Contributions to Society

Characters and Some Info

Chapter TeFandom: SuperGirl (TVShow), Arrow (TVShow), Flash (TVShow), Legends of Tomorrow (TVShow), Batwomen (TVShow)

Co-written with lrhaboggle

u/6270962/lrhaboggle

Genre: Horror

Rated: M

TV Show Timeline: March 1 2017-March 2032 (Alternate Universe of TVShow by CW)

Chapters: 24

Endings: 3

Cast

Team Supergirl

Kara Zor El aka Kara Danvers aka Supergirl (Alien Race: Kryptonian) / Age: 26-Year-Old

James Olsen aka Guardian (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 36-Year-Old

J'onn J'onzz aka Martian Manhunter (Alien Race: Green Martian) / Age: 300-Year-Old

Doctor Eliza Danvers (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 50-Year-Old

Nia Nal aka Dreamer (Alien Race: Human-Naltorian Hybrid) / Age: 26-Year-Old

Alex Danvers (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

Lena Luthor (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 26-Year-Old

Maggie Sawyer (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

Winn Schott (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

Cat Grant (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 40-Year-Old

M'gann M'orzz aka Megan (Alien Race: White Martian) / Age: 300-Year-Old

Team Flash

Barry Allen aka The Flash (Alien Race: Human)

Cisco Ramon aka Vibe (Alien Race: Human)

Doctor Caitlin Snow aka Killer Frost (Alien Race: Human)

Joe West (Alien Race: Human)

Iris West (Alien Race: Human)

Ralph Dibny aka Elongated Man (Alien Race: Human)

Cecille Horton (Alien Race: Human)

Harrison Sherloque Wells (Alien Race: Human)

Nora West Allen aka XS (Alien Race: Human)

Team Arrow

Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow (Alien Race: Human)

Felicity Smoak aka Overwatch (Alien Race: Human)

Dinah Drake aka Black Canary (Alien Race: Human)

John Diggle aka Spartan (Alien Race: Human)

Helena Bertinelli aka The Huntress (Alien Race: Human)

Laurel Lance aka Black Canary (Alien Race: Human)

Thea Queen aka Speedy (Alien Race: Human)

Quentin Lance (Alien Race: Human)

Team Legend

Sara Lance aka White Canary (Alien Race: Human)

Mick Rory aka Heat Wave (Alien Race: Human)

Zari Tomaz (Alien Race: Human)

Mona Wu aka Wolfie (Alien Race: Human)

Nate Heywood aka Steel (Alien Race: Human)

Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold (Alien Race: Human)

Ray Palmer aka The Atom (Alien Race: Human)

Planet Earth 38's Public

Lex Luthor (Alien Race: Human)

Lenny Thorul (Alien Race: Human)

Lois Lane (Alien Race: Human)

Lyra Strayd (Alien Race-Valerian)

Unnamed Female Infernian (Alien Race: Infernian) "Friend of Lyra Strayd"

Unnamed Female Almeracian (Alien Race: Almeracian) "Friend of Lyra Strayd"

Unnamed Female Maaldorian (Alien Race: Maaldorian) "Friend of Lyra Strayd"

Cho Leung (Alien Race: Human)

Samuel Sam Lane Wife (Alien Race: Human)

Unnamed Male Infernian (Alien Race: Infernian)

Unnamed Male Almeracian (Alien Race: Almeracian)

Unnamed Male Maaldorian (Alien Race: Maaldorian)

Unnamed Male Human (Alien Race: Human)

Midvale Middle Student Josie (Alien Race: Human)

Actor Dimitri Lind (Alien Race: Human)

Midvale Middle Student Rick Malverne (Alien Race: Human)

Midvale Middle Student Vicki Donahue (Alien Race: Human)

Alien National City University Student (Alien Race: ?)

