#as much as I miss him on Supergirl

[bisupergirl]

kara wearing kon's glasses (given to her by tim) in supergirl v5 🫶 and her wearing his shirt (that she stole) after his death in infinite crisis:

[celaenaeiln]

“batman loves his nightwing” this and “batsibs love nightwing that”, what about the batsibs’ friends / team loving nightwing ‼️‼️

YES!!! They love him!

The thing about Dick Grayson is that he has such a unique quality that just draws people in and holds them captive.

Titans (2016) Issue #26

He has a charisma that's intense. People from all walks of life find themselves just constantly looking at him for friendship, advice, love, guidance, and just something that calls them to him.

It's the impact he has on people that's astounding.

Titans (2016) Issue #27

They love him so much and they respect him so much that his absence is like a huge gaping hole in their chest. People feel lost without him because they've come to rely so heavily on him. Gar and Steel literally only joined because Dick asked.

This is something Roy catches on to and is well-aware of. He practically hounds Dick into creating the Outsiders with him.

Outsiders (2003) Issue #1

But you think Roy is the only one to capitalize on Dick's Nightwing effect? Hell no.

Titans East Special

Dick isn't just a person. He's a home. He's the guiding hand and the ship's steer control. He's special to people because he's everything they want him to be. He's their lover, best friend, brother, and partner. Whatever role they're missing in life they find it him him because he makes himself versatile enough to fill whatever they're looking for.

Dark Crisis Issue #1

We say batsibs' teams but he's the whole Justice community's everything. He fills the connections of both Batman's side and Superman's side.

He IS the most well-connected person in the entire community.

Teen Titans (2003) Issue #23

Look at what Kon says -

"Nightwing and Starfire brought wave two. Which is just about everyone whose ever been a Titan. It's a natural thing when Nightwing shows up. None of us are conscious of it, really--but we all look to him for orders. Robin's lucky."

The sheer respect. That Kon has for Nightwing is indomitable. Oh, but you think that's all?

Do you know what the superhero community says about Nightwing? Kon will tell you what they think -

Teen Titans (2003) Issue #33

The Titans (1999) Issue #39

He calls. They answer.

Hero-worship of Nightwing is canonically universal. Renaming this the Nightwing Effect

Epilson

The Titans (1999)

Red Condor

Nightwing (2016) Annual #3

Hutch

Nightwing (2016) Issue #75

Kara

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #49

Supergirl (2005) Issue #3

And sometimes this means more than friendship love but still born out of respect. It's so funny to me how Dick goes around friendzoning people.

Cassie

Even when people don't like what he wants they still do it because they respect him. Because he had an impact on them and they were were moved

Titans (2003) Issue #89

Aquaman, Ollie, John (Green Lantern)

JLA (1997) Issue #121

Kyle Rayner

Even people he's just met are like - this guy's pretty good!

Green Lantern (1990) Issue #81

Coming from a Green Lantern comic!! Not even a Wondergirl, Wonderwoman, Batman, or Nightwing writer. A green lantern!

Speaking of which, when Hal Jordon dies, a list of people are selected to be The Hal Jordon's replacement and guess who it is?

Action Comics (1938) Issue #642

Hal forces his soul back into his body and comes back to life but DC does a "what-if" thing and shows what it would be like if Dick actually became a Green Lantern.

Superman/Batman Issue #60

AND BRUCE'S REACTION!! His most favorite son combined with one of his least favorite people 🤣🤣

Superman/Batman Issue #60

But Bruce's faith in Dick actually elavtes his opinion of Hal.

ALSO!!-

Superman/Batman Issue #61

I JUST KNOW THAT BRUCE WAS WRITHING IN JEALOUSY!!

But anyway, shows to prove that no matter who Dick is and what identity he takes, he will always be the love of the hero community. Because in this world, each member is a combination of the Justice League AND the Titans.

Superman/Batman Issue #60

Yet Dick is still the center of it all.

A literal god

Nightwing (2016) Issue #49

Jon and the hero community

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis Issue #1

"It would mean a LOT to people if you came and said--" "You're all overreacting." "We need you."

"You're all overreacting." - Clearly, this isn't the first time someone has already come to Dick about being the center of the community.

Not just by the batfam, but for everyone Dick is the most beloved person in the community. That is a fact.

[lunaxstrange]

BATFAMILY HEADCANON

The young members (Cass, Steph, Damian, Duke) absolutely refuse to believe that Discowing ever existed. So the conversations go something like this:

Steph: You're telling me that Dick "charms strangers on the street without even trying" Grayson intentionally looked funky while saving the city?

Babs: *shrugs*

Steph: Pfft. Nice one, Babs. I almost believed you.

Damian: Grayson is smarter than your whole family combined.

Jon: But Kara told me-

Damian: Supergirl should mind her own business.

Jon: You know, she even went on a date with him back when he was Robin! I heard her telling Kon that it was terrible...

Damian: *offended* In case you have not noticed, Jonathan, my brother is with the Princess of Tamaran. I do not think he achieved that by having a suit worse than you.

Cass: *signing* He is definitely trying to mess with you.

Duke: I don't know, man. Tim said he had evidence of the suit till Oracle had him destroy it after he became Robin.

Cass: *signing* Sounds too convenient.

Duke: I guess...

But they want to clear it up just for the sake of their own conscious. They've tried confirming it from Jason but he goes into a spiral of mental trauma (Dick threatened to leak the picture of him crying while watching Lilo and Stitch).

Cass: *signing* Is it true?

Jason: *sighs dramatically* Whenever I try to think too much about my Robin days, *looks at the ceiling* it brings back bad memories.

Cass: *holds his hand* I'm so sorry. That was stupid of me.

Jason: *shocked and feeling bad* Oh no no, I'm fine-

Bruce and Alfred just brush them off. Bruce does it for Dick's sake and Alfred likes to see them fuss about all day discussing the legitimacy of Discowing.

Damian: Father, I must see the record files from Todd's Robin days.

Bruce: Why the sudden interest?

Damian: I wish to, well, help-

Bruce: *well aware what this is about* No.

Alfred: Miss Brown, I have no knowledge of Master Richard's life after he became Nightwing.

Steph: Bullshit. You know everything that goes on in the manor.

Alfred: Evidently, this happened outside the manor. *smiles* If it even happened, that is.

And with Dick not even giving them a chance to bring it up, Discowing becomes a myth all around the heroes. Did he truly exist? We may never know.

[fazedlight]

Emerald

“So, Supergirl,” Clark Kent’s voice said from the television screen, adjusting his glasses as his gaze shifted from the camera to the caped superhero beside him, “What’s your favorite food?”

“Oh, that’s a tough one. Potstickers, chocolate pecan pie-”

Alex crossed her arms and sighed. “This is going to take forever.”

Alex, Kelly, Lena, Nia, and Brainy sat on Kara’s couches, watching as the super was interviewed by her cousin across the country in Metropolis. It was mostly a puff piece, to help Kara ease back into normalcy as a public figure after returning from the phantom zone.

Lena smiled to herself as she watched her best friend on screen. After all this time - their fallout, Kara’s disappearance into the phantom zone, growing closer with the superfriends in her absence - everything finally felt like it was clicking into place. In a strange and wonderful way, these people had become family, and she had Kara back.

Maybe there was a piece still missing. But she’d keep her pining to herself.

“How much longer is this interview?” Nia asked.

“Just a few more minutes,” Kelly responded. “Kara said we’ll start movie night at the normal time, the flight back isn’t long.”

“Least favorite food?” Clark asked.

“Kale.”

“Simple answer,” he joked.

“Simple question.”

Alex sighed again. “We really shouldn’t let her do interviews.”

Kelly smiled, nudging her girlfriend lovingly. “It’s good for people to see her,” she reminded Alex, “And it’s good for Kara to keep herself occupied.”

Alex smiled back. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Favorite color?” Clark asked.

“Green,” Kara responded immediately.

And that’s when everyone’s heads snapped back up to the television.

“Green?” Clark said, eyebrows raising wide above his brow. The public might see a normal reporter doing his job, but those in the know might realize that the other kryptonian was caught off guard by the answer. “Surprising choice, with kryptonite.”

