Fic: Heart of Steel (Kara Zor-El/Cassie Sandsmark) 2/2
Title: Heart of Steel
Fandom: DC Comics
Author: milleniumrex
Word Count: 9313
Rating: PG-13 for language and dark themes.
Characters/Pairings: Kara Zor-El/Cassie Sandsmark, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Martha Kent, Conner Kent, A few OCs in minor roles.
Disclaimer: I don't own DC and never will. Tragically.
Author's Note: Written for Festibility. I play with timelines a bit in this story, and ignore most recent canon events, but Kara, Cassie, and Conner are all around 16 in this fic. Also fulfills my 10_hurt_comfort prompt of "wheelchair". My card is here.
Warnings: Contains some ableist language from a character dealing with a new disability, as well as from a villain. This fic is aiming for a realistic look at dealing with quadriplegia, so there will be some dark parts in the early going, including brief discussion of suicidal urges. Contains discussion of underage sexuality, but no sex scenes.
Summary: All it took was a moment of distraction, and things would never be the same. After an accident, the girl of steel is forced to adapt to a completely different way of life.
Unlike the seemingly endless monotony that was life in Samaritan Hospital's neuro unit, Wayne Memorial's Rehab program never left you much time to breathe. There was a routine every day, and it left Kara with relatively little time to feel sorry for herself. Of course, that was more due to the exhaustion than anything else. The day began with a physical therapy session, usually to work her upper body. Thanks to the red sun watch from the fortress, it was easy for the therapists to turn her powers on and off so they could work her muscles effectively. PT usually managed to be both painful and exhausting despite the minimal feeling she had. The afternoons were usually devoted to occupational therapy, which involved learning techniques to do everyday things. It was slow, frustrating, and often humiliating, but Kara had to admit there was an odd sort of elation when she mastered the art of turning the pages of a magazine with a mouthstick. It was one tiny bit of her independence reclaimed.
"Driving lessons", however, were another story. Somehow, despite knowing exactly what her injury entailed, the idea that she would be using a wheelchair did not enter Kara's mind until the minute the therapist rolled it in. She hadn't regained any movement in her arms, just a slight ability to shrug her shoulders, so the wheelchair was controlled by blowing into a straw. "Sip and puff", they called it. "The devil's contraption" would have been a more appropriate name. She had been practicing driving a basic model for a few days now, and spent most of her time slamming into walls. She had never thought that simply making it through a doorway would be one of the biggest challenges she'd ever encountered.
"You've almost got it." Her occupational therapist, Jen, said encouragingly as Kara kept her eyes focused on the doorway. "Just remember what we practiced."
Kara closed her eyes for a second, running through the control system in her head. A strong puff of air would send the chair moving forward. A hard sip would stop it or reverse it. A light sip would turn it right, and a light puff would turn it left. It sounded easier than it was. Kara slowly, carefully turned the chair to the right, aligned it with the doorway, and blew into the straw, sending it forward a little faster than she had expected. It clipped the doorway slightly, but made it through smoothly. Kara breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"All right! Great job!" Jen said as she came over. "You're getting to be a pro in that thing."
"Yeah, right. Soon I'll be doing wheelies." Kara rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain her happiness at finally mastering that straw. "Good place to stop for today? I hope."
"You've earned some rest." Jen said as she shifted the chair back to manual and started pushing Kara back to her room. "There's just one thing I wanted to talk to you about."
"Uh-oh." Jen was a great therapist and had remarkably good patience, but her 'ideas' usually wound up making Kara's day a lot more stressful. "Okay, I'm listening."
"I run a support group on Thursday evenings for teens and young adults with spinal cord injury, and - "
"I really don't want to give a pep talk, Jen. Just because I'm - was - Supergirl doesn't mean I can inspire them or anything. I'm barely functioning myself most days."
"I know." Jen stopped pushing the wheelchair and walked around, bending down to be at eye level with Kara. "You've been doing really well in therapy, pushing yourself as hard as anyone could ask, but I'm worried about you. This program isn't just about physical healing. The kids in this program are going through something very similar to what you are, and maybe talking with them, sharing what you've been going through might help. I'd really like to see you give it a try, just for tonight."
Kara sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. I'll give it a shot." She looked down at her hands. "I don't think I'll be signing any autographs, though."
"Don't worry. Tonight, you're just one of the gang. No pressure at all."
Yeah, right. Kara thought to herself. She had a feeling the S she used to wear on her chest would make her the talk of tonight's meeting, but she had to admit that she didn't find that a totally terrible idea. Besides Cassie and Conner, she hadn't made too many friends her own age since she came to Earth. She didn't really have a secret identity, and her first attempt at a civilian life had been a complete disaster. While this definitely would have been her last choice for a place to meet friends, at least everyone else in the room would be in a similar situation. She wouldn't mind getting some things off her chest.
-----
"I'm Kara, I'm 16, and I've got a C4 injury from a diving accident."
It was the first time she had said it out loud, Kara realized. Everyone greeted her in the group as she looked around. There was a college-aged girl in a manual wheelchair, a 20-something man in an army uniform with leg braces and forearm crutches, and a muscular high-school aged boy who used a power wheelchair with a joystick. She seemed to have the highest-level injury in the room, as everyone else seemed to have some use of their arms. She willed herself to keep a smile on her face as the others introduced themselves.
"I'm Karen, I'm 19, and I've got a T1 injury from a car wreck."
"Tyler, 24. I took RPG shrapnel to my back in Biyalya. Severe nerve damage and a partial injury at L1."
"I'm Sam. Broke my neck in the football wars. C5/6." The boy eyed Kara with a hint of recognition. "Hey, aren't you - "
"Yeah. That's me." Kara smiled wryly. "I've kind of been keeping a low profile. Or at least trying to."
"If you don't mind me asking..." Karen spoke up shyly. "I always thought you were pretty much invulnerable. How did this happen?"
Kara sighed. She hated talking about, or even thinking about her accident most days. But somehow, Karen seemed like she needed to know.
"It was one of those freak things. I was training off-world with Superman and Superboy, practicing how to survive if we temporarily lost our powers. It was really hot out, and I felt like going swimming. I didn't have much time, so I took a running dive into the water, and - " Kara stopped, feeling herself choke up. "This happened. I spent so much time beating myself up over it. It was one second, and now my whole life is changed."
Karen nodded. "I got a text message, looked at it for a second, and didn't see a deer dart out in front of the road. I swerved to avoid it, and flipped the car. We've got a lot of these 'one second' stories here."
"Man, I don't even remember what happened to me, exactly." Sam shrugged. "It was the last game of the season, the goal line was in sight - apparently I wound up on the bottom of a pile of the opposite team and something got bent the wrong way. I was pissed off at first, yeah, but I made some decent progress in PT. I figure after some more rehab, I'll be strong enough for a manual chair. Then it's off to Murderball!"
Tyler had been quiet until now, but when Sam was done, he spoke. "It's funny. I hear a lot of stories about random accidents of fate. I knew coming in that my story would be different. I knew exactly what I was doing when I threw myself in front of that grenade. I wanted to protect my unit. I just didn't expect to be here. I was fully prepared to die for my country - it's the figuring out how to live part that's trickier." He looked at Kara. "You probably don't remember me, do you?"
Kara eyed Tyler's face. There was something vaguely familiar there, but she really couldn't put her finger on it. "No, sorry."
"It was last year. I was working construction in Metropolis' business district. It was lunch break, and I forgot to secure some girders. The next thing I knew, a half-ton of metal was falling down on me. It was like time moved in slow-motion. I didn't have time to run. But then...out of nowhere, you swept in, and pulled me out of the way. You saved my life. Couldn't save my job after that screw-up, but it didn't matter. Coming so close to the edge like that, I wanted to make a difference, the way you did. So a few days later, I went down to the recruitment station." Tyler shook his head. "It's pretty damn crazy that we both wound up here. I guess I just wanted you to know - I know what you're going through is scary as hell. Hell, it's pretty tough for me, and I'm older and have a much lower injury. But you made a real difference out there while you were flying around. People haven't forgotten that. And the whole world is pulling for you right now. I know I am."
Kara nodded slowly. This had been the biggest challenge of her life, but knowing she wasn't alone did help. She had been spending a lot of time feeling sorry for herself, trying to escape. But knowing that people out there were pulling for her, that she had made a difference in the time she had been Supergirl, made her want to fight. Whatever came next, she was going to face it head-on.
-----
Kara opened her eyes as the whirr of the solar chamber came to a slow halt, and looked around to see the surroundings of STAR Labs. It was the first day of the experimental treatments that could potentially restore some of her movement, and while lying in what was kind of like a super-charged tanning booth for three hours was boring, it was more than worth it.
As the chamber opened, Clark leaned over her. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good. Like I always used to feel after flying close to the sun." She stopped to test her arms, see if she could move anything. No change. "No difference, though."
"It'll probably be a while before we start to see results. But something similar managed to bring me back to life, same for Conner. We'll keep trying. Next time we can turn it up to a higher setting."
Kara nodded as Clark lifted her out of the chamber. He carefully removed the solar conduits attached to her spine and placed her back in the wheelchair, fastening the straps which kept her torso and legs in place.
"We're not going to give up, Kara. We're going to keep working on this. Just...don't lose faith, okay?"
"I won't. I promise." Kara looked into Clark's face. Even though he hadn't really aged, he looked a lot older than he had before she had gotten hurt. She knew how much he was working to help her. "Kal...you know none of this is your fault, right? I'm angry about what happened, yeah, but I never blamed you."
"If I hadn't taken you to that planet..."
"And if Conner hadn't told me about the spring, and I hadn't forgotten to check the depth...It's kind of a zero sum game, right? It happened. It's one of those freak things, and I had to stop being mad at myself after a while. So I definitely didn't have time to blame anyone else."
"I know. But I kept on thinking - I'm Superman. I'm supposed to protect people, but I couldn't even protect my own family."
"Kal...we've helped so many people on this world. Don't second-guess yourself like this. You're supposed to be helping people who can't help themselves, not watching over everyone to make sure they're safe 24 hours of the day. Just because I got hurt doesn't mean you failed in any way."
"Hm." Clark smiled wryly. "And here I thought I was supposed to be looking out for you right now."
"I do what I can, Emoman." Kara grinned. Suddenly, she felt herself getting lightheaded. "Whoa."
"Kara? What happened?"
"...Don't know. Just felt weak all of a sudden."
"It's probably the treatments. We'd better get you back so you can rest."
