire so that the room was covered in patches of ice and puddles of water.

Nodding to the guys, Kara flew out the window and landed next to Boden. “Fire is out, Chief.”

He lifted a hand and shook hers. “Thank you for helping us out in there. We have the tools, but you were faster.”

“Of course. Any time you need me, you only need to ask.” She shrugged. “I don’t just deal with alien issues. Chicago is my city, too.”

“Hey, Chief, fire’s out in 106, but we better check the unit above. It looks like there was an electrical fire in the wall.” Herrmann said as he came out of the building, Mouch following him.

Moving away so they could speak business, Kara waited as Mouch approached her. “Well, look at us working together.”

Chuckling, Kara clasped her hands together. “I know, if there weren’t people trapped, I’d say it was almost fun. You do know the fire can’t hurt me, though, right? You didn’t have to stay with me.”

“Hey, I’m not leaving you in a fire.” He said seriously. “You’re basically my daughter, so deal with it.”

Raising her hands in surrender, she laughed again. “Okay, okay. You win. Now I better go…I was supposed to be at work like twenty minutes ago.”

Smiling at him, she shot into the air and was gone, leaving him on the snowy ground watching after her.

Back at the firehouse, Boden approached Severide and Casey as they were cleaning up their gear. “Hey, I’m going to need your schedule for inspecting all the lockboxes in the district. Considering this morning, it might be a good idea to make sure that they’re all in good shape.”

Just as they went to respond, the sound of three fire SUVs pulling up filled their ears, and they watched as the new fire commissioner Carl Grissom got out of his car.

“What could we do for you, Commissioner?” Severide asked but was ignored.

Instead, the man walked straight past them, gesturing for them to follow him. “Time to repay the favor.”

Once they were settled in a meeting room, Boden sighed. “So, what’s this favor you think I owe you?”

“You’ve already forgotten your troubles with the Assistant Deputy Commissioner?” Grissom asked rhetorically. “I’m the one, per his father’s request, got Gorsch off your back.” He gestured to Severide.

Unfortunately, the lieutenant wasn’t as eager to listen. “You’re the one who put Gorsch on his back!”

Now Grissom addressed him for the first time since arriving. “If you’re still confused why I needed someone keeping an eye on 51, I’m happy to have that conversation.”

“Let’s talk about why you’re here.” Boden interrupted.

Grissom sighed. “The police commissioner’s office reached out to me and requested a little ‘inter-departmental synergy.’ Apparently, there’s some cop in the Intelligence unit that’s trying to tarnish CFD’s image, and I need you to make sure it doesn’t stick.”

“Is it Hank Voight?” Casey asked suddenly, confusing the commissioner.

“How’d you know?”

“Because he just walked in.”

All four firefighters turned and watched as Voight, Jay, Hailey, and Kara—dressed in her suit—entered the room.

“Commissioner, Sergeant Hank Voight.” Then Voight turned to his companions. “Detectives Halstead, Upton. And I’m sure you recognize Supergirl.”

“What is she doing here?” Severide asked quickly, a bit of combativeness to his voice.

“I’m here as a courtesy…to you.” She told him, her arms folding over her chest as she spoke.

“What’s this all about?” Grissom questioned the sergeant, who was ready to explain.

“We’ve had a spate of break-ins over the last few weeks, pretty bold crew.” He told them. “I mean they’ll break in day or night, any type of location, business, residential, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot that can stop these guys. We had no idea how they were getting in until Supergirl was at your scene this morning and heard you guys mention the empty lockbox.”

“Every place that’s been hit has a lockbox,” Hailey told them. “When we check them out, the keys are still inside.”

“So you guys think somehow somebody got keys to the building from the lockbox, steal what they can, then replace the keys to cover their tracks?” Severide asked them, confused.

Jay nodded. “Exactly, until today, they started a fire, and they had to leave in a hurry.”

“Not to mention, when I showed up, they probably got spooked,” Kara added. “I didn’t notice them because I was too busy helping you guys, but my guess is that they were there too.”

Ignoring her, Grissom looked at Voight. “Sergeant, can you skip to the part where you try and convince me that there’s a firefighter behind all this?”

“Well, firefighters know which buildings have lockboxes, and they’re the only ones who have access to them. I mean, building owner doesn’t even have a key.” He reminded them.

Casey shook his head. “There’s only one key per company, and they’re all accounted for.”

Voight sighed. “Alright, look, there’s been a robbery roughly every 72 hours, and it’s always during CFD’s second shift.”

“So you’re saying some firefighter from the second shift is swiping the key from his company’s rig and using it to commit a robbery while on shift?” Casey wasn’t sure they had thought everything through.

“Well, more likely, they’re passing the key off to an accomplice who’s then carrying out the robbery,” Jay told him.

“Even then, you’d have to return the key to the rig before anyone noticed.” Casey fired back.

“Well, it helps that every robbery has taken place within five minutes of Engine 66,” Jay said carefully, but his intention was clear.

Casey’s face showed that he understood, and he turned to face Voight. “The ones that rolled up late to the fire.”

“Yeah…” Boden had a sick feeling in his gut.

Knowing they were right, Severide spoke up. “What do you need from us?”

“We want to embed a friendly firefighter inside 66 to help us sniff out the bad guy,” Voight told them.

“An informant.” Boden shook his head.

“Why not just send Supergirl in? Put her undercover as a firefighter.” Grissom offered.

“Well, for one, I know nothing about actual firefighting.” She told him. “I also would have to reveal my identity to the world, and I’m not doing that.”

Shrugging, Grissom sighed. “Okay.”

Turning on him as soon as the word was out, Boden looked furious. “What?”

“Well, it’s better than have a dozen cops storming the place with a warrant and start jamming up my firefighters. Gives us a little control over the situation.”

Knowing he wasn’t going to get his way in this situation, Boden turned to the group. “Do you have someone in mind?”

Voight looked at Kara and nodded, causing her to sigh. “Joe Cruz.”

“No,” Severide told them. “Never going to happen.”

Casey sighed. “Joe Cruz is not your biggest fan, not after what you put his brother through.”

“Well, I don’t need Joe Cruz to like me. The point is I trust him, and I know he can handle himself.” Voight told them fiercely, though he understood where they were coming from.

“Then Joe Cruz it is,” Grissom told them, causing Severide to fight back,

“Whoa, he’s one of my best guys. You’re not going to use him as a pawn in whatever pissing match you got into with the police commissioner.”

Kara raised her brows at his words as Boden stepped in. “Severide!”

The room went silent for a moment before Boden looked at them. “We will speak with Cruz. But we make no promises.”

Kara spoke for her group, knowing how they could be in the middle of a debate. “That’s all we ask.”

Twenty minutes later, Cruz sat on Boden’s couch as he listened to all the information coming at him. “I don’t know. I can’t imagine a firefighter being involved like that.”

Sitting at Boden’s desk, Severide and Casey, as well as the chief himself, felt for their friend. “I feel the same, but we’ve had bad apples before. It happens.”

Casey shrugged. “If it’s true, we need to find out, right?”

“Yeah, but why do I have to be the snitch?”

“You don’t.” Everyone turned to look at Severide. “No one can force you to do this, Cruz. It’s your call. To hell with Voight and Grissom.”

“Severide, it’s-”

“No, Kelly’s right.”

The four occupants of the room turned as Kara, still in her suit, opened the door and entered the room before shutting the door behind her again. Then she walked over and shut the blinds that covered Boden’s windows before facing them.

“Cruz, we’re not going to force you to do anything. You have my word on this.” She told him.

“Oh, come on, you work for them! They can force you to force me.” Cruz spat back at her.

She snorted. “I’d like to see them try.”

“Don’t they have those special weapons that hurt you?”

“Cruz!” Casey couldn’t believe what he was hearing from his friend.

Sighing, Kara nodded and sat next to him on the couch. “Technically…yes, they do have Kryptonite weapons that will render me weak. But they won’t use them.”

“How can you be so sure?” Severide asked her. “And how did you know my first name?”

She smirked. “Because I’m family.”

“Just because you work with them doesn’t make you-”

“No, Kelly, I’m literally family.” Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand and slid her glasses onto her face, and used a hand to pull her hair into a ponytail.

Even with the suit on, there was no denying that she was Kara Halstead, and the room fell silent.

Chapter Text

Kara sat and watched as the four men in front of her took in the information she’d just dropped on them. It took a few moments, but finally, Casey spoke.

“So, this whole time…you’ve been Supergirl?”

She nodded. “I guess it depends on how long you mean by ‘this whole time,’ but yes.” Then she turned to Boden. “I told you this morning that if you ever needed me, all you needed to do was ask. Now you know why.”

“I suppose I do. There is still something I’m confused about, though.”

“Shoot.”

“How?” Casey asked for him.                                                                                                                                                     

“I’m an alien.”

“Be serious here, please.” Severide scolded, and she rolled her eyes.

“I am being serious.” She told him as she let her hair fall and took her glasses off. “I wasn’t born here on Earth, but on a planet called Krypton.”

“Like Superman?” Cruz asked, finally finding his voice.

“He’s my cousin.” She told them. “I was supposed to protect him, but we got separated. It’s a really long story that ends with me being adopted by Pat and Eliza Halstead.”

“What’s the long story, if you don’t mind telling it?” Casey inquired.

Kara sighed and leaned back against the couch. “My planet was dying, and our parents decided to send us here in order to save us. We had to take separate pods, as they only held one person, and Kal left before I did. I just needed one more hug from my mother.

“I knew they were going to die, and I knew that if I didn’t leave, I would too. But I just needed it. Then I got in my pod and left. I watched as my planet exploded behind me.”

“Oh my God.”

She nodded at Casey’s statement. “Some of the debris hit my pod and knocked me into the Phantom Zone where time doesn’t exist. I was stuck there for twenty years, just…floating in the nothingness. Then somehow…I was dislodged, and because my coordinates were already programmed, I landed here. My cousin had been helped by Eliza Halstead when he was younger, as handling our powers can be difficult, especially at first. She made me these glasses, you know.

“Anyway, he knew that my best chance at survival would be to live with a normal, human family as he did. And as I got older, I realized he was right. But I also realized that the world didn’t need another one of us with him around, so I hid myself and became a techie. Then Jay almost died in the building collapse at that jewelry store, and…well, once I finally used my powers again, I knew I couldn’t hide that part of me anymore. It was too exhilarating, and it felt so natural.”

“Hang on; we were at that scene.” Severide realized. “That was you holding that building up?”

She nodded. “You looked right at me and never noticed a thing.”

“Well, now I feel stupid.”

“Don’t! The disguise, somehow, works for us. The glasses also help to block out all the extra input that comes in. You wouldn’t believe what it is like when we can’t control the voices, lights, sounds, heartbeats….it’s basically torture. The lead that lines these glasses helps to tone it down so I can concentrate when I need to. Plus…yeah, it keeps people from knowing.”

“But seriously, how is it that just pulling back your hair and putting on some glasses can shield your true self?”

She sighed. “Because people only see what they want to see. Everyone sees a bumbling, blonde, tech girl, and they turn her invisible. They don’t want to see that the superhero flying around the city in a skirt and cape lifting buildings and stopping aliens is really just like everyone else. It’s both a blessing and a curse sometimes.”

“Have your brothers always known?” Boden wondered, seeing that Cruz was deep in thought.

“Nope.” Kara shook her head. “My parents, Eliza and Pat, agreed that we shouldn’t tell them until I was a bit more settled in here on Earth. But then our mom got sick and passed, and my father decided that I should keep it hidden forever. He forbade me from telling the boys, and I desperately wanted to make him happy, so I agreed. But then, well, as I said, I couldn’t hide it anymore.”

“Kara, how am I supposed to trust Voight when he messed with my brother?” Cruz implored.

“Listen, I know that it is hard to trust the people that are supposed to be there for you but end up doing the opposite.” The image of her aunt flashed in front of her eyes. “But sometimes you need to believe that they actually can be trusted to do the right thing.”

“You’re related to those two crazy aliens trying to destroy the city, aren’t you? The woman you fought outside Med a while back.” Boden surmised.

Biting her lip, Kara stood and wrapped her arms around her body. “She’s my aunt. We were close once, on Krypton, before my mother had her arrested for treason and murder and sent her to Fort Rozz.”

“Fort Rozz?” Severide shook his head, reminding her they didn’t know about the prison.

She sighed. “Essentially an alien supermax that was held in the Phantom Zone.”

“Wow.” Casey shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, but this isn’t about me. This is about helping to catch someone who is breaking the law. Someone who is supposed to help people but is doing the opposite by helping to break into their homes.”

“What did you do about your aunt?”

Looking at Cruz, Kara sighed. “I tried to change her. I believed that some part of her was still the person I knew on Krypton. It took a while, and for a bit, I thought that she truly was gone. But…she’s in there somewhere.”

“Did it work?” The distraught firefighter asked her again. “Did you change your aunt?”

Kara shrugged. “I would like to say yes. But only time will tell. She showed an act of good faith, but….”

“But what?”

“But her husband is ruthless. Non will stop at nothing to enact his plan. And I don’t want this firefighter to be like Non. My uncle is a terrible person, but that doesn’t mean your fellow firefighter is too. The only way we can know, though, is by having someone on the inside.

“But as I said, I’m not going to force you. If you truly aren’t up to doing this, I will return to the 21^st and tell them that. They won’t mess with whatever I am backing because they know that I will stop at nothing to protect my friends and family.” She grabbed his hand. “I promise you that no matter what, you will be safe and protected.”

“I’ll do it.”

“What?” Severide turned to look at Cruz. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “If you can go every day playing both sides of the line and risking everything for us, this is the least I can do. Besides…maybe whoever is doing this is more like your aunt and can be redeemed a bit. And you’re right; I don’t want this firefighter to be like your uncle. From what I can tell, he’s a bad dude. But we won’t know the truth unless I do this.”

“Hey,” she forced him to look at her and handed him one of Winn’s devices. “If you need me, you use this watch. It signals me no matter where I am. I’ve given one to everyone that knows. It will lead me straight to you.”

Boden smiled. “That watch looks like the one Mouch said you gave him for his birthday.”

She winced. “Yeah…he’s one of the ones who knows about me.”

Severide shook his head. “Now we know why he insisted on helping you put out the fire today.”

“You know, he knows that the fire won’t hurt me and that I can handle myself, and yet….”

“Fathers will always worry, Kara,” Boden told her. “Doesn’t matter if they’re biological, legal, or just someone who plays the part. That man would tear the city down for you, so I would just get used to it.”

“I’ve gotten lucky.” She told them. “We all have. Our group…it’s unusual and messy, but it works.”

“Yeah, and now we know that Supergirl is a part of it.” Severide joked. “At least we know why you show up to our scenes more than any other company’s.”

“Hey, I can’t let you guys get hurt!” She told them. “But listen…this secret I have, it cannot leave this room. It isn’t that I don’t trust the others, but I need to be able to tell them on my own time. If this secret fell into the wrong hands…well, let’s just say I’ve seen what can happen when someone needs answers, and a Kryptonian won’t give them.”

“No one will find out from us,” Casey told her seriously as she shuddered involuntarily. “We won’t let you get hurt either. This friendship goes both ways. If you want us to keep your secret from the rest of the guys, for now, we will. You have our word.”

She looked around at them and sighed. “Thank you. Now, Cruz…did you want to speak with Voight about everything? Lay some ground rules?”

He shook his head. “If you trust him…I will trust him. For now. But I’m trusting you too, so please don’t let me down.”

“I promise you; nothing will happen to you or anyone else in this house.” She told him. “I won’t let it happen.”

Chapter Text

“Does this kind of stuff happen often?” Foster asked as she sat at a table at Molly’s with Kara, Brett, and Stella. “Getting shifted to another house?”

Brett sighed. “Once in a while.”

“Yeah, Severide wasn’t happy about it.” Stella winced, and Kara eyed her carefully.

“Oh yeah?” She cleared her throat quietly. “What did he say?”

The other woman shrugged. “Just that the situation sucks, and he wasn’t happy with it.”

Glad that he hadn’t mentioned anything about the case or her secret, she nodded and watched as Stella’s gaze roamed the bar before stopping on the man walking through the door.

“Look who actually came.” She smiled.

As Kara and Brett turned to look, Foster set down her drink. “Of course he did. He’s smitten.”

“I’ll be back,” Stella told them as she waved at him.

“Who is the hottie, and why do we already know about him?” Kara wondered aloud to the others. “And by ‘we,’ I mean you because I obviously know nothing.”

Brett chuckled. “That’s the guy you guys rescued from the fire yesterday. He came by and gave Stella some beer he brewed himself and asked her out.”

“Oh damn!” Kara’s brows lifted. “She said yes?”

Foster shook her head. “She tried to dissuade him, but he was clearly pretty convincing.”

“I’d say.” The blonde smiled and looked around her friends so she could see him again. “You dang public servants, always taking the good ones from the rest of us.”

As they laughed and ordered another round from the bar, Cruz sat with his brother across town in a nearly empty diner.

“Anyway, I can’t say much more about it, but I just wanted you to know I’m working with him. I didn’t want you to find out later.”

“Damn, Joe.” Leon scoffed. “Hank Voight?”

“Look, I know,” Cruz told him. “He’s not forcing my hand; it’s strictly voluntary.”

Leon shook his head. “Look, you can keep me in the dark about it if you want, but the fact that Voight’s working the case, it’s gotta be something ugly.”

“Yeah, but I’m just gathering information. I’m not doing anything like you did for him. I’m not infiltrating a gang. I’m not even wearing a wire. Besides, Supergirl is going to be there too.”

“The danger’s only part of it, Joe, and that ain’t even the worst part,” Leon said hurriedly.

 “What’s worse than danger?”

“Living a lie.” He told his older brother seriously.

Kara’s secret jumped to the front of Cruz’s brain, and he wondered how she did it as he stumbled over his words. “I—I’m not gonna live a lie.”

“You said undercover.”

“As in, I have a cover story.”

“Also known as a lie!”

Cruz sighed. “Come on, Leon-”

“Listen to me!” Cruz froze as his brother raised his voice. “I know what I’m talking about. Whenever Hank Voight asks you to lie for him, that ain’t no small thing. Now y-you gotta maintain that lie. You gotta believe it yourself.”

Leaning forward, Cruz looked his brother in the eyes. “Leon, I’m just trying to do a good thing here, like you did back then.”

“Alright, yo, good, and, like, I hope you do, but just know that there will be other consequences that you won’t see coming,” Leon told him. “You can count on that.”

The following day was bitterly cold, and Cruz wondered if it was the weather or because of the anxiety coursing in his veins as he walked up to his temporary firehouse. It was smaller than he was used to, but he knew he had chosen this and had to live up to the end of his choices.

Walking inside, he spotted a woman working on one of the rigs and moved to her. “Hi, I’m Joe Cruz.”

“What can I do for you, Joe Cruz?”

He held out his coat and helmet. “Guess I’m floating here for a while?”

“Oh, right, new guy.” She didn’t sound excited about it but shook his hand. “Megan Tedesco.”

“Tedesco.” A new voice joined the room. “You see this note from first shift? Charlie said the brakes are getting touchy.”

Tedesco rolled her eyes and ripped the note in half. “Charlie’s a dumbass. He doesn’t know how to feather the pedal.”

The other guy chuckled and finally looked at Cruz. “How’s it going? You riding with us?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah. I’m Joe Cruz.”

“Suggs.” The man shook his hand. “Welcome aboard 66. She ain’t much, but she’s ours.”

Just as he was starting to speak again, a yellow sports car pulled up behind them and revved its engine. Then a man stepped out.

“Oh wow,” Cruz shook his head. “Look at this d-bag.”

Suggs sighed. “That’s Kehoe.”

Cruz was shocked. “This is a firefighter?”

“Uh-huh,” Suggs smirked as the other man walked in.

“Morning, morning!” Kehoe took his glasses off.

Tedesco groaned. “Jeez, Kehoe, do you have to be so loud first thing?”

“Shut up.” Kehoe chuckled and went to hug Suggs. “What’s up, man?”

Suggs pointed at Cruz. “This is Joe Cruz. He’s riding with us today.”

“Oh, what’s up, Joe? Where you coming from?”

Cruz felt awkward just being in the man’s presence. “Hey. Oh, I’m uh, based out of Squad 3 over on Firehouse 51. Love the car. Z51 package, am I right?”

“You know it,” Kehoe told him. “Worth every nickel.”

There was an awkward moment of silence between the two before Kehoe finally spoke again. “Tell me something. How bad does a Squad hotshot have to screw up to land himself on a lowly engine?”

Cruz chuckled nervously. He’d been expecting the question, but Leon's words filled his head when it came time to use his cover story. “Uh, I left a thermal camera behind in an incident, so my chief’s got me carrying my sheets for a while.”

“Better not lose any of my gear.”

Turning in surprise as he didn’t hear anyone else enter, Cruz found another man standing behind him.

“What are you all standing around for?” The man asked them. “Get those regulators inspected.”

“Uh, hey, uh, Lieutenant, I’m Joe Cruz.”

The lieutenant stared at him for a moment. “You too, Cruz, let’s go.”

Suggs, sensing Cruz’s uncertainty, clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t sweat Pierson. As far as lieutenants go, he’s actually a pretty good guy.”

Then he left, and Cruz watched as everyone else got to work. Feeling the insecurities Leon had left in his brain, mixed with the terrible feeling that any of these people could be stealing from lockboxes, Cruz turned as if to glance outside, scanning the skies.

He stopped when he saw a blue arm wave from atop a nearby building and felt better knowing that Kara was watching his back.

Kara sighed as she landed on the driveway of firehouse 51, feeling it crack under the pressure. Wincing as she walked away, she saw Mouch and smiled.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise? What can I do for you, Supergirl?” He acted as if he didn’t know her, but his smile was the same as it was any time he saw her.

“I’m here to see Boden.” She told him with a shrug as they walked in the direction of his office. “He called and said he wanted to talk to me.”

“Does this have anything to do with why Cruz was mysteriously sent to a different house?”

Stopping, she turned and raised a brow. “Cruz was sent to another house?”

He chuckled. “You know to someone who didn’t know you, that might have passed as convincing. But I get it…I’ll let it go. For now.”

“Thanks. Now go before someone sees us together.”

“Okay, okay. Stay safe.” Then he was gone.

Kara laughed as she shook her head. “I’m just going to talk to Boden….”

She knocked on the chief’s door and smiled as he opened it. “You rang?”

“Supergirl, hey, come in.” He shut the door after her. “Please, have a seat.”

“What can I do for you?” She wondered as she sat. “Cruz made it in well this morning. They welcomed him with barely a hint of suspicion. He’ll be fine.”

“Good, good.” He looked lost in thought.

“Chief…are you okay?”

Boden looked up at her now and sighed. “I had an interesting meeting with the fire commissioner again.”

“Oh Rao, what this time?”

His face scrunched in confusion. “Rao?”

“Basically, Krypton’s version of a god.” She waved it away. “What did he want this time?”

“He wants us to pull Cruz after one shift whether he finds out anything or not.”

“But that isn’t what he agreed to.” She said slowly.

“According to him, we will have fulfilled our agreement by just sending Cruz over there,” Boden told her. “He feels as though Voight and the police are using us as pawns in some game.”

“You know that isn’t true, right? At least…not about Voight.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know. I just thought you should know.”

“Well, what did you tell him?”

“That we would play this my way, the way Voight wants it to go down.” He sighed again. “It’s the right thing to do.”

“Thank you.” She told him earnestly. “We will find out who is doing this. I promise.”

“Listen, Kara; I want to find out who is putting people at risk. But…I also have to protect my guys.” The look in his eyes was one of pleading. “Please tell me that you will watch his back.”

“I promise I will,” Kara told him. “He’s my friend. I protect those I care about, and you guys are all included in that. I am reporting back to Voight, too, so he doesn’t have to as much. There’s less risk that way.”

