#karolsen fic

[theunchainedmelody]

Regrets of a Conqueror- A My Adventures with Superman fic on Kara Zor-El. Kara x Jimmy. [one-shot]

Rating: T for themes of mind control, brainwashing, parental abuse, suicide ideation, and brief sexuality. Pairings: Karolsen (Kara/Jimmy). BROTP: Kara & Clark

Summary: A look through Kara's life under the thumb of Brainiac, a cold isolated existence. And how it changed as she met Jimmy Olsen and her cousin Clark Kent. In doing so, Kara finds both love in others and also unimaginable horror within her own memories. Based on episodes 2x5 & 2x6. Probably not totally canon compliant in the long run.

A warrior set upon a burning civilization…

The bloody sword of Brainiac, as indiscriminate and mindless as such a weapon ought to be…

That was what Kara Zor-El was reduced to in those days.

Long ago, she’d been innocent, with hands not yet soaked in blood…

“I’ll win this time!” said a child’s voice.

Kara gazed in wonder at the sight of the two Kryptonian children engaging in a peculiar activity, one whose purpose eluded her. She was no older than they, and yet Kara had never felt further apart from Krypton. Already, her father had her partaking in all sorts of exercises, mastering flight and heat vision with ease. But only recently had he shown her this recording of her home world's final days, all to offer her a clear vision of what awaited New Krypton, of what awaited the planets brought into the fold. A beautiful city of gold filled with those like her…

She ignored the contradiction as never again would Kryptonians fly in the heavens. It would forever remain a derelict memory. None now lived to take to the skies, none but her. And yet, her father, Primus Brainiac, had shown her that the death of her race need mean little if their wills endured. With his brilliant mind at the helm, she would soon lay conquest on habitable systems, visiting worlds to measure their worth and then to lead in the front lines of battle, taking on planetary guardians, like the Green Lantern corp. But right now, Kara had forgotten the entirety of her father’s aspirations altogether, being enamored by the sight of such carefree children. Laughing. Smiling. The only time Kara smiled was on those rare occasions Primus offered her words of praise, when his cold metallic fingers slid beneath her chin. As such, seeing Kryptonians frolicking about so leisurely left her young mind perplexed.

“What are you doing?” asked the child, blinking rapidly and tilting her head, as if the ghosts could somehow answer her.

Kara rewound the memory so that the same ball hitting the same crystals repeated itself. This time, Kara slipped her own hand through the hologram of the child’s form, shadowing them like a ghost. It was as if she herself were engaging in the same activity, snatching up the same crystals. Kara even mirrored the child’s laughter, that strange sound that felt unnatural coming out of her. The little puffs of air leaving her lungs were strange, but it felt rather pleasant.

Suddenly, Kara saw the ground beneath her shift as a shadow loomed over her. Instantly, she knew it to be her father. Kara’s little heart nearly skipped a beat…

“F-Father…” she said with a bow. “I… um… I finished training.”

“Indeed,” let out his robotic voice, just human enough not to alarm her. “Then why are you here and not asleep?”

“Well… I was… I wanted to learn more from the memory.”

“And what are you doing now, child?”

“I um… I’m wondering what these children were doing. Is this some sort of exercise in coordination?”

“Possibly… But it is commonly referred to as “playing”. Many citizens of Krypton engaged in such frivolous and rather pointless activities. Oh, but you have no need of such things. You are not a passive citizen, but the soon-to-be defender of its imminent empire. Your path, my child, is different. Far more remarkable.”

“Of course,” said Kara meekly. “I’m sorry for… not telling you.”

“It’s well enough,” he said. “After all you will not remember this.”

“Huh?”

“My daughter… will you comply?”

The way his helm began to let out a high pitched buzzing sound was enough to shock her. The three orbs of his headpiece display lit up a fiery red, leaving Kara staring at it as if drawn into a trance. Her eyes shifted into something closer to a corpse as her muscles relaxed. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her memories began to slip away into the trash bin of her brain.

Even with Brainiac’s regular interference, Kara would sneak out and visit that place throughout her childhood. Always drawn by both the hint of a memory, and an intrinsic need to live. To be more than her rank and designation. Kara wished to see, taste, touch, and feel the corners of the galaxy, the warmth of planets, and to know its people. Even those she sought to bring beneath her boot.

Years later…

The day Kara was sent out for battle was one of great excitement to her, a truly momentous occasion. After years of rigorous training, she’d, at last, be leading the first wave of the main invasion. She’d be expected to take lives, but she was sure she could keep casualties to a minimum, and away from the alien planet’s grand cities. As a Kryptonian, her body was more suitable than any for dominating her prey and for winning at galactic war. And yet, there was a pang of regret within her for she knew this world well. She had a memento of its greatness and fond memories of its capital. But Father had explained that the leaders of this civilization had refused his merciful offer, and thus, fought against being absorbed into the New Kryptonian Empire. And so, they left him no choice but to use force.

Brief, precise, and quick. That was how war was to be carried out under New Krypton. That was what Kara could do. And so, she gazed in awe as her warship’s massive boarding ramp stretched open to reveal the drop sight. The far off glow of the planet’s sun coming into view… Warships ablaze in the heavens… Her eyes darted downwards towards the coordinates of the dropsight below, a blanket of clouds obsuring the battlefield. Kara now inched off hte ground, floating in the air as her cape remained stagnant behind her. She heard a metallic hiss in her ear as an army of Braniac’s sentinels and mechs marched up behind her, fully prepared to follow her to the death.

“Father… I’ll make you proud,” she whispered, clutching at her chest as her heart began to race.

They will kneel.

Everything after that moment was a blur…

Kara awoke in her quarters feeling as if she’d just slept a week. Vague memories of her smashing through a warship followed, and the knowledge that the defenders had swiftly surrendered. It was perfect, all according to Primus’ flawless strategy. That was what she recalled… And yet, the details within that knowledge felt hazy as if she’d taken a planetary cannon to the face and it’d left her mind ringing.

“What time is it?” she asked herself.

It was an inconsequential question and she knew it. Her atomic clock meant little as all hours in space were the same as any other. The sun nether set nor rose in space. She simply slept when all tasks for the day were accomplished, those being exercises to increase stamina, strategy and war tactics, philosophical studies, and of course combat training with drones and warriors. Brainiac had fought mighty combatants in the past, and he was more than happy to use holograms of such to prepare her for combat. His "collection" would never be as unique as the real thing due to the android’s limited functions, but it always excited Kara to see something new. To see an alien, another being, so physiologically divorced from her own body.

Nonetheless, it also left her wishing to see at least one being with her own physiology, those of a Kryptonian. Or at least to finally visit one of the planets with people sharing the same Kryptonian traits of hair, soft flesh, two arms, two legs, and an upright posture. Naturally, a genetic match to a Kryptonian would was utterly impossible, and that was a despairing thought for her. She heard from an archive that Kryptonians used to engage in a marriage ceremony and reproductive procreation for continuing the lineage. It was yet another thing that Kara would never experience, something she simply was not meant for. She was a soldier first, and a flesh-and-blood being second. Her desire to find a mate, her sex and and gender... They meant nothing in comparison. At least, from the perspective of Primus. Sometimes she wondered if Father would remove her sexual organs or sterilize her to encourage that compliance to her function. He always felt one discussion on post-puberty away from doing so. Of course, it was all for her sake, to keep her head clear in battle.

And so, Kara could never fault him. Surely then, the fault lay within her instead, some defect or ingratitude that wounded her very character.

In any case, Kara remained in confusion while sitting atop her bed, mind sifting through empty memories to make sense of it all. She heard the electric hum as the bedroom slid open, and in walked the cloaked figure of Primus Brainiac. Kara groaned in disorientation, still feeling groggy as if she’d slept a month.

“Father, I… I’m sorry. I’m not sure I’m mentally able to provide a battle report.”

“Oh, no need, child. It is done. I’ll send you an update on the planet’s occupation soon. But… You have done well, scion.”

“I… did?” she asked. “I don’t remember it… Only a little…”

“Ah, your mind is young. Kryptonian memory is fragile thing. Perhaps the only fragile thing in that body of iron,” he said, sliding a familiar finger beneath her chin.

Kara looked up at him adoringly, bathing in the tiny bit of physical contact she was offered for her touch-starved form.

“F-Father,” she let out.

“You have done well, my daughter,” he said.

And with that, it was enough. With that, Kara could go on a bit longer without fretting or questioning. Those magic words made it far easier to push down any doubts about the righteousness of their cause and to silence her worries about the suffering they’d inflicted on others. Only when she brought him the grandest of victories would Primus offer it to her, and for that, she wondered how far she’d be willing to go to please him.

Now, once her father had departed, Kara sighed and made for the shower. As she did, she removed the metallic shoulder pads of her black suit, tiring of them despite the lack of strain such meager weight put on her limitless body. It was more that the way they poked at her eyes when she raised her arms was frustrating, not that she doubted Brainiac’s perfect creations! He’d refined Kryptonian tech into something simple yet brimming with all manner of features suited for a wide variety of possible outcomes. And so altruistically did he offer those inventions with the rest of the universe.

After her shower, Kara walked through the long stretch of her father’s cruiser until she reached her personal shuttle. It was still parked in the cargo bay right where she'd left it. While she had quarters on the ship, the Kryptonian preferred the snug enclosed walls of her own starship. Or perhaps it was because it was the only thing other than Kandor which had remained relatively unchanged. She hopped warships as she hopped systems, but her vessel had yet to be fully replaced even after several years, other than any upgrades on its computing systems and suite of weapons. As such, she found its walls rather calming and anchoring.

Her eyes went instinctively to the locker in the back of the ship. It was the single place where she dared to sin, that was… It was a place of possessions, something her father understandably forbade. It was a distraction, something unbecoming of a warrior. Even so, Kara could not help but sneak items into it, all behind her father’s back. She now admired one of its contents: a marble flower. It was a keepsake from one of the planets he’d taken her to visit in her youth, discussing how it was to once considered for colonization and terraforming in Krypton’s final days. Kara also spotted a familiar pack of military rations her father had reluctantly rewarded her with after improving her heat vision. She’d devised on eating one ration a month but she’d soon be out…

“Perhaps I’ll ask him for another as a reward for taking the planet,” she whispered.

The Kryptonian lieutenant’s eyes than flitted to the back of the locker where lay a floating stack of black blocks connected to a rod brimming with blue electricity. Her finger tapped onto the conglomeration as she recalled the kind alien man who had given it to her. The second she touched the device, one of the black blocks released a melody. Tapping it again, the music shifted into something more whimsical sounding. Kara smiled as it graced her ears. Her finger rubbed against another rod, and it began to play a recording of religious mythos. Brainiac had said that their race’s mythology was highly inaccurate, but the story had enamored her so… As had the alien man who gave it to her. Surely that planetary ambassador had come to hate her…

Her fingers ran over the small memento now, and as she did, she felt an oddity. A single tear was leaking down her face. She hadn’t cried since back when Primus threw her in the Red Sun Omega Field for the first time to increase her fortitude, to see if she could gain an immunity to it in time. The sheer discomfort of it had drawn out a few tears, but why then was this memento causing her to feel such a similar pain and distress?

“Huh?” she asked as she wiped off her tears in confusion, eying the water droplet now clinging to her fingers. “Why do I feel like I’m forgetting something? Something terrible?”

Some time later…

“Huh?” asked Kara, glazed eyes shifting to the console, as she grimaced. Her combat boots were resting atop the ship's keyboard as she stretched out her legs and leaned lazily back in her chair, hands behind her head. A position that her father would find rather unbecoming. It seemed her boredom had been broken by the cry of her ship’s sensors. It’d picked up some sort of distress beacon, one identifying itself as Kryptonian technology. The electronic signature belonged to that of a Kryptonian too, obvious in the genetic footprint, albeit one unidentified in name and registry.