-----
The scientists at STAR Labs had warned that there might be some side effects to such a concentrated dose of solar energy being pumped into her system at one time, but Kara hadn't expected to feel like she had been hit by an asteroid. She slept on and off for over 16 hours, finally waking up early the next morning. She turned her head to see a kindly-looking older woman who she recognized as Kal's mother, Martha. She hadn't spent much time on the farm in Smallville since she arrived on Earth, but the few times she had been there, Martha had always treated her like family.
"...Aunt Martha? I thought you went back to Smallville?"
"I did, just to tend to the farm. You can never trust hired help for too long. They'll try their best, but they don't know how you like things done. Jonathan never wanted to take a vacation, just because he couldn't bear to leave it." Martha paused. "But as soon as the spring harvest was done, I flew right back. You should have all the family you have around right now."
"Thanks." Kara forced herself to smile despite how exhausted she was feeling. "I'm just really sleepy right now, and - "
"Let me guess." Martha smiled. "You're a little family-ed out at the moment?"
Kara stared at Martha's knowing expression for a minute. She hadn't been even thinking it, really, but there was some truth in it. "I guess. Clark's always here, trying to make sure I'm okay. Conner usually shows up to try to cheer me up with today's Teen Titans antics. And of course, Cassie's here all the time. Even though she lives clear across the country, she comes every day. She's always driving the staff here nuts, the way she's protective of me. For all the things I've been worried about all this time...she was never one of them. But at the same time, it can be kind of overwhelming at times. And the thing is, I always really hate to vent around them. It's really, really hard, but if I talk about it, I'm worried it'll just upset them, and I really don't want to do that."
Martha nodded. "I understand completely. Sometimes, you just need to let it out. You know, when I was young, after Jonathan and I had been trying for a family for a while, I found out I was infertile. Nowadays, there may have been some things they could have tried, but back then, that was it. I was devastated. I went to my Pastor, and he told me that I should try to accept it as God's will, because He works in mysterious ways."
"That's...good advice, I guess."
"Oh, it's rubbish!" Martha laughed. "I didn't want to hear it then, any more than you want to hear it now. I'm a believer in God, but it's not a very satisfying answer, is it? No, I was angry. I wanted to let it out...but Jonathan was just as devastated as I was, and I didn't want to burden him. My friends were supportive, but they were all starting families of their own, and I knew they didn't want to be depressed. So I kept it inside. Of course, years later, Clark came to us, and then Conner and you. But it didn't make it hurt any less when it happened."
"I'm kind of worried if I start talking about it, I'll just start screaming and I won't be able to stop." Kara grimaced. "I'm doing better, but I miss so much. Every time I get used to something, I think about something else, and the pain starts all over again. Everyone tells me that I'm going to be okay, that I'll adjust, but I just don't feel like I'll ever get there."
"I'll tell you what, Kara." Martha looked at her watch. "I don't have anywhere to be for the next few hours. Unload on me. I give you full permission."
"Are you sure?"
"I wish someone had done it for me. You obviously have a lot you need to get off your chest, and I want to give you that chance."
"Okay..." Kara sighed. She wasn't sure where to begin. "What's the most exciting thing you've ever done? I mean, something where the exhilaration was enough to last for the rest of your life?"
"Hm...probably when I climbed the central Windmill in Smallville when I was 14. I was confined to the farm for a month when my Pa caught me, but it was worth it. From up there, you could see for miles around. I could swear I could even see all the way to Topeka, although Pa said it was impossible."
"That's what flying was like for me. Every time I took to the skies, it was amazing. The wind in my hair, the feeling of absolute freedom...I don't know if Kal enjoys it as much as I did, because he came into his powers slowly, and he's been doing it a lot longer. I went from being able to walk on Krypton, to being able to fly on Earth, to not being able to do either. Being grounded like this, knowing I might never fly again...it's like torture."
Martha nodded sadly, letting Kara continue.
"That's probably the big thing. I've lost count of the number of little things. Like, even though I don't actually need to eat because of the solar energy thing, I used to love trying Earth foods. I haven't eaten since I got hurt, because I'd have to ask someone to feed me. Not being able to do things for myself...that's another one. I can't even brush a hair out of my eyes! It's so frustrating - if I had injured my neck an inch higher, I probably would have died. An inch lower, and I'd probably have enough use of my arms to be pretty independent. Instead I'm stuck in this limbo, and I don't feel like I'm getting any better. I keep on looking for just a little sign that there's some hope, any sort of progress, but I've hit a plateau."
Martha reached out and took Kara's hand. "If you ever want something, you just need to ask. No one here would have any problem with helping you out if you want to eat, for instance. Everyone wants to do whatever they can to make things easier for you right now."
"I know, but I hate feeling like I'm asking too much of people. Especially Cassie." Kara paused. "You probably don't want to hear about this, but..."
"Oh, nonsense." Martha waved her hand. "I may be older, but I'm a woman same as you. You're worried about your relationship?"
"Yeah. Cassie hasn't given me any reason to be, but I just wonder - are we going to be able to make this work if I stay like this? She's Wonder Girl, she flies around the world fighting the good fight, and I...don't. Not anymore. Are we going to grow apart? Is she going to want someone who can keep up with her?"
"That seems like something the two of you will have to talk about, but I'll just say this - that girl is insanely devoted to you. I don't know the last time I've seen a young couple this in love. I've known Cassie Sandsmark for a while, ever since she and Conner were first dating, and she's a wonderful person who will do anything for the people she cares about. But then, I'm sure you already know this."
"I do." Kara nodded. "It's just really hard to visualize the future sometimes, when things are so uncertain." She paused. "It's funny. You never know what you're really going to miss. Before my accident, I loved to paint when I was stressed out. It wasn't anything that I did too often, but it was relaxing. I've really missed it lately."
"You know, I once read in a newsletter about a woman who had a very similar accident to yours when she was younger. While she was in rehab, she learned to paint with a brush between her teeth, and she became a famous artist. Do you think that's something you'd like to try?"
Kara laughed. "I'd probably bite the brush in half. Still super-strong above the shoulders, remember?" She paused a second. "Huh...do you know anywhere around here I could get some spare lumber? Something durable."
"I'm sure I could find something in the Hardware district. Why?"
"I don't know if it'll work yet, but I had an idea. A new way to use something I've still got."
Martha smiled. "I'll see what I can do."
Kara leaned her head back on the pillow, feeling the familiar exhaustion overcome her again. "I'm going to get some sleep. Thanks, Aunt Martha. For everything..."
Martha turned out the lights as Kara closed her eyes. She hoped that by giving her the chance to open up, Kara would be able to find more peace. She turned back to the sleeping girl and leaned over her.
"You're a lot stronger than you know. One way or another, your dreams are going to come true. I know it."
-----
Heat vision was one of the most versatile Kryptonian powers, and it happened to be one of the ones Kara had left. She hadn't thought of many uses for it until she and Martha had talked about art. She might not have been able to paint any more, but what was important was getting the pictures in her mind out there. It took a bit of practice to find the exact right strength level of heat vision to burn the surface of the wood without setting it on fire, but once she did, it became easy to get the hang of it. She had full ability to move her head and eyes, so there was nothing between her and creating the images on the large block of wood sitting on the table. At first, she managed to burn a few simple shapes into it. Then, she worked up to etching a fairly capable design of a cat. As she put the finishing touches on the cat's whiskers, using the lightest possible heat level to create only the faintest whisper of a burn line for each, she thought that she'd have to take a shot at etching the skyline of Argo City one day. One day, but right now, it felt good just to be able to create again.
Wood-burning was a good distraction from the unanswered questions hiding at the back of her mind. Her time in Wayne Memorial's inpatient program would be coming to an end in a little over two weeks, and she had no idea what she would do next. The second and third waves of solar treatments hadn't shown any progress, although Kal and STAR labs felt they could get it up to a higher setting and try again. But more and more, it was looking like she was going to be paralyzed from the shoulders down for the foreseeable future. She'd read about people with high-level quadriplegia who lived mostly independently, with personal assistants and computerized houses, but the idea of being dependent on an AI to regulate her environment seemed pretty scary - especially considering how often some computer-themed villain hijacked the electric grid. Not to mention, the idea of living alone didn't seem very appealing. At the same time, she really didn't want to ask Kal and Lois to move in with them. They were both very active and busy, especially with Lois getting so many assignments outside of the country and Kal never knowing when a crisis would take them off-world. She didn't want to ask them to rearrange their whole lives for her.
Kara wasn't the only one thinking about these questions. Down the hall from the art room, Clark, Lois, Martha, and Conner were discussing the next move too.
"Um, shouldn't Kara be in on this?" Conner asked as he looked around. "I mean, it's her life we're discussing."
"She will be, Conner. No one's going to make any decisions for her." Martha said. "We just want to talk it through first before bothering her."
Lois turned to Clark. "She's your family. If you want us to take her in, we'll make it work."
"I want to do whatever's best for her." Clark looked over the latest reports from STAR Labs. "I just really thought I would be able to help her. I didn't think we'd be in this position. I've never felt so powerless."
"Oh, for pete's sake!" Martha exclaimed. "Clark, you're still blaming yourself over this. She'll sense that, and it won't help. Kara needs support and encouragement right now, not pity and guilt. I don't really think it would be healthy for either of you to be around each other all the time right now, as long as this is still hanging over you."
"You're right." Clark sighed. "I have been having a really hard time letting go of my guilt. I spend so much time protecting others, it's really hard to accept that I just couldn't stop this."
"I was pretty messed up after the accident too, honestly. Blaming myself, second-guessing my actions. Ma convinced me to go talk to J'onn, since he's kind of like the psychologist of superheroes. He helped a lot." Conner paused. "The thing I never told anyone before him - I nearly dove into that spring too. I was about to, but I got a sharp pebble stuck in my foot, and I stopped to get rid of it. Then I just did a cannonball in instead. A tiny little change, and it could have been me instead. I had a really hard time dealing with the randomness of the whole thing."
Martha reached over and patted Conner on the back. She turned back to Clark and Lois. "Kara and I have been spending a lot of time talking lately, and I'd like to ask her if she wants to come back to Smallville with us. The house is mostly wheelchair-accessible - we'd need a ramp, but it's a one-floor farmhouse. She'd be able to get around the town fairly easily, more so than in Metropolis. She doesn't seem to have deep roots in Metropolis yet, from what she told me, so it might be easier for her to start over someplace new, rather than being back in Metropolis and being constantly reminded of how different her life is now. We could come up with a story like we did for Conner, give her a new identity and everything."