“Thank you.” He grabbed her hand. “Both for taking care of my guys and for everything you do for this city.”

“Hey, it’s my city too. I have to protect it.” She stood. “Did you guys get the watches I sent over?”

He nodded. “Myself, Casey, and Severide all now have matching watches with Mouch. He was thrilled to know that we knew now. Said the secret was killing him.”

At this, she laughed loudly. “He tells me that a lot, but he’s fine. It’s me that has to be careful! Do you know how many times I almost blew it when I started working for Voight?”

“I can’t even begin to imagine.” He smiled.

“Yeah, well, I’ll tell the rest of your guys soon, and then finally everyone will know, and it will be a load off of my shoulders.” She paused after speaking. “By the way, the guys basically know that Cruz is doing some kind of undercover work. Mouch approached me about it. You might want to give them something else to deter them, at least for now.”

He nodded. “Good to know.”

She walked to the door and opened it, wincing as her next thought entered her head. “By the way…I’ll try and land more softly next time. I sort of…cracked your driveway outside.”

Then she ran and listened as he chuckled behind her.

Chapter Text

Boden sighed as he sat across from Voight. It had been a long shift without Cruz there, and everyone was feeling the tension. Now it was time for him to check in, and all they could do was wait.

Finally, the phone rang, and Boden answered on the first ring. “Hey, Joe.”

“Hey, Chief.”

“Sergeant Voight is here too,” Boden told him, knowing that anything he had to say about the man would be stopped.

“Hey, Joe, we safe to talk?” Voight wondered and waited for the reply.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, for…for a minute anyway.”

“Alright, what’s happening over there at 66?”

“Not a lot,” Cruz admitted. “Good house, good people. These guys are born firefighters.”

“You don’t think any of them could be a suspect?” Voight inquired.

“I don’t think so. One guy wasn’t even on shift during the condo break-in, so he couldn’t have passed the key.” Cruz told them. “For a minute, I thought it might have been the lieutenant but just turned out to be some heavy personal stuff.”

“Alright, listen, Joe, you got to remain objective, okay? Just get them to open up alright?”

“Sergeant, this is a total wash, alright? I—I’m betraying good people here.”

Voight was about to speak again when Boden hit the mute button. “Hey…don’t push him.”

The sergeant nodded with a sigh as Boden unmuted his phone. “Look, just hang tight until the end of the shift. We’ll talk about it on the other end. Can you do that?”

Cruz paused. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Cruz hung up the phone and sighed. He knew Voight wanted to catch the dirty firefighter, he did too, but that didn’t mean any of the people in this house were the one they were looking for. Sticking his phone in his pocket, he walked away when a noise sounded inside the engine that had him stopping.

Turning slowly, he looked in the side-view mirror and saw Suggs climbing into the engine from the driver’s side. Then he watched as the man opened the box that held the main lockbox key and stole the small red key from inside.

He’d been wrong, he realized, and contemplated what to do.

Taking his phone out again, he tried his best to hide as he recorded the action. When Suggs left the rig, Cruz watched as he ran out to meet a car on the street and handed them the key. He knew now that Voight had been correct, and he felt a bit bad for saying he was wrong.

Then Suggs turned and made eye contact with him.

Feeling the fear wash over him, Cruz bolted and hid behind the lockers, praying Suggs wouldn’t check on him as he cradled his new watch under his hand. But a moment later, his face came around the corner and stared at him.

“Sup, Suggs?”

The man sighed. “What you doing out here, Cruz?”

Cruz froze. “Nothing. Uh…”

“Cruz!”

Both men turned and stared as a rush of blonde hair filled the room. “Kara?”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” In her civilian clothes, Kara put on her usual act as the bumbling blonde IT girl and smiled at them. “I meant to get here sooner but time got away from me and wow this building isn’t what I thought it would look like. Not that it’s bad! Dammit, I’m rambling again.”

“Cruz…who is this?” Suggs stared at the girl.

Kara smiled. “Kara Halstead. I’m a friend of Cruz’s and I meant to bring him these brownies earlier but like I said…time got away from me. I hope I’m not too late?”

Cruz let out a sigh of relief and smiled. “Nope. You made perfect timing. Kara, this is Suggs.”

“It’s nice to meet you!” She handed the box of brownies to Cruz before shaking Suggs’ hand. “I hope you guys like having Cruz here while you can. He’s a great guy.”

Suggs eyed them both. “Uh-huh. Yeah, he’s a great guy.”

“Listen, Suggs, why don’t you take the brownies back to the rest of the guys. I’ll be back in a few.” Cruz suggested, knowing he needed to talk to Kara.

The other man nodded, suspicious in a new way, and smirked as he left. “Yeah, okay.” Then he walked out, and they heard the muffled shouts of “Guys, Cruz has a secret girlfriend!” before he disappeared.

“Oh, great,” Cruz chuckled nervously. “If that gets out Mouch will kill me.”

“You’re fine.” She told him, running a hand through her blonde hair. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, thanks to you!” He shook his head. “Did you see what I did?”

She nodded. “No, I was at home. But you hit the watch, so here I am.”

“It’s Suggs,” Cruz told her sadly. “He’s the one snatching the key.”

“Yeah, I figured that when I got here and saw you guys.” She sighed. “Did you tell Voight?”

“No, we actually just hung up when this happened. I told him no one here was at fault…”

She put her hand on his arm. “Hey, it’s okay. I can relay the information to him. You want to believe that your brothers and sisters in the department are all amazing people. The good thing is that it’s true at your house. Unfortunately, it’s just not true over here.”

“I feel like such a snitch.”

“I know the feeling.” When he looked at her again, she sighed and leaned against the engine. “The only reason my mother was able to arrest my aunt is because she used me to lure her home.”

“What?”

Kara nodded. “We had these spy beacons we would use. My mother let slip that my aunt had gone, and I couldn’t have that, which she knew, so I called her using mine and when she arrived, my mother showed up and confronted her. Then she sent her away for life.”

“Wow, that’s really harsh.”

Letting out a chuckle, the blonde nodded. “Yeah, something like that. My point is, I know how you feel. You don’t want to have to go against your own, even though you know what they are doing is wrong and could get people hurt.”

“Thanks, Kara.”

“For what?”

“Well, for starters, for walking in here and saving me just now.” He smirked. “But for real, what you do every day…I thought Supergirl probably had it made but I’m seeing now that you are struggling just as much as the rest of us.”

“More, probably, if we’re being honest.” She shrugged. “I appreciate the thanks but it’s what I’m destined to do. I just wish some people could see it that way like you do.”

“They will.” He promised. “Now, I’d leave if I were you. If we spend any more time out here, they’ll think we’re sleeping together and whether he knows it’s a lie or not, Mouch will still kill me.”

“I can handle Mouch, Cruz.” She smiled. “But if you’re sure, then I should probably get this information back to the unit. Stay safe, okay?”

He nodded. “With you around? I don’t think I have anything to worry about.”

“So, this Suggs character is the one who is stealing the keys?” Jay asked.

Kara shook her head as she sat in her desk chair. “No, he’s just supplying the main key. According to Cruz, Suggs climbed into the rig just after he spoke to Voight and stole it. Then a car came by, and some guys picked it up.”

“Is Cruz doing alright over there?” Hailey asked her. “You were there pretty late.”

“He hit his watch.” Everyone looked up at her statement. “Yeah, I told him and yeah, he was in trouble. I think Suggs caught him watching and he got spooked. It was a good thing he hit it though because Suggs was nearly on top of him when I got there.”

“It was good that you went,” Voight told her. “Cruz isn’t my biggest fan, and he needs someone in his corner he can trust.”

“I told him I’d keep watch so I’m going to at least put in a few hours over there.” She told them. “I can’t let him get hurt and I don’t know what Suggs will do now.”

“Call us if you need us, you understand?” The sergeant told her. “I don’t want this getting out of hand.”

“Don’t worry, he’s just a firefighter with a bad habit of stealing keys. He can’t hurt me.”

“Just say you understand, and we’ll lay off, alright?” Jay scolded. “We know you’ll do whatever you want anyway, but we need the reassurance.”

Rolling her eyes, she turned to leave. “Yes, Dad.”

“Ugh, gross, don’t call me that.”

Chapter Text

Cruz sighed as he packed his bag. The previous shift had been rough, especially with his encounter with Suggs, and he just wanted to see some friendly and familiar faces again. It wasn’t until he was putting the last of his items in his bag that he realized he’d dropped his phone on the apparatus floor the night before and started to get worried.

He knew he needed to get to it before Suggs found it, but with everyone leaving he couldn’t stall anymore. Saying his goodbyes to everyone else, he hurried out of the room and tried to act like everything was normal.

Having Suggs leaving right behind him pushed his panic up further.

Knowing it was risky, Cruz walked past the cabinet he’d stood by the night before and reached for his phone. Unfortunately, Suggs was on him in an instant.

“Hey, what are you doing?” He asked suspiciously. “What is that? What you got there?”

Holding up his phone, Cruz stayed silent, hoping to get out of the encounter relatively unscathed.

“What the hell’s your phone doing out here?”

Cruz opened his mouth to say he dropped it while talking to Kara but sighed instead. “What happened, Suggs?”

Suggs hesitated. “What happened with what?”

“That key’s been gone all night,” Cruz told him, not caring about blowing his cover anymore.

“What are you talking about?” The look in Suggs’ eyes was panicked.

“I saw you, Suggs. I watched you pass that lockbox key to someone. But it should be back by now, right? Third shift might need that key.”

“You didn’t see a damn thing,” Suggs told him. “You were too busy eyeing up that pretty blonde that came in here.”

Cruz scoffed. “You know I totally discounted you because you weren’t even on shift during the last robbery? But you just worked first shift instead, right? Passed that key off the night before the robbery?”

“Cruz, I don’t know what you think you saw-”

“I know what I saw.”

Both men went silent for a moment.

“I wish I hadn’t,” Cruz admitted.

Suggs sighed. “Did you record me?” The look on the other man’s face told him he had. “Cruz, you can’t do this to me. I’m not a bad guy.”

“Sorry.” Cruz shrugged, feeling bad but also knowing what he needed to do.

Then Suggs grabbed one of the tools they use on the job and brandished it like a bat. “Look, I don’t want to do this, Cruz, but I need that phone. Give me the phone. Now, Cruz!”

“What are you going to do? You going to take it away from me?”

“Give me the phone.” Then he started to swing the instrument.

“Hey, whoa! What are you doing, Suggs?” Cruz asked him, his voice growing louder. “What, you’re just giving away your key for burglaries, man? For what, for cash?”

Cruz knew this was the exact situation he had his new watch for and knew he should contact Kara—hell, he’d called her for a lot less the night before—but he also wanted to see what Suggs would tell him without Supergirl around.

“No, no, it’s not like that,” Suggs told him, his grip going lax on the weapon.

“Okay, alright, then tell me what it’s like. Explain it to me, please.”

Suggs panted with the effort it took to almost hurt his fellow fireman as he stared Cruz down. Then he sighed. “I can still fix it.”

“Suggs, I-”

“Please!” Suggs dropped the weapon and shouted the word. “I’ll get the key back. Just give me more time.”

“Suggs, I-I-”

“I’ll make it right!”

Then Suggs was gone, running like his life depended on it.

“Last person I would have suspected,” Cruz told Voight, Kara, Jay, Severide, Casey, and Boden as they watched his video. “The guy’s solid.”

“Except he tried to hurt you,” Kara told him, crossing her arms. “I wish you would have called me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“He’s clearly handing his key off.” Severide interrupted. “He’s probably not even participating in the burglaries himself. There’s got to be a reason he’s doing this.”

“Key’s still out there,” Cruz told them all. “I think Suggs is trying to get it back.”

Jay sighed. “Cruz, did you get a plate on this car?”

He shook his head. “No, sorry.”

“Alright.” Jay looked at Voight and his sister. “I’ll run make and model, have OEMC forward any calls of suspicious activity in the zone of the burglaries to us. We’ll be in front of the next one.”

Voight nodded. “Alright, good, get an emergency ping order on Suggs’ phone—let’s bring him in fast.”

“I can do a fly-over,” Kara suggested. “I might be able to find them or even possibly Suggs.”

“You’re arresting a Chicago firefighter for using CFD property in a string of burglaries.” Casey shook his head in disbelief as Jay left.

“Yes, and I’d like to have that firefighter in cuffs before news travels through your department,” Voight responded.

“I spent time with Suggs and he’s not some hardened criminal, he’s a good guy,” Cruz told them. “He just…he seemed in over his head.”

“Alright, Joe, we hear you.” Voight nodded. “Listen, as soon as we have him, I’ll talk to him. Appreciate it, Joe.”

Voight patted him on the shoulder before leaving. Cruz turned to Kara when she didn’t immediately follow him.

She shrugged. “I know you’re upset about this. But you have to know that what he’s doing isn’t okay. I’m sorry, guys.”

Then she too was gone.

“You look like hell.”

Kara stared at Winn as he passed her a coffee cup. “Gee, thanks.”

“First of all, you know you don’t look any different than any other day, so clearly I was kidding. Second, I just mean you look troubled.”

She nodded as they walked back towards the district. “It’s this case.”

“The one about the firefighter?”

She nodded, having filled him in the night before after having to leave game night to help Cruz. “He was on the run, trying to fix what he did according to Cruz.”

“You feel bad about arresting a firefighter, don’t you?”

“He’s dead, Winn.” They both stopped walking. “Jay and the others found him a few hours ago.”

“Oh damn.” Winn sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“Dammit, if only Cruz would have activated his watch this morning, this wouldn’t have happened. I could have brought him in, and he’d still be alive.”

“Kara, you know that might not have been true. This still could have happened; you just might have delayed it.”

The blonde groaned as they continued walking. “I know. I just can’t help but think that I could have stopped it.”

“You just don’t like fighting between friends, which you know might happen now,” Winn told her insightfully. “That is what is really bothering you.”

She nodded. “You’re right. I am afraid of that. I don’t want our group to break. We’re better when we’re all on the same page.”

“Hey…it’s going to be okay.”

“Thanks, Winn.” She smiled as her cell phone rang. “Hey, Jay, what’s up?” She paused. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Go get ‘em, Supergirl.” Winn chuckled as he took her coffee back and covered her as she ran into the alley, disappearing a second later.

Kara bit her lip as she followed Jay and Kevin into Firehouse 66. They knew they had to interview Suggs’ friends and family and hoped that Supergirl’s presence would make everyone a bit more helpful.

Spotting Cruz talking with Casey, Kara geared up for the fight she knew was coming.

“What are you doing here?” He asked them, astonished that they would come at this time.

“We’re here to talk to Suggs’ wife, we got a couple questions for her,” Jay informed him.

Cruz was about to argue when Casey shook his head and sighed. “She’s over here.”

As they walked, Casey kept speaking. “CPD’s chaplain detail just left. Thank you for sending them.”

“Of course,” Kevin told him, removing his hat out of respect.

“66 Lieutenant’s offered to take her home, but I don’t think she wanted to bring the kids back to the house yet.” He supplied and Kara nodded.

“That’s my cue to go find them and give you guys time to talk.” She shrugged. “Maybe it will help a little.”

Casey nodded. “I’m sure it would. Thanks.”

“Of course.” Then she broke away from the group.

Ten minutes later, she was happily speaking and playing with the kids when everyone turned in response to a female voice yelling from the next room. “Get out! I want you out!”

Standing, she followed Cruz into the room. “Cruz-”

“I think it’s time for you guys to go.” He told them and looked at Kara. “You, too.”

“We’re just trying to do our job, Joe,” Jay told him before turning and following Kevin out the door.

“Hey, I get that you’re upset, but you know we need to do this if we’re going to find out what happened.” She told Cruz, her voice low and dangerous. “Listen, you’re my friend, so I am saying this as nicely as possible: cool it.”

“No, you-”

“No, you listen.” She interrupted him. “I saw him nearly on top of you, remember? You were so worried for your safety you called me. I know you want to be respectful, but keep that in mind. We all have jobs to do. Let us do ours.”

Seeing that he wasn’t going to say anything, she turned and stormed out, her red cape blowing behind her.

Chapter Text

“Why does a good man, a man who all the papers say is clean, go and do something like this?” Jay wondered aloud to Hailey as they exited their car to check on an alarm trip in the burglary zone.

She shrugged. “You got me. I looked at the financials myself; it’s not like he was in desperate need for money.”

“Yeah…I just hope this gets resolved soon. I don’t like this bad blood going around.”

Walking into the building, Hailey spotted the doorman and sighed. “Afternoon. We got a call that the burglary alarm was tripped.”

“Yeah, the thing was just installed; been tripping all week. You guys were already here.”

“Patrol went up in the building?” Jay asked him, and the guy shook his head.

“No, there was no need. It’s been silent all day.”

Jay sighed. “Silent or not, we gotta clear the place.”

The doorman shrugged. “Alright, it’s your time to waste. The alarm tripped first floor and penthouse.”

Jay looked at Hailey. “You wanna take one, and I’ll take the penthouse?”

“Yeah.”

Jay stood in the elevator and keyed his radio to let dispatch know that they would need help clearing the building. Then the doors opened, and he was instantly shoved backward.

“Yo, Po-po!”

Hitting the elevator's back wall, Jay grabbed his gun and keyed his radio again. “50-21 George, armed burglary in progress. Wearing dark clothing, got white shoes on. He’s got a black mask.”

He swore as he tried to reach the other elevator, but it closed in his face. “Son of a bitch.”

Then he turned his radio on again. “He’s headed down the elevator. Hailey, he’s headed to you!”

“Copy that.”

“And somebody get me Supergirl!” He yelled into the radio again before going to the penthouse.

When he got there, he found another person in the condo and identified himself as police before radioing back to dispatch that he had an armed offender with him.

“Put your hands up, back away slow!” He told the kid, but the kid held up a hand as he continued pressing on the man’s chest.

“But if I back away, he’s gonna die!”

Jay noticed the gun in the kid’s waistband and had to make a split-second decision. “He won't, okay? I’ll take over. But I need you to put your hands up and back away!”

Making a rash decision, Jay moved on the kid, who ran away and pressed himself against the pantry doors as Jay held his gun on him with one hand and continued chest compressions with his other.

“Get on the damn ground!”

The kid looked terrified. “I’m sorry, we were never supposed to hurt anybody! He-he-he got scared, and then he collapsed, and he hit his head, okay? I’m sorry.”

“Kid, do not run!”

The boy looked torn on what to do but ultimately took off out the door. Sighing, Jay signaled into his radio that the boy had fled and that they should let Hailey know and get an ambulance to their location.

Then he saw movement at the door and raised his gun again.

“Jay, it’s me! Don’t shoot!”

He lowered his gun and continued applying pressure as his sister ran into the room and dropped to his side. “Let me take over. You help Hailey.”

She took over compressions as he sat back, and Hailey’s voice was heard. “Jay, we’re coming in!”

“Alright. The apartment’s not clear yet.”

“Yes, it is,” Kara told them as she quickly swept her eyes over every inch of the place. “I repeat, the apartment is clear!”

Then Brett and Foster entered behind her and looked at Jay. “How long?”

“Five minutes. Someone was administering before us. I got reason to believe he hit his head before he went into arrest.”

Kara kept applying pressure to the man’s chest until Foster knelt beside her and nodded. “I got you.”

They instantly switched positions as Brett put pads on his chest, and Kara stood to face the two detectives.

“You good?” Jay asked Hailey.

“Yeah, you?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She sighed. “Both offenders are in the wind. Security guy said he saw a green Camry flee the south entrance, no plates.”

He shook his head and looked at them. “He’s just a kid. It’s crazy!”

The machine started to beep, and Brett called clear so Foster could back away before she shocked the man. A moment later, they heard a heartbeat, and Brett nodded. “We got a pulse. Let’s move. Put a C-collar on him; keep his head steady.”

Jay immediately moved down to help them, and Foster looked impressed. “You got a makeshift C-collar. That’s smart.”

Jay nodded. “Yeah, it was. Wasn’t us who made it.”

Kara’s eyebrows shot up as she looked at Hailey, who looked just as shocked as she was.

“Well, I got nothing.” Kara sighed. “Not a single nexus so far. I’ve combed through every family member Suggs had. Nephew, cousin, sibling, child. No one matching that age range.”

Jay turned away from the board where he’d been looking at their compiled information. “We’re still thinking these kids are our lead suspect in Suggs’ murder?”

Voight shrugged. “We’ve seen killers younger than 15. They are the ones Suggs gave the keys to.”

“Yeah, but I caught these guys in the middle of a burglary, and they were panicked; they were terrified.” He gestured to the sketch of the kid he saw. “This one, he’s armed, never reached for his gun, and I don’t think he ever thought to.”

Ruzek nodded. “Well, adrenaline and fear leave little for thought, you know?”

“Yeah, but it does leave instinct, and his instinct was to save a man’s life. He-he was doing CPR.”

“He had to have learned that somewhere,” Kim said quickly. “The Chicago Fire Department, they have a program like the Police Explorers for at-risk youth. I bet you Suggs was volunteering there. That is going to explain their connection.”

Kara stood next to Jay and Antonio in Voight’s office as they gave him information on the teen they’d identified. “Aidan West, 15 years old, lives in Aldrich Gardens, same project that Suggs grew up in. Doesn’t have a ton of family; he lives with his great aunt.”

“He plugged in?” Antonio asked as he looked at the sheet on the kid.

Jay sighed. “I mean, it looks like loosely with the G Park Lords. He’s got a couple gang cards filled out; got one prior; he got popped slinging a nickel bag of weed.

“That’s a huge graduation to homicide, Sarge, but yeah, this is the kid, I’m sure of it.”

“I pulled his cell records.” Kara jumped in. “His cell pinged in the vicinity of the past six burglaries, and the night Suggs was killed, Aidan’s phone pinged a tower within a mile of the crime scene.”

“Okay, just step light,” Voight told them. “I don’t want any of you coming out of the Gardens today with a story or a scar.”

Kara watched from the other side of the glass with Hailey and Antonio as Jay and Voight interrogated Aidan. She was dressed as Supergirl—in case anyone came in or if she was needed—and waited as they asked the kid questions.

“You understand why you’re here, right?” Voight asked him, and the kid nodded. “Then you know you’re in some trouble. What we want to know now is…what happened to the man you were working with?”

As Voight showed him the pictures of Suggs’ body at the crime scene, the kid tensed and sobbed quietly. “Are these real?”

Voight nodded. “Yeah, they’re real. What happened, Aidan?”

“It’s all my fault.” He whispered, and Kara furrowed her brows as Voight spoke again.

“Did you kill him? ‘Cause I think Suggs was handing you and the other kid a key. You’d drive up, he’d hand it off…but when you went to give it back, something went wrong. He told you he wasn’t gonna do it anymore.”

Aidan shook his head. “You’re wrong about it all.”

“Okay, what’s right?”

He wiped his nose on his sleeve. “Suggs didn’t do nothing wrong; it was all me. He never gave me a key; I stole it.”

“So, you stole a key off of him multiple times?” The kid nodded. “Aidan, I know that’s not true.”

“It is.” He insisted. “It is; it’s what I’m saying. I-I want to write it down or sign it or whatever I have to…a confession? I can do that, right?”

“Mm-hmm.” Voight crossed his arms.

“That’s what I want to do.” He said. “I don’t want a lawyer or a phone call or whatever; I just want to write my confession down and sign it off. I stole the key, I did the burglary, it was all me, not Suggs.”

Jay stared at him. “Sarge, can I talk to you in the hallway?”

As everyone filed out into the hallway, Kara slipped past and went into the interrogation room with Aidan. She wasn’t planning on disrupting their investigation, but she wanted to make sure the kid was okay.

“Hey, Aidan.” She said quietly so as not to spook him. “Are you okay?”

He blinked up at her in shock. “Are…are you really Supergirl?”

She nodded. “I am really Supergirl.”

