22

Chapter 22Notes:

Sup!

Chapter Text

Kara pulled Daisy out of the bar, not really sure how much help she needed, "I know you're going to say you're fine, but it's four in the afternoon?" She was more put together than Alex had been the few times she'd been called to help her.

Daisy laughed, easy and loose, and then the door of the bar closed behind them and she rolled her neck, "I'm buzzed," And it was like a light switch had flipped, she settled back to her usual self. "Faking being drunk is not that hard." She held up the business card, "And I got what I needed."

"Wait…what?" Kara actually did trip over herself slightly as she followed the very much not faintly wobbly Daisy out of the alley.

Daisy grinned, "Spy," And she winked.

She spluttered, catching up, "Why would you fake that?!"

"Because I don't have time to build up the interpersonal relationships needed to gain the trust of anyone even half as suspicious of me as they should be. At least considering I'm not building myself a reputation as a naive foundling or something." Daisy swayed just enough to bump their shoulders together. "Not everyone invites strangers to sleep on their couch."

Kara frowned, "And what is that?"

Daisy paused but then reached out caught her hand, and pulled her along. "How I'm going to fix your Lord problem."

"My…" Her eyes widened. Kara pulled them to a stop. "He knows who I am."

Daisy looked at her, the settled surety of her stance as she tipped her chin up slightly leaving no doubt she was confident in her words. "He's a scared narcissist who thinks he's a hero. But he's not a psychopath, and he's not a sadist. He's a coward."

"That doesn't change that he could tell, everyone." Kara was serious as she listened.

Daisy tightened her hold on Kara's hand, "I know, but he won't. Because you are not going to be the one he's fighting. And keeping you in line is the only use that information has." She gave a pointed look at the open sidewalk they were on. "Come on, I'll explain the rest at yours."

And, well, cities had lots of alleys, and Kara could fly. Even if Daisy yelped something about not being a damsel or that drunk at being scooped up. Kara also had super speed. So exactly eighty seconds later, most of which was getting both of them out of sight enough she could take off without someone noticing, and they were home.

Kara set Daisy down, even if she didn't really want to. "What do you mean it only works against me?"

"It keeps you in line, it doesn't actually do anything if he tells anyone." Daisy sighed, "Everyone who is important knows who you are, Kara. It's an open secret. I found your identity in a day. It's not hard if you know what you're doing. The DEO knows, Cadmus knows, Lex Luthor probably knows, and his mother definitely does. The president could ask and find out anytime she wants. Cat Grant knows. A large number of military higher-ups know. The reason Kara Danvers is not splashed across newspapers everywhere is because the public doesn't want to know. The people in power don't want them to know."

Kara closed her eyes, "If people find out my family is at risk."

"Yes, they are." Daisy didn't soften that.

She wanted to protest, to argue all those people couldn't possibly know. But…most of, if not all of them probably did. So why not tell, everyone? "It hurts their cause if people know I'm Kara Danvers." Kara swallowed as she let herself think the problem through. "And they like me being scared."

"The power," Daisy nodded. "There are reasons someone might use that information against you. But it won't save him, and he won't give up power and the ability to make you fear him when it won't change anything." She touched Kara's arm. "And even if he was that stupid, I'd kill him if he tried."

Kara knew she shouldn't feel relieved, should be alarmed, but she was grateful. She pulled Daisy into her arms, hugging her. She pressed her face into Daisy's shoulder. "Please don't kill Maxwell, even if he deserves it."

"No promises if he decides to be colossally stupid." Daisy muttered, "But he's not that stupid."

She huffed in amusement before pulling back. Kara was serious though as she focused on Daisy. Her brow furrowed slightly, she hadn't known Daisy long, but going off on an entirely new mission without mentioning it when it was so close to home… "It's not your fault Myriad surprised us."

"I…" Daisy shook her head, running her hand through her hair, pushing it back and out of her face. "Knowing what threats are pressing is what I'm supposed to be good at."

