Chapter Text
“Miss Luthor.”
Supergirl calls after the woman, striding down the hall away from her. In all honesty, it has been a very long day and she’s ready to go home, curl into her couch, and watch terrible television with her sister. But no. Some jackass had to go and threaten Lena Luthor. Again. So maybe her tone is a touch sharp but Lena Luthor is still walking away from her—into the room from which they only just removed a bomb.
“Miss Luthor!”
Lena stops still and Kara jogs, human speed, to catch up with her. It feels wrong to use super speed when she’s with humans or when she’s not under attack. Too much of an advantage. If they wanted to stop, they would, and just because she could stop Lena, or step in her way, or run circles around her doesn’t mean that she should.
Kara is so preoccupied thinking of this that she doesn’t notice the look on Lena’s face until she’s right up close and the woman steps even closer.
“My name,” she bites out angry, and Kara steps away from her, eyes wide. She wasn’t expecting her to be so forceful, so intimidating. Lena looks away, squeezes her eyes shut. She tempers herself, shoulders lifting in a calming breath until her anger isn’t as noticeable. Her tone, too, is far more mild. “My name is Lena.”
“Lena Luthor.”
Kara hates that she has to say it, hates the way Lena’s jaw works for a second in annoyance, or hurt, or anger, Kara isn’t sure. But Lena has been under attack because of her name, her family, her company, and it’s been far too long of a day for Kara to even attempt tact.
“I am sorry. But it’s the truth. That’s why this is happening.” Lena jerks a nod and Kara moves on. “We didn’t find any sign of anyone breaking in.” She stops when Lena scowls and whirls away again, shoves her way into her own office. It’s been cleared but the wall of windows makes Kara nervous—it’s too open, too exposed, and she doesn’t like it. But Lena is obviously on the trail of something and so Kara goes with her. She keeps an eye on the neighbouring buildings when she asks, “Does that mean something to you?”
“Of course it does. You’re not a detective in your day job, are you? I certainly hope you’re not.” She throws the comment at Kara like a barb, and though Kara tries not to let it stick, it does sting for a second. “It means, Supergirl,” and her title has never sounded that barbed before either, “that either they used seriously impressive tech, which,” she looks up from the desk drawer she’s searching through and waves a hand around her office, “can only have come from one company. Or,” and here she pauses, chews at the inside of her lip for a moment. When she continues, there is no clear sign of the hesitation but Kara still fancies that she can hear it. “Or it means that whoever is trying to kill me has access to my office.”
“Can we get a list of who that might be?”
“I—” Lena sighs. Nods. “Yes, that’s fine. After all. If we can’t trust Supergirl, who can we trust?”
“You don’t sound like you believe that.”
“Now you’re getting the hang of detective work.” Lena closes her desk drawer. Everything she needs packed into her purse, she watches Kara carefully for a long minute. “So. What now?”
“What…now?”
“Well, I’m not going to leave my company just because someone wants to kill me—”
“Do not downplay this, Miss Luthor, they don’t just want to kill you, they very nearly succeeded in it today,” Kara snaps.
Everything feels like too much, too near the surface today—Cat is gone and there were a series of set fires downtown that she had to take care of in her lunch break and Snapper is being just awful and it’s all so much, especially with this constant vendetta against Lena—but it all becomes so, so much worse in the instant when Kara steps forward to try and impress her point on Lena, that she is in actual danger, and she sees Lena flinch away.
Kara stops still. Her heart sinks right down into her boots and in no time at all she has taken two big steps backward and uncrossed her arms, holding them open and relaxed down at her sides.
“I apologise, Miss—Lena.”