“That’s really cool.” He told her. “You do a lot of good for this city.”

“I try to.” She sat next to him. “That’s just what we’re trying to do here, too. We want to get to the bottom of this, but we can’t do that if you don’t cooperate with us.”

He was silent for a second. “What will happen to my family?”

“We can make sure your family stays safe no matter what.” She sighed. “And don’t you think they’d want you to do the right thing?”

He looked down at the ground and went silent.

Chapter Text

“If we go back in there, that kid is going to incriminate himself,” Jay argued, and Antonio shrugged.

“Or confess.”

“Falsely.”

“Come on; you can’t know that.”

Jay shook his head. “He’s not a killer. I don’t think any of them are.”

“Okay, look, Aidan’s phone puts him in the area, and we recovered a 9mm on him.” Antonio pointed out.

“I don’t think he’s capable of pulling a trigger,” Jay told him. “I saw something you didn’t see; you gotta trust me.”

“I agree with Jay,” Kara spoke up. “I mean, I sat with the kid, and he thanked me for what I do for the city. Then he asked about his family and spoke about his ambitions…this isn’t a kid who just murdered somebody.”

Voight sighed. “What we know for sure is the kid’s lying. Suggs was willingly handing off that key. The question is, why? And, who’s the kid working with?”

“Sarge, we’re close to something,” Kevin said from his place next to Kara’s desk. “We did a crosscheck of all the boys in the Garden who’ve been popped in the last two years—15 and under--and a Chris Howard kicks out. He lives on the same block as Aidan, and there’s a green Toyota Camry registered to his aunt’s name.”

“That’s the same make and model seen at the last burglary.” Kara supplied, giving her brother a shrug.

“Okay, so is it just a feeling?” Voight asked her brother.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay, so let’s talk to this Chris. Do it someplace quiet, off the record; no one writes anything down.” He looked at Jay. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

“You guys do that.” Kara grabbed her purse. “I have an errand I need to run. As always…”

“We know,” Hailey smirked. “You can hack from anywhere.”

“You know it.” Kara smiled and left the room.

Kara walked into Firehouse 51 and bit her lip as she looked around for a familiar face. She found it in Boden, who saw her coming and met her at the door.

“Miss Halstead. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

She fidgeted with her glasses and sighed. “Is everyone here?”

“Yeah, they’re getting ready for dinner. Is everything okay? Is it Cruz?” He asked quickly, and she shook her head and looked up at him carefully. “Oh. Are you sure? Because you don’t have to do this.”

She nodded. “I know. But I’ve kept it from them long enough, and they deserve to know.”

“Well, then, follow me.” He said and led her to the kitchen/break room. “Everyone, listen up.”

Everyone grew quiet as they looked at Boden, and Kara saw the confusion on some of their faces. She figured that was to be expected as any official police comments would come from Voight or the team, so they were probably wondering what she was doing there.

“Kara here has something to tell you, and I expect you all to be respectful and listen to her without complaint.” He turned to her. “The floor is yours.”

She took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you anything about Suggs’ case or what we’ve found. That’s not why I’m here. I am here to tell you that you can trust us to find the truth.”

“Listen, we know you’re trying to back up your brother, but that’s just what we’re trying to do, too,” Otis told her as he finished cooking the dish he had prepared. “How can you know everything is okay when all you do is sit behind a desk?”

“Otis!” Casey reprimanded, and Kara glared at him. “That’s enough.”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Why does everyone think I can’t do anything because I’m just a computer nerd?”

Then, looking around the room, her eyes landed on a pan of lasagna that was cooling on the counter, and let a cocky look fall on her face.

Mouch, sitting on his couch, slid down a bit and held the paper over his head.

“What are you doing, Mouch?” Capp asked him.

He winced. “Protecting myself.”

“From what?”

Immediately Kara took off her glasses and used her heat vision on the lasagna, causing it to blow up and splatter all over the counter, floor, ceiling, Mouch’s paper, and Otis.

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” Mouch mumbled, and she shrugged.

“I would help you guys clean that up, but all I do is sit behind a desk.”

Mouch looked at her with pride as Herrmann shook his head. “What is it with you Halsteads, always trying to one-up people?”

She smiled. “It’s just in our nature, I suppose. Although I can’t blame this on Halstead genes because I obviously don’t have them.”

“Wait, so you were adopted?” Brett asked carefully.

Kara nodded. “When I was twelve. My home planet, Krypton, had been destroyed, and I got stuck in the Phantom Zone for twenty years. When I finally landed here, my cousin was already Superman, and he dropped me off at the Halsteads to live an everyday life with someone who understood my powers. Our mom, Eliza, helped him control his once, so it was an easy choice.

“But I’m not telling you this out of any type of duty or responsibility. I’m telling you because I trust you all with this secret. I’m trusting you to keep my secret. I want you guys to know that we are working to try and protect the CFD from any and all harm when it comes to this case. So, I’m trusting you, and I’m asking you to trust me.”

They were silent for a moment before Herrmann spoke again. “Mouch, you knew about this?”

The man shrugged. “Well, yeah, she’s like my daughter. She told me a while ago. Trudy knew before I did.”

“She told me, Cruz, Casey, and Boden, too,” Severide spoke up. “And she’s right: this secret needs to stay a secret if we want her around helping us like she has.”

“I will always be around if you guys need me. I’m sorry that it took me so long to tell you, but I had to be very, very careful with who I told. You guys are the last to know, so now everyone in our makeshift family knows. But please, keep my secret.”

“Anyone here found telling her secret to any unauthorized person will face harsh reprimand,” Boden told them all.

“You don’t have to like me or accept me, but it isn’t your secret to tell.” She added. “I will stay away from here if it bothers anyone, but I really am here to help.”

“Wait, so you just help Intelligence with their cases as an alien CI?” Otis wondered as he wiped pasta sauce from his face.

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, we deal with more than just human affairs now, and I am not the only alien out there.”

“You mean that scary lady who fought you that day at Med,” Herrmann mentioned.

Kara nodded solemnly. “She’s my aunt, actually, and very dangerous.”

“Will she come after us for knowing your secret?” Brett questioned, and the other blonde got a determined look on her face.

“I won’t let her.” She said protectively. “I have special watches that Winn has made for everyone that wants one. It looks like a regular watch, but it has a hidden button where you can contact me, and I’ll know you need my help. Mouch can show you how to use it once I have Winn send them over.

“If you ever come in contact with my aunt or any other alien, you press that button immediately, you hear me? I won’t have my family being hurt because of me.”

“I hope you know this doesn’t mean you get free drinks or anything.” Herrmann teased again. “You’re a hero just like any of the rest of us, and you’re not getting special treatment in my bar.”

This time she smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Especially since I could drink you guys under the table and not even break a sweat.”

“You can’t get drunk?” Severide butted in. “That’s no fun!”

“Tell me about it.”

Chapter Text

“Vyshonne Kamen, he’s an enforcer for the G Park Lords,” Jay said as he hung up the man’s picture. “It’s his job to keep kids in line. He’s known for ’20, no cover’. If a kid steps out, they get 20 minutes of a beating. South Homicide’s picked up two sixteen-year-olds beaten to death in the past six months.”

“Rao,” Kara said quietly. “That’s terrible.”

“This is the guy we saw in the Gardens.” Jay continued, nodding at his sister’s words.

Hailey crossed her arms over her chest. “Aidan and Chris got plugged in with Kamen when they were nine. Ran dime bags, but between nine and fifteen, you gotta grow up, and neither of those kids are hard.”

“Right, they wanted out.” Jay supplied. “Aidan said Suggs understood, and he offered to help them.”

“So, he gave them a lockbox key?” Kim questioned.

Voight sighed. “At first, Suggs went to Kamen, tried to talk to him, got shut down. Then he went back and offered him money, that’s the $3,000. Kamen told him that the price tag was a hundred grand. Then Kamen threatened Suggs, Suggs’ kids, the boys….”

“Wrong thing for the right reasons,” Ruzek said.

Jay nodded again. “Right, so we’re guessing that Kamen found out about the key, and he saw a much bigger payday, then Suggs wanted out, Kamen killed him, took the key from the kids.”

Hailey shook her head. “Alright, well, he’s gotta be at the Gardens.”

“Yeah, but we can’t pick him up.” Voight pointed out.

“What do you mean?”

He looked at Jay, who shrugged. “All we have is a conversation that’s supposed to be off the record.”

“So, put it on record.” She told them.

“Look, even if we got it on the record, brought Kamen in, had enough to charge murder, we still don’t have proof of coercion, and the word of two fifteen-year-old boys with priors who are guilty of seven burglaries is not going to go far with the D.A.” Voight told everyone.

Kara’s phone rang halfway through his speech, and she hung up when he finished. “Um, that was Med. The guy from the burglary died about half an hour ago.”

“Kids are looking at felony murder.” Antonio joined in, and Jay put his hands out helplessly.

“What’s the move now?” Atwater asked.

Voight thought for a second. “The truth. We tell the kids exactly what we have. Look, we trusted him; let’s see if the kid trusts us.”

“I’ll go too.” Kara piped up. “It might be good to have a nicer face there while you tell them. He seemed to trust me when I spoke with him.”

Voight nodded. “That’s fine by me.”

Kara stood back as Jay and Hailey did all the talking. When they were done, the boys looked spooked.

“Felony murder?” Aidan’s voice cracked.

Hailey sighed. “If someone dies during a crime, the perpetrators of that crime are responsible for that person’s death.”

“So…we’re going to jail for life?” The other boy asked.

“Unless we can convince an ASA of coercion,” Jay told them. “If we can get the truth of what happened, why you guys were doing the burglaries, why Suggs was helping you.”

“Yeah, but you can’t prove why, can you?” Aidan asked, and Kara felt her heart break.

“No, but we picked you up outside the Gardens. No witnesses that we know of.” Jay supplied. “We’re hoping Kamen doesn’t know you’re here yet. He still has the key, and he thinks you guys are gonna keep on doing work for him. So, one of you could wear a wire.”

“Hell no!” The other boy told them.

Hailey nodded. “We’re not gonna force you.”

“Then, no way.” He told them before looking at Kara. “Can’t you do some alien thing to get it out of him? Can you like…read his mind or something?”

Kara sighed. “Unfortunately, that isn’t my race that does that.”

Jay gave her a weird look. “Wait, what?”

She shrugged. “That’s Martians and a discussion for a different day.”

Then Aidan sat forward and looked at his friend. “Man, I’m the reason Kamen even knows about the key.” Then he looked to Kara, Jay, and Hailey. “He didn’t understand how we were racking in so much cash, so I mouthed off to him. I didn’t even think he heard me.”

He stood. “I’ll do it.” Then he hesitated.

“What’s up, Aidan? If you’re gonna do this, you gotta be all in.” Jay told him.

He nodded. “It’s just….” He looked at Kara. “Will you be there, too?”

She gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I will be.”

“Okay, then, where do we start?”

Kara sat on a rooftop, watching Aidan enter the building where he would be meeting with Kamen.

“Alright, Aidan’s inside. Now everybody, stay back. No one gets any closer.” Voight said through their comms. “Kev, you good?”

“I’m good. Kid looks a little nervous, though.”

Kara figured that was normal and hoped he could keep his cool while they set Kamen up.

“Just remember, keep your back turned. Kamen’s gonna walk in and walk right back out if he sees you’re not from the neighborhood.”

“Supergirl, you in position?”

Hearing her brother’s voice, she sighed. “I’m in position. I can see and hear everything.”

“Good. You let us know if anything looks like it’s going sideways.”

“Will do.”

“We got eyes from the South.” Kim’s voice nearly overlapped with hers. “There’s a silver Yukon pulling up, same vehicle we saw at Aldrich Gardens.”

Then the comms beeped again, and Antonio’s voice filtered through. “Got a positive. Kamen’s on sight. Black jacket, jeans.”

“Copy that,” Voight responded. “Okay, we’re up. Remember, we got one chance here.”

Kara took a deep, steadying breath and let it out slowly. She wasn’t afraid to admit that she was nervous for the kid and prayed to Rao that this situation went according to plan. Then she watched as Kamen walked inside and stopped a few feet from Aidan’s table.

“Why am I hearing you’re looking for me?”

“I got a location I think that looks good….”

“Hey, hey, hey, man, don’t talk like that in here,” Kamen told him. “You ain’t getting nothing to eat?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Stupid place to meet me, then.” Kara watched as Kamen walked over to the table.

“Yo, I just wanna work,” Aidan said quietly.

Kamen shrugged. “You wanna work, you’ll work.”

“But then I’ll be good, though, right? Look, we said 100K and then….”

“100K and what? You get an exit?”

“Well, we said that-that….”

“Oh, boy.” Kamen shook his head and sat down at the table with Aidan. “Oh, man, Suggs really did a number on you, man…messed your head all up.

“Guy picks out a building, gives you a plan, tells you apartment number, a time, even has a little key, huh? It’s a damn fairy tale.

“And after, y’all both gonna be good, right? All good? It don’t work like that, shorty. Ain’t no more outs. Look, Suggs ain’t protecting you no more, okay?”

“You killed him, didn’t you?”

“Damn right, I killed him.” Kamen leaned forward. “I take care of problems, and that’s what he was, shorty. He was a problem.”

Aidan looked around and sighed. “You killed him?”

Kara saw Kamen’s body tense and immediately grabbed her radio. “Guys, Kamen’s getting itchy. I think he knows.”

Immediately, Kamen stood and grabbed Aidan, sending him to the ground. Kevin pulled his gun and announced himself as CPD as the team prepared to enter the building. Then Kara watched as Kevin grabbed him off Aidan, and they fought.

Seeing that Kamen was choking Kevin, Kara flew off her rooftop and into the diner. Grabbing Kamen by the back of his coat, she pinned him against a table as he tried to swing on her but had no effect.

Then Voight and Jay moved in, and the sergeant joined her by Kamen, holding a gun to his face. “You think I won’t?”

Kara watched as Voight stared at him for a minute before Kevin moved in and cuffed him. Then she followed Jay and Aidan out of the diner, hoping this would all be over soon.

Chapter Text

Kara sat at her desk and listened to the interrogation happening down the hall. She watched as Trudy left the viewing room after talking to Jay and saw Hailey enter after her. Changing her hearing, she focused on their conversation instead of the interrogation.

“You get anything yet?”

Jay sighed. “No, he knows better than to talk.”

“Yeah…” She nodded. “Ballistics came back on Aidan’s gun—not a match. You were right to trust your instincts.”

There was silence for a moment before Jay spoke again. “Why’d you back me? You let me talk Aidan down when, probably, it didn’t make sense to.”

“I…you looked at me. With Aidan, you looked at me, and I got it. I trusted you. I’ve trusted you from the day I met you, and if I was gonna follow someone blind, I’d follow you.”

Shortly after, Hailey left the room, and Kara quickly focused on her computer, typing up paperwork for the case. She said goodnight to Hailey and watched as the woman left before letting a smile fall onto her face.

Soon after, Jay entered the bullpen and glared at her. “What has you so happy?”

She shrugged. “Nothing.”

“You eavesdropped on our conversation, didn’t you?” He asked. “That is a complete violation of our privacy.”

“Oh, you’re just upset because I now know you both like each other.” She grinned. “I knew it!”

“You know nothing.” He told her as he grabbed his coat. “Now come on, we have an errand to run.”

“And I have to go with you why?”

“Because you annoyed me, so now, I’m annoying you.”

“Ugh, fine. But where are we going anyway?”

“So, Suggs was planning the burglaries with them?” Cruz asked as Kara and Jay walked with him down the hallway of Firehouse 51.

“I think he thought he was protecting them,” Jay said quietly. “Just making sure no one got hurt.”

“Right, but that’s a detail that won’t matter much.” Cruz sighed as they walked towards the break room.

“Hey, why is there lasagna on the ceiling?” Jay asked as they passed the room and moved towards Boden’s office.

Cruz snorted. “You can blame your sister for that one. She blew up our dinner.”

“Kar…”

The blonde shrugged her blue shoulders. “I had to prove it somehow, and Otis pissed me off….”

“Look, Joe…”

Cruz held up a hand. “Jay, I get it. We all do. We won’t say anything.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded. “Hey, um…you sure you want to do this?” He gestured towards the office where Boden was talking with Suggs’ wife. “Boden and I got her here, but she wasn’t too happy to talk to you. I can’t blame her. She’s gonna give you a hard time.”

Jay nodded. “Yeah, that’s okay. We wanted to…bring the collection from 21 for her and Suggs’ kids and…I want to tell her that he was exactly who she thought he was.”

Cruz nodded and led them to the office, shutting the door as they spoke.

“Wait, so let me get this straight.” Natalie laughed over her drink. “You blew up a whole lasagna because of Otis?”

Kara nodded as Foster and Brett laughed. “Oh, yeah. He told me all I did was sit behind a desk, and I obviously couldn’t have that, and it was the closest thing I could think of to show them my powers.”

“Mouch was smart to hide himself behind his paper.” Foster nodded. “That shit got everywhere.”

Kara winced. “Yeah, I kind of feel bad about it now, even though it was funny.”

“Don’t,” Brett told her. “It was hilarious, and he deserved it. Boden made him clean it up all by himself because of his comment.”

Behind the bar, Stella leaned over. “What I don’t get is how none of us figured it out.”

The blonde shrugged. “I mean, I lived with Will and Jay for two nearly decades, and they never once figured it out. Which is insane because I almost blew it so many times.”

“So, the glasses and the hair really work?” Stella wondered, and Kara nodded.

“Yeah, it helps to keep my image ‘invisible.’ Everyone just sees a nerdy IT girl who wears sweaters and glasses and doesn’t think twice about her being normal.” She shrugged again. “Besides, it’s worked for my cousin all these years; it better work for me.”

As Kara took a sip of her beer, Foster’s eyes narrowed. “Does that even do anything to you?”

“Nope.” Kara laughed. “Nat, this is why I wasn’t drunk that first night when Will puked blue all over the bathroom.”

“Oh God, don’t remind me.” She shuddered. “That took forever to clean up.”

“So, no alcohol affects you?” Brett wondered.

Kara shook her head. “Nope. It’s a curse, really, as I’d love to get drunk every now and then after a hard case.”

“Oh, I am determined to find one that does it for you,” Stella smiled.

Kara held up her hands and laughed. “Hey, anyone that can find me an alcohol that gets me drunk, I will fully make out with. You can quote me on that.”

“Oh, we will,” Stella told her, already thinking of possible contests they could hold to mix alcohol and get Kara a guy. “Maybe some cute guy will come along and find you one.”

Kara snorted. “I doubt that very much, but a girl can dream.”

As they left the bar a little while later, Brett, Foster, and Natalie watched as Kara made her way into the alley and then disappeared into the sky.

“That is so cool.” Foster shook her head.

“I can’t believe we know Supergirl,” Brett said, still watching the sky even though Kara was long gone.

Natalie laughed. “You get used to it really fast.”

Kara sighed as she landed on her balcony and let herself into her apartment. It had been a long few days, and she was happy to have had a girl’s night with some of her friends.

Walking further inside, she passed the couch when she saw a strange sludge on the ground in front of her. Kneeling, she touched it and nearly gagged at the feeling of it on her fingers.

Then some dropped on her shoulder, and she groaned, moving to get a towel to wipe it away. “What the hell?”

From across the room, her cell phone rang, and she walked over to answer it. But then she heard a noise and stopped, looking at the ceiling.

The last thing she saw was a plant-looking thing flying at her before everything darkened.

Chapter Text

Jay walked up the steps to Intelligence and saw Hailey beat him there. As he set his stuff down at his desk, he looked around with a frown. Usually, his sister was there before him as she typically flew to work, but today she was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey, have you seen my sister yet?” Jay asked his partner. “I’ve got a question for her.”

The blonde shook her head. “Not that I’ve seen, but she could be in the bunker.”

“What’s in the bunker?” Kim asked as she walked up the back steps.

Jay sighed. “Hopefully, my sister.”

Kim shook her head. “Nope, not in the bunker. I was looking for her, too.”

“Dude, this solar storm has knocked out all our comms, but our radios are still working,” Antonio said as he walked in. “Can Kara find where it’s coming from?”

“All the systems are down in the bunker,” Kim told them. “Have you heard from Kara? We’ve been looking for her.”

He shook his head. “Nope, not since I’ve been here.”

Jay looked worried and tried his phone. “Dammit. The storm is interfering with my phone.”

“Has anyone seen Kara? We need to figure out these storms and get our comms back online before something happens.” Voight said as he ascended the stairs.

“No one can get ahold of her, Sarge.” Jay looked at him in worry. “I called her last night, and she didn’t answer, and now she doesn’t show up for work on a day that she’d know we’d need her expertise? Something doesn’t feel right.”

Voight studied the man. “Alright, you and Hailey go to her place and see if she’s there. Hopefully, she just overslept. If not, call it in.”

It was bright when Kara finally opened her eyes and found her vision blurry. Blinking her eyes, she tried to clear away some of the fog that had entered her brain.

“How are you feeling, Kara?”

Her mind opened a little at the sound of the electronic woman’s voice before she paused.

“Reflexes are normal.”

“What are you?”

“I am Kelex. Your medical attendant.”

“Where am I?” Now Kara was starting to panic. This was not her apartment.

“Your confusion will abate as your temperature stabilizes.” Kelex flew towards her. “Would you care to dress?”

Looking at the garment at the end of her bed, Kara’s heart stopped. “This was my mother’s tunic.” She grabbed it in her hands and stared down at it. “She used to wear it when she would put me to bed at night.”

Narrowing her eyes, Kara’s gaze shot up to the robot. “Where did you get this?”

“I gave it to you.”

“Mom?” Kara froze. “How could you be here?”

Walking over to her, Alura shook her head. “I stayed home every day while you recovered from the Argo fever.”

“This can’t be real.” Kara breathed out as she stood. “You died with the rest of Krypton.”

“Oh, sweet, Kara….” Alura dropped slightly to her daughter’s height and grabbed her hands. “You must have had terrible hallucinations from the fever. But it’s over now. You’re awake. You’re safe.” Her mother hugged her. “You’re home.”

Finally, taking an honest look at her surroundings, Kara’s jaw dropped in shock. Walking away from her mother, she looked out the large picture window and saw something she never thought she would see again.

Krypton. She really was home.

“Oh, my Rao…I’m on Krypton.”

Jay’s brows furrowed as they rounded the corner to Kara’s apartment and saw who was standing there. “Winn? What are you doing here this early?”

The man sighed. “I left my CatCo badge here the other day, and I can’t get into work without it. Now, if Kara would just answer the door so I could grab it, that would be great.”

“No one’s been able to get ahold of her all morning,” Hailey told him as Jay looked even more worried. “She never showed up for work.”

“That’s weird…according to Find My Friends, she’s inside there.” Winn pointed to her door. “Or at least she was before the solar storm started.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense because-”

“Hey, shh. Listen.” Hailey told them and pressed her ear to the door.

Inside, she heard a weird slopping noise and looked at Jay. “Something’s in there.”

They both pulled out their guns, and Winn stood behind them as Jay lifted his leg and kicked the door in. Running inside, Jay nearly dropped to his knees as he saw his sister lying on the floor, a parasite of some sort gripping her body.

“Don’t touch her,” Hailey warned Winn, who had gone to her other side, before keying her radio. “50-21 Henry, roll the ambo from Firehouse 51 to my location.”

Then she switched over to Intelligence’s channel. “Sarge, this is Upton. Supergirl is down. I repeat, Supergirl is down. Send someone to Med to get Will and meet us back at the district.”

“Copy that, Upton.”

Brett and Foster hurried as they entered Kara’s apartment. Seeing the sight in front of them, they looked at the detectives. “What do we got?”

Hailey saw that Jay was too upset to speak, so she addressed them. “Thanks for coming; we needed someone we could trust.

