Superman: Brides - 10 (Patreon)

AN: Events have finally caught up with some of the earlier artwork!

- - -

Mari struck quickly, her fists hitting the punching bag with satisfying thumps. 

The bag only swayed slightly from the impact. But that wasn't a strike against Mari’s effort - she was channeling the strength of a savanna elephant. No, it was a reflection of just one of many technological marvels on the Justice League Watchtower. It was an “advanced punching bag”, designed specifically to be used by those with enhanced strength. Metahumans like herself.

A bead of sweat dribbled down Mari’s brow. She’d been at this for the last two hours, training alone before it was time to clock in for monitor duty.

Nothing in the workout room but empty sparring mats, rows of unused weights and machinery, and Mari McCabe. The supermodel-turned-superheroine. The fierce and sexy Vixen.

It was truly telling of the American social zeitgeist that Vixen featured on more magazine covers than the real, actual shape-shifting Martian. Not that Mari was complaining. But she savored these quiet moments, appreciating them much more now ever since joining the cape and cowl community. She loved her work - in both fields - but a woman could take only so many camera flashes or missed shots from criminal henchmen before she got sick of it.

Mari huffed, striking the punching bag a few more times. It lurched now, swinging slowly upon its thick chain. Her closed fists connected again, accompanied by those pleasing thumps. Then… Mari channeled a new animal - the majestic Horse - launching her leg into the bag with a burst of speed and power.

Hell of a kick…

The bag swung, back and forth, going slower and shorter each time, until Mari finally reached out to hold it still.

The lonesome heroine breathed in deeply through her nostrils, relishing the fresh air bringing rejuvenation. But in that same air, she caught a scent. Her animal senses were sharp, keen - there was no mistaking it.

Someone was coming.

Mari sniffed, gathering more detail just as she caught a figure approaching out of the corner of her eye.

Female. Young - a teenager. Maybe a bit older. And alien. That particular scent was familiar. Mari couldn’t imagine the Justice League without it.

Kryptonian.

It wasn’t Power Girl. So that left…

“Supergirl.” Mari greeted with a friendly grin. “Here to break a sweat?”

She turned to face the youthful, slender blonde. A pretty thing, with beauty that balanced between homegrown and outright stunning. Kara Kent, as she called herself. A visitor from an alternate dimension - an Earth that was almost like their own, but with some differences, big and small. 

Kara  had her long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and was dressed in loose sweats and a sports bra, both sky blue. A cute look. And fitting, given her ties to the hero of heroes in this mighty Justice League. The only thing she was missing was a red hoodie.

The blonde smiled back, all bright blue eyes and full, rosy cheeks. 

“Even Kryptonians have to keep in shape.” She said, sneakers padding along the shiny, matted floor.

“Heh. Doesn’t seem to be a problem for you.” Mari half-joked. 

In a small way, the supermodel side of her was envious of the Superfolks’ ability to stay in such fantastic shape - and with no visible effort to boot! Mari found it hard to believe that Kara even felt the need to hit the treadmill, let alone the advanced fitness machinery on the Watchtower.

The blonde gave a cute wave and went on to start her routine. Mari reached out to slow the swaying punching back. It was time for a change-up, something less intense. She decided on the treadmill.

Mari sped up to a steady jog - she could easily go faster, channeling the speed of a cheetah, but this was about winding down. And plus, it would be easier to enjoy the show.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mari could see Kara doing sit-ups on one of the open mats. Nice and steady, up and down, over and over with no visible strain. An effortless exercise for someone with her powers. But it was nice to watch, all the same. Mari’s gaze held on the blonde’s bare tummy, admiring the faint lines of muscle there, growing tight with each curl of her body. Not quite as impressive as the musculature boasted by her cousin, but no less appealing. 

Kara was indeed a pretty young woman. Very pretty. And clearly budding into the same sort of bombshell Power Girl was. It only made sense. The two were technically the same person.

It’s not fair… Superman, Supergirl, Power Girl… It should be illegal for a family to be so damn fine.

Mari turned her eyes away, choosing to let her mind drift as she finished up her workout. But the shadows of more untoward thoughts lingered on. Kara’s bright blue eyes. Her full lips and rosy cheeks. And the perky blonde wasn’t alone. Big Blue was swimming around in there, too. That warm, charming gaze. That handsome smile. Those chiseled features, the strong jaw of a bonafide hunk. And god, that body. 