Paul Nal (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 45 Year Old

Maeve Nal (Alien Race: Human-Naltorian Hybrid) / Age: 31-Year-Old "Older Sister of Nia Nal"

Planet Earth 38's Government

Android Querl Dox aka Brainiac 5 (Alien Race: ) / Age: 28-Year-Old

DEO Agent Vasquez (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

DEO Agent Hartmann (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

DEO Agent Reiff (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

DEO Agent Wolf (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

DEO Agent Raymond Jensen (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

DEO Agent Taylor (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 28-Year-Old

DEO Doctor Amelia Hamilton (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 45-Year-Old

US Army Lauren Haley (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 45-Year-Old

US Army Lucy Lane (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 45-Year-Old

US Army Samuel Sam Lane (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 45-Year-Old

Olivia Marsdin (Alien Race: Durlan) / Age: 45-Year-Old

Cadmus

Lillian Luthor (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 55-Year-Old

Otis Graves (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 45-Year-Old

Eve Teschmacher (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 45-Year-Old

Universe Food

Unnamed (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 35-Year-Old

Unnamed (Alien Race: Human) / Age: 35-Year-Old

                                             Chapter 1: A New Friend (Date: March 1 2017 9pm)

"Kara Danvers?" Kara whipped around to find herself face to face with a handsome gentleman in a dark red suit.

"Lenny Thorul?" she guessed. The man smiled in return, an obvious "yes".

"Pleased to meet you," he said, extending a hand. Kara shook it willingly, wearing a smile to match his own.

"Likewise!" she said. "Shall we take a seat?" she gestured to one of several empty tables behind them. They were currently standing in the doorway of a quiet little bar towards the edge of National City. It was a quaint, cute little place, and Kara appreciated how empty it was. It was nice and quiet!

"Of course," Lenny bowed his head in a playful politeness. Kara laughed a little before leading him towards a table in the back corner.

Kara and Lenny had been in correspondence for a few months now and it was all thanks to their mutual friendship with Alex Danvers, Kara's older (human) sister. Apparently, Lenny was a fellow DEO agent, though he was serving at a different base. But even though he and Alex were serving at different DEO sites, they had worked together on a mission once and been friends ever since. It was only recently that Lenny learned that Alex had a younger sister, and even more recently that said sister was also the famous Kryptonian hero named Supergirl. Kara had been a bit surprised to hear that Alex had told Lenny her secret identity, but Lenny was able to assure her that Alex had only told him, and this was because he was an old and trusted friend. No one else at his DEO site knew the truth about Supergirl's civilian identity, only him.

Shortly after Lenny realized who Alex's younger sister truly was, it became his biggest dream to get to meet her in person.

"Isn't it everyone's dream to meet the legendary Girl of Steel?" he asked playfully as he and Kara sipped on their beers. "I'm just lucky that I had a direct connection to you," he added with a chuckle, raising his bottle.

"Well, normally I wouldn't meet just anyone that Alex happened to know," Kara laughed back as she raised her own bottle. "You just seemed like a nice guy and I figured that it wouldn't hurt to finally get to meet you face to face. I'm always up for making a new friend! It's a pity Alex couldn't come along though…" just for a moment, Kara's face grew sad. She had wanted this little outing to consist of three people and not just two, but the way schedules worked out, Lenny was only available during the time when Alex wasn't.

"I can see her another time," Lenny said casually. "I've met her in person several times before, actually," he added. "We may have only worked together once, but we are not strangers. You and I, though?"

"Not anymore," Kara replied with a smirk as she took another sip of her beer. "You can cross "meet Supergirl" off your bucket list!"

"I wonder if I can cross "get her autograph" off the list too?" Lenny asked with a laugh.

"Oh, I suppose I could do that…" Kara replied, pretending as though Lenny had asked a great burden from her.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, the two simply laughing and chatting over DEO life, and Alex. But somewhere into Kara's third beer, she began to feel a bit woozy. In the minutes to come, the wooziness got stronger and stronger.

"I think I might be drunk!" she giggled, looking very uncoordinated and silly.

"Maybe it's time we get you home then, huh?" Lenny asked warmly back. "Can't have your sister raking me across the coals for keeping you out past your bedtime and then bringing you home White-Girl Wasted, right?"