“We found her like this. Whatever this parasite is, it is gripping her body tightly. Don’t touch it, though; we don’t know what it is yet.”

They nodded and made their way over to the girl. As Winn moved aside, Brett knelt beside Jay. “Hey, Jay? We need to help your sister, okay? Can you move so we can do that?”

“I…I don’t…”

“Jay.” Hailey grabbed his shoulder and made him stand so they could move away from the paramedics. “I’ve already called it in, and everyone will be waiting for us at the district. You need to keep your head during this because when Kara wakes up—and she will wake up—we want to be able to tell her you helped solve this, okay?”

“You’re right; I’m just….” He stared at his sister while Brett stuck an oxygen mask on her face. “This isn’t supposed to happen to her, Hailey. She’s supposed to stop these sorts of things.”

“It could have happened to anyone. At least now we can do something about it.” She told him. “She’s going to be okay. I promise.”

They watched as Brett and Foster carefully got her onto the gurney before Jay stepped forward. “I’m riding with you.”

They nodded. “Are we going to Med or the district?”

“Take her to 21,” Hailey said quickly. “Winn can ride with me, and we’ll meet you guys there.”

Jay followed them to the ambulance and climbed in with Brett as Foster drove. Sitting next to his sister, he stared at her face and prayed to God that somehow, somehow, she would return to them.

Chapter Text

The doors to the Roundup opened, and everyone watched as the ambulance backed in. Winn and Hailey had beat them back there, so the shorter man stood next to Will as they watched Jay climb out of the vehicle and help Brett get the gurney out.

“What the hell is that?” Ruzek asked as they saw the parasite for the first time.

Jay shrugged. “We found her like this.”

“Whatever it is, it’s gripping her torso with over one hundred pounds of pressure,” Brett told them. “But without the proper equipment, we haven’t been able to run any tests.”

“We have the equipment,” Voight said quickly.

“I can help run the tests,” Will said immediately.

Voight looked at him. “You sure you’re up for that, Doc?”

“She’s my little sister. I’m doing it.” The redhead challenged, and Voight nodded.

“Okay. Let’s get her in the bunker.”

“So, tell me again what happened,” Voight said to Hailey and Jay as they watched Will and the paramedics run tests on Kara.

Hailey sighed. “We got to her apartment, and Winn said she wasn’t answering the door. I heard some noises coming from inside, and Jay busted down the door. When we got inside, she was unconscious with that thing on top of her.”

“I mean…she’s breathing. That has to mean something, right?” Jay asked, his gaze never leaving his sister.

“I’m sure it does, Jay,” Voight told him. “You just need to keep your head so you can be there when she wakes up.”

“Let’s see what they’ve found so far,” Hailey suggested, and everyone gathered around the trio helping Kara. “What’s her condition?”

Will sighed. “She’s unresponsive to outside stimuli, but her brain activity is still normal.”

“It’s like her body is unaware that anything is wrong.” Foster supplied.

“What the hell is that thing?” Voight asked his team, and Antonio sighed.

“We have no idea.” He admitted. “And with the solar storm knocking out our systems, we can’t-”

Suddenly, the computers started making noise, and the screens showed their regular information. Turning, everyone looked at Winn, who shrugged.

“I figured you’d need them up and running, so I just pressed a few buttons.” He winced. “Should I not have done that?”

“Good job.” Voight nodded. “Do you think you could find out where the solar storm is coming from before Non uses it to his advantage?”

Winn pointed to himself in shock before nodding. “Have you considered that this is exactly what Non and Astra want? I mean, he could be using our own technology against us.”

“That’s an interesting theory, Mr. Schott. Check it out and see if you’re right. The system is yours.” Then Voight turned to his team. “The rest of you, see if you can’t find out what this thing is so we can get it off of her.”

“The humans remain unaware of our plans.” Non told Astra. “The solar storm is wreaking havoc on their satellite system. We will be ready the moment their network goes down.”

“You forget my niece.” The general responded. “She has proven to be a willful opponent.”

“She will not be a problem.”

Astra looked at her husband warily. “What have you done, Non? I gave orders for her to remain unharmed.”

He faced her. “And I obeyed them to the letter. Kara Zor-El is at peace, which is more than she deserves. She has everything her heart desires.”

“You used a Black Mercy on her?”

“If it were up to me, she’d be dead.” He told her. “Astra, the time has come for us to implement the next phase of Myriad. This was the only way.”

“There is always another way.” She said quickly.

“Your sister thought that. Look what it got her.”

Will and Winn stood back as Kevin and Kim set up a device over Kara’s body. It was a large claw-looking thing big enough to pull the organism off her. They hoped it would work because they couldn’t find any information about this being or what it was doing to her.

“The claw is made of a titanium alloy,” Kim told the guys. “We just need to pull it off slow and steady.”

“Claw is secure,” Kevin told her. “Let’s do this.”

They got it about three inches off her when the machines started beeping, and Kara started to seize.

“What’s going on?” Jay asked frantically as the rest of the team watched.

“Her heart rate is spiking,” Will told them. “Brain waves are off the charts.”

“Increase the power,” Voight said quickly, yelling over the beeping sound. “Pull it off her!”

Kim hesitated but did as he said. Then the beeping turned to one long tone, and the woman shook her head. “She’s crashing. I’m stopping it.”

The team moved closer as Will checked her vitals, and Voight sighed. “What the hell happened here?”

“It’s a symbiotic defense.” Antonio guessed. “If we pull that thing off by force, it’ll kill Kara.”

Brett and Foster walked back into Firehouse 51 with grim faces. As they entered the break room, Casey looked up and frowned.

“What’s got you guys so upset?” He wondered. “Was it the call you just went on?”

Looking at her partner, Brett sighed. “It was Kara.”

Now everyone stopped what they were doing, and Mouch stood. “What was Kara?”

The blonde bit her lip. “There was some organism gripping her torso when we got there. We took her back to Intelligence’s bunker, but she was unconscious the whole time.”

Mouch instantly hurried out of the room, and Herrmann looked at the girls. “Is she gonna be okay?”

“Honestly?” Foster shrugged. “The thing was gripping her with over one hundred pounds of pressure. So…it didn’t look good.”

Then Herrmann left the room as everyone contemplated what that meant.

Chapter Text

Herrmann sighed as he looked around the firehouse for his friend. When he found him in the bunk room, the man approached him and sat beside him on his bed. “Mouch…”

The other man looked like he’d been crying but cleared his throat. “It’s fine. She’s going to be fine.”

“Buddy, you don’t have to put on a brave face for me,” Herrmann told him and saw that he was holding a picture of himself and Kara. “I know you better than that.”

At his words, Mouch’s face crumpled. “She’s like my daughter, Herrmann. I mean, Trudy and I don’t have kids, but if we ever did, it would be Kara. Other than Trudy, she means everything to me.”

“I get it, Mouch.” Herrmann nodded and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “She’s your little girl.”

“You know, ever since finding out about her powers, I haven’t had to worry so much about her. But now…how do I know she’ll be okay up against other aliens? I never thought about the fact that they could have the same powers as her or even worse ones. How do I go on if she’s not okay after this?”

“Buddy…you have to believe that she’ll be okay,” Herrmann said quietly. “Kara is literally the strongest person we know. If anyone can fight this thing, it’s her.”

“I know, but…Trudy says it’s really bad. The parasite has her locked up tight, and they can’t remove it from her without killing her.”

Herrmann’s heart dropped, and he sighed again. “Come on; I’ll take you over to the district.”

Mouch shook his head. “No, that’s okay. Trudy said she’d keep me updated. Besides, if I show up there, people will start to figure out who she is. She won’t like that when she wakes up.”

Herrmann nodded. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

Mouch looked up at him with tears in his eyes. “Stay with me for a little bit?”

“Of course, brother.”

Walking around in a panic, Kara shook her head. “This can’t be happening. I have to get out of here.”

“Kara, please calm down,” Alura told her daughter.

“I don’t have my powers.” The blonde said fearfully. “Whatever’s behind this is mimicking the effects of Krypton’s sun.”

“We are on Krypton,” Alura assured her.

“What? No, someone is manipulating me by using my memories against me.” She said hurriedly and walked away from her mother.

Then she stopped suddenly in her tracks. A small statue with wings stood in front of her on a small ledge across the room.

“Do you see that?” Kara asked quietly. “I made it for my father when I was eight. I even remember getting upset I couldn’t get the wings right.”

“And then he told you it was perfect.” Alura reminded her. “And that he loved it, and you, with all his heart.”

“He made me feel so proud.” Kara held the statue in her hands. “And so happy. Like he always did.”

“See?” Alura chuckled. “You do remember.”

Looking up, Kara set the statue down so that she could turn to her mother. “But I also remember saying goodbye to you on that launch bay and promising to take care of Kal-El. And hugging you so tight, never wanting to let go.

“I’ve fantasized about all of this every day since I left. I don’t know how this is happening, but I’m going to find out. And when I do, I’m going home.”

While the team worked to find a way to free Kara, her brothers sat with her body. They watched her chest rise and fall beneath the organism before Jay sighed.

“Do you remember the day she came to live with us?”

Will chuckled and nodded. “I remember being so confused because Mom and dad never told us they were trying to adopt.”

“Yeah, we were asking so many questions, and there she was, not knowing what was going on.”

“Do you remember we had the baseball game on?” Will asked and smiled. “She hid behind the couch because she thought the ball was going to come out and hit her.”

“I always just assumed it was because her foster homes didn’t let her watch television.” Jay shrugged, then he frowned. “We have to get her back, Will. We have to.”

“We’re going to.” He told his younger brother. “She’s coming back to us.”

“Good. Because I can’t lose her too.”

“I don’t understand,” Kara said as she paced her room. “Something has to be causing this.”

“Kara, nothing is wrong.” Her mother told her in a soothing voice. “I told you. You are safe at home.”

“This is not my home. My home is back on….” She paused as her brain tried to find the right word. “Back on…Earth!”

“Earth is thousands of lightyears away,” Alura told her. “And why would I ever send you to that primitive planet?”

Breathing heavily, Kara turned and ran to the doorway. Escaping into the hall, she hurried down the long corridor, searching for any way out of this dream. She was stopped as two people stepped in front of her.

“Kara.”

Tilting her head, Kara’s eyes went wide. “Father?”

Looking at both of her parents, she shook her head and closed her eyes. “No. No, this cannot be real. This is not real. This is not real.”

She repeated this mantra in her head as she ran back to her room but stopped as suddenly as she entered. Her parents stood before her, though it seemed impossible as they had just been behind her.

“It’s the fever again.” Her father said sadly.

Kara froze as she stared at a spot on the floor. “I remember playing right there. And I made this crack….” She hurried to the dresser. “…when I tripped chasing after Aunt Astra.”

“Yet even after you fell, you got right back up again. Nothing can keep you down.”

Kara was confused as she watched her aunt walk into the room. “But…but how are you here?”

Chuckling, Astra put her hands on her niece’s shoulders. “I live here! Where else would I be?”

“No…you were sent to prison,” Kara told her. “You left when I was young. You can’t be here.”

“Kara, calm down. Why would we ever send your aunt to prison?” Her father asked her. “She is part of our family, and all of our family is right here.”

“No, I was just with my family last night on…on….” She paused again. “Why can’t I remember?”

“All nightmares end the longer we are awake,” Alura told her.

“No, wait…I still…I feel it,” Kara told them, shaking her head. “I have glimpses of…flying.”

“We only fly in our dreams, Kara.” Astra smiled.

“I have friends there who need me,” Kara said quietly. “Family…”

“Kara…”

Turning, Kara saw a young boy holding an old toy she had played with as a girl. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him.

“Kal-El.”

Walking over to him, he handed her the toy and looked up at her. “Do you remember how to open it?”

“Yeah.” She chuckled and spun it a few times until it opened to reveal a holographic galaxy.

“Look, Kara,” Kal-El told her. “There’s Krypton. Isn’t it beautiful?”

With tears in her eyes, Kara watched it float around her. “It’s so beautiful.”

Then she lost herself in the image as her memories faded.

Jay had his hands on his hips as he faced Alura’s hologram. After sitting with Kara and Will for a while, he felt like he needed to do something, and the only thing he could think of was to talk to another alien that might help.

“That creature wasn’t a prisoner on Fort Rozz.” He told her. “But do you have a planet of origin? Is it sentient?”

“I am sorry. I do not have sufficient information regarding this species.”

“Kara is in trouble.” He said forcefully. “And nothing I am doing is working.”

“I do not have sufficient data regarding this species….”

“Dammit! Kara is relying on me!” He yelled. “She has always relied on me. Ever since you sent her here.

“I’m sure you had hoped that she would find people that would take care of her, who would love her like she was their own. I did. I only wish I had been a better brother to her when she first got here. I can’t…I can’t even imagine it now.

“I used to resent her for coming into my home. For following me around at school. Some strange girl who didn’t know how to fit in. For embarrassing me in front of my friends.

“But all Kara wanted was a family. And that’s what she is to me. She is my sister. And she needs me now, more than ever. So, please. Tell me how to help my little sister!”

“I do not have sufficient information regarding this species.”

Jay let his eyes close as he felt tears fill them. Turning, he punched the wall and left a hole that he knew would need to be fixed, but he didn’t care right now. Exiting the room, he saw Hailey looking at him with sympathy.

“Jay…she’s just a hologram.” She reminded him. “She can’t know everything.”

“I know.” He nodded and took a deep breath. “You guys find anything?”

She shook her head. “Not yet.”

“Okay.” He sighed. “Listen, I’m gonna go back to her apartment and see if I can find anything.”

“I’ll grab my coat.”

He shook his head and brushed her off. “No, I’m gonna go alone. I need to clear my head.”

Then he was gone, and Hailey watched him go, a sad expression on her face.

Chapter Text

Jay looked down at the picture he was holding and sighed. It was a picture taken on Kara’s graduation day, and it showed all three siblings smiling widely as they held each other. She looked young and vulnerable in the photo compared to the confident and strong woman he saw daily.

Then he caught sight of something moving behind him and froze as he saw Astra’s reflection in the mirror. Dropping the picture so the glass shattered on the floor, he grabbed his gun as he turned, and shot at her multiple times while advancing on her.

But the general was ready for the reaction and sped to him, knocking the gun from his hands, grabbing him by the throat, and choking him. “I came here to help Kara, not fight.”

Then she let him go, and Jay’s breaths came out in pants. “You tried to kill her before. Why should I trust you now?”

“Kara saved me from a death without honor,” Astra told him. “As a fellow soldier, I expect you understand the meaning of that.”

Jay took a few deep breaths and nodded, relaxing his posture a little.

Taking that to mean he was open to listening, Astra continued. “Kara has been attacked by a telepathic parasite known as the Black Mercy.”

“It has her in some kind of coma. Her brain waves are still active. It’s like…as if she’s awake.”

“The Black Mercy has her trapped in lifelike hallucinations. Her perfect fantasy life.” Astra said. “One that grows more and more real with each passing moment.”

Jay’s heart started beating faster than ever before. “How do I wake her out of it?”

Astra shook her head. “Kara must reject the fantasy herself.”

His heart fell into his stomach, and he felt like he would be sick. “But if she doesn’t know it isn’t real, how can she reject it?”

“I can tell you how to help her,” Astra said insistently. “But you have to trust me.”

“Last time I trusted you, six police officers died.”

Astra went to speak again when she caught sight of a photo and did a double-take. It was another picture of the three siblings from when they were younger, and they all wore silly faces.

“I knew there was more to you and my niece.”

Jay sighed. “She’s my sister.”

“If she is your sister and I am her aunt, what does that make us?”

Jay snorted. “Nothing.”

Astra looked at him sadly. “Do not allow your hatred for me to blind you now. Are you ready to listen? Or not?”

Walking back into the bunker, Jay flagged down Winn. “Hey, quick question. You’re always tinkering with things.”

“That’s not a question, but yes, I am.”

“Do you think you could find some scrap pieces from what we have here and make me a VR headset?”

“I mean, it depends on what you have here, but yeah, I could probably do that.”

“Why?” Will asked, coming up behind his brother. “What did you do?”

“What happened?” Hailey asked as she came into the bunker with everyone else. “Why does Will look like he’s going to rip your head off?”

Jay sighed. “I talked with Astra. She told me how to help Kara.”

“You what?”

Jay held his hands up. “Now, listen. This thing is called a Black Mercy. It has her trapped in hallucinations that are so lifelike that she doesn’t know they aren’t real. If we try to do anything to get it off her, she dies. But if we can go inside her fantasy and get her to reject it herself, the thing will come off of her.”

“And you know all this based on what some psychotic alien general told you,” Will said. “Come on, man; you have to know she’s lying to you.”

“But she’s not!” Jay argued. “I could tell by the look on her face. I’m doing this, and you can’t stop me.”

“There is no way you are doing this,” Voight told him. “This is way too risky.”

“It’s the only way we can stop the Black Mercy,” Jay told him. “Winn can modify our virtual reality tech so that I can enter into Kara’s mind and convince her to reject the hallucination.”

“Unless Astra’s playing you.”

“Hang on, why is it you that’s going?” Will asked, and Jay sighed.

“Dude, you have a new wife and kid to consider.” He told his brother. “You can’t risk that.”

“Have any of you considered what would happen to Kara if you do this?” Ruzek wondered.

Winn nodded. “You’re basically yanking her out of heaven. I mean, that’s gonna be slightly traumatic.”

“Jay has considered it,” Hailey told them. “Which is why he came here to ask you about it.”

“Okay,” Voight told them. “Get the tech ready, and we’ll do it. Halstead, my office.”

Jay shut the door behind him as he entered Voight’s office. “Listen, I know what you’re going to say-”

“Are you sure about this?”

Jay stopped. “I definitely thought you were going to try and talk me out of this.”

“Jay, I know how much family means to you. I know how much your sister means to you. I just want to make sure you’ve thought this through and that you’re absolutely sure about this.”

Sitting down across from his sergeant, Jay sighed. “You know, I was horrible to her when she first came to live with us?”

Voight didn’t speak, letting Jay get out everything he needed to while he could.

“I didn’t want a sister. I thought, ‘They’re too much work’ and ‘She’ll take up all the attention.’ I didn’t understand why my parents were suddenly adopting her. It was like she was just dropped off there, which obviously now makes sense.

“We started to get closer, but then my mom got sick, and everything went to shit. I was overseas and came back, but things were different between us. We didn’t talk for a while. Then I went back. When I got home, I was all messed up, and Mouse helped me out. I didn’t even tell Kara or Will I was back.

“She came into a bar with Winn one day, and there I was, drunk off my ass, and we argued. She was so angry because I’d stopped answering her calls and didn’t tell her I was home. It was really bad. Mouse was coming to pick me up, and even though we’d fought, even though I screamed at her, she helped him get me home.

“We still didn’t talk for a bit after that, and that’s on both of us. Me because I was messed up still, and Kara because she was pissed at me. But then we made up, and we’ve been close again ever since. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have Will or Kara, Sarge. I just…I don’t….”

He looked up now, and his eyes were red. Voight leaned forward and nodded. “I’ll ask you again, just for confirmation. Are you sure about this?”

“I have to. I cannot live in a world where Kara isn’t in it. I can’t…I won’t. Not ever again.”

Astra stood in front of her army and smiled. “We will hit the targets simultaneously.”

“Timing is of the essence.” Non supplied. “The packages must be deployed before the humans have a chance to uncover our plan.”

“This is what we fought so hard for back on Krypton,” Astra told them. “Now is our chance to finish the job. Ready your men.”

As her soldiers filed out of the room, Non walked up next to her. “Where were you earlier?”

“You dare question me?”

“We are on the verge of launching our campaign against the humans, and you disappear without explanation. So yes, I dare question you.”

Astra smiled with malice behind her expression. “Then ask me.”

He sighed. “Is your heart in this war?”

She looked annoyed. “Once Myriad is complete, humanity will be brought to its knees, and this planet will be saved.”

Non nodded and looked down. “I was afraid you went to the humans because of what I did to your niece. Forgive me for questioning your loyalty.”

As he walked away, Astra thought about the fact that she did just that. She could never let Non know what she did. She only hoped Kara stayed unconscious long enough for their plan to be put into action.

The team, plus Will and Winn, stood around the bunker as Winn finished working on the VR headsets that had been provided to them. Jay and Will were getting anxious for their sister to wake up, but they knew that Winn was working as fast and as carefully as he could and didn’t bother him more than a few times.

When it all became too much for Jay, he tapped Antonio on the arm and gestured for him to exit the room with him. When they made it outside where no one could hear them, Antonio looked at him in confusion.

“What’s going on?” He asked, furrowing his brow.

Jay sighed. “I need a favor.”

“Name it.”

“I know my brother, and I know Voight. If they think I’m in trouble when I’m plugged into that thing, they’re gonna pull me out, whether I’ve saved Kara or not.”

“Okay, so what do you want me to do?”

“I need you to stop them. I either come back with Kara, or I don’t come back at all.”

Antonio went to respond with something against that but saw the look on Jay’s face and nodded. “Okay. But come back to us, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I’m coming home, and so is Kara. I just need time to make it happen.”

Antonio nodded, and they walked back into the room just as Winn looked up at them. “The helmet should instantly connect you to Kara’s consciousness. That will allow you to experience whatever’s going on in Kara’s head in real-time.”

“Remember, you have to get Kara to reject this fantasy herself,” Voight told Jay as the detective sat on another gurney they had dragged out.

As Winn placed the device on his friend’s head, Will leaned down toward Kara. “Come back to us, Kara. We need you.”

Looking up at Winn, Jay sighed. “Is this going to work?”

Winn helped him lay down as he shrugged. “Don’t know.”

Then he pressed a button, and Jay woke up gasping for air. “Kara!”

Panting, he took in his surroundings and felt his heart beat a little faster at the realization of where he was and what she was picturing.

“Oh my God, I’m on Krypton.”

Chapter Text

Walking through the halls of his palace, Jay used his military and police training to point him in the right direction. He was starting to worry about his ability to find her when he heard voices in a room near him.

“Kara was a natural in court today,” Alura told her family. “Kal-El, you would have been so proud of your cousin.”

“I noticed your mother and I were not the only ones who came to watch you today.” Zor-El teased.

“Del-Or seems like a very nice young man.” Alura smiled.

“Boy.” Zor-El corrected protectively. “And yes, I like him very much. Clearly, Kara does too, or she would not be spending so much of her free time with him.”

“Father!” Kara chuckled.

Seeing Kara sitting with her mother and the others, Jay hurried into the room. “Kara…”

The group all stood together as one, and Kara stepped forward. “Who are you?”

“It’s me, Jay.” He said when she looked confused. “Your brother.”

“I have no brother.”

The pang that hit Jay’s heart nearly shattered him, but he pressed on. “Kara, you’re suffering from the effects of a creature called the Black Mercy. It’s created this illusion to incapacitate you back on Earth.”

“Earth?” Kara was confused.

“It’s where you’ve been since you were twelve years old.” He told her. “I’ve come to take you home.”

“I am home.” Kara turned to look at her mother.

Then, in a surprise attack, she grabbed the statue she had made from the dresser and swung it back to hit him in the head. Taking the blow, he felt his vision go out and fell to the floor, unconscious.

In the bunker, everything was quiet until the machines suddenly started to beep rapidly. As everyone jumped up, Winn fiddled with the wires.

“We’re losing him,” Voight told him. “Pull him out now!”

“We can’t,” Antonio told him honestly.

“Why not?” Will ordered. “He’s going to die if we leave him in there.”

“If we pull him out now, we lose Kara!” Antonio raised his voice in return.

“We will find another way!” Hailey insisted.

Voight stepped forward to pull the helmet off of him, but Antonio stuck his hand out. “He asked me to stop you.”

“What?” He was stunned.

“He knew that you guys would react this way if things went bad. So, he asked me because he wants to save Kara.” The detective explained.

“You think we don’t want that?” Will asked him.