Most of the single League women went for Mr. Tall, dark, and brooding. But Mari? She’s always had it bad for the Man of Steel. And now? She was just eyeing up his cute, little cousin. His cross-dimensional cousin.

Bad girl, Mari. Very bad.

She was shook from her thoughts by the sound of an extra pair of padding footsteps. Mari turned and saw that Kara had taken to the treadmill as well. Right next to her. And every so often, the blonde would spare the supermodel a sidelong glance. Quick, but enough for Mari to catch.

Mari wanted to sigh. Pretty face or not, she could read the girl like an open book.

“If you want to talk, Kara, we can talk.” She said, wearing a bemused grin. She gave the younger blonde a look. “I promise I won't bite.”

Kara took on a bashful expression, averting her eyes - suddenly finding the running treadmill the most interesting thing in the room. Cute. But not as cute as the shy smile she wore.

“Sorry. It’s just…” Kara walked slowly on the machine, chewing on her lip. “I’ve seen you on the covers of Vogue and Elle. I just think it’s crazy… a supermodel superheroine.”

Mari held back a chuckle. Now it made sense. She had a fan. 

“Crazy?” Mari spoke evenly, one brow rising.

“Crazy in a good way!” Kara answered quickly. Her bright blue eyes were wide, shining excitedly. “Like, you go from walking the runway in Paris, taking selfies with Taylor Swift and Beyonce, to taking down bad guys in Egypt with Wonder Woman! No matter where you go, you’re mingling with… you know, the elite. You’re living my dream life!”

Yep. Definitely a fangirl.

“It’s a lot more work than you think.” Mari warned… but her grin remained fixed. This sort of gushing was nothing new to Mari, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t nice once in a while.

“But you make it look so effortless.” Kara insisted, leaning against the handrail of her machine. Mari’s eyes flashed downward, noting that the blonde was now floating just above the running belt.

Effortless, huh?

“What can I say? I’m a professional.” Mari pressed a button to slow her jog to a brisk walk. The fangirling was cute, she decided. And there was a faint smugness coming up in the back of her mind - Supergirl was a fan.

There was a small stretch of quiet. Then Kara spoke, tentative, almost a whisper.

“Did Taylor Swift really invite you to her birthday party?” The blonde was leaning in further, her gaze brimming with anticipation.

Again, Mari fought back a laugh.

“She did.” Mari smirked, but kept her voice even and calm. “But I couldn’t make it. League stuff came up last minute. That monster attack in Tokyo.”

Kara somehow looked aghast and elated at the same time.

“Oh my god.” She said, the shock making her drop back down to the treadmill. The blonde resumed her jog, bouncing excitedly.

“There were no hard feelings. Tay loves Tokyo.” Mari’s smirk grew, seeing Kara hanging onto every word. “I even got VIP backstage access for her next concert.”

Kara’s eyes were practically sparkling then. Mari savored that star-struck look, more than a little pleased at being the focus of such unabashed wonder. But she couldn’t spend all day dazzling a cute blonde with stories about her oh so glamorous life. Mari checked her watch - she had enough time for a shower. A nice, long, hot shower.

The supermodel superheroine punched a button and the treadmill slowed to a stop. She offered Kara a friendly wave, hopping off to head for the door. But just as they swished open…

“Hey!” Kara called out suddenly. Mari turned, seeing the younger heroine shut off her machine and speed over, before awkwardly halting. The blonde shifted on her feet, a hesitant look on her face. Again, cute. Enough to keep Mari patient as the girl found the right words. “I was wondering… could we, y’know, spar?”

Mari’s brow pinched. She wondered if she’d heard Kara right.

“You want to spar? You and me, right now?” Her tone was exactly incredulous, but her curiosity had an edge to it.

“I was just hoping that you could teach me some moves maybe?” Kara kicked idly at the floor, looking tentative and hopeful at the same time. “Back on my Earth, I was just starting with the whole hero thing, so… I’m sort of green. Kal wants me to train with Wonder Woman, but I’ve heard she’s kinda-”

“Intense?” Mari tittered.

“Yeah! Exactly!” Kara nodded quickly, her golden ponytail bouncing.

Mari took a moment to consider. But only a moment. The League veteran decided to take pity on the greenhorn. She was young, pretty, and Superman’s cousin. How could Mari say no?