“Uh, I-” Kara stuttered, shuffling back, “Sorry, I think I gotta go, bird stuck in a tree-”

“That’s usually where birds are-”

Lena tilted her head curiously as her best friend launched upwards, off camera and presumably into the sky. That was weird, Lena mulled, turning to find most of the superfriends eyeing her carefully.

With the exception of Alex, whose head was in her hands.

---

Oh, Rao, why did I say that?, Kara thought, as she sped across the sky. Alex is going to tease me for weeks-

The cool breeze blasted in her face as she panicked, and it wasn’t until she was somewhere over Nebraska that she finally calmed down. Not that Alex knew, not that anyone knew. Unless I’m being too obvious…

With a whoosh and a double tap, she landed in her apartment, watching as her friends on the couch turned to see her. “Hey everyone,” she said shakily, trying to move on as quickly as possible, “Ready for Jumanji?”

“We’re ready,” Alex started.

“Actually,” Nia said, tapping away at her phone, “I think we’ve got a problem.”

“With my interview?” Kara deflated.

“Social media is, uh…” Nia said, “Well, I think you’ve upset the kale lobby.”

“The kale lobby?!”

“Possibly farmers in general…” Nia said, leading to Alex once again putting her face in her hands.

“What do we do?” Kara asked.

“You could do a healthy food PSA,” Lena suggested helpfully. “First rule of the publicity playbook. Create something to erase your mistake. I’m sure Andrea would air it instantly.”

“I will stay up all night devising this PSA,” Brainy vowed.

“Thanks,” Kara sighed. “Movie, then?”

---

It was a normal movie night. Mostly.

Kara seemed to avoid Lena’s eyes throughout. Normally they curled up next to each other, but Kara was more distant - physically and emotionally. It made Lena’s stomach flop. What’s going on?

But over the course of the evening - Lena was glad they picked a funny movie - Kara seemed to soften again to her normal melodic laughter. At some point, there was a small touch to Lena’s arm to invite her to curl up against the blonde, which she gladly took.

After the movie, the other couples filtered their way out. Kara nudged Lena to go home too, but Lena offered to help with dishes as she usually did, and they found themselves side-by-side at the sink.

“How long has green been your favorite color?” Lena asked, as she set down a rinsed wine glass. “I’m guessing not on Krypton.”

Kara glanced sideways, not quite meeting Lena’s gaze. “A few years. I didn’t really have one before.”

“A few years,” Lena said, her brow scrunching in confusion, “How on earth did kryptonite not repel that?”

Kara stayed silent for a moment, placing the last cleaned plate in the drying rack, rinsing her hands and turning off the faucet. Lena watched her, curious, wondering why the blonde seemed to be mulling her answer, or if she would ever answer.

She did. “It’s your eyes,” Kara confessed. “They’re beautiful.”

Lena’s heart skipped a beat. “My eyes,” she asked softly.

“In the phantom zone, I kept trying to imagine your face,” Kara murmured, “I didn’t want to forget the color of your eyes.”

“Kara…”

“You’re my home, Lena,” Kara said, biting at her lip as she turned to meet Lena’s gaze. “All I wanted was to come back to you.”

Lena smiled softly, placing a hand on Kara’s, feeling the release of the breath the kryptonian had nervously been holding. Lena tilted up on her toes, placing a small kiss on Kara’s cheek. “Can I stay the night?” she asked shyly.

Kara’s eyes shifted between her own, as a warm smile formed on the kryptonian’s face. “Yeah.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps a slightly different origin story for that superfriends PSA.

[greenfiend]

The Superman Reference

How “on the nose” it is but so many of us missed it

A man with a secret and a disguise to conceal the truth from his love interest…

Superman and Clark Kent

Whenever Superman is brought up in this fandom, it’s usually just pointed out as gay Mike evidence. While I do agree that Mike is in fact gay, I don’t think that’s the only point of the reference. Additionally, Superman is brought up because of dual personas/disguises.

It’s definitely worth noting that Argyle refers to El as “Supergirl” and “superpowered girlfriend” but only Mike refers to El as “Superman”. More specifically, he only refers to El as such in the van scene. He even takes things a step further and compares himself to Superman’s love interest… Lois Lane.

Lois Lane is unaware of who the man is behind Superman (Clark Kent).

In the same scene with the Superman/Lois Lane reference… Will expresses his feelings for Mike… under a disguise!

Clark Kent is Superman’s alter ego. He is Superman in disguise. He is the persona of Superman that allows him to blend in and essentially “hide”. As above describes, he’s passive and introverted… much like…

I must say that, it’s very interesting how for most of Stranger Things, Will and El are not “present” at the same time. When El appears, Will disappears. When Will appears, El disappears. This of course is mainly true during the first two seasons of the show.

Now, even if you do not subscribe to the theories that Will and El are actually somehow one and the same or even to theories that Will has powers… Will being Clark Kent still works.

Much like Clark Kent with Lois Lane, Will has been harbouring a major secret from Mike. His secret of course being that he’s gay and in love with Mike. Though perhaps, he may have other secrets as well. We will just have to wait for ST5 to know for sure.

As we all know, Will is disguising his feelings in this scene. He is “El”; thus he is “Superman” here.

And I think Mike has known a long time… deep down.

[suzukiblu]

For @cristinacclearwater, 🐦‍⬛😇🔪 and “interdimensional kidnapping via Robin”.

“I’m not good enough at it,” Kon says very, very quietly, making it sound like a confession. “So I–don’t deserve to.” 

Tim spares a moment to boil alive, then just–exhales, and lets the feeling go. Just–for the moment, anyway. He’s just putting that feeling in a box until he can beat it out of a punching bag or fuel a few dozen training routines with it. 

“That’s bullshit,” he says very, very evenly. “For starters, you can’t improve at anything if you’re not allowed to practice it.” 

“Superman was faster, though,” Kon says, practically a whisper. “And he could do it longer.” 

“Superman couldn’t even fly at all at your age,” Tim says, still trying not to boil alive. “Literal or physiological. He was at least eighteen when he started.” 

“. . . huh?” Kon says, and–blinks. Stutters a step, and nearly misses it. “He–what?” 

“You can only fly at this age because of your TTK,” Tim says, glancing down at him. “Supernova could only fly because of his until he was eighteen or nineteen himself. And Supergirl–well, she was sixteen when she got here, admittedly, and she was apparently flying right away, but she absorbs yellow sunlight more effectively than Superman does and also knew what to expect, plus–” 

Kon’s staring blankly at him. Tim–pauses. Maybe that was a little too much information at once, yeah.

[the-sinful-voice-witch]

Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne

Damian's drawing of people who loves him personally offended me when i saw the lack of Talia (but fucking Ra was there! So ridiculously absurd), Duke, Jason and more importantly in my opinion the lack of STEPHANIE BROWN! Barbara and Rose Wilson never had the bond he had with Stephanie not even Cassandra and im specially Salty about Maya because all the fuss about the "adoptive sister" That showed up right in the messed up new 52 as if Stephanie wasn't literally the fucking first big sister figure he had, this is so insulting giving the fact that STEPHANIE WAS HIS BATGIRL:

The Batman's no-daughter and Damian first big sister, Steph is a Bat member that is placed along Batman's children but she was never adopted and we could say she is kinda in the same position as Barbara, they can only become official daughters if they become daughters in law.

I firmly believe that Damian can't be placed along all the people that personally wronged Stephanie because... Damian has been an arrogant jerk with absolutely every hero he has met, he looked down on his own father at first, the fucking Batman! So he literally didn't discriminate Stephanie, because even if he tried to insult her saying he was disappointed to see she wasn't Cassandra, when he actually met Cassandra he tried to undermine her as well so to me that comparation doesn't have the same weight as when she was constantly compared to other heroes by other certain characters.

The little time they had together in the Batgirl run was way too precious, the teasing and the banter and how they worked together was so good! Stephanie was so good to him! She got him to be able to behave like a kid because she noticed he didn't even know how to play, she got him to play with him in a bouncing castle, she wanted him to smile, they worked together to save Dicks Batman and i always laugh when Damian teases her about "not having a big chest", Damian dear you were so fixated on that for no reason... Maybe Steph was also his first platonic crush... I think the second was Supergirl 😂😂.

