As the evening continued, the atmosphere between Kayn and Kara grew more relaxed and natural. Kara found herself laughing more freely, her initial nervousness melting away.
Kayn's confidence had a way of making her feel comfortable, and his easy smile and gentle teasing helped lighten the mood. She felt much more welcome, much more able to easily open up to him during their discussions. He seemed genuinely interested in her thoughts, her dreams, and her experiences.
He also listened intently to all of her questions and responses, while also asking thoughtful questions that drew Kara into deeper conversation.
The waiter soon returned with their main courses: an artfully crafted pizza, topped with fresh pineapples, gooey cheese, and crisp pepperon.
Beside it, a steaming platter of potstickers arrived, the golden edges glistening with just the right amount of sear, alongside a small dish of dipping sauce. Finally, there were the delicious drinks to compliment the meals.
Kara's eyes widened in delight. "Oh wow, this looks incredible!" she exclaimed, leaning forward to take in the delicious aroma.
Kayn chuckled, watching her expression with amusement. "I figured you'd appreciate it, right?"
Kara grinned, grabbing a slice of pizza and biting into it eagerly. "Mmm, this is so good," she mumbled through a mouthful of food, her face lighting up with happiness.
Kayn looked at Kara, spotting her lips and chin smeared as she continued eagerly biting down on her slice of pizza, eating it without a care for how she looked.
Kayn smiled, taking a bite of a potsticker, enjoying the burst of flavor, "Glad you approve," he said with a playful glint in his eye.
"So, you mentioned you want to be a reporter," Kayn said, reaching for another potsticker. "What's the dream job? Investigative journalism? Breaking news?"
Kara's face lit up again, the excitement evident in her eyes. "Yeah! I want to do investigative reporting. I think there's so much more beneath the surface of everyday events, you know? People deserve to know the truth, even when it's uncomfortable." She paused, her voice softening. "It's kind of like being a hero, but in a different way. I can also be an Editor, either one."
Kayn's eyes glinted with admiration. "I like that perspective. I think you'd make a great reporter, or editor."
Kara blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thanks. I just hope I can live up to that someday."
Kayn tilted his head, observing her thoughtfully. "You're already on your way."
Kara felt her heart flutter at his words. For some reason, Kayn's praise felt much different than praise from other people, it made her feel much happier.
The two continued talking while eating, the private room's ambient lighting casted a warm glow over their intimate conversation. It was as if they were in their own world, willingly trapped with each-other engaging in this conversation.
As they finished their meal, the waiter arrived with dessert: a delicate tiramisu, rich with layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone, and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Kara's eyes lit up again at the sight of the dessert, her sweet tooth immediately taking over.
"I hope you saved room for this," Kayn teased, watching her expression with amusement.
Kara giggled. "Oh, I always have room for dessert."
They shared the tiramisu, both savoring each bite in comfortable silence. Every now and then, their eyes would meet, and Kara would always blush and look away. Her lips were coated by some of the tiramisu.
Although she was shy, Kara still massively enjoyed this lunch. Kayn was different—he made her feel like she could be herself, without fear or judgment.
When the last bite of tiramisu was gone, Kayn leaned back in his chair, his expression content. "I'd say that was a pretty successful lunch."
Kara smiled, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Definitely. This was... amazing. Thank you, Kayn."
Kayn reached across the table, gently taking her hand in his. His touch was warm, steady, and reassuring. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. You deserve to feel special."
Kara's heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes, feeling a warmth she couldn't quite explain. She squeezed his hand gently, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You've made this really special for me."
Finally, Kayn stood, his hand still holding hers as he helped her up from her seat. "Ready to head out?"
Kara nodded, still feeling a little lightheaded from the intimate moment they'd just shared. "Yeah," she said softly.
They made their way out of the restaurant, the valet already waiting with the sleek Jaguar parked at the entrance.
As they stepped outside, the cool evening breeze brushed against Kara's skin, and she instinctively moved closer to Kayn, feeling his presence as a comforting warmth.
Kayn opened the door for her, and Kara slid into the passenger seat, her heart still racing from the evening's events. As he got in beside her, the car pulled away from the restaurant, gliding through the quiet streets of National City.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke. The soft hum of the engine and the gentle glow of the city lights created a peaceful atmosphere as they drove.
Kara sat quietly beside Kayn, gazing out the window at the familiar streets close to her home. She seemed deep in thought, her hands fidgeting in her lap, as if something weighed heavily on her mind.
~BOOM~
The sudden, deafening sound of an explosion shattered the calm, ripping through the quiet evening like thunder. The ground trembled, and both of them jerked upright, alert. A massive plume of smoke and fire billowed up from a street a few blocks away, casting an eerie glow across the city.
Kara gasped, eyes wide with shock as she turned toward the window, secretly pulling down her glasses as she used her X-Ray vision to see the attack.
Kayn narrowed his eyes, instantly recognizing the chaos outside. His enhanced senses flared to life, and through the smoke and fire, he could feel it—a surge of energy signatures, alien in nature.
