Flying was easily her favorite thing to do. It cleared her mind, and soothed her yearning soul in a way that nothing else could. Currently, she was soaring through the skies on a new course - she was determined to explore every inch of National City, and its surroundings, but time rarely permitted such adventures. Being Supergirl, and a CatCo reporter, meant she often had to forego the little joys in her life. But on this evening, the sky was clear, her newest report was already on Snapper's desk, and Supergirl wasn't required. Breathing in the crisp night air, she smiled as she veered towards a hilled area on the furthest outskirts of her home city. The wind was cool against her skin, autumn was coming to an end, but winter had yet to set in; making the gentle breeze soothing, instead of harsh.

She noticed, belatedly, that she suddenly felt ill. Not the sore stomach kind of ill that came with eating too many potstickers; the kind of ill that made it hard to focus on her altitude, because it was all-encompassing in a rather daunting way. It felt almost as if her whole body were on hot coals, and was shifting awkwardly to distance itself. She took another deep breath, praying to Rao that it would calm her suddenly anxious nerves. It didn't, and she decided that she should probably head home and talk to Alex about the whole thing. She stopped mid-turn when she gave herself a cursory once over.

Where once there were a pair of perky, decent sized breasts, there were now firm, masculine pectorals. Glancing a little further down, she found herself quite certain that that hadn't been there before. Panicking now, she noted the broader width of her shoulders; the scratchy feeling on her face was clarified as '5 o'clock shadow' with a quick pass of fingertips over her jawline. Her feet seemed too big for her boots, and the top of her suit was stretched; to the point that her house crest was straining against her chest, barely containing the muscle beneath it. She turned back towards the city, trying to calm herself as tears streamed freely down her face.

As she neared the outskirts of National City, a foul smell hit her. It was like an oppressive wall of stench, trying to keep her away from her goal. All she could smell was rotting meat. She pushed on, dropping to the ground to see if something was wrong inside the city limits. Civilians clamboured to be near her, and she realized shortly that it was the people that smelled like rotting meat. A few quick glances told her that she hadn't been caught in some weird zombie flick, the people were fine, they just smelled like corpses. She extricated herself from the small group of fans, desperate to get away. She spotted Alex walking out of the DEO, and attempted to land nearby. But the closer she got, the further she traveled into people-saturated areas, the more overpowering the aroma became; and she quickly understood that she couldn't get help from here. She was barely able to stop herself from vomiting at the smell. She needed to get out of here.

Pushing herself back into the sky, she turned towards the docks, hoping that the sea air would cleanse her nostrils of the noxious smell. She got halfway across the city before another scent invaded her senses, this one far more inviting. Dark chocolate with vanilla undertones wafted on the breeze, and she quickly altered her heading to go to the pleasant aroma. The fetid smell was overwhelming, and despite her best efforts, she finally started to retch, regardless of the new and far more pleasant addition to the air. Moments later, she was on a balcony, the sweet scent floating through the mesh door in calming waves. She continued to dry reach, regardless; tearing her way through the mesh, and sliding the glass door shut behind her, thus cutting off the horrid smell that had pervaded her senses.

She noticed two things immediately upon her entrance; firstly, the place was rich and elegant; the silver and black furniture speckled around the large living area coupled well with the off-white of the walls. Secondly; Lena was in the middle of the room, pointing a gun at her, determination and fear taking residence in her features. Still retching, Supergirl simply held up a hand, gesturing that the CEO wait a moment while she gained her composure. Lena's brow furrowed, and the gun was lowered ever-so-slightly. She eyed the hero, top to bottom, and Kara found herself acutely aware of the fact that she was currently a man, in a skirt, and she was breaking-and-entering. Lena went through a second appraisal, before she finally spoke

"So, either you're a rock-climbing fan with some weird fetishes; or you're Supergirl, and you've gotten yourself into some pretty severe trouble." The gun lowered further as Kara gestured the latter as the correct answer. After another few moments to collect herself, Kara tried to explain

"I was..." The deep timbre of her voice caught her completely off-guard, and she took a few more calming breaths before she spoke again, immediately launching into a ramble

"I was flying, just relaxing and exploring. Then I felt...weird...and when I looked down, I'm suddenly a guy! I have no idea what to do! All the people out there smell like rotting flesh, I can't be around them! I just don't..." Lena cut her off with a calming hand on her shoulder, the other dangling limply at her side as the gun remained clasped carefully.