Lois cocked an eyebrow at Martha. "Isn't this kind of pushing the secret identity angle a bit far? I know Smallville's a small town, but first Clark's cousin arrives there shortly after Superboy appears on the scene, and now Clark has another cousin who happens to look exactly like Supergirl and have the same injury?"
"It's a small town." Martha waved her hand. "I'm pretty sure most people in Smallville know about Clark already, as many times as he's saved our lives. But they also respect his privacy and aren't going to do anything to harm him and his family. If they do know, they're not telling anyone, and I'm willing to bet that continues now."
Clark nodded. "I'm not worried about that, Ma. But are you sure you can handle this? Would you be strong enough to transfer her from bed to her wheelchair, for instance?"
"I've worked on a farm for all of my adult life, Clark. I've been running the farm myself since Jonathan passed away. I've lifted bales of hay heavier than her. I may be old, but I am anything but frail."
"And if Ma has any trouble, I'll be there to help." Conner said. "Kara and I don't really know each other all that well yet, but she's my family. I want to be there for her."
"Well, then, it's settled. I'll go talk to Kara." Martha stood up.
Kara was lying in bed, resting after a long session of wood-burning when Martha walked in and sat down in the chair at the side of the bed. Kara turned her head to see her.
Martha looked at the cat design on the block of wood. "It looks amazing."
"Oh...it's just a beginner design." Kara grinned. "I think I'm getting the hang of it."
"So you're getting out of here pretty soon. It must be a relief."
"Yeah. Well, sort of." Kara bit her lip. "I'm happy to get out of here, but at the same time...things aren't going to be the same. I really don't know what my next move is. I don't even know where I'm going, really."
"No, they're not going to be the same." Martha reached over to Kara's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "But this can be a chance to start over, if you want."
"How? Supergirl's finished, Aunt Martha."
"She might be. But Supergirl isn't all that you are. You're Kara Zor-El, and she's still got a lot going for her. An amazing mind, an amazing heart, and a lot of talent. You just need to figure out what you want to do with that. And if you'd like, Conner and I would love for you to come back to Smallville with us. It's a pretty good place to begin a new life."
"Really? Clark told me so much about Smallville. I always meant to visit more, but things were so crazy, and - "
"It can be your home, if you want. It won't be as bustling as Metropolis, of course, but we've got a nice town, a lot of kids your age, and you'd be able to get around pretty easily. I'd need to fix up the house a little for your wheelchair, but we have a guest bedroom that I can make up."
Kara nodded slowly. "I'd like that. I don't really know what there is for me in Metropolis anymore."
"You'll be back someday. I can just see you showing off that art of yours in some fancy Metropolis gallery one day. But for right now, it might be good to get away."
"Plus, no paparazzi in sight, right?"
"Right." Martha nodded. "I'm going to fly back to Smallville to take fix things up, but you call if you need anything, you hear? I'll be out as soon as I can."
"I will. Thanks, Aunt Martha."
"It's nothing." Martha leaned in and gave Kara a quick hug. "And you can call me Ma. All my kids do."
Kara nodded, grinning. It didn't change the facts of what had happened, or make her problems go away, but knowing she had family there for her seemed to make things a lot easier.
-----
Glenn Hayward had been running the Smallville Cinema for 32 years, ever since his father had passed away. He had met most of the citizens in that time, and knew most of their quirks. For instance, when Martha Kent came bearing homemade muffins, it was usually trouble. Because Martha Kent was always polite, but she rarely did anything halfway.
"I thought the kids might enjoy them. I made sure to include a few extra banana nut in your batch. That's Tabitha's favorite, right?"
"Right." Glenn nervously looked at the muffins. "Um, Martha, can I help you with something?"
"Oh, it's about the theater. You see, my niece Kara - from my mother's side - is going to be coming to live with me in a little over a week. She had an accident recently, and she's paralyzed from the shoulders down."
"The poor kid. How did it happen?"
"I'm sure she'll tell you if you ask. It's not really my place. But I'm sure she'd like to see movies when she's here." Martha pulled out a sheet of paper. "I just noticed a few minor changes to the layout of the place that need to be made, to make it accessible. Nothing too major, just widening doorways, installing a ramp at the front. There's a company in Gotham that's going to be picking up the bill for the supplies, don't worry. They have a construction division. The number is at the bottom of the sheet."
"Well, I suppose - "
"Great! Give Trish and the kids my love?"
"Of course..."
As Martha walked over to the truck, Glenn saw a stack of muffin baskets in the backseat. Looking down the street, he could see Tom at the diner, Hannah at the dress shop, and Mary at the library holding similar papers and muffin baskets. And it didn't look like Martha was anywhere near done. Yes, when Martha Kent had a mission, it was usually best to just take the muffins and nod.
-----
Kara's last few days in rehab were among her busiest. It seemed like as much was going on as in those first few days. By now, she felt fairly confident in going home. She could dial a cell phone or surf the internet with a mouthstick, drive her wheelchair pretty masterfully, and shrug her shoulders well enough to alleviate any stiffness. And now she had her customized wheelchair, which had arrived that morning. It was a world of difference from the bulky rehab model. It was sleek and painted a gorgeous sky blue on the sides. The cushions were contoured to fit her body, and a pair of molded armrests held her arms and hands neatly in place. The sip-and-puff interface was the newest model, making it much more responsive to her commands. A pair of small switches on the headrest allowed her to recline the chair or tilt it forward. For the tool that was going to be her way to navigate the world for the foreseeable future, it was as good as she could ask for.
There was a fluttering of the curtains behind her, and Kara gently blew into the straw to swivel the chair around as Cassie flew in the window.
"Cassie!" Kara grinned excitedly. "How was Paris?"
"You say that like I was vacationing, not beating up a giant ape and his robot brain partner." Cassie said as she looked Kara over. "But it was fine. God, you look gorgeous."
"Wheelchair chic?" Kara laughed.
"Well, you definitely do pull it off." Cassie said as she slipped her hand on top of Kara's. "But it's not just that. You seem..."
"Happy? I am. Closer than I've been in a long time, at least. I'm getting out of here, I've got a new home to go to - I'm going to be staying in Smallville for a while - and I've got an amazing family looking out for me. I feel like I can do this."
"Smallville, huh? Well, it won't be the first time I flew out to Kansas constantly..."
"Ew! Don't remind me that you used to date my sort-of brother!" Kara giggled. She quickly used the switch on her headrest to lean the chair forward, just far enough so she could surprise Cassie with a kiss.
"You ARE doing better." Cassie grinned. "Anyway! I brought stuff! I had just enough time to shop in Paris. Perfumes, DVDs, chocolates..."
Kara's face fell when Cassie pulled out the box of chocolates. Cassie looked from Kara, to the gift, and then it hit her. "Oh, God, K...I'm sorry. I didn't think - "
"It's okay." Kara looked down at her motionless arms. "It sucks, but I'm getting used to it. But you know...I really do miss chocolate. Do you think you could help me out?"
"Of course! I just don't want to screw it up. You'll tell me what to do?"
"Yeah, just open the box!" Kara grinned. Cassie did, and Kara eyed the assortment of French truffles. One of the perks of x-ray vision - you could spoil the surprise and find out what was in the center of each one. "Third one from the left. It's cherry."
Cassie picked up the chocolate and held it an inch or so from Kara's mouth. Kara leaned forward, taking a small bite. After sampling it, she grinned and leaned forward to take the rest, savoring the taste of cherry and chocolate in her mouth.
"Oh, man. That's so good."
"I knew you'd love them. Do you want another one?"
"A little later." Kara grinned. "Thanks. I sort of needed that."
"It's no problem." Cassie reached over and stroked Kara's cheek. "I know it seems strange now, but it'll get easier. And I'm always here to be your hands if you need me."
"I might take you up on that." Kara nodded. "And since you're here and I'm in a good place right now...I was thinking we could practice some other things."
"Like what?" Cassie leaned in as Kara whispered in her ear. "Oh. Oh!"
"I mean, I'm going to be in this chair for a while, so we may as well figure out how to use it for makeouts, right?" Kara smirked. Blowing into her straw, she scooted the chair forward slightly, knocking into Cassie's knees.
Cassie tentatively sat down in Kara's lap. "Okay, how do we do this?"
"Well, you're going to have to do most of the work, obviously. This chair is probably thin enough so you can straddle me."
Cassie swung her leg over, placing them on each side of Kara's chair. They were now face-to-face, and Cassie leaned in to give her girlfriend a passionate kiss. "Okay, so what now?"
"First, relax. You're not going to hurt me. Second, since I can't feel anything below my collarbone, most of our favorite kissing spots are down for repair." Kara pouted. "But I can still feel my head, neck, and shoulders. So I was thinking...I want you to kiss me everywhere. If I can feel it, I want it kissed. That way, we'll figure out what feels really good. You know, for future use."
"Sounds like a plan." Cassie grinned as she buried her face in Kara's neck, kissing it. She slowly moved her lips up the side, making her way to Kara's ear. Kara let out a small moan as Cassie kissed her earlobe.
"Okay, so that's one." Kara laughed. Cassie worked her way back down, running her finger along the line of Kara's collarbone to make sure of where the line of sensation was. Once Kara nodded, Cassie bent her head down and started softly kissing along the line. Kara bent her head down and kissed the top of Cassie's head. It felt so good to be with Cassie again, to have her kissing her like this. It felt...normal.
"Kara? I finished packing your things, so you should be ready to go when they - Oh!" Martha stopped suddenly when she walked into the room. Cassie and Kara's heads shot up in unison, both blushing beet red.
"Um...hi, Mrs. Kent." Cassie said sheepishly. "We were just - "
"I can see." Martha smiled knowingly. "We're probably going to have to have a talk about house rules in Smallville, but...I'm really happy for you two. I'll just leave these bags here."
Kara eyed Cassie as Martha left the room. "The mood's totally gone, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah." Cassie sighed. "But did that feel good? I want to know how to make you happy."
"It felt great. But you don't need to worry about that." Kara leaned in and touched her forehead to Cassie's. "Just being with you makes me happy. Without you, I never would have survived those first few weeks. Paralyzed or not, I consider myself lucky. Because I've got you."
Cassie wrapped her arms around Kara's neck and kissed her with the passion of an Amazon. Kara didn't know what the future would hold, but she knew that her beautiful warrior would be by her side. And for now, that would be enough.
-----
There were a lot of things they didn't teach you in rehab, things that you had to figure out for yourself. For instance, how to wake up your sort-of brother when he was sleeping late, you needed his help, and calling him three times hadn't worked. It took Kara a few minutes to get the handle on it, but by angling her chair right and using a carefully timed series of puffs and sips, she could swing it from side to side and deliver a pretty decent knock on Conner's door with the side of her footrests. Knocking on doors - solved.
