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When travelling universes for a quick extremely long distance date there were certain things Kate Kane hoped to see on arrival. The smiling face of the woman she was there to see was usually at the top of that list followed by her wearing nothing but that smile. It was therefore disconcerting to step from the swirling portal to see her date flanked by her sister on the left and resident father figure on her right. Doubly so with the serious expressions they all wore.“Well this doesn’t look good.” Kate noted as she carefully laid her large travel bag down by the kitchen units and walked into the living space. “What’s wrong? And did I in any way cause it?”Kara Danvers smiled as she realised how things must have looked and shook her head. “Nothing you’ve done, don’t worry.”“Actually worry a bit because we need to ask you a favour…” Alex put in. She was more or less completely sold on Kate after she’d saved her sister from a kidnapping that had intended to use her as bait for, ironically, a Supergirl trap. But there was always that protective big sister part of her which she couldn’t quite turn off and probably wouldn’t even if she figured out how.“Well that’s not ominous at all.” Kate said looking from one Danvers to the other. “Uh, J’onn, care to fill in the blanks here?”The tall and imposing black man to Kara’s right sighed and swept a hand towards the couch. The three women took a cushion each while he slumped into the nearby armchair. Slumped, Kate thought to herself, that seemed out of character but it was also the only word that fit.“I take it you remember the Children of Liberty?” J’onn asked and Kate nodded.“Those idiots that took Kara, right? Oh and someone mentioned they’d been around for a while giving you some trouble?”“That’s missing a few details but you’ve got the general theme, yes.” J’onn sighed again and settled back into the chair. Kate realised with a start just how tired he looked and then noticed the worry mirrored on Kara and Alex’s faces.“We thought they were finished. No sign of them and no intelligence indicating they were still active. And then you helped us stop a small army of them right here in National City. I’ve spent the last two weeks tracking down every lead we can gather trying to figure out what they might be up to.”“And?” Kate asked although she suspected she already knew the answer.“And all but one have hit a dead end.” J’onn admitted. “Outdated information, supply lines that were supposed to be restarted but never were… that sort of thing.”“I know I’m going to regret asking this but you mentioned one that was still good?” Kate asked and she caught Kara’s wince from the corner of her eye. Still both Danvers’ sisters seemed content to let J’onn continue what Kate was increasingly thinking of as a briefing.“Yes. This one, in fact.” J’onn tapped the TV remote and the screen sprang to life showing a still image of what looked suspiciously like an upmarket club. Kate’s practiced eye swept over the screen taking in the single access door, the small crowd gathered against the wall of the building and cordoned off by a velvet rope, the carefully blacked out windows that ensured privacy against the outside world. The building itself was four floors tall, finished in red brick and with the upper floor windows set back just enough to sit flush with the brickwork. The ground floor looked like it was supposed to be a big retail store with large glass windows but they, too, were blacked out.“Let me guess… billionaire perversion club?” Kate asked and she couldn’t help but laugh at the disbelieving looks she got in return. “Or something similar at least. Certain design trends seem to be common to those places and whoever owns it has clearly got money if they can afford a building like that.”“Well we haven’t found any actual perversion.” Alex said a little tartly. “But there’s absolutely something going on inside they don’t want us to know about.”“What makes you say that?” Kate asked.“Well lead-lined walls, roof and floors for a start. All the glass is old enough to have a relatively high lead content anyway and even the doors seem to have a lead sheet installed.” Alex said. “Plus we’re fairly sure there’s a power nullifier installed there. Possibly more than one actually judging by the headache Ka… Supergirl got while casually overflying the building.”“Well that does sound suspicious.” Kate agreed. “I’m assuming there’s more?”“While the Children of Liberty weren’t quite finished they did find themselves significantly reduced in numbers.” J’onn said, seemingly grateful to be moving away from what other things the club might be used for. “In order to pull off the kidnapping they needed fresh recruits. Previously they had a pattern of cultivating each contact, putting time in to get to know them and try to judge how they’d take the offer of membership. But that takes time which is a luxury they didn’t have and almost a dozen of the prisoners we took mentioned this club.” He saw the look Kate was giving him and held up a hand to forestall her objection. “Not directly of course but with enough clues that we could link them all to it. That along with a search of saved security camera footage from that area turned up eight of the twelve heading towards it on multiple occasions.”“Okay, so maybe there is something going on.” Kate admitted. “What do you want me to do?”“You don’t have to do anything.” Kara blurted out and Kate chuckled, reaching over to pat Kara’s shoulder.“I know. But you and I both know if something’s important enough to have all three of you waiting for my portal then I’m going to help if I can.”“I was afraid you’d say that.” Kara said softly but she reached up and squeezed Kate’s hand in thanks all the same.“The club itself is just about the only place in National City with a strict no-aliens policy.” J’onn said. “Which as you can imagine makes it a fertile recruiting ground. Looking at the backgrounds of our prisoners most of them seem to be ex-military, many with solid records. They’re all openly hostile towards aliens being on the planet in general, much less being part of society.”“Probably not helped by being ex-military.” Kate said. “Think about it. They spend years learning how to do their patriotic duty then see an alien turn up who can walk right through them without blinking. That’s gotta wound their pride if nothing else.”“Good point.” Alex said throwing a ‘I told you she was the right choice’ look at J’onn.“They’re also in a rush so I doubt they’re doing serious background checks.” J’onn said, once more moving the briefing forward. “We can set up a convincing fake record if anyone goes looking for it. If we match your actual service record that should make it easier for you to remember the details.”Kate chuckled and glanced at Kara. “You never told them about how my glorious military career ended then?”Kara blushed and Alex stepped in. “Actually she did. We thought it’d make a good point to sell your recruiters on. Got kicked out, travelled the world to hone your skills, aliens make it all pointless… that sort of thing.”“That could work.” Kate said but now her attention was locked on Kara. “When do you want to do this?”“As soon as possible.” J’onn said gravely. “Tonight if you’re willing and can get your cover straight by then.”“That’ll be fine.” Kate replied. “Can we have the room please?”“Uh… yes. Yes of course.” J’onn said looking in confusion at Alex but following her not very subtle at all ‘we should go now’ gestures. “Kara can call us when you’re ready.”“Okay.” Kate waited until the front door had shut behind them and she heard the faint click of shoes on the stairs. “Alright, tell me why you hate this.”Kara blinked and shook her head. “I don’t!”“Yeah you do.” Kate said but the sparkle in her eyes took any sting out of the words. “You’re really not great at hiding your feelings you know.”Kara sighed and rolled her eyes. “And doesn’t Alex let me know that at every opportunity.”“Sorry.”“No. No you’re right, I should have been honest. Though… uh, technically, I don’t hate the idea.”“Ah.” Kate sat back a little and nodded. “You just hate it being me acting as bait?”