The Shape of Things to Come

18

"You look like hell," Cat said as Kara sat her Sushi tray down on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Ms. Grant," Kara said. "It didn't really sink in when the fifty people before you told me the same thing." Kara leaned over, picking up the edited copy for the afternoon update of the Tribune website.

"My, aren't we just little miss sassy-pants today."

Kara sighed. "Sorry," she said. "I had a bad allergy attack last night and I'm still trying to shake it."

"I didn't realize you had allergies," Cat said, and Kara was surprised at the level of concern in her voice.

"I didn't either until fairly recently," she said.

"It's nothing here at CatCo, is it?" Cat asked.

"No. It's this stuff they use where my sister works," Kara said, trying to wave off Cat's concern. She looked down at the copy and smiled. "Supergirl's Super Week?"

"Yes," Cat said. "I thought it was rather catchy. For someone new at the Superhero thing, she's doing an excellent job."

Kara scanned the rest of the article and smiled when she found a number of small critiques. "Not cutting her any slack, are you?"

"Well, why should I? No one else will. She's going to have to be better than Superman, just to keep up."

"Work twice as hard, to be thought of as half as good," Kara said. "Just like any other woman."

Cat smiled. "Good to see you've been listening to me, Keira."

"Always, Ms. Grant," Kara said with a smile.

"So, how goes the quest for the interview with our Maid of Might?"

"Oh," Kara said. "About that..."

"Get a little too big for our britches, did we?"

Kara laughed. "No. It's just... Well, I did talk to her, and she has a list of conditions. It's short, and I don't think it's unreasonable, but she won't do the interview unless you agree."

Cat nodded as she sat aside the proof she'd been editing and picked up her lunch tray, walking over to her desk. "Alright then, let's hear them."

"No questions about her day job. How she pays her bills. Where she lives. No questions about her secret identity, or anything that could lead back to people who are close to her when she's not wearing the suit. Any questions regarding any relationship she might have with the government will be answered with a firm 'no comment'. You agree not to publish her secret identity if anything in the interview gives you a clue to who she is."

"She wants me to agree not to publish her secret identity if I find it?" Cat asked as she took out her collection of chopsticks and went about selecting a pair.

Kara nodded. "She was very clear that the restriction would only be in force if information in the interview revealed who she was. She didn't expect you to hold back if you found the information through an outside source, though she did ask if you could give her some warning if you do ever decide to go public with that so she could get certain people to safety."

"Those seem reasonable," Cat said. "I do hope she understands that I will be reporting facts, not writing some little puff piece."

Kara laughed. "Ms. Grant, I think she would be disappointed if you did anything else."

Cat narrowed her eyes. "You seem to know an awful lot about her, Keira."

"She was excited," Kara said. "I think she admires you, Ms. Grant. I think she looks up to you."