(I miss them when they were like this... I miss them everyday 😭😭😭😭)

DCeased wasn't exactly one of my favorite comics regarding plot but it has a special place in my heart for being currently the only alternative universe that represented this sibling relationship as it was always meant to be until the disappointing death that was supposed to be solved by Talia and never happened as if they forgot.

That universe gave us a beautiful present and that was the very first time someone (wonder girl Cassie) officially acknowledged Stephanie as Damians big sister and not to mention the hug! 🥺🥺🥺 he actually let himself being comforted in her arms and hugged her back, when he saw her he even called her "Steph" Not "Brown" Or "Spoiler/Batgirl" and oh my god she became his Robin 🥲 and to me she is just the perfect Robin to his Batman after all... She was also the Batgirl to his Robin.

Another thing i want to point out, when Alfred was murdered Dick still didn't have all his memories, Jason was just too angry and Tim didn't do much, Barbara isn't that close to Damian so I think they totally should have used Stephanie here, Damian really could have used a big sister... Again wasting her character but I guess they wanted to use only the closest people to Alfred and sadly it looks like Steph isn't one... But she is an important person to Damian no matter how much DC wants to erase her, she will never dissapear! I can't believe Barbara and Rose Wilson and that pop out of nowhere post new 52 Maya are in that drawing of people who makes Damian feel loved BUT NOT STEPHANIE!! Even the horrible RA is there?! But not his mother or HIS FIRST AND IN MY OPINION BEST BIG SISTER FIGURE STEPHANIE!!! DC YOU HAVE A LOT TO ATONE FOR 😤😤😤😠😠😠😠

Fortunately the author of the webtoon family Wayne adventures has a better understanding of this and gave us the precious moments they deserve:

In my head this is Stephanie with her 3 best boys, the ex, the little platonic brother that might had or might not had a platonic crush on her and who i think is her very soulmate ❤💜

[inkedroplets]

Sunshowers

This was a lovely prompt from @sssammich

You are the storm, Kara thinks as she plummets to the ground, rain soaked and impossibly tired. The swell of fury in her chest as Lex fires on her again from the ground below affirms this. Another salvo of kryptonite missiles that spin and twist like catherine wheels as they seek her out, exploding around her. There’s a searing pain as one explodes near her and an ache deep in her bones that is harder to describe, one she’ll feel for days after. 

Her landing is punctuated by a loud clap of thunder as she feels the ground crack beneath her and give way.  In spite of her weariness there is a brief albeit listless feeling of joy at not needing to hold back, even if only for that fleeting moment. 

There's hatred etched on Lex’s face and when lighting forks across the sky, it looks as if  he's wearing the expression like a mask. Only this is him with all his masks cast aside. 

He raises his fist and a glowing green blade springs from the gauntlet of his suit. She jerks her head back to avoid his wild lunge and counters with a punch of her own and watches with a great deal of satisfaction as he sails backward. 

He doesn't so much as flinch as she walks towards him. Even as she towers over him, even smack dab in the eye of the storm he remains steadfast, and why shouldn't he? She's stopped him again. She's won this time, but…

I already lost. 

You are their hope, Kara thinks as she whisks people out of a burning building. The flames  have already grown too large, leaping and dancing as they continue to spread. She feels the heat baking against her skin as she's forced to choose who to save next.

On the fifteenth floor a woman pushes a young girl into her arms and Kara nestles her against her shoulder, holding her tight. She offers the woman her other hand who shakes her head and points up to the floor above where a father is standing on the balcony clutching his two sons who both can't be older than five or six. 

“Them first,” she yells and runs a shaking hand through the girl's hair before she takes a tiny step back away from the balcony, closer to the flames, her decision final. 

I'll save all of you, Kara promises, locking eyes with the woman for a brief moment before she flies higher as the girl nestled in the crook of her neck begins to wail, wishing more than anything that she could pass the message to everyone in the building. Wishing that all of them could hear her the way that she hears all of them. Their whispered prayers, the frantic, nervous beating of their hearts. How she hears them consoling their friends, their loved ones, themselves by telling them that Supergirl will save them…

You are a sunshower, Kara thinks as she stands on her balcony overlooking the city and spies a rainbow in the distance where rain is falling even though the sun is still shining brightly. She can hear the pleasant din of conversation, the occasional peal of laughter from her living room. Her friends all crammed around the gameboard as points are tallied with business-like efficiency.

The storm, the rainbow will be fleeting. Sun showers always are. Maybe that’s what makes them so beautiful. She can’t help but notice that the storm (in all its sweetness) appears to be centralized over the L-Corp building, the rainbow hanging high in the sky curving over top of it like a bow. 

I miss you, she thinks and for an instant the mask slips, her painted-on smile sagging into a frown. And because she can’t help herself she wonders, Do you miss me?

“Kara?! Are you coming?” Alex’s voice is accompanied by a chorus of laughter, Nia and Kelly chuckling over a joke that Kara was too preoccupied to overhear.

“Coming!” Kara says. The smile returns to her face reflexively and the glimpse of her reflection she catches in the window as she turns around looks genuine. She allows herself to glance back at the storm, at L-Corp, before she rejoins her friends and when Nia retells her joke, she laughs along and smiles when Alex’s arm slides over her shoulder. 

You are a sunshower…

[owl-with-a-pen]

Outside of superhero emergencies, Kara didn’t tend to lean into her super hearing where she could avoid it. Girl’s night at her apartment, for example, definitely shouldn’t have called for it. Then again, she wasn’t usually the subject of discussion in just about every apartment block on her street.

So, maybe that wasn’t completely true. She’d certainly heard her name mentioned a lot more since the whole secret identity reveal thing; it was just, nowadays, instead of hearing Supergirl, it was usually Kara Zor-El.

She was used to it. She’d been used to it for years; her name was normally a hot topic days, if not weeks after a major save was broadcast. The only difference now was… not all of those voices were as positive as she’d come to expect.

Like right now, for instance. No matter how hard she tried to shut it out, she couldn’t help but listen for that same voice echoing from hundreds of homes across the city, streaming from earbuds, speakers and laptops alike. His voice was charismatic and quick, like a less polished Maxwell Lord, and while he may have been a nobody just a few weeks ago, he’d certainly gained enough traction now to give Kara one hell of a headache.

Unfortunately for her, she’d inadvertently tuned herself in at just the right time for her downstairs neighbour to hit play:

“Alright folks, if you missed our last episode I’ll catch you up to speed. Last week, we rounded off at the crux of the Supergirl Problem; that she hasn’t just been living in our midst this whole time, but that she’s been actively working as a journalist for CatCo Worldwide Media. And, just a few weeks ago, she was publicly put in charge of the editorial process for that same media outlet minutes after she came clean about her alter-ego to the world. And, as I doubt Supergirl will want to speak for herself on the matter, we have one of her self-proclaimed super-fans in the house today to speak on her behalf. Say it with me at home folks, debate me, Supergirl!”

The aforementioned ‘super-fan’ let out a surprised scoff at her introduction. She didn’t waste a minute of her airtime, jumping immediately into the conversation: “Well, for starters, I think you’re taking this whole thing out of context. Supergirl didn’t just become a journalist for CatCo overnight. If you knew anything about Kara’s story, you’d know that she worked her way up the food chain for years! I mean, how empowering is that? She started as a PA!”

“Yeah, a PA with superspeed, how difficult. No wonder she ended up in Cat Grant’s palm! And yes, I do know her origin story, thank you very much.” The host’s voice crackled as Kara imagined him relaxing into his microphone. “Let the audience not forget that she was a PA for Cat Grant before she became a journalist. Are we really going to pretend that wasn’t her foot in the door?”

“Cat Grant wasn’t even her boss when she got into journalism,” argued the young woman. “And by the time Kara made a name for herself, Cat wasn’t even leading the company anymore! She got to where she is now on her own merit, no one elses!”

The host spoke over her: “It begs the question, did Cat Grant know this whole time? She takes a sabbatical only to re-emerge just in time to offer Supergirl a promotion. On top of that, she’s been promoting Supergirl for years! She created her – her words, on record. And now she’s put her in charge of media distribution. Get this: Supergirl is now in charge of the media we consume. Isn’t that a little self-indulgent?”