“No. Yes. Sort of… I don’t know.” Kara said and suddenly she seemed very small, almost hunched in on herself. Kate automatically scooted forward and gathered the girl of steel into her arms, gently rubbing her back through the thin shirt.“Do you want to talk about it or should I guess?”Kara chuckled weakly against Kate’s shoulder. “Guess.”“Alright.” Kate thought for a moment and was surprised how quickly her mind shifted through the various options that presented themselves for her consideration. Maybe she really was getting the hang of the detective part of her nightly duties….“I think… wait, a question first. They said it’s lead lined. I know you can’t see through it but what does lead do to your hearing?”“Not much.” Kara admitted. “If it’s really close it helps muffle things a little.”“Ah.” Kate shuffled round and brought her legs up under her so she was sitting cross-legged on the couch facing Kara, her arms still wrapped around her. “And you’re going to be flying overhead in case there’s trouble?”“Yes.”Kate sighed and tightened her grip a little. “Kara… you know I… like you, right? Like…. A lot?”“There have been hints.” Kara said but Kate could hear the unspoken words on her breath and knew she’d guessed right.“If I do this… I’m going to have to make them believe that *I* believe everything I’m saying.” Kate told Kara softly. “If they’ve got anyone even halfway competent they’d spot a bad act a mile away. And I’m sorry, Kara. I’m really, really sorry… but that means I’ve got to say things that aren’t true but are going to hurt you anyway.”“I know.” Kara’s voice almost broke and Kate suddenly hated herself for what she was proposing. “But it’s still you saying them. After everything I’ve been through with anti-alien idiots on this world… I don’t know if I can remember it’s all an act. I just… I don’t know.”Kate took a deep breath, mind racing. She glanced around the living area and spotted a small stack of blank envelopes on a little side tables with a notepad and pen next to them. She hopped up and retrieved the pad, pen and an envelope.“Okay… I need you to make me a promise.” Kate said once she was back on the couch.“Anything.”“You have to promise that no matter *what* you’ll not look at what I write down and put in this envelope. No steaming it open, no reading the indentations on the paper with your fingers and absolutely no x-ray vision.”“Umm, okay?”“Good.” Kate took a deep breath as she put pen to paper and for a moment Kara thought her friend and casual lover was about to pass out. Then in a great rush of effort she scribbled something down, tore the page off the notebook, folded it a couple of times and popped it in the envelope. She got up and went through to the bedroom, tucking the envelope beneath Kara’s pillow before returning.“I’m confused.” Kara admitted and was surprised when Kate didn’t sit down next to her.“There are some things… a lot of things really… I’m not good at saying.” Kate admitted. “Used to be anything to do with being an actual living person with a soul but I’ve been getting better lately. Once I’m back from this, uh, mission? I guess we can call it a mission, right? Once I’m back I need to tell you something and then… then you can open it. And I promise, I *swear* to you Kara… once you do you won’t need to worry about not knowing what’s the truth and what isn’t.”Kara took a long hard look at Kate and realised she’d never seen her quite like this. She looked for all the world like she wanted to run away which was in stark contrast to the ‘punch the world until it apologises’ look Kara thought of as Kate’s natural mood. She stood up and walked over to take Kate’s hands in hers.“Alright.” Kara said softly. “I trust you. Always will. But if you decide you don’t want to show me, that’s fine too.”“No.” Kate shook her head almost angrily. “No I’m…. Let’s just say I’m not changing my mind on this. I can’t.”“That works too.” Kara hesitated then gave Kate a small smile. “So… I know we need to get over to the DEO so you can see the paper trail they created for you but would you consider a small kiss for luck?”Kate laughed and relaxed against Kara for a moment. “It’ll have to be a short one.”“Well obviously, otherwise we’re never leaving.”“Exactly.”“Which would be a terrible thing to have to explain.”“Absolutely.”“Right.” There was a long, drawn out silence before Kate asked: “How long, roughly, does creating a fake paper trail take in this universe?”“Oh… at least half an hour.”“Really? In mine it’s more like an hour.”Kara grinned and moved closer so she was standing so close they were almost pressed together. “Including travel time?”“Deal!” Kate closed the gap and kissed Kara, sending them both tumbling backwards until Kara started floating and guided them both onto the bed. Kate just about had the presence of mind to slip the envelope out from under the pillow and on to the night stand beside the bed. It had been tough enough to write the thing in the first place, she really didn’t want to have to do so again if it got damaged.
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The bouncer outside the club looked like he needed a birth certificate to assure people he was, actually, human. Almost six foot tall and what looked like the same wide it was as if a wall had come to life and, for its troubles, found itself shoved into a well-fitting and surprisingly expensive suit. His neck was so wide his head seemed to be just plugged into his chest like a cheap action figure and Kate sized him up carefully as she approached the building. It was early and there was no eager clientele lined up behind the velvet rope yet so she just walked around it and up to the door. Or, at least, as close as she could get with the bouncer standing in her way and staring in disbelief.“I’m in a rush.” Kate said putting what she hoped was a lot of entitled arrogance into her words. Judging by the subtle shift in the man’s eyes she’d nailed that part she thought to herself.“Of course. And your name is…?” The bouncer asked, holding up a clipboard in a manner that could just about be to check it but also looked quite capable of decapitating her if she pushed her luck.“Not on that little list of yours.”“Well then you need to wait like everyone else.” He gestured to the empty roped-off area and smiled. It was the sort of smile that usually featured in wholesome kids stories about wolves consuming grandmothers.Kate glanced over and looked back with an expression of utter boredom coupled with disdain written across her face. “I can see it’s very busy.”“It usually gets busy around midnight. After that… well, we’ll see.” He chuckled to himself at the blatant lie. There was no way she was going to pass muster and they both knew it.“Well I’ll make sure to have a look when I’m leaving.” Kate said, still acting as if all this was beneath her. “Now then….” She gestured to shoo him away and she caught the change in his attitude.“You’re not. On. The. List.” He said slowly and took a step toward her. Kate matched him and craned her neck to look him in the eyes.“I. Don’t. Care.”“You’re going to in a minute. Either get in the line or leave.”“Well I’d love to but neither work for me.” Kate said with her most insolent grin. It worked just as well on this guy as it had on her dad during her rebellious phase which she was sure was due to end any day now.“Option three is an ambulance.” He growled the words, clearly not messing around now.“Big talk. And you know what they say about men with big… talk.”He struck with surprising speed for someone his size. Powerfully too and Kate had no doubt the gut punch would have broken at least a rib or two if it had connected. The part of her that always seemed to be processing the situation these days wondered what his excuse would have been. Would he even bother with one or did they just load her into an ambulance a few blocks away. Or just finish her off and dump her body into the harbour? Not that it mattered much she thought as she was already sidestepping neatly to his right, ducking down to come up with his arm trapped in her grip, her shoulder rising up under his armpit…The throw was one of the best she’d ever done. His own momentum and mass combined to turn the guy into a human missile as he clattered off the concrete pavement. She didn’t wait for him to recover, instead laying in several hard kicks to give him the couple of broken ribs he’d intended for her then adding a broken nose and finally an axe kick to the skull that knocked him silly. She glanced around but was satisfied no-one save the little spy cam watching the entrance had seen their brief encounter.