“You really want pointers? Even with the flight, the superstrength, and the heat vision?” Mari teased.

Kara picked up immediately that it wasn’t a “no”, her face lighting up with excitement.

“Totally! Kal always reminds me that powers aren’t everything. And he’s sort of right, y’know? Lex Luthor might get ahold of some Kryptonite or build something that shoots red sun radiation. Or we might fight a powerful sorcerer - Kryptonians don’t have defenses against magic, did you know that? Anyway, I just thought it’d be nice to learn from an experienced Leaguer, just in case.”

During that long spiel, Mari just nodded along. Supergirl might have been green, but it couldn’t be said she didn’t have spirit.

“Well, let’s get started then. I have monitor duty in an hour. Enough time to teach you a thing or two.” Mari grinned, gesturing towards the empty sparring rings. “Center mat.”

Kara looked about ready to squeal, bouncing on her heels. Mari felt the faintest ache clench at her heart. The blonde might have been Kryptonian, but the homegrown cutie look stirred up protective feelings in the older woman. 

It was a good thing she was doing, Mari decided. Doing her part to make sure the villains of their world didn’t chew this pretty blonde thing right up.

-  -  -

“So here’s where you plant your feet and drop your shoulders. Let your opponent’s weight do the work for you. He won’t be able to stop and you’ll have him flat on his back.”

Mari went on and demonstrated, sending Kara tumbling down onto the mat. The blonde was a good sport about it - with her powers, it wouldn’t have hurt one bit. But there was that glint in her pretty blue eyes, staring back up as she lay there. A look that Mari couldn’t shake - one that had been slowly becoming more and more apparent as the impromptu lesson went on.

“You alright down there?” Mari planted her hands on her hips, taking in deep breaths. Kara continued to watch her, wearing a faint smile. As expected, she hadn’t broken a sweat. Not a single drop.

“Just fine.” Kara’s lips cracked into a smirk. “Invulnerability, remember?”

Twenty minutes into the session and Mari was struck with the feeling that she might have been duped.

“Right. Ready to go again?”

“Oh yeah.” Kara’s eyes flashed with something a bit more than excitement. She hopped back to her feet quickly, ponytail bobbing.

Kara was a fast learner. A bit too fast, in Mari’s opinion. In fact, with how quickly the blonde was picking up the maneuvers, she may as well have been teaching herself! Mari held her tongue of course, but it was looking incredibly likely that the sweet, pretty blonde had been playing dumb the whole time.

But that wasn’t the only thing Mari noticed.

No, what really stuck with Mari was the fact that Superman’s innocent little cousin was copping feels. And quite a few feels, at that.

It seemed innocent at first, accidental brushes of the hand as Mari performed the proper way to toss a foe, or a lingering touch as she showed the younger girl how to escape a grapple. She could have let one or two instances of that slide. But they just. Kept. Happening.

Dainty fingers sliding over the small of her back. Unmistakable in their sensuality. Hot breath against the nape of her neck. A thumb scraping over her belly, just beneath her navel. Dangerously close to the waistline of her tight leggings. And God, the looks. The tiny looks, flashes of deviousness in what had once been innocent blue eyes. Kara’s gaze had been bright and cheery, but now it had a sharpness, an undeniable heat.

It was desire that Mari saw whenever Kara met her eyes, only just clouded by playfulness. The truth was staring Vixen dead in the face. Supergirl was flirting with her. All the fangirling, the bashfulness - nothing but a ruse. An excuse for the blonde to get in close for the kill.

Mari hated that it was working.

Her body was buzzing from those little touches, her heart racing from more than just the exertion. Mari chewed on the inside of her mouth, feeling frustration creep in. Women usually didn’t do it for her, and on top of that Kara was on the younger side - along with the mark of being Superman’s cousin (cross-dimensional nonsense notwithstanding). As a League veteran, it was her duty to make the responsible choice. The right choice.

But damn if Kara wasn’t making it hard.

The smart thing to do would have been to just walk away right then. Mari could have made up an excuse, any excuse. Hell, she had monitor duty soon anyway. But there they were, face to face, inches apart.

Bad, Mari. Very bad.

Kara held her gaze. The younger woman’s interest was clear now. Whatever act she’d been putting up was gone now, melting away to reveal the bold desire swirling in those blue eyes. Those gorgeous blue eyes. Mari couldn’t look away. She was almost… spellbound.

