[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SJS4Ur5.png?1[/img][/center]
[sub][hr][/sub][COLOR=#81CFFF][indent][sub][B]Location:[/B] [COLOR=#BFD7D7][I]Metropolis, Met-U
[/I] - [I]Lunch Time[/I][/COLOR][/sub][sup][right][b]Issue #2.04:[/b] [COLOR=#BFD7D7][I]Embarassment[/I][/COLOR][/right][/sup][/indent][/color][sub][hr][/sub]

[i][color=#81CFFF]"It won't be as bad as it could be."[/color][/i]  Kara told herself as she glanced around the University Cafeteria as students and staff looked at their phones for the latest news.  She had been dreading the day that article would go online but she had been mentally preparing herself for it, heck she had even tried to do preemptive damage control by sticking around but there was only so much she could do.  A reporter had to eat and make a name for himself after all.

Distracted by everyone talking around her she did not notice her new bestie taking the seat across from her and slamming down what appeared to be a newspaper in front of her.  "Ha ha ha, oh Kara you have got to look at this!  I just had to get myself a physical copy for myself as a collectible."

[color=#81CFFF]"Umm, what?"[/color]  Kara asked, confused by Lucy's attitude.  She looked down at the paper and noticed it was a Daily Planet Newspaper, they mostly did everything through their apps these days but they still printed a few physical copies for their older subscribers plus a few extra.  With dread she looked at the upside-down cover, and nearly breathed a sigh of relief when the front page was not what she was dreading.

"Oh you'll find it on page 3!"  Lucy excitedly opened up the newspaper, turned it over for Kara to see and pointed straight to the article she had been dreading.  The article title read 
[center][b]'Supergirl's Skyfall, Armed group successful in LexCorp Heist'[/b].[/center]  
Also on the page was a prominent photo of Supergirl taking an asphalt nap in front of the LexCorp building.  She was sprawled out in a very undignified manner, a nice little impression on the parking lot could be seen where she had taken her fall from on high.

Kara internally cringed, oh why oh why did Jimmy have to pick such an unflattering photo to use in his article!  Kara wanted to rip her hair out in shame while Lucy just laughed and made sure to point out every embarrassing bit about the photo.  Lucy especially pointed out particular details, like where Supergirl's skirt had been hiked up a bit and how there seemed to be some cold sweat on her face while Kara felt like she was being stabbed multiple times over.

[color=#81CFFF]"That's not nice making fun of someone who was trying so hard to help."[/color]  Kara couldn't help but pout, trying to save her good name if only a little.

"Ha ha ha, I know its a bit mean but just look at her.  Oh how shameful she looks, bwhahah!"  Lucy laughed and took back the newspaper before Kara could trash it.  "I feel bad for all the stuff that was taken but there's just something about see the 'perfect' Supergirl taking a fall for once that kind of puts a smile on my face."

[color=#81CFFF]"You have more of a mean streak than I ever knew!  I thought you really liked Supergirl!"[/color]

"Don't get me wrong Kara, I absolutely adore her, but you know, sometimes it's just comforting to see someone so perfect fall for once.  Makes her feel more relatable to us poor mortals you know?"  Lucy's laughter started to subside as she carefully folded up the newspaper.  "I know it's kind of petty but somehow, just knowing that Supergirl can have a bad day just like the rest of us is kinda cool ya know?  She may have super powers and can save the day in a Flash, pun intended, but seeing this, reminds me that she is just a girl like you and me, not a regular girl mind you but still, a girl I can relate to."

Kara listened in silence, it was strange hearing such things from Lucy Lane, did a lot of people feel the same way that she did?  Despite how embarrassing her failure was, was there actually a positive to the whole mess where people would see her a bit more as a girl before just being Super?  Frankly Lucy sounded a little jealous of Supergirl, but then again, if she was the human and Lucy was the alien, wouldn't she feel the same way.

"Well all that hogwash aside, her pose is just hilarious!"  Lucy grinned as she finished putting the Newspaper away in her purse for safe keeping.  "People are gonna have fun with this for days!"

[i][color=#81CFFF]"Yes I'm sure they will..."[/color][/i] Kara grumbled under her breath but then changed the subject.  "Well amusing as that is, I've heard that LexCorp is finally going to put in that affordable housing in Suicide Slums, I really hope it can start to make a difference there."

Lucy's smile turned upside-down at the mention of LexCorp.  "Ya, I guess...it will certainly change things that's for sure."  Of course Kara could easily sense the disdain in Lucy's voice as she thought about the newest LexCorp project.

[color=#81CFFF]"You really don't like Lex Luthor do you?  But you have to admit LexCorp has really changed things around for the better in Metropolis!"[/color]  It was true, crime was overall down as LexCorp jobs popped up all over the city, the economy was doing better than ever and in general people's lives just seemed to be better overall.

"I'll admit LexCorp has quite a lot of good, statistics, going for it, but it's not like its been good for everyone.  A lot of smaller businesses have been assimilated into that Borg collective of a company.  Less and less people can get away without bowing down to LexCorp these days.  Kinda of makes me glad Supergirl wasn't able to stop those robbers."

[color=#81CFFF]"Oh boy, I really had no idea about this side of you."[/color]  Supergirl rolled her eyes and thought about how she had been stopped.

After her failure she had went straight to Kelex to figure out just what had happened to her.  The robot had explained that Supergirl had been the victim of a psychic attack that had forced her body into REM sleep, which explained why she had fallen out of the sky and not noticed until she had awakened.  Unfortunately there was no easy countermeasure that the robot could give her for such a situation.  The only advice Kelex could give her was to try and train her mind to recognize when she entered a dream, once she could do that she should be able to find a way to escape, or at least fight back.

If she ever met that strange guy again, she would be forced into a mental battle rather than a physical one and Kara had to admit, she was not sure she could win.