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.
"What have you been doing all this time?" Kara asked, sitting next to Cat. The older woman smiled, letting muscles relax.
"More writing," Cat explained, "Look, I know it's not much of a jump. I'm writing a fiction novel."
"That's great!" Kara cheered her on, "Why'd you pick that?"
"Well, despite the fact that we have real heroes now? That whole industry is dying. It's a shame, the human race has been telling stories for years, and we can't stop now," Cat reached for a glass of water on the glass table, "They need someone like me to save the industry again."
"Absolutely!" Kara joked, "Cat Grant, Queen of all Literature!" That made Cat laugh. There was a pause, a silence that crept over the office before the former CEO spoke again.
"I've been reading your articles, you know."
"You have? Really?"
"Of course, I want to see if Snapper's teaching you well," Cat pointed out, "Looks like he has so far. Not bad for starting out."
"Thanks," Kara was sincere, "that means a lot."
"You've gotten your hands onto some pretty influential sources, too," Cat continued, "Supergirl and Lena Luthor, for starters. How did you get the inside scoop with Cadmus?"
"Ah," Kara scrambled to give a tangible answer, "I'm... friends. With Lena. And she gave me the contact for Supergirl."
"Friends?" Cat raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, we met when Clark Kent was here. He brought me along to interview her."
"That would explain why you were with her when Noonan's was attacked," Cat decided.
"Wait," Kara's eyes widened, "How would you know I was there?"
"I have more sources than you have plain sweaters, Kara," Cat clarified, "I know everything that happens in this city."
"So you know about that shadow thing, then," Kara suggested. Cat nodded, studying the younger woman. Kara shook her head, "Lena's fighting so hard. It's horrible that it's going after her after what happened with her mom−"
"It sounds like you know quite a bit about her emotions," Cat pointed out. Kara paused, feeling her back slouch into the white couch.
"I just... I'm confused," Kara began, "I've never really had a friend like Lena before."
"Oh? I wouldn't have expected you to become close with her," Cat commented, "I've met the girl at a few parties. Very reserved, not sure how to handle people outside of business. She's so unsure of herself in some areas that it holds her back. But god, is that woman driven. Absolutely unbreakable." Cat pondered her own words for a moment, smiling at Kara, "You know what, I take that back. You two have some similarities."
"I think 'unstoppable' would be the best word to describe her," Kara pointed out.
"What, you've seen her break?" Cat questioned her. Kara sighed, feeling herself cling to the edge of her seat.
"I've said too much," she decided, "I−I shouldn't be bothering you about it. You've got a novel to write, right?"
"Novel to publish," Cat corrected her, "Kara, you are going to sit down and talk this out with me. Whatever's going on, you aren't going to fix it by sitting alone in the dark. Now, what's going on with you and Lena Luthor?" An overwhelming sense of dread dropped into Kara's chest, though she didn't know why.
"I just... I care about her a lot," Kara stuttered, "It's strange. We've been there for each other, and, God, all these things that are happening to her are horrible. She's got no family, and I lost mine. I... I get her, you know? Like, she just knows how I feel. I never want to see her hurt like I was. I just can't stop thinking about those little moments when we're both happy, and not figuring out her mother's next move. Like at Noonan's, before that thing showed up."
"Aw, Kara," Cat gave her a sly smile, "You're in love."
"I'm what?"
"It's your first time! God, if I could go back to when I was in your spot," Cat shook her head, "I'd change so many dumb things I did." Kara's gaze fell to the floor, sheer terror flooding through her body. She felt herself shaking her head, her mind falling apart.
"I wouldn't report on her anymore," Cat joked, "You're too biased towards Lena, now."
"But, that's not−" Kara's voice faded before she spewed evidence to her former boss, "What about James? And your son? I liked them!"
"Yes, that's called being bisexual."
"But how would I know? I've never met a bisexual person before!" Kara stuttered.
Cat's gaze met Kara's, "You're looking at one." Kara shook her head, her hands shaking.
"Oh my god, are you sure?"
"You tell me. Are you?"
Kara tried to lean back into the couch, but her muscles were too tense for her to relax. Could she be? She could have guessed that Alex would have figured that out about her sister by now. Then again, Alex still struggled with accepting herself, so how could she notice it in Kara when she could barely see it in herself? She wouldn't be this terrified if Cat's words didn't have some truth to them. It would explain her feelings with Lena too− now that she thought about it, it felt like her previous advances with James. But it was much deeper than that, the language they shared without words. It had been there all along, she could never lay her finger on it.
"Even if I am, I doubt it means anything to Lena," Kara pointed out.
"Oh no, Lena Luthor is as gayer than Anderson Cooper with a pride flag," Cat insisted, "She's good at hiding it from her straight business partners. Or she's just as clueless as you, I don't know." Cat was almost laughing at Kara's self-realization. The younger woman couldn't imagine what her facial expressions looked like as her whole life was being rolled out in front of her.
"I'm so scared," Kara blurted out, "Why am I so scared?"
"Because you have to dive."
~~~
Diving may be Kara's solution, but she couldn't do it on a whim. Not because she was afraid, she decided, but because it would jeopardize Lena. How could she risk losing their friendship when Lena needed her most? After work, Kara sauntered through the streets of National City, unaware of the people walking by her. Diving was inevitable, but she had to delay it out of necessity. But there was nothing wrong with testing the waters, as Kara was sure Cat could agree to that. She lifted her blouse, checking her blue suit hidden underneath.
There was another secret that Kara could share. And since the metahuman was already after her, it wouldn't put her in any more jeopardy than she was already in.
Kara went through her reasoning as the towering headquarters of L-Corp came into view. Yes, this was perfect for testing the waters of the dark sea before her. She was never any good at judging how boys felt about her, and understanding girls felt like a whole new plane of existence. Walking through the sliding glass doors of L-Corp, she came to a conclusion: If she revealed herself as Supergirl, then she could see how well Lena reacted to something out of the ordinary. If this went well, then Kara could follow through with the dive once the metahuman was taken care of.
That sounded like an excellent plan until Kara noticed the dead bodies scattered across the floor of the reception center.