A Hero's Humility (Patreon)

Supergirl hovered just above the ground outside the First National Bank, her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. The sun gleamed off her iconic "S" shield, and her cape fluttered gently in the afternoon breeze. Behind her, a group of disheveled bank robbers, hands cuffed, sat on the steps, their heist thoroughly foiled.

Inside, the bank staff and customers slowly recovered from the shock, while the sound of sirens grew louder, signaling the impending arrival of the police. Supergirl turned her attention back to the robbers, who were huddled together, whispering and glancing her way with nervous looks.

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice carrying the authority of someone used to getting answers.

The men looked at each other, clearly reluctant to speak. One of them, a lanky guy with a scruffy beard, nudged the man next to him. "Go on, tell her."

The designated spokesman, a burly fellow with tattoos peeking out from under his shirt sleeves, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, well, Supergirl, we, uh... we were just talking about... um..."

"Spit it out," she said, hands on her hips now, her cape swishing slightly with the movement.

"Your, um, your skirt," he stammered. "It's, uh, it's caught on your waistband, and, um, we can see your underwear. And, uh, more than that..."

Supergirl's eyes widened in surprise. She quickly glanced down and realized with horror that her skirt was indeed tucked into the waistband of her costume, exposing her underwear—a very slim pair that offered little coverage. A flush of deep embarrassment spread across her cheeks as she noticed a few strands of her pubic hair peeking out.

She let out a small, mortified gasp and turned around quickly, using her cape to shield herself as she fixed her skirt. The robbers exchanged awkward glances, some of them suppressing nervous chuckles.

Once she was decent again, Supergirl turned back to face them, her cheeks still tinged with a faint pink. "Thank you," she said, her voice carrying a touch of sheepishness now. "For telling me."

The burly man shrugged. "Uh, no problem. I mean, we're already in enough trouble, didn't want to add insult to injury."

The police cars screeched to a halt nearby, and officers began to spill out, moving towards the bank. Supergirl gave the robbers one last look, a mix of gratitude and lingering embarrassment in her eyes, before she turned to meet the arriving officers.

As the police began taking the robbers into custody, one of the officers approached Supergirl. "Thanks for the help, Supergirl. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, managing a small, confident smile. "Everything's under control."

Another officer, noticing her slightly flushed face, raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You look a little... flustered."

Supergirl laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Just a little... unexpected feedback from our friends here. It's all good now."

The officer smirked. "Gotcha. Well, thanks again. The city owes you one."

She took to the sky with a powerful leap, her cape billowing behind her, the encounter leaving her with a story she'd never quite forget. Even heroes had their moments of humility, after all.