She heard a voice.

A man’s voice.

It sounded non-hostile.

“Uh… Kara… I don’t know if this will work…”

He knows me?

“But if you’re out there and get this message… I’m tired of being alone…”

Kara’s blue eyes trembled at his confession…

Loneliness…

Her hand slipped to her chest where a pit seemed to reside.

Nonsense. Father filled any potential void, gave her happiness, a home, and purpose. She loved him with all of her being and there was no need for someone else…

And yet… They were the same… Her and this man…

“I thought you might be lonely too. Your cousin, Kal-El.”

Kara pulled the com device out of the ship’s dashboard and let it float there in the air. With soft eyes, she brought it to her chest, bathing in a blanket of warmth that strangely surpassed anything her beloved father offered her. Who was this man? Her cousin? To think another of her race had survived Krypton’s destruction… To think she still had family...

“I.. I need to find him,” she whispered. “I will find him.”

Now, Earth was a planet designated as “in a state of rebellion” with New Krypton. Her father had told her so the moment she confessed to the contents of the message. Strangely, the name “Earth” seemed strangely familiar despite him only now introducing it to her. It was fuzzy memory, much like those surrounding her last conquest. Naturally, Primus insisted he join her on the upcoming mission as recruiting Kal-El would immediately be followed by the taking of the blue planet.

Kara truly believed that it was for the best, what she and her sire had planned for Earth. After all, they’d be given the same rights and privileges of all model citizens of Krypton. And she told herself that her reasons were altruistic. But even Kara, blinded by dogma and denial, soon admitted to herself that this was different. Kal-El made it different, and an urge had overtaken her. The same urge that led to her sentimentality in collecting mementos of planets. Memories of visiting them had since faded, and now only touching such objects seemed to spark their reemergence. Brainiac had scanned her mind for symptoms of dementia, yet no neurological deficiencies were identified in his medical examinations. It all left Kara confused within the grey line that was her life.

And it made her all the more desperate to seek out her cousin, to speak with a living breathing Kryptonian. To find a world so different from the constraints of Krypton’s rule, all facets of it sculpted in their laws and advancements. To see a backwater planet in its infancy… Unmarred… Beautiful and lush… Rugged and ugly…

To step into…

“The unknown” she whispered as her feet touched down on what appeared to be a harbor overlooking sea water. This place matched the coordinates sent by Kal-El's interstellar signal. This was a human city surely, and it was a massive one at that. She heard it referred to as Metropolis by the residents, and it was bustling with human activity. Vehicles… passerbys… loud noises… And above, skyscrapers far more archaic than those of Krypton dwarfed the citizens, but they were no less spectacular… Strange scents entered her nostrils of delicious foods that sent her salivating. She’d visited worlds before, but never dared to partake of their food. After all, Primus might detect them in her stomach and intestines when she returned to the ship.

But today, Kara had been a bad girl. She’d broken the rules. She’d done a terrible thing and betrayed his trust. And as much as she hated herself for it, she knew this was the one time she needed to confront something alone. This was her cousin. Her blood. The one man in the universe who could understand her. A warrior like her.

Her black space suit would leave her out of place here, so she’d already scoured Earth’s databases and synthesized up something fashionable. Kara now wore a white t-shirt, black vest, and some form-fitting jeans. The outfit had made her smile when she saw it in the mirror of her ship. It was rare she got the chance to dress up, not that her plugsuit was anything but flexible and comfortable.

“Wow,” said Kara as she left an alleyway and admired the scenery once more. A moment later, some robotic vehicle intercepted her. It clearly sought her destruction, intending to ram her head on. Kara would not hesitate to bring this behemoth down, so she shifted her legs into a proper battle stance and tightened her fist… And found herself pulled to the side by an Earthling. How strange… His skeletal structure was rather fragile compared to hers so why was he so quick to aid her? And why did it feel so good being in his embrace?  Her hands seemed to instinctively press to his chest, finding it flat and a pleasant contrast to the mounds of her own. He was undoubtedly a man resembling those of Krypton and it sent her heart racing. But what truly enamored her was his concern for her.

He didn’t even know her…

Yet he risked his life for her…

Why?

“Are you alright?” he asked sweetly.

“I’m fine,” she said, but in truth, Kara was hardly offended by his concern.

He offered her his name and rank. It astounded her. Had this Jimmy Flamebird sought her out specifically, somehow anticipating her arrival? If so, then surely Kal-El was already working with the human race, and soon would be joining her in bringing it to its knees.

“You’re the leader of the planet? Then you can assist me. My name is Kara and I’m searching for someone.”

It was nice being diplomatic and cordial. Peace would always be preferable to force, no matter how fun it was to unleash her powers in a spar. Kara truly hoped Earth would gracefully surrender so none of its beauty need be tarnished. Likewise, so that none of its filth and dreck should stain her boots.

“Let’s start looking over here!” shouted the man as he grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her along with him down a streetway.

Kara let out a “Whoa!” in surprise, but did not resist.

She knew that perhaps she ought to be more on edge in such a foreign place, but in this Jimmy Flamebird’s grasp, she found herself rather docile. It felt good to experience this peace with him. Over the day, he began to take Kara to extraordinary places, to eateries that sent her taste buds exploding from flavors she’d never imagined. Her stomach felt bottomless as this man so charitably offered her bounty after bounty, pleasure after pleasure. Sights, sounds, tastes… All he gifted freely to her as if she were a queen. But none were so marvelous to her as Jimmy himself.

Kara hardly cared anymore whether or not he was the planetary leader he claimed to be nor whether she found Kal-El in a timely fashion. Simply being in a photobooth with him was utterly enjoyable. It was fun in the same way those memories of kids playing that Kryptonian game seemed fun. Kara grew bold, wanting to thank him, and so offered her gratitude by stuffing her own frozen treat into his mouth as another photo was taken. The way he laughed in approval made her beam back.

“Delicious,” he said.

“Right? This food is amazing. And you get to enjoy this daily?"

“Of course. Do you not get to do that? Strict parents?”

Kara’s eyes flitted away as she answered, “Restrictive? Yes. I… um…”

Jimmy asked, “What? Something wrong?”

“I’ve… um… This feels nice…”

“What does?”

Kara turned herself his way so that she was facing him as they remained in the cramped booth. Her hands came around his narrow waist as she said, “I’ve… never touched a man like this… How I’ve wished to…”

“What? Um…”

“Sorry. That must sound strange,” said Kara, swiftly pulling herself away and backing out of the black curtain of the booth. “A momentary error. Nothing more. So… where are we off to next?”

“I said I’d show you everything so let’s hit a few landmarks,” said the tall lanky man. "You have the stamina for that?"

"I have nothing but limitless energy! Come at me with your most vigorous tour!" she said, fists curling up in passion.

The way he laughed at her display, his eyes seeming to soak her in, was a marvel. My oh my. He was handsome… Taller than her with tone muscles beneath his heavy coat no doubt. A sharp jawline… Fluffy hair… A friendly voice… For a moment, Kara imagined him dragging her back into the booth, pinning her against the wall of it, and…

With haste, Kara buried down that infernal urge. Such an act offered no procreative benefits and so should be discouraged. Then again… What did it matter? She was already defying Primus in more ways than one. If not for the feeling that Jimmy seemed hesitant to accept her advances, Kara would have dared to act even more boldly.

The hours passed by them in the blink of an eye. Kara would lament how swiftly the sun shifted on such a perfect day. They’d connected in a way she’d never imagined. He was strangely a kindred soul despite leading a far more passive existence. For Jimmy too sought out that which lay beyond the known reality. Especially in efforts to find new life and new worlds. And he too hid away from fear of those he loved. It was as if they both were reaching out into the void of space for that answer, for that other person that would understand them…

Jimmy was her answer.

As the day concluded, her guide stayed true to his bargain, bringing her to the one she sought. But Kal-El was not what she’d hoped, and already she felt frustration knowing Father would be disappointed with her. She’d bring him a weakling and be admonished for her own rebellion. Brought to kneel at his boots yet again… To plead and apologize… All for this poor excuse for a Kryptonian warrior… Doing a little dance for rats… The way he let some female earthling kiss his cheek was revolting. Why would he prefer that over his own kind? It was the behavior of a deviant.

And so, Kara chastised him and upon her father’s orders, let loose to destroy him. Their battle shattered the heavens and the earth until she brought him to his knees where he belonged.

She wondered if Jimmy saw her battle with Kal-El, if it was burned into his very mind.

If he was anything like that sweet alien ambassador from back then, then Jimmy would rightfully never contact her again as long as he should live. Not that she blamed either of them.

It was fortunate this was not to be the end of Kal-El as she had originally feared. For all her disgust in him, Kara had no desire to slay her cousin. And far more fortunately, Primus Brainiac had deemed him now suitable for collecting, and thus for extraction from that filthy planet.

“Goodbye, Jimmy Flamebird,” whispered Kara as she flew up into the atmosphere, with Kal-El’s energy prison in tow behind her. Her red cape billowed behind her as she turned back towards Metropolis and lamented all that hand transpired.

I would have liked to eat ice cream with you again. To feel your arms around me…

Her loneliness was short lived. Kara swiftly delivered the photos she’d kept of the handsome tour guide into her locker only to find Kal-el was already beginning to stir.

“You kidnapped me?” he asked indignantly.

Kara found his thrashing about rather amusing, especially given she’d given him such a great honor: The gift of her. Of Krypton! Of Father and all their future endeavors under a single banner.

“Yes,” she answered. “I extricated you from that backwater planet. You’re welcome.”

Kara flashed him her fangs, offering the furious captive a haughty grin. He should adore her really for all she was granting his ungrateful ass. For now, Kal-El might resist and might even despise her. But in time, he’d grow to love her and to love the Kryptonian empire as she did. They’d rule together and be the left and right hand of Brainiac in the conquest that was to come. This was where Kal-El belonged. Kara would soon strip away his pathetic visage, to toughen up his soft infantile armor, to create a perfect warrior of Krypton. Her cousin would serve Krypton well no doubt. All it would take was time.

And so, she would be patient with him. Kal-el was surprisingly tame when she mentioned her father and she sensed he was more open minded to her words than she'd originally thought. 

“Please let me show you,” she implored kindly this time.

Kara told herself she simply playing nice in order to get what she wanted. That had been the plan but the second it left her lips, it no longer felt true. In reality, Kara was trying to rationalize her irrational mercy. Her mocking of him had done little but make him angry and left her in something resembling regret at the sight of his disdain. There was no need to lie anyway to him. From now on, they need only be honest with other.

Kal-El seemed to respond well to her request, saying, “Okay. Show me your Krypton.”

Kara was shocked it had worked. No threats were needed, no hard push. Kal-El simply had agreed to it all. A warmth hit Kara’s cheeks at his answer, realizing she was to share that memory with him. With another. Again, she found herself in a holographic memory revealing the golden age of Krypton. Already she recognized the same children playing their little game. Having fun. It triggered her own memories, that of having a hot dog with Jimmy and kicking a ball in the park much to the delight or perhaps confusion of the Earth children there.

Their laughter was now of part of her own memories, not somethin archived, belonging to another.

It was real.

Unfortunately, he seemed rather skeptical of her endorsements of Krypton. And now  Kal-El wished to win her over with his own memories, and she agreed to it in a heartbeat.