Conner opened the door with a groan that could have easily come from the walking dead. "Nnnn...Kara?"
"Rao, you're sleeping late. What do they do at those Teen Titans parties, anyway?"
"None of your business." Conner thought for a second. "How the hell did you knock on my door, anyway?"
"I have my ways. Anyway! I was wondering if you could do me a favor."
"Sure, I guess. What do you need?"
"I want to do some wood-burning today, and I need someone to bring in the lumber from the back porch. I'd ask Ma, but it's pretty heavy and she seemed tired this morning. Plus, it's not like it would be much of a workout for you."
"Yeah, sure." Conner walked towards the back of the house, and Kara engaged her wheelchair and followed him. "So, how are you liking Smallville so far?"
"Pretty good, I guess. I haven't been out much yet. It's only been a week, so..."
"Well, if you feel up to it, I'll show you around on Monday after school. I'm busy with the Titans today, but this town's got some pretty cool stuff to see."
"That sounds great. I guess I'm still kind of nervous about being out of the house. I know how everything works in here. Out there, not so much."
"Yeah, but you don't want to hole up here forever." Conner walked outside, picked up the stack of lumber one-handed, and brought it into the house. "Besides, I'll be with you, ready to punch anyone who looks at you funny. No one messes with my family."
"I'd like that." Kara laughed. "Just set it down in the garage, okay? Stand it up with the cut side facing me."
Kara looked on as Conner arranged the pieces of wood for her, nodding her satisfaction when everything was in order.
"Have fun, Michaelangelo." Conner reached over and ruffled Kara's hair.
"Hey! Don't mess with my hair! It's not like I can comb it!" Kara laughed, shaking it back into place.
"Okay, okay! Noted! Anyway, I'm off to the Tower. Ma should be around if you need anything."
"I'm good. Once I start burning, I can go for hours. It's kind of addicting."
As Conner flew out of the house, Kara looked at the pieces of lumber in front of her. Placed together like this, there was probably enough room for her to start sketching out Argo City like she wanted. It had always been high on the list of things she wanted to paint, since she remembered it so vividly, and this would do. Focusing in on the central piece of wood, she began burning the outline of the town square into it.
Kara always found it easy to get lost in her art, and today was no exception. She didn't know how long it had been since she started, but it was long enough to burn detailed designed into half the pieces, and her eyes were starting to get tired. Besides, as she noticed when she finally turned off the heat vision, the temperature in the room had to have gone up 30 degrees from all the heat, and her forehead was dripping with sweat. Sitting in front of the air conditioner and watching TV for a while seemed like a good way to spend some time before continuing work. Preferably with a glass of Martha's homemade lemonade.
"Ma? Are you in there?" Kara drove her wheelchair over to the garage doorway, listening for a response. None came, and then suddenly there was a loud bang from the kitchen, followed by what sounded like arguing.
"Is everything okay up there?" Kara drove backwards a bit and focused her eyes towards the kitchen. Using her X-ray vision, she could see the outline of two people. One was Martha, but the other she didn't recognize. It was a man, about Conner's size, but his body language was all wrong. He seemed aggressive, angry. Cuing up her super-hearing, she listened in on the conversation.
"...Are you hearing me, you old bat? Where's the money?"
"...I told you, we have no money here! There's nothing for you! Please, just go!"
Kara gasped as the male figure backhanded Martha, sending her sprawling to the floor. This...person, whoever he was, had broken in while Conner was out and was threatening her family. She could hurt him - badly - with her heat vision, but then he would know exactly who she was and would have no problem exposing all of them. Martha needed her help, and she wasn't going to let her down. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what she could do with the limited movement she had, but she wasn't coming up with any ideas. But one way or another, this creep was NOT laying another hand on Martha.
"Come on, bitch! You've got to have something lying around the house. Jewelry or something. You want to live, give it to me!"
"Get away from her."
The thug turned around. He had the greasy, unkempt appearance of a drug addict, and the sadistic smirk of a sociopath. He eyed Kara with a mix of disgust and amusement. "Wait your turn, Miss Wheelchair Kansas. We can have some fun when I'm done here."
Kara felt her eyes burn with heat vision. She wanted to burn this creep, but she knew it would hurt a lot more than it would help. No, there might be another way...
"I said get away from her!" Kara quickly drove her wheelchair forward, slamming into the back of the robber. He was knocked to the side, away from Martha, but he was on his feet again as quickly. And now he was coming for her.
"What the hell, you crippled little bitch? You want to die?" He snarled as he charged her, grabbing her by the neck. Kara smiled inside. He had done exactly what she wanted. She had to time this perfectly. Too lightly, and he'd still be conscious. Too hard, and he'd die, and she didn't want that on her conscience.
Working the still-super-strong muscles she had in her neck and shoulders, Kara threw her head back, then forward, directly into the forehead of the criminal holding on to her. There was an audible crack as their heads collided, and he quickly fell backwards onto the ground unconscious. Quickly, she used her x-ray vision to scan his head. Still alive, no skull fracture, just a particularly severe concussion. It had worked. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"Kara? What did you..."
"It's okay, Ma. He's out. Are you okay? He hit you - "
"I'm fine! Just a bruise." Martha got to her feet and ran over to Kara, hugging her. "You had me so worried. I didn't know what - "
"I'm still invulnerable, Ma. Unless he had a Kryptonite knife or something. I'm fine." Kara looked around. "Do you have any rope around here? We need to tie him up until the police come. He should be out for a while, but we can't take any chances."
Martha nodded and headed to the garage to get the rope. Kara looked at the unconscious body of their attacker, and willed her heart to stop beating a mile a minute. For a minute there, she had felt truly helpless, unable to protect the people she loved. But not anymore. Paralyzed or not, she knew she was still Supergirl inside, and she could find a way to do almost anything. It may not have been fighting Silver Banshee over the streets of Metropolis, but evil had gotten a little reminder than you did not mess with her today.
-----
"Where the hell is he? I'll make sure he never tries anything like this again!"
"Conner, calm down." Martha sighed. "It looks a lot worse than it is."
"Looks worse? You've got a bruise on your face from where a robber punched you! How can it possibly not be as bad as it looks? I can probably track him down, and - "
"You don't need to. He's in jail. Kara took care of it."
Conner eyed Martha quizzically, but she just smiled and turned back to stirring the pot on the stove.
"She's in her room. You can ask her for the whole story if you want. I need to watch so this doesn't boil over."
Conner nodded and made his way to Kara's room, knocking on the door. Sticking his head in, he could see Kara at her computer, using her mouthstick to type an e-mail. She docked it in its holder when she saw him and turned her wheelchair towards the door.
"Hey, Kon. What's up?"
"Do I want to know how exactly you managed to protect Ma and take out a mugger today?"
"It's like I said earlier - I have my ways." Kara grinned. "I guess it's all about not thinking about what I can't do anymore, and trying to think about what I can do with a little creativity. Helps with waking you up, and situations like these."
Conner shook his head as he sat down in a chair near the door. "I don't know how you do it. If I was in your situation, I'm pretty sure I would have shut down early on. I know I try to appear like a tough guy, but I'm not nearly as strong as I let on."
"It's not like I'm Miss calm and collected all the time either. I had my breakdowns - lots of them. But I guess you never know what you're capable of until you have no choice but to face it."
"Well, one way or another, I wasn't here today. And you were, and you were able to save the day. That's amazing. If you ever need anything - seriously - you just tell me."
"I'll keep that in mind. I'm sure I'll think of something cool to extort out of you at some point...bro."
"No doubt in my mind...sis."
Kara grinned as Conner walked out of the room. Suddenly, she heard her e-mail inbox ping. Swiveling her chair around and grabbing her mouthstick with her teeth, she opened the new e-mail. It was from an encrypted address.
Kara -
Heard about your good work today. I guess it's true - no disability can keep a good hero down forever. You're still Supergirl. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
PS - If you want to talk training, get in touch with me. Batman knows how to reach me.
- O
"Whoa."
-----
"The Oracle? Really?"
"The Oracle!" Kara yelled, still slightly incredulous over the whole thing. The previous day's events were still swimming in her mind, and she had read the e-mail more than twenty times just to make sure she hadn't hallucinated the whole thing.
"Wow. That's epic." Cassie grinned as the two girls sat under the stars. "The whole thing is. I bet that guy's never going to live it down when his cellmate finds out he got his butt kicked by a girl in a wheelchair. So...are you going to take Oracle up on her offer?"
"Of course! I did a few missions for her before the accident, so she knows me. I don't know what kind of training she has in mind, but I can't wait to find out."
"If you become some kind of super cyber-hacker, I need you to promise me you'll hack Bombshell's Facebook page. She has it coming."
"Count on it." Kara paused. "I've been doing a lot of thinking about my next move lately. I've been doing a lot of hiding so far, and I want that to change. I've been thinking about giving Smallville High a shot. Conner goes there, so I'd have a familiar face to talk to."
"High school was kind of a disaster last time you tried, though, right?"
"Yeah, kind of." Kara laughed, recalling her ill-fated attempt to blend in shortly after she had come to Earth. "But that was me just putting on a costume and pretending to be normal. I really want to get to know people in Smallville, and this seems like the easiest way. Besides, I'm obviously going to test out of the math and science classes, but I don't really know much about this planet's History, or Literature yet. Besides, if I want to go to art school, I'll probably need a diploma."
There was a silence between the two girls for a few seconds, and then Kara spoke again.
"So...tomorrow I'm going back to STAR Labs. Wave four."
"Wave four? Didn't you say - "
"Yeah, this is it. They think they've taken the level of solar energy up as high as it can go. If this doesn't work..."
Cassie got up and sat in Kara's lap, resting her head on Kara's shoulder. "You want me to come with? For support?"
Kara nodded. "Yeah. But Cassie...whatever happens, I'm going to be okay. Don't worry about me. I'm done living my life like a cure is around the corner. If it comes, great. But if not, I'll move on. I've got my family, I've got my art, and I've got the greatest girlfriend in the world looking out for me."
Kara leaned forward and passionately kissed Cassie under the moonlight. It had been a long, hard road to get where she was now, and she did miss the way things used to be. Maybe the treatment would work, at least somewhat. She would love nothing more than to be able to lift her arms again, and wrap them around the girl who saved her life. But if they stayed motionless in their armrests, she'd find another way of showing Cassie how much she meant to her. Tomorrow brought a lot of questions with it, both the literal tomorrow and the figurative one, but she would face them both with the heart of a hero. Her body may have been paralyzed, but her spirit was not, and she knew that she could take on whatever life threw at her next.