"Try to stay calm. I know this is a lot to take in, but we can figure this out. Come in and sit down, I'll find you some more...appropriate...clothes. You're...uh...a little well-endowed to be wearing a skirt" Kara was quite sure she'd never seen Lena blush before, but as she looked down, she realized that somewhere along the way, her new manhood had gotten excited; creating a tent of her skirt. She yelped as she quickly covered the area with both hands, whisper-yelling to her new addition that this was totally inappropriate. Lena chuckled at the sight, as she turned to find a more reasonable set of clothes, and return her gun to it's place beneath her pillow. Kara shuffled quietly on the spot as she waited, still covering herself and mentally scolding the appendage for making Lena uncomfortable. As the CEO re-entered the room, she chuckled again; the crinkle was on show, and if that wasn't evidence enough that her best friend was Supergirl, the completely Kara way she fidgeted and blushed, was.

She'd always wanted to wait until Kara was ready to tell her, but in this moment, she wondered if it may be easier for the blonde, if she didn't have to hide her identity while struggling with this odd development. However, it may just make the whole situation more embarrassing for her. Lena leaned against the door frame as she trailed her eyes across the hero again; male or female, Kara cut an impressive silhouette. As a woman, she was an athletic build, not skinny, but trim and muscular in a feminine way. Warm and comfortable, and particularly good for hugs. As a male, her figure was considerably more imposing; like a heavily muscled bouncer, rather than the soft-and-cuddly ray of sunshine. Her hair was short now, a tousled mess of blonde waves, likely only 3 inches in length. Her shoulders were easily 2 inches wider on either side, and her arms were bulging as they strained through the fabric of her super-suit. Her thighs were massive, and the lack of coverage below the skirt allowed Lena to get a good look at cut muscles and twitching tendons. Male or female, Kara was Lena's type, and she had to actively stop herself from thinking about the impressively large bulge her best friend was now sporting.

"Here, Supergirl. I don't have any pants, but I've a few pairs of boxers that should suffice. My MIT hoodie is the only thing I have that'll accommodate your shoulders, though. Sorry" She handed the garments over to the blushing blonde, who quickly took them, disappearing for a split second, before reappearing wearing the new items, sans uncomfortably small boots.

"Thank you, Miss Luthor. I really appreciate it." Lena could hear the tears in the hero's voice, no matter how much she was holding them back. She gently took the blonde's hand, and lead her to the couch; they needed to figure this out, otherwise Kara was going to have a breakdown. She sat them down, and waited for Kara to get comfortable, before she began to speak again

"Ok, firstly, please call me Lena. If I can help you with this, we'll be working together to do it. No need for formalities" Kara nodded, eyes firmly on her knees as the brunette still clasped her hand.

"Secondly, is there anything I can get you? Tea? Food? Anything at all?" Kara smiled as she shook her head in the negative. One reason she adored Lena as a person, was that the woman was always so gentle and kind, even when the whole world seemed to be against her.

"Right then, I'm going to ask you some questions, and hopefully we can get to the bottom of this. Alright?" Kara nodded again, still not tearing her gaze from her kneecaps. Lena reached for the notepad and pen on the coffee table, turning to a blank page as she resettled herself.

"So, you said you were flying, and then you felt 'weird'; was there anything different about this flight, in comparison to others?" The blonde tilted her head, trying to think of anything that could be considered abnormal

"Apart from the path, no. I try to explore when I get time, this is the first time I've traveled that way. Aside from that, nothing out of the ordinary" Lena nodded along as she took notes, and Kara noticed that the brunette's handwriting was impeccable, even when rushed.

"Alright, so there might be something out that way that affects you. Could you mark that path on a map? I'll go and take a look. If the smell of the people makes you retch, I'd like to avoid getting you out there."

"It might be something dangerous, though. I don't want you getting hurt, Lena. I can mark the path, but I'm going with you if I have to wear a gas mask!" She finally took her gaze from her knees. The way she crossed her arms and looked determinedly at Lena sent a shiver down her spine, and she knew there was no way Kara would let her go alone

"Alright, but we should probably go later at night, when there are less people around. Maybe that will lessen the burden for you." Kara nodded once in acquiescence.

"And this scent issue, you said the people all smell like rotting meat, but I don't?" Kara shook her head, thinking of the best way to word her answer

"As I was heading for the docks, a nice smell kinda floated past. It was closer than the docks, so I changed heading to get to it. You're the only person here, so it has to be you that smells nice".