Kara watched as he revealed a fragment of his past, a snapshot that left her confused. His adoptive parents were offering a much younger Kal-El something twisted. They were playing with him. It sent a surge of ugly jealousy and spite up her spine. The way it was given so freely and so carelessly was vile. Even more, it was downright confusing to her. Did parents play with their kids? Primus had never spoken much of such rearing methods, and in truth, Kara dared not ask. Her father found such questions to reek of disloyalty to the Empire and to himself. But Kal-El established neither rules nor conditions for Kara to follow. And his parents held no such rules for him. Except for one. Hold back. While her father encouraged her to reach her full potential, his “parents” taught him to be soft, to hide his heritage away. To be ashamed of his power, of his alien blood. It disgusted her. This poor man was indoctrinated, kept prisoner by the Earthlings. She would liberate him.

As the memory ended, Clark tore off her memory harvester from his head, returning it to the locker. Immediately, panic entered Kara’s head knowing she would be exposed. All she could do was beg.

“No! Wait! Don’t look in there!” she pleaded. “Don’t!”

In hindsight, Kara could have simply attacked him, yet she found herself less and less willing to harm him.

Kal-El had snatched up one of her keepsakes of Jimmy, a pictured memory of them in that photo booth.

“Is this Jimmy? You know Jimmy? My Jimmy?! When did you even meet him?”

Feeling her emotions grow fuzzy from a blanket of humiliation, Kara snapped, “It’s Reconnaissance of Jimmy Flamebird, the leader of your planet!”

“The leader of what now?”

Kara was unable to hold herself back any longer, and so, desperately took to the air and flew at him. She swiped at the embarrassing image. To her dismay, Kal-El seemed to casually dodge it and throw her off course. She floated in circles, attempting to pry it from his grasp but to no avail.

“Give it! Don’t!”

“Wait wait wait… Do you… Like Jimmy?”

Kal-El’s face lit up in absolute delight, a surprise given she’d viciously kidnapped him earlier but right now, Kara wasn’t feeling guilty. She was feeling her ears burn. Her cheeks were practically ablaze like a Blue Giant… She realized that her affections for that man, affections that went far past the platonic, were now revealed to her protégé. It made no sense what she felt for Jimmy Flamebird, but having it recognized still left her desperately needing to deny it.

“What? No. I don’t even know what that means!”

Her pleading innocence was no lie, but Kara still felt rather avoidant in doing so. What was Jimmy to her really? What madness could bring out a yearning of fondness and a lustful craving just by recalling his face? And beneath it all, why did it poison her with self-hatred for leaving him behind? Kara simply lacked the word to name that affection. All she knew was that the affection she felt for Jimmy differed from the growing affection she felt for Kal-El and the love she had for Primus Brainiac. And honestly, these differing affections for Jimmy and Kal-El existing at all rocked her entire world. Perhaps her brain was going bad too, much like Kal-El’s own.

“Wait until Jimmy finds out an alien has a crush on him.”

That part angered Kara the most. She’d never harm a civilian, especially not her Jimmy!

“I will not crush him!” she protested.

In time, the cousins decided on visiting one of the conquered worlds, a chance for Kara to show her rebellious kin the benefits of joining the Empire. Again, Kara was disobeying her father, going off course to do as she wished. It was truly for Kal-El’s own good, but perhaps it was also because she hadn’t visited it in forever. Not since the start of the invasion. How had the Thanagarian home world fared since then she wondered. Surely it was thriving under Primus’ rational and compassionate rule… In place of the Green Lantern’s planetary guardian, one she’d defeated herself, Thanagar was granted something far better: the eternal protection of all of Krypton’s might.

A shame an asteroid field of ice blocked Kara from landing.

Now, as they decided on removing said obstacle, Kara found herself an opportunity to lay a prank on her cousin, a bit of revenge for her earlier humiliation. She flew out into the void of space to join Kal-El, who was, as always, looking completely clueless. The second he saw her, Kara pretended her mask was malfunctioning. Her prisoner seemed to be under the impression his lungs were that of humans given the way he demanded one of the atmospheric masks each time he departed her starship. And that mistake was rife for pranking.

“Help!” she begged, choking in the worst bit of acting of her life.

“Kara?” he asked. “No! No! What do I do?!”

Kara let out a husky laugh before wiping a tear from her eye.

She exclaimed, “Your face. Kal-El, we’re Kryptonian! We don’t need these!”

She swooped in on him, feeling another surge of affection, as she found herself sadistically enjoying how easy it was to annoy and tease him. This man seemed to have plenty of buttons to press, to make him react most amusingly. It was also fascinating to her how Kal-El sounded genuinely worried for her. Despite the horrible things she’d subjected him to, Kal-El oddly cared about her wellbeing. Perhaps that was why Jimmy liked him.

Kara poked him on the forehead, flying over his shoulder to play with his head from behind as if she were massaging his brain matter. Mockingly, she sang, “So easy to mess with your sad little Earth brain.”

“That’s not funny!” he barked as he surprisingly went on the offensive, not that Kara minded. Being pushed back into the asteroid field was shocking but there was no danger here. There was none as she picked a fight with her cousin using floating boulders of snow and debris as her weapon of choice. Was this combat training? Was it them playing a game? Who cared? Right now, all that mattered was the sheer thrill of this moment, one spent with Kal-El.

“Yes! Much better! This is… neat,” she confessed.

Warmly, he replied, “Yeah. It is. Very neat.”

Again, Kara blushed as she realized that already she loved Kal-El. She loved him how she loved her father, only this time there was no danger. Kal-El didn’t much like her, but she need not fear letting him down by showing weakness or sentimentality. He set no limits in this game of snow, no admonishments that left her feeling like a disappointment. He wouldn’t sigh and state that this moment must end so they could resume training. He’d let her do as she wished and that was a wonderful feeling.

I want to protect him.

That was what she realized.

How horribly it all went after that. Kara had truly and utterly failed to protect him… Kara had led him straight into the clutches of her father, trusting he had the best of intentions for them both. She’d trembled beneath Brainiac’s judgmental gaze as he branded her a “wayward daughter”, wanting to cry knowing his disappointment in her. Only to sink into his cradling fingers as he instead praised her. Had she been less foolish then perhaps she’d not have made the choice she’d forever regret.

Kara had left Kal-El alone with her father.

Even after finding Thanagar in ruins, something that contradicted Brainiac’s own reports… Even then, she'd left them alone. How naïve was she to spend her life ignoring what was so obvious, what had left her heart aching all these years? The feeling that there was always something her father concealed from her, rationalizing it as somehow her immaturity that prevented it. For such a fierce warrior, why was Kara so utterly weak willed in his clutches?

Now, when she found her cousin in the training room, Kal-El was unconscious at the feet of her father’s warriors. His body was battered and bruised. Kara was left horrified at the sight, wanting to rush to his aid. But it was not to be. Brainiac would force her to again forget, but only after he left her crumbling in pieces with his sadistic words. Even after a life dedicated to him, Primus labeled her a disappointment and accused her of shaming her fallen kin with her rebellion. In reality, this was simply who he’d always been. An owner using her as a cute pet to bite at vermin, giving her affirmation so she’d happily submit. Hating her if she so much as thought to bark back. No, in truth, she was simply a puppet occasionally let off the strings. She simply forgot every time she was thrown back into the puppet show.

Brainiac’s brainwashing and wiping of her memories would have proved the end of her rebellion, if not for  the one variable he’d not accounted for in his infinite algorithm. For there were mementos gathered in secrecy. Returning to her vessel, Kara stumbled upon familiar relics… One of those being a photograph of Jimmy Flamebird.

Of the man she was beginning to fall in love with…

Love…

Was that the word?

It called to her from across the stars, beckoning her to Earth…

He was her temptation.

In Kara’s other hand, she held up a memento of Thanagar, and it brought back the harrowing memory of visiting it with Kal-El. She’d expected a thriving world only to find it purged down to the last survivor. Its cities lay in ruins. She recalled the pain she felt as Kal-El believed her evil, that she had purposefully wiped out an entire planet. His disdain for her was as soul-crushing as that of Primus’ own. It had left her begging and pleading for him to look at her as if she were innocent, wanting nothing more than for him to forgive her of a crime she did not commit.

What a shame she was anything but innocent.

Kara would realize that when she revisited Thanagar a second time, along with the other worlds she’d conquered. All were barren and void of life.

Within Thanagar’s capital, lay a mural ever obscured by Brainiac’s own tech. Once revealed by her repeated command, it displayed the day of reckoning. Of winged warriors falling to hellfire, all at the hands of The Warrior. Of herself.

“No…” she whimpered.

It was pointless. Simply seeing it was enough to elicit brief flashes of those events, ones no living being should ever witness.  All had been done under Brainiac’s compulsion as he violated her mind and made her his puppet in his galactic war. Under his control, Kara had done things she could not fathom. Her mind simply was not equipped to comprehend the magnitude of such death, of an entire planet snuffed out at her hands. One of many. Without emotion, Kara had unleashed her heat vision upon the surface, decapitating cities and de-atomizing armies. Turning warriors to ash and civilians into dust. No thought nor emotion had passed through her head back then save Brainiac’s unbreakable orders, but the sensory memory remained. Kara could recall the sound of it. The terrible horrid sound of a thousand people screaming in terror as she slaughtered them with another flash of heat.

Thousands…

Millions…

Billions…

Billions lay dead at her hand. Entire civilizations wiped out by the destroyer of worlds.

Her father had betrayed her truly and utterly. Perhaps since the very beginning. And she’d brough Kal-El right into his hands, dooming him to be the next weapon of Primus Brainiac.

“No… I couldn’t… I couldn’t have…” she whimpered, falling onto her knees before the mural of the dead.

Her fingers tore into her cheeks, nails digging into the flesh and ripping out strands of hair.

“I… I don’t remember…”

Only fragments did she recall… But it was enough to make her vomit, spilling up what remained of the Earth food Jimmy had given her.

“What have I done?” Kara let out through tears before flying off into the atmosphere. In mere seconds, she was in orbit of the derelict world. When last she visited, it was a proud planet belonging to those that flew much like her, something that gave her a sense of kinship. And now, it was simply a graveyard that would rot for all time. Kara stared in awe of it before curling up in a fetal position, letting herself float motionless in zero gravity. Space was so quiet but her head was spinning. She then wondered how to handle the guilt that was consuming her very being. Should she go confront her father and rescue Kal-El? They'd both surely die or be made eternal slaves. And if they survived? What then? Should she spend her life trying to redeem herself, all for sins that she could not atone for in a thousand years? Even more, there was no one left to forgive her. And if they had survived, they’d deeply despise her and they'd be right to. There was no one left in the galaxy who loved her. None but Clark.

“Kal-El… Clark… What should I do?”

Kara considered finding Kryptonite and letting it consume her from the inside out. A painful death but it’d be over quickly. Or perhaps she would let a black hole pull her apart into mere string. Or find the Green Lantern Corps so they might take her into custody for her crimes, probably throwing her into one of their sciencells with an eternal sentence.

“It’s not my fault… It’s not my fault,” cried Kara, thrashing about as her tears sparkled like diamonds, their shimmer produced from light rays cast by the planet’s sun. Her tear drops floated in front of her, slowly being pulled in by the planet’s feint gravity well. Kara would weep and deny it, but it did her little good. No matter how Kara rationalized it, acknowledging the truth that she lacked any control in the genocides, still she could not find solace nor forgive herself. There was simply no return from what she’d been made to do.

“Did you ever really love me?” she whispered to the black void of space, as if hoping Father could hear despite her disabling communications.

Did Jimmy still care at all for her? He’d never reciprocate what she felt for him. Not after this. Not after he knew what a monster had dared to long for him.

Only Clark remained and he’d soon be lost. But Kara would not let it be so. She would save him even if she could not save herself.