“I know you do…we all do.” The older man said quickly. “But if you pull him out before he has a chance to save her, he will never look at you the same way again. You know that.”

The redhead paused. “I can’t lose him.”

“And you won’t.” Antonio insisted. “Because Jay is a lot like Kara. He always finds a way. You just have to trust him.”

Blinking open his eyes, Jay tried to remember what happened. His head hurt, and the room's bright lights did nothing to help with that. Looking up, it all came rushing back to him.

He had come to save Kara, and she had knocked him out. She was so far into her fantasy she didn’t remember him, and now he was handcuffed in front of what looked like a courtroom full of people. Kara stood only a few feet from him, her eyes dark and un-Kara-like.

“The High Council has rendered our verdict on the alien spy,” Alura said aloud. “We impose the maximum penalty. Banishment to the Phantom Zone.”

Now Jay was desperate and rushed forward, only to be caught by two guards. “Kara, if they take me away, you and I will be trapped here until the Black Mercy kills us.”

“Do not listen to him,” Zor-El told his daughter. “Once he is gone, we’ll be happy. Like we were before he came here.”

“Why do you think they’re trying to silence me?” Jay pleaded with her. “It’s because they’re afraid of what I have to say.”

“He’s trying to confuse you with lies,” Alura told her.

“No! I am trying to remind you of the truth.” Jay told her and gave in to the sobbing as he struggled against the guards. “Life isn’t perfect. I know it can be hard, and it can be lonely, especially for you. You have sacrificed, and you have lost so much. I wish you could’ve had a life with your family. But even if you did, Kara, it wouldn’t be this. Because this isn’t real. And deep down, Kara…deep down, you know it.”

The room started to rumble as he spoke and fought the guards as hard as he could, but he trained his eyes on his sister. “I can’t promise you a life without pain and loss because pain is a part of life. It’s what makes us who we are. It’s what makes you a hero.”

Finally, taking over, he took down the guards holding him and ran forward, only to be caught by Kara’s father. “You fight every day to keep people from struggling like you have. I know you can remember, please…if you try…please try Kara. Because Earth needs Supergirl.”

“Supergirl?” Kara whispered as she walked forward.

“Yes, remember that life. With Winn and Will, Trudy and Mouch, Natalie and Owen, the team, everyone at Med and 51.” He could see the light seep slightly into her eyes now.

“Your friends need you. The world needs Supergirl.” They wrestled with him and finally managed to get him on a platform to send him away. Letting himself sob, he looked at his sister. “And I need my sister!”

Kara looked up in shock as the glass started breaking, and everything crashed around them.

“Kara, I can’t choose this for you. You have to choose it yourself.” He cried. “But whatever you choose, you will always, always, be my sister.”

Zor-El turned to his daughter, a look of fear on his face as she spoke. “I wish…I want so much for all of this to be true…to stay here with you.

“But this isn’t real.”

Walking forward to Jay, she was stopped by her mother. “No!”

“You taught me to be so strong…and I am.” She told her. “Thank you. Krypton will be in my heart forever.

“But Jay is right…” She smiled. “My brother is right. I have to go.”

The room shook, and their bodies shook with it. Kara looked at her mother. “I love you.”

“Oh, Kara…” Alura said through tears. Then she hugged her, and her eyes turned black. “We will never let you leave.”

The room shook, breaking them apart. Steadying herself against the floor where she had landed, Kara crawled forward to get closer to her brother. “Jay!”

“I got you…I got you.”

They reached their hands out for each other as the room got brighter, and suddenly Jay felt the familiar jerk of the machine, and he was waking up on the metal table in his lab.

“Jay, thank God.” Hailey rushed forward and helped him sit, placing the helmet on the desk behind them.

Instantly, he jumped from the table and rushed to his sister’s side. Seeing that she was still attached to the Black Mercy, he turned to her. “You pulled me out? How could you?” Then he turned on Antonio. “I told you to stop them!”

“I did!” Antonio told him.

Jay jumped forward but was grabbed by Ruzek and Atwater. “She was about to choose us! She was about to come home!”

“Jay…”

“Why did you pull me out?” He yelled at them.

“We didn’t!” Hailey roared back.

“Then how did I come back?” He yelled again, tears in his eyes.

He knew in the back of his mind that he would care about that emotional display later, but at the moment, he wasn’t even thinking about it.

“Because you did it,” Will told him breathlessly. “You did it. You convinced her.”

Turning, everyone looked at Kara and watched as the creature slowly slithered off her body. It slid to the floor, and everyone gave it a wide berth.

“Someone get that thing and lock it up,” Voight said quickly, not taking his eyes off it as it slithered from the room.

Kara flinched and tore the oxygen mask off of her face.

Jumping forward, Will grabbed her as she sat up. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re back. I’ve got you.”

Sighing, Jay looked relieved as he stood in front of her. He finally let his shoulders drop and rubbed his eyes to clear them of tears.

“You okay?” Will asked her quietly, as the Kryptonian hadn’t yet spoken.

The look on her face broke everyone’s heart. This was not the carefree and spunky Kara they knew. This Kara was cold and distant and angry. She looked brave and strong and broken…all at once.

“Kara, are you okay?” Jay asked her as she stared at the floor.

Pushing herself off the table, Kara blinked the tears from her eyes as she turned to face them. “Who did this to me?”

Her voice was low and threatening.

Jay sighed. “Non.”

“Where is he?”

Chapter Text

Astra approached her satellite location quickly and opened the door to the cables that would link to her device. Just as she was about to stick it in there, however, bullets came flying at her, causing her to drop the box she was holding.

Growling, she turned and shot her heat vision at Voight and Jay causing them to jump away from it.

“I don’t want to fight you, Astra.” Jay told her.

Astra sneered. “I helped save my niece out of a sense of duty, which does not extend to you.”

“That’s not why you helped her.” He spoke. “You love her. That’s how I know your heart isn’t in this war anymore.”

She sped to him and grabbed him around the throat. “You know nothing of me.”

“I know that you’ve had plenty of chances to kill me. And to kill Kara.” He choked out. “But you haven’t. Because you don’t want to. Give it up, Astra. Help us.”

Immediately, more gunshots were heard as Voight advanced on the duo. He saw Astra let go of Jay and spin around but was punched in the gut before he could say anything. He threw his fists at the alien woman, but they all bounced off her like nothing had happened. Then she grabbed him by the neck and held a dagger to his throat.

“Fear not, sergeant. You will die a soldier’s death.”

Voight’s brows went up in surprise just as a glowing green blade was shoved through Astra’s chest. The woman gasped as she felt the pain and shock of what had just happened and fell to the ground as Jay pulled the blade out again.

Voight hovered over her and gave Jay a look, who seemed to suddenly understand just what he’d done as he took in a deep breath.

Non hurried to the satellite sight with his device, knowing that every second counted in this mission. Just as he was uploading the device to the satellite, he heard a rush of wind and was knocked away by Kara. They went rolling along the ground before Kara recovered and grabbed him, holding him by the throat.

“Do you have any idea what you did to me?” She punched Non in the face with all the force she could muster. “You made me lose them again! My parents! My whole world!”

She threw multiple punches in rapid succession and grabbed him by the throat again, causing him to choke. “And you think that I’m gonna let you take this world away from me, too?”

She lifted him off the ground and held him by the collar of his suit. “You think I’m going to let you hurt them like you hurt me? Never!”

She threw a few more punches before lifting him from the ground and throwing him through the air, watching as he hit the satellite and bounced onto the ground.

Immediately, the employees that worked at the plant came outside to see what was happening and Kara panicked. “Stay back!”

Using this distraction against her, Non sped at her and she shoved him away, so they were facing each other.

“You stupid girl.” He told her. “Have you any idea what you’re doing?”

“Yes,” She nodded. “I’m stopping you.”

He bared his teeth at her. “Your mother believe she could, but she failed.”

“I won’t.” Kara flew into the air and sent a punch that had Non rolling on the ground again. “Because I’ve known pain. But I’ve also known love. And the people here are my family.

“I may have been born on Krypton, but I choose Earth. And I will protect it until my last breath.”

Then she punched him again and he looked up at her as he rose to his feet. “You have the hubris of the great House of El, which blinds you to the truth.

“Humanity is a disease. Myriad is the cure.” He teased. “You are getting better, Kara Zor-El. But I will not be dying today.”

He turned and shot his heat vision at the satellite behind him so that it started to fall to the ground. She watched as he sped away as fast as he could before flying up to catch the big device on her shoulder. She was just settling it back into place when she heard Jay’s voice in her comms.

“Kara, get over here now. It’s Astra.”

Kara flew as fast as she could and when she finally made it to where Voight, Jay, and her aunt were, her knees nearly gave out. “What happened?”

Astra laid on the ground, her arms crossed over her chest as she gasped for breath.

Jay hurried to his sister. “There was a fight. And…”

Seeing Jay’s hesitation, Voight stepped forward. “I killed her. I’m sorry but I could see no other way.”

Kara stared at him for a moment before Jay started talking again. “Kara, she doesn’t have long.”

As the blonde ran over to her aunt, Jay looked at Voight, who raised his hand in a gesture telling him to stay silent. Jay knew they would talk about it later, but he was still confused by what his sergeant had done for him.

Then they were distracted by Kara and Astra’s discussion as she laid there dying.

“Hello, little one.” Astra gasped. “I’m so happy to see your brother was able to bring you back.”

Kara dropped to her knees next to her and felt her lip quiver. “Astra, I have to tell you, when I was under the Black Mercy, you were there.”

“As your enemy.”

Kara shook her head, a sob ripping through her mouth. “As my family.”

“Kara…” Astra put her hands on her niece’s face and cried. “Kara, listen to me. Non cannot be stopped. If you stand in his way, he will kill you and those you love.”

“He said something about, um, Myriad.” Kara said quickly. “Tell me, tell me what it is before it’s too late. Please.”

“It already is, little one.” Astra’s body immediately fell to the ground as she died, and Kara let a sob rip from her throat.

“No!” Holding her aunt’s body Kara sobbed as Voight and Jay looked on.

Then, blue lights started to fall around them signaling the advance of Kryptonian soldiers and Jay reached his hand back for his sister. “Kara. Kara, we have to go. Now!”

“Go!” Voight yelled and Kara stood, taking one last look at her aunt, before running after them.

Non walked quickly to Astra’s side and took in the sight of his dead wife. Trying to hold in his emotions, he laid his forehead on her own and took a deep breath.

Behind him, one of their soldiers put his hand on Non’s shoulder. “I promise you…she died a hero. And Myriad is operational. She did not die in vain.”

As everyone filtered out of the bullpen, Jay hurried into Voight’s office and shut the door. He knew Kara was down in the bunker, so he only had a few minutes to ask the questions he needed to ask.

“Voight…”

“This wasn’t your fault, Jay.” The older man told him immediately, knowing it was coming. “Astra was a righteous kill.”

“That doesn’t make this any easier.”

“You made the hard choice. It’s what soldiers do, you know that.” Then he sighed. “How’s your sister holding up?”

“Astra may have been Kara’s enemy on the battlefield, but she was also family. She’s taking it hard.”

Voight nodded. “Yeah, I knew she would. She never stopped believing Astra could be saved. That’s the difference between soldiers and heroes.”

“Sarge…why did you lie to Kara?” Jay asked quietly.

The sergeant paused, choosing his words carefully. “Because you’re Kara’s hero. And I don’t want her to see you as anything other than that.”

Chapter Text

Kara was sitting in the bunker when the door opened, and Platt came in. “Hey, kiddo. Burgess told me what happened. How are you holding up?”

The blonde stared at her pod and sighed. “All we did lately was fight. She and Non wanted me dead or at least incapacitated while they ran their schemes. I don’t know why I feel this way.” She looked up at the older woman. “Is it crazy that I’m upset?”

Platt shook her head. “No, of course not. You’d be insane if you weren’t upset. Honey, Astra was family whether you fought or not.”

Kara turned her head to look at the superior officer. “Thank you.”

Trudy’s brow furrowed. “For what?”

“You’re my family, too, and I’m so grateful for it.” She told her mentor as tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Oh, honey…” Platt came over and sat next to her, pulling her into a hug. Kara’s breath came out in heaving sobs as her body shook and Platt held on tightly.

She cried for several minutes before she finally calmed down and Platt squeezed her into another hug. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, do you hear me?”

Chuckling slightly, Kara wiped her eyes. “I make no promises.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

Kara nodded. “Call Mouch? The guys, Hailey, and Winn are meeting at my place, and I’d love it if you guys came too.”

Platt sighed. “Anything for you.”

Kara opened the door to her apartment, and she sighed as she and Platt saw everyone cleaning. “Oh, you guys, you did not have to do this.”

“Wait, seriously, we didn’t?” Winn joked. “I thought this was mandatory.”

Everyone laughed as Mouch came forward and hugged her. “I’m happy you’re up and flying again.”

She smiled at him as he passed her off to Natalie who hugged her with a sad smile.

“What are you doing here?” Kara asked. “What about Owen?”

The brunette shrugged. “Helen is watching him. Will told me what happened, and I figured you could use a sister.”

“Aw, thanks.” She smiled and then sighed as she looked around the room at her small family.

Jay, Will, Natalie, Winn, Mouch, and Trudy looked back at her and waited for what she had to say.

“Hey, um…we need to talk about that ‘perfect fantasy world’ I was in…”

“Kara, we don’t need to discuss-” Will started but she interrupted him.

She took her glasses off and shook her head. “I want to tell you guys why I imagined myself on Krypton. It’s not because I hate it here. It’s because the past few weeks I’ve been feeling lost and…like I did when I first came to Earth. So, I started fantasizing about the same things I used to back then.

“I chose to come back because I realized I belong here with you. My family.” Then she smiled. “I guess it’s true. There’s no place like home.”

“Aw…” Natalie chuckled, and Winn looked shocked.

“That’s right. You just quoted a movie.” He spoke. “Halstead, this is like a whole new level in our friendship here. ‘Cause…’cause we are friends.”

She laughed. “Yeah. Yeah, the best.”

“Give it up!” They high-fived as Will stepped in.

“Well, Nat and I didn’t know if it was a pot sticker night…” He pulled out a paper bag of food before walking to the freezer. “…or ice cream. So, guess what? We got both.”

Kara gasped and stared at him. “They’re my favorite!”

“I know.” He laughed. “I know what you like.”

As everyone went over to her sitting area, Jay held her up. “Kara, there’s, um…there’s something that you should know.”

Kara looked confused. “Yeah, sure. What is it?”

Jay hesitated before smiling. “Winn tried to cover for you at work while you were gone.”

“Whoa…that’s something I’d like to see.”

“Hey, I think I did amazing!” Winn defended. “Voight actually offered me a job working the bunker while you work the bullpen.”

“Oh my God! Are you gonna take it?”

He shrugged. “I think so…if that’s okay with you?”

“That’s amazing with me!” She laughed. “We’ll be working together again!”

“Hey, hey, let’s leave the work talk for tomorrow. It’s time to eat and besides…” Mouch said and smiled. “I got a little bit of this.”

He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and Kara frowned. “That’s no fun. You know I can’t get drunk.”

“Oh, no, honey.” He told her. “After what you put us through? This is for us.”

Everyone started laughing and Kara just sighed as he bled her over to the couch so they could eat and drink and enjoy each other’s company.

Will and Jay stuck around after everyone had left, and the three sat around her coffee table drinking beer and watching television when Kara sighed. “Hmm…I should probably just go to bed.”

“Hey, do you mind if I stay the night?” Jay asked. “The heats been wonky at my place.”

Though she saw through the lie, she nodded. “Of course. The couch is all yours.”

“How are you doing?” Will asked now that everyone else had gone. “And don’t bullshit us, because we’ll know if you’re lying.”

Kara bit her lip. “You want to know the really messed up part? I miss Astra.”

Jay went tense but Will nodded. “That’s understandable.”

“I was getting through to her, you guys. If I had just had a little more time, I could’ve brought her home. Brought her back. If Voight hadn’t…”

Jay set down his beer. “Kara, there’s something I need to tell you…”

He went to continue when the door to her balcony blew open and all three siblings jumped at the sound. When they saw nothing, they settled a bit.

“Just jumpy, I guess.” Will chuckled.

“Yeah.” Kara agreed.

“It would be so easy to kill you.”

Kara leapt from her couch and faced Non as her brothers stood behind her.

Jay trained his gun on the alien. “Get out.”

Non sighed. “I need you to come with me.”

“Not a chance.” Jay said again and Non sneered.

“You have no part of this, human.” He looked at Kara. “I come for Astra, not myself.”

Turning to face her, Will shook his head. “Kara, no.”

She gave him a look. “It’ll be alright.”

Flying up to meet Non in the sky, Kara’s eyes fell on the soldiers surrounding them before she let herself look at Astras casket. It was a pod with Kryptonian writing on it and she knew her aunt’s body was inside.

Non faced her from the other side of the pod. “She would have wanted you here.”

Kara stayed silent but nodded at him solemnly.

“It is our custom for a surviving female to lead the rites.” He watched as Kara took a deep breath, trying to hold in her emotions. “Do you remember the Prayer for the Dead?”

Nodding again, Kara waved her hand over the pod until it lit up, showing them Astra’s face. Then she inhaled deeply and began to speak.

“You have been the sun of our lives. Our prayers will be the sun that lights your way on the journey home.” She sniffled and had to swallow back tears as her voice broke. “We will remember you in every dawn. And await the night we join you in the sky. Rao’s will be done.”

She watched as Non sent the pod sailing into the atmosphere before facing him again.

“I shall observe the period of mourning.” He told her quietly. “And then, Kara Zor-El, the next coffin shall be yours.”

Chapter Text

“How long before Non returns?”

Kara looked over at Voight with her arms crossed over her chest. “Two weeks. We give up daily toil and lend our hearts to the loved ones making the journey home to Rao, the sun god. We light their way.”

“And you think he can be trusted to observe this mourning period?”

“Do you think he’s going to let his wife walk alone in the dark?” Kara asked him forcefully and everyone stayed silent as they watched the two interact.

Voight sighed. “I simply…”

“Thank you for coming in.” Jay told her.

She nodded. “We’re at war. We’re going to have to do a lot of things we don’t want to do.”

Then she turned and walked out of the bullpen, going to the bunker to get Winn set up for his first day on the job. Everyone went back to what they were doing, and Jay gestured to Voight to follow him out to his office.

When they were alone, Jay sighed. “I can’t let this go on much longer.”

“Yes, you can.” He told his detective.

“She deserves to know the truth.” Jay told him. “And it’s not fair to you.”

“I can take her hating me.” Voight informed him. “If you tell her you killed Astra, she’ll have lost you too. She needs you, Jay.”

“It’s not right.” Jay muttered.

Voight nodded. “Maybe. But it’s what she needs to keep going.”

“So, what’s going on between you and Voight?”

Kara looked up at Winn, who was settling in at his new desk. “He killed my aunt. He could have chosen to let her live, but he killed her instead. I can’t excuse that.”

“I’m sorry, Kara.” Winn told her as he logged into the computer.

She shrugged. “It happened and now we have to deal with it.”

Ten she shook her head and got back to work.

“Anyway, this is the database that we have of all known alien species and their abilities, weaknesses, etc. You will use that when we are looking for someone. Then over here we have the system that tracks our satellites. You’ll follow those, too. It will make a noise if something enters the atmosphere that shouldn’t, so you don’t have to worry about that, but just keep an eye on it, especially when we’re out fighting something.”

“Yeah, I know you’ve told me this already.” He smiled. “It’s going to be fine.”

“I know, I’m just not used to having you here at the precinct. It’s nice, especially right now.” She told him. “Anyway, I’m off to find Trudy. I still have a job to do, after all.”

Walking out to the front desk, Kara set a stack of papers down on it. “Voight wants these-” She cut herself off when both Platt and an officer looked over at her. “Oh, god, I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, Officer Smythe was just leaving for patrol.” Platt told her and though the officer looked taken aback, she did as she was told.

“That woman is clearly trying to impress you.” Kara told her and shrugged. “Just my observation.”

“I highly doubt that. Even if she were, you don’t get on my good side just by sweet talking me. You know that.”

The blonde nodded. “True. Anyway, here is the paperwork for Winn’s transfer that you needed Voight to sign.”

Platt stared at her. “How are you handling everything?”

“I’m…processing. I’m incredibly mad at Voight and I am not letting him off for what he did to my aunt. That is inexcusable and just…not okay.”

“How is it working up there with all the tension between you two?”

Kara shrugged again. “Everyone is on edge around me, but I get it. Voight will just have to deal with my attitude because he’s the one who brought it on in the first place.”

“Okay, good luck with that.”

Down in the bunker, Winn pulled up an alien on the screen as Voight addressed his detectives. “We’ve got a rogue. Fort Rozz prisoner number 2444. He’s been hiding out in the city using a human alias, Gabriel Phillips. Surveillance spotted him yesterday.

“Don’t be fooled by the pretty face, this thing is nasty.” He told them as the picture changed to show his alien one. “Feeds off rotting flesh. He’s been spotted coming and going from an abandoned warehouse downtown, where we suspect he’s storing his food. Proceed with caution when apprehending him. This one bites.”

“Should I call Kara?” Winn asked carefully and Voight sighed.

“No, we can handle this one.” He told the newest member of their team. “Everybody, suit up. Let’s get this thing.”

As they approached the warehouse, Antonio looked at his team. “On my three. One, two, three.”

The breached the entrance and filed into the warehouse carefully, one after the other. As they rounded the corner, Jay furrowed his brow when they saw their target chained up against the side of a car.

“Help me.” The former prisoner told them. “Help me. He’s here.”

Jay was just about to question who else was there when they all caught movement from across the room and watched as a person in all metal came out of the shadows. He immediately lifted his hands and shot blue beams at them, which they dodged as the beams exploded off the cars next to them.

“Weapons free!” Antonio shouted and everyone fired on the person as they took cover behind the cars.

As they continued to shoot at the person, bullets bounced off of them as they walked over and grabbed their target before shooting into the sky.

“Antonio, are you okay?”

Antonio panted as he keyed his radio. “We were ambushed. The hostile’s gone.”

“He fled?”

“No. He was abducted.”

“It looks like your masked kidnapper was using advanced extraterrestrial weaponry.” Winn told them as they regrouped in the bunker.

“Well, the big question is, where did he take our target?” Hailey asked.

“Any idea why?” Voight continued.

“Maybe he had some beef he needed to settle.” Kara looked at the sergeant. “Since when don’t you call me?”

“I thought it might be a good idea to give you some time off.”

Her face darkened. “When I need time off, I’ll fill out a request form with HR. Until then, if there’s a dangerous alien to catch, I’d like to be included. Sir.”

As Voight nodded, Kara turned to face Winn. “Is he human?”

“We couldn’t tell under all that armor.” Ruzek supplied.

Kara sighed. “What would he want with an alien who eats rotting flesh?”

“The vulture he captured could be wanted on a dozen other worlds for crimes he committed long before he wound up in Fort Rozz.” Voight told them. “We could be dealing with an interstellar bounty hunter.”

“I ran all the images of the kidnapper through our database.” Winn said quickly. “Nothing matches up.”

“Maybe if he’s done this before, he’s run into local law enforcement.” Kara suggested.

Voight sighed. “We could talk to other districts, see if some of their missing persons are our missing aliens.”

“Where do you think he took that guy?” Kim wondered.

Atwater shrugged. “As far as we know, he could be anywhere in the galaxy.”

Chapter Text

In a fancy dungeon, the masked assailant stood facing the alien prisoner. “You are Fort Rozz prisoner 2444. Guilty of armed theft and murder. Disguising yourself in human skin will not keep you from facing justice. Show yourself.”

The prisoner looked up at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The masked person lit up a laser beam of energy that looked like a guillotine. “By breaking the law, you have forfeited your right to exist.”

The prisoner swallowed roughly. “There is no death penalty on Krypton.”

