Supergirl: Between Two Stars - Book 1: Earth's Sol

Chapter 31 - CatCo in Despair

Chapter 31 - CatCo in Despair

CatCo Worldwide Media was in disarray. Employees were running in every direction, their faces showing sadness. Supergirl landed on the top of the building and swiftly transformed into her civilian attire. As she rode the elevator down, the sound of commotion grew louder. Concentrating, she focused on Cat Grant's voice, which, unlike her typical tantrums, now sounded desperate.

The elevator doors slid open, and Kara briskly made her way to Cat's office, moving through a crowd of people caught up in their own tasks. Some inadvertently bumped into her, while others exhaled sighs of relief upon her arrival. In the middle of the hustle, she heard bits of excited whispers declaring "Kara is here!" It was a modest celebration, with a bit of hope that her communication skills might alleviate the turmoil coming from Maxwell Lord's arrest. Curiously, the brown and beige tones of the office floor seemed to radiate a bit more vibrancy today, influenced by the intensity of the news surrounding James and Supergirl.

Kara stepped into Cat's office, and to her dismay, federal officers were conducting a thorough search. They were in conversation with Cat and Snapper. As Cat spotted Kara, she hurried over, and the two women hugged each other. There was an unspoken understanding between them; they both knew that resisting wouldn't get them anywhere.

"Ponytail, you've finally arrived!" Snapper said.

"I know what's going on, Miss Grant. Where's James?" she asked.

"He's been arrested, Kara," Cat replied, in despair.

Kara decided not to ask for further details; she was already well-informed. In the previous year, her alter ego, Supergirl, and her sister, Alex, had apprehended Maxwell Lord. He had been detained at the DEO for several weeks after they uncovered his secret experiments on homeless individuals. At that time, James Olsen had discovered what was happening and attempted to persuade Kara and Alex that their actions were completely wrong. However, Kara had been blinded by rage and chose not to listen to his advice. She had also convinced James to keep quiet about Maxwell's captivity, even though he disagreed with the situation. And now, all her actions had led to a desolate outcome. James knew about it, didn't expose the DEO's 'Gestapo' tactics, and didn't notify the police.

"I knew something was off when Maxwell Lord conveniently vanished last year," Cat said. "But now? Now I just can't wrap my head around it. Supergirl and the DEO locked him up like he was some criminal mastermind in Guantanamo Bay, and then what? They threw away the key, like that's even a solution!"

"Cat, you don't even know the half of it," Snapper cut in. "James knew. He knew this whole time and didn't say a word. Can you even wrap your head around how much damage that does to us? To you?! I've been busting my ass here for a year, trying to teach these people what real journalism is—ethical journalism. Hell, I've given Ponytail more grief than anyone, drilling it into her head that this job is about protecting the truth, not giving your pals a free pass. I've been banging this drum for months! Kara gets it. But James? The guy running this company? He's torched every bit of credibility you built here, Cat!"

Kara and Cat fell into a heavy silence. Cat's vulnerability was something Kara had never witnessed before. Snapper's words had hit their mark. Kara peeked at her phone and noticed a message from Winn.

"Alex, Hank, and some DEO agents are being taken to prison right now! Lucy is nowhere to be found. She has gone 'Ghost Protocol' on us."

Kara's head was spinning; none of this made sense. Maxwell wouldn't risk everything he had worked for in such a reckless manner. Her sister Alex, who was also in a relationship with him, was getting arrested. If Kara discovered that he was responsible for this, not even divine intervention could save him from her fury. She turned her attention to the TV screens, where police officers were scouring the DEO as well.