Suddenly, Kara found herself left in awe as an oddity occurred before her, that of a starship emerging from a portal out of space and time. Or so it seemed. Swiftly, Kara flew in front of the small vessel, a single hand of hers possessing the might to hold back its thrusters effortlessly. She gazed inside, wishing to inspect its passengers. Who would seek out Thanagar long after its demise? Her eyes scanned over the cockpit, only to see a host of beings she failed to immediately recognize. A machine. Some sort of hairy being. A woman who she did not know except through Clark’s strange memory. All meant nothing to her. All but one.

She asked in disbelief, “Jimmy Flamebird?”

Fate had brought him back to her somehow. She wondered if he was a dream… A hallucination brought on from the madness of realizing her own past. He was so beautiful… Looking up at her in shock from his seat in cockpit… But surely, he would not be in a place like this, seeing as his world’s technology was ill-suited for interstellar travel.

Even so, she wanted to believe.

Kara needed him more than ever if she were to do the first bit of good in her long sorry life. Together, perhaps they stood a chance in rescuing poor Kal-El from the very Empire she’d built. Perhaps then, she could still save Kal-El from his fate and save Earth from extinction. Kara was no hero, but she’d save them all, nonetheless.

The End.

[kara-zor-els]

Least favorite ships? (Not problematic ones, just ships you don’t care for)

Hmm. Ok, so some of those don't really have a specific reason, I just don't vibe with them/I had bad experiences with the fandom in the past. Also I don't dislike them all to the same extent. It's mostly "ships that would potentially turn me off a comic/fic":

Superbat

Superwonder

Dickkory

Karasteph

Jondami

Karolsen

Brutalia

Jaybabs and brubabs (those are problematic but dc writers apparently don't think so 🙃)

Probably more but I'm blanking rn lol

[ntshastark]

MAWS s2 liveblog: 2x05

turns out i'm not getting any notifications from serializd, which kinda defeats the purpose of having the app at all (i used to use tv time but then they completely ruined their desktop ui), so i'm apparently 3 eps behind and had no idea

ever since the dcu superman film set photos came out i've been on an early!clois fic-reading binge (mostly rereads, it's the first time i do this) and it highlights so much everything this adaptation missed out on having........ the rivalry, the identity porn, the banter........ i know i talk about this every time i watch this series, but they've literally taken out every shingle one of my favourite things about early!clois (which is my fav clois era!!), and i just can't understand why someone would do this on purpose!!! i mean, we could be having this

"oh but it's a kids cartoon" you say. well, then we could be having this

i just. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO SAND OFF LOIS' EDGES SO MUCH, THIS IS NO FUN!!!!

and i have my complaints about clark, especially how they handle his secret identity and make him look stupid, but i'm overall much more flexible about his characterisation (in that i have my personal preference but am ok with a bigger range of the 'is he truly clark or superman' spectrum) than i am about lois' (in that she is My Girl, and she needs to be mean, tired of everyone's shit, and at least a little bit scary, otherwise that's not the woman me and clark fell in love with!!)

==

OH HEY

SPEAKING OF 'SHE'S MY GIRL AND THEY SHOULD LET HER BE MEAN'

SHE'S FINALLY HERE (i think?)

(and she's just? walking around town?? in earth clothings???)

==

AND SHE'S MEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

==

oh

hm

idk how i feel about this

i mean, i was a sucker for karolsen in cw supergirl, but that was a very different jimmy (and, i'd wager - and hope - a very different kara)

(also i 100% thought maws!jimmy was gonna be gay tbh)

==

i genuinely hate how this series treats his secret identity (which, again, is one of my favourite parts of superman lore. so. targeted attack, i tell ya)

(and you know what else gave me a watered-down lois and a clark with a crap secret identity??? man of steel. how is this series so completely opposite in tone and yet still keeps so many of the same sins??)

==

🤨

she did say her name is kara, but i remember fake-out supergirl in smallville, so i'm not holding my breath

==

my mind cannot comprehend giving someone mint chocolate chip as their first ice cream, the first time i ever actually saw mint chocolate chip ice cream for sale i was a full grown adult

==

^ exact opposite reaction i had two days ago when i started mulheres apaixonadas only to find out the pairing i'd been looking forward to the most are first-degree cousins

(yes, they end up together. and yes, i dropped the novela. can't stomach incest ships, it's why i never started house of the dragon despite loving royal intrigue stuff)

==

wait, wasn't he married??

==

oh god... did they mention his full name the other times he showed up?? bc i thought it sounded familiar so i googled it and it's fucking cyborg superman, i'm so fucking stupid

==

omg silver st cloud!!

was i supposed to recognise the other two as well? bc i'm really bad with names (as i've just demonstrated) and also not all that knowledgable about minor dc characters

==

oh i was wondering about that

==

[banging head against the wall] WHY DO THEY HAVE TO MAKE HIM SEEM SO STUPID

==

so pretty tho......

==

why is everything so bright.....

also that hot dog looks dry af

==

see, this is what you get when you skip all the fun identity porn phase. the masses don't even think lois and superman are fucking.

==

and she's also stupid!

==

genuinely, can you imagine any other lois lane getting told this???? i get they want to make their female lead relatable in her struggles or whatever, but ughhhh

like, where's this energy

and i get wanting to have a younger lois who's not so established in her career in order to give her conflict and opportunity to grow stuff, but the attitude!! smallville!lois didn't even want to be a journalist (which is a creative decision i'm also not a fan of), but she was so absolutely lois in the way she acted, y'know? not a single person who knew that girl would be surprised to find out she'd bagged a semi-god! meanwhile this lois has just. such loser aura.

and i know they're aware of this because that one episode with the multiversal lois league or whatever was basically all "yeah, this lois is kind of a loser when compared to the other ones, but this clark loves her anyway!!"

==

oh she's so angry!! i love her!!

==

ok great scene

==

hard to connect emotionally with this scene when i basically agree with everything she's saying

==

uh

==

why is she speaking english instead of kryptonese tho

==

oh she looks cool

==

OH SHE'S STRONGER THAN HIM!!!!!!!!! GO KARA BEAT HIS ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

==

well. it's definitely not what i was expecting. but i guess it fits with how they were developing krypton, and it's definitely interesting! i was worried about kara having been shown as a baby while leaving krypton, that maybe they would've made her grow up in the ship with only false memories, but she's... immersed in the culture, i guess... somehow... it's definitely not what i would've guessed, and whether i like it or not is gonna depend on how they deal with it (if this was mainverse kara i definitely would've hated it, but an au is au, so let's wait and see)

tbh i was worried she'd get the the cartoon!starfire* treatment and be depicted in an overtly childish manner (which is. not exactly unheard of in this series), so her instead being an imperialistic war criminal is better than what i was expecting lmao

(*= whom i love! but whom i met 1. before knowing anything about the original kory, and 2. as a child. and who's also done irreparable damage to mainverse kory, so can't blame a girl for being afraid)

now i'm curious about her "father"... she said her and clark are the only kryptonians left, but it could be something similar to the jor-el hologram thing, i guess. i know zor-el has been depicted in a more villainous light at some points so who knows, might even be his consciousness inside a robot or whatever

anyway, it's an interesting change. has potential. at this point i don't really trust this series to explore it as deeply and seriously as i would like, or to not fall back into the tropes i was afraid of as soon as her redemption arc is over and she becomes jimmy's born child-friendly yesterday girlfriend, so i'll not keep my hopes too high, but this could be fun!

[the-neurotic-zen-master]

Fic: Taking Pictures

Fandom: Supergirl

Characters: Kara Danvers, James Olsen

Relationship: Kara Danvers/James Olsen

Word count: 605

Summary: Kara has a new hobby. 

Disclaimer: Don’t own this show, don’t own the comics, don’t own these characters 

It took James some time to realise that Kara was taking pictures of him. Not constantly or invasively but intermittently here and there. For someone whose profession revolved around photography, it took him embarrassingly long to figure out National City's hero's new favourite pastime.

He discovered the photos when he was double-checking cinema times on Kara's computer on a particular Saturday morning. Barring any alien attacks, they were both free the entire day and planned to spend it together. Brunch, movie, the whole nine yards. While they both loved the extraordinary parts of their lives and would not give them up for anything, there was something to be said for a normal weekend.

The photos seemed to almost exclusively be of him. There were not many; a few dozen or so taken over several months, it appeared. At work, at home, at the coffee shop and some even from up high. She had to have been airborne for those, which James was particularly impressed by.

"Is it starting at one or half past one?" Kara asked distractedly, as she walks out of the bathroom, securing a hairpin.

When she looked up, she saw the folder she had accidentally left open. "James," Kara looked at him, then at the computer and then back at him again. She flushed in embarrassment. "That's not-”

James smiled, "Kara-"

"It's not a creepy murder folder or anything-" she barreled on, waving her hands towards the computer.

James laughed, "I know that." She seemed relieved. "You would keep your creepy murder folder much better hidden. Password protected, at least."

Kara laughed lightly and sat down on the couch next to him.

"But do you want to tell me why you've secretly been taking pictures of me?" He prompted, nudging her lightly with his shoulder.

Kara wrung her hands. "Well, remember I was looking for a hobby a few months ago?" He nodded. "I tried out several things. Pottery, knitting, archery. Yoga was a disaster." She sighed dramatically.

"Then I decided to try photography. Because you love it and I wanted to take an interest in your … interests." She tapered off when she saw his surprised expression. "And then I realised that I didn't have any pictures of you, other than the one on my phone for your contact info. And that seemed weird but I realised that, as a photographer, you are more behind the camera than in front of it." She shrugged. "I have taken pictures of other things as well." Kara turned to the computer and opened up other folders of picture files. "Nature, the city, a lot of coffee cups…" She wrinkled her nose. "But pictures of you are my favourite."

James couldn't help but lean in and kiss her temple.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked, still somewhat unsure and worried she had overstepped a line. "I know that some people don't like having their picture taken. It’s totally fine, if you mind."

"I don't mind." He assured her.

"Good. Because I don't think it’s fair that you are on so few pictures just because you are a photographer. Plus, you are just unreasonably pretty and someone should really document that for future generations."

"I am not pretty, Kara!" Pause, then: "Okay, fine, I am pretty." Then he draped himself dramatically over the couch: "Photograph me like one of your French girls!"

Kara laughed. "I can do you one better," she said, as she climbed on top of him and kisses him.

They never make it to the cinema that day. But Kara's 'James Olsen is unreasonably pretty' photo folder gets several new additions.

[queercapwriting]

Have you ever written, or consider writing any Karolsen first time? If not could it possibly be a prompt for the future? bc right now with m**-** having sex with Kara, girls who sleep with guys need more than anything, an actual respectful guy as an example. They need to know that if he doesn't respect them, he will never be good enough. They need to know that guilt-tripping them is not a reason to give him a part of themselves. They need to know that, like Kara, they deserve James & not m**-**

It’s been a couple of months since Kara and James went on a first date that had Kara terrified, that had Kara anxious, that had Kara nearly running – or flying – away from feeling, from risking everything, faster than Alex could talk her down.It’s been a couple of months since Kara’s accepted that maybe, just maybe, she can truly be both – be Kara and Supergirl – with someone who’s not her sister or her platonic best friend.It’s been a couple of months, and Alex approves.