“Guess I’ll let myself in.” She said with venom in her words as she pushed the handle and stepped inside the club. Beyond the door was a short corridor that opened out into what looked like a much bigger space. She could see a few tables and chairs scattered about but her attention was taken by the second security guard who was leaning casually against the wall about halfway down the corridor. She reached back and held the door open so he could get a good look at his colleague on the ground and raised a questioning eyebrow.He walked over and Kate forced herself not to react. His manner wasn’t particularly threatening but he also seemed a great deal more competent than the first guard and she knew from experience just how quickly someone like that could strike if they wanted to. He took a long look out the door, saw the first guard move slowly as he started to regain his senses and looked down at Kate.“That seemed… excessive.” He didn’t sound particularly upset and Kate matched his casual tone.“He threw the first punch. I just didn’t feel like letting him throw a second.”“Hmm.” He gestured down the hallway with a knowing smile. “Have a good night Ms…?”“Kane.” Kate said with icy politeness as she stalked in to the club. She recognised that particular setup and didn’t like it. Put someone expendable outside, let them stir up trouble and see how newcomers handled it. Problem was it either left people who didn’t recognise the signs picking up their teeth or risked someone going overboard and killing the schmuck doing the shakedown. Still she had, at least, only given him what he’d tried to give her so it could have been worse.The club wasn’t at all what she’d been expecting. The windows hadn’t just been blacked out but bricked over to create a large room considerably longer than it was wide. Around the edges sat booths with screens set up as ‘virtual windows’ centred on each table. A large circular bar dominated the middle of the room and the remaining floor space had a seemingly random arrangement of normal and tall tables with a mix of chairs and stools. There was no dance floor, pool tables or any other sort of distraction that she could see. In fact the whole place seemed to be set up to let people talk to other people which wasn’t the normal route to run a successful club.She headed to the bar casting not particularly subtle glances around the place as she went. Normally she’d be a bit more circumspect but the whole idea here was to get noticed. It wasn’t particularly full, maybe forty people in all scattered around the various tables. Oddly only one booth was occupied and she couldn’t spot any obvious reserve signs to explain that. There was a bartender waiting for her when she arrived and he gave her what seemed like a friendly if professional smile.“Always good to see a new face.”“Guy outside didn’t seem to think so.”He looked her up and down. “Didn’t seem to give you much trouble.”“No. Did work up a thirst though.”“In that case what can I get you Ms Kane?”Well that wasn’t subtle, Kate thought to herself. It couldn’t have been a minute since she’d told the second guard her name and the bartender already knew it. Okay, clear message sent… how best to handle this.“Your selection looks pretty good.”“Best in National City.”“Really?” Kate put just the right level of skepticism in her voice but to her surprise he didn’t take the bait.“Depends how you measure it of course. I’m sure there’s some places uptown that cater for more… expensive tastes but there’s no-one that can touch our variety.”“Hmm.” Kate let her eyes rove over the bottles behind him. Most she recognised though if she took a closer look she noticed labels or even brand names being slightly different to what she was used to. Perils of a parallel Earth she thought grimly. “Your finest Bud please.” She said with a sly smile and she saw him return it as he reached for an ice-cold bottle. He was about to grab a bottle opener when she leaned across and plucked the bottle from his hand. Without a word she flicked the cap off with her thumb, took a quick swig and dropped ten bucks on the bar.“Keep the change.” She turned and headed for a booth picking the one in the dead centre of the wall. This time she didn’t bother looking around instead walking like she owned the place to her seat of choice. The table was a little shorter than the leather-wrapped bench seats leaving enough space for someone to sit on the end with nothing in front of them but the other bench. Kate had seen that trick before too, nice way to bring someone in to what appeared to be an important meeting but make sure they literally didn’t have a seat at the table. Still it worked for her now as she collapsed gracefully onto the bench and propped her booted foot up on the other side, leaning back and surveying her new kingdom. There were some modest but clear LCD clocks tucked into the woodwork that wrapped around the bar and she mentally started a timer. Five minutes, she thought to herself. Three if they’re really interested…She spotted him as he walked around the bar to her right less than two minutes later. About six foot tall, ruggedly handsome and with an air about him that just screamed bad news. Just the sort of guy that ought to appeal to someone with the attitude she was giving off. Of course there was one *tiny* flaw in that plan she thought with a smirk that she kept in place as he stopped in front of her booth.“I think they’ve got a rule about keeping your feet on the floor.” His voice was deep and cultured, clearly intended to charm her while letting her know he didn’t agree with that particular rule.“Well I didn’t see it written down.” She took another swig of her beer and eyed him up, taking a small measure of satisfaction at his confidence flickering for a moment as she did so. “I take it you’re the welcoming committee?”“Something like that. May I sit down?”“No.”“Really? Surely it’s not much to ask?”She sighed and let her head flop back onto the top of the seat cushion. “Oh spare me. If you’ve got something to say, say it and go. You’re not my type.”“And what type might that be?”“Female for a start.” Kate said turning her head to pin him with her stare again. This time the surprise was a little more obvious and she cranked the smirk up a degree or two.“I see.” He fumbled for a moment clearly not used to being so quickly cut off but Kate had already seen another, shorter and clearly more female figure heading their way.“Am I more to your liking Ms Kane?” The woman was about Kate’s height and a similar if slightly curvier build. Her long red hair flashed in the club lighting and to Kate’s surprise her eyes were a brilliant green.“Yes.” Kate said, lowering her leg and allowing the newcomer to sit while making a shooing gesture at the man. “Run home. Oh and get another beer sent over.”“Surely they didn’t let you start a tab already?” The woman asked with a charming smile.“No but if someone wants to talk to me this badly I’m assuming it’ll be taken care of.” Kate said. “What do I call you, chum?”She laughed and shook her head. “I didn’t realise you were so… British.”“The other use of chum.” Kate said coldly. “As in bloody meat used to try and lure predators into a trap.”The charm flickered and died on the other woman’s face and she was suddenly all business. She leaned forward, her hands on her knees as she stared at Kate.“Who *are* you Ms Kane?”“You first.”“My name’s Tina.”“Kate.” There was a moment of awkward silence as the usual social norms died unspoken.“Kate Kane. That really doesn’t tell me anything you know.”“Yet here you are.”Tina sighed. “You beat the hell out of our security guard, walk in here like you own the place and are clearly looking for… something. Someone, maybe. Of course the management want to talk to you.”