"Ok, and what do I smell like? You said 'nice', but in comparison to rotting meat, foot odour probably smells quite pleasant. Exactly how extreme is the difference in this case?" Kara giggled at that

"Dark chocolate with hints of vanilla. So, pretty extreme if we're comparing." Lena looked at the blonde, raising an eyebrow as if considering something

"Interesting. I don't use any products that smell of chocolate or vanilla. I favour lavender, actually. Are you sure it's the people who smell like this, not the city itself?"

"Well, it was only when the people got close that the smell got worse. And I'm pretty sure it's not your furniture that smells nice. I'm sitting right next to you, and I can tell you, without a doubt, that it's you that smells like chocolate and vanilla." Lena nodded once, before turning back to her notebook, hastily scribbling notes. The pair sat in amicable silence as the pen scratched at paper. The sound slowly came to a stop, before Lena spoke again

"Well, I think that's all I can really ask for now, unless you have some clue about what might have caused this?" Kara shook her head in response, what even causes an entire gender shift? Lena closed the notebook and rested it back on the table, turning to look at the blonde

"At that rate, it looks like we're in for quite the adventure. This is extremely interesting, but I doubt you're enjoying yourself. How do you feel? Are you coping alright at the moment, is there anything else I can do right now?" Kara shook her head, smiling slightly

"No. Just helping is enough. Thank you. I'm feeling...I don't even know how I'm feeling. One minute I'm enjoying a nice flight, next I'm a guy and everyone smells horrible. I don't think I know how to feel about this" Lena nodded along as Kara spoke, in the same position, she's not sure she could remain so well-composed. Then again, Kara was used to putting on a brave face, regardless of the situation. She supposed it was probably down to a considerable amount of practice.

"Alright, well, it's very late, and I do still have to work tomorrow" Kara suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights, as she remembered work. Lena placed a calming hand on the blonde's knee, a knowing smile in place

"Don't worry, I'll tell Snapper that you're unwell, and are on bed-rest at my orders. He may be an arse, but I doubt he'll try to fight his own boss" Kara gaped, eyes still wide as her unshaven jaw worked to formulate a response

"You...you know?! Why didn't you say something?! I've been agonizing over how to tell you for months!" Lena chuckled at the blonde's suddenly flailing arms

"Kara, you're my best friend, I notice things. Did you know that that little crinkle appears whether you're in a cape or a cardie? And that scar above your eyebrow is always there, too. Not to mention that you sometimes slip into Kara mannerisms, when in Supergirl mode. And don't even get me started on the flying buses..." She was laughing fully now, enjoying watching as red cheeks became darker and darker.

"...Am I really that obvious?"

"Sweetie, you put your hair up and chuck on a pair of glasses. You've seen me do the same, do I look like a different person when I do?" Kara shook her head, the red of her cheeks beginning to dissipate.

"Exactly. If it makes you feel any better, I doubt that anyone who doesn't have contact with both of your personas regularly, would pick up on it. It took me three meetings with Kara, and two with Supergirl to spot the similarities. So it's not an instant conclusion to draw. Just be careful, ok?" She squeezed the blonde's hand reassuringly, as Kara sheepishly nodded.

"Good. Now come on, I'm tired and you need some rest. Let's go to bed" Usually, the request wouldn't cause Kara to do anything other than get up to go to bed. The pair had had many sleepovers, sharing the same bed was nothing unusual. But Kara was suddenly a man, and was aware of certain...morning occurrences...that men often went through. If she didn't know that Lena knew her secret, she might not worry about it so much. But Lena was aware that this was her best friend, making the whole situation so much more awkward. So she remained on the couch, blushing fervently at the idea of accidentally prodding Lena in the morning. She honestly wasn't sure if the idea was pleasant or terrifying, and that only made her blush more. Lena seemed to sense her worry, though

"Kara, there are certain...things...you can't control right now, and I'm not going to hold it against you if you happen to...get excited. But I do enjoy cuddles with you when we have sleepovers, so please, stop worrying and come to bed." She gently tugged on her best friend's hand, hoping that she could draw the blonde into a cuddle-session. Being touch-starved for most of her life, Lena relished the affection Kara was so willing to give. If she was honest, she might be a little greedy with it; often entwining their hands just because she could, and she loved the way Kara always responded with a gentle squeeze. Reluctantly, the blonde raised herself from the couch, and Lena didn't miss it when the hero's free hand immediately covered her crotch. She chuckled quietly, as she turned to drag her friend to bed.