“Hey.” Kara’s voice was low. And warm. But that warmth was anything but innocent.

“Kara.” Mari’s tone was that of warning. It only seemed to please the blonde that much more.

“You’ve got lovely eyes. Golden amber.” 

Kara drew even closer. They weren’t even grappling anymore. It was an embrace. Mari could feel the blonde’s hands sliding around her waist, fingers brushing damn close to the curve of her ass.

Mari inhaled deeply through her nose. Her eyes fluttered shut, partly out of frustration. Of course Supergirl smelled good.

“Thanks.” Mari didn’t know why she didn’t push herself away. Maybe it was because of how futile it would be to try and escape a Kryptonian. Or maybe Mari just liked the feeling of Kara’s hands on her skin. It did feel nice, holding a cute little thing like Kara in her arms, being so close, their bare bellies almost pressing together, close enough that Mari could steal a kiss-

“Do you like mine?” Kara asked, blinking once, twice, batting her eyelashes. Orbs colored like the sky.

“They’re very pretty.” Mari admitted. She tried to break her gaze, but Kara followed. The blonde was intent to move in for the kill. Mari couldn’t deny it: she was damn close. “A nice shade of blue.”

“Thank you. I got them from my mom.” Kara’s voice poured from her lips, sweet as sugar. 

Mari let out a deep sigh. God, her heart was racing.

“This wasn’t about sparring.” She challenged. No point in dancing around the issue. Not anymore. “You just wanted to get close to me.”

Kara let out a low, sultry giggle. At the small of Mari’s back, her fingers drummed softly upon her bare skin.

“Guilty.” The blonde admitted with a smile. “But can you blame me? You’re so gorgeous.”

Mari chose to make one last attempt to shut it down. But with Kara so close, so warm, and so captivating… the veteran’s heart just wasn’t in it.

“I think we’d better turn in.” Mari suggested, her gaze jumping down to Kara’s full, soft lips. “Hit the showers.”

Kara let out another giggle. This one was sweeter, more sensual. Making Mari’s heart hammer. The blonde brought up one of her hands, brushing her fingers along the older woman’s cheek. She held Mari’s gaze with willful, eager eyes.

“Is that an invitation?”

Mari’s mind and heart were racing. Kara was so close now. Their lips were inches apart. She could feel her warm breath on her skin. It sent a thrill arcing down her spine, deep into her gut. It coiled there, flaring into a simmering burn. The flame lapped at her insides, eating away at her reason, her will.

This was a bad idea. A bad fucking idea.

How did it get this far so quickly? It was supposed to be a slow day for God’s sake! Boring ass monitor duty!

These feelings that were brewing, Mari knew they were wrong. Kara was so young, a teenager! She was Superman’s cousin! Mari couldn’t do that to him! Sweet, handsome Clark, who inspired her to become a superhero! But the blonde’s touch felt so nice, so gentle, so lovely along her back, her neck, her face.

“I… I need to go… Monitor duty…” 

But Kara only shook her head.

“Kiss me first. Don’t you want to know how it feels?” Kara purred.

Mari did want to know. Fuck, she really did.

Time seemed to stand still. Mari’s heart skipped a beat. God, she couldn’t even breathe. There was no sound, no sensation, nothing but Kara. Nothing but those alluring eyes, that golden hair, and those soft, teasing hands of hers, lighting fires across Mari’s dark skin.

But Mari was focused on just one thing: those plump lips, so pink and soft and glossy. Who wore lip gloss to a workout?

A girl who knew exactly what she was doing. Damn.

Mari couldn’t stop herself. Her will broke and desire flooded in. She darted forward and caught cute little Kara Kent in a kiss. A long, deep kiss.

The blonde in her arms moaned softly, not melting into Mari’s arms but taking just as much as she was giving. It didn’t take long for their liplock to become feverish, frantic. Lips slid against lips, both women hungrily swallowing down gasps and moans. Tongues slid out, joining in play. But play quickly fell into a battle of dominance, a swapping of spit and lashing of tongues that made Mari’s head spin.

The two heroines stumbled, locked together at the mouth but managing to keep balance. The heat in Mari’s belly was growing, now a wildfire. She tasted the sweetness of Supergirl, taking in everything the blonde was offering with dark joy in her heart. She whimpered as Kara sucked on her tongue.

And from there… their fun deepened even further.