Cat calling her into her office

“Keira, can you come in here?” Cat said, almost as soon as Kara stepped off the elevator.

Recognising her boss’s usual mistaken name for her, Kara quickly obeyed, hurrying into her office. It didn’t do to keep Cat waiting. Still, her cheeks flushed slightly, remembering what had happened just last night on that balcony.

No, over now, it was over now.

“Your order, Miss Grant,” Kara said, putting it down on her desk.

Cat regarded her; Kara straightened, a little unsure.

“Take off your glasses,” Cat said.

“Wh-what?” Kara said.

“You heard me.”

“I can’t,” Kara said. “I, uh, need them to see.”

“I doubt that,” Cat said. “Take them off or you’re fired.”

Kara’s eyebrows shot up; Cat couldn’t be serious, could she? Still, her boss didn’t blink.

A little nervously, Kara obeyed, pulling her glasses off and looking at Cat, trying to seem like she was squinting slightly.

Slowly, Cat smiled.

“I thought so,” she said. “Do you know who paid me a visit last night?”

“How would I know that?” Kara said, giving a fake-sounding awkward laugh.

“Because it was Supergirl,” Cat said. “And apparently there’s some quirk with her powers, she has to keep taking off her clothes if she wants to use them.”

Cat paused; Kara tried not to blush at the memory.

“Do you remember Alan’s farewell party, a few months ago?” Cat said. “You wore a dress with thin shoulder straps, showed off a lot of your shoulders. In particular, it showed off an odd, small scar just under your shoulder-blade. Supergirl had an identical scar, once she’d taken her costume off. Why do you think that is?”

“C-coincidence?” Kara said, suddenly flushing.

Rao, she remembered that scar. It was nothing really, a childhood injury she’d gotten back on Krypton. Nothing to ever worry about, until…

Cat was looking her up and down, no doubt recognising all the similarities in hair colour, muscle, proportion…

“I don’t think so,” Cat said. “If years of being a journalist have taught me anything, it’s to know when the details line up. Take off your top.”

And suddenly Kara was back to floundering. She did a double-take.

“Wh-what?” Kara said. “I- why-”

“May I assume that this nudity problem is what persuaded you to stop being Supergirl?” Cat said.

Kara didn’t answer.

Cat sighed. “I expected better of you; do you have to be so selfish? You have the power to save lives, and you’re refusing because it’s embarrassing. By rights I should fire you, let you dedicate yourself full-time to being a hero, but I see that’s not going to happen.”

“Miss Grant, please,” Kara said. “I need this job-”

“I understand that,” Cat said. “So we’re going to do something different. Take off your top, take off your skirt. You’re going to work, out there, dressed like I want you to. I write this company’s dress code, no one will have any grounds on which to complain, and you are going to get used to it.”

Kara bit back a whimper.

“Miss Grant-”

“You heard me, Kara,” Cat said, using her real name. If nothing else had, that promised Kara that she was serious. “I’m helping you. When your problem no longer feels like a problem, you can be a hero. Whether it takes days, weeks or months, we will get you ready to serve as Supergirl.”