Look Before You Leap

Notes: Find me on Tumblr at spoopercorp and on AO3 as Local_Asshole.

Summary: Maggie always had a bit of a problem with Kara - with Supergirl - but this incident? Wow, it takes the cake.

"Danvers is down!" Maggie shouted into her earpiece, a panicked sound strangling her throat and constricting her lungs, "I need a med evac for Agent Danvers and her team! They're situated behind cover at Noonan's!"

An earsplitting bestial roar temporarily rendered her ears to deafen, the sound's vibrations so powerful it shook her head into a vexing ache.

"Supergirl," she called into her device.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on at your end, is that krypto monster-"

She was interrupted with a distant crack, and she heard it enough to know it was the breaking of a sound barrier as she glanced over the counter of a bar just in time to see a blur of blue and red whiz past the missing wall of Noonan's.

"You idiot!" Maggie growled, frustration contorting her face into a scowl, "What the hell are you doing! You're supposed to be keeping your distance and distracting it, if anything at all!"

A moment later, the same blur whizzed the opposite direction and landed into the fallen debris of several buildings harshly.

"What the hell did I tell you?" Maggie scolded.

She sprinted outside to the streets, scanning the wreckage of bodies and chunks of concrete littering the area until her eyes darted to a familiar red cape.

The detective stumbled over the rubble, rocks big and small, and by the time she got to her destination, she saw Kara rise from the ashes, dusting herself off ungracefully and coughing out dust.

She gripped her arm before the superhero could fly off again.

"Let go of me, Mags."

"No!" she protested, squeezing tighter to solidify her argument, "You never look before you leap! That thing could kill you!"

"'Cause I can fly!" came the vehement retort, "Besides! The more it uses its kryptonite, the weaker it gets!"

Maggie glanced behind her, grip still firm, watching as the miniature, but still towering, Doomsday-looking kryptonite beast limped towards them.

"Just 'cause that glowing green porcupine is weakening doesn't mean you aren't either!" she shot back, noticing the shallow bleeding cuts scattered throughout the once immaculate suit, nasty bruises covering the blue-eyed face and probably her entire body, "You're not invin-"

"Move!" Kara warned, shoving Maggie behind her before unleashing a powerful azure stream of heat vision, the neon beam making contact with the sickly green laser shooting out of the monster's pulsating chest.

Maggie watched, frozen, as Supergirl's stance faltered and her strength left her body, until finally, she shut her eyes and leapt, making way for the green laser to cut up a path into the street.

The detective huffed in worry, shuffling through the rocks to aid Kara, on all fours, panting with exhaustion.

"I think I blew out my powers."

"Again. You're an idiot!" Maggie groaned, heaving the blonde up until she leaned against her supportive shoulders.

"Wait."

"What is it now?" the detective complained.

"What is it doing?"

"Huh?"

She turned to see that the beast curled into a ball, showcasing its array of kryptonite spikes in varied sizes.

Maggie quirked a brow, "Why the hell are the shards sinking into its bo-"

Kara registered what was about to happen first, shifting their bodies so that her own back faced the beast.

A split second later, several whistles zoomed into the air, and kryptonite blades embedded themselves into Kara.

She stumbled against Maggie at the shock of pain, the shards tearing her skin open and making themselves comfortable in her muscles.

The ache radiated from her right leg, traveling to the entirety of her back and her right arm, the burning of the kryptonite working to bring unfathomable pain throughout her entire body.

Kara cried out when another barrage of sharp and unbearable agony flourished every surface of her flesh.

Then she fell, a panicked Maggie dragging her bloodied body away from the crossfire as backup arrived.

Kara's eyes fluttered open to see two figures standing before her, their stances in sync with their arms crossed and scowls covering their features.

It took her a moment to recognize the faces as Alex and Maggie.

She giggled, probably high from the amount of drugs pumped into her system, "Hi."

Their features softened at the sluggish wave and dorky expression that greeted them.

Then the masks of concern and annoyance returned when Kara let out a squeak.

"Owie."

'Owie' indeed.

"'Owie'?" Alex's eyes bulged, noticeably rimmed with red from crying, "'Owie'? You almost died!"

"Hey! You almost died too!" Kara grumbled, wincing.

"A concussion is nothing compared to being impaled by kryptonite shards!" she corrected, "What the hell were you thinking?"

The blonde in the sunbed wiggled with discomfort at the situation, her eyes stinging with tears, "I-I thought Maggie was going to die..."

The detective's eyes widened a fraction at the hurt croak, also clearly puffy, "Hey, you could've died too, and you did. Twice. And you were out for a few days," she shook her head, "Like, seriously, what's with superheroes and self-destructive tendencies and that stupid notion of sacrifice and shit. Ridiculous!"

"Tell me about it," Alex commented.

Kara frowned, "I'm sorr-" she paused, eyes noticeably lighting up as another object held her attention, "Is that ice cream?"

Maggie tossed the tub of creamy and milky sweet goodness into her other arm, "We're having a conversation right now, kiddo, don't change the subject. We're both still angry with you."

Kara whined, "But I got it already! I know what you guys want to talk about, and I'll be more careful from now on, okay?" she clapped her hands, "Now gimme, I'm hungry."

Alex rolled her eyes.

Maggie's tone took on a threatening tease as she reached for her cell, "Maybe I should give a call to your girlfriend, she's at a meeting abroad right now and you're lucky she was really busy, I don't think she'd be very happy with what she hears flying back to National City."

Kara gulped, chuckling nervously, "Oh, w-woah, let's - let's just keep this to ourselves until she finds out on the news, that way I can prepare? Please?"

"Hmmm, how about..." Maggie seemed to ponder for a moment, then, "Nah."

She moved to dial Lena's number.

"No!" Kara screamed, involuntarily shooting out a beam of heat vision.

The detective yelped, dropping the device and inspecting her hand for burns.

She sighed in relief at the absence of blackened flesh, now looking down at her unsalvageable phone smoking on the ground with her hands on her hips.

Alex mimicked the gesture.

They both gave Kara a reprimanding stare.

"This isn't fair!" she protested, pursing her lips.

"Not even that adorable pout can get you out of talking with Lena," Maggie scoffed.

"Maybe you should look before you leap next time, Kar," Alex suggested with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, "But I can fly!"

Her older sister pulled her own phone out of her pocket, looking at her girlfriend.

"Do you want to do the honors?"

"Why certainly," Maggie laughed gleefully, typing in Lena's phone number and pressing the call button, watching Kara's horrified reaction simultaneously.

The beeps went longer than expected before dropping to voicemail, much to Alex's and Maggie's disappointment, while the blonde heaved a great sigh.

"Thank Rao."

"Awww," Alex complained, a sour look crossing her face, "I was so looking forward to-"

"Kara Zor-El!"

The trio jumped at the sound that echoed down the hall.

However, Alex and Maggie were spared the chilling shiver that went up the blonde's spine.

"Oh no. Oh Rao. Have mercy on me," she whispered, burying her head in her hands.

"I swear I'll-"

Kara cringed at the strings of endless expletives being shouted from down the hall, closing in on her while her sister and her girlfriend chuckled in amusement.

"This's going to be good," Maggie commented.

"Ms. Luthor!" an agent called from outside, "You can't go in-"

Lena burst through the door, a fiery and wild flash in her green eyes as they narrowed, glaring at her target.

"Ah, I'm glad you decided to come," Alex grinned at her, "Care to join us?"

Notes: Constructive criticism appreciated.