“We’re not on Krypton.”

The prisoner spun his head and revealed his alien form, his green skin glowing in the light of the energy beam. “Here, is this what you want? Will you let me go now?”

“No one escapes the Master Jailer.” The assailant said as they grabbed the prisoner.

“Wait.” The man panted. “I know who you are.”

The Master Jailer just shoved him down, trapping him in the machine and waited as the guillotine prepared to fall.

“Don’t kill me!”

The Master Jailer didn’t listen.

Voight and Antonio walked into the other district building and sighed as they knocked on the door of Missing Persons. “Sergeant Voight, this is Detective Dawson. Intelligence.”

One of the two men in the room nodded. “I’m Detective Warren. He’s Draper.”

“We’re looking into a recent kidnapping. This is our primary suspect.” Voight told them and showed them a picture of the Master Jailer.

They laughed. “Halloween already, huh?”

Antonio sighed. “Any help would be much appreciated.”

“Big bad Intelligence comes crawling…you must be embarrassed.” Warren told them.

“As long as the job gets done, doesn’t matter who helps.” Antonio told him. “I mean look at you guys.”

“Missing persons cases have gone way down in the last few months, a lot of thanks to Supergirl. But you don’t mind that she helps, do you?”

Warren sighed and looked down. “I’ve got an interview with a donut. Wouldn’t want to be late.”

They watched as he left the room and Draper shook his head. “Sorry about Warren. He’s a good cop. He’s just, uh, not enlightened.”

“Anything you can tell us?”

Draper shrugged. “Not much. We don’t know who this guy is. We know he’s been kicking around for months, though.”

“There’s been other kidnappings?” Antonio asked and Draper nodded.

“At least five that we know of.” He glanced out the window to make sure Warren wasn’t looking before continuing. “But he’s, uh, not just kidnapping them.”

He pushed a file over to them and Antonio opened it, shock appearing on his face at the images he saw.

“We found all the bodies down by the river.” Draper said. “All of them decapitated.”

“How could we not have heard about this?” Antonio asked both Draper and Voight.

Draper lowered his voice. “The mayor wants this kept quiet, but all the victims were…weird.”

“Weird, how?” Voight asked, annoyed that the mayor would keep something like this from his team.

“One of them had gills…like a fish.” Then he saw Warren watching him and took the file back. “Hope that helps.”

As they left the room, Antonio glanced at Voight. “There’s an alien serial killer in Chicago.”

“We need to find out who’s next.”

Kara was angry as she stormed over to Platt’s desk. Working with the man who had killed her aunt was worse than she had thought it would be and all she wanted now was a distraction.

“Trudy, are you ready for lunch?”

She stopped short when she saw that Officer Smythe was once again at the desk.

Platt looked apologetic and annoyed. “I need a rain check on that lunch. Officer Smythe’s patrol car isn’t working, and I need to figure out how to get it fixed.”

“Oh…okay. No worries.” As Kara turned to leave, Platt turned her back to grab some paperwork and missed the smug look on Officer Smythe’s face.

Kara, however, saw it perfectly and felt her anger bubbling up.

Instead of acting on it, she spun and hurried back to the Intelligence Unit just in time for Antonio and Voight to get back with their information on the bounty hunter.

“Based on the human aliases of our guy’s victims, I think they were actually these five alien prisoners from Fort Rozz.” Winn pulled up their pictures.

“Any connection besides Fort Rozz?” Jay asked and Winn shook his head.

“Not that I can see.” He shrugged. “All different backgrounds and crimes. None of them were even cellmates.”

“The killer must be picking them for a reason.” Ruzek piped up.

“Wait a minute…” Winn jumped in. “I think I have something.”

“What is it?”

“See what happens when I arrange them in the order that they were killed?” He did that as he spoke, and Hailey sighed.

“They were all incarcerated in Fort Rozz one after the other.”

“That’s the pattern.” Kim said quickly. “He’s killing the escapees in their prisoner number order.”

“Which would make the next target…Prisoner 2445.” Winn told them.

Prisoner 2445 walked out of his office building in the dark Chicago night. He was headed to his car when he caught sight of the Master Jailer and froze.

“Prisoner 2445. Show yourself.”

The prisoner panicked. “No. No!”

He started to run when the Master Jailer threw his baton at him and knocked him down. He went to go apprehend the prisoner when Kara landed in front of him in her Supergirl suit.

“I thought masks were only big in that other city.” She said, referring to Gotham City. “You gonna tell me who you are?”

The Master Jailer let chains slide out from his gloves and Kara sighed. “Guess not.”

Then she shot into the air and caught the chains in her hands. He yanked the chains and she jolted, being pulled forward before being knocked back. Then he yanked the chains again and she came flying back, punching him in the face, sending him to the ground.

He rolled and got up quickly, pulling her forward and throwing punches that she dodged with ease. She threw a few of her own, and he wrapped her in the chains. She was able to spin herself out of them and punch him to the ground again.

Then she flew off again, but he was ready, throwing the chains out so that they wrapped around her legs, bringing her crashing to the ground

She stood and caught the chains he threw at her again and managed to wrap them around him until he was trapped against her body. Then he leaned back and slammed her head into his, sending him to the ground again.

Flying in the air, she faced him but watched as he caught both her ankles and both her arms in chains, now trapping her spread eagle against a wall.

Using her heat vision to break the chains she looked around and found that both he and the prisoner were gone.

The team stood around the bunker looking at the chains and baton that Kara had brought back with her.

“Black star alloy.” Voight said. “That kind of technology, this guy’s definitely not from around here.”

Kara leaned on the table with both hands. “So why is he killing other aliens?”

“These victims aren’t just being killed.” Antonio told her. “They’re being executed.”

“And they’re all from Fort Rozz.” Kim said quietly.

Kara sighed. “That professor he just took seemed harmless enough.”

“Real name Luzano.” Voight told her. “Drug smuggler, until your mother put him away.”

“Not the week for you to discuss my family.” Kara snapped and the group went quiet.

“We’ll start questioning our Fort Rozz criminal alumni again.” Voight said after a moment of tense silence.

“Anything we get we’ll cross-reference with the weapons left at the scene.” Atwater suggested.

Then they went their separate ways.

Chapter Text

“What did you find?”

Jay sighed as he faced his sister. “We ran diagnostics on the masked man’s weapon from the attack. The metal baton was standard police issue, covered in human DNA. So, when we ran it through the database, we got a match. Detective Warren.”

“That cop Voight and Antonio interviewed who hates me?”

“Mm-hmm, good thing we know where he works.”

“Another alien went missing.” Draper told his partner as they drove through the dark night.

Warren looked at him. “Good. We’re better off.”

“Think we’ll hear more from Intelligence?”

“They should stick to their own neck of the woods. Leave our criminals for us.” Warren said with a smirk.

Just as he spoke a flash of blue and red landing in front of them had him slamming on the brakes. They both got out of the car and faced Kara.

“You trying to kill somebody?”

“Detective Warren? We need to talk.” Kara told him and they turned as she walked forward.

“What the hell?”

Kevin held his gun on the man. “Detective Draper, I’m going to need you to step away.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Warren asked.

Kara sneered. “Catching a murderer.”

“You’re out of your mind.” He told her. “I’m one of the good guys!”

Draper stepped forward and raised his gun. “He’s telling the truth.”

Then he shot both Kevin and Warren and Kara sped to her friend. “Kevin!”

She sighed when she saw that he’d taken the bullet to the vest and was just unconscious. But when she turned, she watched as Draper held out his fist and let his armor envelope him.

“You’re him.” She said lamely, unsure of what to do.

Minutes later, Kevin awoke to a voice in his ear. “Kevin, sound off. Are you okay?”

“I’m here.” He sat up and looked at the bullet in his vest. “We’ve got an officer down.”

“Are you alright?”

Kevin was pissed. “He took Supergirl.”

Kara awoke slowly to the light of a red lamp. Once she was fully awake, she gasped and ran her hands over the sides of the small cage she was in. Pulling her fist back, she punched the bars and let out a loud cry.

“Young lady.” She turned and saw the professor from earlier looking at her from his own cage. “I really wouldn’t bother.”

She looked at him with a confused expression before trying her heat vision, which also didn’t work.

“If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say that light mimics the red sun of Krypton. And since you derive your abilities on Earth by exposure to its yellow sun…” He watched as she tried to force the cage open. “As the humans would say, ‘we are up a creek without a poodle’.”

“Paddle.” Kara told him as reality started to hit her.

Only days after her stint with the Black Mercy she’d gone and gotten herself kidnapped with no way of escaping. Jay and Will were going to put her on house arrest after this, she just knew it.

“Yes, right, paddle.” The man laughed.

Looking at him again, she sighed. “Why were you in Fort Rozz?”

“It doesn’t matter now.” He told her. “Walter under the bridge.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Water.”

“Yes, of course. Water.” He paused before continuing. “I was born on Star Haven. Do you know it?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Yes, my father took me there when I was younger. It was beautiful. The air smelled like…cinnamon.”

“It did, didn’t it?” He asked and chuckled lightly. “After a strong storm season, one of my wives fell ill. The healing expenses were…too much. And so, a simple man entered the complicated world of interplanetary drug smuggling. Caught on my first run. And sentenced by Alura Zor-El to eighteen years in Fort Rozz.”

Kara looked down and shook her head. “I suppose you hate my mother, too. Like all the other escapees.”

“I did. At first. But over time, I understood. One tragedy could not be undone by committing another. So, when I crashed on Earth, I sought only to lead a good life. Became a professor. Taught the one thing I knew better than anyone on this planet. The stars.”

“My aunt used to teach me the stars.” She said quietly. “I’m going to get us out of here.”

“No.” Master Jailer told her as he walked into the room. “Justice has finally come for your friend. Pray it hasn’t come for you, too.”

Back at the district, Kevin opened the doors and rushed up the stairs to Intelligence where he found everyone, including Platt, waiting for him.

“Kev, you good, man?” Ruzek asked him.

He nodded. “Checked out by the medics and everything. Just some bruising.”

Jay stormed into the room. “Twelve hours from the exact time the last alien was kidnapped to his time of death. Which means she doesn’t have long.”

“You sister wasn’t his target.” Voight reminded Jay.

“Well, maybe that doesn’t mean anything to him. We have to find her!”

“And we will.” The older man told him.

Nodding, Jay let Hailey talk while he got his head on straight. “We have a face, but we still don’t have a match.”

“Draper’s prisoner file could have been corrupted in the crash.” Kim suggested.

“Unless…” Winn spoke, and everyone turned to him.

“Unless what?” Voight asked him.

“What if Draper wasn’t a prisoner?” Winn shrugged.

Platt sighed. “A guard?”

“I thought they were all killed by the prisoners when Fort Rozz crashed.” Antonio piped in as Winn ran the data through Kara’s computer.

“What if one got away?”

They waited for a moment before the man’s picture came up onscreen and Winn turned the monitor around to show them.

“Draper was a guard.” Voight said in a low voice. “Originally from the planet Trombus. Technologically advanced weapons manufacturers, which explains the RoboCop suit.”

“It says here his father was a guard. His grandfather before him.” Platt said as she read the file. “This job is in his blood.”

“And still is.” Ruzek realized. “He’s trying to recreate Fort Rozz here on Earth…with his rules.”

“Draper’s been jamming his GPS signal when he’s off duty.” Winn told them.

“Tell me you unscrambled it.” Jay said to his friend.

He nodded. “He’s been spending time in a cabin eighty miles northeast of the city.

“Everyone, suit up. Let’s go.” Voight told them. “We are bringing her home.”

Chapter Text

Jay jumped out of the car the second they stopped outside the cabin Winn had told them about. He led the group as they started moving in on the house, gun held out in front of them to prepare for whatever they found.

They stood outside the door of the house and counted down before Kevin used the battering ram to open the door and Jay rushed inside.

“Clear the premises.” Voight hollered out and felt his stomach drop when he realized that the cabin was empty.

“Clear!” Hailey roared from her end of the house.

“Clear!” Ruzek copied her from his end.

“Jay…”

He looked at his boss. “Voight, the cabin is empty. Kara’s not here.”

“I know, we’ll figure it out.”

Draper stared at Kara in her cell. “I’ve been watching you, Kara Zor-El. Your mother would be proud you’ve chosen to follow in her footsteps. Delivering punishment against those who sin.”

“I’m sorry that’s what you think I’ve been doing.” She said to him, keeping her voice calm and steady.

“We could be colleagues.” He told her. “Your mother dealt out true justice against the scum of our galaxy. She was a great woman.

“Fort Rozz was the paradise of Alura’s design. And I am carrying on her great work.”

“All you’ve done is dishonor her memory.” Kara told him.

His face grew hard. “What I have done is protect this city…this world. Humans understand little about justice. Justice must be absolute! I’d hoped that you’d see justice the same way your mother did. The way I do.”

Then he turned away from her and faced Luzano. “Prisoner 2445. Judgment is upon you.”

He opened the cage and led his prisoner to the platform with his advanced guillotine on it.

Luzano pleaded with him. “Please, this isn’t necessary. I’ve never hurt anyone.”

“Tell that to all the addicts you were going to supply with your smuggled narcotics.” Draper said. “Move.”

“No!” Kara beat against the bars of her cage as she tried to save the man she’d come to know. “Don’t do this. Stop! Please. If you really need to kill someone, you can kill me. But don’t do this.”

He looked down for a second before looking back at her. “I just realized…I’m gonna have to kill you, too.”

“There has to be some clue as to where Draper takes his victims.” Voight said as the team gathered in the man room of the house.

“There isn’t.” Ruzek told him. “I mean, there’s nothing here.”

Jay sighed as he walked away from the group and Hailey approached him. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. If anyone can take care of themself, it’s Kara.”

“I know, I just…she’s my little sister. After this whole Black Mercy thing, I thought we’d be okay for a while but then Astra died and now this…”

“It’s going to be okay.”

Jay stared at the floor. “Hailey.”

“Seriously, if you won’t listen to anyone else, at least listen to me.”

“Hailey!” He shouted and everyone turned to him. “Look at the ground. Do you see that?”

They all looked down and saw a red glow pulsing beneath the floorboards.

“What the hell is that?” Kevin asked and Jay looked up at them.

“Someone get me a crowbar!”

“Prisoner 2445: you stand guilty of drug smuggling. How do you plead?”

Luzano looked at Draper out of the corner of his eye. “I am brave enough to admit that I am very scared to die. But I ask that you let her go. Grant a dying man his last request.”

“Last request? That’s a human concept.” He grabbed Luzano by the back of the neck and pushed his head down.

“No.” Kara cried. “Look at me. Professor, look at me! Look at me. Right here. Professor!”

Draper stepped back. “Sentence to be carried out.”

Just as he was about to click the button to let the laser fall, the ceiling burst open and in came Intelligence. They started shooting immediately as Draper shot at them and Kara looked for the professor.

“Professor, move!”

Jay turned and faced her. “Kara.”

“Jay, look out!”

He turned in time to be punched in the face by Draper and went flying to the ground. Then Draper turned and fired at Antonio and Kim, who fired back but the bullets bounced off his armor.

Jay stood and kicked his leg into Draper’s back, sending him sprawling to the floor and then turned to his sister. “Red sunlight?”

“Yeah.”

Draper yelled as he overpowered everyone else and came for Jay again, while Kara tried once more to get out of the cage. She watched as he grabbed Jay by the shoulders and forced him over to the guillotine, laying him down so his neck was exposed.

“No!” She yelled. “Jay!”

Then, just as it looked like he was done for, Jay managed to reach down and grab his gun again. Though Draper trapped his arm away from them, Jay fired into the sky.

“You wasted your ammo.” Draper told him.

Jay smirked. “No, I didn’t. Here comes the sun.”

Then he overpowered the alien and managed to get away as Kara felt the yellow sun hit her and broke out of her cage. “Jay, run!”

Draper shot at Kara, but the blasts only made her stumble slightly as she advanced on him. Then she grabbed his arms and pulled them upwards with enough strength to make his hands open in pain.

Throwing her head backwards she headbutted him and threw him to the floor as Jay came back to her. “Sorry I was late.”

She shrugged as Kevin and Ruzek dealt with Draper. “No, you were right on time.”

“Pardon me.” Luzano interrupted. “And now, may I ask what happens to me?”

Kara sighed as she looked at Voight. “Sarge…we need to talk.”

Kara sighed as she landed at the college with Luzano held tightly to her. He stepped away as they touched the ground and rubbed his wrist.

“I’m quite glad I did not acquire the ability to fly on this planet.”

Kara smiled. “I actually kind of love it.”

“But I don’t understand. You’re letting me go.” He said. “Why?”

“Well, you’ve already served your time. And besides, you have students to teach. About the stars.”

“Thank you, Supergirl.”

“Uh, no.” She shook her head. “My name is Kara.”

“Then, thank you Miss Kara.”

Chapter Text

Kara sighed as she packed up her bag and exited the bunker. Walking into the Roundup, she took a deep breath as she saw Officer Smythe waiting for her.

“Kara!” She smiled as she followed her out to the front desk. “I just wanted you to know that with all your absences I’ve piled on extra work. Sergeant Platt is sure to notice my initiative over yours.”

Kara laughed. “You know what? I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt. I tried being nice, but I don’t like you.””

The officer scoffed. “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to be the next Sergeant Platt.”

“Oh?”

“I say four months in this position, tops, before I’m applying for a detective job. Get some in depth experience, schmooze the higher ups, make a name for myself. Once everyone knows me, I’ll build my reputation and apply for a position in Intelligence. In ten years, everyone will know me, and no one will even remember you.”

“I highly doubt that.” Kara squared her shoulders and Platt came out from the back office.

“Oh, Kara, there you are. Mouch and I want you to come over for dinner.” The older woman told her. “No exceptions.”

The blonde smiled. “Of course, Trudy. I’d love that.”

Then she raised a brow at Officer Smythe and left the desk.

The next morning, Kara stood in her mother’s room with Voight leaning against the wall.

“Hello, Kara. How may I be of assistance?”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yesterday I met one of the prisoners you sentenced to Fort Rozz. But he was different. He didn’t…hate me or you. I think both of us helped him, in a weird way. And that made me feel close to you again. I just wanted you to know that.”

She looked up at her mother, who stared back at her, and her heart fell when no response came. She knew it was too much to hope for, but she really missed her mother and had hoped for some sort of positive feedback.

“Anyway, uh, I also have a question about Astra and Non.” She refocused her mind on the task at hand. “He mentioned something the other day. Myriad?”

“Warning. This construct is not authorized to discuss Myriad.”

Kara was taken aback. “Uh, I don’t understand. What is it? What is Myriad?”

“Warning.” An alarm started blaring as Alura spoke. “Continued questioning about Myriad will result in this AI’s self-destruction…”

Kara stared at her mother as the building shook around them before Voight shut her off. The Kryptonian watched as she disappeared and then sighed as he walked closer to her.

“What could be so terrible that even a hologram won’t discuss it?”

Kara’s face was hard. “Seeing that hologram used to remind me of my mom. And now all I can think of is Astra. And how you killed her.”

It was the truth. All Kara thought of now when she looked at her mother’s AI was her aunt and how she’d been brutally murdered by her boss. What used to bring her comfort now only brought sorrow and Kara didn’t know how to reconcile those feelings.

He nodded. “I’m sorry. I wish there was another way.”

“There’s always another way.” She told him. “I need space.”

She turned to walk out, and he put his hands on his hips. “Sure, take the day. We’ll survive without you.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” She faced him. “I don’t know how to work alongside you anymore. Maybe one day that’ll be different, but today it’s not.

“I’m taking some furlough, both as Supergirl and as Kara. Trudy’s already got the paperwork filled out, all you have to do is sign it. I expect you to sign it.”

“Listen, Kara, I-”

“This is not up for discussion.”

Then she turned and walked away from him.

“So, you’re really taking some time off? How does Jay feel about that?”

“I’m not sure he knows yet.” Kara sighed as she took a sip of her beer and sat across from her brother. “I don’t know how to be around him anymore, Will. He…killed Astra.”

“I know.” He grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry for that, by the way. We haven’t really gotten a chance to talk since it happened.”

She looked down. “I know we fought, and I know that we wanted different things for this planet, but…I think I was really getting through to her, Will. Maybe not right away, but…it was there. She could have come home.”

“You wanted her to be our family.”

Kara nodded. “Having you and Jay is the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that. But…she was my aunt. She taught me about the stars and how to fight for what was right.”

“You loved her.”

“I still do.” She looked up with tears in her eyes. “What is wrong with me?”

Moving so that he was sitting next to her, Will slung his arm over her shoulders and tugged her to his side. “Nothing is wrong with you. I’d be worried if you weren’t upset about this. You just need some time to mourn and come to terms with what happened.”

“And if I decide I can’t work at the district anymore?”

He sighed. “Then Jay, Nat, and I will support you. Even though I think you should give it another try.”

“Will…”

“Not for Voight, for Jay and Winn. Jay hasn’t been happier than since he started working with you everyday and Winn just started there, thinking you’d be there too. I just think you should consider it.”

“Okay, I’ll consider it.” She huffed out a sigh. “Not for Voight, but for them and for you.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“Can we get super drunk now?”

“I thought you couldn’t get drunk.” He mused and she rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean. I want you to get super drunk so I can live vicariously through you.”

He shrugged. “Just as long as you tell Nat that it was your fault.”

“I promise.”

Chapter Text

Kara awoke to the sound of her alarm blaring beside her bed. Hitting it so that it would turn off, she started to go back to sleep when someone started knocking at the door. Groaning as she got out of bed, she grabbed her glasses and walked to the door. Using her vision to see who it was she sighed as she opened the door.

“If I x-ray vision that box, will I see a cruller?”

Jay winced. “You will not. They were out.” He held up the box of donuts he’d brought as she walked into the apartment. “But I got you the powdered ones.”

“And yet you know I’m all about the cruller.” Kara let the door slam lightly as she grabbed the box and walked to her island countertop. “An offering of donuts? Whatever could you want from me?”

“I just thought that you might need the extra sugar kick before…you know, coming back to work.” He trailed off.

Kara sighed. “I’m not coming back to work, Jay. Not right now, anyway. I can’t.”

As Kara grabbed a donut and walked away, Jay followed her. “Kara, Voight was only doing his job. Okay? Protecting the planet just like you do, every day.”

“I don’t kill.” Kara reminded him with a look on her face.

“But soldiers do, when they have to.” He told her. “And Voight had to.”

He sat down across from her at the table, and she shook her head. “I had the chance to bring Astra back into the light. And Voight cheated her and me out of that chance. I know I should be better than this, but…I don’t think I can forgive him for that.”

When Jay stood and paced a bit, Kara leaned forward. “I love working with you…but maybe it’s time for me to be my own Supergirl.”

He sighed. “I gotta go to work.”

She nodded. “Give ‘em hell.”

“I always do.”

“You know I think he misses having you there.” Will told her as he walked beside her on their way back from lunch.

Kara shrugged. “I miss being there, but I just can’t be there right now.”

“I know.” He nodded. “I’m just saying it was sweet of him to try and bribe you with donuts.”

“Yeah, except he was missing the crullers.”

“Oh, no! Not the crullers!”

Kara smacked him and a smirk and he laughed as she rubbed his arm. “Ouch! Be careful, you’re stronger than you look.”

“And don’t you forget it.” She teased.

“Oh, Kara! Is that you?”

“No….” Groaning quietly to Will, Kara turned and plastered a fake smile on her face. “Officer Smythe. What a surprise seeing you here.”

The woman shrugged. “Just picking up some lunch for the sergeant.”

Kara raised a brow. “Did she ask you to do that?”

“Nope! Just figured she was so busy without you around today that I would surprise her.”

“She’s not going to like that. She’s your superior officer and she didn’t ask you for it. She’s not going to like that you stepped out of those boundaries.”