The young woman didn’t back down. “Kara Danvers was a Pultizer winning journalist long before we found out who she really was,” she argued. “She’s been standing for truth and justice just as much as Supergirl has. In fact, she’s just as much a hero as—”

“But what’s the agenda here?” the host continued with a conspiratorial air. “How can we even believe the news now it’s being headed by a liar? And she did, didn’t she? She lied to us all! She had a secret identity this whole time, and what? We’re just supposed to accept that? What’s the bet that this story will make a headline at CatCo magazine tomorrow morning, with my comments made out as Supergirl’s latest villain story? Or, better yet, will I be Kara Danver’s first official nemesis?” He barked out a laugh into his microphone. “There’s no freedom of the press anymore, folks, not when CatCo is bias towards the very hero that made it so popular in the first place!”

Before she could hear any more, Kara was thrown from her super-eavesdropping rather unceremoniously when a hand shot out in front of her face, waving impatiently.  

“Earth to Kara,” Alex said, snapping her fingers in front of her sister’s nose. “Hey, anyone home?”

“Huh?” Kara said before screwing her eyes shut, swatting away Alex’s offending hand. “Hey, hey, stop that!”

It was only then that she realised that it wasn’t just Alex who had been trying to get her attention. Lena and Kelly were staring at her from the opposite sofa. Nia sat cross legged on the footstool by the coffee table, nursing her drink with an expectant expression.

Kara glanced lamely at the TV. It didn’t look like anyone had been paying attention to the movie for quite some time.

Just how long had she been…?

Kara tried not to cringe.

Kelly cleared her throat, smoothing her hands over her lap. “From your expression, I’m guessing you were listening in on something pretty important.” She hesitated. “Is everything okay?”

Kara’s eyes widened. “What? Oh, oh no, it’s not a superhero emergency, I swear. Girl’s night continues uninterrupted, I promise!”

“Okay,” Nia said with a slow smile. “Then what was with the—” She mimicked Kara’s spaced-out expression a little too well, earning a few grins at her expense.

Kara pursed her lips. “Uh—I mean. It was nothing. Just…” She sagged in on herself awkwardly. “Okay, so I may have been listening to this podcast…”

“Oof.” Alex winced. “You don’t wanna do that.”

Kara groaned, falling back against the sofa. “I’ve been trying not to, but it’s kinda hard when half of my building’s listening to it.” She rubbed aggressively at her ears. “Super hearing can really suck, you guys.”

“Wait,” Nia said, perking up. “Are you talking about the Debate Me, Supergirl podcast?” When everyone turned to stare at her, she shrugged. “What? Brainy’s been keeping tabs on all social channels for this stuff ever since your interview first went public, y’know, calculating the odds on them picking up any real traction. In case things go… south.”

“And what are the odds on this guy?” Alex asked seriously.

Nia made a vague gesture. “I mean, until a few days ago, Brainy had him in the unlikely category. But his latest interview with a Supergirl stan got a whole lot of attention on social media. They were basically at each other’s throats the entire time.” She took a mild sip of her drink. “People ate it up.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Of course they did. And I’m guessing from your tone, not much of the audience were on this super – uh – stan’s side?”

Nia pulled a face, taking an even larger swig.

Kara groaned again, burying her face in her hands. “This is awful. I- I just can’t believe how little faith they have in me now that they know the truth!”

Lena smiled her sympathy. “Take it from someone who was once deluded enough to fall right into that same category of hatefully ignorant.” She toasted her scotch glass to no one in particular, swirling its contents with a gentle twist of her wrist. “It’s not easy for people to accept that their larger-than-life hero was living amongst them.”

Kara’s head shot up in protest. “I never wanted anyone to put me on a pedestal.”

“Want has nothing to do about it. Like it or not, they did.” Lena paused, tucking her legs into the sofa’s arm. She fixed Kara with a level look. “Kara, I say this as your friend, but you have to understand how powerful you are in the eyes of a regular citizen. You fly, you shoot laser beams from your eyes, you’re bullet proof and fire proof. Your power is limitless and even though this city has seen you fall, they’ve also seen you get back up time and time again.”

Kara bit her lip. “That part I can understand, but it’s not just that. This podcaster isn’t only targeting my Supergirl persona. It’s Kara Danvers, Kara Zor-El that they don’t trust.” She snorted, throwing her hands wide. “They think the fact that I’m working as CatCo’s Editor-in-Chief makes the whole platform inherently bias. And – yes – I know I’ve fought my own biases in the past, and it’s not like being impartial was what won me a Pulitzer, but to them— a superhero in the press just doesn’t appeal. They think I’m a fraud, that I’ve been manipulating public opinion.” Kara could feel her face begin to flush in frustration. She ran a hand through her hair, standing just to put her energy somewhere. She slammed a fist against her palm, taking a step around the coffee table with every beat. “But, I mean, don’t they remember how CatCo turned on Supergirl after the Red Kryptonite incident? And rightfully, too. I lost the people’s trust then, and now—now it’s happening all over again and I just… I don’t know how to win them back,” she laughed through her teeth, “or if I can win them back!”

Alex took Kara’s arm swiftly as she passed her by, tugging her to her side. “Hey, no one said this was gonna be easy.”

“I think those were Cat’s exact words, actually,” Nia said helpfully, pointing in Alex’s direction.

Kara huffed, anchored by her sister’s steadying hand. “Yeah? Well, they didn’t say it would be this difficult, either.”

“Don’t listen to a few angry voices,” Nia insisted, her voice sobering. “They aren’t worth your energy, trust me.”

“Are they just a few?” Kara asked grimly. If she tried hard enough, she was sure she could still tune into hundreds of versions of that same podcast playing from across the city. Whether they agreed with him or not, the people of National City and beyond were listening to this nameless podcaster, and that was dangerous enough on its own.

Nia smiled tightly, balling her knuckles against her lap. “Just don’t listen to them, okay?” She closed her eyes. “Look, people like to make a lot of noise when they feel like they’ve been lied to, but the truth is, they were never entitled to that information to begin with. When I did my Dreamer interview with you, a lot of people were so supportive; some of them even saw themselves in me, but there were always hateful voices that tried to drown out the positive ones.” She straightened her back, opening her eyes. “But, y’know, they make that much noise because they know they’re in the minority, and they do not have the power that they think. Putting it into perspective like that… it’s a lot easier to ignore them, especially when I know how many people I’ve helped by sharing my story.”

“You’re right,” Kara said softly. Because she was. Of course she was. A single podcast spouting a single negative view didn’t diminish everything good that had come out of Supergirl’s identity reveal. Yes, the celebrity-level thing took some getting used to and openly flying to work made her something of a spectacle when it came to the office situation, but for the most part, Kara was relieved to have that weight off her shoulders, and it was a joy to know just how many aliens felt more confident to live as themselves now that they knew Supergirl had also shared their struggle.

In truth, the world knowing where she had come from, who she had been ever since she’d landed on Earth, grounded her to the people in a way that had never struck quite the same as just Supergirl. And that was worth any amount of growing pains.

Kara reached out for Nia’s hand over the coffee table, squeezing tight. “Thank you.”

Nia’s smile softened. “Any time.”

Lena cleared her throat, shifting higher against her pillow. “And, as for your job,” she said with a sly smile of her own, “let’s just say I know a thing or two about the public coming for your throat, deeming you unworthy of the position you’ve fairly worked your way up to. It’s just like Nia said, you ignore it, Kara. You ignore it because you have nothing to prove to anyone, you’re already doing one hell of a job as a journalist. Remain honest with yourself, and eventually people will see it. Not everyone of course.” She tilted her head, raising her glass to her lips. “You’ll never have everyone’s approval. If you did, well, I’d say you were on another planet, because that’s certainly not how the human race are wired.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Nia chimed in, leaning up to clink her glass with Lena’s. She caught Kelly’s glass on her way back.

Kelly smiled fondly, though there was a strained edge to her expression when she said, “We’ve all had to work twice as hard to prove ourselves. And as much as it hurts, that extends to Supergirl as well.”

