1.3

Arrival 1.3​

"You're stalling." Glory Girl accused me.

"I'm not stalling. This is important." I insisted.

"You are literally rescuing a cat from a tree. You're stalling."

I gently plucked the orange coated tabby cat, Frillie, from the tree and cradled him in my arms. He immediately nuzzled into my chest and started purring as I descended from the tree to his waiting owner. The older woman let out a noise of delight as I handed her cat back to her.

"Oh bless you, miss. My husband would have had a heart attack if he thought Frillie went missing again."

I smiled, "Happy to help ma'am, just keep a closer eye on him. I might not be nearby the next time he decides to make his home in a tree."

The woman poked at Frillies nose, "Oh I'm never taking my eyes off this naughty kitty again, no I'm not! Take care of yourself, and god bless you miss."

"You as well." I waved my goodbye and lifted back up into the air to float alongside Glory Girl.

The young heroine was giving me a look of disbelief. I shrugged and smiled, "We were passing, no one else was helping her, what was the harm?"

Glory Girl looked up at the sky and covered her face, "Where do they make people like you?"

"Do you really want the answer to that?" I asked.

"No." Glory Girl sighed, "Come on, we really should get going. It's been three hours since I dropped Amy off at home, you can't stall forever."

With some persistence, Glory Girl had convinced me to at least stop by her home for the day and talk with her mother. She insisted that her mom would be more than willing to let me at least spend the night, since I had nowhere else to stay, and that it wasn't a bother. I eventually decided there was no real harm in it and had agreed.

Several hours later, we had yet to actually make it to the Dallon household. We passed several crimes in progress on our way to the house: six attempted muggings, five cases of attempted grand theft auto, two retail robberies, and one tabby in a tree. After mugging number three, Glory Girl had decided to go on and drop her sister off at home and to come back for me after.

And she had, in full costume too. Personally, I quite liked the look, it fit her.

It was a long one piece dress that ended mid-thigh, with an over the shoulder cape, knee high boots and a golden tiara with spikes radiating from it. Beautiful golden trim ran along the seams, really pulling the whole look together. It was certainly better than my current costume. Not that I disliked my look of course, but the singing had not come out in the wash and this was one of my cheaper costumes. I might have hastily thrown it on before whatever it was threw me to this Earth, and replacing it with one of higher quality was high on my list of personal priorities.

What was I talking about? Oh right, Glory Girl and her house.

"There's nothing wrong helping out when and where you can." I insisted.

"Remind me to get you a girl scout sash for your community service badge," Glory Girl laughed as we flew over the city towards her home. Joke was on her, I already had a full sash at home; Kal thought it was a good way for me to get to know Earth and its people.

Thankfully I didn't have to put up with Glory Girl's ribbing for very long, the Dallon household was only a few blocks away from where I had rescued Frillie. They lived in one of the nicer neighborhoods in Brockton Bay, no surprise, and their house was surprisingly modest for it. A meticulously cared-for lawn, well maintained cream colored siding, and a clear driveway with a garage currently closed. I could hear the tv playing inside, but no real conversation.

A thought for why occurred to me as we landed in the driveway. "Glory Girl, I've been meaning to ask. You and your sister are about...what, fifteen, sixteen?"

She shrugged as we walked to the front door, "About, why?"

"Today is a school day isn't it? Why were the two of you at the hospital instead of in class?"

Glory Girl snorted, "Is it really that big a deal? Ames gets called out of class if there's something nasty, and we usually get the rest of the day off if we're lucky."

I pursed my lips together before speaking, "Huh. That's very brave of your sister, sacrificing her time like that."

"Eh, well," Glory Girl stopped at the door and wiggled her hand in a 'kind of' gesture, "It was Amy's idea to volunteer at the hospital after hours. They suggested the emergency calls."

"I see."

I decided not to comment on that. The tired look in Amy's eyes and her overall withdrawn demeanor made a little more sense though, if what Glory Girl said was true. It was one thing to willingly spend your time helping others like I did. When that help became a job that could rip you out of your life at any minute, it could suddenly become a lot more exhausting. Poor girl.

"Anyway, welcome to the Dallon home!" Glory Girl announced, opening the door with a flourish of her hand. "Please wipe your feet at the door."

I was already doing so as I stepped inside.