Not just any aliens. His mind immediately connected the dots to the previous situation. There was definitely an alien pulling the strings of this, and Kayn would definitely kill them.
"Damn it," Kayn muttered, seeing Kara's hands shaking as she saw the dead bodies of the civilians using her X-Ray vision secretly.
Kayn acted quickly. He shifted in his seat, wrapping his arms around her protectively, pulling her close. She leaned into him, tugging tightly as her trauma once again reacted.
As he held her, Kayn's mind was already working on the next step. With a subtle flicker of concentration, he created a clone, a perfect copy of himself, weaker but strong enough to handle any situation.
The clone remained seated in the car, cradling Kara in his arms, whispering soothing words to calm her. The real Kayn, however, had already phased out, slipping unnoticed into the shadows as he shifted into his Harbinger form.
In a blur of motion, Harbinger appeared on the street, a whirlwind of power and fury. The alien attackers were already wreaking havoc, demolishing cars, toppling buildings, and sending civilians scattering.
Some of them flew, others radiated energy blasts from their hands. Their laughter echoed in the chaos, fueled by a sense of superiority.
Harbinger's eyes flared, burning with rage. He unleashed a wave of telekinetic force, and the entire street stood still.
All the cars, all the debris, all the aliens, all instantaneously frozen by Kayn's overwhelming immense telekinetic power. Then, Kayn sent tyrannical waves of telekinetic power towards the attacking aliens.
The impact was brutal, immediate, as several attackers with weaker bodies were ripped apart by the sheer intensity of his power
"You've made a mistake," Kayn growled under his breath, his voice low and menacing. He could feel the weight of the destruction around him, the screams of innocent people.
He had no tolerance for this kind of reckless violence. His aura surged, crackling with dark energy as he hovered above the ground.
One of the aliens, a towering brute with glowing eyes and inhuman strength, charged at him, but Harbinger barely glanced in his direction.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent a blast of concussive energy so fierce it obliterated the alien on impact, leaving nothing but scorched earth in its wake.
At that moment, the various aliens realized that they were dealing with the wrong person, someone far above their league.
But Kayn's frustration at them messing up his date combined with them brutally killing multiple civilians made it so that he wouldn't let even one of them run. Normally, he'd at least toy with the enemies a-bit before letting detaining them, but not this time.
He unleashed a series of devastating attacks, blasts of raw telekinetic force, energy waves, and his death scythe. His movements were precise, fueled by rage.
Every punch, every kick, every telekinetic strike was meant to send a clear message. He was done playing around.
As he tore through the horde of alien attackers, his mind focused on one thing, finding out who was behind this. He knew this was a test for him, and they had severely underestimated him.
He paused briefly amidst the chaos, closing his eyes as he reached out telepathically, his mind found theirs, a dark thread of connection through the alien technology they were using.
"Whoever you are." His angry voice reverberated through the telepathic channel like a crashing unstoppable storm, "I hope you're happy, you've successfully caught my attention. Daring to ruthlessly murder civilians in my city. I'll find you. And when I do, you'll beg for mercy, mercy I won't grant. I'll tear you apart piece by piece, and no one will remember your names when I'm done."
The connection snapped, his message delivered with brutal clarity.
With one final surge of power, Harbinger lifted his hands, channeling his energy into a telekinetic attack that immediately annihilated the remaining aliens. The street was in ruins, and Kayn immediately used his telekinesis to save any civilians crushed under rubble or anything else.
Kayn then floated above the destruction for a moment, satisfied that the threat had been neutralized, he returned to the car, phasing back in seamlessly. The clone dissolved, leaving him seated beside Kara once again, his arms still around her protectively.
Kara had already calmed down, but still leaned in his arms as they pulled up towards her house. As the car pulls up to Kara's house, the evening light casts a warm glow on the quiet suburban street.
The driver cuts the engine, and for a moment, there's a comfortable silence between him and Kara. She's still slightly buzzing from the evening's events, the beautiful meal, the shocking attack, and Kayn comforting her.
"Well, here we are," Kayn says with a small smile, leaning slightly back in his seat. Kara glances out the window and notices her mother, Eliza, and sister, Alex, peeking through the curtains. She sighs and rolls her eyes, clearly embarrassed by their curiosity.
Kayn follows her gaze and smirks knowingly. "Looks like you've got an audience."
Kara turns back toward him, her cheeks tinged pink from both the situation and his teasing. "Yeah, they're… protective," she mutters.
She opens the door and steps out of the car, Kayn walking behind her before surprising her by pulling Kara in for a hug.
The sudden closeness catches her off guard, and her heart skips a beat. She stiffens for a moment, before relaxing into the embrace, her face flushing even deeper. She can feel his warmth, and for the briefest second, it feels as though the world around them fades.
"I'll see you in school Monday," he whispers softly, his breath warm against her ear.
"Y-Yeah," Kara stammers, trying to hide her flustered expression as she slowly pulls away.
As Kara reaches the porch, she risks one last look over her shoulder. Kayn is still there, leaning against the car, watching her with that same calm and cool expression. She can't help but smile despite her embarrassment.