Kara sat back down with a sigh, leaning into the embrace that Alex readily offered her. “Cat once told me the same thing; right after she’d first claimed Supergirl, actually.”

“Exactly,” Alex said with a sage nod. She kissed her sister’s hair. “And, hey, Cat Grant won’t let a podcast beat down her creation. Hell, her empire is built on powerful women, it always has been, always will.” She gestured to everyone in the room. “You are all prime examples of that.”

Kara nudged her sister playfully, pushing out of her arms. “Hey, well, the amount of times the DEO has personally kept that building from crashing to the ground, I’d say you’re an honorary member of Cat’s empire, too.”

Alex’s nose crinkled. “I think I prefer the title of badass DEO leader, but I’ll take it.” She grinned, rolling her eyes. “The point is, you have us, Kara.”

“Yeah.” Nia beamed. “And our opinion is worth a million times more than some crappy podcast.”

“Oh, cheers to that, too!” Alex laughed and they all converged with their glasses, meeting with a raucous clash over the coffee table.

Cheers rang out all ‘round, and Kara let the simple joy of that moment infect her. Their combined laughter easily blotted out any chances of hearing another word from that podcaster’s mouth.

She'd lost the taste for eavesdropping, anyway.

[jesncin]

I appreciate most of your takes but don't understand how you look at a character like livewire, a character created in the middle of a 90's feminist movement and come to the conclusion she's supposed to a be a caricature of classical racist conservatism

?? huh is this an elaborate joke I'm missing out on?? Like you're roleplaying as a Shockateer? There's no tone indicators so I'm left to my own perception that you're being serious so I'll have to respond in seriousness. I'm gonna be so embarrassed if this is a joke :(((

So...just because a character is made "in the middle of the 90's" or "feminist movement" doesn't...mean they're a feminist character? Like with that logic, Tana Moon is a feminist icon I guess. Also "caricature of classical racist conservatism"? man, I kinda envy how people think the way I write her is Cartoony Evil Racism and not a toned down depiction of how personalities like Posie Parker, Matt Walsh, and Blaire White talk. I suppose I'm glad you haven't encountered anyone that awful. Good for you! 👍

Livewire meta under the cut fellas

I feel like you don't have a very holistic view of Livewire's character. Because while yes, she has been used for feminist critique in the show and comics, that's not all there is to her character. My take on Livewire is a commentary on how white womanhood intersects with parasocial internet grifts and the larger way identity gets filtered online. It's a take influenced by how she literally started out as a controversial provocative shock jock in STAS.

There's so much potential to re-imagine her hatred of Superman as a commentary on how white women feel justified in harassing marginalized men because it looks like a punch-up to misogyny. The way she uses the accident Superman caused as a way to white-woman-victimize herself and prime her audience to hate him more. You can take the spinoff comic where she only lets women speak on the air as her presenting a black and white, non-intersectional view of social progress. Kind of like how TERFs keep fantasizing about a world without men as a utopia? In CW Supergirl, Livewire plays into internalized misogyny and homophobia to jab at Supergirl. Not showing up for her fellow women if you ask me.

Because while yes, Leslie has been shown to be a character who had to deal with sexism, she's also a really compelling narrative for an imperfect victim. Just because a character deals with sexist hardship, doesn't mean it makes her a feminist ideal y'know? Leslie lashes out and weaponizes her victimhood, she uses her audience to bully others.

I think one of the flaws to the longevity of her character as a villain is because her narrow hatred of Supes makes her themes short lived. So I really want to expand it through Satoshi Kon-style deconstruction of how people juggle having multiple identities in the modern era. In the (bleh) Batgirl Burnside comic Livewire shows up in, she returns as a being of energy who doesn't remember who she was before. In STAS, it's left ambiguous whether she actually believes what she says about Superman or if it's all part of an act that "pays the bills!".

Imagine the opportunity to make it so she pieced together a sense of self from the fractured way her audience viewed her! What a great way to talk about how parasocial relationships make us think we know a person from the bombastic way they present themselves (Casually Comics thought of this brilliant take). DCSHG has been the most competent reimagining of Livewire. A perfect update of her shock jock origins into the internet era that revitalizes her attention-seeking traits into the clout-chasing grind of social media personality.

All this to say, Livewire's way more that just "sassy woman on the radio fighting against The Man!" I think making her a punk appropriating, rebellious, internet personality who uses her privilege to marginalize others for clout and money is a natural, more political progression of what DCSHG built with her character.

I don't really understand how you can look at a character whose most prominent iterations involve her bullying and targeting people (including other women) and tell me she's "feminist" unless you actually believe in Leslie's version of White Woman Girl Power. Any kind of "feminism" that touts Hating Men as a major point should be something to be critical of.

[everlastingdream]

Part 1 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

When Alex managed to get Kara to talk, J'onn and Winn was already at the DEO.

Honestly speaking, Kara didn't know herself why everything Lena said upset her so much.

It's not like she was entirely wrong. Lena Luthor was the only sister of Lex Luthor, daughter of Lilian Luthor, so basically it wasn't much of a stretch to assume that she was like them.

"Lena Luthor, 22 years old, claimed to be abducted a month ago after car accident on her way to the National City, reported by her friend and colleague Samantha Arias. She was supposed to move here to take over Luthor Corp after Lex was sentenced to the prison. Right now that is all we know". Alex reported to J'onn while Winn tinkered with something on the table near.

"And no one knows where she is after a month?" Kara asked incredulously.

"No one searched", Alex's grim answer made Winn look up from his ghost vacuum. "Police didn't find anything, and well, they wasn't the most enthusiastic about it. And we were swamped with work even without someone who is not even on the DEO's territory".

"Well, we have time now", Winn shrugged. "We need to find... the body. She has a friend who's worried about her. Friend with a child actually. Lena Luthor seemed close to their family".

They all fell silent. Lena being a ghost didn't gave any positivety to their search.

"Find everything about her", J'onn said to Winn, lowering his heavy hand on Kara's shoulder. It was grounding to feel the pressure unlike usual. "I'll talk with officers and then we'll go to the site".

Kara was stuck between her feelings. She didn't know Lena for long so it was strange to worry for her like that and there was their families' history also, but still. Kara was the only one to see her, the only one to hear someone who was basically kidnapped after a car crush. It was complicated.

"I'll go home for a bit. Maybe... she's there".

/ / / / / / / /

"Lena?"

Kara tentatively asked, walking around her apartment. It was quiet and empty as it was supposed to be.

"We are going to find you", she still said to nothing. "I don't know what kind of person you were but I still want to help you. No one deserves to be abandoned."

Her living room was still empty but somehow it wasn't as cold as before.

"I'll find you. And then we'll talk, okay? Just wait for me".

Flying back to the DEO, Kara didn't know that transperent eyes followed her fluttering cape.

/ / / / / / / /

They left Winn in the building as the support, while Alex was contacting with the police, and went to the place, where Lena was last seen. Of course, no one had much hope, still accident happened the whole month ago, but J'onn decided that with their heightened senses they can still get some clues.

So Kara was looking with her x-ray vision for the parts someone could miss. When she turned it off she suddenly noticed someone standing at the side of the road.

"Lena!" Kara rushed to her, despite J'onn's raised brow.

Lena was standing near some random bush, lost in thoughts.

"You are here! I was afraid I won't see you anymore..." it was a bit embarrassing to admit, but no less true. It was a strange attachment, but Kara blame it on the responsibility she has as Supergirl and as the only person able to see Lena.

"You said you won't give up on me", Lena smiled, but it still lacked the gentle wonder her smiles had the day prior. "I wanted to honor your determination".

"Do you remember something?"

"Just blurred moments. It was a day time, I was driving. Why I was driving myself?" Lena muttered, her gaze unfocused. "Then I was afraid. Something happened, it seems. Then I was in pain. Someone talked to me. Then nothing".

"It's already a lot", Kara almost tried to took Lena's hand, before remembering that it won't work. So she was left awkwardly wringing her hands. "We'll look around some more".

"It'so strange to hear you talking to yourself", Winn intervened in her ear. Kara ignored him.

She left Lena there to tell J'onn (and Winn) what happened, but never once Supergirl took her eyes off her for longer than 20 seconds.

