Kara knew herself well; she never tried to shape Clark's thoughts or beliefs, focusing only on helping him master his powers and learn new things. In fact, she encouraged Jonathan to be the guiding voice in Clark's life.
The path to becoming a true hero was challenging, but Kara believed Clark could walk it. She had no desire for him to become a "superhuman" in the sense of power alone, but rather a person of true character. She couldn't be the perfect example, knowing her own potential flaws, so she left much of Clark's guidance to Jonathan and simply helped him learn to control his abilities.
After a day of training and exploration, Kara decided it was time to take Clark home. Their encounter with creatures from the Trench was unexpected; it seemed the noise from their training session, especially the shockwaves from their collisions, had drawn the creatures' attention. Despite their speed and strength, these monsters posed no real threat to Kara or Clark.
Clark was troubled, however, realizing he might have inadvertently hurt or even killed one of them. Kara, by contrast, remained unfazed. She returned the following night out of curiosity, only to find the creatures' bodies had disappeared—likely dragged off by others of their kind.
She forbade Clark from accompanying her back to the Trench for a while, sensing he needed time to process. Exploring alone, she discovered a remote part of the sea teeming with creatures and the ruins of the Trench Kingdom. Kara quickly realized there were hundreds of thousands of these creatures, and even her own powers, like heat vision, were limited underwater. Fighting them all wasn't practical or necessary.
Knowing this, Kara decided to leave the Trench Kingdom untouched. She hadn't interacted with them in all her years, and if not for this chance encounter, she would have continued to let them be.
After finishing her exploration, Kara returned home, resting up before her planned return to Metropolis with Clark. She knew Perry, her boss, might not be thrilled with her extended absence. Still, she had prepared some good stories, like the recent sightings of the Batmobile and the Oracle's rumored retirement, to placate him.
The next morning, Jonathan drove Kara and Clark to the town train station. Her car had been wrecked, so getting a new ride was on her to-do list. Back in Metropolis, Kara felt a rush of nostalgia. She and Clark went their separate ways; he headed to his classes, while she made her way back to work.
When she arrived at the office, many of her coworkers were surprised. "Kara, where have you been?" an old friend asked, clearly concerned.
"Something came up, so I took an extended leave. I already discussed it with Perry," Kara replied smoothly.
A friend pulled her aside and whispered, "While you were away, Grant took over your column. Sales dropped at first but eventually recovered, so watch out."
Kara smiled, nodding understandingly. She spotted Kate Grant, Perry's former assistant, working at her old desk. Kara approached, standing imposingly with her 6'3" frame towering over Kate.
Looking up, Kate greeted her. "You're back, Kara," she said casually, addressing her by her first name—a surprising show of familiarity.
Kara smiled. "Seems like you're holding down the fort well," she said, noting Kate's table filled with documents.
"Thanks to your guidance and resources," Kate admitted. "If it weren't for you, I might've been let go. Now that you're back, I'll gladly pass the reins."
But Kara shook her head. "Your readers have started to accept you, so I think it'd be a waste to swap things up now."
Kate was shocked. She'd assumed Kara would reclaim the position she'd held for so long. "But it's your work, Kara."
"Don't worry about it. I have other plans," Kara explained. "I want to start a new food column. Teaching people to cook and share recipes sounds refreshing, don't you think?"
Kara's explanation made it clear: her temporary departure had created an opportunity for Kate, which she'd taken on with Kara's support. Perry had promoted her, assuming Kara would return when she was ready.
Other colleagues who'd expected workplace drama or were genuinely worried on Kara's behalf began to realize there was nothing to fuss over. Kara's nonchalant attitude spoke volumes.
Eventually, Perry noticed Kara was back but saw her chatting with Kate instead of reporting in. Unable to wait any longer, he came over. "Kara, Kate, mind joining me in my office?"
Kara turned, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "Guess you couldn't wait, huh?" she joked, standing up and walking toward his office.