“Ah. And are you part of that management or just their talking head?”“As far as you’re concerned I’m the voice of God.”“Not how I imagined God would look.”“Really? What did you have in mind?”“Blonde. Flies. Impervious to harm.” Kate finished her bottle and snagged the new one from the tray of the approaching waitress before she’d even come to a stop. “Of course I’d always assumed God was good too. So what do I know?”She caught the flicker, the surge of attention from Tina despite her best efforts to conceal it. Gotcha, Kate thought to herself.“I merely meant that when you leave here tonight I’m the one that gets to decide if that’s to your home, the hospital or the morgue.” Tina said casually. “But tell me more about this ‘God’ of yours.”“First of all I really doubt you’ve got that power.” Kate said with a snort. “Certainly if you’re relying on the five guys with badly hidden pistols under their suit jackets you’re in for a surprise. Plus you’re in the line of fire too, shouldn’t forget that little detail. But you want to know about god? Let me tell you all about her…”It took about five minutes for Kate to tell her story. It wasn’t really that complicated, the DEO had done a good job pulling some common themes together and crafting a narrative around them. Military trained, kicked out for sexual preferences, learned her craft around the world and then… the aliens had come and the jobs had dried up. Gotten work wherever she could but twice had been replaced with an alien that could do the job without any equipment whatsoever. And then she’d seen the Children of Liberty’s talking points and come to National City to… investigate opportunities.“Well you’re not alone there.” Tina said with a laugh that had a distinct edge to it. “Ever since we decided to make this a safe space we’ve seen a lot of new customers coming in with very similar stories.”“Any employers with similar sentiments?” Kate asked as she finished off her second beer and made a mental note to thank Alex for the alcohol blocker.“Not as many as we’d like. It’s… taking time to have people take a more public stand.”“Not surprising when the wrath of god isn’t just something you read about anymore.” Kate said as third beer arrived uninvited. She leaned forward as she casually held the bottle between her finger and thumb, its contents untouched. “Flying around and making sure anything she doesn’t approve of gets shut down. Stand up to her and get wiped out. And if things keep going the way they are… well, how long until she and her friends decide they’d be better off just telling us exactly what to do?” She shrugged then spun to her right and launched the bottle at a man who’d moved to stand two booth’s behind her, his hand resting inside his jacket. The glass shattered as it nailed him in the forehead and he dropped to the ground seeing stars. Kate cast a quick, vicious look around the immediate vicinity and settled back into her seat.“Was that necessary?” Tina asked and Kate’s eyes suddenly blazed with anger.“Yeah, it was. I don’t like armed guards trying to sneak up on me, especially when I’ve already been threatened tonight. I just came in for a drink, remember?”“And how did you know he was there?” Now there was danger in Tina’s words but Kate had been threatened by far worse individuals even before she’d put on the cowl.“Reflection in your necklace.” Kate gestured to the thick silver band that hugged Tina’s throat. She didn’t mention that it was the oldest trick in the book and that this lot didn’t seem to be trying very hard. Either they genuinely weren’t at the cutting edge of evil organisations or, more likely, this was still all just a test.“Hmm.” Now it was Tina that leaned forward, her voice dropping to something approaching a conspiratorial whisper. “I may be able to introduce you to… an opportunity. If you really do want work that makes use of your skills of course.”“And what would you want in return for this small favour?”“For you to come with me. Right now.”Kate chuckled and stretched slightly, showing off a figure that was still stunning in simple black jeans and t-shirt. “Without even buying me dinner first?”Tina laughed but her eyes were suddenly cold. “I’ll leave that to the management, thanks.”Kate cast one more look around the bar and stood in one graceful, fluid motion that just so happened to move her over to the guard she’d hit with the bottle. He was just about back on his feet, his pistol now held loosely in his right hand. She brought her left hand down hard on his wrist while her right effortlessly slipped the gun from his grasp. A moment later she’d pulled the clip and laid both it and the pistol on the table she’d been sitting at.“After you.” Kate said sweetly and Tina hesitated for a moment before nodding and leading Kate across the room to a partially concealed door in the wall opposite the windows. It wasn’t guarded but Kate caught the subtle clicks of electronic locks being triggered and when it swung back she saw it was about twice the thickness of a regular internal door with a heavy steel frame. Beyond it, to her surprise, was a large atrium with iron staircases leading to the upper levels. She glanced up, expecting to see a skylight but, naturally, that too had been covered over. Instead there was a complex lighting system designed to look like natural sunlight filtering through the space and the overall impact was impressive. She was expecting them to head up but instead Tina took her through another, equally thick door and then down a set of metal steps into a basement level.Kara I really hope you’re listening, Kate thought to herself. This was the one part of the plan she’d hated but couldn’t think of a way around. Any electronic device would likely be spotted a mile away so she had to rely on Kara’s super hearing to keep track of her. Which was fine and she trusted the Kryptonian with her life… but if something *did* go wrong there was no way for her to know about it until it was likely far too late.
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At the bottom of the staircase was another security door and beyond was an odd airlock style arrangement with a small security booth set into one wall. Kate couldn’t help but notice that the two guys in the booth were both armed with electric stun sticks as if they were guards at a prison and seemed far, far more competent than the security upstairs had been. The outer door closed and the inner one slid open on a powered hinge… and the stink of the rooms beyond hit Kate like a baseball bat.Blood. Blood and pain and misery all wrapped up together. Kate had her fair share of experiences with all three but never like this. It rolled out of the darkness and now the door had stopped moving she could hear the faint sobs and whimpers beyond with the occasional muffled scream rising above them. Her heart pounded and she could feel her hands itching to ball into fists. All of them, every one around her, everyone upstairs, anyone that had even a hint that this place existed… they all deserved to share in the suffering of whatever lay beyond that door.Kate Kane had been told from time to time that she had hidden depths. She was well aware of that fact. She also knew what lay in them and that some things were best left undisturbed. Now she felt all of those nameless things stir and sniff the air. She forced herself to stride forward confidently into that awful place, using the motion to focus herself, pulling back the beasts that snarled within her for retribution, for the blood of the guilty to match that of the innocent. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light and she could make out a long corridor with dozens of small cells off either side. Thin doors of heavy steel with bars set around neck height were the only access points. She forced herself to keep looking straight ahead as she walked without a hint of the rage burning within her showing on her face. At the end of that long, long corridor she walked out into an open space maybe ten metres on a side. The far end had a series of cell doors set into it and each side wall featured a long viewing position protected by what had to be bullet-proof glass.