J'onn quietly said that it was fortunate that Lena returned. Kara flashed him a grateful smile.

"Miss Luthor, do you remember if you had any devices on you?" J'onn asked in the general direction of Lena, after the hour of examining every piece of junk they could find in the two mile radius.

Lena's image flickered a little while she was thinking. Kara suddenly thought that if Lena was used to flying, she would've wobbled in the air.

"Well, I think I talked with someone while driving, so the phone, I guess? Also... Something small..." she flickered some more, each time somehow more agitated than last.

"I pressed something while everything was hurting. Something no one would've noticed, something I could press while losing cosciousness..." Lena's form suddenly stabilized. She looked at them with realization.

"I had emergency button in my sleeve".

[supercorpkid]

Ace Reporter

Supergirl, Kara Danvers x Reader!, Lena Luthor x Reader!

Word Count: 2030

More to come!

“Miss Luthor, Miss Y/L/N is here from the Daily Planet for the interview.” You hear Lena Luthor’s assistant on the phone, and look back at your hands clenching into your purse. 

You never got nervous interviewing before. But now, you came to National City to talk to Lena Luthor and try to get something out of her brother’s latest jailbreak. You are aware that the chances of Lena actually telling you anything about Lex are pretty slim. But there’s nothing you can do about it. If they sent you all the way from Metropolis to get a quote from her, you might as well work for it.

It’s not that you’re scared of her. No, that would be absurd. Yes, her brother is a borderline maniac and even though he is just a man he is a worthy opponent for Superman himself, so his mind is both amazing and bizarre. And yes, you’ve heard all Luthors have the same brain. But you’re not scared. No. You just think you should be careful with your approach.

“You can go in, Miss Y/L/N.” Her assistant signals for you to follow her, and takes you to Lena’s office. “Please.” She gestures for you to walk inside.

“Thank you.” You nod at her while she closes the door. You look to the other side of the big, fancy office to find the person you’re looking for. “Miss Luthor.”

“Hello, Miss Y/L/N.” Lena points to the chair before her desk. And you promptly make your way there. “Haven’t heard from the Daily Planet in a while.”

“Oh, yeah.” You smile, swallowing your insecurities while you’re in front of her. The fact that she was beautiful you already knew, but holy damn, you were not prepared for this gorgeous woman in front of you. You must look like a total loser while you stare at her at a loss for words. “I bet you only hear from CatCo now.”

She smiles, agreeing. CatCo is a pain in the ass of the Daily Planet. Actually, that’s not true. CatCo is a pain in your ass. Or rather one reporter named Kara Danvers. You push your reservations against CatCo and Kara aside, coming back to what it matters.

“I’m glad you said yes to sitting down with the Daily Planet today, Miss Luthor. We’ve lost touch now that you moved to National City. But you’re always out doing interesting things.” You try to butter her up a little to see if she’ll be more inclined to give you the information. “And rebranding Luthor Corp! That’s worth publishing about.”

“Oh.” Lena furrows her brows. She looks directly at your eyes, narrowing hers, clearly confused with your approach. “If you are actually here to talk about L Corp, I’d love to chat. But,” She raises her eyebrow at you and you know exactly what is coming next. “If you're here to ask about Lex, then I’m sorry but we have nothing to talk about.”

You give her a patient smile. “I’m here to hear about you, Miss Luthor.” Liar. Liar. Pants on fire. “Of course Lex’s name might come up since you took over his company, but I don’t think there’s anything more interesting than you.”

It’s a lie, but it also isn’t. You, as a person, are super interested in Lena. The Daily Planet, however…

The interview went well. As well as it could go with Lena purposely dodging all the questions about Lex, and you trying to be sneaky enough and get a quote on something about him. In the end you got a shabby quote about how she has no idea what he’s been up to, because she has much to do to recover the company since he left it in a horrible state. 

There were far more important things to talk about, and her mind is just as amazing as his for what you could see, but you did what you could in your limited time with her.

“Well, it was great to talk to you, Miss Luthor.” You stand up, showing her your hand. Lena looks at it with a smirk before taking into hers, and shaking it strongly.

“Hope I was worth the commute.” She tries to be funny, but it comes out a little flirty. With the eyebrow raised, the raspy tone both followed by a little smirk, you have a really hard time making your brain function properly. But that’s insane, Lena Luthor wouldn’t flirt with a simple reporter such as you.

“National City has its charms.” You smile, clearly talking about something other than National City. Because, honestly, this city has got nothing on Metropolis. Maybe the Super. You love Superman, obviously, but Supergirl is just as powerful and also a snack. "I guess I can see why it was appealing to some people."

“I hope you’re sticking around longer, there is much to see here.” She adds, and you furrow your brows confused to what she might be talking about. There’s literally nothing to see in National City. 

“Really? And here I was thinking nothing could beat this view." Your mind finally catches up to your brain when you realize you've been staring at her directly while saying that. "I mean, we're so high up." You point to the windows behind her.

Lena Luthor is a professional so she obviously wouldn't laugh right at your face, but she totally could after this. Ugh.

Instead, she smiles with a little nod. She rounds the table taking you to her office door, clearly telling you it’s time for you to leave without being indelicate.

“I hope to see you around, Miss Y/L/N.”

“She has given us nothing.” You hear on the phone, and breathe deep, knowing this would be the reaction from your editor.

“She doesn’t trust me. You know how hard it is to approach Luthors, especially in a situation like this. Just let me go back to Metropolis and help Clark with the investigation about Lex.”

“Clark doesn’t need any help, and we need at least a serious quote from someone in the family. Lena is our safest bet.” You can hear him shuffling with some papers. “Clark told me his cousin works for CatCo and she’ll be happy to help. She and Lena have a good relationship you can exploit. Look for her, her name is Kara Danvers.”

“What?”

“Kara Danvers.” He repeats as if you hadn’t heard him. “You can come back when you give me an actual quote I can use.” He hangs up right after.

UGH! You throw your phone in the hotel bed, pissed. Not only you have to stay in National City for God only knows how long, now you also have to work with Kara fucking Danvers? This is your worst nightmare. 

You open your laptop, looking her up on Google. It isn’t the first time you’ve done this and it probably won’t be the last. You can’t believe you have yet to read her piece that won the award. The award that was supposed to be yours. It was so close, you were sure you were going to win, then Kara swooped in at the last second and took it from you. She must be a real dick. You can’t believe she is Clark’s cousin. He’s so nice and she is… ugh. Just the worst.

You don’t want to know if her article was actually better than yours. So you close your laptop, and throw yourself back in bed, looking at the hotel walls and imagining different ways you can be passive-aggressive with Kara Danvers.

Yet, you swallow your pride and make your way to CatCo first thing in the morning. You might not want to work with Kara, but you do want to go back home, and if this is the only way, then so be it.

“Hi, I’m Y/N from the Daily Planet. I was told to look for Kara Danvers. We are going to be working together.” You give the brunette in front of you your best fake smile. Even though she looks adorable and worth much more than that.

“Oh, that’s so cool. I’m Nia Nal. Come on, I’ll take you to her desk.” You follow her, heart beating fast in anticipation, you’re about to meet the woman that took your best chance to have a better career. 

“Kara, this is Y/N from the Daily Planet.” You stop behind Nia, looking at Kara and her button up shirt and stupid cardigan. She adjusts her glasses while looking at you. You can’t believe you lost your prize to this fucking nerd.

“Hi,” She stands up, showing you her hand. “I’m Kara. It’s nice to meet you. My cousin Clark texted me you’re coming. Hopefully I’ll be able to help you.”

Yeah, right. You hold her hand, forcing a smile. “I’m sure you will.”

Nia excuses herself, and Kara shows you to a desk in front of her where you can set up your things. “So, what brings the Daily Planet to National City?”

“Lex Luthor.” Kara’s eyebrows are pinched together when she hears his name. “His latest jailbreak.”

“Oh.” She adjusts her glasses on her face one more time, then smooths her hand over her stupid cardigan. 

“You look surprised, Danvers.” You smirk, glad to know something the prize-awardee doesn’t seem to know.

