8

Two days early because of the Holiday! Hope you all are having a wonderful Valentines day.

If this chapter keeps getting updated a few times in the next twenty minutes or so it's cause I'm tying a new HTML font thing and just am fixing any errors in the formatting it might cause. Should probably be fine, but ya know, if something weird happens that's why.

Chapter Text

Cat Grant was having a terrible day that was going to make her have to get some touch-ups on her hair to hide the new grey strands. She'd agreed, against her business sense, to blur Daisy's face from the security footage that'd been published on the website and frames that would be running in the Tribune. It was dramatic, not the best angle. But Cat took a handful of M&Ms at the sight of the security footage of a human 'yeeting' themself out of a skyscraper like a suicidal lemming and surviving somehow.

Sometimes she knew to her bones that her obnoxiously perky millennial assistant was Supergirl. But then days like this came. Days where a niggling feeling of doubt crept in. Because there was an emailed note Kiera had sent her, from the hospital ER informing her that her assistant had a mild concussion and would be out of work for the next three days. The trick of Kiera and Supergirl both in her office, this doctor's note, the way Kiera had seemed genuinely harmed and disoriented by Siobhan's screaming. But everything else lined up. It was miserable being unsure.

What she was sure of was those military medals Daisy had casually referenced being very real. It'd only taken a quick Google search to see what on earth Special Reconnaissance was. The answer was special forces that did things so classified it was probably impossible even for her to get a real run down on most of the types of missions they did. But someone trained to jump out of a plane and land behind enemy lines. It fit for the sort of suicidal 'yeeting' Daisy had done, and then being concerned about not being plastered on the news.

And Cat couldn't deny the horrible, sick horror at the sight of Kiera being thrown out that window. It didn't matter she was almost sure the girl was Supergirl. What mattered was if she hadn't been she would have died. If she hadn't befriended a veteran missing all survival instincts, thank god, she would have died.

At least they were raking in eyes and numbers with the office footage of 'wished to remain anonymous veteran' saving the day. The footage was still sickening. There was a moment when Kiera and Daisy fell out of frame, and without knowing to look for it, it was so easy to miss where Daisy's hand caught the window frame, half impaling her hand on the glass. Then the rush of pulling Kiera up, only for the now blurred-out face of Daisy climbing right back in and pulling a shard of glass out of her hand. It was selling. The arguments in the comments about the probability of pulling off the insane stunt were wild.

Cat had no doubt by the end of the week every parkour idiot in the city would have built an obstacle to test the maneuver out on. She didn't need to be an expert to know it was insane they'd survived that. To know the difference in life and death had been one shoe not slipping, pure athleticism, and a woman with the pain tolerance to hang on even while her hand was partially impaled on glass.

The submitted video from people on the ground was equally sickeningly impressive. Because when windows got blown out, the people on the ground noticed the shower of glass and looked up. And then aimed smartphones at the human beings hanging out of said window. The phone footage wasn't clear due to the distance. It was clear enough to tell what was happening broadly though.

Cat eyed her bottle. It was too early to get drunk, but once five o'clock hit nothing on god's green earth was keeping her from knocking back four fingers of that. She had a driver for a reason. Which left her stress munching on M&M's one at a time. At least her cover story had resolved itself. Superpowered attack and heroic rescue by bystander sold. It'd sell better if Daisy had consented to an interview and her face being used. But, for saving Kara's life, Cat would accept keeping the woman anonymous.

She looked up as James burst into her office. "I don't recall asking for your presence?"

"Ms. Grant, you have to leave now." He had a cell phone in one hand. "Livewire has escaped. She could be anywhere now, but you know she'll come for you eventually. You need to head home and pack. Winn called Kara for her passwords, he's arranging a car to take you and Carter to the airport with guards. He'll take care of your escape arrangements."

