Fugitives (A SuperCorp Fanfiction)

Chapter 5: The Mentor

Kara wasn't expecting the need for her super hearing today. She could have been surprised if she could focus on her article, or if she had bought an extra latte for herself before arriving to work at CatCo. By noon, her head was so groggy that she couldn't read the first sentence and comprehend it. Abandoning her work, Kara's gaze peeped over her laptop screen. She pushed her glasses up, listening intently to the busy office space. Snapper was yelling at one of the younger journalists− thank Rao she wasn't the newest of the newbies anymore. It was only a matter of time before her boss would invade her workspace and treat her the same way. He was too busy nowadays, with his temporary duty as the boss since James Olsen was away at Metropolis, so he wouldn't reach her until the afternoon. Kara could feel a seed of guilt in her stomach; after all, it was her fault that James was there. It was for the best that he stay under the protection of Superman with the metahuman in the city. Even Winn and Alex weren't allowed to leave the DEO at this point.

And then there was the ordeal with Lena Luthor. It had been almost twelve hours since they saw Lillian's video. That was twelve hours that Kara could have used to figure out a plan, but her fear of Snapper's wrath kept her eyes glued to the computer screen. Now she only had thirty-six hours to find the metahuman, if the DEO hadn't found anything first. A burning anxiety pulled Kara away from her article. She couldn't keep her talk with Lena out of her mind− the metahuman's threat was far less distracting than the glimmer in the Luthor's eyes when Kara spoke. Kara wasn't sure if she had felt so close to someone before, except with Alex. Though it felt different than her sister; there was some sort of nonverbal understanding with Lena that Kara was trying to wrap her mind around.

A certain voice scattered Kara's thoughts. It came from beyond her workspace, past the wall behind her and towards the elevator. A woman whispered to herself, one that Kara recognized.

"Dammit, forgot to get a latte!"

"Ms. Grant!" Kara thought out loud, alerting a few of the reporters around her. They gave each other skeptical looks, and Kara felt her face heat up.

"Um, sorry, never mind," she muttered, closing her laptop before leaving her workspace. She walked past Snapper on her way to the CEO's office, making him look up from his rant.

"Kara−"

"Gotta use the bathroom!" Kara called back. Snapper rolled his eyes as Kara turned the corner. She found herself face-to-face with her old boss, clad in a dress more expensive than Kara's paycheck.

"Kara!" Cat said her name correctly.

"Hi, Ms. Grant! Surprise visit?" Kara walked up to her. She could feel a grin spreading across her face. She followed the former CEO into her old office. Cat paused in the center, overseeing her domain. It was obvious why she was the one to display Supergirl to the world− her energy radiated like that of a superhero.

"I missed this place," Cat sighed, putting her hands on her hips. She chuckled to herself, joking with Kara, "Is Snapper under your thumb yet?"

"Working on it," Kara laughed, "I'll get there, don't worry."

"That's what I like to hear," Cat approved. She surveyed her surroundings for a moment.

"Where's James?" she asked her old assistant.

"Oh! He's, um, away for a while," Kara stuttered, "In Metropolis. Snapper's in control until he gets back."

"Oh, that's disgusting," Cat groaned, "Well, it will be a good experience for you, at least. He won't be the last ego-driven man you'll have to put up with." Cat sat down on one of the white sofas, patting the seat next to her for Kara to join her.