"It is not past my bedtime!" Kara tried to whine, but when she tried to point an accusing finger at Lenny, her arm dropped to the table.

"Drunker than I thought!" Lenny laughed again, but to Kara, it sounded like he was speaking from underwater. It was strange. And why did she feel so woozy and weird?...

For just a second, Kara felt a flash of fear, and she went to shake her head to try and wake up a little bit, but it suddenly felt immensely heavy. Even that one simple gesture made her feel weak and tired. Her entire body felt as though it were melting, and no part of her body would physically respond to her. She couldn't even shake her head, or raise her arm! She was totally paralyzed and woozy. Before she could realize that this was beyond a typical drunkenness, though, her mind followed in her body's footsteps and it too stopped responding.

                                             Chapter 2: Slaughterhouse (Date: March 2 2017 12am)

The next time Kara woke up, she was naked and strapped to an operating table, an IV drip in her arm and a red sunlamp over her head. In the IV bag was clear substance, little gold flecks floating inside of it. She woke up violently but, because of the sunlamp, found herself powerless to do more than squirm. None of her powers worked and she was as weak as a normal human, meaning that the straps holding her to the table were working. Even though she was weak, tired and woozy, however, she continued to thrash.

"I don't see why you insist upon wasting your time and energy. You're only going to make yourself upset, trying to do that. But you won't get out. I can assure you of that," an eerily pleasant voice behind Kara suddenly began to speak. She tilted her head back as much as she could and was horrified to find herself looking into the dark and sadistically delighted eyes of Lex Luthor.

"Impossible!" she breathed, so stunned by Lex's appearance that she forgot that she was totally naked.

"Ah-ah," Lex waggled a finger in mock chastisement. "Not impossible," he said. "Just improbable. But as low as the odds were, I still had a chance, and I  know  how to make the best of my chances," the smile he gave her was chilling.

"How?" the fear in her voice was palpable as, just for a second, she lost all pretense of trying to act brave.

"How?" he asked back, showing off more of his teeth as his smile widened sickeningly. "Why, Ms. Danvers, I am so glad you asked!" then, he proceeded to explain, gloating over her as his sick and twisted plan unfolded before her eyes.

Lex had been coming and going from his jail cell for months now, him having since bribed the guards into letting him leave every once in a while. During one of his many outings, he ran into an old friend and associate of his, Lenny Thorul. Lenny, like Lex, had been a vehemently anti-alien man. He still held those same hateful views, but he had been relatively inactive and underground ever since Lex was imprisoned. Now that Lex was free again, though, it didn't take much to persuade him to hop back onto the old bandwagon of attempting to wipe out every little last alien species from the planet until only a pure human race remained.

During his time in jail, Lex had come up with an ingenious new plan that was far more subtle than anything he had previously concocted. All he needed to set that plan in motion was a human who was safely on the outside of things. That human was, of course, Lenny. Stupid, devoted, determined, and perfectly obedient, Lenny. So while Lex still spent most of his time locked away, Lenny never rested, constantly out and busy, doing the Luthor's dirty work. He bought up an abandoned factory and fixed up the machines until everything was up and running again. This time, though, what used to be an old slaughterhouse for common farm animals was remodeled into a nightmarish laboratory that could contain and clone Kryptonians. As soon as that lab was done, Lex then commanded Lenny to go and find Supergirl and gain her trust in any way he knew how. He had chosen the lie that he was a mutual friend of Supergirl's' dear, beloved sister: Alex. The rest was history.

"And that's how he knew so much about the DEO!" Kara breathed in horror and disbelief.

"Correct," Lex said smugly. "He is quite the actor! I can't believe he even managed to get you to meet him up at a bar even after You Accepted His Invite!" the mad scientist added with a cackle. "I thought for sure that a girl like you would've had the brains to avoid a first meeting like that, but I suppose that being an invulnerable, perfect little Kryptonian has given you a god-complex, a false sense of security. I like that," he paused to smile serenely at Kara.