"I'm not going anywhere." Cat met his faintly panicked expression with her own, even one. "I've beat her once, I'll beat her again." She scoffed at the gaping disbelief on his face. "Fine. I had help, but I will have help again. National City may have lost faith in Supergirl, but I have not. And you shouldn't either, Mr. Olsen."

He tried that warm, persuasive, ever so slightly commanding but not overbearing posture. "Ms. Grant, I have every faith in Supergirl. But she can't be everywhere all at once. You need to leave until she's caught Livewire."

"I'm not going anywhere." She replied, like hell, she was letting her own demented protege chase her out of her city. The screens behind her desk started to spark. Well, now would be a really good time for Supergirl to show up.

Cool under pressure was a joke. Her heart was beating out of her chest abnormally fast, her hands sweating as she tried not to flinch as Leslie shot lightning in great showy arches to explode things. Supergirl had better get here, soon. Being handcuffed to a bench as human bait was not what she'd meant when she'd said she believed in Supergirl. The screaming of the idiot innocent bystanders who were running around like chickens with their heads cut off was not helping the situation.

"Think she'll show?" Siobhan asked from where she was standing looking like a Party City reject. Who showed her facepaint? She really should have stayed behind the scenes. Clearly, she was not cut out for being in front of the camera. Of course, Cat could have told her that if she'd asked. Also if terror wasn't tightening her throat it'd help with communicating her disdain. And terror.

Leslie, or Livewire, or whatever insipid name the woman was going by now, replied. "Don't know. Don't really care. Either way, I'm getting my jolts." She stalked towards Cat, her voice dripping venom. "You see Cat, I'm still fifty-fifty if your heart's actually beating, but I'm going to stop it anyway."

She meant it.

It was the jolt that unstuck Cat's tongue. "No, Leslie. Please don't do this." Cat's wrists ached from the handcuffs holding her in place. She was going to die. If Supergirl didn't get here now, she was going to die. Because Leslie really would kill her.

Leslie sneered, "Begging? I'm disappointed. What are you so afraid you're going to miss, hmm? Another silly award ceremony? Where a bunch of sycophants kowtow to the false queen and tell you how great you are?"

"No. No, I'm not asking for myself. I'm asking for my boys. I'm all they have. Please don't take their mother away from them." It was all she had. The only thing that mattered. Carter who was so young, so special. He'd never recover from losing her. And she'd only just begun to mend bridges with Adam. Cat didn't care about dignity or pride, she needed to survive, for them. Because she loved them.

A relief so desperate it felt like a physical blow hit her as Supergirl landed not twenty yards away.

The hero's clear commanding voice traveled, bringing the chaos, the running masses, and even the monsters to a halt through the sheer force of her presence. "Leslie! Leave Ms. Grant alone."

"Skirt! You showed." Leslie straightened, turning to face Supergirl. "Think things will go differently for you this time? Or are you going to run away to save your hide again?"

Siobhan, pretentious facepaint she thought made her a serious 'villain' scoffed. "Enough of this," and then opened her mouth and screamed.

Supergirl looked ridiculous with construction worker ear-muffs over her ears, but the force of the scream only forced her back an inch. "You don't have to do this Siobhan, we can help you."

"You think you can take both of us?" Leslie sneered, "Some ridiculous earmuffs aren't going to save you. It's only a little murder, well-deserved murder. Why don't you go fly off."

Supergirl's hand was held out in the universal sign for 'stop'. "We can talk this out, no one has to get hurt."

"Only a couple of people do," Lightning cracked up her arms, her eyes turned to the sky on the Catco World Wide Media helicopter, her face twisted into a snarl, and Cat knew talking was at an end. "I HATE, HELICOPTERS!"

Lightning poured out of her fingers, people screamed as they realized what was about to happen.

Supergirl moved.

She was fast, she threw herself between the lightning and the helicopter, arms outstretched.

Lightning lit her up, enwrapping her form, her head flung back in a silent scream, and then she dropped the second Leslie's powers ceased. It was as if the lightning itself had kept her in place.