“You have your own fighting pit?” Kate asked, as much to let Kara know what was going on than anything else. To her surprise Tina shook her head.“No. This is merely somewhere for us to test those who want to help us. Or execute those who betray us.”Tina walked quickly to the right side and pressed her fingertips to a flat metal plate next to the viewing position. The door clicked open and Tina stepped inside where at least a dozen other people waited with white masks pulled over their faces. They were simple designs, carved to give an impression of features with small slits for eyes and mouth. Kate rolled her shoulders and started to work her muscles into fighting shape.“And which am I here for?” She asked casually, as if they were discussing bowling at the weekend. The answer was just a smile as Tina pulled on her own mask then one of the cells at the other end swung open. Kate tensed and waited as a being emerged that she’d never seen the like of before. It was only about five foot tall with a hard red exoskeleton covering almost all of its skin in large armoured plates. It looked a little like a giant beetle and had large pincers on the end of thick, short arms. It blinked a couple of times, its eyes buried deep beneath its natural protection then charged at her.Kate set herself, ready to dive out of the way but before she needed to do the creature was brought up short with a metallic clang. She caught a glimpse of silver and circled to its right, moving faster than it could keep up with until she could see its back. A large metal chain was connected to a guide in the floor, its other end connected via a relatively thin clip to a bolt punched through one of the armoured plates. From a point just arms reach away from where she’d been standing when the alien had charged her there was an odd mechanical noise and she watched a small section of floor roll away and two plinths rose into view. On one was perched a black pistol while the other held a glittering katana.Kate walked over and picked up the gun. She slid the magazine out and wasn’t surprised to find it only contained a single round. They weren’t taking any chances here. The sword had a sharp enough edge she could tell at a glance it would clearly be able to cut through flesh and, possibly, the exoskeleton of the captured alien. Alright, she thought to herself, let’s see if you’re as good as you think you are…“This is your test? Not exactly a fair fight.” She said, mind racing as she held the pistol casually in her right hand.“Well they don’t offer us one so why should we be any different to them?” Tina’s voice came back through hidden speakers.Kate circled the prisoner once, slowly, eyeing up its body for likely weak spots. When she reached the plinths again she transferred the pistol to her left hand and lifted the katana, surprised at how well balanced it felt. Wherever they’d gotten the sword it had clearly been made by an experienced bladesmith. She took a couple of slow swings to get a feel for the weapon then looked at the prisoner again. She’d been expecting them to run or at least try and fight but instead they were slumped on the floor, eyes staring at nothing. She looked closer and realised that what she’d taken to be part of the exoskeleton’s natural texture were a maze of cracks and badly-healed wounds.“Is there a problem Ms Kane?” Tina asked and Kate turned so that she was standing with the alien on her left and the viewing pod on her right.“A problem… yes, yes you could say that.” She made a long, slow arc with the sword so its tip pointed at the alien and she could practically feel everyone’s eyes watching the blade. “This isn’t a test… this is an execution. I’ve done my fair share of killing but every single time it was against someone who had a chance.”She took a couple of steps towards the alien and gently tapped its armoured plates with the blade, tracing some of the markings. “I can also read minds. You, for example, are about to say something like ‘what does it matter, another dead alien is one less problem’. Except you don’t even have the decency to kill them, do you? You capture them, torture them, keep them down here until they’re broken and have forgotten what sunlight looks like. Then you put them in here to be executed not because of your cause or for any grand plan but because it makes you feel better. Makes you feel powerful.”“You’re wrong. But it doesn’t matter, you’ve…”“I wasn’t finished.” Kate said sharply and the whipcrack of her voice shocked Tina into silence. “I get it. The powerful thing. It must feel so good seeing the hope leave their eyes. Knowing that you’ve won and they can’t do anything but live in the hell you’ve made for them until you decide to end it. I wonder if you’ve even fooled yourself into thinking its mercy. That you’re showing how humanity is better than them because you grant them release from their suffering.”Kate’s left hand moved in a blur and suddenly the gun was up and pointing at Tina or, rather, the white mask covering her face. “Problem is if that’s power then so is this. A single bullet. One shot, one life. If I shoot you here, now, granting you release from this world where you see yourself as a victim because of creatures like them… does that make me merciful?”Tina laughed but her previous confidence had fled leaving the sound brittle in the foul air. “No, it makes you a fool. The glass is, of course, bulletproof. We’re hardly going to put ourselves at risk and certainly not to an arrogant idiot with an overinflated sense of her own abilities!”“You don’t know me.” Kate’s voice was suddenly quiet but carried so much menace it seemed like the entire world was holding its breath. “I’m no executioner. You use the darkness to hide your evil from the world. I use it to bring hope to those who have none.” She adjusted her grip on the pistol and offered up a quick, silent prayer that this was going to work. “And for all those who’ve been imprisoned, tortured and killed in this pit… I am their vengeance!”Her hand shifted and the gun barked, its single shot hitting the metal touchpad dead centre. There was a shower of sparks but Kate was already moving, leaping over the alien and swinging the sword down on the chain anchoring it to the floor. The impact was brutal but she’d braced for it and had guess right. The hardened blade bit down on the thin clip that connected the chain to the bolt they’d stuck through the aliens’ armoured shell and sliced through it in one blow. The alien lurched forward, instinctively moving away from the sword and then realised it was free. It scuttled round and Kate gestured with the sword towards the left corner of the rear wall. Taking the hint it headed in that direction as fast as it could go even as several shots rang out from the direction of the viewing position.Kate hadn’t been sure what wrecking the biometric lock would do but it had seemed a reasonable guess that it would either force the lock open or shut. Given the need for the space to be secure from potential threats she’d hoped it would keep the door locked and glancing over she saw several of the masked people inside had pulled out firearms and shot their way into a metal plate on the side wall. She saw them reaching for something inside and knew she likely only had a handful of seconds before they could force the door open bringing at least half a dozen more guns into play against her and her one sword.The door at the far end of the corridor swung open and Kate turned to see what looked like a dozen guards sprinting towards her. They were all well built and looked pissed off but she realised they hadn’t had time to get organised. As a result those at the front looked like they were carrying stun sticks, most likely used to shove their prisoners around, while the four with guns were stuck at the back. They didn’t dare shoot in the corridor but that restriction would vanish as soon as they entered the execution space.Kate didn’t wait for them to have the chance. Instead she started running towards them, sword coming back ready for a blow that already had those in the lead looking worried. There was a crunch from Kate’s left and from the corner of her eye she caught the door to the viewing position swing open and two of the masked watchers were through it and bringing their handguns to bear. She heard the shot and cringed in anticipation of the impact… and there was an explosion from the ceiling above her as a blue and red blur shot past her. An instant later and everyone had come to a stumbling halt. The dozen guards in the corridor, the masked watchers from the viewing pod, Kate with her sword still held ready for the attack and Supergirl standing next to her.The only sound in that frozen instant was the gentle click of spent bullets hitting the ground as Supergirl let them spill from her fingers.