“No, no.” But she clearly is still processing the information. “I’m just confused as to why you’re here. Wasn’t he in a Metropolis jail? Seems you’d get more information there.”

“Clark is looking into it.” You breathe out. “We had to look for other sources.” 

She immediately puts two and two together. “Lena.” It’s merely a whisper, but you can hear her just fine.

“She agreed to an interview, but obviously wouldn’t talk about Lex.” You raise an eyebrow at her. “With me, at least.”

"She's nothing like her brother. I thought the Daily Planet would’ve figured that out by now.” Kara crosses her arms, defensively. Looking like she won’t want to help you. Which you can’t really blame her, but still can hate her for it.

“Of course I know that.” You don’t know it for sure, but your intuition tells you so. You were only with Lena for 20 minutes, but you already know she is different from all the other Luthors. “But we have nothing on him. Even Superman is worried. I know Lena is trying to reverse her brother’s evil schemes, and moving to National City was an excellent idea, because people in Metropolis hate the Luthor name even more than they do here. But still, Danvers, if she has anything on her brother, it would help a lot.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” Kara looks back on her phone, and you dare a glance at it. She is texting Clark. 

Kara: What's up with Y/N?

Clark: Best reporter I know. Great at finding people's secrets.

You smile at the compliment. Even Clark knows you're a better reporter than prize-awardee over here. You stop looking at her phone and focus back on her face. She gives an annoyed sigh, clearly not wanting to help, but finding it impossible to say no. 

Come on, Kara Danvers. She owes you one.

“Look, I get it. You don’t want to help. Trust me, if I could, I wouldn’t be here either. But I need a quote from Lena to leave, and God, I really want to leave.” You show her your hand. “You help me, and I get out of your hair as soon as possible.”

“I can try, but I don’t think Lena knows anything.” 

“Well, that's an easy fix, isn't it? We're reporters, we just need to find something for her to learn. What do you say, Danvers?” You show her your hand one more time. “Your name can be the first one in the byline.”

Kara rolls her eyes, but shakes your hand in agreement. This fucking nerd. You can’t believe you came all the way from Metropolis to interview a Luthor and were paired up with the only reporter you cannot stand. Honestly, when did your career get so side-tracked?

[fazedlight]

“IT’S OKAY, SPIKE!” Kara shouted, flying alongside the panicked dragon. “Easy, easy boy- OOF.”

An unwitting thrash of the dragon’s tail sideswept Kara in the air, causing her to tumble as he continued to rip ahead. 

“Supergirl,” came Lena’s voice in her ear. “Are you still there?”

“Yep,” Kara said, halting her fall to the Earth, surging back up into the sky and heading again towards the dragon. “Have you figured out why he’s upset yet?”

“We detected a disruption in spacetime. If he freaked out during Crisis last year, he may be sensitive to-”

“Another crisis?!” Kara said, nearly caught up to the dragon.

“Unlikely, Brainy is investigating the cause.”

Kara didn’t respond as she finally flanked Spike’s side, shouting words at him in an attempt to soothe - not that it was working all that well.

“Have you tried beef jerky?” came an amused voice behind her.

Kara startled, rotating in the air to see another figure, flying just a few yards away. In the dark sky, she could make out a… woman, a white supersuit, a red cape, short-cropped light hair. It was mid-turn that Kara realized there was a small bag hurling in her direction. Kara instinctively reached out to grab it, seeing Original Beef Jerky on the label. 

“Who are you?” Kara shouted, glancing back up.

“You don’t recognize me?” the stranger smirked.

“Should I?”

“My name,” the blonde said, “Is Kara Zor-L.”

-----------

It didn’t take long for Spike to calm down after that. A couple of bites of jerky, and the dragon amiably landed on the ground, seeming to physically shake off his nerves before shrinking back down into a peaceful iguana. Alana was relieved to have her pet back.

Kara eyed the new blonde warily, but this other Kara didn’t seem concerned. “I’ve been dealing with a brainwashed Legion member,” the other woman explained. “He threw me out of my universe. I need to get back there.”

“So the multiverse is back,” Lena said over comms, listening on to Kara’s conversation with… Kara. “Bring her to the Tower, Brainy and I can try to help her.”

Kara looked up. “Alright… Kara,” she said awkwardly-

“My Earth name is Karen,” the blonde responded.

Kara nodded. Thank Rao, this’ll be less confusing. “Alright, Karen. Let’s get you back to the team.”

-----------

“So you’re… Power Girl,” Lena said, eyeing the much older kryptonian. “And you were able to grow up on Krypton?”

“It’s a long story,” Karen said with a shrug. “When do you think you’ll be able to send me back to my Earth?”

“Just a few hours,” Lena said. “Brainy’s making some equipment modifications.”

“Looking forward to getting home,” Karen said. “Cat will be annoyed.”

“Wow,” Kara said with a laugh. “Different timelines, but somehow we both work for Cat Grant.”

Karen tilted her head towards Kara as her brow crinkled - Lena couldn’t help but think of how strangely familiar her expression was. “I suppose she would be a little old for you,” Karen mulled.

“Old?” Kara asked.

Karen smirked. “Cat is my wife.”

“Oh,” Kara squeaked, as Lena's heart skipped a beat.

-----------

“That’s not suspicious to the press at all?” Lena said. “You and Cat living on opposite sides of the country?”

Conversation had wandered - from Karen’s Starrware Labs and her development of environmental nanobot technology, to her superhero antics as Power Girl, to her marriage. Lena hadn’t missed how Kara’s cheeks turned bright pink with the mention of Karen’s love life, and how she took every excuse to duck out of the room to check on Brainy’s progress. 

But now Kara was back, and pacing, and nervous - and somehow that only seemed to amuse Karen.

“We’re good at privacy,” Karen said. “Though I’m opening a branch of Starrware Labs in National City, so soon this’ll be less of a pain in the ass anyway. It’ll be nice to be able to attend Carter’s baseball games without suspicion.”

“Carter?” Lena asked. “I guess Cat was previously married on your Earth, too.”

“The media went nuts when we started dating,” Karen smirked. “America’s Power Bisexuals. Ironic headlines, considering they don’t know I’m Power Girl.”

“You’re bi,” Lena asked curiously, noting again how Kara seemed flushed.

Karen shrugged. “Bi, pan, whatever. Sexuality in Krypton’s society was considered fluid.”

“What?” Kara said, confusion overriding her new shyness. “That sounds like Daxam, not Krypton.”

“What’s Daxam?” Karen asked.

Kara stared at Karen for a moment. “I’m… going to check on Brainy again,” she said, making her way out the room. 

Lena curiously watched after her, before turning back to Karen - who seemed to be far too amused at what was transpiring. Lena shifted in her seat, another curiosity coming to mind. “What’s my life like on your Earth?”

Karen shrugged. “You’re a powerhouse. Married to another tech genius, some Jack guy. It’s rumored you’re in an open relationship, you spend a lot of time with the Obsidian CEO.”

“Oh,” Lena said.

“Is something going on between you two?” Karen asked Lena, gesturing at where Kara went through to the door.

“No.”

“Do you want something to be going on?”

Lena was going to rebuff, the words of course not ready to fall from her lips. But something stopped her. Maybe the familiar crinkle in the stranger’s brow, maybe the fact that the blonde was imminently about to leave the universe entirely. “I don’t think that’s a possibility,” Lena said regretfully.

“Why not?”

Lena shrugged. “Kara’s straight in this world.”

“Are you sure?” Karen said, her eyes seeming to dance with the almost familiar smile, last observed when Kara convinced Lena to buy an entire tub of ice cream. Lena couldn’t help but laugh, as much as the reality of the situation made her heart ache. 

But before she could formulate a response, they could hear the patter of footsteps coming back. “It’s ready,” Kara said, nodding in Karen’s direction. “Brainy says you can go home.”

-----------

Karen departed for her Earth - and normalcy resumed, as Lena and Kara crashed on Lena’s couch, consuming their late dinner from Chinese takeout containers.

Lena looked over at the blonde, who seemed… still unusually quiet, seemingly pensive. “Is it odd?” Lena asked gently. “Hearing about a different Krypton?”