Kara just hugged her friend who was being lovely, and also kind of stupid, again. "I'd have been alone, for hours without you there. I don't know if Max would have convinced the Army, maybe even me to use that horrible bomb. It mattered that you were there."

"I'm still going to get him arrested as soon as I sleep this buzz off." But Daisy was soft but also definitely smelled of alcohol as she physically hummed against Kara.

Kara smiled, "So, afternoon binge drinking a thing I should expect to happen again?"

"I'm not drunk!" Daisy protested, "And no, I don't get drunk drunk, I could crack open the San Andraous fault line or something because I sneezed."

Kara was checking on the enchiladas in the oven when she heard Alex's familiar heartbeat at the door. She whooshed to the door, opening it up and hugging her sister before Alex could knock. She sighed in contentment at holding her sister. "You're here!"

"Had to help you get ready," Alex hugged her back with her own happy hum. As she pulled back she went very stiff. "Who's this?"

Kara loved Alex and Daisy, but she'd admittedly been a bit nervous about them meeting. Mostly because both were a bit paranoid and not insignificantly pessimistic. And twitchy, very twitchy. But Daisy and Lucy seemed to get along, so Kara had hope this was going to go well. "So you haven't met yet, but Alex, this is Daisy, Daisy, this is my sister, Alex."

"Hi, heard a lot about you." Daisy closed her laptop, standing up from the table she'd been sitting at, and walked over, holding out her hand.

Alex's face was guarded as she held out her hand, shaking Daisy's, "I haven't heard anything about you?"

"New neighbor, your sister has been helping me get used to the city." It was distinctly weird to see Daisy making herself look…smaller. The way her shoulders were soft and how she was balancing her weight.

Kara barely kept from babbling.

Alex's hand dropped back to her side. "Of course, Kara would do that." And yup, Alex was disapproving of that.

"Well," Daisy flicked her attention to Kara. "I should be going, you have your party tonight. Make sure to take the enchiladas out in twenty minutes."

"What, you don't have to go," Kara would have reached out but Daisy was already out of arm's reach.

Daisy just shook her head as she slid her laptop under one arm, a faint smile on her face. "I trust you not to burn your dinner, and I have work to do. Thanks, for earlier."

"But…" Kara sighed, she knew when nothing short of physically dragging a person back in was going to keep them there. "Please drink lots of water."

Daisy just rolled her eyes while opening the window. "I'll keep that in mind." She looked over at Alex, "It was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too," Alex had the funniest expression on her face. "Are you leaving out the window?"

Daisy shrugged, "I'm just down the escape." She waved and then swung out and disappeared down said fire escape.

Kara sighed as she went over and closed the window.

"Your neighbor comes in and out of your apartment through the fire escape?" Alex said slowly like she was trying to process just how many things were wrong with that.

Kara sighed, looking at her sister, "She's nice, and Lucy already did a background check. Daisy's really nice and she made dinner, so give her a chance, please?"

"She made dinner?" Alex's eyebrows were rising toward her hairline.

Kara beamed with excitement! "Yes! She's trying to learn to cook, and she's really good, or is now that she has a timer on her watch. Also Drew's mom loves her and has been sharing recipes with her."

"Huh," Alex opened up the fridge, automatically going for the shelf that typically had beer on it only to pause. But she grabbed one her eyes staring at the inside of the fridge. "You have a full fridge? Is that…an entire shelf of leftovers?"

She nodded happily, "Yes, Daisy started buying groceries, which I said wasn't fair, so then I started trying to get them first, but she complained about all the carrots I got." Kara was so happy to have Alex back, to be able to explain what had changed to her. "So Daisy put a shared note app on our phones to keep track of groceries."

Alex's voice was slightly pitched funny, "You have a shared grocery app, with your neighbor?"