“Just Lena will be fine, thank you,” she drawls, and she even manages a smile. “And don’t be. I’m sorry for needling you,” she says on the end of a sigh and lifts a hand to rub at her eyebrow. “I’m just…on edge. My brother keeps trying to kill me and on top of running a company, it can just get a little…”
“Tedious?” Kara suggests, and when Lena’s smile grows into something that actually looks real, Kara’s heart shoots so fast back up into her chest—and then into her throat and it hurts to swallow around it and she can feel her pulse thudding right through her body for one dizzying moment. Kara looks down to her boots. Stupid. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate, I’m sure this is horrible, I don’t know why I,”
“Please,” Lena laughs, waving the comment and Kara’s apology away. “It was funny. And god knows I need to laugh at this instead of,” she rolls her eyes, shakes her head. “It’s nice to laugh. That’s all.” Lena moves back around her desk, closer to Kara. She sits herself on the edge of the table and tilts her head, appraising. “You didn’t answer my question. What are we going to do about this?”
Kara nods. “The device has been removed. It’s going to a lab where we will try and narrow down where it was made and by whom.”
“And me?” Lena asks. She turns a little, adjusts some of the devices on her desk. Kara can hear the way Lena’s heart starts to slam in her chest and she wants to smack her own head for being an idiot.
Stupid, she reprimands herself. Again. Of course she’s scared.
“I’m not sure. What the best course of action would be,” she clarifies when Lena glances her way. “I—what would make you most comfortable?”
“Not dying would be a nice start.”
“We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that you’re safe,” Kara insists, and strangely, it makes Lena laugh.
“You’re so earnest. You and your cousin both.” She tilts her head, smiles at Kara. “You have less of Superman’s self righteousness though. It’s nice.”
“Um. Thank you?”
“Mhm.” Lena’s smirk grows and Kara finds herself fidgeting with the edge of her cape, trying to remember what it was that she was telling her. “Your plan to keep me safe?”
“Right. Yes. We can assign some agents to you—”
“I want you.”
“Excuse me?” Kara clears her throat, mortified when her question comes out a touch too high pitched. “Miss—Lena,” she corrects herself when Lena smiles a warning smile. “I have a job, saving the city,”
“I’m part of this city now, am I not? I know I’m not the best part of the city or its people, but I am the one in the most danger. And the one who is going to inadvertently bring the most danger so,” she shrugs. “It makes sense to me that you should stick with me.”
“I—” Kara clicks on her comms, turns away sharply. “Did you hear that?” she asks.
“Yep.”
“And?”
“She’s got a point. Also,” Winn strives for casual, “can you ask her about her oscillators?”
“Sure—wait. Why?”
“Uh, professional interest?”
“No, Agent, I am not going to ask that.” Kara darts nervous eyes over to Lena, who leans casually against her desk and does nothing to pretend that she’s not listening in on Kara’s side of the conversation. “Can you get Agent Danvers on the line, please?” She doesn’t think she imagines the way Lena straightens a little, eyes narrow curiously at her.
Kara only has to wait for a moment before her comms click a little in her ear and her sister’s voice reaches her.
“On line, Supergirl. What can I do for you?”
“Have you been appraised of the situation?” It’s a serious situation, so she doesn’t grin, but it is kind of cool that she gets to talk like a secret agent. Alex must know what she’s thinking because she coughs to hide a laugh.
“I have. It’s a good idea. For you to stay with her.”
“I agree, of course,” it is a good idea after all, and she doesn’t want her to be attacked in her apartment and Kara is bulletproof so that’s decent protection right there if they come after her again. “But what about…” She trails off and Alex sighs.
“Take a sick day?”
“I literally just started.”
“Sorry, Supergirl. At the very least, I think you should bring Miss Luthor into the med site so we can check her over. While they’re doing that, you and I can come up with a better plan. Sound alright?”
“Yeah. Yes, thank you, agent.”
“See you soon, Supergirl.”
Kara clicks the comms off and turns back to Lena, who lifts her eyebrows expectantly.
“So?”
“How do you feel about flying?”
Lena hesitates. “I know it would be quicker but,”
“We can walk? If you want?” Kara offers, and Lena is nodding before she can finish her sentence.
“I would like that, yes.”
“I don’t think you should drive, we would have to check all your drivers and cars for more devices but it isn’t a long walk,”
“Walking will be fine, Supergirl, thank you.”