“Listen, you’re not the only one who gets to have special treatment, okay? Let some of the rest of us take some for a change.” She growled.

“Okay, but she’s right, you know.” Will piped in and the officer’s eyes widened as if she had just realized he was there.

“Oh, wow! Hi! You must be Kara’s boyfriend?”

Both siblings shuddered.

“No, ew, absolutely not.” Kara told her. “This is my brother, Will.”

“Siobhan Smythe.” The woman held her hand out to him which he reluctantly took. “It’s nice to meet another Halstead.”

“Is there something we can help you with, Officer Smythe?” Kara asked, turning the attention back onto her. “My brother has to get back to his shift at Med.”

“Nope, just passing through. Wonderful to see you, though. Hope this furlough you’ve taken does you some good.” She said with a hint of malice in her voice.

Then she was gone, and Kara was left smiling after her as she looked at Will. “I could throw her into space. I dream about doing that.”

Back at the district, Hailey walked up behind Jay and sighed. “As effective as yelling and screaming at a suspect is, the next time you’re angry about something, let’s have coffee.”

“I’m not angry.” He told her but she just looked at him until he relented. “I’m sad. I miss having Kara here.”

“Her choice, Jay.” Hailey shrugged but Jay shook his head.

“But it’s not. It was mine.” He said quickly before looking to make sure no one else could hear them. “When I decided to let her believe that Voight killed Astra and not me.”

“Wait, what?” The blonde looked surprised. “You killed her?”

He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Yeah, I had to. She was about to kill Voight.”

“Well, why did you let Voight take the rap for it? Wouldn’t Kara understand if you told her what really happened and why?”

He shook his head. “You don’t know how upset she is about this, Hailey. She’s distraught and so angry she is thinking about quitting her job here.”

“Well, why did Voight take the blame in the first place?”

Jay sighed. “He thinks that telling Kara what really happened will only cause us both more pain.”

“Jay…he might be right about that part.”

“But what if we fail because Supergirl isn’t at our side?”

“This unit functioned long before your sister. Long before us, even. I’m not belittling her importance, but the Intelligence Unit will go on.” Hailey reminded him.

“So, you think I should keep this from her, too?”

“No, I don’t.” Hailey said, surprising him. “I think that if you feel like you need to tell your sister what happened, you should tell her. I think that the secret will eat you up inside until it devours you whole and she’ll find out anyway. I think you both deserve for the information to come from you.”

“Thanks, Hails.” He said as they walked back out into the bullpen. “Uh…did we lose a signal or something?”

All the computers and televisions had turned to static, interrupting the work everyone was doing on them to finish up their current case.

“Winn?” Hailey asked as the man came running into the room.

“I know, I know. I don’t know what’s causing it. Someone is jamming the signal.” He said frantically as a blonde woman popped up onscreen.

“Greetings, Intelligence Unit. I’m disappointed in all of you. Especially you, Sergeant Voight.”

He grunted. “I’m guessing you’re the hacker that gave us the info on that cheating website.”

“I handed you one of the biggest busts of the year. Sinners who have turned the Internet into a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. But you failed to act. And so now, all will suffer.” She told them. “Computers control everything. Communication, banking…even traffic signals. The age of chaos begins now.”

Winn sat down to fix the hack when he paused. “Uh, guys? Every traffic light in the city just turned green.”

“Oh, my god.” Kim whispered.

Jay walked over to Winn as the traffic cams were seen on their screens and the smaller man looked up at him. “Liberty Avenue. There’s about to be a major crash.”

Walking away, signaled his watch and spoke into it. “Supergirl, get to Liberty Avenue right away.”

Chapter Text

Med was in complete chaos as Kara flew a man into the ED. There were people lined up along the hallways in beds and some even sat in chairs holding gauze to their wounds.

“Dr. Halstead! I’ve got another one for you.” Maggie shouted as Kara laid the man on a gurney and watched as he was whisked away. “Please tell me you know what’s causing this.”

Kara sighed. “I don’t, but I’m working on it.”

“Good.” Then she was gone, helping the injured as Kara stormed back out into the chaos of the night, trying to save more accidents from happening.

“In related news, the initial attack on DiamondDiscretions.com seems now to be the opening salvo in a full-fledged cyber war, which has sabotaged infrastructure and left financial markets plummeting. Dozens of banks and lending institutions, including Chicago Mutual, released a statement calling this the worst digital data breach they have ever seen.”

It was the next morning and the entire Intelligence Unit stood around watching the news coverage of the cyber war that was now happening after the previous evening’s events.

“If this hacker doesn’t stop soon, we’re looking at a worldwide economic collapse.” Winn told them quietly.

“Chicago’s entire mainframe has been breached by a cyber-terrorist attack and nobody knows why they’re doing it, or who, or when they will strike again.” Voight informed them.

Jay sighed. “I’ve spoken to some old army contacts. Military Intelligence is all over this.”

“This is about Chicago. Our home is under attack. And we have no idea how this is going to end.” Voight roared. “Circle the wagons. I want everyone we can get on this. We identify the hacker. We end this.”

That night, Kara sat in her apartment as Winn mumbled to himself at his computer. She wondered if that was the first sign of madness but shook her head and stood as a knocking appeared at her door.

Opening it slowly, she sighed as she saw who was on the other side. “Hey Nat, what’s up?”

The brunette came into the apartment and faced her sister-in-law. “Hey, we were worried about you. Will’s been trying to get ahold of you for hours.”

Checking her phone quickly, Kara groaned. “Shit. I’m sorry…we’ve been busy.”

Natalie nodded. “I bet. Have you found anything on this woman yet? She made all of our systems go wonky at Med last night during the incident.”

Kara shrugged. “Winn, what is happening?”

He sighed. “Alright. Okay, look, this hacker…she has created what’s called an oscillating variable matrix to cover her footprints. Diabolical would not be an inappropriate word choice for her.”

“But?”

“But,” he continued. “I have created an inversion pathway, which will, um…hopefully lead me to wherever she’s hiding. I mean, she could be, for all we know, uh…organizing these attacks from the other side of the globe.”

“No. Just on the other side of your screen.”

They all turned to his computer in shock as the woman spoke to them.

“You know, you’re fairly clever, for an ape.”

“And…you-you are freaking me out for an evil blonde computer face.” Winn retorted.

“Then let’s talk in person.”

“Name the time and place.” Kara told her.

“How about now?”

Immediately, pieces started flying out of Winn’s computer and the three of them hurried backwards. As the woman appeared, blue skin all over her body, Kara placed herself between the alien and her family.

“Supergirl.” The woman walked closer to her. “What exactly makes you so super?”

Kara stared at the three red dots making a triangle on the alien’s head. “That symbol. I’ve seen it before.”

“It’s the sign of my people.” The blue woman said. “The font of omniscient knowledge.”

They stared at her and Kara acted as a wall between them. She might have a fight on her hands, but she wasn’t going to let Winn or Natalie get hurt.

“I know everything about you.” The alien said to Kara.

Then Winn decided to speak up. “What-what are you, some kind of living internet?”

She looked at him. “You might call me that.”

Then she grew claws from her nails and tossed Kara out the window. She grabbed Winn by the throat as Natalie panicked.

“Let him go!”

The woman turned to her and grabbed her by the throat as well as Kara flew back into the room and ripped her shirt open to show the red S on her suit.

“Which one of your friends should I skin first?”

Suddenly, the door slammed open, revealing Jay and Voight with their guns drawn. “Hold it right there! Hold it right there!”

Throwing both of her captives to the floor, the alien turned back into tiny pieces and flew back into the computer as everyone stared at each other.

“Oh, thank God we have our own personal black ops unit.” Winn said but went quiet by the look on Voight’s face.

Jay and Kara immediately went to Natalie. “Nat! Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, but…what was that?”

As everyone looked at each other again, Jay sighed. “That was an alien.”

“I know, but why did she seem so mad at Kara?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Then she looked at her brother. “Can I see you two outside for a moment please?”

The minute they cleared the doorway, Kara was sighing and pulling her shirt closed.

“What are you following me now?”

Voigt grunted. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“We tracked the wi-fi signal from the computers controlling traffic lights.” Jay told her. “There was something else embedded in the signal. Something alien. And it led us right here.”

“The rest is classified.” Voight told her. “Available only to active Intelligence officers. What do you say?”

Kara set her jaw and held her shirt closed. “I got this far on my own. Elevator’s around the corner.”

Then she started to walk away. Voight immediately turned and faced her retreating back.

“We’re going to need Winn back at the district.”

Kara paused. “Fine. Take him.”

Then she disappeared into her apartment and slammed the door.

Across town, the woman appeared on a rooftop, scaring a young couple who were about to get engaged. “I would kill you both, but your world is days away from ending anyway.”

As they ran, she smiled when a loud thud was heard behind her.

“I calculated the odds of you locating me at only 26.3%.” She turned. “But then logic never mattered much where you and I were concerned, did it, Non?”

The man faced her with a frown. “Where have you been lurking?”

“To think…I was once linked to the Great Coluan cyber construct.” She sighed. “And now I wander the same realm as Candy Crush. By the way, I call myself Indigo these days.”

“It suits you.” Non told her. “Far more than Brainiac 8 ever did.”

“I am my own woman now. I hear you’re your own man again.”

Non kept his cool. “Is that your idea of condolences?”

“Ugh. Not at all.” Indigo said. “I despised Astra. I’m glad she’s dead. Why? Did you need a hug?”

He moved closer to her. “My wife was an exceptional woman.”

“Really? Her pathetic devotion to Myriad didn’t land her the throne.”

“Myriad works.” Non informed her. “And very soon, Astra’s dream for what Earth can become will be reality.”

“I was once your dream.” She moved to touch his chest.

He immediately grabbed her by the throat, making her smile.

“I forgot how much you enjoy a good choking.” She said with strain in her voice.

Non smirked. “You have only revealed yourself because Astra is dead. Why?”

She grabbed his hand and pulled it from her throat. “To prove to you that her ludicrous plan of living alongside the humans should die with her. No matter the world, predators cannot live with prey.”

“I know you of old.” He told her. “What have you done?”

Indigo smiled. “Just enough. I turned the wheel. Hell is coming to Earth and when it does, only the Kryptonians and I will survive it. See you after the apocalypse.”

Then she was gone, leaving Non standing alone on the rooftop.

Chapter Text

“It’s so frustrating.” Kara sighed as she sat back in her seat. “All I want to do is help, but they’re there around every fucking corner I turn.”

Mouch leaned forward as he took a bite of his lunch. “Honey, you have got to calm down. Just because you aren’t working at the district anymore doesn’t mean you can’t work this case like you normally would.”

It was the following day, and Kara brought lunch to her friends at 51 so she could get out of her apartment. Now she sat with Mouch, surrounded by the firefighters, as she complained about her situation.

“But I can’t do that if I don’t know all the information.”

“Well, what about Winn?” Stella asked her. “Can’t he help you out?”

“Voight has him working around the clock and made him sign a paper saying he wouldn’t tell anyone anything. Which means I’ve lost my best hacker while we’re dealing with a living extraterrestrial computer.

“And now would be the time where Voight usually tells me what we’re dealing with and how to catch it.” She sighed again. “If it is alien, how do I get any info on it?”

“You could always go back and work with them,” Otis suggested, and everyone turned to him. “What?”

The look on Kara’s face was deadly. “No, thank you.”

“Hey, doesn’t your cousin have somewhere he goes to find this stuff out?” Casey asked her.

Her eyebrows show up. “Yeah…he does. Mouch…”

He waved her away. “Go, go. We’ll do lunch another day. Good luck!”

Pulling out her phone, she hurried from the room.

Med was quieter than usual as Kara walked through the front doors of the ED. Her eyes roamed around the room as she looked for her target before finding them as they left the doctor’s lounge.

“Kara?”

She waved and walked over to greet her brother and Natalie. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, what’s going on? Shouldn’t you be out looking for that hacker?” Will asked her, holding on to Natalie a little tighter as he mentioned her attacker.

The blonde winced. “Yeah…about that. I think I have a way to get info on her, but I need to take a trip.”

“Okay…so how long will you be gone?” He asked.

“Only a few hours, but that’s not why I’m here. I know you need to relieve Helen of her babysitting duties, but…” She faced Natalie. “As an apology for the danger I put you last night, I was wondering if you would like to take this little trip with me?”

Looking at Will, who shrugged, Natalie smiled. “Sure! What do I need to bring?”

“A warm coat.”

Kara held Natalie close as she slowly dropped to the side of an ice-covered mountain. The woman immediately bent over and panted, looking up at her sister-in-law. “You seem…a lot faster than I thought you’d be.”

Kara smiled. “I wonder if that means I’m faster than my cousin.”

Natalie shrugged. “Your turns are kind of sharp, though.”

“Hey, no one likes a backseat flier.” Kara teased.

Scrubbing her hands together, Natalie smiled. “So where is it? Is there like a secret password or something?”

The blonde shook her head. “Nope.”

She moved to the side of where Natalie stood and brushed some snow off of a large golden key with her family’s crest emblazoned on it. Then she smiled up at Natalie.

“Seriously?” Natalie chuckled. “He just keeps the key under the doormat?”

“It’s a million tons of condensed dwarf star,” Kara told her. “He said only a select few can pick it up. So…”

“Well, go ahead.” The brunette smiled. “I want to see the inside.”

“Yeah, me too,” Kara whispered, lifting the key and fitting it into its proper hole.

The girls waited as a rumbling noise was heard before Kara put the key down, and the door slid open.

Walking inside felt surreal to Kara as she had only been told stories of this place by her cousin but had never actually been inside. There were large ice sculptures that reminded her of the palace on Krypton. The ones that stood out the most were the ones of her Aunt Lara and Uncle Jor-El. It reminded her of the family she’d lost, and to see them come to life had her heart squeezing in ache.

“Welcome to the Fortress of Solitude,” Kara told Natalie as they looked around.

“It’s…amazing.” Natalie supplied and stared at the architecture. “And beautiful.”

Kara nodded as they walked through another doorway. “Oh, hey, that’s the pod that brought Kal-El…Clark to Earth.”

Natalie sighed at the fondness in her sister’s voice. “I can’t believe Clark never invited you here.”

Kara shook her head. “He did. A lot, actually. But I always came up with an excuse not to come.”

“Why?”

She sighed. “I thought it would remind me of Krypton and make me homesick.”

“We don’t have to stay here, Kara,” Natalie said immediately. “We can figure out another way to-”

“No, no, it’s fine.” She looked around. “Now…how does this place work, you think?”

Natalie shrugged. “I was hoping you could tell me.”

“Hello, Kara Zor-El. How can I help you today?”

They both looked up to see a small, flying robot staring at them.

“You know him?” Natalie asked her, and Kara nodded.

“Yeah, we had these back on Krypton.” She told her. “They served as robotic helpers.”

Then she looked back at the robot.

“Kelex, can you tell us anything about this obnoxious blue alien species that works with computers?”

“Your description matches the Coluans. A highly intelligent race from the planet Colu. They served as supercomputers on Krypton, responsible for running day-to-day operations.”

“That explains the cyber terrorism.” Natalie bit her lip.

“Were any of them prisoners on Fort Rozz?” Kara asked the robotic helper.

“One. Her name is Indigo, a descendant of the Brainiac clan. She was captured while attempting to shut down Krypton’s defense system.”

“What was she planning?” Natalie asked.

“Her objective: terminate the entire planet’s population. She was deemed the most dangerous prisoner ever sentenced to Fort Rozz.”

They turned and started walking out as Natalie looked at Kara. “Do you think we should run this by Jay and Voight?”

“No.” Kara said. “No.”

Natalie sighed. “Kara, I know you’re upset with him for what he did. I would be, too. But that doesn’t mean you have to fight this alone.”

“I’m not alone…I’m with you.”

Chapter Text

“Ugh, this is pointless!” Kara groaned as she flipped through yet another file.

She’d dropped Natalie off at home before meeting Trudy for dinner, and the sergeant had been nice enough to give her some cloned files that Intelligence was working with, which they didn’t know she had gotten into. Now, Kara had been up all night going through them and still couldn’t find a link to everything happening.

She was interrupted by a knock at her door, and she furrowed her brow when she saw that it was Will and Ethan. “Hey, guys…what, uh, what are you doing here?”

“Saving your ass from going through all that paperwork,” Will told her and walked into her apartment.

Ethan sighed as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. “Will told me how you’re flying blind on this one, no pun intended. I reached out to a few of my military buddies and got you this.”

He handed her a file, and she looked confused. “General John Mathers?”

Ethan nodded. “His name came out with those who were released during the Diamond Discretions thing, and I knew I recognized the name.”

“But how did you know this would help?”

“Because I’ve been thinking, it doesn’t make sense to start with a sleazy website like that. I thought it might be more than just embarrassing people.

“Tell me more.”

At the district, Winn was typing into his computer furiously as Voight entered the bunker with Jay.

“You identified Brainiac 8. You know her code.” Voight told him. “If you can successfully decrypt her signal, you’ll lead us right to her.”

Winn sighed. “You realize that I’m learning an alien coding language in the same amount of time it takes to watch an episode of ‘Doctor Who,’ right?” When they didn’t answer, he sighed. “That’s like…like really fast.”

“I wish Kara were here,” Jay told them.

“Indigo wasn’t looking to embarrass cheating spouses or disrupt traffic or attack banks. She was covering for the fact that the general was her target all along.” Will cut in.

Ethan nodded. “I think she was looking to declassify his entire online footprint. That was the only way to tell.”

“Tell what?”

He sighed. “Which high-ranking official in Chicago has access to nuclear missile launch sites.”

“Oh my god,” Will said, realizing what Ethan needed Kara to know so badly.

“She’s going to nuke the city.” Kara breathed out and looked at them in a panic.

“Fort Pemberton is the nearest nuclear missile silo,” Jay told the team after they’d gathered in the bunker.

“But it’s completely off the grid,” Voight mentioned.

“Sarge is right; I mean, there’s no internet access.” Hailey agreed. “That way, no one can remotely hack in and launch a missile.”

“That’s why she needed the general.” Ethan supplied after he’d given Kara the info on Fort Pemberton. “To use him to get into the base.”

“Like a Trojan horse,” Will commented.

Kara looked up at them in determination. “Where is General Mathers now?”

At Fort Pemberton, the door to a secure vault was opened, and General Mathers walked inside. He waited while they secured the door behind them before addressing his inferior officers. “Status report?”

“Sir, we are at DEFCON 5.” The soldier told him. “All systems are nominal.”

Then, to the shock of everyone in the room, Mathers’ cell phone started to ring. “There’s reception in here?”

“There shouldn’t be…” The soldier said uncertainly.

Mathers held his phone up to his ear. “Mathers.”

“Thanks for the ride.”

A high-pitched screech filled the room and came from his phone, causing him to drop to the floor along with everyone else. Then tiny pieces started to come out of his phone, and Indigo formed in front of them.

As everyone pulled their guns on her, Indigo rolled along the ground and fought them off. Then she grabbed their guns and shot everyone but the final man, who looked at her. “You can’t kill us. You have to turn both keys at once.”

She sneered. “I know.”

Then she knocked him out and took the keys off the wrists of two men lying on the ground. Walking over to the access doors, she let her arms stretch wide, longer than humanly possible, until both keys were in their locks.

“I love fireworks.” She grinned, then let her smile fall as something fast was picked up on the radar.

Suddenly, the door to the room was torn open, and Kara stood in the doorway facing Indigo. “It’s over, Indigo.”

“For the human race?” The blue woman nodded. “I agree.”

She threw a punch and grabbed Kara around the neck, causing the blonde to spin her around until she hit a countdown button on the nuclear launch. Then Indigo got behind her and held on tightly, wrapping her arms around Kara’s chest and dragging her to the floor, where she wrapped her legs around Kara’s.

Kara tried to pull her off, but she wasn’t budging, and the blonde started to worry that all hope was lost.

“I calculate the death toll at seven million,” Indigo told her. “Give or take.”

Then the counter hit one, and the missile took off. Thinking quickly, Kara pretended to let her guard down, and Indigo loosened her grip, causing Kara to ram her elbow back into her blue face and knock her unconscious. Then Kara shot out the window and followed the missile as fast as she could handle, hoping to get to it before it hurt anyone.

In the bunker, everyone watched with bated breath as the satellite picked up the missile on their radars.

“The missile’s arching toward the city. ETA to target three minutes.” Jay told them.

Voight hung up his phone. “That was the White House. The President just ordered us to DEFCON 2.”

“We got a bogey,” Kim said as she hurriedly typed something into the computer she was standing near.

As everyone turned to look at the screen, Kevin furrowed his brow. “What the hell is that?”

Jay sighed. “That’s my sister.”

“Boss, I’ve got Supergirl on the line,” Ruzek told him and hit speaker on the bunker phone.

Up in the air, Kara sighed. “Voight. I need your help.”

“We’re tracking you with the ICBM. We’re going to stop this thing, Supergirl. Together.”

“What do I do?”

“You need to shut down its onboard flight computer.”

Kara flew up to the missile again and grabbed on, using the ridges on its side to propel her forward.

Back in the bunker, Jay looked at Winn. “You need to shut down the silo’s network. Keep Indigo from launching another warhead.”

“I think that I might have a way of actually shutting her down.” The man told the team and continued on at their looks of confusion. “I accidentally created a pretty nasty computer virus a few years ago.”

“How nasty?”

“Rip off the door to access the flight computer,” Voight told Kara, and Kim looked up at him.

“Twenty-eight thousand feet and dropping.” She said, referring to the missile.

They waited anxiously as Kara ripped off the door to the computer, and Voight gave her the next instructions from the book he had in front of him. “Input the kill code 1-1-7-4-7.”

“Fourteen thousand feet,” Hailey told him quietly.

They waited as she quickly typed it in but got thrown off the missile.

“Eight thousand feet,” Kevin muttered.

“Supergirl…” Voight growled in frustration as Kara crawled along the missile again to type in the code.

“Three thousand feet,” Jay said quickly.

“You’re out of time!” Voight hollered into the phone and watched the screen as the missile headed toward the city.

Then, it flew out over the water and disappeared, causing everyone to applaud.

“Yes!” Winn cried out, relief washing over him.

Back inside, Indigo crawled over to the computer. “Plenty of missiles left. Thank God for nuclear proliferation.”

Before she could hit the button deploying the next missile, Kara flew inside and knocked her off her feet. “Bet you didn’t calculate that.”

In her earpiece, she heard Jay ask Winn how something was coming, and by his response, she knew she had about thirty more seconds until Indigo would be taken down.

“Hold on, Supergirl,” Jay said in her ear. “Supergirl, do you copy?”

Indigo smiled as she stood. “Who is that you’re talking to? I knew you were too stupid to be working alone.”

Then she reached into the general’s abandoned phone and smiled at Kara.

Back in the city, Indigo’s hand came out of Winn’s computer and grabbed him around the throat.

“I am beyond a body. I am beyond time and space. All I have to do is squeeze my fingers, and your friend dies.”

Jay ran over to Winn and watched as the man typed quickly even as he was being choked.

“I am invincible. I am a God.”

“No, you’re just a glorified Windows Vista.” Winn choked out and hit enter, effectively uploading the virus to Indigo’s network.

Then he leaned back and breathed in deeply as Jay checked on him. “Hey man, you good? You good?”

Winn nodded and they listened back in on Kara’s conversation.

Kara stared at Indigo as she cried out in pain.

“What have you done to me?” She asked the blonde as she tried to turn to pieces but couldn’t go anywhere.

“I just fed you a major helping of malware,” Winn said in Kara’s ear. “Bon Appetit.”

“You.” Indigo sneered at her. “You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me.”

Kara looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“How do you think Fort Rozz escaped the Phantom Zone? For decades, I searched the Phantom Zone with my mind. Looking for a way out. And then…I found you.

“I activated your pod. I linked it to the prison. I’m the reason you made it to Earth. You would still be sleeping in that timeless void if it wasn’t for me.”