Alex loves James a lot more than she’s willing to admit.Loves him because he has never looked at her sister as anything less than capable; he has never looked at Kara with anything less than respect; he understood, without hesitation and without question, that Alex would rather die than fail to save Kara from the Black Mercy, and she knows, she knows, that he understood because he would have made the same decision.And Kara’s been happy, been more bubbly – she didn’t know that was possible – since she calmed down from her initial cold feet, since she took Cat’s advice to dive into being a reporter, into being Kara Danvers, through her whole life, her entire life.But the fact remained that her little sister isn’t only Kara Danvers, and that? That’s been keeping her from… certain things… with James.Alex knows. And she’s offered absolutely no help for the situation, because she likes James, loves him, but she still needs to be absolutely sure that he won’t hurt her sister romantically. Sexually.She gets sure the night she’s at the bar grabbing root beers for her and Maggie, and James is getting club soda and beer for him and Kara, and the new guy from Daxam is slinking over the bar, bartender’s towel draped over his shoulder, leaning conspiratorially into James.“Come on, you can tell me: is it just so amazing, or what? Like, getting to bang  Supergirl? I mean, that must be – ”“Dude, listen, I know you’re new here, but that’s not… that’s not how I talk about women, and anyway, we haven’t… we’re not…”“Oh, oh, no no no, I get it. Is it Earth custom to not want to talk about your women, is that – ”“No, man, it’s… it’s not an… Earth or Daxam thing, it’s just a… it’s a healthy, respectful relationship thing.”Alex bites her lip and sighs down at the bar with a soft smile on her face, and it’s that night that she takes her little sister aside.“Kara, listen, um… I know you and James haven’t… haven’t gone all the way yet – ”Kara straightens and adjusts her glasses. “Okay, wow, we’re talking about this, okay – ”“Is it… it’s because you don’t want to hurt him, right?”“Hurt him? Alex, I could kill him, you know what happened in college when I made out with – ”“Yes, I know, I’m practically still scrubbing the blood from his nose off my hands. But I’m saying… Kara, if you wanted to be more… intimate with him…. and obviously you don’t have to, you know that – ”“I know, Alex, Maggie gave me the talk last week, and the week before that, and I’m pretty sure she gave James a talk, too – ”Alex grins at the idea of her girlfriend taking an active role in sistering her little sister. “Yeah yeah, I know, but Kara, what’s I’m saying is… if the only reason you’re not having sex is because he’s human, I can help with that. Red sun lamps. I can install them at your place. Or his. If you wanted.”Kara’s eyes go wide and Alex watches her mind whirl and her body temperature rise, and she brings a ladder and the red sun lamps over first thing in the morning.“Kara, we don’t… we don’t have to do this tonight, you know. Just because Alex installed the lamps – which actually are pretty good mood lighting, too – you know that doesn’t mean we have to do anything.”It’s been a long day and James has his arm around her as they kiss, her hands running up his shirt and his entire body stiffening with restraint.Kara pulls back from their kiss and presses her forehead to his, grinning and taking off her glasses. “James, you’re not… you’re not going to hurt me.”James pffts and pulls back and shakes his head. “Kara, you’re Supergirl, I – ”“I know I am, and I know you respect that, but I also know that with the red sun lamps, all you can think about is how you’re scared to hurt me because you don’t know the limits of my body without my powers.”“That’s…” James wilts and sighs and grins slightly. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m thinking about.”“Okay, and I get that. And I like that you’re worried about that. I like that you’re worried about me. But James…” She licks her lips and she gulps and she puts her hand on the back of his neck and pulls him closer to her slightly. “You can learn my limits. I trust you.” She brings his hand softly from her cheek to her waist. “I trust you. I… I want you.”“Tell me. Tell me whenever you don’t like something, whenever you need to stop. And we will. I promise. Okay?”Kara melts and nods and breathes deeply, slowly, in time with James.“Yeah.”He gulps and glances around her apartment. “You um… you deserve better than your couch.” She arches an eyebrow and his eyes flash. “For now,” he smiles, and Kara giggles. “Your bed?” he asks, standing and offering her a hand.“Thank you, kind sir.”James chuckles and Kara presses her body into his chest, his arms, relishing the way his entire body vibrates with his laughter.“Kiss me?” she asks, and he complies.It’s slow and it’s soft and it’s nothing if not tender, but Kara parts her lips and James’s tongue grazes hers slightly and she gasps quietly because god, god, god, she doesn’t have to worry about breaking his nose and she doesn’t have to constantly be running physics equations in her head to make sure she doesn’t break his skin with her nails and nothing has ever felt as amazing as his perfect lips on hers, so she gasps again, again, pulling him closer, and James’s hands tighten around her waist, her back, and Kara grins into his mouth.“Something you want?” she flirts, her voice thick with her own shock, her own excitement, that something can feel this incredible, that she can let go this much. His eyes are sparkling with a raw passion she’s never seen, and she knows he must feel it, too.“Kara Danvers, all I’ve ever wanted is to make you happy.”She bites at her lip and tugs his hand as she walks backward toward the bed, relishing the way she doesn’t have to worry about dislocating his shoulder as she does so.“So make me happy,” she whispers, and god, he does.She leans back on the bed and he hesitates before kneeling on the mattress in front of her. She nods and she tugs at the hem of his shirt questioningly, and she can’t help the moan that escapes her lips when he tugs it off in one easy gesture, because she’s seen him shirtless before, but now? Now she can touch him the way she wants to, without restraint, without fear, and god, she wants to.“Undress me,” she says, and it’s soft and it’s partially a question and it’s partially a command and James swallows several times and she wonders if he was this reverent with Lucy and thinks she might ask her next time they have lunch but then his hands are on her lips and he’s pulling gently at the hem of her shirt, and his eyes are locked into hers.“Stop me whenever you want to, Kara,” he tells her again, and she nods impatiently and he grins and he starts lifting up her shirt. She sighs in relief but then whines when he doesn’t just tug it off like he did his own. He chuckles again, but this time, it’s with his lips against her stomach, and she gasps and she forces her body still before remembering that sweet Rao, she doesn’t have to under these lamps, so she lets her back arch, lets her stomach rise to meet his perfect lips, and when a strangled moan escapes them, she can’t help but breathing out his name. For each centimeter of skin he reveals with his almost agonizingly slow stripping of her clothes, he has soft kisses and softer nips and she breathes into his every motion, his every instant worshiping her body, worshiping her.When her shirt is finally above her head and his gaze settles to her blushing chest, he pauses and his eyes are more intense than she’s ever seen him, and she’s seen him in his Guardian armor.“Still good?” he asks, and she giggles slightly.“Please proceed,” she tells him, but her laughter is cut off abruptly and transformed into an ecstatic gasp when he lowers his lips to her breasts, over her bra at first, but, at her whimpering and back-arching and whispered urgings, he tugs the straps – slowly, slowly – off her shoulders and reaches behind her – she’s never arched her back up quicker – to unhinge her bra, unhinging her in the process.“James,” she sighs, and he just shakes his head as he looks down at her. “You are so beautiful, Kara,” he whispers, and she expects him to go straight into an exploration of her breasts, but instead his lips come down to meet her own, and she can’t tell how long they kiss, skin to skin, chest to chest, but she knows it’s the best thing she’s ever felt, and she knows she wants more.She reaches down to his belt buckle and he hisses and freezes, and she pulls her hand back immediately.“Do you want – ”“I don’t want to pressure you, Kara – ”“I’m pretty sure you didn’t move my hand there, James,” she smiles softly, and he chuckles, his face utterly wrecked for her, and she loves it, loves it, loves him.“If you want to, Kara, then yeah. Yeah, please.”She undoes his belt slow and she undoes his belt without breaking eye contact with him, and he bites his lip and she loves it, loves watching him restrain himself, because god is it going to feel amazing when she tells him – again – that he doesn’t have to.“Can I?” she asks, his jeans unzipped and her fingers in his belt loops. He arches his hips off the bed and helps her tug his jeans down, and she bites her lip at the sight of how badly he wants her.“I want you, too,” she tells him, because suddenly he seems somewhat bashful, and she brings his trembling hands to her own jeans, and god does it feel good to be in nothing but underwear with him, but it’s going to feel even better to be wearing nothing with him.“Kara, you’re sure?” His eyes are a map of raw desire and a map of raw concern, and she brings her lips up to meet his. “Yes.”And she was right – being naked with him does feel more incredible than anything she’s ever done, because god she doesn’t have to worry about saving the world or restraining herself to avoid ruining her world; she just has to worry about her, about him, and them.And that? That’s not a worry at all.

Because it’s both adorable and incredibly sexy when he asks if he can go down on her, and if she didn’t understand the appeal of someone’s tongue between her legs before, she does now, because he is alternating between circles around her clit and straight-up pressure to her clit, moaning at how wet she is, his eyes never leaving her face, his hands reaching up to tease her nipples, to make sure her entire body feels incredible, and it does, god, it does, and when she whimpers that she needs more, he is so gentle when he slips his tongue inside her, even gentler when he slips one finger, then – at her begging – two, three, and he brings his tongue back to his clit and she doesn’t have to worry about breaking his fingers or his jaw or his nose when she cums hard and fast and thorough, pulsing around his fingers, coating his tongue with how good he’s making her feel, and he smiles into her body and she tugs him up to kiss her, because she’s not done, not done, not done.

She giggles when he fumbles with the condom wrapper and she giggles harder when he asks if she’s on birth control, not that he could get her pregnant, could he, and is there even Kryptonian birth control, but he just wants to be sure, and he’s rambling, isn’t he, and she frames her face in her hands and she doesn’t worry about straining the muscles in his neck as she pulls him back down for a kiss.“James. You’re not going to hurt me, and you’re not going to get me pregnant, and Alex tells me that she had you STI tested and you’re good to go, and so am I, so if it’s all the same to you, I’d really like to – ”“Wait, she was testing for STIs? She said it was because I got scratched by that alien last week – ”“James, can we maybe not discuss my sister right now?”“Right.”He kisses her soft and she kisses him harder, and she flips him over and he hisses and she pauses and he grins – “No, no, that was a good sound, Kara” – and she holds his wrists down until she needs to feel his hands on her body, needs to feel his hands all over her, because I want you, please, James, please, and she doesn’t have to worry about restraining herself when he slips inside her again, slow and controlled and gentle and constantly making sure it doesn’t hurt, that it feels amazing, and sweet Rao it does, and she controls the rhythm, the depth, the pace, and his head tosses back into the pillow and he moans her name and she feels amazing  and she collapses over his body to kiss his neck while she brings him deeper inside her, as deep as she’s been wanting to take him, and he asks and she nods desperately so he brings his hand between their bodies and he pressures her clit with his thumb and she spills over the edge again at the exact moment he does, because god nothing’s ever felt like this before, and god, she loves him, loves him, and she’s pretty damn sure that, if the look in his eyes is any indication, he loves her, too.She kisses him as he pulls out of her after a few long, long minutes of just breathing, breathing, trying to breathe, and he kisses her lips, her eyes, her nose, her forehead, before getting up to toss the condom. He returns with two glasses – one of orange juice and one of water – offering both to her. “Wasn’t sure which you’d want.”She goes for the orange juice and he smiles as he gulps some water and sets it on the bedside table, laying back down next to her, holding her, kissing her.“Was that okay?” she asks softly, because he’s smiling and he’s sweet, but he’s always sweet, what if he’s just being polite, what if – “That, Kara Danvers, was amazing. For you?”She beams and does a tiny dance and he laughs and shakes his head and reaches for his phone. “Yeah,” she says, but her brow furrows, her eyes on his phone.“Oh, no, I’m not that guy,” he says, flipping the screen so she can see what he’s doing. “I’m not gonna ghost on you by disappearing into my phone, I’m just ordering pizza and potstickers. Because I figured – ”He doesn’t finish his sentence because her lips crash into his, and they kiss until it dissolves into laughter, because this? This is perfect.