"How deliciously ironic it is," he mused. "I was always told that my pride was what caused my fall. Had I not overshot and overstepped my boundaries, I would've been happy. But now look! Supergirl! The hero of the world, second only to Superman, has made the very same fatal flaw that once ensnared me. You and I have the same foolish pride. The only difference is that your mistake will be much more permanent than mine…"

"You're crazy!" Kara tried to bluff bravely. "Someone will know that I am gone and they will come looking for me and-"

"Ha! Oh, Kara, my dear, no one will come looking for you! Lenny has taken care of that," Lex turned his head to the right and Lenny himself stepped out of the shadows, grinning twistedly up at Kara. Kara felt an unspeakable fury start to burn in her chest the moment she looked into those warm brown eyes once again only to see a bragging sort of triumph within them. That sick, little-

"You see, Kara, it was simple!" Lenny began, voice suddenly cruel and demeaning. "That little bar I invited you to was no normal bar. Didn't you ever stop to ask even once why it was so quiet and clean? No normal bar is quite that empty! Especially not at night!"

"What are you talking about?" Kara snarled as it suddenly occurred to her that he was right. She had considered that bar to be quaint, charmed by its small and quiet group. She hadn't even thought that such a small number of people should've been a red flag.

"That is because, my dear, stupid Kryptonian, that was an anti-alien bar. Don't you ever even do your research? Or is your god-complex so big that you think you can just waltz in to any old place and think that you are safe?"

"Anti-alien bar?" Kara echoed, anger turning into horror and revulsion. Lenny only nodded back at her, grinning gleefully.

"Yeah! Everyone there despises aliens with a passion! It's why they wouldn't address you, or I. They knew who you were too. Oh! Perhaps they didn't quite make the connection that you were Supergirl, but they knew you were an alien."

"But how?" Kara could only shake her head.

"It's because I told them, duh!" Lenny cried in disdain. "I am Lex Luthor's right-hand man! Of course I would know where to find an anti-alien hub. That bar is one of them. Now, it's unofficial, of course, but that means nothing. That is a spot notorious for anti-alien folks to meet up and discuss. I am amazed you didn't realize that sooner! But no matter. It made my job easier. All I had to do was let the bartender know who you were, what you looked like and when you'd come. Then, once you arrived, every drank you had that night was laced with Red Kryptonite."

"Red Kryptonite!" Kara echoed in horror as she remembered how weak she had felt after her third beer. It hadn't been a normal drunken stupor, it had been the Red Kryptonite, weakening her system.

"Yup!" Lenny smiled. "Once you were full of the stuff, it was easy for me to cart you away. And remember, since the entire bar despised you. Or rather, what you were, I had no trouble in receiving help. I had one of the patrons take your phone and drive it off to an abandoned gas station halfway into the next state while the others helped me load you up, up and away! Good luck hoping that someone will be able to find you now, sweetheart! We intend upon keeping you here for a while. Lex, after all, still has quite a few plans for you."

"Yes," Lex agreed with his assistant. Then he looked smugly back down at Kara once again.

"You see, Ms. Danvers," he began. "I am a changed man. Really I am! I have come to see aliens in a new way and I have come to realize that they still have quite a lot that they can offer me, and the rest of humanity. For although aliens are only second class citizens they can still-"

"Shut up!" Kara snarled, starting to thrash again as Lex dared to insult her like that, but he only put a finger to his lips before continuing calmly, ignoring Kara's rude interruption of his speech.

"That they can still make great contributions to society!" there was bravado in his voice as he said this, and it threw Kara off guard.

"Contributions to society?" she demanded. "What do you mean?" she was certain that he did not mean this in a way half as benevolent as he was pretending, but she could not figure out what he meant by this.

"You and your talents have inspired me," Lex replied calmly. "And now I intend upon using that inspiration, those noble traits of yours, and amplifying it a billion-fold!" he grinned mysteriously.

"So what are you going to do now?" Kara continued to demand bravely, finally starting to catch onto his evil little scheme. "Are you going to try and clone me and hope that you'll somehow get away with building a Kryptonian army?" she continued to struggle against her restraints.

"Close, Kara, close," Lex replied gently. But his voice hardened as he gestured for Lenny to approach her.