“Yeah,” Kara said, pulling her legs up onto the couch. “It makes me wonder…”

“Wonder?”

“She’s just… very confident,” Kara murmured, staring down at her chopsticks.

“She’s older,” Lena shrugged. “Seen more.”

“I think even if I were a decade or two older, Cat would still eat me alive,” Kara smiled.

“Maybe,” Lena laughed.

A pause. “We’re… similar in other ways,” Kara said softly.

“Oh?” Lena said, her heart skipping a beat.

Kara shifted awkwardly, finally glancing up at Lena. “I overheard something she said. Her talking about you and Jack. And… Andrea.”

“It wasn’t that surprising,” Lena replied slowly, her heart pattering as she realized that Kara might be… trying to assess the situation. Which gave her the bravery to be a bit more forthcoming. “Andrea and I were together in high school.”

“Oh,” Kara said. And for a moment, silence fell again.

“Lena-” “Kara-”

The two looked up, each noting that the other had a blush crawling across her face, each feeling the vibration of possibility flowing between them. “Could we…” Kara started. “Could we be more?”

“If you want us to be,” Lena said, a small smile growing on her face.

Kara’s eyes widened, before a grin crossed her own face. “I’d like that,” she said.

-----------

A month later, a small portal temporarily opened up in Karen Starr’s office. She didn’t notice at the time - she was far too busy making out with her wife - but she did find the note left behind: 

“You were right. Thank you. - LL”

[pinkiemachine]

Hi! So, I was wondering... You said all heroes before 24 are in the YJ, where does that leave the original team of the NTT? Are they in the JL now? Do the Outsiders exist anymore? (and if you don't have this all figured out or have a different plan for canon it is okay, I just overthink things)

So, I’m a little confused by your question—the “original” team was the Mighty Teen Titans, the second gen was the New Teen Titans. Typo? Idk.

ANYWAY—REGARDLESS—I’ll try to answer your question as best I can :)

So, one of my main objectives when it comes to the superhero teams is trying to keep things simple. I don’t want there to be a whole bunch of different teams for people to try and keep track of all the time, because that makes it harder on the average viewer. At the moment, the only teams I’ve greenlit so far are The Justice League (there will be a few “generations” for them as well. Changing members over the years, like Aquaman leaving to become king of Atlantis and being replaced by Green Arrow and Black Canary), the Teen Titans (I’ve posted plenty about them, but yeah, there’s three distinct generations for them, each led by a different Robin, and yes, Jason would have gone on to lead his own team if he hadn’t sadly passed away), speaking of which, the Outlaws, led by Red Hood. Additional members: Arsenal, Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, and Bizarro. Then, there’s the Green Lanterns of Earth. (Yeah, that whole “each sector has only ONE Lantern” thing doesn’t really sit well with me. Besides, it’s not like DC listens to that rule anyway, lol.) So, the team consists of five members: Hal Jordon, Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Kelli Quintella, and is led by John Stewart. While he leads the Lantern team, Hal is the active representative on the Justice League, helping them on missions periodically when the rest of the Lanterns are preoccupied. Kyle Rayner comes in later, during the adaption of the Emerald Twilight arc, leading up to Blackest Night.

Finally, there’s Young Justice, which unfortunately is the least fleshed out of the teams right now, but it too will have distinct “generations.” However, which members are included will vary depending on the characters themselves. For example, among the original Teen Titans—Robin/Nightwing, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Cyborg—Cyborg went on ahead and became part of the Justice League before Young Justice was founded, leaving Nightwing and Starfire to lead the new young adult team along with newcomers like Batgirl and Supergirl. I’ve been thinking maybe once Raven finishes her arc and defeats her father, Trigon, she can go ride off into the sunset, maybe by going back to Azarath. Either way, the point is she moves on. I haven’t decided about the rest yet. After that, some of them, like Nightwing and Starfire, go on to be part of the Justice League. Then, the next gen of YJ comes along: Robin/Red Robin (Tim Drake), Spoiler, Cassie Sandsmark (who’s usually Wonder Girl 2.0 but to avoid another “multiple Robins” or “multiple Superboys” fiasco, I decided to make her an original hero called Olympia), Miss Martian, Conner Kent Superboy (I’m also looking for a potential new name for him, but I’m coming up dry), Aqualad 2.0 (Kaldur), and Impulse. I have not written anything for this gen of YJ yet, nor for the generation after them, and I can’t say when I will.

What I can say is that I have no plans currently to include the Outsiders. That may change, but personally it seems like a bit too much to include them on top of having the Teen Titans and Young Justice and The Justice League. If there are to be more superhero teams, they really, really, really need to justify their existence by having a specific goal or reason for being.

Thanks for asking :) I enjoy the questions.

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Something happened that made it necessary for Danny, Dani, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker to be reincarnated into the DC universe. They don't remember a single thing about their past lives (or even feel a vague recollection of each other) until they get sucked into a ridiculous situation involving magic, alternate versions of themselves, and a ghost from an alternate dimension with a grudge.

(my ideas for who they reincarnate as under the cut)

Tucker as Michael Holt, aka Mr Terrific. Or Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, if you prefer. Both work pretty well personality wise and tech wise. (yes they were the first two that popped into my head that wasn't lex, bruce, or barbara how did you know? but now that i'm thinking about it maybe toyman would work too personality wise.)

Sam as Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy. I was toying with the idea of Mari McCabe, aka Vixen, but decided against it because their ideologies don't match as well and Mari is more level headed in my opinion.

Jazz as Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn. Although, I did want to make her Joan Leland because she did successfully rehabilitate an arkham inmate and wasn't an inmate herself, but there's not much info I can find on her.

Dani as M'gann M'orzz, aka Miss Martian or Megan Morse. Although, it could make sense to make her either of the Wonder Girls (Donna or Cassie) or Supergirl (Kara) or Mary Marvel (Mary Bromfeild).

Danny as Hal Jordan. I was tempted to make him Clark, but personality and goal wise, it doesn't make sense. Hal on the other hand makes a lot of sense once you think about it.

[sergessuperbsanctum]

X-Men is about civil rights. If you didn’t get that, you didn’t get X-Men.

Black Panther is about civil rights. If you didn’t get that, you didn’t get Black Panther.

Captain America literally fought Nazis. He is the embodiment of fighting the alt-right. If you didn’t get that, you didn’t get Captain America.

The Empire in Star Wars is fascist. The Rebel alliance are Anti-Fascist. If you didn’t get that, you didn’t get Star Wars.

The Punisher isn’t meant to be a role model for police or armed forces. So much so that the writers of The Punisher made him actively speak out against it in a comic. If you didn’t get that, you didn’t get The Punisher.

Deadpool is queer. He’s pansexual. Fact. If you didn’t get that you didn’t get Deadpool.

Star Trek is about equality for all genders, races and sexualities. As early as the mid-60s it was taking a pro-choice stance and defending women’s right to choose. One of its clearest themes is accepting different cultures and appearances and working together for peace. (It’s also anti-capitalist and pro-vegan). If you didn’t get that, you didn’t get Star Trek.

Superman and Supergirl (and a whole host of other superheroes) are immigrants. The stance of those comics is pro-immigration and pro-equality and acceptance. If you didn’t get that, you didn’t get Superman or Supergirl.

Stan Lee said “Racism and bigotry are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today.” If you’re bigoted or racist, you didn’t get any of the characters Stan Lee created.

The stories we grew up with all taught us to value other people and cultures and to treasure the differences between us. Only villains were xenophobic, or sexist, or racist, or totalitarian. I can’t understand how anyone can have missed that.

If you’re upset that there’s a black Spider-Man, or a black Captain America, or a female Thor, or that Ms Marvel is Muslim, or that Captain Marvel was pro-feminism, or any of the other things right wing “fans” say is “stealing their childhood” - you never got it in the first place. The things you claim are now “pandering to the lefties” were never on your side to begin with.

If you consider yourself a fan of these things, but you still think the LGBTQ+ community is too “in your face”, or have a problem with Black Lives Matter, or want to “take the country back from immigrants”, then you’re not really a fan at all.

Geek culture isn’t suddenly left wing... it always was. You just grew up to be intolerant. You became the villain in the stories you used to love.

*copied and pasted*