Inside was about as nice as it was outside. Spotless furnishings and floorings and clean bright light that left little in the way of natural shadow inside. The front door opened into the kitchen and dining room, both separated from one another by a granite topped island and cabinets hanging from the ceiling. The living room was furnished with dark leather couches and a decent sized television that was running the news at the moment, with a very familiar logo displayed on screen.

'Mysterious new cape spotted in Brockton Bay alongside New Waves Glory Girl. Alliance of convenience, or newest member?' was all I read before the TV was shut off. Which brought my attention back to the two occupants sitting at the dining room table looking at us expectantly. The first I noticed was a man in good shape with short hair and faint beard stubble. His build and face reminded me vaguely of Kal, though he had brown eyes compared to my cousin's blue, and had a slimmer overall build.

The second made me pause for a moment. For a brief second, I thought my own mother was sitting in the kitchen, dressed in human clothes in a human house. The sheer ridiculousness of that idea almost froze my brain before it became obvious the woman sitting next to the man was not my mother. She bore many similarities, but the differences were stark when I noticed them. She wore no laugh lines along her face, no intrinsic joy that made her eyes glow with Rao's warmth. Only a serious expression, and very tired eyes.

Focus, I mentally scolded myself and put on my friendliest smile, while Glory Girl began to introduce me. "So mom, dad, I know it's a little short notice, but this is Supergirl."

"Amy explained to us," her mother said, in a firm tone. Her expression softened slightly as she stood up from the table along with her husband. They were about even height, two or three inches taller than their daughter.

I held out my hand as they approached, "Sorry for making you wait, we ran into some minor trouble on the way here. Criminals, thieves, the usual."

For a moment, I thought neither of them would shake my hand. This worry was quickly tossed aside as Glory Girl's mother shook my hand with a surprisingly friendly face, "Of course, if there were people that needed your help, that takes priority. Sorry if I'm a bit frosty, I had a long day at the office, and only got home a short while ago. I'm Carol, Carol Dallon, and this is my husband Mark."

"A pleasure," the man, Mark, shook my hand next and smiled.

I returned it, "The pleasure is mine. Your daughters have given me a very worm welcome to your city."

"I'd expect nothing less," Carol said, giving me the once over. "Amy mentioned something about amnesia? Are you by chance-?"

"Not a case 53," I shook my head, "Just a case of dissociative amnesia, I think."

Glory Girl put her hands on my shoulder and peered from behind my head and said in a playfully quiet voice, "Mom, she doesn't have anywhere to go. She's all alone."

I nudged her in the ribs and she giggled while Carol rubbed her chin in a manner similar to her daughter. "Yes, Amy mentioned that too. You have no relatives that you know of, no name besides your cape identity?"

"Well," I sucked in a breath, "I know my name, and I know all my relatives are… gone. I just can't remember anything recent. How I wound up here, my powers and costume, and random events and day to day things."

Which was true, of course. Save for the power thing, my memories did feel spotty in certain areas, inconsistent. Given my career choice this wasn't a surprise, but it was annoying every time it happened.

"Head injuries are...difficult." Mark sighed, his eyes distant for a moment before returning to the present, "But they can be manageable under the right circumstances."

I nodded, "As time goes on, I've felt some of them return. Hopefully I'll remember everything I forgot in the next few days."

"And in the meantime, you'll need a place to stay." Carol said, still eyeing me.

I started to protest, "Well, not exactly-"

Carol interrupted me with a raised hand, "You've fought alongside my daughter, you have no family of your own, and if I had to guess your costume is your only set of clothes. It would be criminal of me to not open our home to you, at least for a few days."

Behind me I heard a whispered, 'Yes' which was probably followed by a fist pump. Carol glanced skyward for a moment and then motioned to the dining room table, "If you don't mind taking a seat Supergirl, we can discuss a few details, and maybe figure out just where you came from."

Oh if she only knew, I thought.

I said, "Of course… though I do have two questions that have been bugging me."

Carol returned to her seat at the table and said, "Ask away."

"Where's Panacea?" I asked as I took a seat at the far end of the table so the Dallons could sit together.

Carol's expression faltered before returning to its friendly shape, "Upstairs catching up on homework."

Made sense, I would want that work out of the way as quickly as possible too, if only so I could enjoy my weekend. With how exhausted the poor girl looked, I wouldn't be surprised if she clocked out once she was done and no one saw her until mid noon tomorrow. I nodded my understanding of this and folded my hands together as I settled into my seat.

"The other question is something that's been on my mind since I met your daughters. I was under the impression that most superheroes wore masks to hide their secret identities. But none of you seem to do that."