"But not close enough..." and before Kara knew what was happening, something else was being injected into her arm. More Red Kryptonite. It was then that she realized that the stuff in the IV bag was Gold Kryptonite, a permanent power-remover. Kara's panic and efforts to escape redoubled.

"Now, now, Kara, you surely don't want to spend the rest of your life squealing like a piglet, do you? After all, your legacy isn't over! I am going to make you a star, and you are still going to make many more wonderful contributions to society, just as you always have before. The people of Earth will love you for it!" Lex taunted her merrily, but Kara was thrashing around so violently that she didn't hear him at all. Lenny, however, did, and he laughed sadistically.

"Are we ready, boss?" he asked. Lex nodded once and Lenny gleefully scurried over to a large switch on one of the far walls of the lab. He yanked the switch down hard and, suddenly, the entire laboratory came to life. But while the ex-slaughterhouse took its first breath, Kara took her last.

                                             Chapter 3: Universe Food (June 2 2017-Dec 2017)

Over the next few months, every DEO site in the country went mad trying to find Supergirl. When no results were yielded, every other government agency was called into play and, soon, even international and intergalactic organizations were enlisted, but not a single soul could find a single clue about the whereabouts of the missing Kryptonian. No one on Earth or in space had any idea where Kara had gotten to and it didn't matter how hard anyone looked, nothing ever came of it.

"Alex..." James Olsen approached the broken DEO agent with a tender and agonized expression.

"Don't," Alex croaked back, voice full of pain and fury. She would've spoken louder, but after Kara went missing, it was like she had died as well, her own strength vanishing entirely. She couldn't even turn around to look at him as he entered her little office.

"I'm sorry," James replied, then he took a seat opposite of Alex's and simply held her hand. No more words were spoken, but none were needed. Instead, Alex's hand only lay limply in James' as the two old friends silently grieved their beloved Kara Danvers.

Back at CatCo, for the first time ever, someone caught Cat Grant crying. She was silent, and almost motionless, but every once in a while, she would wipe at her eyes, or her shoulders would convulse. That was how Winn Schott knew that she was grieving.

"Ms. Grant?" he asked, voice consoling, even though his own eyes were red and swollen.

"Mr. Schott, you had better have your transcript ready for me this time," Cat replied, voice totally devoid of emotion. But she would not meet his eyes and that was how Winn knew just how deeply her heart was aching. Maybe Cat could lie with face and voice, but her eyes could never lie. Winn opened his mouth to say more, but at the sight of his miserable-looking boss, he felt his own throat close up and he quickly left her office before collapsing in his own, muffling his cries with his hand as he whimpered Kara's name.

"Please, Supergirl, come back! We need you!... I... need you..." but Kara was not going to be coming home any time soon, and everyone's mourning carried on.

Even Lena Luthor got in on the action, enlisted to try and help find Supergirl. Not long after, then, she was told by Winn that her beloved Kara Danvers had gone missing as well. Lena nearly ran L-Corp into the ground after that, using every little last resource to try and find the two missing women. It did no good.

"I don't care!" she cried when another one of her workers warned her about how low the company was on funding. Even though she knew he was right, she didn't want to hear it. She would sooner see L-Corp go bankrupt than surrender the search for Supergirl and, more importantly to her, Kara Danvers.

"Money is nothing compared to a life!" she continued to thunder. "And until we can find them again and bring them both home, safe and sound, L-Corp will continue to work full speed ahead to try and find them!" so Lena continued to flush millions of dollars down the drain in a vain attempt to find Supergirl and Kara. It didn't work. No one on Earth had any clue where the Girl of Steel had gone.

J'onn had left Earth entirely, joining a squadron hunting the stars and nearby planets for Supergirl. Superman was part of that group too, but they were making about as much progress as anyone down at CatCo or the DEO. J'onn would never admit it, but the loss of one of the two girls he considered a daughter was a blow so devastating to his soul that there were some nights when he genuinely wondered if ending it all wouldn't be the better option.