“How’re you feeling?” Kate whispered, her eyes flicking from one threat to the other and back again.“Slow but strong.” The answer brought a relieved grin to Kate’s lips.“Together?” Kate asked.“Always.”It was as if a spell had broken. Suddenly the two armed groups both launched themselves towards the two heroes, the bark of handguns firing and the crackle of charged stun weapons filling the air. They’d built their lair well and were confident that the Girl of Steel couldn’t have taken out all of the power nullifiers they’d hidden away behind lead walls. The fact Supergirl wasn’t simply flying through all of them in the blink of an eye seemed to support that and they charged in almost recklessly. After all it was twenty four to two odds, they had at least a fighting chance!And then, suddenly, it was as if the odds had flipped in a heartbeat. The two women moved as if they were a single being, Supergirl keeping herself between Kate and any incoming fire while Kate became a whirlwind of steel, the blade slashing out time and again to inflict painful - in most cases, debilitating - wounds while avoiding anything potentially lethal. The few that managed to dodge somehow found themselves stepping right into Supergirl’s path and they quickly found out that a weakened Kryptonian still had a punch any heavyweight fighter would envy.Kate saw the subtle shift in approach a moment before the two groups started to spread apart, moving sideways to flank the pair in the middle of the room. Kate tapped Supergirl’s shoulder and gestured to their right, the answering nod all the confirmation Kate needed. She reached out with her sword and flicked the edge of Supergirl’s cape up, catching it in her left hand and holding it like a shield. Which, of course, it was thanks to being as bullet proof as its owner. Supergirl stepped right giving Kate a barrier on both sides and they quickly worked their way down the line. Blade, boots and fists flew in leaving bodies groaning on the ground in their wake. The moment the last one had fallen Kate twisted around to stand directly behind Supergirl as she advanced on the remaining masked opponents. They fared no better than the first group had done though they, at least, went down mostly to Supergirl’s hands so as to minimise Kate’s exposure to gun fire.“That’s the last of them.” Kate confirmed as a mask clattered off the hard floor. “Call in the DEO.”“We should get the prisoners out first.” Supergirl said but Kate shook her head.“No. Trust me, a few minutes more won’t make a difference now and…” She hesitated, not wanting to say what she was really thinking. “… it’s better if the DEO does this. Besides if any of the prisoners can walk they’re likely to try and get some revenge and that’ll complicate things.”Supergirl paused, clearly caught between wanting to help and trusting Kate’s advice. Eventually she nodded and tapped the tiny hidden communicator in her ear.“Director? We need a trauma team and a… cleanup crew.” Supergirl said. “I’ll wait until you arrive.”Kate and Supergirl kept watch in silence on their mostly unmoving prisoners until the DEO arrived five minutes later. They’d been ready to move in from the start of course but it was never easy to co-ordinate so many storming a building that could still be full of hostiles. As soon as they arrived Supergirl started to move towards the cells, clearly wanting to help but Kate caught her arm. Supergirl looked round in surprise and caught the small shake of Kate’s head and the unspoken message written in her eyes.‘Trust me’Kara took a deep breath, nodded and summoned her limited power to fly up through the hole she’d made on the way in. Kate watched her go then checked in with the officer in charge. She gave them as much detail as she could then headed for the door. A shower and maybe a bottle of something expensive and very alcoholic would help wipe the immediate horror of the place from her mind, especially after seeing the first few prisoners being carefully helped from the foul boxes they’d been trapped in for who knew how long. But that would have to wait, right now she needed to get back and talk to Kara.
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To Kate’s surprise not only was Kara waiting for her but she’d changed out of her Supergirl suit and was sitting on the couch in flannel pyjamas. Kate wouldn’t have been surprised to see a grove being worn in the carpet from Kara pacing back and forth but apparently she’d elected to sit and think instead. Kate wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing or not…“How’re you feeling?” Kate asked and Kara gave her a tired smile.“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”“In the event of a tie it gets asked to whoever took the most bullets.” That, at least, earned a chuckle from the girl of steel.“I’m fine. Those nullifiers don’t last long once I’m out of range. And you?”“No holes, thanks to you.”“That wasn’t how I thought it would go.” Kara admitted.“No but they didn’t leave us much choice. Whoever the ‘management’ were bailed out but judging by the way the tech squad was acting they didn’t have time to wipe everything. Apparently your dramatic entrance didn’t just break most of the nullifiers but a big chunk of their cyber security protections too. If nothing else you should get some good leads on this group and, more importantly, that damn place is shut down for good.”“Good. That’s….” Kara hesitated then sighed. “Got to be honest, right?”“It’s worked so far.”“Why didn’t you want me to help the prisoners?”Kate walked over and sat down by Kara’s side but refrained from putting an arm around her as she so badly wanted to. “Partially because I thought it’d help mend a bridge or two if the poor souls in those cages were rescued by humans. But mostly because I’ve… been in places like that before. I didn’t know exactly what the DEO would find but I was pretty sure it’d be horrific. And…”Kate hunted for the right words and Kara had the sense to give her time to do so. “It’s not that I don’t think you can handle it. You’ve seen things I can’t even imagine. But… I know that for all the good Supergirl does, that Kara Danvers does… the most powerful weapon you have is your heart. And I’ve… I mean, I think that there’s only so much horror anyone’s heart can take before it breaks. Putting that on you, there and then? It wouldn’t have helped anything, wouldn't have got them to safety any faster. They’re going to be so far inside their own little world of pain and misery that I doubt they’d even recognise you. Hell I wouldn’t put it past those sadists to have waited until their latest victim was beyond reason then have someone torture them dressed as you. That’d be a great way to break their spirit.”Kara gasped and her hands clenched into fists. “Hadn’t thought of that.” She admitted, trying to keep her anger under control.“Look…” Kate went to put a hand on Kara’s knee but instead let it drop, palm up on her own thigh. “We each bring our own talents to this partnership, right?”“Right…”“Well one of the things I bring is that I’ve seen humanity at its absolute worst. I fight that every single day and to do so I’ve got to be able to think like them when needed.” Kate drew a deep breath to steady herself. “Let…. Let me be the one to do that. Please. I don’t want you to… to ever know what that’s like.”Kara’s warm hand wrapped around Kate’s and gently lifted it up, turning it slightly so Kara could kiss the back of it. “Alright. I get it, I really do. And I’ll trust you to do that. Thank you.”Kate laughed weakly and shook her head. “Not sure you should be thanking me for that. You… didn’t ask about what I said in the bar. I assume you were listening?”