Fandom: DC Comics
Author: milleniumrex
Word Count: 9313
Rating: PG-13 for language and dark themes.
Characters/Pairings: Kara Zor-El/Cassie Sandsmark, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Martha Kent, Conner Kent, A few OCs in minor roles.
Disclaimer: I don't own DC and never will. Tragically.
Author's Note: Written for Festibility. I play with timelines a bit in this story, and ignore most recent canon events, but Kara, Cassie, and Conner are all around 16 in this fic. Also fulfills my 10_hurt_comfort prompt of "wheelchair". My card is here.
Warnings: Contains some ableist language from a character dealing with a new disability, as well as from a villain. This fic is aiming for a realistic look at dealing with quadriplegia, so there will be some dark parts in the early going, including brief discussion of suicidal urges. Contains discussion of underage sexuality, but no sex scenes.
Summary: All it took was a moment of distraction, and things would never be the same. After an accident, the girl of steel is forced to adapt to a completely different way of life.
Unlike the seemingly endless monotony that was life in Samaritan Hospital's neuro unit, Wayne Memorial's Rehab program never left you much time to breathe. There was a routine every day, and it left Kara with relatively little time to feel sorry for herself. Of course, that was more due to the exhaustion than anything else. The day began with a physical therapy session, usually to work her upper body. Thanks to the red sun watch from the fortress, it was easy for the therapists to turn her powers on and off so they could work her muscles effectively. PT usually managed to be both painful and exhausting despite the minimal feeling she had. The afternoons were usually devoted to occupational therapy, which involved learning techniques to do everyday things. It was slow, frustrating, and often humiliating, but Kara had to admit there was an odd sort of elation when she mastered the art of turning the pages of a magazine with a mouthstick. It was one tiny bit of her independence reclaimed.
"Driving lessons", however, were another story. Somehow, despite knowing exactly what her injury entailed, the idea that she would be using a wheelchair did not enter Kara's mind until the minute the therapist rolled it in. She hadn't regained any movement in her arms, just a slight ability to shrug her shoulders, so the wheelchair was controlled by blowing into a straw. "Sip and puff", they called it. "The devil's contraption" would have been a more appropriate name. She had been practicing driving a basic model for a few days now, and spent most of her time slamming into walls. She had never thought that simply making it through a doorway would be one of the biggest challenges she'd ever encountered.
"You've almost got it." Her occupational therapist, Jen, said encouragingly as Kara kept her eyes focused on the doorway. "Just remember what we practiced."
Kara closed her eyes for a second, running through the control system in her head. A strong puff of air would send the chair moving forward. A hard sip would stop it or reverse it. A light sip would turn it right, and a light puff would turn it left. It sounded easier than it was. Kara slowly, carefully turned the chair to the right, aligned it with the doorway, and blew into the straw, sending it forward a little faster than she had expected. It clipped the doorway slightly, but made it through smoothly. Kara breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"All right! Great job!" Jen said as she came over. "You're getting to be a pro in that thing."
"Yeah, right. Soon I'll be doing wheelies." Kara rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain her happiness at finally mastering that straw. "Good place to stop for today? I hope."
"You've earned some rest." Jen said as she shifted the chair back to manual and started pushing Kara back to her room. "There's just one thing I wanted to talk to you about."
"Uh-oh." Jen was a great therapist and had remarkably good patience, but her 'ideas' usually wound up making Kara's day a lot more stressful. "Okay, I'm listening."
"I run a support group on Thursday evenings for teens and young adults with spinal cord injury, and - "
"I really don't want to give a pep talk, Jen. Just because I'm - was - Supergirl doesn't mean I can inspire them or anything. I'm barely functioning myself most days."
"I know." Jen stopped pushing the wheelchair and walked around, bending down to be at eye level with Kara. "You've been doing really well in therapy, pushing yourself as hard as anyone could ask, but I'm worried about you. This program isn't just about physical healing. The kids in this program are going through something very similar to what you are, and maybe talking with them, sharing what you've been going through might help. I'd really like to see you give it a try, just for tonight."
Kara sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. I'll give it a shot." She looked down at her hands. "I don't think I'll be signing any autographs, though."
"Don't worry. Tonight, you're just one of the gang. No pressure at all."
Yeah, right. Kara thought to herself. She had a feeling the S she used to wear on her chest would make her the talk of tonight's meeting, but she had to admit that she didn't find that a totally terrible idea. Besides Cassie and Conner, she hadn't made too many friends her own age since she came to Earth. She didn't really have a secret identity, and her first attempt at a civilian life had been a complete disaster. While this definitely would have been her last choice for a place to meet friends, at least everyone else in the room would be in a similar situation. She wouldn't mind getting some things off her chest.
-----
"I'm Kara, I'm 16, and I've got a C4 injury from a diving accident."
It was the first time she had said it out loud, Kara realized. Everyone greeted her in the group as she looked around. There was a college-aged girl in a manual wheelchair, a 20-something man in an army uniform with leg braces and forearm crutches, and a muscular high-school aged boy who used a power wheelchair with a joystick. She seemed to have the highest-level injury in the room, as everyone else seemed to have some use of their arms. She willed herself to keep a smile on her face as the others introduced themselves.
"I'm Karen, I'm 19, and I've got a T1 injury from a car wreck."
"Tyler, 24. I took RPG shrapnel to my back in Biyalya. Severe nerve damage and a partial injury at L1."
"I'm Sam. Broke my neck in the football wars. C5/6." The boy eyed Kara with a hint of recognition. "Hey, aren't you - "
"Yeah. That's me." Kara smiled wryly. "I've kind of been keeping a low profile. Or at least trying to."
"If you don't mind me asking..." Karen spoke up shyly. "I always thought you were pretty much invulnerable. How did this happen?"
Kara sighed. She hated talking about, or even thinking about her accident most days. But somehow, Karen seemed like she needed to know.
"It was one of those freak things. I was training off-world with Superman and Superboy, practicing how to survive if we temporarily lost our powers. It was really hot out, and I felt like going swimming. I didn't have much time, so I took a running dive into the water, and - " Kara stopped, feeling herself choke up. "This happened. I spent so much time beating myself up over it. It was one second, and now my whole life is changed."
Karen nodded. "I got a text message, looked at it for a second, and didn't see a deer dart out in front of the road. I swerved to avoid it, and flipped the car. We've got a lot of these 'one second' stories here."
"Man, I don't even remember what happened to me, exactly." Sam shrugged. "It was the last game of the season, the goal line was in sight - apparently I wound up on the bottom of a pile of the opposite team and something got bent the wrong way. I was pissed off at first, yeah, but I made some decent progress in PT. I figure after some more rehab, I'll be strong enough for a manual chair. Then it's off to Murderball!"
Tyler had been quiet until now, but when Sam was done, he spoke. "It's funny. I hear a lot of stories about random accidents of fate. I knew coming in that my story would be different. I knew exactly what I was doing when I threw myself in front of that grenade. I wanted to protect my unit. I just didn't expect to be here. I was fully prepared to die for my country - it's the figuring out how to live part that's trickier." He looked at Kara. "You probably don't remember me, do you?"
Kara eyed Tyler's face. There was something vaguely familiar there, but she really couldn't put her finger on it. "No, sorry."
"It was last year. I was working construction in Metropolis' business district. It was lunch break, and I forgot to secure some girders. The next thing I knew, a half-ton of metal was falling down on me. It was like time moved in slow-motion. I didn't have time to run. But then...out of nowhere, you swept in, and pulled me out of the way. You saved my life. Couldn't save my job after that screw-up, but it didn't matter. Coming so close to the edge like that, I wanted to make a difference, the way you did. So a few days later, I went down to the recruitment station." Tyler shook his head. "It's pretty damn crazy that we both wound up here. I guess I just wanted you to know - I know what you're going through is scary as hell. Hell, it's pretty tough for me, and I'm older and have a much lower injury. But you made a real difference out there while you were flying around. People haven't forgotten that. And the whole world is pulling for you right now. I know I am."
Kara nodded slowly. This had been the biggest challenge of her life, but knowing she wasn't alone did help. She had been spending a lot of time feeling sorry for herself, trying to escape. But knowing that people out there were pulling for her, that she had made a difference in the time she had been Supergirl, made her want to fight. Whatever came next, she was going to face it head-on.
-----
Kara opened her eyes as the whirr of the solar chamber came to a slow halt, and looked around to see the surroundings of STAR Labs. It was the first day of the experimental treatments that could potentially restore some of her movement, and while lying in what was kind of like a super-charged tanning booth for three hours was boring, it was more than worth it.
As the chamber opened, Clark leaned over her. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good. Like I always used to feel after flying close to the sun." She stopped to test her arms, see if she could move anything. No change. "No difference, though."
"It'll probably be a while before we start to see results. But something similar managed to bring me back to life, same for Conner. We'll keep trying. Next time we can turn it up to a higher setting."
Kara nodded as Clark lifted her out of the chamber. He carefully removed the solar conduits attached to her spine and placed her back in the wheelchair, fastening the straps which kept her torso and legs in place.
"We're not going to give up, Kara. We're going to keep working on this. Just...don't lose faith, okay?"
"I won't. I promise." Kara looked into Clark's face. Even though he hadn't really aged, he looked a lot older than he had before she had gotten hurt. She knew how much he was working to help her. "Kal...you know none of this is your fault, right? I'm angry about what happened, yeah, but I never blamed you."
"If I hadn't taken you to that planet..."
"And if Conner hadn't told me about the spring, and I hadn't forgotten to check the depth...It's kind of a zero sum game, right? It happened. It's one of those freak things, and I had to stop being mad at myself after a while. So I definitely didn't have time to blame anyone else."
"I know. But I kept on thinking - I'm Superman. I'm supposed to protect people, but I couldn't even protect my own family."
"Kal...we've helped so many people on this world. Don't second-guess yourself like this. You're supposed to be helping people who can't help themselves, not watching over everyone to make sure they're safe 24 hours of the day. Just because I got hurt doesn't mean you failed in any way."
"Hm." Clark smiled wryly. "And here I thought I was supposed to be looking out for you right now."
"I do what I can, Emoman." Kara grinned. Suddenly, she felt herself getting lightheaded. "Whoa."
"Kara? What happened?"
"...Don't know. Just felt weak all of a sudden."
"It's probably the treatments. We'd better get you back so you can rest."