[magnificent-dragons]

Let's blow stuff up

LETS BLOW UP SOME STUFF Friday night the whole group had decided to go out to the bar J’onn was coverinng the DEO and Lena had no big meatings the next day so the group had a rare day to relax Winn came up with the idea that they should go drinking. Things alway got more interestingn after a few drinks so they had all agreed that they would meet up around eight at the bar. Mon-el was still on shift so he had to work or risk getting yelled at again by his manager. Maggie ended up being the first to walk through the doors closely followed by Alex. “ Maggie, Alex” Mon-el said after giving the two a once over he cocked his head to the side. “ Is Kara coming i thought we could talk” he gave the two what was supposed to be a charming smile but it had long since lost it's charm for the group especially since he and Kara’s break up. He insisted on tryihng to make things right between them and get back together even though Kara turned him down each time. “ Mon-el please dont go there unless you want to have a lead pipe shoved up your ass.” Alex’s tone was flat and serious she gave off an aura of being completely fed up with the space frat boy. Mon-el flinched at the comment and seemed taken aback although it was unlikely that he would get the message when Kara got there. “ Ok so what can I get you two then?” he was trying to give them the charming grin again to which the two simply just rolled their eyes and gave him their orders. They sat down quietly waiting until Winn and James soon joined them the group ended up talking about James’ photoshoot he was doing it had atleast half of the models were alien rather than human he had been working with Cat to bring more attention to alien equal rights. “ Hey guys” Kara waved at them as she approached the table and pulled out a chair sitting down next to James. She kept looking over her shoulder keeping an eye out for Mon-el he had not left her alone over the past few weeks she was overly paranoid at this point of running into hijm with out anyone there he was always able to make her feel guilty for her feelings and make her feel like she was the reason he had lied to her for the whole of their relationship. So the super friend had taken to making sure one of them stayed with her at all times reasuring her that she was making the right decision and supporting her when she needed it. “ Hey Kar how was your day I know snapper has been on your ass today” James said smiling sweatly at Kara as she sat next to him. “ it was ok snapper just wants me to finish this peice on the construction by the docs he ceeps saying that i need tomake it more interesting and exiting. “ How exciting can construction at the docs be just do what you do best Kara and it will be great it always is” James said reassuring the hesitant an agrrovated reporter. He gave her a reasuring side hug as Winn and Magie gave her sympotheric looks. “ so we already ordered your usual” Winn said as lena walked in the door she was in a teshirt adn jeans it was a rare sight to have the CEO in casual clothes. The group spent the next few hours talkinng and laughting going back and forth about work they talked on the recent gardien excapades to when Mon-el came up trying to once again nitpic at peoples heroing when he himmself could not even be considered a usefull part of the communitie. By theend of the night Kara had been completely fed up with the presence of her ex and was becomingn rather agitated. So in thier buzzed state they decided that Winn would drive since he had not been drinking that night. They all ended up back at Kara’s appartment. “ Ugh i need to get rid of this stuff” Kara slurred slightly as she kicked over a box of some of Mon-el’s things that he had left behind at her appartment. She had rounded all of his things up and put them in a few boxs. “ You know you should really get rid of that stuff” James offered up to Kara from where he was reclining back on the couch with another beer in his hand. How he had snuck that past winn was a mystery eisily solved as winn was almost always oblivious to people tryingn to sneak around. “ yeah we totally should!” alex piped in she was not quite as drunk as Kara or James she had always held her alcohaul better than those two. “ I have a crazy Idea guys” Maggie said her voice slurring from the alchohol she had a sideways smile and a almost evil glint in her eyes. “ ok what is it” James said smiling at maggie he was leanin on the couch as Kara slumped down next to him and leaned into his shoulder and curling up like a little kitten into his side. She had a smile on her face as she started slightly drifting off onto James shoulder with James smiling slightly down at her. “ ok so you know how we have some grenades in alex’s suit” Maggie waited for the room to nodd and at this point Winn was cocking his head as he started to put together maggies idea. Alex took anothere swig of her beer she knew she needed to be a bit more drunk in order to even think of having this conversataion. “ why do you need a grenade Maggs” James said, James and Maggie had bonded over the last few weeks. He was smiling wickedly at them. “ we are going to blow up some stuff” “ oooh i like blowing up stuff” Kara chimed in cheerily. Lena let her head fall back laughing at the kryptonian to her right sandwiched between her and James. “ so lets go blow up some stuff” Winn chimes in eagerly he was supposed to be the responsibel person that night. Alex laughed at the interactionn going on across the room. “ Yes lets go blow up some stuff” Lena repeated after winn. “ ok so Alex can you pleasee get your grenade for us babe” Maggie added in a small pout for infisses making her girlfriend’s heart melt just a little that matched with the full on pout coming from Kara it managed to make it's way past the agents better judgement as she moved around to get the extra suit she had stored in Kara’s appartment. After a few minets of stumbling around in her intoxicated state she finaly pulled out a black box hidden inside a wall in the apppartment. Winn had to help her open it as she managed to nearly falll on top of the box atleast five times. After many tries they finaly managed to open the box and get out the grenades and the explosive packs. “ What are we going to blow up Maggie” Lena said perking up from where her head had leaned onto kara who was still leaned onto James and on James left was where Magggie had sat herself wrong James had become the unofficial pillow of the group and he seemed just fine with it. “ We are going to blow up frat boys stuff.” she stated lookiing rather impressed with herself. Two hours later the group sat outside with three seperet boxes of Mon-el’s stuff. They all sat crouched in the parking lot prepared to detinate each of the boxes two were set with remote detinations one they were going to throw a grenade at the last one. “ on three we detinate the first box ready” Maggie said lookinng rather excited withthe whole situation. “One” they began counting down together “two, THREE” on three maggie pressed a button and two of the boxes went up in flames blowing things in different directions some of the items hitting the third box. They all whooped happily Winn was videoing the whole thing as they blew up. Some one had to documetn the drunk blowing up of Kara’s ex’s things. Maggie handed Kara the grenade to do the lasts of the boxes she exitedly threw it barely making it to the side of the box as it blew the peoices of a book went up in the air burning. “ We should run now before someone calls the cops on us.” Winn said helping his inhiberatid friends to run away back towards the appartment they would have a time wathicng the video of this in the morning when they would all wake up with a hang over and likely a call from their bosses as well. A.N. I'm not sure if this posted right the first time but I hope it posts correctly now I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes and this was my first fic that leaned more toward Karolsen than it did supercorp

[dccwficprompts]

Prompt #5

Kara/James, date night featuring karaoke

[kingofthebottleshooters]

We all have outlets, for pain, for stress, for anger. Some are healthier than others. In the wake of a rise of alien-critical sentiment in National City, Kara Danvers takes to the streets to stand up for what she believes. But between her family, her friends, the police and the shadowy organisation persecuting aliens, has she bitten off more than she can chew?

The (planned, somewhat optimistically) first in a Supergirl rewrite, covering the first series.

Sharing this again as I’ve just updated, with chapter 8. Featuring an identity reveal of sorts, geeking out over superpowers, and an appreciative child. The pace should pick up a bit from here - I’ve always been a sucker for set-up.

[theunchainedmelody]

How often are you updating SuperGirl gone wild? Just started reading it today and I'm loving the angst and the Kara and Jimmy romance even if they appear to be in an open relationship

Thanks for asking! ^-^ One chapter will be uploaded every Saturday. So a new chapter will be tomorrow. I'm glad you're enjoying the Karolsen! If you haven't already, consider checking out my other MAWS fics since they also heavily feature Karolsen with less focus on other ships. :3

[amyprestons]

Karolsen reconciliation?

After all they’ve been through, trying things with James again should be less scary than it was three years ago; all of the quiet longing and the horrible timing should be behind them. But somehow all that water under the bridge builds into a current that’s almost impossible to swim against.

Almost.

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

He tries to pose the question casually, but she senses the insecurity behind it. She knows him. She knows she hurt him, all those years ago when she was too fearful and too irresolute to know what she really wanted. Needed.

She pours every inch of the love she feels for him into her reply, “I’m so sure. James, I want you. No second guessing this time.”

His answering smile is like the yellow sun that bolsters her, and his kiss is even better; blinding and brilliant, no less so for every day, every month, every year it has been forced to hide in the shade.

(send me prompts or asks about my fics!)

[nerdsbianhokie]

who you are (don’t be scared)

A Supergirl Season 2 Rewrite Chapter 1

Masterpost

Massive thanks for the feedback on the teaser

The elevator dinged.

Kara took a deep breath and forced a smile before the doors slid open. At the sight of James leaning against the wall, the smile came a little easier.

He grinned at her, pushing off of the wall to step to her side as she turned towards her office.

“How was the, uh, tour?” he asked, lowering his voice slightly on the last word.

“It was amazing. The new base is so cool. Everything is so clean, and organized, and there’s so much sun.”

James chuckled. “Tired of the cave?”

Kara huffed. “There’s this bat that keeps trying to bite me.”

“Really?”

“Yes! Alex thinks it’s hilarious.”

She pushed her office door open, making her way to the desk to put her purse down. She turned back to James, who was leaning on the door frame and looking around the space.

“Is Cat ever actually planning on letting you use this as an office?”

“She says she is. Everything has just been a bit crazy, you know.”

He inclined his head, crossed his arms.

“She just decided that it would be better for things to settle before finding a new assistant,” Kara continued. “And I have no problem staying for now.”

James raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously, it’s fine. And, until then, I have this great office to keep my stuff in during shifts.”

James chuckled. He pushed off of the frame and stepped into the office. “I should probably head to my own office, that I get to actually use, but do you have any plans? Friday?”

Kara’s eyes went wide for a moment, then she smiled. “Uh, no. I do not.”

“Well, I was wondering, if you wanted to get dinner with me?”

“Like, as a date?”

James’ smile made Kara’s next breath a little lighter.

Everything had been hectic since Myriad. Between Kara helping as Supergirl, and James going out with his camera, they had barely been able to see each other for more than a short meal.

“Yeah, like a date.”

“I’d like that.”

His smile stretched into a grin.

“Now that you two have your love life figured out, perhaps I can reclaim my assistant?”

Heat rose up Kara’s cheeks as Cat walked in.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Grant.”

“It’s fine, Kara, let’s just get to work, shall we?”

James nodded, taking a step backwards, towards the door. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave. I’ll find you later to figure out details?”

Kara nodded, then he was gone.

“As happy as I am that you two have finally figured it out, this is a work environment.”

“Of course,” Kara said, serious despite the mirth in Cat’s tone. “We will keep it strictly professional.”

Cat narrowed her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

“Now, come along.”

Kara pulled her tablet from her purse and fell into step behind Cat.

“The spread for the president's arrival is waiting on your desk,” Kara said, scrolling through her emails. “Patrick Warburton sent you an email for a penguin rescue fundraiser.”

Cat sighed. “The flightless birds will have to fend for themselves for a while. Is everything prepared for the service?”

“Yes, you just need…”

Kara cut off as she nearly walked into Cat's back.

“Ms. Grant?”

Cat spun to face her. “Do I have anything in my teeth?” She asked, before baring her teeth.

Kara furrowed her brow, even as she checked. “Um, no.”

“Good.”

“Why?”

Cat didn't answer, instead she turned back around, preened, and strutted into the bullpen.

Kara watched her for a moment, then grinned at the sight of the man leaning on her old desk.

Clark.

He stood, sent her a grin, then turned his focus to Cat.

“Clark Kent, it's been a while,” Cat said.

Clark nodded. “Too long.”

“Well, just say the word, and you have a position at CatCo.”

Clark chuckled. “I'm afraid I have too many commitments in Metropolis.”

“Ahh, and how is Lois? You two still a thing?”

“Lois is great. We're great.”

Cat hummed. “So she's not still hung up on Superman?”

“I’d say she has room in her life for both of us.”

“Oh? That's modern,” Cat said, voice light and amused.