"Yes? Oh! And she always just makes triple, sometimes quadruple batches so there's leftovers for lunches. I only order takeout once or twice a week now." Kara grinned, "Usually when she accidentally burns something or gets caught up with work and forgets to start making food." She grabbed the duster, if Eliza was coming over she had to make sure the house was clean. "You should have seen James's face when I brought a packed lunch to work the first time."

"How is James?" Alex shut the fridge door, turning and leaning on the kitchen island after popping the cap off of her beer.

Kara stopped moving as the question registered. She wasn't sure how to explain it exactly without explaining everything that had been going on. "We're friends again, it was weird for a while there, but with Myriad and everything, I think we're good."

"Friends?" Alex sounded vaguely disbelieving.

////

Daisy had considered the risks and benefits of who all was figuring out she was Quake. Myriad had kinda thrown a wrench in her expectations. Cat Grant had to suspect, Lucy knew which meant the DEO at large very easily could, and Kara's lying ability meant Daisy wasn't betting on the secret identity thing lasting long with Kara's circle. But that didn't mean she wanted it out willy nilly. On the other hand, she needed the cop to listen to her.

So she was taking a medium path. How she'd go forward would depend on the type of person the cop was. So she had the veil on underneath her mask as she waited for the detective to show up at the park, as agreed on via the short conversation on the phone they'd had earlier.

It was dark out, the street lights not lighting the area particularly well. Daisy was glad to have the excuse to avoid the family celebration happening at Kara's. Knowing she wouldn't belong there was very different than feeling that. And if she'd been in the building, Kara would have tried to loop her in.

Daisy clocked the woman in the leather jacket walking to the arranged bench. And sure enough, as the woman arrived, she pulled out a phone, and Daisy's line rang. She didn't pick up, instead jumping off of the roof she'd been sitting on and arching just enough to land with a soft thud, just behind the detective.

"What the fu-Quake." Detective Maggie Sawyers' hand dropped to her gun holster as she spun, recognition in her eyes.

She held up her hands, "Evening Detective, I'm just here to talk."

"You're who called?" Sawyer was a short woman, with dark wavy hair, and suspicion radiating from her.

Daisy used slow motions to reach up and pulled the mask off. "I agreed on no murder with Supergirl, thought arrest might be a good alternative."

"You're serious?" She dropped her hands to her waist, chin tipped up. "Of course you are. Give me one reason I shouldn't arrest you right now?"

Daisy raised a brow, "Arrest me for what crime?"

Sawyer blew out a long breath, before nodding to herself. "Fine, let's say I'm willing to listen, why show me your face?"

"This isn't my face," Daisy grinned, the face veil had been a good choice, and Jemma Simmons wasn't a citizen of this Earth. "It's technology, not shape-shifting if that matters to you."

The detective twitched slightly, "That makes me feel better actually." She gave a nod. "Ok, you know I'm not going to just arrest a person for you, right? That's not how this works."

"Even if I can hand you proof of them committing dozens of felonies including terrorism, murder, and an active plot to use a bomb that would kill 8% of the population of National City?" Daisy offered.

Sawyer was very still, "Shit, you're not lying?"

"No, I'm not. So, interested?" Daisy waited, she was interested in what little she'd looked into about Detective Sawyer. Not that she'd had a lot of time for doing more than briefly running her name.

"Fine, who is even capable of something like that?" Sawyers' arms changed so that they were crossed over her chest.

Daisy would be deciding what she thought of the detective depending on how she dealt with the bullshit. "Max Lord."

"You want me to arrest Max Lord? Even if you have evidence, no judge will sign off on a warrant for him. Not without something being utterly damning."

"They will when the video of him trying to argue dropping a kryptonite bomb on National City is the best way to stop Myriad leaks to every news organization in the country tomorrow morning. Kryptonite is a controlled substance, a felony just to possess it, let alone enough to build a bomb out of, unless I'm wrong about that." Daisy knew she wasn't wrong. She pulled out a flash drive and tossed it over.

Sawyer barely managed to catch it, "Is this the video?"