Glory Girl raised a brow, "Supergirl, you don't wear a mask either you know."

I conceded her point with a nod, "Yes, but I haven't told any of you my actual name, and for all you know, maybe I'm using my powers to disguise my face."

That didn't get the amused reaction I was expecting. Everyone at the table grew visibly more concerned at my little joke. Mark folded his hands together, Glory Girl tensed, and Carol gripped the edge of the table tightly. Obviously I had stepped on a nerve of some kind. I quickly back tracked, raising my hands defensively as I said, "That was a joke. The most I can do is vibrate my face so fast it looks like a blur."

I did so immediately as an example, vibrating the individual molecules fast enough to give my face the appearance of a news censor. Mark and Glory Girl relaxed and Carol released her grip on the table. Crisis averted, thank goodness.

"Sorry Supes," Glory Girl said, "Master/Stranger powers put everyone on edge."

I raised a brow, "What powers?"

"We'll explain later," Carol cut off before her daughter could explain. Glory Girl bit her lower lip and nodded, letting her mother continue.

Carol turned back to me, and took a breath, "Our team, our family, is part of an organization called New Wave. We believe in full accountability for capes, both legal and social, in our day to day lives. So we don't wear masks, and we don't have secret identities. We have code names we use when providing services to the public, but we otherwise make no distinction between the two in our day to day lives. Carol Dallon is accountable for the actions of Brandish, and vice versa. That is why no one in my family wears a mask or hides our secret identities."

Oh Rao, there were so many ways that could backfire on someone. That was my first thought when Carol finished explaining. I could appreciate the ideal, and it was obvious the Dallons were committed to it. But I had seen what happened when heroes' identities were exposed, either to their enemies or the public. I wondered, idly, if the Dallons had lost friends and family from their stance. How many innocents had been targeted specifically because of their open identities?

Such thoughts were short lived though. I was in no position to judge them for their choices, I had only been on the world for a few hours so far. Maybe things worked differently on Earth Bet than they did back home, I couldn't know yet.

"I understand," I said aloud, "That definitely explains a lot."

Carol smiled a more genuine smile, "Of course. It also relates to what I was going to ask you. I understand that secret identities can be a touchy subject for other capes, so if you wish to keep yours to yourself, we will respect that. But if we knew your name, Supergirl, we might be able to find out more about you. Maybe find out the truth about your memory loss."

I watched Carol carefully as she made her suggestion. There was no way I was going to tell her my actual true identity. Even ignoring how little I knew about this world, a name like Kara Zor-El was clearly not human. It would either tip them off to my alien origin, or make them think I was insane. I would need an alias for them, if I was to share anything with them at all.

The Dallons did not seem like terrible people, in fact they seemed like a good, if stern, folk. Glory Girl (or Vicky I supposed) was outgoing and friendly to a fault and had gone out of her way to help Taylor and her father when she didn't need to. Amy actively volunteered at hospitals to the point of exhaustion, and regardless of their apparent strictness, Carol and her husband seemed to hold a genuine belief in accountability for superheroes. I might not agree with the method, but I could respect their determination. But that raised the question, did that mean I could trust them?

Yes, of course I could. They were a well off suburban family trying to do their part to help the world how they could. They had offered their friendship and home to me, so of course I could at the very least return some of that same courtesy.

So I took in a deep breath, and said, "Well, given my current circumstances, you make a fair point. Call me Karen, Karen Starr."

-S-​

"...And based on recent Empire activity, it appears that Kaiser is currently falling back on the defensive. More than likely, he's trying to bait Lung and the ABB into an attack so they can paint themselves as victims." Armsmaster closed the file and put it back on Director Piggot's desk, "That's this week's report on Empire activity."

Emily Piggot, Director of the PRT ENE forces, arranged the folder with the others already on her desk and resisted the urge to sigh. With the end of the holiday season and the weather rapidly warming, gang activity was bound for the inevitable resurgence, as it always did this time of year. So far things had remained stable, but it was a peace - if it could even be called such - that wouldn't last. All they could do was prepare for where it led.

In that regard, she was thankful for Armsmaster. The power-armored tinker's role as leader of the Protectorate may not be perfect, but his insistent readiness was an asset she was not willing to throw away so easily. Maybe he chafed with his fellow capes at times, but his skills at preparation were far and above any of the others, and she valued his analytical abilities greatly.