"I failed her," he murmured softly, sadly. "It should've been me who died. God, how I wish it had been..."

The rest of the country wasn't faring too much better. Supergirl had been a national symbol, and icon of hope. For her to have gone so completely missing was a crushing blow to everyone in America. But even so, the people of the world were strong, and they fought hard to keep their heads up just as their superhero would've wanted them to. Every citizen played their part in staying strong and hopeful, for Supergirl's sake. And even various large-scale agencies and companies invested in the mourning and grieving processes, sometimes offering some of their goods and services for free in the name of the hero who had so freely given her own self to them, time and time again.

Leading the charge was a relatively new company called Universe Food. It was a fast-food chain, but it had since garnered massive respect from the public eye, firstly for being so charitable, secondly for being so supportive in the wake of Supergirl's disappearance, thirdly for being a "human-run enterprise with a strong belief that aliens CAN make great contributions to society" and fourthly for having really great burgers. It would never quite gain the mainstream attention that McDonalds had as a cultural icon, but Universe Food quickly dominated the country and all who ate there was all in agreement that the burgers were sublime. Or, as the cheesy tagline said, they were "OUT OF THIS WORLD!" Never had the planet seen such human-alien cooperation before in light of Supergirl's disappearance. It was the start of a new era, for better and for worse.

In the days to come, Universe Food invited the press to test their launch lineup of food. National City's press was beyond amazed and delighted with the results. One of the city's top food critics ate all the burgers and meat pies and stated in his review, "It's the best burger I've ever eaten, light but filling, sweet and crispy and sour and juicy all at once. Your taste buds will dance and sing as they are treated richly with each and every warm, filling bite!" and he approved greatly of the "special sauce" really used to spice up the burger's flavor. He gave it 4.5 stars out of 5, and for someone like him, that was incredibly generous.

All the other news companies in National City quickly followed suit and, each and every time, every little last reporter and critic fell in love with the mysterious new diner's AMAZING burgers. One writer for CatCo decreed that the burgers were even better than a "Grade A" meal, and that Universe Foods deserved an A++++++++!

And various doctors around the city had to admit that the burgers were surprisingly healthy. Of course, they weren't perfect, but they were noted to increase muscle mass and strength and endurance in any of its eaters, which was quite the impressive claim for any fast food joint to make. The only difference was, Universe Food could actually, legitimately make that claim. Their food really did cause their customers to grow stronger, and many doctors attested to it.

"The meat is delicious! Whatever animal it comes from, it certainly packs a punch! It's flavorful and outrageously healthy for a burger!" one doctor had declared, while devouring a Universe Food meat pie. "Everyone should try it!" he added, though his voice was somewhat muffled by the pie, which he was still devouring hungrily. He was far from the only one who thought this way.

Countless other reviews, from every sort of person and posted on every sort of social platform, all said similar things about the new and mysterious burger joint:

"Universe Food has the best burgers in the world!"

"Favorite snack of all time!"

"So cheap and simple, yet so delicious and wonderful!"

"Best burger meat of all time!"

"Far better than McDonalds or BK!"

"I don't know what their secret recipe is, but it's no secret that Universe Food is the BEST!"

Over the next few months, Universe Food continued to grow in size, power and popularity, gaining notoriety and money faster than any restaurant before it ever had. But even though Universe Food was thriving, that could not totally offset the gloom that came with knowing that the Girl of Steel was still missing.

"I can't believe you got us Universe Food," Alex remarked one night as Winn stopped by with a bagful of burgers and meat pies. She was still grieving terribly over the loss of her little sister, but she was trying to put on a brave face for everyone else.

"What?! It's a new place and it's done so much for Supergirl's memory that I think it's only fair we give it a try," he replied with a sad smile.

"Big Belly Burger was better," James replied, but his voice was hollow, no humor at all in it.

"Just shut up and eat," Winn sighed as he tossed everyone their burger. J'onn, Eliza, Lena and Cat were also in attendance, though none of them were even speaking. As much as some of them hated to admit it, though, the burgers were pretty good.

"It is delicious," Alex admitted as she took another giant bite of her sandwich.