“I was.” Kara reached over and gently lifted Kate’s chin so they were staring into each others’ eyes. “And I know you, Kate Kane. You could never think like that. Doesn’t matter how convincing it sounds I know it’ll always be an act.”Kate breathed a long sigh of relief but she still looked tense. “Kara, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”“You can talk to me about anything, you know that.”“Yeah, but this might really screw things up.”Kara laughed and floated around so she was sitting in midair right in front of Kate. “Tell me.”“I… okay.” Kate took another look into those brilliant blue eyes and tried to find her courage. “Okay. Do you remember a few weeks ago, when we first slept together. Do you remember what I told you?”“Quite a few things, yes. Let me guess… that good communication is key?”“Got it in one. Kara… when I’m with you it’s like I’m a different person. All the walls I’ve built up over the years, all of my defences…. You walk through them as if they’re not there. And… and to tell you the truth… it scares me a little.”“Why?” That single word could have been absolutely devastating. Instead it was warm, caring and compassionate.“Because if we go on like this… well, you’d better go get that envelope from the bedroom.”Kara looked confused but did as she was asked, returning in a blur of super speed.“Open it.”Kara flicked open the paper with a finger and pulled out the note. It was only seven words but her eyes went wide as she read them.“I could fall in love with you.”Her eyes searched for Kate’s and to her surprise she found her friend looking right back at her. “You… could fall in love?” Kara asked carefully and Kate nodded.“Please don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love you as a person. I’ve just known you for a few weeks and know I want you in my life like that. But the other way, the really serious relationship way? Normally that doesn’t even cross my mind except to make sure that the other person isn’t thinking that way when I’m not. But with you… I’ve never felt like this before. With anyone. Even Sophie. You’re… I mean… you’re just… beautiful inside and out. You bring out the best in people because they feel like you deserve that from them! It’s like finding that underneath all the bad decisions and trauma there’s still an actual normal person inside of me. And I just… I guess I want you to know so that you can decide what, if anything, you want to do with that information.”Kara didn’t say or do anything for a few long moments. Then she very carefully folded the note and slid it back into its envelope, placing it on the coffee table with the sort of care usually reserved for fine bone china.“Kate… you’ve no idea how happy I am to hear you say that!”Kate blinked in confusion then shook her head as if clearing water from her ears. “Sorry could you say that again?”Kara laughed and floated into Kate’s lap, her legs wrapping around Kate’s waist while her fingers laced together behind Kate’s neck. “I’m really happy to hear you say that because I’ve been thinking the same thing.”“You… you have?” Kate’s usual confidence seemed to desert her and Kara would never have guessed that someone so unsure of themselves could be waiting inside her friend. Not that it should really be a surprise, Kara scolded herself. She knew what Kate had gone through, the way her family had been ripped apart and the hole it had left.“Kate, I want you to know that whatever happens from here I’m so… proud? No, that’s not quite right… Glad that you’ve found this out about yourself. But I’ve got to correct you on one thing.”“Huh?”“You, Kate Kane, will never, ever be a normal person.” Kara said with a grin as she leaned in to slowly close the distance between them, “You shine far too brightly for that.”The kiss was light, almost hesitant as if neither quite knew what to expect. To their mutual relief the same acceptance and comfort they’d grown used to was right there waiting for them. And then, to her own great surprise, Kate let out a quiet sob muffled by the kiss but clear as a bell to Kara’s hearing.“What’s wrong?” Kara asked, pulling back just enough to let her focus on Kate without hinting, even for a moment, that she was going away.“Nothing! It’s just… not happiness, maybe relief? And this whole being open and vulnerable thing is still pretty new to me so you might need to give me some slack.” Kate smiled as she said the last part and reached up to run a fingertip across her cheek before presenting it for Kara’s attention. “See, dry. No tears.”“Let me check.” Kara said with a wicked grin, bobbing her head forward and sucking the digit into her mouth before Kate realised what she was doing. Kate’s eyes fluttered closed and she sagged in Kara’s embrace, a groan of desire wrapping around them both.“Damn Kara, you’re really good at that!” Kate tried to be cool but the words came out as one long moan and she really, really didn’t care. Kara’s tongue was doing things that didn’t feel like they should be legal and her soft lips sucked away as if she were competing in the Olympic blow job finals. There was no way it should feel this good, much less this erotic but Kate felt like her entire body was dancing to the sensations Kara was creating.Kara grinned and kept the pressure on for another minute or two before finally releasing Kate’s finger with a soft but noticeable *pop*,“You really think so?”“I know so. How the hell are you not hip deep in men at this point?”Kara blushed and shrugged. “What can I say, they could never really keep up. Mon El tried but…” She grinned wickedly and darted to Kate’s right side, her lips capturing Kate’s ear for a moment then letting go as she whispered. “The moment I actually tried he would just… explode.”“I’ll bet.” Kate said, still a little short of breath from Kara’s demonstration. “Luckily for you I’m not quite so easy.”Kara laughed and shifted her legs so her thighs were around Kate’s waist while her calves slipped up under her thighs. Without warning she floated them both up off the couch and over to the small but well-equipped bathroom, coming to a stop in front of the large shower.“You want to strip off now or shall I just put you in fully clothed?” Kara asked huskily and was rewarded with another quick kiss.“I’ll strip. Do you want a show?”“Rao yes… but maybe another time. Right now I really just want to see you naked. Without using x-ray vision I mean.”“How often do you do that anyway?” Kate asked as she attempted a new speed record for getting naked.“… never.”“Well that sounded completely convincing.” Kate said then laughed as Kara leaned past to turn on the shower and she caught sight of the blush.“Be nice or I won’t let you wait while it warms up.” Kara threatened as her clothes joined Kate’s on the floor.The shower itself was just a separate section of the room, a glass panel running from the floor to just below the ceiling with a sliding panel on one end. Kate glanced at the water and noticed the glass was already starting to lightly fog over.“I’ll take my chances.” Kate said with a smile, stepping in and pulling Kara after her. Sure enough the water was just about on the right side of warm though still heating up and Kate gratefully let it wash over her head. She closed her eyes for a moment and leaned back against the cool tiles as she felt her tired muscles relax. She heard the rhythm of the water change subtly and then Kara’s hands were on her shoulders with something slippery coating them. It wasn’t long at all before Kate felt the familiar sensation of suds slipping down her body and she sighed contentedly.“That feels so good…” Kate said softly and she could feel the smile on Kara’s face without needing to open her eyes.