-----
The scientists at STAR Labs had warned that there might be some side effects to such a concentrated dose of solar energy being pumped into her system at one time, but Kara hadn't expected to feel like she had been hit by an asteroid. She slept on and off for over 16 hours, finally waking up early the next morning. She turned her head to see a kindly-looking older woman who she recognized as Kal's mother, Martha. She hadn't spent much time on the farm in Smallville since she arrived on Earth, but the few times she had been there, Martha had always treated her like family.
"...Aunt Martha? I thought you went back to Smallville?"
"I did, just to tend to the farm. You can never trust hired help for too long. They'll try their best, but they don't know how you like things done. Jonathan never wanted to take a vacation, just because he couldn't bear to leave it." Martha paused. "But as soon as the spring harvest was done, I flew right back. You should have all the family you have around right now."
"Thanks." Kara forced herself to smile despite how exhausted she was feeling. "I'm just really sleepy right now, and - "
"Let me guess." Martha smiled. "You're a little family-ed out at the moment?"
Kara stared at Martha's knowing expression for a minute. She hadn't been even thinking it, really, but there was some truth in it. "I guess. Clark's always here, trying to make sure I'm okay. Conner usually shows up to try to cheer me up with today's Teen Titans antics. And of course, Cassie's here all the time. Even though she lives clear across the country, she comes every day. She's always driving the staff here nuts, the way she's protective of me. For all the things I've been worried about all this time...she was never one of them. But at the same time, it can be kind of overwhelming at times. And the thing is, I always really hate to vent around them. It's really, really hard, but if I talk about it, I'm worried it'll just upset them, and I really don't want to do that."
Martha nodded. "I understand completely. Sometimes, you just need to let it out. You know, when I was young, after Jonathan and I had been trying for a family for a while, I found out I was infertile. Nowadays, there may have been some things they could have tried, but back then, that was it. I was devastated. I went to my Pastor, and he told me that I should try to accept it as God's will, because He works in mysterious ways."
"That's...good advice, I guess."
"Oh, it's rubbish!" Martha laughed. "I didn't want to hear it then, any more than you want to hear it now. I'm a believer in God, but it's not a very satisfying answer, is it? No, I was angry. I wanted to let it out...but Jonathan was just as devastated as I was, and I didn't want to burden him. My friends were supportive, but they were all starting families of their own, and I knew they didn't want to be depressed. So I kept it inside. Of course, years later, Clark came to us, and then Conner and you. But it didn't make it hurt any less when it happened."
"I'm kind of worried if I start talking about it, I'll just start screaming and I won't be able to stop." Kara grimaced. "I'm doing better, but I miss so much. Every time I get used to something, I think about something else, and the pain starts all over again. Everyone tells me that I'm going to be okay, that I'll adjust, but I just don't feel like I'll ever get there."
"I'll tell you what, Kara." Martha looked at her watch. "I don't have anywhere to be for the next few hours. Unload on me. I give you full permission."
"Are you sure?"
"I wish someone had done it for me. You obviously have a lot you need to get off your chest, and I want to give you that chance."
"Okay..." Kara sighed. She wasn't sure where to begin. "What's the most exciting thing you've ever done? I mean, something where the exhilaration was enough to last for the rest of your life?"
"Hm...probably when I climbed the central Windmill in Smallville when I was 14. I was confined to the farm for a month when my Pa caught me, but it was worth it. From up there, you could see for miles around. I could swear I could even see all the way to Topeka, although Pa said it was impossible."
"That's what flying was like for me. Every time I took to the skies, it was amazing. The wind in my hair, the feeling of absolute freedom...I don't know if Kal enjoys it as much as I did, because he came into his powers slowly, and he's been doing it a lot longer. I went from being able to walk on Krypton, to being able to fly on Earth, to not being able to do either. Being grounded like this, knowing I might never fly again...it's like torture."
Martha nodded sadly, letting Kara continue.
"That's probably the big thing. I've lost count of the number of little things. Like, even though I don't actually need to eat because of the solar energy thing, I used to love trying Earth foods. I haven't eaten since I got hurt, because I'd have to ask someone to feed me. Not being able to do things for myself...that's another one. I can't even brush a hair out of my eyes! It's so frustrating - if I had injured my neck an inch higher, I probably would have died. An inch lower, and I'd probably have enough use of my arms to be pretty independent. Instead I'm stuck in this limbo, and I don't feel like I'm getting any better. I keep on looking for just a little sign that there's some hope, any sort of progress, but I've hit a plateau."
Martha reached out and took Kara's hand. "If you ever want something, you just need to ask. No one here would have any problem with helping you out if you want to eat, for instance. Everyone wants to do whatever they can to make things easier for you right now."
"I know, but I hate feeling like I'm asking too much of people. Especially Cassie." Kara paused. "You probably don't want to hear about this, but..."
"Oh, nonsense." Martha waved her hand. "I may be older, but I'm a woman same as you. You're worried about your relationship?"
"Yeah. Cassie hasn't given me any reason to be, but I just wonder - are we going to be able to make this work if I stay like this? She's Wonder Girl, she flies around the world fighting the good fight, and I...don't. Not anymore. Are we going to grow apart? Is she going to want someone who can keep up with her?"
"That seems like something the two of you will have to talk about, but I'll just say this - that girl is insanely devoted to you. I don't know the last time I've seen a young couple this in love. I've known Cassie Sandsmark for a while, ever since she and Conner were first dating, and she's a wonderful person who will do anything for the people she cares about. But then, I'm sure you already know this."
"I do." Kara nodded. "It's just really hard to visualize the future sometimes, when things are so uncertain." She paused. "It's funny. You never know what you're really going to miss. Before my accident, I loved to paint when I was stressed out. It wasn't anything that I did too often, but it was relaxing. I've really missed it lately."
"You know, I once read in a newsletter about a woman who had a very similar accident to yours when she was younger. While she was in rehab, she learned to paint with a brush between her teeth, and she became a famous artist. Do you think that's something you'd like to try?"
Kara laughed. "I'd probably bite the brush in half. Still super-strong above the shoulders, remember?" She paused a second. "Huh...do you know anywhere around here I could get some spare lumber? Something durable."
"I'm sure I could find something in the Hardware district. Why?"
"I don't know if it'll work yet, but I had an idea. A new way to use something I've still got."
Martha smiled. "I'll see what I can do."
Kara leaned her head back on the pillow, feeling the familiar exhaustion overcome her again. "I'm going to get some sleep. Thanks, Aunt Martha. For everything..."
Martha turned out the lights as Kara closed her eyes. She hoped that by giving her the chance to open up, Kara would be able to find more peace. She turned back to the sleeping girl and leaned over her.
"You're a lot stronger than you know. One way or another, your dreams are going to come true. I know it."
-----
Heat vision was one of the most versatile Kryptonian powers, and it happened to be one of the ones Kara had left. She hadn't thought of many uses for it until she and Martha had talked about art. She might not have been able to paint any more, but what was important was getting the pictures in her mind out there. It took a bit of practice to find the exact right strength level of heat vision to burn the surface of the wood without setting it on fire, but once she did, it became easy to get the hang of it. She had full ability to move her head and eyes, so there was nothing between her and creating the images on the large block of wood sitting on the table. At first, she managed to burn a few simple shapes into it. Then, she worked up to etching a fairly capable design of a cat. As she put the finishing touches on the cat's whiskers, using the lightest possible heat level to create only the faintest whisper of a burn line for each, she thought that she'd have to take a shot at etching the skyline of Argo City one day. One day, but right now, it felt good just to be able to create again.
Wood-burning was a good distraction from the unanswered questions hiding at the back of her mind. Her time in Wayne Memorial's inpatient program would be coming to an end in a little over two weeks, and she had no idea what she would do next. The second and third waves of solar treatments hadn't shown any progress, although Kal and STAR labs felt they could get it up to a higher setting and try again. But more and more, it was looking like she was going to be paralyzed from the shoulders down for the foreseeable future. She'd read about people with high-level quadriplegia who lived mostly independently, with personal assistants and computerized houses, but the idea of being dependent on an AI to regulate her environment seemed pretty scary - especially considering how often some computer-themed villain hijacked the electric grid. Not to mention, the idea of living alone didn't seem very appealing. At the same time, she really didn't want to ask Kal and Lois to move in with them. They were both very active and busy, especially with Lois getting so many assignments outside of the country and Kal never knowing when a crisis would take them off-world. She didn't want to ask them to rearrange their whole lives for her.
Kara wasn't the only one thinking about these questions. Down the hall from the art room, Clark, Lois, Martha, and Conner were discussing the next move too.
"Um, shouldn't Kara be in on this?" Conner asked as he looked around. "I mean, it's her life we're discussing."
"She will be, Conner. No one's going to make any decisions for her." Martha said. "We just want to talk it through first before bothering her."
Lois turned to Clark. "She's your family. If you want us to take her in, we'll make it work."
"I want to do whatever's best for her." Clark looked over the latest reports from STAR Labs. "I just really thought I would be able to help her. I didn't think we'd be in this position. I've never felt so powerless."
"Oh, for pete's sake!" Martha exclaimed. "Clark, you're still blaming yourself over this. She'll sense that, and it won't help. Kara needs support and encouragement right now, not pity and guilt. I don't really think it would be healthy for either of you to be around each other all the time right now, as long as this is still hanging over you."
"You're right." Clark sighed. "I have been having a really hard time letting go of my guilt. I spend so much time protecting others, it's really hard to accept that I just couldn't stop this."
"I was pretty messed up after the accident too, honestly. Blaming myself, second-guessing my actions. Ma convinced me to go talk to J'onn, since he's kind of like the psychologist of superheroes. He helped a lot." Conner paused. "The thing I never told anyone before him - I nearly dove into that spring too. I was about to, but I got a sharp pebble stuck in my foot, and I stopped to get rid of it. Then I just did a cannonball in instead. A tiny little change, and it could have been me instead. I had a really hard time dealing with the randomness of the whole thing."
Martha reached over and patted Conner on the back. She turned back to Clark and Lois. "Kara and I have been spending a lot of time talking lately, and I'd like to ask her if she wants to come back to Smallville with us. The house is mostly wheelchair-accessible - we'd need a ramp, but it's a one-floor farmhouse. She'd be able to get around the town fairly easily, more so than in Metropolis. She doesn't seem to have deep roots in Metropolis yet, from what she told me, so it might be easier for her to start over someplace new, rather than being back in Metropolis and being constantly reminded of how different her life is now. We could come up with a story like we did for Conner, give her a new identity and everything."
Lois cocked an eyebrow at Martha. "Isn't this kind of pushing the secret identity angle a bit far? I know Smallville's a small town, but first Clark's cousin arrives there shortly after Superboy appears on the scene, and now Clark has another cousin who happens to look exactly like Supergirl and have the same injury?"