"That's the schematics of the bomb, as well as blueprints of his building. I highlighted every area you should make sure to look." Daisy grinned, "I'm good at things beyond punching. And, the records of some missing women's missing people reports, and them being referenced in Lord Tech documentation after their last known appearances. Figured that'd get you a search warrant once the media explodes tomorrow."

Sawyer's eyes narrowed, "Who knows what's about to happen?"

"You, me, Supergirl is aware I'm taking him off the board without putting a bullet between his eyes. And the Director of a classified government agency is prepared to ensure your prosecutor offers him a plea deal that he will accept before it goes to trial. No drawn-out legal battle."

Daisy sat straight up in bed, twisting to defend herself only to pause as she realized what had woken her up. She lowered her hand. "Kara?"

"I'm sorry, you were asleep and I-"

"Hey, no," Daisy tossed her blankets off of herself and was up and heading for Kara. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" She reached Kara but didn't reach out.

She was vibrating with something, "A pod crashed outside the city."

Daisy frowned, what about a pod had caused this?

"Like mine! It's Kryptonian." Even in the dark, it was clear how Kara's eyes were shining as she spoke.

"Oh wow, that's, there was a person in it?" Daisy was kinda shocked Kara would leave another Kryptonian for anything.

Kara nodded with joyous disbelief on her face. "He's alive!"

"That's amazing," Daisy caught Kara's forearms before she could start waving her arms. "He's ok?"

She shook her head, "He's unconscious, at the DEO, they don't know why he won't wake up, but he's alive!" Kara looked down, "They put him on a solar bed, but he's alive and real. Lucy made me come home but I just…ended up here. And I'm sorry for waking you up! I shouldn't have but I couldn't even think of sleeping."

"So what I'm hearing is we need to celebrate?" Daisy could see just how much energy Kara had burning under the surface. She glanced at the clock. It was only ten thirty, plenty of places were still open. "Come on, give me fifteen minutes."

Daisy pulled the flask of Alderanian rum out of her purse and liberally dumped it into Kara's drink. She winked at Kara's confused expression, "You need to let loose, I've got you."

"That's…why do you even have that?" Kara had to lean close and half shout to be heard.

Daisy was smug about that, "Bought a bottle the other day for you, figured you deserved to cut loose, a bit." She pressed the drink into Kara's hand and gave her a pointed look. It was easy to ignore the loud thumping of the bass in the club. Which, Daisy hadn't been sure a club was the right idea, up until she'd spotted Kara's expression at realizing where they were.

Kara was actually vibrating slightly with whatever was going on in that head of hers. With a swift movement, she downed the entire drink.

Daisy's brow shot up, but she also couldn't help grinning. Had not pegged Kara as a club person, but it had been the only thing other than just getting the woman drunk or sparring that Daisy could think of on short notice to get Kara to burn out whatever exactly was going on in her head. "Come on, dancing." It was admittedly nice Kara could just hear her. But Kara didn't let herself get pulled toward the dance floor. Daisy tilted her head, "What?"

Kara opened her mouth, and then leaned in, her mouth right by her ear, "What if I hurt someone?"

Oh. Less club person, more had never done it before then. Daisy squeezed, really squeezed Kara's wrist, hard. She met Kara's startled expression. "Just focus on me, I won't let you hurt anyone." It wouldn't be hard to keep anything from going wrong. "Ok?"

Kara bit at her lower lip, but she nodded.

"Come on," Daisy pulled Kara onto the crush of the dance floor. She held Kara's eyes as she pulled Kara's hands to her shoulders. "Hands up, or on me." No flying elbows that way, the rest was easy enough to prevent from going badly for a poor drunk sod. Touchier than Daisy would prefer, she was trying to put distance here, but Kara needed it and it wasn't a big deal. Friends danced together.

Now if she could just convince herself of that. But deafening music with a beat she could have felt in her bones without controlling soundwaves was easily distracting. And slowly, pulling Kara out of her shell was even more distracting.