The sun had just begun to peek over the city skyline when Ashborn stepped out of the manor. The fresh morning air brushed against his skin as he adjusted his coat and made his way down the path. Behind him, the manor remained silent—except for the soft sound of someone breathing deeply in slumber.
Jinx is still asleep, he thought, his lips curling into a faint smirk. If I were a normal human… she'd probably be pregnant after last night.
The amusement in the thought lasted only a moment before he pushed it aside. Today was the beginning of something new—and far more entertaining. Supergirl's community service had officially begun. He had made all the necessary arrangements, leaving his assistant with detailed instructions. But before heading to Shadow Corp, he took a small detour.
A donut shop near the corner of 5th and Holloway—his guilty pleasure. A box of assorted donuts in hand, he finally made it to his office just before things were set in motion.
He barely had time to take a sip of his coffee when a knock echoed through the large glass window behind his desk. He turned, already knowing who it was.
Floating just outside, arms crossed and face tight with annoyance, was Supergirl.
Ashborn rose calmly and opened the window. "Good morning. A fine day for a first job, wouldn't you say?"
Supergirl floated in with an unamused expression. "Whatever. I want to finish this quickly."
Her manners didn't faze him in the least. He stepped aside and gestured toward the interior. "Glad to see you're looking forward to it. But in the future, kindly use the front door like proper people. We wouldn't want anyone thinking you're here to rob the place."
He pressed a button on his desk, summoning his assistant, then strolled past her casually. "First things first, your outfit. You'll need to change into something more suitable."
Just as he finished the sentence, the door opened, and his assistant entered carrying a neatly folded set of work clothes in a plastic garment bag.
Ashborn accepted the package with a nod. "Thank you." Then he turned and handed it to Supergirl, who looked confused and slightly offended.
"I don't need this," she said flatly.
Ashborn tilted his head. "You're working in construction. We can't have you walking around in… well, thot-like clothes."
Supergirl blinked. "What's a thot?"
The old assistant's eyes widened in horror. A deep, sinking feeling forming in his gut. He truly feared for Ashborn's safety.
Ashborn blinked too, visibly surprised. "Ah. That explains your fashion sense."
Supergirl glanced down at her current outfit: a short red skirt ending above her knees, and a blue crop top revealing her midriff.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
Ashborn said nothing. Instead, he calmly walked to his desk, turned the monitor toward her, and began typing a few words.
Supergirl leaned in to see what he was showing her and froze.
A few seconds passed. Then her fists clenched. The next instant, with a burst of rage, she slapped the monitor with such force that it shattered and flew across the room, crashing into the wall.
Ashborn, still calm, gave a long-suffering sigh. "That was uncalled for. The monitor didn't do anything to deserve such treatment."
Supergirl didn't respond with words. Instead, she stepped forward, eyes blazing with fury, and launched a punch straight toward Ashborn's face only to stop one centimeter short.
The wind force alone tousled Ashborn's hair violently.
Yet he didn't flinch. Not even a twitch.
Instead, he simply tilted his head, still smiling. "Please control your temper. A punch like that could kill a human a hundred times over. And I'd prefer if you didn't traumatize my employees. They're rather delicate."
Supergirl stared at him, really stared. And then she saw it.
Just like Kal-El warned her.
His heart wasn't racing. His breath was steady. His eyes didn't even blink.
He wasn't scared of her. He didn't care.
Ashborn pointed behind her, toward the pale-faced assistant still frozen in place.
"See? He's scared of you. That's the effect you have when you let your temper run loose."
Supergirl turned her head slightly to glance at the assistant. She said nothing.
"Change your clothes," Ashborn continued, stepping over the monitor debris like it was nothing. "Then follow uncle Rex. He'll show you around. And hopefully, by the end of the day, he'll stop fearing you."
The assistant swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted his glasses. "P-please… follow me."
Supergirl shot Ashborn one final glare, eyes full of suppressed heat.
He gave her a pleasant smile in return and popped open his box of donuts.
She turned and followed the old assistant out.
Ashborn took a bite of a chocolate-glazed ring and leaned back in his chair, a content sigh leaving his lips.
What a glorious morning.
___________
The morning sun was already climbing higher when the company car rolled out of Shadow Corp headquarters. Inside, Supergirl sat in stiff silence, her arms crossed, dressed now in an orange and blue construction outfit that did not flatter her mood in the slightest. The bright color scheme clashed with her growing irritation.
Next to her sat Ashborn's assistant.
She turned to him, barely able to hide her annoyance. "You… Why are we even in a car? I can fly us to the construction site in less than a minute."
Rex gave a calm, polite smile, ever the professional under pressure. "You can call me Rex. And as for that… Asbhron insisted that you don't fly and instead take the car. I… don't actually know why."
Supergirl's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Does that jerk enjoy annoying me?"
Rex laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wouldn't put it past him. I have known him since he was a little child, he's not a bad person, just… eccentric. You'll get used to him. Probably."
She didn't respond. She didn't have to. The look on her face said it all, she definitely was not getting used to Ashborn any time soon.
The rest of the drive was spent in silence, filled only by the soft hum of the engine and Supergirl's restrained sighs of frustration.
When they finally pulled into the dusty clearing that marked the edge of the construction zone, Supergirl stepped out of the car and surveyed the scene. It was a sprawling area of activity, vehicles beeping as they reversed, workers shouting instructions, sparks flying from welders, and clouds of dust rising with every movement.
Everyone was wearing the same outfit she now had on, giving the site a sense of unity.
But one man immediately stood out.
A giant of a worker trudged across the yard with two steel beams balanced on his shoulders like they weighed nothing more than pool noodles. Muscles bulged, veins popped, and he moved with the look of someone who loved every minute of his work.
Supergirl raised an eyebrow. Okay… that's impressive.
Before she could get a closer look, an older man with grey stubble and a hardhat approached them. He smiled warmly, his crow's feet deepening as he extended a hand toward Rex, then turned his attention to her.
"So this is the newbie superhero I've been hearing about," he said cheerfully.
Supergirl's eye twitched. Newbie?
"We've got a lot of work to do, missy," the man continued, clearly not sensing, or ignoring, her rising irritation. "You'll get the hang of it quick enough. We've all been looking forward to seeing how much muscle a Kryptonian can actually offer on a real job site."
He turned back to Rex, patting him on the shoulder. "Send my regards to the boss, will you?"
Rex nodded. "Of course, Mr. Halley."
As the old man walked off, barking orders to a group of workers nearby, Supergirl exhaled slowly through her nose.
Rex gave her a slightly sheepish look. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," she muttered, already not looking forward to how this day was about to unfold.
Construction work. Manual labor. With a side of humiliation.
Ashborn Black was definitely going to pay for this… eventually.