Lord, Save me from your Followers (a Supergirl Kara x Lena fanfic)

Saturday

Saturday –

It's after midnight when the protests get bad. Kara's phone is at 20% battery and both sides are pushing against the NCPD barricades set up to keep them separate and safe. Kara's jittery, her fingers shaking as she tweets, staying half a step behind Hieu and his camera. Jeff's pushing through the throng of the anti-alien protest, speaking to anyone will listen to him. Kara's dismayed to see two California congressmen, as well as a few state assembly members and local government officials in the crowd. She makes sure that the #CatCoLive hashtag identifies all of them.

People are bumping against her, pressing in on her at all sides. Kara backs out slowly, careful not to touch anyone. She's not used to crowds like this, not used to being surrounded by people and knowing that all she has to do is move wrong and she'll send someone flying. There was a reason she never went to a concert again after that MCR one Alex dragged her to in high school, it was too claustrophobic, too intolerable.

When she breaks free, she calls Alex. Fidgets until Alex picks up. "This is a situation for her but I can't get away," she says. She's not going to say Supergirl in a place so crowded.

"We don't want her to show up," Alex answers. "It'd fuck up the plan."

"Who are we?"

"Your girlfriend and I." Alex's grin is evident in her voice.

The force of the flush that covers Kara's cheeks then, in the middle of all this hatred and combativeness. She swallows down the urge to correct Alex – because she and Lena haven't had that conversation yet. She wants it to be the case, but she doesn't – not without being completely honest with her. Kara's still afraid of that. She's not even completely honest with Alex most of the time. "Look, I've got no battery left, Alex. What's the plan?"

"Well, we know that the girl you talked to isn't alone. She's got at least a few other people she's working with to incite the violence. I – we – think it's better if Supergirl doesn't appear, but rather that they're caught on camera as aliens trying to get humans to riot. Lena thinks you could write a really good think piece about it."

Kara bites her lip, glancing toward the sky. She doesn't like this. Doesn't like the idea of the violence taking place at all, or the idea that they're deliberately trying to bait it into happening again. Plus, if she were to broadcast it live, it would look really bad for the alien community of National City, and Kara's pretty sure she's got an ethical obligation as a member of both the press and as an extraterrestrial who has considered registering to present this in a way that isn't going to incite violence against her community.

But then it hits her, the implication behind Alex's comment. Lena's figured it out. And Alex has confirmed it to her. Kara swallows, fidgets. "Then she knows."

There are sirens now. The NCPD is trying to keep people separate and it isn't going great.

"Christ, Kara she figured it out ages ago." Alex sighs. "I took care of that NDA as well, while we were at her place."

"I didn't answer her, when she asked." Kara says.

"She doesn't need you to, if you don't want to. Wasn't that how Clark and Lois were for ages?" Alex shakes her head. "I never confirmed it at any rate, just operated on her assumption that Supergirl wouldn't be available. Anyway, we've got their home addresses too and are waiting for their return to black bag 'em and figure out why they're so angry, but Lena's convinced that if you can use your social media presence to sway public opinion."

"You want me to get her on CatCo Live." Kara puts it together.

"With Jeff, if you can."

Kara bites her lip, looks down at her feet and scuffs the pavement with her note. A piece of asphalt splinters off and ricochets into the side of a building, shattering on impact and leaving a dent. Kara sighs. "I can't."