Kara stifled a laugh as Clark realized what he had said.

“So, what exactly brings you here?” Cat asked, ignoring his protests.

He sobered “Mr. White sent me to cover the memorial today.”

“Ah.”

“I figured, I was in town, thought I'd stop by and say hi.”

He glanced over at Kara, winking too fast for a human to see.

“Then, perhaps you can join us when we head over?” Cat asked.

“That would be great,” Clark said.

“Wonderful.”

Alex couldn’t help but feel like the visit to the city base hadn’t been the best idea on her part. The throbbing that had sat on the base of her skull throughout the visit had been ignorable. Walking with J’onn and Lucy through the desert base a few hours later, the pain wasn’t necessarily growing, but other symptoms were starting.

It had been a few days since her last migraine, not even two full days since she had gotten over the exhaustion of the postdrome phase that followed the actual migraine. She did not want to be going through it again, especially not so soon.

Light flashed in the edges of her vision.

Alex sucked in a breath. She tried to force herself to refocus on the conversation between Lucy and J’onn, but her attention was pulled through the window and into the med bay as they passed it.

Well, one distraction was as good as another.

The man from the pod was still lying in a bed and showing no negative outcomes to being unconscious for the past two weeks. Lucky him.

Alex quickly moved past the window, finally tuning back into the conversation she was supposed to be a part of.

“Has Superman given you any information on the detective he is recommending for the NCPD liaison?”

J’onn grunted at Lucy’s question. “No, he has not.”

Alex couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. There was no way Clark wasn’t enjoying withholding the information.

“He is aware that we can’t approve of anybody until we know who they are, right?” Lucy asked.

“All he will say is that he has worked with her in the past, and will give us her information once he asks if she wants the position.”

“He hasn’t asked her yet?”

“I believe he has been waiting for things to calm down a little.”

It would still take a while for things to really calm down, Myriad had reached over half of the country before Kara had lifted Fort Rozz out of the atmosphere. If the detective worked in one of the impacted cities, it would be a while before she could transfer. Even if she wasn’t, it’s not like Clark would have had much free time based on how busy Kara had been.

Alex blinked. A squiggly line appeared in her vision, shifting every time she moved her eyes. Another appeared, and another. She rubbed her temple.

J’onn glanced back at her, but she waved him off. She didn’t need him worrying about her any more than he already was.

“What are you thinking for when she does arrive?” Lucy asked.

She stepped up to the door to the director’s office, opened it and let them in.

J’onn crossed his arms. He looked at Alex.

“Agent Danvers will be assigned to work with her.”

Alex stared at him. “What?”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Lucy asked. “Don’t want to scare her off.”

Alex tried to glare at Lucy, but it made her vision flash white.

Concern crossed Lucy’s face. Alex turned to J’onn.

“Why am I getting stuck with her?”

“Because you are off of field duty for the unforeseen future and this will keep you from spending full nights in your lab.”

Alex rolled her eyes, ignored how aware she was of the movement in her skull.

“Additionally,” J’onn continued. “Being Deputy Director and the agent closest to Supergirl, you are the best option. It is a tactically sound decision.”

Alex narrowed her eyes at him using her words against her.

As she looked at him, her peripheral vision went black, Lucy vanishing from her sight.

J’onn watched her for a moment, then shook his head.

“Go sit down,” he said.

“I’m fine,” Alex said.

“That wasn’t a request,” he said.

“J’onn…”

She stumbled, her leg almost giving out beneath her.

J’onn’s hands on her shoulders steadied her. He told Lucy to go get Dr. Hamilton, and it was only when the touch was gone that Alex realized Lucy’s hand had been on her back.

The lights turned off before the door opened and closed.

J’onn guided Alex to the couch against the wall.

She sat without protest, the vertigo that signaled the end of the aura and the onset of the actual headache starting. She took the glasses off, then leaned forward, elbows on her knees, head in her hands. She focused on her breathing.

“You’re supposed to tell us when this starts,” J’onn said, sitting next to her.

Alex shrugged with one shoulder. “Is not that bad,” she said.

J’onn made a noise, but didn’t respond. He was going to bring it up again later, when her brain wasn’t getting ready to try and break free from her skull.

She felt her body start to rock back and forth. J’onn moved closer, pressing against her side and holding her steady.

“Maybe tis tha’ bad,” she mumbled, leaning into him.

She wanted to lay down, to try to fall asleep, but they had learned the hard way that lying down at that point only made the vertigo worse. It was also the quickest way to get her to throw up.

She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to will the pain away. Instead, it grew, pounding at her brain.

By the time Lucy returned with Dr. Hamilton, all Alex could do was sit and try to not throw up.

The sun heated the back of Kara’s bowed head, warmed her neck as her ponytail fell to the side. She breathed deep, flexed the fingers around the seat of her folding chair, eyes closed as she listened.

The muttering of the press area she was in, shuffling papers, clicking pens, shutters and flashes.

The shifting of the crowd. Tears and questions and shifting feet on grass

The rabble of the protesters beyond, angry chants and poster board bending in the wind.

The squawk of NCPD walkie talkies and murmur of DEO and Secret Service comms.

“You okay?”

She looked up at Clark’s soft question. His concern was clear behind his glasses.

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Really, it’s just…” She shrugged, looking towards the stage, fingers picking at the metal spiral of her notepad. “This shouldn’t be happening.”

Clark dipped his head. “No, it shouldn’t.”

“I should have saved them.”

It’s quiet, too low for anyone around them to hear.

The words settle deep in her gut. She hadn’t said that to anyone, spoken her doubts.

“You couldn’t have,” Clark said. “You did the best you could.”

Kara shook her head.

“You two seem awfully close.” Cat’s drawl floated towards them.

Clark leaned back from Kara as they both looked towards the approaching woman.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at them.

“We’re cousins,” Clark said before Kara could speak. “Distant, but we met a few times at reunions.”

Cat raised an eyebrow. She threw Kara a look before focusing on Clark.

“I believe you are in my seat.”

Clark nodded, a bashful look crossing his features as he shifted to the next seat. “Right. Sorry, Ms. Grant.”

Cat hummed as she sat. She leaned towards Kara.

“We will be talking about this later,” she said before leaning back and turning her attention to Clark.

Kara phased their conversation out. She looked around, inspecting the crowd as she twirled the cap of her pen around the nib.

She noted where every DEO agent stood, within the crowd and along the perimeter. She took count of the protestors and the officers around them. She watched, glasses slid down her nose, as the armored car drove up behind the stage, next to the area roped off as the location for the future memorial.

Lucy, in her service dress and tightest bun, greeted the president with a sharp salute, before leading her up the back of the stage.

The crowd hushed as the mayor stepped up to the podium to begin the ceremony.

Kara only half focused on the mayor’s speech, on the governor’s. Her pen moved across the paper with ease, taking down what notes she needed.

Until the number.

241,863

241,863 people dead.

Many of them young children.

Just in National City.

Myriad had reached half the country.

Soft applause rolled through the crowd as President Marsdin stepped up to the podium.

Kara stared at her notepad, at the number, and let the president’s speech brush past her.

She should have saved them.

Alex had just refilled a glass of water when someone knocked on her door. She narrowed her eyes at the line of light penetrating the darkness of her apartment from under the door, but made no movement to answer.

Whoever it was, they could wait.

As much as she would deny it to anyone else, Alex was in too much pain to put up with a random person at her door.

Despite her protests about needing to go to the ceremony, J'onn had gotten Vasquez to drive Alex to her apartment. She had curled up in bed, not really awake, but unable to truly fall asleep.

The knocks sounded again.

They were faint, but still sent spikes through the base of her skull.

She clenched the edge of the counter as she fought the urge to go lay back down. Even if she didn’t answer, if it ended up being someone breaking in, she didn’t want to be completely caught off guard.

“Alex? It’s Lucy.”

Alex closed her eyes. Lucy she could ignore.

She didn’t necessarily want to - she had come to respect Lucy, especially as they worked together figuring out how the DEO was going to move forward after everything - but she would ignore everyone except Kara.

Mostly because Kara would ignore being ignored and fly through the window.

“I can just pick the lock,” Lucy said.

Well, Lucy apparently had the same level of boundaries as Kara.

Alex groaned. She took a step, took a moment to keep her balance, then slowly made her way to the door. She opened it far enough for Lucy to slip through and thankfully managed to avoid the flickering light not far down the hall.

“What’s up?” she asked once the door was closed. She blinked rapidly, trying to get her vision to focus on Lucy.

Lucy lifted a hand, showing the cloth bag she was carrying. Whatever was inside made a crinkling noise.

Alex winced.

“I bring food.”

Alex's stomach turned at the thought of eating.

“For later,” Lucy quickly added. “Kara got stuck at CatCo, so she asked me to check in with you.”

“I’m fine,” Alex said.

Lucy looked around the apartment, at the blackout curtains, at the single lit lamp with a sheet thrown over it, at the array of medicine cluttering the kitchen counter. She looked back with an eyebrow raised, and glanced down at Alex’s pajamas.

Because she was wearing pajamas. At five in the afternoon.

Alex started to insist that she was fine, it was just a headache, then heat spiked through her head. She squeezed her eyes shut. Her stomach churned. She felt herself waver, felt herself start to fall.

Gentle hands held her steady, guided her to the couch, settled on her knees after she sat.

“’M fine,” she forced through gritted teeth.

“Bull,” Lucy whispered. “What do you need?”

Alex opened her eyes.

Lucy was kneeling in front of her, just close enough that her features were clear.

Alex took a few deep breaths. She fought the urge to continue to insist she was fine.

“Sleep,” she said. “I tried but couldn't, so I just took some pills.”

“Do you want to move to the bed?”

Alex nodded, a barely there movement that felt like her head had been jerked around. “In a moment, though.”

“Okay.” Lucy rubbed her knees lightly. “I think Kara expects me to stay until she can get here, but I can put the food away and go if you want.”

Alex shook her head without even thinking about it. “Stay, please.”

Lucy nodded. “Okay. I’ll be here, for whatever you need.”

“Thank you.”

Alex closed her eyes, dipped her head forward a bit so the back of her neck stretched a little. She tensed and relaxed each muscle in her legs, moving from her toes upwards.

“Okay,” she said. “I think I’m good to move to the bed.”

Lucy nodded. She helped Alex stand and guided her to the bed.

Alex got her covers situated - the blanket folded over her legs, for the weight, the sheet pulled up to her neck - then curled up on her side and listened as Lucy started back towards the kitchen.

For a moment, she was struck with the urge to ask Lucy to join her in the bed, the way she would Kara, but she pushed it aside as the sleeping pill started to pull her under.

Maggie opened her door and met a wall of humidity. She closed her eyes, then opened them to glare at the open window.

She had closed it before leaving for work that morning. She had even stuck a wooden bar in it to keep it shut.

Maggie groaned. She pulled her blazer off as she crossed her apartment, tossing it onto the boxes piled on the couch. Sweat started to gather at her hairline. She glanced in the bathroom quickly before walking to the window. She crouched for a moment, grabbing the bar, and stuck it in place after closing the window.

She reached to the AC unit in the other window, flipping it on.

She glanced at the fan next to the bed in the corner, debating with herself, before giving in and flipping it on as she passed it on her way to the kitchen. She opened her fridge and groaned. She opened her pantry and groaned.

She leaned against the counter and groaned.

When she had left that morning, she had planned on stopping at the grocery store on her way home. When she had left the precinct, she had tunnel visioned on getting to bed and had forgotten.

She grabbed the sole box of crackers from the pantry and she slumped onto the edge of the bed, right in the path of the fan.

She would unpack them, but part of her still planned to move to an actually decent apartment soon.

