Chapter 2: Blood Bonds and Bad Jokes
The crisp air of National City was a welcome change from the stale, popcorn-scented confines of his previous existence. Adam, now fully aware of his… situation, decided his first order of business was to get his bearings. And maybe, just maybe, find out if the coffee here was as good as the legends (read: fanfiction) claimed. He'd spent the last few hours wandering, using his newfound "Disappearing Act" to avoid awkward eye contact with bewildered pedestrians and the occasional very confused pigeon.
"Alright, System," Adam thought, a mental ping to the translucent interface that only he could see, "what's the intel? What's the current episode playing in this grand, Arrowverse-sized theater?"
The System, ever the efficient (and slightly cryptic) assistant, provided a quick data overlay. The date flashed: December 14, 2015. "Aha! Supergirl S01E09, 'Blood Bonds'," Adam mentally cheered. "Astra's capture, Non's retaliation, Hank Henshaw getting kidnapped… classic Monday, really. Perfect time to test the waters, or, you know, accidentally cause a minor international incident."
He found himself near a bustling street, the sounds of distant sirens growing louder. A D.E.O. transport, no doubt. "Time for some field research," Adam mused, a mischievous glint in his eye. He slipped into the crowd, a phantom among the panicked faces.
Suddenly, a massive, armored transport truck rumbled down the street, flanked by agents in tactical gear. Astra, Kryptonian general and Kara's aunt, was inside, a prisoner. Non, her husband, was undoubtedly planning his grand entrance.
"Okay, Adam, don't screw this up," he told himself. "No blatant heroics yet. Just… subtle chaos. Like a well-placed banana peel, but with nanotech."
As the convoy passed a crowded intersection, Adam focused. He pictured a shimmering, illusory wall of… flamingos. Not just any flamingos, but flamingos wearing tiny, sarcastic sunglasses, doing a synchronized dance.
[SYSTEM: Illusion deployed. Target Perception: Affected.]
Chaos erupted. Drivers slammed on brakes, pedestrians shrieked, and a few D.E.O. agents actually flinched, momentarily distracted by the sudden, inexplicable avian ballet. The truck, however, continued its path, albeit with a slight swerve.
"Minor disruption, success!" Adam thought, feeling a surge of satisfaction. "See, System? Told you I was good at this. Now, where's the main event?"
He teleported onto a nearby rooftop, the wind whipping through his hair. From his vantage point, he saw her. A blur of red and blue, a beacon of hope against the darkening sky. Supergirl. Kara Danvers.
"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's… the girl who will probably kick my ass if I'm not careful," Adam muttered, a genuine smile replacing his usual smirk. "She's even more… super, in person. Like, seriously, the CGI on TV doesn't do her justice. The cape flutter? Impeccable. The hair? Flawless. The whole 'saving the world with a smile' thing? A little cheesy, but she pulls it off."
He watched as Kara engaged some of Non's thugs, a graceful whirlwind of punches and kicks. This was his chance. He teleported down to street level, just as Kara was about to deliver a knockout blow to a particularly beefy henchman.
"Hey, Supergirl!" Adam called out, his voice laced with an almost unsettling cheerfulness. "You know, for a hero, you've got some serious form. Are you, like, taking lessons from Captain America? Because that shield toss… oh, wait, wrong universe. My bad."
Kara, mid-punch, paused. The henchman, momentarily forgotten, blinked. She turned her head, her brow furrowed in confusion, a stray lock of blonde hair falling across her face. "Who… who is that? And why is he making jokes right now?"
"Look, not to be that guy," Adam continued, stepping closer, a confident smirk plastered on his face, "but your outfit could use some more… pizzazz. Maybe some glitter? Or, like, a tiny, detachable disco ball for emergencies?"
Kara's eyes, usually so full of earnest compassion, narrowed. "Is this guy serious? In the middle of a fight?" Her patience, already thin from dealing with Non, snapped. She didn't punch him, no, that would be too easy. Instead, she used her super-speed, a barely perceptible blur, to grab a discarded piece of scaffolding. With a gentle but firm shove, she sent it tumbling towards him.
Adam, caught off guard by her sudden, non-violent retaliation, yelped. "Whoa, hey! No need for the environmental hazards! I was just offering constructive criticism!"
He tried to teleport, but the surprise of the scaffolding, combined with Kara's sheer, unadulterated annoyance, made him miscalculate. Instead of vanishing, he merely shimmered, the scaffolding passing through him like a ghost, leaving him unharmed but utterly humiliated.
[SYSTEM: Teleportation used. Energy Cost: Low.][SYSTEM: Illusion deployed. Target Perception: Affected.][SYSTEM: Achievement Progress: Observe Hero in Action. Current: 50%]
"Okay, so she can't hit me, but she can definitely make me look like an idiot," Adam thought, rubbing the non-existent bruise on his chest. "Lesson learned: Supergirl does not appreciate unsolicited fashion advice during a hostage crisis. Noted. But hey, at least I got a reaction. And I didn't get vaporized. Small victories, right?"
He watched as Kara, with a frustrated huff, turned back to the henchman, delivering a punch that sent him flying into a nearby wall. "Yeah, she's definitely got that 'punching bad guys into next week' thing down. Maybe I should offer her some tips on dramatic entrances. Or exits. Mine could use some work, apparently."
He decided to retreat, leaving Kara to her very important, very serious heroics. There would be other opportunities for witty banter and subtle pranks. Besides, he needed to find a place to crash. And maybe re-evaluate his flirting strategy. "Note to self: less glitter, more… well, I'll figure it out. Probably."