Then Indigo screamed and exploded into a million tiny red pieces that disappeared immediately.

“Are you okay over there, Supergirl?”

Kara breathed out slowly. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

Chapter Text

“And in more lighthearted news, a bright light seen cruising through the sky towards Chicago captivated conspiracy theorists earlier today. But, according to NASA, it was just a Soyuz en route to replenish the ISS.”

Will sighed as he turned off the news. Kara had gone to their house for dinner after the whole ordeal, seeing as Jay and the team were still at work, and found that she needed the company.

“That wasn’t a rocket, was it?” He asked his sister while glancing at Natalie.

Kara sighed. “No, it wasn’t.”

Natalie put her hands on her face. “How close did we come today?”

“Too close.”

“Well, then, we’re lucky to have Supergirl,” Natalie told her with a small smile. “Now, if you guys don’t mind, I’m going to go lay in bed with my son for a while.”

The siblings watched her leave the room before Will spoke. “You okay?”

He could see how jittery she was and needed to know if there was anything he could do for her.

“Yeah.” She sighed. “Yeah, my heart’s still racing from chasing after a zig-zagging missile. I kinda felt like Harry Potter playing Quidditch.”

He chuckled. “Is there anything I can do?”

She shook her head. “Just exactly what you’ve been doing. Dinner was exactly what I needed after today.”

“Have you spoken to Jay?”

She bit her lip. “Not since the missile. He’s with Voight, and I just…”

“But you called him today, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah, because it was what was best for the city.”

“Kara…”

She held up her hand. “I know, I know. I already know what you’re going to say, but I just…it’s hard, Will. He killed my aunt.”

“I know, and I don’t blame you for being upset with him. But you may not know the whole story.”

She scoffed. “Oh, I know exactly what happened.”

“No, you don’t. You weren’t there, Kara.” Will reminded her. “You can’t possibly know what really happened unless you talk to Voight or Jay about it.”

“Well, why wouldn’t Jay have told me if something else did happen?” She questioned. “He’s had plenty of time to stand up for Voight, but he hasn’t given me anything, so why should I believe anything other than he killed her out of spite or his own selfish gains? It would be just like him to do something like that, and you know it.”

Will nodded. “I do. And I don’t know why Jay hasn’t said anything except that he probably sees what I see, which is how sad you are whenever Astra is brought up. But you have to think beyond that, Kara. You have to think about what is good for the city and everyone in it.” He told her. “I haven’t recognized you very much these last few days, but if you start doing that, you’ll be the Kara I know and love.”

Taking a deep breath, she groaned. “Ugh, tell Natalie I said goodbye. There’s somewhere I have to go.”

In a room in the bunker, Jay paced as Voight watched him. “We worked well together today but she still isn’t here. I just want everything to go back to normal.”

“I know you do, but you have to come to the realization that it may not be that easy,” Voight told him. “Your sister has a right to be upset, and it’s better if she’s upset with me than you.”

“I know, but…”

They were interrupted by the door sliding open and watched as Kara walked inside in her Supergirl suit. They all stared at each other momentarily, taking in the fact that she had returned to them when Voight finally spoke.

“It’s good to see you, Kara.”

She nodded, her arms crossed over her chest. “Well, the world almost ended ‘cause we weren’t a team. We need each other.

“So, personal feelings aside, I’m back.” She sighed as she walked up onto the platform and faced him.

Beside them, Jay looked torn and sad. Then he walked over to the door.

“Stronger together?” Voight asked her.

She nodded again. “Yeah.”

“Well, the first thing we need to do is assess if Indigo’s attack was related to Non’s secret Myriad project or if the two were working at cross-purpose…”

He cut himself off as the door shut, and Jay faced them. “I saw…Astra…standing over Voight.”

“What?” Kara’s heart started beating wildly, anxious about what she would hear.

Voight’s voice was gruff. “Jay…”

Jay shook his head. “He was defenseless. She said she was gonna give him an honorable death. And I reacted.”

Kara saw his eyes turning red from withheld tears and watched him carefully for any sign of a lie.

“Because that’s what I was taught to do.” He watched as Kara turned away from him. “Voight didn’t kill Astra. I did.”

Voight shook his head and hoped this wouldn’t break their sibling bond. He’d seen what they were like when Kara first came out as Supergirl, and it was hard to watch them fight when they were so close otherwise. He just prayed that there was some way for them to move past this.

“And when you got there, he saw how devastated you were.” Jay continued moving so that Kara could face him. “He didn’t want you to get angry with me. He took the blame…and I let him. Because I was afraid of losing you…and I can’t lose you.”

Jay’s voice broke as Kara walked down the few stairs from the platform and stood there, a hard look on her face. Jay had tears in his eyes now, and he shrugged at Voight, letting him know he didn’t know what would happen but that he’d tried.

Then Kara turned and enveloped him in a hug. His arms went around her immediately, clinging to her like a lifeline as he tried to steady his breathing. The tears spilled over onto her shoulder, but she squeezed him tighter and sighed.

Voight watched their interaction for a moment before walking down the stairs and going towards the door. He was stopped, however, by a hand on his arm, and he looked up to see Kara looking at him.

With one hand on Jay’s back, she held the other out for Voight to take, which he did and squeezed it gently. Then they stood there, Jay with silent shudders trembling through his body as his sister held him, their boss holding her hand in support.

They would be fine, Voight realized. They would be just fine.

Non walked to the center console at his secret hideaway, levitating a sphere above his hand. As he walked around the table, pieces of Indigo’s body appeared as he spoke.

“I merely broke your heart. Look what Supergirl did to you.” He set the sphere down next to her head. “Now, are you ready to do things my way?”

Chapter Text

“So, you haven’t heard from your uncle at all yet?” Herrmann asked as he set beers in front of Kara, Jay, and Hailey.

“That man is not my uncle,” Kara told him. “He may have been married to my aunt, but he is dead to me and always has been.”

At Herrmann’s wince, Jay nodded. “Yeah, there’s no love lost there.”

“Yeah, but having him out there wanting revenge on me doesn’t instill me with a sense of calm.” The Kryptonian said as she took a sip of her beer.

Then Jay noticed her eyes glaze over and furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone hit their watch.”

“Kara…Kara please. Help.”

“Call Voight. It’s Kim.”

Then she was out of her seat and running outside to the alley, ripping her clothes off and flying into the air.

When she arrived, she saw Kim huddled over someone’s body, and it was only when she got close enough that she realized it was her new boyfriend. Kara listened carefully for any sign of a heartbeat, and when she found one, she sped over to them.

“Kim, what happened?” Kara asked as she placed her own hands over Kim’s on his gunshot wound.

“I…I don’t know. I found him like this.”

“Okay, it’s okay. I can hear the ambulance coming, they’re going to take care of him, okay?”

Kim nodded mutely, and Kara was just as worried for her friend as she was for the man bleeding out in front of her. Then the ambulance pulled up, and Kara waved a bloody hand to them.

“Over here!” She screamed so they would find them. “We’re over here!”

Platt and Voight arrived at the same time, and Kara stood next to Kim as she wiped the blood from her hands. As Trudy walked up, she nodded at Kara, then turned to face Kim. “Burgess? Kim?”

Trudy looked at Kara again, and the blonde shrugged, having gotten no response out of her since the ambulance arrived.

“Kim. Hey, Kim, look at me.” When she did, Trudy nodded and placed a blanket around her shoulders. “They got him. His pulse is still steady. You did real good. What happened?”

Kim blinked slowly. “I don’t know. I saw his car, his cell phone rang, it brought me here. I-I…it looks like two small caliber rounds, but I didn’t see any shell casings, so I don’t really know…”

Kara watched as Voight approached them, putting his hand on Kim’s shoulder. “Hey, Kim. You alright?”

“By the time I got here, the street was completely empty, and his car was cold.” She told him. “So, I say that we ping his cell phone, right? Because that will let us find out exactly what time he got here.”

“Hank.” They were interrupted by Deputy Superintendent Brennan.

He nodded at Kim. “We’ll do that. You go with Trudy and Supergirl.”

As the women led her away, Brennan started talking to Voight. “The victim’s Kelton’s consultant, Blair?”

“Yeah, two GSWs; being transported to Lakeshore Memorial.” He told her.

“So, what the hell was he doing out here?”

Voight shrugged. “I don’t have an answer to that yet.”

“Well, the less you tell the public, the better.” She said quickly.

“Understood.” He nodded. “A member of my team’s got a connection to this kid. We got the same agenda on this. We find something ugly, we’re gonna keep it private.”

“Well, Kelton’s on campaign stops all this week…”

“If I need you, I know where to find you.”

“One more thing…”

Voight sighed. “What is it?”

“Supergirl. Why is she here?” Brennan asked him, a brow raised.

He shrugged again. “She works certain civilian cases with us, and this felt like a special one, so she’s working it with us. Besides, she found my officer and Blair before the ambulance.”

“Just as long as it’s handled the right way.”

“She’s completely above books on these cases. Believe me, we’re all good here.”

Back with the team, Voight watched as Ruzek walked up. “Kim alright?”

“Yeah.”

Then Jay walked up, and it was work as usual. “Okay, I ran the address through NADIS. It’s pretty much what you’d expect. Uh, area’s known for trafficking. There’s two houses on the block that are both indexed. Known suppliers in each.”

“Alright, well, we’re gonna have to run both.” Voight said. “Question is anybody know if Blair had a problem with drugs?”

“No,” Kim said as she walked up with Kara. “He barely even drinks.”

Outside the fence, Hailey flagged them down next to Blair’s car. “Sarge? I got something.”

As the team walked to the car, Kara grabbed Kim’s hand, and the other women held on tight. When they approached, they found a bag full of money in it, and Kara knew it didn’t look good.

Hailey sighed as she shined her flashlight on it. “There’s at least 20k in there.”

Voight hesitated and then nodded. “Alright. Well, work your CIs. Reach out to Gangs, Narcotics, farm for witnesses, PODS. If they haven’t been shot up, we might get lucky.”

“Yeah, I’m going to head to the hospital,” Kim said, and as Kara looked up and caught Trudy’s face, she squeezed Kim’s hand.

“Kim?” Trudy faced her. “I just talked to the hospital detail. Blair coded in the ambulance. He died en route. I’m very sorry.”

Kara felt Kim squeeze her hand back and didn’t let go. She was going to hold her hand all night if she had to, until Kim wanted her to let go. Sharing a look with Jay, the blonde looked sad and shook her head.

She prayed that they could find something to help solve this case and fast, for Kim’s sake.

Kara sat at her desk in the bullpen the next morning with Winn as everyone gathered to review the information they currently had on the shooting.

“Blair Williams, thirty-two years old,” Hailey said as she pinned his picture up on the board. “Born and raised in Connecticut, wealthy family. Studied politics at Princeton, moved to DC shortly after graduating.”

Then Jay stepped in. “Spent his whole career as a political consultant. Good reputation, too. Been in Chicago the last two months working for Kelton.

“Found last night, 10:18pm, two GSWs. So far, nothing on forensics or ballistics yet.”

“Hmm,” Voight grunted. “Okay, Blair got any link to drugs? Any priors?”

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, believe it or not, he got popped for possession at seventeen. He got pulled over on a traffic stop, and the cops found seven grams of cocaine on him.”

“He didn’t get charged with intent to distribute?” Antonio asked.

Kevin shook his head. “No. Apparently, his parents had pretty good lawyers.”

“Well, um, we ran through Blair’s texts and calls,” Kara said, knowing it was her turn to speak, though she didn’t want to. “They were mostly business, personal texts, but there’s one that stands out as being a little strange.

“It was a conversation with a burner phone. Looks like Blair was trying to buy something. Blair to the burner, ‘Will give you a good price’. The burner responded ‘Meet me at 8pm. The Green Lounge.”

“Let me see,” Kim said, and Kara bit her lip as she nodded at Winn to hand her the file with the texts in it.

Antonio sighed. “Sounds like a drug deal to me.”

“Green Lounge, that’s that bar outside Englewood, right?” Winn asked quickly.

Ruzek nodded. “Yeah. Lots of drugs, lots of fights.”

“Roll on it,” Voight told them.

As Kim followed Ruzek out of the bullpen, everyone returned to their work, and Winn turned to Kara. “Will it always be like this? Cases that hit close to home?”

“Rao, I hope not.” Kara breathed out. “Have you found anything on Non yet?”

He shook his head. “Nothing yet, but I have my computer constantly scanning for any signs of him or his cronies.”

“Thanks, Winn.” Kara sighed. “Now…back to the case.”

Chapter Text

Kara and Winn sat at her desk in the bullpen, trying to review the information everyone had compiled. Jay and Hailey had gone out to talk to a reverend that Blair had spoken to the night he died, but found the man bleeding out from two gunshot wounds. Now, the team was left with another puzzle piece to fit together to try to find out who had done this and why.

“Hey, tech squad.”

Both Winn and Kara looked up at Antonio with unamused expressions on their faces.

“Antonio, you know I could melt your mouth off in half a second, right?” Kara asked him.

“Point taken, won’t say that again.” He sighed. “Winn, have you gotten anything off of Blair’s laptop?”

“Yes, but it’s weird.”

“What’s weird?”

Winn sighed. “Well, everything seemed legitimate until I pulled up this file.”

DU QNEU VXJVCPZNPUK PQU QRINX YZBRA NXK DVCC ZUABZP FNWG NH HBBX NH ABHHVFCU

PQU QRINXH QNEU XB VKUN BJ BRZ VXEBCEUIUXP NXK DVCC FU AUZJUWP HRFOUWPH JBZ ITZVNK GUCPBX DVCC FU UNHVCY AUZHRNKUK DQUX DU NZU ZUNKT JBZ CNRXWQ

TBR KVK XBP PUCC RH YUXUZNC NHPZN DNH KUNK DU XB CBXYUZ DNXP PB FU N ANZP BJ PQVH BAUZNPVBN ACUNHU CUNEU RH FU NH DU XB CBXYUZ DVHQ PB FU VXEBCEUK XBD PQNP PQU YUXUZNC VH YBXU V WNXXBP HAUNG JBZ IT WBRXPUZANZP FRP V QNEU JBRXK IUNXVXY VX CVEVXY N QRINX CVJUHPTCU NXK QNEU JNCCUX VX CBEU VJ TBR KB XBP CUNEU RH NCBXU DU DVCC YB PB PQU YUXUZNCH AZUWVBRS CVPPCU BXU NXK NHG JBZ QUCA DU NZU KBXU

Antonio looked down at the screen. “Can you decrypt it?”

“No, that’s the weird part. It looks like just a bunch of letters out of order, but I’ve tried every cipher I can think of and more and yet…nothing.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “Maybe I can help.”

Leaning over to peer at the computer, she took one look at it and froze. “Fuck.”

The guys looked up at her. “What is it?”

“I need to talk to Voight.”

“I think he was bleeding out for a while,” Jay told Voight as he and Hailey followed him back to the bullpen. “There’s no witnesses, no phone. The shooter probably snatched it.”

“It looks like Dennis might have known the shooter. He was in the back making tea when it happened. No signs of a struggle.” Hailey added.

Jay nodded. “Yeah, there were four casings, which means the shooter missed twice at close range. So he was not a professional.”

Kim sighed. “Hey, this guy Dennis? Are we sure that he’s a legitimate reverend?”

“Yeah, he was ordained,” Jay told her.

“Well, Blair wasn’t religious. So, I have no idea why he was meeting with a reverend.”

“Uh, ballistics came back as a match,” Hailey said. “9mm that killed Blair killed Dennis too.”

“Okay…” Kim thought for a second. “Maybe he’s a political donor. They were meeting to maybe talk about the election.”

“I ran that theory up the ladder,” Antonio stated. “No one from Kelton’s staff recognized the name.”

“Did they know if Blair had any enemies?” Jay asked him.

He shook his head. “None that stood out as anything more than political divides. I mean, all they said was Kelton is really pissed that he’s way behind in the polls, that everyone was pretty much drowning in it. Except for Blair. He had been talking about a new opportunity he had, but no one knew what he meant by that.”

“I do,” Kara said carefully and looked at Voight, who nodded at her. “Winn found a file on Blair’s computer that he couldn’t crack. The second I looked at it, I knew.”

Rising from her chair, she took the printed messages and pinned them to the board, then handed one to each person.

“I don’t understand. This looks like a bunch of random letters smashed together.” Kim told her.

Kara nodded. “To a human, it would. But it’s actually an alien language spoken on Durla. This, plus the medical records and toxicology reports we received from Med, makes me even more positive…Blair was Durlan. He was an alien. I’m sorry, Kim.”

“What?” Kim sank into her seat, and Kara had to look away as she continued.

“I had Winn look, and there were two registered Durlans in Fort Rozz. My mother imprisoned them there for crimes they committed within Krypton’s borders. I was young, really young, at the time, but the case was so crazy that I kept up with it.

“See, Durlans almost never left their home planet back then, but then this was before they were invaded. They can shapeshift and mimic whatever they need to. I’m betting we get the reports back on Dennis and he’s our other Durlan.”

“What did they do on Krypton?” Kim asked slowly.

Kara bit her lip. “They impersonated my Uncle Jor-El and the head of his security detail in order to gain access to classified documents in our palace.”

“What does the message say?” Jay wondered.

Kara looked at Voight again, and he nodded. “Go ahead and tell them.”

She fidgeted with her glasses and sighed. “It’s a few messages sent from the computer to an unidentified server. It starts off by saying, ‘We have infiltrated the human group and will report back as soon as possible.’

“Then it moves on to say ‘the humans have no idea of our involvement and will be perfect subjects for Myriad…Kelton will be easily persuaded when we are ready for launch.’

“Finally…” She trailed off and cleared her throat. “The final message is longer. It reads:

‘You did not tell us General Astra was dead. We no longer want to be a part of this operation. Please leave us be, as we no longer wish to be involved now that the general is gone. I cannot speak for my counterpart, but I have found meaning in living a human lifestyle and have fallen in love. If you do not leave us alone, we will retaliate. If you still do not leave us alone, we will go to the general’s precious ‘little one’ and ask for help. We are done.’

“That’s where it ends.”

“But who is Astra’s ‘little one’ that they were so sure would help them?” Ruzek asked.

“Me.” Kara shrugged. “She used to call me that.”

Kim looked up at her. “So…they were killed because…”

“Because they wanted out of whatever Non is planning, and he didn’t like the threat of me coming after them. Even if he thinks I’m no threat, he doesn’t want me thrown in his face like that.”

Kim stood, staring at the paper before hurrying out to the locker room. Hailey went after her, and Kara’s heart and face fell as she watched her friend leave.

Jay put his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, this isn’t on you. You couldn’t have known.”

“But I should have.” She told him. “I wish I would have.”

Chapter Text

Kara fidgeted with her glasses as she walked towards the locker room. She’d given Kim time to settle down, but wanted her to know how sorry she was for getting her into this mess.

“I know you’re there, Kara.”

The blonde winced and moved around the corner. “I’m sorry.”

“For trying to scare me? You’re not that quiet.”

Kara shook her head. “No, for all of this. For what happened to Blair. For getting you into this mess in the first place.”

Kim furrowed her brow. “How is that your fault?”

“It’s because of my family that he was even introduced to you and subsequently was killed. If it weren’t for my family, you never would have had to go through this. I am so sorry. I don’t know how to say it enough.”

“Hey…” Kim turned to look at her fully. “This isn’t your fault. I don’t blame you. Do I blame Non and Astra and their crazy crusade? Yes. But none of that is your fault.”

“But they wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me.”

“Kara, you had no choice in that decision. Indigo did that for you. And I’m glad you’re here.” Kim sighed. “Honestly, I was going to break up with Blair that night anyway, so I don’t know why I’m so upset.”

“You still had feelings for him, Kim.” Kara sat next to her. “Whether or not you were going to break up with him doesn’t matter; you liked him…maybe even loved him for a while. And he obviously loved you if he was willing to go against Non for you. You don’t go against someone like him without feeling something serious.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“That could be why you’re feeling so badly, too.” Kara shrugged. “Knowing that he had those feelings for you before he died isn’t something to take lightly. Even if you were going to break up with him, it’s okay to feel upset about it.”

“Is this how you felt when Astra died?”

Kara sighed. “Worse, probably, but then I knew her longer. But I get the comparison. Astra and I…we had our difficulties. We were enemies, but I still thought I could save her. I know I could have. But she was still something special to me for a long time, and I can’t just let that go.”

“I’m sorry she died.”

“I’m sorry Blair died.”

“Aren’t we a pair?” Kim joked, and Kara snorted.

“Oh, a brilliant one.” Then she sighed again. “Why don’t we go get a drink, huh? Drown our sorrows.”

“Yeah, I could go for that.”

Kara was about to speak again when a loud thump was heard from the closet. The women looked at each other, and Kara lowered her glasses to look inside.

“Ahh!” Kara yelled, and her hands immediately went to her eyes.

“What? What is it?” Kim said, hand going for her gun.

At that same moment, the door to the closet opened and Winn and Siobhan fell out, clothes in disarray and hair mussed.

“No, no! No, no, no, no, no!” Kara cried and rubbed her eyes furiously.

Siobhan sighed and rolled her eyes. “Guess that’s my exit.”

Once she was gone, Winn winced. “Just now, did you use the…”

He put his fingers to his eyes, and Kim nodded as Kara groaned.

“Oh God, you did.”

Kara looked at him, her eyes red. “I am never using any supplies from that closet ever again without surgical gloves.”

“Okay, okay,” Winn whispered at them. “Look, I’m, I’m…I’m sorry, I did not mean for any of this to happen. It’s just kind of happening. And, like, I know it seems wrong, I mean, it definitely feels wrong, except for, like, when it’s happening and then it’s like…”

“Ahh!” Kara yelled again, covering her ears.

Kim jumped in to try to help her friend. “Okay, okay. You don’t have to explain anything, Winn. You and Officer Smythe are two consenting adults. You should do what makes you happy.”

“But…are you sure? Kara, I know that you guys have your issues. Are you sure you’re okay with us…”

“Ahh!” Kara yelled once more, and he nodded.

“Got it. I will stop mentioning it.”

Jay popped his head in and looked at them all suspiciously. “What the hell is going on in here? Is everyone okay?”

“Yep!” Kara nodded and hurried past him, dragging him with her back up to Intelligence. “Everything’s great! I did not just see my best friend having sex with my worst civilian enemy. Nope. Didn’t happen.”

Jay started laughing immediately. “Oh, shit! Schott got laid?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She ground out as she approached her desk.

“How much did you see? Like…”

She just glared at him, and he winced. “Yeah, I think you need several drinks after seeing that.”

“Not like they’ll work on me…” She grumbled as he led her from the room.

She had just finished getting drinks with Jay and some of the others and was flying home when the sound of fire engine sirens hit her ears. Looking around, she saw a large fire a few blocks away and sped over to help.

When she saw that her friends were the crews on scene, she dropped to the ground and looked at Casey. “What can I do to help?”

“Thank God.” He said quickly. “The fire is getting out of hand, and Squad is on the roof. Capp is trapped under a beam, and they can’t get him out. My guys have the fire, just make sure to get him out safely.”

“You got it, Captain.” Kara nodded at him and flew to the roof.

As she landed, Severide caught sight of her and waved her over. “Supergirl, over here!”

She hurried over and looked down at Capp. “Don’t worry, Capp, I got you.”

She lifted the beam as if it were nothing and watched as Cruz and Tony slid him out. Then she laid the beam down again and looked at Severide.

“Thank you.” He told her, and she nodded.

“Of course.”

Walking away to make sure everything else was secure, she suddenly felt dizzy and blinked her eyes for a minute. “God…”

“You okay?” Severide asked her, and she shook her head clear before nodding.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

Then she flew down to the ground again to talk to Casey, missing the chunk of red glowing rock that sat under a beam not far from where she was standing.