“Just relax, I’ve got you.” Kara’s hands slowly worked their way across Kate’s shoulders then down her arms in a soothing gentle massage. She took the time to work over Kate’s hands and even fingers which brought an approving groan from her lover. Wanting to hear that sound again Kara moved back to Kate’s shoulders and this time moved down, forcing herself not to rush.“We need to put a bench or something in here…” Kate sighed. “Difficult to stand when you’re doing this!”“Well as I said…” There was the usual gust of wind Kate was coming to associate with super speed then she was suddenly sitting on Kara’s legs. Kate opened her eyes and found Kara floating beside her, legs out in front of her to provide Kate with a ‘bench’ of sorts. “… I’ve got you.”Kate laughed and leaned in for a tender kiss, her fingers gently swirling across Kara’s shoulders and neck. “I’m in your hands and, uh, lap, technically.”Kara grinned and let her right hand drop to Kate’s waist, a finger tracing through the bubbles already collecting there. “Right where I want you.” Kara said as her fingers moved with torturous slowness down the curve of Kate’s inner thigh. Her fingertips brushed across Kate’s pussy and the deep, urgent moan of desire sent a shiver through the Girl of Steel. Her left hand had finished washing off Kate’s tits and was sweeping in lowering arcs across her stomach.“Kara…” The word was an urgent whisper and Kara Danvers didn’t think she’d ever heard anything so erotic in her life. She let her right hand drift down a little and sent her fingers pitter-pattering on and around the entrance to Kate’s pussy.“Did you want something?” Kara teased as her left hand reached Kate’s waist and swooped around to her back. With great care Kara started to gently drag her fingernails up and down Kate’s back.“Oh fuck…. Kara please, I need you!”“What you mean like this?” Kara let two fingers sink into Kate’s core. Not far, just up to the first knuckle. Enough for Kate to feel it but nowhere near enough to satisfy her.“More…” Kate croaked the word as she spread her thighs and Kara realised she had her eyes closed which seemed… odd. Certainly Kara couldn’t remember Kate doing that before.“You okay?”Kate quickly nodded, her breathing ragged. “Wonderful. But if I look now I’m going to jump you and I want you to drive!”Kara laughed and nuzzled Kate’s neck, kissing around the swooping lines of her tattoos. “Alright, my turn to show you something new…”Kate nodded again, her tongue snaking out to lick her lips in anticipation. The fingers pushed further inside her, curling up to rub against the front wall of her pussy. Kara’s thumb arced over to rest on Kate’s clit… and then Kara started to vibrate. Or, more specifically, her fingers did. *Just* her fingers and from what Kate could tell only the ones actively stimulating her. Not that she had much time to think about it as the sensation slammed into her like a freight train. It wasn’t like any vibrator she’d ever used, that was for sure. Those were all crude instruments at best, a stone axe to Kara’s scalpel. The vibrations were hitting Kate precisely where she wanted them and nowhere she didn’t. Plus, of course, they were coming from the soft, warm hand of Kara Danvers. In just a few seconds Kate felt her climax building and her whole body started to shake from the rising pressure within her. Kara waited until Kate was perched on the edge of release then eased back, her hand locking in place, the vibrations a mere background buzz.“Still stand by what you wrote?” Kara whispered into Kate’s ear. To her delight Kate moaned, her head coming around so quickly it actually surprised Kara as Kate lunged into a passionate kiss. It was all the encouragement Kara needed and she let her fingers fly, instantly pushing Kate into the most powerful orgasm of her life. Kate’s hands wrapped around Kara and she pulled her in to an embrace so tight Kara was grateful for her invulnerability as Kate thrashed and shook against her, all the while never breaking the kiss.Kate wasn’t sure how long she stayed like that, one climax racing into the next over and over again until Kara gradually eased her back to reality. It felt like an eternity though she was fairly sure it could have been minutes at the most, her body would have surely shattered if it was much more. Not that she cared as she regained her senses curled up against Kara, the warm water still streaming down over them both and hands that could turn coal to diamond gently rubbing their way down her back.“Welcome back.” Kara said with a soft smile. “How do you feel?”“Fantastic.” Kate said sleepily.“Well you looked spectacular.” Kara said. “But I think you need to get to bed.”“No, no I want to…” Kate’s hand drifted down and moved across Kara’s thigh. But the movement was slow and Kara could feel the exhaustion making Kate’s fingers shake. She reached down and gently took Kate’s hand in hers.“I can wait until the morning.”“But…”Kara laughed and kissed Kate’s forehead. “No but’s. If you think I’m going to settle for some half-asleep groping after seeing you like that you really do need to get some rest!”Kate chuckled and nodded against Kara’s shoulder. “Okay. Gives me something to dream about.”
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Sunlight streamed into the apartment as the two women lay slumped in each other’s arms. The bed sheets were pulled up and lay crooked on the mattress and Kara was curled into Kate’s side, her eyes wide as she stared at the ceiling.“Wow.” Kara breathed.“You said that already.” Kate said with a smug smile.“Yeah but… wow.”“Award winning journalism there.’“CatCo don’t publish this sort of story.”“Pity, you’d definitely improve your sales figures.”“Oh yeah.” Kara agreed as she ran her left hand down her side, retracing the path Kate had so recently taken. “That was… I said wow, right?”“No. Not even once.”“How do you keep getting better?”“I could ask you the same question.”“Well I’m still new at this whole… ladies loving ladies thing. I’ve got some catching up to do.”“Same for me, only I’m new at loving Kara Danvers.”Kate had meant it as a good comeback and, in fairness, it wasn’t half bad. But the word ‘loving’ hung in the air and they both realised they couldn’t just ignore it.“So…” Kara said as her fingers played absently along the curve of her hip. “Do we… I mean, where do we go from here?”“You’re not talking about lunch are you?”“Don’t you mean breakfast?”“No, we missed that by about two hours.”“Oh. And no, I wasn’t.” Kara admitted.“Well…” Kate hesitated, taking the time to make sure she had all the right words in the right order. “I’d say we keep on doing this.”“Each other you mean?” Kara asked with a grin. Kate groaned, reached down and poked Kara’s side to get a ticklish giggle from the blonde.“No. Though also, yes. I meant keep seeing each other. Only, maybe, a bit more…. Official?”Kara’s eyes sparkled and she reached up to let her left hand slide through Kate’s short hair. “Why Ms Kane are you asking me out on a date?”“We’ve technically done that.” Kate reminded the stunning woman currently lying naked in her arms. “I meant…” She searched for a word and, unexpectedly, the perfect one dropped in to her mind. She smiled and knew it was a smile unlike any she’d given before. “I mean… partners. Romantic partners this time.”“Sounds good to me.” Kara said softly. “And the… written down words?”“You first.”“I’d love to find out.” Kara said with an impish grin. Kate matched it and rolled over so she was on top of the Girl of Steel.“Me too.” Her eyes went wide and she took in a sharp breath. “Oh damn…”“What?”“I didn’t technically show you something new this time!”“Oh yes you did.” Kara said softly. “You showed me a side of you I hadn’t dreamed could exist. And now I’m not sure I’m going to stop dreaming about it. That counts.Kate hesitated then smiled. “Alright but only on one condition.”“Only one?” Kara asked then she let out a soft moan as Kate collapsed on top of her, those already-familiar curves feeling so good against her. Kate brought her lips to Kara’s ear and whispered huskily.“Next time I’m going to introduce you to my favourite toy in the multiverse.”Kara swallowed and gently put a hand on the back of Kate’s head, guiding her in for another kiss.“I can’t wait.”