"It really is!" James agreed, sounding genuinely surprised at how much better Universe Food tasted compared to any other fast food joint or burger place he'd ever been to before. One would think that all low-down places like that would taste similar, but no, something about Universe Food was just too darn good to deny!

"Whatever animal it may be from, it's amazing!" Lena murmured as she dug into a meat pie.

"Agreed!" Winn was already on his second burger.

"Rip-off Big Belly Burger," Cat replied, but no one missed how hungrily she was devouring her own.

"Wonder what's in it?" Eliza mused sadly. She still sometimes felt too sick and sad to eat, but for the sake of her remaining daughter, she ate. If only Kara could've been here... She would've loved these burgers! In fact, she probably would've downed a dozen of them and still be hungry for more! A bittersweet tear rolled down Eliza's cheek as she thought about her younger daughter.

It made her feel good, though, to think that this burger joint was doing their best to try and help the country through one of its darkest hours. Perhaps that sounded silly to say out loud, a burger joint offering America hope and comfort, but it was true! The corporation donated a large portion of its profit to various charities across the country, especially charities that were for pro-alien organizations. It made Eliza feel a little bit better to watch a pro-alien company soar through the ranks, and it gave her hope that someday, the world would see peace once again...

"This burger meat is far superior to whatever pink paste is in McDonald's patties!" Cat suddenly decreed, startling Eliza from her sad reveries. Around her and Cat, the others laughed, but they were all in agreement with what she had said. It was the start of a new era for the fast food industry, and as Eliza secretly hoped as well, it would be the start of a new era for human-alien cooperation too. It was the least they deserved after all the tragedy they'd suffered through with the loss of Kara and Supergirl…

'''                                             Chapter 4: Merry Christmas? (Dec 25 2017 5pm)'''

There was still no sign of Supergirl or her reporter friend, Kara Danvers. There wasn't even the tiniest of hints to suggest where either of them had been before the time of their disappearance. As such, by the time Christmas rolled around in National City, it was a very cold day indeed. And it was the hardest Christmas Alex had ever been forced to endure. Even though Cat threw a private party in her fancy house just a few miles from the city, the only guests being those who had known Kara well, Alex still found it hard to see a Christmas without her precious baby sister there with her. Without Kara there, was it really a merry Christmas?

"Cheer up, Alex, it's Christmas!" Winn murmured to her as she and Eliza arrived at Cat's house. He, James, Lena, J'onn, Maggie (Alex's new girlfriend) and Lyra (Winn's new girlfriend) were the other attendees.

"I'll try," she muttered, not sounding very excited. She trudged sadly, slowly, into Cat's house. The first thing she was aware of was not the smell of a roast or a ham or even a turkey, but of-

"Burgers?" Alex let out a bark of laughter despite her grief.

"It's a Christmas charity," James explained to her. "Universe Food was doing some sort of Christmas thing where, for every burger bought, they donate some money and a batch of Christmas cookies to various pro-alien charities…" but Alex still couldn't stop a laugh at the humor of seeing a beautiful table covered in gorgeous decor surrounded by all sorts of Christmas treats only for the centerpiece to be a giant silver tray of burgers.

"They have a Christmas line," Cat frowned as Alex continued to snicker at the comical sight of fast food on a silver platter. Then she pointed to the tray of meat pies. Those looked a bit fancier and nicer, and as Alex would soon find out, they really were holiday themed, so to speak. While the burgers were just burger, like always, the meat pies came in more creative flavors, reminiscent of chicken, turkey, ham, roast and all the other things people normally ate on Christmas.

For almost an hour, the small family gathered around Cat's fancy mahogany table to eat, drink and be merry (or at least, as merry as possible). While they dined upon ever meaty delicacy Universe Food had to offer, they traded memories about Kara and tried to bring her good cheer into their hearts again so that this Christmas could still be a merry one after all.

"She was always such a stupid, foolish girl!" Cat shook her head as she ate a Double Meat Burger. "She had so much promise and potential, yet she never seemed to see it herself, always lowering herself to standards she was already so much higher than!"