“So. She wants you to protect her.”
“Mhm.” Kara swings her feet, heels drumming against the cupboards. She munches down on the chocolate bar Alex handed her and stares hopelessly down at the tiled floor. “She is in a lot of danger.”
“She is.”
“And I can’t just ignore that.”
“No, you can’t.”
“But my job,” Kara whines, and Alex leans against her and pats her knee.
“It’s tough being a hero,” she laments, and Kara glares down at her, unsure if she’s being sarcastic or not. Alex pats her knee again and gives no indication one way or the other. “You said Snapper says you’re only good for your connection to Lena anyway, right?”
“You didn’t have to remind me,” Kara grumbles, “but yes. He said that.”
“So… Tell him that you’re going to get the scoop on what is happening and hang around her, see what you can turn up.”
“Like an assignment.”
“Exactly.”
“He’ll be thrilled.” Kara chomps viciously into the last of her chocolate. “It’s not like he wants me around. He doesn’t even like my ponytail.”
“You really do need to use more conditioner.”
“Oh sorry that I can’t maintain perfect hair volume after flying around half the day.” Kara shoots Alex a dirty look—Alex just smiles and pats her knee again—and then jumps down from the countertop. She pushes the chocolate wrapper into Alex’s hand. “I’ll call him.”
“Um? Throw your own trash out!”
“Nope, you touched it last. Bye!” With a dash of superspeed, Kara leaves her there, and she has to slow and catch herself before she runs right into Lena. As it is, her momentum carries her further than she expected and she pulls Lena into a hug rather than bowling her right over. As soon as she’s steady, she puts the woman back on her feet and steps away, flushing. “Sorry. Didn’t see you there.”
“So it would appear.” Lena brushes down her blazer, peers curiously into the break room. “You’re quite chummy with Agent Danvers.”
“Yeah she’s, uh,” Kara hesitates. “A very good agent.”
“Mm. So what’s the verdict?” Kara blinks. “On my protection detail?”
“Oh! Well, I have to make a call but, if it goes well…me.” Kara doesn’t miss the way Lena sighs, very slightly, and the tight grip she has on her purse eases. It makes her all the more determined to actually win one over Snapper and make him give her what she wants. “Give me a minute?” she asks and Lena nods.
Kara zooms away to the furthest corner of the building from Lena and it’s all done and dusted in under a minute. Snapper, as it turns out, couldn’t care less what Kara does. When she promises him an article on Lena and the goings-on at L-Corp, he grunts and hangs up.
Kara fights the urge to crush her phone—“it’s not him, it’s not worth it, it’s not him”—and returns to Lena. “Okay! Where to?”
“My apartment.”
“Supergirl,” Alex calls out as Kara walks Lena toward the exit. “Miss Luthor. Sorry to hear you’re under attack. Again.”
“It’s not ideal.” Lena shrugs. “I can take care of myself though. Obviously.”
“I remember thinking that.” Alex is grinning at Lena and Kara widens her eyes at her, hopefully not too noticeably. “Right. We have agents at your apartment right now. Sorry for the intrusion but we wanted to get you somewhere you felt safe and secure as soon as possible.”
“That’s very thoughtful.”
“Supergirl will accompany you home and ensure your safety until we can bring this under control. In the event that we need her,” Alex hands Lena a small black burner phone. “There is one number programmed in here, it will get you on the line with someone who can help. Agents will be sent to your location and take over for Supergirl. They will be the best we have, I promise you,” she assures Lena, who nods.
“That seems acceptable.”
“Glad you think so,” Alex says, in a tone that Kara knows means she doesn’t really care if Lena agrees. “Supergirl?”
“Regular check-in’s, I know.” She turns to Lena. “How do you feel about flying now?”
“Honestly? I’m so exhausted you could tell me that you had to dismember me first and I think I would be fine with it.” She laughs when Kara pales, and grips her purse firmly in both hands. “Up, up, and away, Supergirl.”