Stay ◇Karamel◇

03. that call

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// Mon-El \\

Kara never told me how easily phones could break.

She never warned me on how easy it'd be to just grasp my phone with my alien strength a little too hard and snap it in half. She never warned me that my powers would flare up at strong emotions either.

But I made the connection when I crushed my new earth phone in my hand after hearing those two words come from Alex.

"Kara's gone."

It snapped right in half, the screen shattering and falling to the floor into dangerous shards.

Gone?

I was standing at the doorway of Kara's apartment. I'd been standing here for ten minutes already, waiting for her normal "Come in!" from the couch or the window. Then I'd walk in, quote a movie or television show that Winn had showed me, kiss Kara on the cheek or the lips, and we'd just hang out all night at her apartment. It was a routine that I was falling into, one that I was beginning to get used to.

After not hearing Kara call me in, I'd called her phone at work to see if she was still at Catco. She rarely ever worked past five, though.

When she didn't answer, I called Alex. Perhaps they were having a sister's night and I had simply forgotten.

But no.

"Kara's gone."

I stared down at my hand, the crumple of wires and broken glass falling to the ground. I quickly grabbed the handle to Kara's door, which was always unlocked, and twisted it. The door opened swiftly, and I walked inside.

She wasn't there.

I ran to her landline, which was the first phone she taught me how to use, and dialed Alex's number. There were only three numbers I had memorized: Kara's, Winn's, and Alex's. The rest were programmed into my now broken Earth phone.

"Kara?!" Alex exclaimed, hope evident in her voice.

"No, no, it's me," I sighed. "What do you mean Kara's gone?"

"As in she's been kidnapped," Alex explained. "Her name was on the national alien registry. They took her from work, along with another alien."

"Is she okay?" I asked. "She has to be okay."

There was a long pause. Only Alex's breathing could be heard.

"They have kryptonite, Mon-El," She whispered. "They could kill her."

_______
// Kara Danvers \\

T'ayy's head lulled to the side, a soft groan escaping her lips at the sudden movement. I wasn't sure how long we'd been driving, but it had been at least four to five hours. Her dark hair had fallen over her face. 

"T'ayy," I whispered. "Wake up."

She slowly blinked, and looked up at me.

"Kara," T'ayy sighed. She looked around, inspecting the van as if it was all new to her.

"We're still driving." I explained.

"Of course," T'ayy said. She winced. "My neck hurts."

"You fell asleep with your head down," I say. "That's probably why."

She nodded, and began to roll her neck around. I paused for a moment, my forehead creasing. She was obviously vulnerable to pain. 

"Do you have any powers?" I asked.

T'ayy glanced at me, before slowly nodding.

"Yes," She stated. "I can shapeshift, but that's it. What about you?"

"A few, actually," I answered. I quickly tried to change the topic of conversation so she wouldn't realize my other identity. "Is this your true form?"

T'ayy looked away from me, peering at the doors to the van. She was avoiding my gaze.

"My people were ugly," She mumbled. "I do not wish to wear the same skin as them."

I paused. Obviously being an alien was a sore spot for her.

"Tell me about your job." I smiled brightly. It was fake. "You're an IT, right?"

A smile came across her face; her eyes brightened immediately.

"I love it." T'ayy laughed half-heartedly. "It's the best job ever."

"What do you do?" I questioned.

"I design the website and watch stock," She replied. "I think it's fun, but you'd probably disagree with me." 

"How long have you worked there?" 

"A year or two, I think." T'ayy tried to wipe her hair out of her face. "As much as I liked Cat, I am so much better off with James as my boss. She used to give me impossible tasks with such small pay. Under James, I get my equal cut. He even knows I'm--not from here. It's amazing."

"Really?"

"Yes!" She giggled. "Cat was like the dictator of the entire company. I respected her but, gosh, she scared me." 

I laughed. "She was an interesting boss. Once you got to know her, she wasn't that bad. She was kind of like a mother figure to me." 

"That's sweet. How did you–" 

There was a sudden jolt. If it weren't for the straps holding T'ayy and I in place, we would have flown across the van.

T'ayy's face paled , and she shrunk back. The sound of the door opened and being slammed closed was evident, and I used my super hearing to listen to someone walk around the side of the van.

The door was pulled open. I was expecting the sun to hurt my eyes and shine brightly, but instead all I saw was a dark starry sky. Whoever it had been, it wasn't Jacob. I didn't see him anywhere.

We'd been driving all day.

"Welcome to Cadmus, pests," The guard snarled.