"It's a small town." Martha waved her hand. "I'm pretty sure most people in Smallville know about Clark already, as many times as he's saved our lives. But they also respect his privacy and aren't going to do anything to harm him and his family. If they do know, they're not telling anyone, and I'm willing to bet that continues now."
Clark nodded. "I'm not worried about that, Ma. But are you sure you can handle this? Would you be strong enough to transfer her from bed to her wheelchair, for instance?"
"I've worked on a farm for all of my adult life, Clark. I've been running the farm myself since Jonathan passed away. I've lifted bales of hay heavier than her. I may be old, but I am anything but frail."
"And if Ma has any trouble, I'll be there to help." Conner said. "Kara and I don't really know each other all that well yet, but she's my family. I want to be there for her."
"Well, then, it's settled. I'll go talk to Kara." Martha stood up.
Kara was lying in bed, resting after a long session of wood-burning when Martha walked in and sat down in the chair at the side of the bed. Kara turned her head to see her.
Martha looked at the cat design on the block of wood. "It looks amazing."
"Oh...it's just a beginner design." Kara grinned. "I think I'm getting the hang of it."
"So you're getting out of here pretty soon. It must be a relief."
"Yeah. Well, sort of." Kara bit her lip. "I'm happy to get out of here, but at the same time...things aren't going to be the same. I really don't know what my next move is. I don't even know where I'm going, really."
"No, they're not going to be the same." Martha reached over to Kara's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "But this can be a chance to start over, if you want."
"How? Supergirl's finished, Aunt Martha."
"She might be. But Supergirl isn't all that you are. You're Kara Zor-El, and she's still got a lot going for her. An amazing mind, an amazing heart, and a lot of talent. You just need to figure out what you want to do with that. And if you'd like, Conner and I would love for you to come back to Smallville with us. It's a pretty good place to begin a new life."
"Really? Clark told me so much about Smallville. I always meant to visit more, but things were so crazy, and - "
"It can be your home, if you want. It won't be as bustling as Metropolis, of course, but we've got a nice town, a lot of kids your age, and you'd be able to get around pretty easily. I'd need to fix up the house a little for your wheelchair, but we have a guest bedroom that I can make up."
Kara nodded slowly. "I'd like that. I don't really know what there is for me in Metropolis anymore."
"You'll be back someday. I can just see you showing off that art of yours in some fancy Metropolis gallery one day. But for right now, it might be good to get away."
"Plus, no paparazzi in sight, right?"
"Right." Martha nodded. "I'm going to fly back to Smallville to take fix things up, but you call if you need anything, you hear? I'll be out as soon as I can."
"I will. Thanks, Aunt Martha."
"It's nothing." Martha leaned in and gave Kara a quick hug. "And you can call me Ma. All my kids do."
Kara nodded, grinning. It didn't change the facts of what had happened, or make her problems go away, but knowing she had family there for her seemed to make things a lot easier.
-----
Glenn Hayward had been running the Smallville Cinema for 32 years, ever since his father had passed away. He had met most of the citizens in that time, and knew most of their quirks. For instance, when Martha Kent came bearing homemade muffins, it was usually trouble. Because Martha Kent was always polite, but she rarely did anything halfway.
"I thought the kids might enjoy them. I made sure to include a few extra banana nut in your batch. That's Tabitha's favorite, right?"
"Right." Glenn nervously looked at the muffins. "Um, Martha, can I help you with something?"
"Oh, it's about the theater. You see, my niece Kara - from my mother's side - is going to be coming to live with me in a little over a week. She had an accident recently, and she's paralyzed from the shoulders down."
"The poor kid. How did it happen?"
"I'm sure she'll tell you if you ask. It's not really my place. But I'm sure she'd like to see movies when she's here." Martha pulled out a sheet of paper. "I just noticed a few minor changes to the layout of the place that need to be made, to make it accessible. Nothing too major, just widening doorways, installing a ramp at the front. There's a company in Gotham that's going to be picking up the bill for the supplies, don't worry. They have a construction division. The number is at the bottom of the sheet."
"Well, I suppose - "
"Great! Give Trish and the kids my love?"
"Of course..."
As Martha walked over to the truck, Glenn saw a stack of muffin baskets in the backseat. Looking down the street, he could see Tom at the diner, Hannah at the dress shop, and Mary at the library holding similar papers and muffin baskets. And it didn't look like Martha was anywhere near done. Yes, when Martha Kent had a mission, it was usually best to just take the muffins and nod.
-----
Kara's last few days in rehab were among her busiest. It seemed like as much was going on as in those first few days. By now, she felt fairly confident in going home. She could dial a cell phone or surf the internet with a mouthstick, drive her wheelchair pretty masterfully, and shrug her shoulders well enough to alleviate any stiffness. And now she had her customized wheelchair, which had arrived that morning. It was a world of difference from the bulky rehab model. It was sleek and painted a gorgeous sky blue on the sides. The cushions were contoured to fit her body, and a pair of molded armrests held her arms and hands neatly in place. The sip-and-puff interface was the newest model, making it much more responsive to her commands. A pair of small switches on the headrest allowed her to recline the chair or tilt it forward. For the tool that was going to be her way to navigate the world for the foreseeable future, it was as good as she could ask for.
There was a fluttering of the curtains behind her, and Kara gently blew into the straw to swivel the chair around as Cassie flew in the window.
"Cassie!" Kara grinned excitedly. "How was Paris?"
"You say that like I was vacationing, not beating up a giant ape and his robot brain partner." Cassie said as she looked Kara over. "But it was fine. God, you look gorgeous."
"Wheelchair chic?" Kara laughed.
"Well, you definitely do pull it off." Cassie said as she slipped her hand on top of Kara's. "But it's not just that. You seem..."
"Happy? I am. Closer than I've been in a long time, at least. I'm getting out of here, I've got a new home to go to - I'm going to be staying in Smallville for a while - and I've got an amazing family looking out for me. I feel like I can do this."
"Smallville, huh? Well, it won't be the first time I flew out to Kansas constantly..."
"Ew! Don't remind me that you used to date my sort-of brother!" Kara giggled. She quickly used the switch on her headrest to lean the chair forward, just far enough so she could surprise Cassie with a kiss.
"You ARE doing better." Cassie grinned. "Anyway! I brought stuff! I had just enough time to shop in Paris. Perfumes, DVDs, chocolates..."
Kara's face fell when Cassie pulled out the box of chocolates. Cassie looked from Kara, to the gift, and then it hit her. "Oh, God, K...I'm sorry. I didn't think - "
"It's okay." Kara looked down at her motionless arms. "It sucks, but I'm getting used to it. But you know...I really do miss chocolate. Do you think you could help me out?"
"Of course! I just don't want to screw it up. You'll tell me what to do?"
"Yeah, just open the box!" Kara grinned. Cassie did, and Kara eyed the assortment of French truffles. One of the perks of x-ray vision - you could spoil the surprise and find out what was in the center of each one. "Third one from the left. It's cherry."
Cassie picked up the chocolate and held it an inch or so from Kara's mouth. Kara leaned forward, taking a small bite. After sampling it, she grinned and leaned forward to take the rest, savoring the taste of cherry and chocolate in her mouth.
"Oh, man. That's so good."
"I knew you'd love them. Do you want another one?"
"A little later." Kara grinned. "Thanks. I sort of needed that."
"It's no problem." Cassie reached over and stroked Kara's cheek. "I know it seems strange now, but it'll get easier. And I'm always here to be your hands if you need me."
"I might take you up on that." Kara nodded. "And since you're here and I'm in a good place right now...I was thinking we could practice some other things."
"Like what?" Cassie leaned in as Kara whispered in her ear. "Oh. Oh!"
"I mean, I'm going to be in this chair for a while, so we may as well figure out how to use it for makeouts, right?" Kara smirked. Blowing into her straw, she scooted the chair forward slightly, knocking into Cassie's knees.
Cassie tentatively sat down in Kara's lap. "Okay, how do we do this?"
"Well, you're going to have to do most of the work, obviously. This chair is probably thin enough so you can straddle me."
Cassie swung her leg over, placing them on each side of Kara's chair. They were now face-to-face, and Cassie leaned in to give her girlfriend a passionate kiss. "Okay, so what now?"
"First, relax. You're not going to hurt me. Second, since I can't feel anything below my collarbone, most of our favorite kissing spots are down for repair." Kara pouted. "But I can still feel my head, neck, and shoulders. So I was thinking...I want you to kiss me everywhere. If I can feel it, I want it kissed. That way, we'll figure out what feels really good. You know, for future use."
"Sounds like a plan." Cassie grinned as she buried her face in Kara's neck, kissing it. She slowly moved her lips up the side, making her way to Kara's ear. Kara let out a small moan as Cassie kissed her earlobe.
"Okay, so that's one." Kara laughed. Cassie worked her way back down, running her finger along the line of Kara's collarbone to make sure of where the line of sensation was. Once Kara nodded, Cassie bent her head down and started softly kissing along the line. Kara bent her head down and kissed the top of Cassie's head. It felt so good to be with Cassie again, to have her kissing her like this. It felt...normal.
"Kara? I finished packing your things, so you should be ready to go when they - Oh!" Martha stopped suddenly when she walked into the room. Cassie and Kara's heads shot up in unison, both blushing beet red.
"Um...hi, Mrs. Kent." Cassie said sheepishly. "We were just - "
"I can see." Martha smiled knowingly. "We're probably going to have to have a talk about house rules in Smallville, but...I'm really happy for you two. I'll just leave these bags here."
Kara eyed Cassie as Martha left the room. "The mood's totally gone, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah." Cassie sighed. "But did that feel good? I want to know how to make you happy."
"It felt great. But you don't need to worry about that." Kara leaned in and touched her forehead to Cassie's. "Just being with you makes me happy. Without you, I never would have survived those first few weeks. Paralyzed or not, I consider myself lucky. Because I've got you."
Cassie wrapped her arms around Kara's neck and kissed her with the passion of an Amazon. Kara didn't know what the future would hold, but she knew that her beautiful warrior would be by her side. And for now, that would be enough.
-----
There were a lot of things they didn't teach you in rehab, things that you had to figure out for yourself. For instance, how to wake up your sort-of brother when he was sleeping late, you needed his help, and calling him three times hadn't worked. It took Kara a few minutes to get the handle on it, but by angling her chair right and using a carefully timed series of puffs and sips, she could swing it from side to side and deliver a pretty decent knock on Conner's door with the side of her footrests. Knocking on doors - solved.