She crashed to the ground, pain on her face, her back arching from what appeared to be muscle spasms.

A murmur washed through the crowd. Cat could have sworn someone said 'she saved them'. Her heart was in her throat.

"Not so Super now, are you Skirt." Leslie and Siobhan stepped forward only to stop, as a loud, echoing, clap, echoed through the city park.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The air itself felt heavy with a low hum. Like the air before a thunderstorm.

Cat and everyone else looked up, and there, sitting on the edge of a building against one side of the park, was a figure. And Cat knew as she took in the figure it was bad news.

The person looked vaguely feminine from the hair but could have been a slight man. They were clad all in black, not a sliver of skin was visible. Their face was covered with some kind of goggle face mask that glinted gold in the light, and their lower face was covered with hard plastic. But whereas Leslie and Siobhan looked like they were trying to wear a costume, this person did not.

Leslie balked, before puffing up with unearned bravado…possibly earned. "And who are you?"

"Someone fascinated by the stupidity down there." There was a voice modulator being used. A horrible artificial sound as it echoed from them. The figure pushed off falling the three stories without a flicker of hesitation, landing lightly. Probably flight then. As they walked forward, it was clear it was a woman. And Cat felt a shiver of dread as she realized that black fabric was kevlar.

The woman had a short women's bob cut, the color a dark poisonous-looking purple. It was the only thing besides some dark purple paneling of her jacket, and the gold glint of her mask that gave the faintest hint of personality. And to say she stalked forward didn't do her movement justice. And that was blatantly a gun attached to her thigh. Cat's eyes turned to where a confused-looking Supergirl was trying to climb to her feet, but swaying with the movement.

"Well, no one accused Supergirl of being smart," Leslie said snidely. "Name's Livewire, that's Banshee. If you're here to get in our way, it won't go well for you."

The woman came to a stop, head tilting. "Cute, but sure, let's go with the made-up names. Call me Quake."

"Planning on intervening?" Leslie's voice had a threat in it, she was getting more confident by the second.

'Quake's' face turned ever so slightly towards Cat, "All this just to kill a bitchy CEO? I mean, go off I guess?" that same horrible artificial voice modulated voice that was impersonal, the same lack of a human face.

Supergirl's fingers twitched slightly as she looked between the new arrival and Leslie and Siobhan. "Ms. Grant does not deserve to die."

"Is that asking me for help, Hotstuff?" Quake's voice, altered and robotic as it was, came across as almost amused.

Siobhan apparently had lost it. "Enough of this." And then she turned her whole body moving with the force of it as she screamed.

There was no sound.

Quake's hand was raised towards Siobhan, and there was no noise. She spoke, her voice still that artificial crackle. "That was dumber than trusting the Kryptonian to play nice." And then she shot Siobhan in the face.

Screams echoed out as Siobhon crumpled like a puppet.

"No!" Supergirl came to a skidding stop just short of where Siobhon's body was. She turned, eyes wide towards Quake. "You shot her?!"

Quake's face mask was tilted to the side. "And?"

"Holy fuck." Leslie took a half step backward, electricity crackling over her.

Quake's gun swung towards Leslie.

The gun went off.

Supergirl was faster than a bullet.

One hand of hers was on Quake's chest just below her throat, the other had a grip around Quake's wrist, holding the hand and gun straight upwards. The crack of the gun echoed. This park really did have a problem with that, echoing. Supergirls's face was hard. "We don't murder people."

"I mean, speak for yourself." Quake leaned into Supergirl's grip even as the Kyrptonian's face filled with affront. "But don't worry, can't you hear Shrieky's heartbeat? Tranq rounds, I was getting tired of the casuals' pretension. I mean where did she get her suit, the bargain bin? And that makeup, yikes."

Supergirl's head snapped around as she dropped Quake to look at Siobhan's body only to nearly slump in relief. "Oh thank Rao."