She leaned forward to open her laptop, but her phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out to see an array of emojis across the screen, one she hadn’t seen in years.

She answered the phone.

“It’s been a while.”

A deep voice chuckled on the other side. “You’re the one who left Metropolis.”

“I had my reasons.”

“Well, you know that one time I saved your life, and you said you owed me, and I said don’t worry about it?”

Maggie groaned. “You’re cashing in?”

He laughed again. “I need a favor.”

The air was thin and chilled. The moon was bright and the stars twinkled.

Kara just floated, letting the wind blow her back and forth. She kept her eyes closed and her breaths even. She focused.

Sound floated up to her, through the layer of cloud between her and National City.

Car engines and horns. TV shows and dinner conversations. Heartbeats.

Less than there had been.

Kara shook her head and opened her eyes. The noise faded away as she stopped focusing.

She took a deep breath.

She needed to not think about that.

She started to float down. The moisture of the clouds clung to her supersuit, dampened her hair.

Once under the clouds, she flipped around, diving head first towards the city.

She touched down on Cat’s balcony as lightly as she could, going to lean against the wall and stare out at the city.

“Well, you’ve been keeping to yourself lately.”

Kara tilted her head slightly to let Cat know she had been heard.

“I was surprised when you didn’t show at the memorial,” Cat continued, stepping up next to Kara.

“It didn’t feel right.”

“It didn’t feel right?”

Kara leaned heavily on her arms, back rounding. She picked at the hem of her sleeve.

Cat hummed. “You doubt your place as the hero.”

Kara bowed her head, letting her hair fall between them. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked back up.

“I need to go,” she said.

“Supergirl…”

Kara took off before Cat could say anything else.

She reached Alex’s apartment in under a minute, slipping through the unlocked window, past the curtains.

The apartment was darker than the city, near pitch black once the curtain fell back into place. Her supervision was the only reason she was able to see anything.

Like Lucy, sprawled out on the couch; or Alex, curled up on her bed and whimpering in her sleep.

Kara moved as quietly as she could, but Lucy woke when Kara draped a blanket over her.

“Shh,” Kara said before Lucy could speak. “Go back to sleep. Thank you for staying with her.”

Lucy mumbled out a soft no problem before turning over, pulling the blanket tight around her.

Kara smiled at her for a moment before heading towards the bedroom. She changed in silence, pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt before climbing into Alex’s bed.

She kept plenty of space between them, weary of jostling her and making her migraine worse. Barely a minute had passed, however, before Alex had rolled into her.

Kara stayed as still as possible, too scared to move.

[jonroxton]

KAROLSEN FIC! Supergirl helps out the Guardian and then tells James about it bc Superman identity tropes are amazing.

It’s not the same. With Clark, they fly together as one, no wait time. One look and they communicated it all. With Alex and Hank, they can take care of themselves. She knows their fighting styles, how they attack, what they did when they got angry, when they held back and when they needed help. They accepted it.

The Guardian is not like them. Not like Mon, either. Not like anyone she knew.

She didn’t trust him, but there he was, bleeding through his lead suit after taking the last hit for her. It’s the only thing she can see of him in the dark warehouse.

“You do know I’m invulnerable, don’t you?”

“Might have been Kryptonite,” was all he said.

His deep voice couldn’t hide the pain. When she tried to help him, he forced himself up, away from her.

“What’s your problem? Can’t runaway on your bike?”

He trashed it coming in. Causing the diversion that gave them the upper hand.

They rid themselves of the hit men like strategic arrows, hitting every target. Except she was let loose by the DEO. Who knew what lay behind the Guardian's mask. Arriving when he did meant he could obtain top secret info, too..

No, she didn’t trust him. She didn’t know him, but how many six foot five men walked around National City able to keep up with her?

He took a deep, audible breath. “You can cauterize it.”

“No way,” Kara said instantly.

“It’s bad, Supergirl. You need to do this.”

“I’m not burning you.”

He took her by the arms, struggling on his feet but showing her he had decided it was worth risking his identity.

“What do you have, infrared?” She asked him, trying not to think about what she was about to do. “Not a lot of helmets have infrared.”

“I’d rather not answer questions.”

“You know everything about me, but I can’t get a simple answer, even though I’m about to save your life?”

“I didn’t know they were quantifiable.”

Kara grinned and shook her head, forcing herself to stop being amused. “Hold on, big guy.”

He took another deep breath, not afraid at all, but ready. Kara never had to perform on cue for a stranger before. It took her a moment. Her eyes burned a bright white blue ray into the dark, hitting his side. He flinched, but he didn’t move, making a sound only at the very end.

Kara could gage as much as the tear in his suit exposed. Nothing unusual. Just a kidney. So a human.

“Are you checking me out?”

Kara had held her breath while burning him. She was just was glad he wasn’t screaming in pain. Always lingering in the back her mind was the fear of overextending herself, hurting someone. Really hurting them.

“You smile a lot,” he said.

Kara helped him stand upright and she kept him there. First to make sure he was really okay, and second to make sure he didn’t run off now that he wasn’t bleeding out.

“I know a few people like you. They don’t have powers, but they risk their lives everyday. Who are you? And don’t say you’re my friend. You know I can’t see through lead. You waited for the heat vision.”

“Everyone knows you have heat vision.”

“Yes, but not a lot of people have seen me use it. They don’t know how… how terrifying it is.”

The Guardian’s hands rubbed against her arms, so gently it was enough to make her let go.

“You have powers I will never understand, Supergirl, but I do know what it’s like to have a calling. You can’t do what we do and live a normal life. That’s why I wear this mask. To keep the people I care about safe. We’re not all invincible like you. Now, are you going to let me go, or is this fight still not over?”

-

“Who says that? We’re not all invincible like you?”

James was glad Kara was a pacer. She even took to super speeding as she waited for the popcorn. He didn’t have to say a thing at all.

“Was he insulting me? He didn’t sound like it. He sounded kind of sad. Like he’d been doing this a long time. And if he had, then why come out now? After I’ve been here for a year? He could’ve helped before. If I knew who he was and just talked to him.”

“He’s really gotten under your skin, hasn’t he?”

“I’d like to get into his DNA.”

“So he’s human.”

“A very tall human.”

James slouched further into the couch. “Really? He looks kind of small in pictures.”

Kara dropped herself next to James. The pillows popped and feathers flew everywhere. Kara didn't notice. “No, he’s big. He’s,” she sighed, thinking, wondering. Admiring? “He’s big.”

She looked directly at him, face crunched up in a concerned scowl.

“I can’t wait until next time,” she said, more determined. “Next time I’ll… I’ll make him talk.”

James barely held back his smile. “Next time?”

“Oh, yeah. There’s gonna be a next time.” Kara stuffed her mouth full of popcorn. “Count on it. What are we watching?"

"A classic. Midsummer's Night's Dream. Mistaken identity. Romantic hijinks. Power of the Gods. The works."

[catelyngrant]

When her sister Kara is selected as District Four's tribute for the 74th Hunger Games, Alex Danvers doesn't hesitate to volunteer in her place. Along with 23 other children from across the country, she is whisked away to the Capitol for a fight to the death with only the careful mentorship of District Four's previous Victors, J'onn J'onzz and M'gann M'orzz, to prepare her. Still, Alex knows the truth: from the moment the Capitol killed her father nearly eight years ago, the odds have not been in her favor. 

Back in District Four, Kara is desperate to sway those odds in any way she can. When James Olsen, District Four's other Tribute, declares his love for her on national television, she's given an opportunity to do so. As the games begin she too finds herself in the spotlight, pleading to the better angels of the Capitol citizens even as her foster mother, Eliza, and her best friend, Winn, beg her to tread lightly.

The Capitol and Districts alike are in an uproar as Alex and James find themselves in increasingly deadly situations, and the heartbreaking reality that only one of them can survive is made all the more painful as the media interest in Kara grows. Who is this girl that Alex was willing to sacrifice herself for? Who is it that's captured the heart of the Capitol's newest heartthrob? What is the meaning of the strange, S-shaped pin she gave her sister? Can it bring hope to the Districts - and if so, at what cost?

[pippytmi]

Karolsen prompt: James taking baby pics

aron i LOVE you 😭❤️

The soft click of the camera makes Kara blink awake, and for a moment she thinks James is taking pictures of her sleeping again.

She props herself up on her elbows, sleepily brushing the hair out of her eyes, only to find that isn’t the case; instead, her husband is hovering over the crib again. He looks like he’s just woken up too, shirtless and camera looped around his neck hanging lower than usual like he’d put it on in a hurry.

“Hey buddy,” James whispers, unaware that Kara’s watching. “You’re up early, huh?” He snaps another quick picture before he lowers the camera, corners of his mouth curling up into a sweet smile. “We need to be quiet, okay, so we don’t wake up Mommy.”

A soft coo from the crib, like a reply, makes him laugh; James raises the camera back for another shot, and then one more. Kara is fighting a smile of her own, a warm fondness spreading through her chest at the sight.

She burrows her cheek against her pillow again, still tired, but happy; she loves the mornings like these, when the sun has just risen, soft light painting a quiet morning. There’s no pressing need to leave anywhere, or any particular task to be done—she gets to fall in love with life all over again.

A more impatient sound makes James finally set the camera aside, and he picks Marcus up out of the crib with a mock-exasperated whisper: “Don’t tell me you’re hungry again. I just fed you.”

Marcus rests his head onto James’s shoulder without another sound, as if he just wants to be held, and Kara watches as James melts; he cradles Marcus’s head to his chest, swaying just the slightest as if trying to rock him back to sleep.

It’s then that he catches Kara watching, and he gives her a sheepish smile. “Hey,” he says. “Did we wake you?”

“Just a little,” Kara yawns. “I heard you taking pictures.”

“He’s photogenic! Just look at this face,” James says, turning just in time for Kara to catch Marcus’s eyes fluttering shut.

Kara can’t help but giggle. “You already have so many pictures,” she reminds him, but it’s said so fondly all James does is shrug, not the slightest bit apologetic.

“And he looks cute in every single one,” he says. “Can you blame me?”

She can’t, of course; Kara, too, is unable to stop herself from marveling about Marcus any chance she can. He’s just so beautiful, every inch of him, long eyelashes and soft skin and the brightest brown eyes she’s ever seen.

And his smile—it’s every inch James’s.

“You need to let him sleep,” Kara says instead, “and get some sleep, too. How long have you been up?”

“You needed some sleep more than I did,” James tells her gently, and sets Marcus down on the bed, right by Kara.

Kara gives Marcus’s curled first a loving squeeze, watching as he briefly opens his eyes at the unexpected shift and just as easily drifts back to sleep. “Come back to bed with us,” she suggests, turning back to steal a glance in James’s direction.

“In a minute,” James promises, bending over to give Kara’s temple a kiss. It’s so ticklish it makes her smile, and he brushes the pad of his thumb over the corner of her smile before he pulls away.

Kara lets her own eyes close, resting her forehead against Marcus’s with a soft sigh. Faintly, she hears the click of the camera, again, and James doesn’t relent until he’s taken so many pictures even he will regret it later.

“James,” Kara tries to sleepily protest, “we don’t need any more pictures…”

The we need you is implied, and James gives in, setting the camera aside in favor of getting back in bed. Another kiss is pressed to Kara’s head, and then to Marcus’s, and James says, just before Kara fully goes back to sleep: “I think that was the best set yet.”

(He says that every time, and still—it makes Kara go to sleep with remnants of her ensuing smile still lingering.)

[lucyfrostblade]

Why do het ships have the worst fanfics

[jeniffercheck]

someone stop me before i dedicate my life to writing bughead fanfiction i can’t go down this path