"I never knew her that well, but I know that Winn was fond of her, and I myself hold her in great esteem. She seemed like a good and kind person," Lyra nodded as she munched absentmindedly on a turkey-flavored meat pie. "And Supergirl was, cliche though it may be to say it, my hero. I held so much respect and admiration for her. She was definitely a great loss for this country…"

"And Supergirl was so much like her cousin," James agreed as he moved onto his third burger. "I know Supergirl hated to be compared to him, but she had all the strength, courage, honor and heart that he did, I am honored to say that I was her friend. And I am just as honored to call Kara a friend as Supergirl."

"Same," a bittersweet smile spread across Winn's face as he played with his meat pie sadly. "Kara never failed to make me laugh. She was just the sweetest girl! And my favorite memory of Supergirl was when she saved me from myself, and from Myriad…" Winn paused as his bittersweet smile became even more bitter at this memory. It was only thanks to her strength that he'd been able to overcome Myriad's brainwashing. It was now his greatest regret that he had failed to save her, even though she had saved him...

"She was like a daughter to me," J'onn said next once Winn finished sharing his memory of Kara. "I was so proud to have known her and it will always be my greatest pride, getting to serve with her," he murmured as he slowly at his meat pie.

"And Kara was my daughter," Eliza agreed as she ate her own burger. "Not by blood, but she was just as much my child as Alex is…" she turned to her surviving daughter with a pained look and Alex began to cry, unable to share her own memory because of the grief it caused her. Maggie held Alex gently, kissing and caressing her before talking about how much Kara had meant to her as well.

"She was so welcoming of me, Kara was," Maggie said. "She was over the moon when she found out Alex and I were dating, and I have never received such a warm reception before in my life! I will never forget that… or her."

"Kara was my best friend," now it was Lena's turn. "I loved her more than anything, more than words can ever say. She trusted and welcomed me when no one else would. Her spirit and her faith are the things I will remember and miss most about her. I was so lucky to have met someone as kind and trusting as she… And Supergirl, herself, has saved me several times as well, thanks to Kara's faith in me, prompting Supergirl to feel the same. I would do anything to bring them back!"

And the group continued to speak on behalf of Kara's memory, continuing to eat their burgers and meat pies throughout the entire conversation.

Lyra chuckled as she sank her teeth into her Double Meat MeatPie. It was warm and fresh and flavorful and delicious. The gravy was like nectar and the meat was nice and chewy and salty and warm. The crust was fresh and crispy, the filling was rich, what more could she have possibly wanted?!

Cat, as she sank her teeth into the first of her Double Meat Burgers, said "Delicious!" Her burger, like Lyra's, was warm and fresh, bursting with goodness. The Sauce was like sweet and the meat was nice and juicy. The salty sweetness was a perfect combination!

Lena slurped up some of the gravy from her meat pie, looking content for the first time in months. The food sat richly in her stomach, warm, and she couldn't stop a smile as she reached for another meat pie.

"I should stop," she told herself, but she didn't. Instead, she indulged, and with Kara's face in her mind, she continued to chow down on the warm, salty, meaty goodness sitting on her plate before her. Kara would've devoured an entire plate in mere seconds, so tonight, in her honor and memory, Lena was going to let loose and do the same and eat as much as she wanted to, no regrets, just indulgence.

Winn, James and Maggie were experimenting with the sauces and gravy, slathering on the meaty goodness and trading flavors. It was enough to even make Alex and Eliza laugh as their friends invented "new" flavors, by mashing everything up together and calling it a meal.

"That's what we call a stir fry," J'onn teased them, but he stole some of the strange mash Winn, James and Maggie had made and seemed quite pleased with the taste. Alex stole a bit of it next, snatching it right out of Maggie's hand playfully.

"Hmmm," she murmured as she licked her fingers clean. "Not entirely terrible!" and for the first time in a long time, the guests of the table began to laugh. It was still freezing cold outside, but the temperature inside was starting to warm up once again. Maybe it really could be a Merry Christmas after all…