The bustling noise of late-evening traffic and the indistinct conversations of the city's inhabitants faded to nothing as Kara hovered in the sky. It had been a long day of dealing with Andrea and trying to focus on her article for CatCo. The last of the day's light painted the clouds red at the center, changing colors to a light pink before giving way to a dark purple at the edge of the sunset. Her infamous red cape flapped behind her as the wind blew through her hair. And with her eyes closed, she focused on her heartbeat. Its steady rhythm pulled her away from reality. Pulled her away from knowing that Lena's condition had worsened. Kara breathed in. Breathed out. Repeated. She did that several times until someone screaming for help yanked her out of her sweet reverie.
Kara followed the sound, flying through the sky and landing in a dimly lit alleyway. As her boots hit the solid pavement, she looked around. The smell of days-old garbage filled her nostrils and made her gag. Still, she fought it and found a figure hunched in a corner, surrounded by three taller ones. The person in the corner held one of their arms. Her x-ray vision revealed that the arm had broken in at least two places. And as the Kryptonian got closer, she noticed large bruises covering their body. One of the three figures pulled out a gun, and Kara sped in front of the hunched person.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," warned Kara, her cape moving with her as she stepped closer.
"Or what?" questioned the person. "You're going to stop me?"
"Well, I'm bulletproof, so your weapons won't work on me." The Kryptonian crossed her arms. "And don't think I can't stop you from moving."
That didn't deter the person from shooting five bullets into her palm.
"Are you done?" asked Kara, glancing briefly at the figure behind her before returning her attention to the gunman.
Unfortunately, while Kara was distracted by the first gunman, the third person pulled out another weapon and fired. The bullet hit its target in the shin, barely missing the bone. A scream echoed off the walls as Kara disarmed the two shooters. Barrels smashed, and beyond repair, the guns clattered to the ground. The middle guy tried to punch her, but she broke his hand and grabbed his shirt along with his companions. In a flash, she dropped them off at the nearest police station and returned.
Kara knelt next to the person and saw the injury left by the bullet. Blood poured from the entry wound, but her x-ray vision revealed the bullet exited on the back. Resting one of her hands on the person's knee, Kara met their gaze.
"The bullet didn't hit anything major, so I'm going to cauterize the wound, okay?"
The person nodded, experiencing too much pain to speak.
"This is going to hurt," Kara warned them.
Another scream filled the silence of the alleyway before growing quiet as Kara finished. She pulled her hand away and let the figure relax for a minute. She examined their body, ensuring that bruises didn't leave any severe damage. Aside from their broken arm, they had no other serious injuries. Their eyes met hers, and something about them felt familiar. It was then that Kara recognized who they were.
"N-Nicole?!" asked Kara.
"Hey, Supergirl. What a change from last time, huh?" said Nicole as she tried to stand. "Last time, I was holding the gun. Guess karma decided to retaliate."
"Why were those men after you?" Kara helped steady Nicole as she braced herself against the brick wall.
Nicole coughed, wincing as her chest expanded against the bruises. "Because I loved my girlfriend, an alien."
"Are you all right, Nicole?" asked Kara, noticing that the woman was growing paler by the minute.
Before Nicole could answer, she leaned over and vomited blood. Her hands gripped the rough bricks as she tried to keep her balance. Blood dripped from her mouth, trailing down her shirt. Every breath she took felt like a slab of concrete weighing down her lungs. Using her other hand, Nicole hugged her abdomen and rib cage. The contact against the bruises made her recoil. She grabbed Kara's hand as she lost her footing on the uneven pavement.
YOU ARE READING
Weaponizing One's Love
FanfictionA Sequel to Lena Luthor: Supergirl's True Kryptonite They say that loving someone is one of the bravest things you can do, especially if you've been burned by it before. So, what happens when that very thing is used against you? What would you do if...
