I'M KARA DANVERS

Chapter2: The Reporter

"Thanks," Kara mumbled, blushing furiously and cursing herself internally. As Supergirl she was confident enough to pretty much invite herself over to Lena's office, but as Kara Danvers, she apparently forgot how to use chopsticks around the woman.

Kara remembered she was supposed to have her serious reporter's hat on for this interview and quickly tried to move on from the embarrassing incident. She asked Lena about L-Corp's rebranding and new direction, what Lena hoped to achieve with her work, and current projects she was working on. Lena answered all of her questions with ease, as though she had done this one hundred times before—which, to be fair, was pretty close to the truth.

Kara found herself surprised by the contrast between the Lena she had met as Supergirl and the Lena who sat across from her now. Granted, the contexts were completely different: Lena was in her element here, playing the part of powerful CEO perfectly, clearly more comfortable wearing that mask than that of 'assassination target'.

Kara had to hand it to her, it was a well constructed mask—polished, smooth, and shiny—but there were imperfections and hairline fractures Kara so desperately wanted to pry open to catch a glimpse of what hid behind. She had seen the face behind the mask, ever so briefly, as Supergirl. That was the Lena that Kara wanted to know and write about.

In time, they reached the part of the interview that Kara had silently been dreading throughout lunch: the part where she asked about Lena's family, which, thanks to her meeting as Supergirl, she knew was a sore spot for the Luthor.

She pushed her glasses up her nose and cleared her throat with what she hoped was something resembling confidence. "Miss Luthor, I ah, I'm sorry to ask but I kind of have to for the article, it's pretty important to get a quote on this particular topic given the current political climate and your position in society..." she rambled, whatever shred of authority she thought she had melting away with each hurried word. Still, she continued, "given your family's, ah, history, what's your view on the President's Alien Amnesty Act?"

For a beat, Lena said nothing. The longer Lena gazed at Kara with a thoughtful look on her face, the harder panic chipped away at her resolve and she wished she could swallow the words back. After a moment, Lena rocked forwards to rest her elbows on the table, a perfectly manicured finger poised at her chin.

"Can I offer you some unsolicited advice, Miss Danvers?"

Kara blanched, swallowed hard. "Um, sure?"

"Don't be afraid to ask the difficult questions. While I'm sure the people will be positively titillated to read about L-Corp's restructuring, charity work, and focus on green technology, you'd be kidding yourself to think that's the reason they pick up a magazine with Lena Luthor's name on the cover. They want the truth, Miss Danvers, something solid to hold onto when they're drowning in information assaulting them from every direction. Now, as a reporter, you can either give them the truth or just add to the noise. So. What are you going to get from me? The truth? Or more noise?"

A crease formed in Kara's brow as she listened to Lena's words, turning them over in her mind. She was right, of course. If she was ever going to become a halfway decent reporter, like Clark, she couldn't be afraid to ask the hard-hitting questions, to get uncomfortable to get to the truth.

"Miss Luthor..." she said slowly, a soft smile creeping across her lips. "It sounds like you're deflecting my question."

Lena barked a laugh and rolled back into her seat with a grin and a twinkle in her eyes. "That's more like it, Kara." She sighed and buried her fingers in the hair at the base of her neck, turning her head to look out the window as she spoke. "As much as I'd like to say my family's views towards aliens are complicated, that would be giving them far too much credit. They're not complicated; they're hateful and ignorant, simple as that. I want it to be made abundantly clear that I do not share those views, and neither does L-Corp. Maybe it has something to do with my being adopted but, contrary to what many think, that particular seed of evil hasn't taken root in me, at least not yet."

Lena's words were intended as a joke but the murmur in her voice suggested that there was a part of her that wasn't entirely convinced herself. She carried the Luthor name like a curse, uncertain as to if or when the Luthor destiny would eventually take hold of her, too. Lena shook her head lightly and fixed Kara with a charming smile.

"If being a Luthor has taught me anything, it's that every change in the world can be jimmied into a business opportunity. That's how L-Corp chooses to see the Alien Amnesty Act. When the aliens living amongst us come forward, that opens up a whole new market for us. Just imagine the possibilities! Some of these aliens come from advanced civilisations with technologies we couldn't even dream of; just think of what we could learn from them. L-Corp wants to be captaining that ship to be at the forefront of progress, make no mistake about that."

Lena's eyes gleamed as she spoke and her voice was filled with genuine excitement. For a moment, Kara imagined Lena geeking out with J'onn and Winn over Martian communication technology. The image warmed her heart in a way she couldn't quite place. What Lena went on to say, however, dampened the thought.

"We're looking into developing technologies for aliens, too. Devices to conceal any, ah, differences they might have to make them look more human. It's sure to make the transition a whole lot smoother for everyone."

Kara's brow crinkled into a frown. "Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of the act? Shouldn't aliens who are coming out be able to live free lives as American citizens? Why should they have to hide who they truly are?"

Lena quirked an eyebrow at Kara's challenging question. Not that she minded being challenged, but it certainly was unexpected coming from the young reporter. "I'm just being realistic here, Kara. People can be...defensive. Especially when faced with something they don't understand. Giving aliens the option to fit in would just make them easier to be accepted into society. Take Supergirl, for example. Do you really think National City would have accepted her as their hero if she had a tail or a second head or something? I've come close enough to the worst of humanity to know that Supergirl wouldn't be the hero she is if she didn't blend in so well."

Kara started, almost lost for words until Lena mentioned Supergirl. Her ears burned and her chest swelled and her chin angled upwards as she spoke firmly: "Supergirl would still be a hero. She would still fight for humanity; it's what she is on Earth to do. Even if she wasn't accepted, she would fight for this planet until people recognised her as a force for good."

Lena leaned forwards onto the table, eyeing Kara curiously. "Wow. You really believe that, don't you? Do you...do you know Supergirl?" Lena nipped at her bottom lip lightly as she asked.

Kara swallowed, forcing herself to become small once more as she remembered who she was supposed to be at that exact moment. "Yes," she said cautiously, reaching automatically to adjust her glasses. "We met a few times when I was Cat Grant's assistant, and I've written some stories on her, so...yes, we know each other."

Lena smiled, biting the inside of her cheek. "I could tell. She certainly seems to have left an impression on you, Kara Danvers. I met her recently, and I have to say, she left quite the impression on me too," she murmured pensively. "She's very heroic."

"Really? You really think so?" Kara asked eagerly, perhaps a little too eagerly as she quickly cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Do you think she could change how you think about aliens coming out?"

Lena chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Not unless she has some sort of mind control powers we don't know about. Your optimism is sweet, Kara, but if there's one thing I know about humans, it's how they work, especially when they're afraid. Still...I'm not the kind of person to close my mind completely," she mused. "I've seen where blind stubbornness gets people. We'll just have to wait and see."

Kara sighed and sat back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest. Lena had certainly given her a lot to think about, but Kara wasn't sure how much more she was going to get out of her by way of understanding Lena Luthor. At least not while she was Kara Danvers.

Lena insisted she pay for lunch. "Company card," she said, flashing a shiny credit card with a grin. "One of the perks of being CEO: you can pretty much eat for free if you say it was a 'business occasion'. For example, I had a very productive business meeting between me, myself, and a large cheese pizza just the other night." Lena's laugh was like a song, and if Kara wasn't infatuated with the CEO before, she certainly was now.