"You know what, fuck this sideshow." Leslie turned, lightning sparking as she started shifting into pure lightning as she took off, lunging towards Cat.

Cat only kept from screaming through sheer terror.

Supergirl blurred, skidding to a stop in front of Cat.

She hadn't needed to.

The white light of Livewire fractured as she returned to being corporeal, slamming into the ground with a sharp scream of pain, She twisted, looking at Quake. "What di-"

There was a crack as Quake shot her.

Quake holstered her weapon. "Boring."

"Would you stop shooting people!" Supergirl yelped as she dropped to one knee, pressing two fingers to Leslie's neck. Her shoulders softened with relief.

One of Quake's hands dropped to her waist, her weight leaning to one side. "Shouldn't you be happier? 'Yay, bad guys down, innocents saved', you didn't have hurt anyone in the process, victory all around and all that? You even tried to choke me a bit. Which kinky, but I'm down for negotiating limits."

Supergirl actually choked, her face flushing as she made a vaguely inarticulate sound. Cat had never been so certain Supergirl was Kara Danvers in her life. She'd have spoken up, but getting the attention of the person who screamed supervillain, didn't sound smart. And she'd had enough near-death experiences for a single day. Cat held her tongue. She'd prefer someone got around to uncuffing her from this bench sooner rather than later though.

"Why did you shoot them?!" Supergirl waved her arms.

Quake's head tilted again. "They were annoying me? Is this because I didn't punch them? Cause the effort you go to so you don't accidentally murder your opponents is wild and I don't like pulling punches. The restrained strength thing is very sexy, but is getting hit by things really worth it?"

"I…why are you here?" Supergirl just ignored the cavalier disregard for life and the flirting. Well, if there was a hero that outright flirting on would put off foot, it'd be Supergirl.

Quake stepped straight into Supergirl's personal space, till they were less than a foot apart. "Huh, I think you might be more interesting than my why." She took a large step backward. "Nice meeting you Hotstuff, you're welcome for the save by the way. I think I'll see you around." Her head gave a very pointed tip of an up-down look of the hero. "This has been fun."

"Wait, what do you mea-"

But Quake didn't stay to hear whatever Supergirl had been about to ask, instead she simply shot straight up into the sky in a gust of wind.

The awful weight vanished with the woman's presence.

Cat felt rather like she could breathe again. "Supergirl, as amusing as it is to watch you being tricked into letting a villain escape because she was flirting with you, handcuffs. Anytime now."

"Ms. Grant!" Supergirl strode for her and quickly snapped the handcuffs off of her.

She rubbed at her wrists while standing up. "Took you long enough." And nobody had better notice the shake in her hands. Fear did not agree with her.

////

Kara was going so fast as she flew through her apartment window she skidded three inches before coming to a halt. "Daisy! What…what was that?!"

Daisy looked up from where she was seated on a stool by the kitchen island. "Your reactions had to be genuine, and honestly with how your world's PR is looking, being a borderline villain is more flexible and probably more useful." She reached up pulling the wig off of her head. "I am sorry for freaking you out though."

"Freaking me out…you're going to be a villain?" Kara's arms waved.

Daisy pulled out a series of bobby pins as she spoke, her long hair falling back down over her shoulders. "Eh, villain vibes." Daisy hesitated. "Look I didn't…how bad did that push it for you?"

"That was really intense, you were very convincing. I didn't realize it was you immediately." Kara admitted, she'd felt a horrible lurch at the thought it was three villains, not two. The distinctive beat of Daisy's heart had taken a few seconds to place, and even then, she'd just been…so different.

Daisy smiled weakly. "Well, I am a spy." The smile faded though. "What I said was the acting, how I handled them, not as much. I wasn't the you of my world, even if I was trying to do good."