The Director set the files aside, "Right then, we'll inform the police of our analysis and see if we can't get them to increase patrols along ABB territory. It'll be a tricky balance though, we don't want the people to think we're favoring one side over the other."

The problem in dealing with two gangs who were primarily racially motivated, was how easy it was for either one to accuse the authorities of 'oppressing' them. The reality was they just wanted to stop them from holding shootouts in the street.

"We could do an even split." Armsmaster suggested, his exposed lower face turning into a frown, "Split police forces on both sides, pair them with Protectorate forces. It will send a message while keeping my team prepared for the worst."

"If Kaiser is trying to bait Lung into an assault, we'll need more Parahuman muscle in ABB territory." Piggot sighed and rubbed her temples; she could feel a headache coming on.

"Christ, this would be easier if we had an actual brute we could rely on. Aegis is a good kid, but he barely lasts a minute against a real brute. Can we see if New Wave would be willing to join our patrols again?" she asked.

Armsmaster nodded, "We likely could, though the younger members will be difficult to enlist with school starting up again."

"Of course." Piggot resisted the urge to curse and leaned back in her chair, which creaked in protest against her ponderous weight.

"There is a new option ma'am." Armsmaster said.

She raised a brow and motioned for him to continue. Armsmaster tapped the side of his helmet and several images flashed on her computer screen, of a cape she hadn't seen before. A tall young woman, bearing a surprising resemblance to Glory Girl. She was taller and clearly older, and her costume was darker, but it was unmistakable.

"New Wave has added someone to their ranks?" she asked.

Armsmaster shook his head, "These were taken earlier today. The cape calls herself 'Supergirl'. Standard Alexandria Package, so far seen easily able to lift a minimum of three tons, unaffected by standard firearms, able to match flight speed with Glory Girl, and possesses a form of laser or energy beam she can project from her eyes, along with general enhanced speed and the potential reflexes to match. One report mentions she managed to catch the bullets from five seconds of full auto fire directed at her. Current unofficial rankings put her at at least a brute 6, mover 7, blaster 3, and a potential striker 1. She seems to emit a field similar to Glory Girl that protects her costume and lets her lift heavier objects with little regard for physics and positioning."

"Do we have any official statements from her or New Wave?" Piggot asked, leaning forward with renewed interest. The one thing her team had been missing was a cape with brute leanings, everyone else had more specialized and 'unique' power sets that made it difficult for them to counter some of the firepower the gangs could bring to bear. A parahuman on this level could easily tip things in the favor of the PRT. Or against them, if the situation wasn't handled properly.

"Sadly, no." Armsmaster admitted. "Police have talked with her, and aside from near universal praise on how polite she is, she has not given any official statements except a desire to help where she is needed. The last report says she was seen at the Dallon household. I could go and talk to her about joining the Protectorate."

Immediately, Piggot shook her head no, "That's not necessary, though I like your thinking Armsmaster. No, if Supergirl is willing to work with the police and New Wave, we shouldn't push too hard. New Wave works well with us and if she is a new member, they won't appreciate us trying to take her for ourselves. Make sure the rest of your team knows to give her the usual talk about joining if they run into her, but emphasize to them not to force it. The last thing we need is to make an enemy out of someone who's actively trying to help us. Do send me the reports though, and keep me posted on anything else you find out. With those kind of ratings, we should keep a close eye on her, and make sure she understands we're on the same side. The last thing we need is to alienate her from working with us in the future."

Armsmaster typed something into the computer built into his armor, "Sent ma'am."

Her computer pinged with a dozen files containing police reports, news outlines, sightings, and analysis of her abilities in action. Once she finished discussing the weekly reports with Armsmaster, she would look through them more thoroughly, that was the entire point of these reports after all. To highlight events and persons of notice in the city so Piggot could best decide where to focus PRT resources.

Armsmaster lowered his arm, "Now, if you're read, we can move onto merchant activity.

Piggot sighed heavily, "Lovely."

A/N: So slight change to my update schedule, I will update Friday or Saturday. I will try to update Friday, but if I miss that, expect Saturday.

Now this chapter was a bit difficult. I struggled with the Dallons bit, and I plan on the next chapter expanding greatly on Kara's interactions with them. So if it seems a bit short here, that is by design. I could not think of a way to get all the interactions I wanted without it coming off as super condensed and painful to read. Not 100% sure I succeeded here. I was happy with the PRT section, which is friggen weird.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it, feel free to comment or criticise and let me know what you thought, and I'll see you all next week!