Conner opened the door with a groan that could have easily come from the walking dead. "Nnnn...Kara?"
"Rao, you're sleeping late. What do they do at those Teen Titans parties, anyway?"
"None of your business." Conner thought for a second. "How the hell did you knock on my door, anyway?"
"I have my ways. Anyway! I was wondering if you could do me a favor."
"Sure, I guess. What do you need?"
"I want to do some wood-burning today, and I need someone to bring in the lumber from the back porch. I'd ask Ma, but it's pretty heavy and she seemed tired this morning. Plus, it's not like it would be much of a workout for you."
"Yeah, sure." Conner walked towards the back of the house, and Kara engaged her wheelchair and followed him. "So, how are you liking Smallville so far?"
"Pretty good, I guess. I haven't been out much yet. It's only been a week, so..."
"Well, if you feel up to it, I'll show you around on Monday after school. I'm busy with the Titans today, but this town's got some pretty cool stuff to see."
"That sounds great. I guess I'm still kind of nervous about being out of the house. I know how everything works in here. Out there, not so much."
"Yeah, but you don't want to hole up here forever." Conner walked outside, picked up the stack of lumber one-handed, and brought it into the house. "Besides, I'll be with you, ready to punch anyone who looks at you funny. No one messes with my family."
"I'd like that." Kara laughed. "Just set it down in the garage, okay? Stand it up with the cut side facing me."
Kara looked on as Conner arranged the pieces of wood for her, nodding her satisfaction when everything was in order.
"Have fun, Michaelangelo." Conner reached over and ruffled Kara's hair.
"Hey! Don't mess with my hair! It's not like I can comb it!" Kara laughed, shaking it back into place.
"Okay, okay! Noted! Anyway, I'm off to the Tower. Ma should be around if you need anything."
"I'm good. Once I start burning, I can go for hours. It's kind of addicting."
As Conner flew out of the house, Kara looked at the pieces of lumber in front of her. Placed together like this, there was probably enough room for her to start sketching out Argo City like she wanted. It had always been high on the list of things she wanted to paint, since she remembered it so vividly, and this would do. Focusing in on the central piece of wood, she began burning the outline of the town square into it.
Kara always found it easy to get lost in her art, and today was no exception. She didn't know how long it had been since she started, but it was long enough to burn detailed designed into half the pieces, and her eyes were starting to get tired. Besides, as she noticed when she finally turned off the heat vision, the temperature in the room had to have gone up 30 degrees from all the heat, and her forehead was dripping with sweat. Sitting in front of the air conditioner and watching TV for a while seemed like a good way to spend some time before continuing work. Preferably with a glass of Martha's homemade lemonade.
"Ma? Are you in there?" Kara drove her wheelchair over to the garage doorway, listening for a response. None came, and then suddenly there was a loud bang from the kitchen, followed by what sounded like arguing.
"Is everything okay up there?" Kara drove backwards a bit and focused her eyes towards the kitchen. Using her X-ray vision, she could see the outline of two people. One was Martha, but the other she didn't recognize. It was a man, about Conner's size, but his body language was all wrong. He seemed aggressive, angry. Cuing up her super-hearing, she listened in on the conversation.
"...Are you hearing me, you old bat? Where's the money?"
"...I told you, we have no money here! There's nothing for you! Please, just go!"
Kara gasped as the male figure backhanded Martha, sending her sprawling to the floor. This...person, whoever he was, had broken in while Conner was out and was threatening her family. She could hurt him - badly - with her heat vision, but then he would know exactly who she was and would have no problem exposing all of them. Martha needed her help, and she wasn't going to let her down. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what she could do with the limited movement she had, but she wasn't coming up with any ideas. But one way or another, this creep was NOT laying another hand on Martha.
"Come on, bitch! You've got to have something lying around the house. Jewelry or something. You want to live, give it to me!"
"Get away from her."
The thug turned around. He had the greasy, unkempt appearance of a drug addict, and the sadistic smirk of a sociopath. He eyed Kara with a mix of disgust and amusement. "Wait your turn, Miss Wheelchair Kansas. We can have some fun when I'm done here."
Kara felt her eyes burn with heat vision. She wanted to burn this creep, but she knew it would hurt a lot more than it would help. No, there might be another way...
"I said get away from her!" Kara quickly drove her wheelchair forward, slamming into the back of the robber. He was knocked to the side, away from Martha, but he was on his feet again as quickly. And now he was coming for her.
"What the hell, you crippled little bitch? You want to die?" He snarled as he charged her, grabbing her by the neck. Kara smiled inside. He had done exactly what she wanted. She had to time this perfectly. Too lightly, and he'd still be conscious. Too hard, and he'd die, and she didn't want that on her conscience.
Working the still-super-strong muscles she had in her neck and shoulders, Kara threw her head back, then forward, directly into the forehead of the criminal holding on to her. There was an audible crack as their heads collided, and he quickly fell backwards onto the ground unconscious. Quickly, she used her x-ray vision to scan his head. Still alive, no skull fracture, just a particularly severe concussion. It had worked. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.
"Kara? What did you..."
"It's okay, Ma. He's out. Are you okay? He hit you - "
"I'm fine! Just a bruise." Martha got to her feet and ran over to Kara, hugging her. "You had me so worried. I didn't know what - "
"I'm still invulnerable, Ma. Unless he had a Kryptonite knife or something. I'm fine." Kara looked around. "Do you have any rope around here? We need to tie him up until the police come. He should be out for a while, but we can't take any chances."
Martha nodded and headed to the garage to get the rope. Kara looked at the unconscious body of their attacker, and willed her heart to stop beating a mile a minute. For a minute there, she had felt truly helpless, unable to protect the people she loved. But not anymore. Paralyzed or not, she knew she was still Supergirl inside, and she could find a way to do almost anything. It may not have been fighting Silver Banshee over the streets of Metropolis, but evil had gotten a little reminder than you did not mess with her today.
-----
"Where the hell is he? I'll make sure he never tries anything like this again!"
"Conner, calm down." Martha sighed. "It looks a lot worse than it is."
"Looks worse? You've got a bruise on your face from where a robber punched you! How can it possibly not be as bad as it looks? I can probably track him down, and - "
"You don't need to. He's in jail. Kara took care of it."
Conner eyed Martha quizzically, but she just smiled and turned back to stirring the pot on the stove.
"She's in her room. You can ask her for the whole story if you want. I need to watch so this doesn't boil over."
Conner nodded and made his way to Kara's room, knocking on the door. Sticking his head in, he could see Kara at her computer, using her mouthstick to type an e-mail. She docked it in its holder when she saw him and turned her wheelchair towards the door.
"Hey, Kon. What's up?"
"Do I want to know how exactly you managed to protect Ma and take out a mugger today?"
"It's like I said earlier - I have my ways." Kara grinned. "I guess it's all about not thinking about what I can't do anymore, and trying to think about what I can do with a little creativity. Helps with waking you up, and situations like these."
Conner shook his head as he sat down in a chair near the door. "I don't know how you do it. If I was in your situation, I'm pretty sure I would have shut down early on. I know I try to appear like a tough guy, but I'm not nearly as strong as I let on."
"It's not like I'm Miss calm and collected all the time either. I had my breakdowns - lots of them. But I guess you never know what you're capable of until you have no choice but to face it."
"Well, one way or another, I wasn't here today. And you were, and you were able to save the day. That's amazing. If you ever need anything - seriously - you just tell me."
"I'll keep that in mind. I'm sure I'll think of something cool to extort out of you at some point...bro."
"No doubt in my mind...sis."
Kara grinned as Conner walked out of the room. Suddenly, she heard her e-mail inbox ping. Swiveling her chair around and grabbing her mouthstick with her teeth, she opened the new e-mail. It was from an encrypted address.
Kara -
Heard about your good work today. I guess it's true - no disability can keep a good hero down forever. You're still Supergirl. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
PS - If you want to talk training, get in touch with me. Batman knows how to reach me.
- O
"Whoa."
-----
"The Oracle? Really?"
"The Oracle!" Kara yelled, still slightly incredulous over the whole thing. The previous day's events were still swimming in her mind, and she had read the e-mail more than twenty times just to make sure she hadn't hallucinated the whole thing.
"Wow. That's epic." Cassie grinned as the two girls sat under the stars. "The whole thing is. I bet that guy's never going to live it down when his cellmate finds out he got his butt kicked by a girl in a wheelchair. So...are you going to take Oracle up on her offer?"
"Of course! I did a few missions for her before the accident, so she knows me. I don't know what kind of training she has in mind, but I can't wait to find out."
"If you become some kind of super cyber-hacker, I need you to promise me you'll hack Bombshell's Facebook page. She has it coming."
"Count on it." Kara paused. "I've been doing a lot of thinking about my next move lately. I've been doing a lot of hiding so far, and I want that to change. I've been thinking about giving Smallville High a shot. Conner goes there, so I'd have a familiar face to talk to."
"High school was kind of a disaster last time you tried, though, right?"
"Yeah, kind of." Kara laughed, recalling her ill-fated attempt to blend in shortly after she had come to Earth. "But that was me just putting on a costume and pretending to be normal. I really want to get to know people in Smallville, and this seems like the easiest way. Besides, I'm obviously going to test out of the math and science classes, but I don't really know much about this planet's History, or Literature yet. Besides, if I want to go to art school, I'll probably need a diploma."
There was a silence between the two girls for a few seconds, and then Kara spoke again.
"So...tomorrow I'm going back to STAR Labs. Wave four."
"Wave four? Didn't you say - "
"Yeah, this is it. They think they've taken the level of solar energy up as high as it can go. If this doesn't work..."
Cassie got up and sat in Kara's lap, resting her head on Kara's shoulder. "You want me to come with? For support?"
Kara nodded. "Yeah. But Cassie...whatever happens, I'm going to be okay. Don't worry about me. I'm done living my life like a cure is around the corner. If it comes, great. But if not, I'll move on. I've got my family, I've got my art, and I've got the greatest girlfriend in the world looking out for me."
Kara leaned forward and passionately kissed Cassie under the moonlight. It had been a long, hard road to get where she was now, and she did miss the way things used to be. Maybe the treatment would work, at least somewhat. She would love nothing more than to be able to lift her arms again, and wrap them around the girl who saved her life. But if they stayed motionless in their armrests, she'd find another way of showing Cassie how much she meant to her. Tomorrow brought a lot of questions with it, both the literal tomorrow and the figurative one, but she would face them both with the heart of a hero. Her body may have been paralyzed, but her spirit was not, and she knew that she could take on whatever life threw at her next.