"Why do you need to be a villain? Because that sounds terrible, really unreasonably terrible." Kara picked up the other stool by the kitchen island, set it down in front of Daisy, and took a seat. Their knees bumped slightly.

Daisy seemed hesitant and cautious. Her words careful. "Your change from the RedK, it was blatantly obvious something was wrong with you, it was short, the only people you even physically harmed were your boss, sister, and J'onn, and the general population is behaving as if you've betrayed them. Hell, even Cat is refusing to help you. And she could, it'd be good business too. Sex and drugs sell, you being drugged would sell. So why is no one supporting you, publically? The government was prepared and ready to take as much power over you at the drop of a hat, but not a single person whose life you've saved is doing impassioned defenses of you? I mean sure, there's a few private blogs, Facebook posts, but nothing with weight. And that...that's weird."

"And that's not how you think it should be?" Kara said slowly.

Daisy gave her a faintly frustrated, faintly pleading look. "Look the first big heroes on my world were a billionaire in a flying tank, a WWII vet shot up with steroids that left him a near physical match for an Asgardian, an Asgardian with lightning powers, a guy who turned into a giant rage monster, a special ops agent with a bow and arrows, and a Russian murder spy with guns. You or your cousin probably could take all of them. Well, if you played to win instead of going easy to try and not hurt them."

"I think, you and more your cousin, being the heroes on this world shaped how people see heroes in some really fucked up ways." There was a faint shiver in the air that Kara was beginning to learn meant Daisy was upset. "They don't see you as people. The standard they are holding you to is perfection. And as much as they worship you, they also are terrified of you." Something steely passed across Daisy's eyes. "So I'm going to give them an alternative. I'm three-quarters human, I have the power to crack a planet like an egg. They need to see humans can fight gods, and they need to have a point of contrast for the standard you two are setting."

Kara wasn't entirely sure she followed. She mostly did, but she'd be playing this conversation over and over in her head for days. She just knew it. "...and that means you need to be a villain?"

"I mean without the trying to dominate the planet and all that." Daisy shrugged. "Also, it gives me a lot more options going forward."

"That's terrible, Daisy, you shouldn't be making yourself out to be someone you're not." Kara reached out touching her knee. "You don't need to do that."

"I know I don't have to do it." The line of Daisy's shoulders softened. "I'm choosing to. And Kara, I've killed people, a lot of people. Fuck, I've tortured a few people. I'm not good, I may try to protect people when I can and stop threats but it's never been clean for me."

Kara blew out a breath. "That's…a lot."

"Yeah, and not your method." Daisy's fingers twitched. "Which is a good thing. But it's never going to be mine."

She felt something settle, it wasn't what she in part wanted to hear. Or would have expected really. But it felt honest. "I'm not that naive, I know not everything can be uncomplicated and not everyone can be saved. My mother was a judge, I've seen so much death. Promise me only as a last resort."

"I…" Daisy's back straightened. "Self-defense or in defense of another as a last good resort, anything premeditated only if it's the only good option and I never lie to you about it. And no torture as anything but an absolute last resort when every other option has been exhausted. It's not like torture even works really." Daisy didn't flinch in the slightest as she spoke. "I don't like killing, I don't like hurting people. But it is necessary sometimes."

Kara didn't like it, but she knew it was all she would get. "Ok."

"Hey, this isn't some final whatever. You can change your mind." Daisy's knee knocked into Kara's. "We can and probably should talk about it again in the future. And I know when it comes to the people I love I can go too far. I'm not perfect, I'm not always right. I help you, you help me, ok?"

And that felt lighter, a lot lighter. She leaned forward, and awkward or not, hugged her friend. "I think that's doable." She squeezed Daisy before pulling back, ignoring the surprised look on her face. "I get the villain thing, even if I still think it's a terrible idea. Why were you flirting with me like that?"

"I needed you too off balance so you wouldn't give away you knew me already." Daisy shrugged a faint curl to her lips. "And it was hilarious."