"Supergirl"( MF,FF )[2/3]


	The Erotic Adventures Of Supergirl
	     Part Two

	By the time Susan had hung up the phone,
Supergirl was already on the other side of town. 
Since she was going to take the night off, it wouldn't
hurt to make one more swing of the city.
	All in all, it looked to be a quiet night.
Supergirl had long ago accepted the fact that she
couldn't be everywhere at one, and even she was
entitled to a night off now and then.  There was only
so much that one woman could do.
	Coming in low over the fashionable Park
Row section down by City Hall, the Girl of Steel's
enhanced hearing caught a muffled scream.  It was a
type of sound she'd learn to fine tune her hearing to. 
That and a few other sounds like gunshots, alarms
and the simple word "help."
	A quick x-ray scan of the area located the
sound as coming from one of the upper levels of a
fashionable apartment building.  Silently she flew
closer to the building, then a slight smile appeared at
the corners of her mouth.
	In the living room of the expensively
decorated apartment was a tall shapely blonde who
she would've guessed was about 40 years old.  The
woman was totally naked, gagged and tied up in
some sort of restraining device.  Behind her was an
older gentleman semi-nude wearing the top half of a
store bought Superman costume.  "Superman" was
in the process of pushing his cock into her exposed
ass.
	"Looks like you need a little more lubricant
there, Superman."  Supergirl thought with a laugh as
she further considered that earth people had some
really strange sexual habits.
	Early in her career, Supergirl had spotted a
similar scene in the small town were she was going
to college.  She immediately smashed though the
window, determined to rescue the woman whom she
was sure was being raped.  It was only after the
"helpless victim" began screaming at her to leave her
boyfriend alone that Supergirl realized that she had
make an awful mistake.  The few seconds she now 
took to further scan this apartment to find numerous
photographs of the couple together prevented her
from repeating those errors of youth.
	Normally, she would've gone on her way but
she found the scene rather interesting.  She didn't
consider the fact that she was using her powers to
watch wrong, after all she was just using the gifts
that nature had given her. Her eyesight just
happened to be a great deal better than the average
person - a very great deal.
	"I wonder what Kal-El would think of this." 
she thought as "Superman" finally find his mark and
began pumping in and out.  Listening carefully,
Supergirl could hear the woman now offering cries
of encouragement under her gag.
	It was then Supergirl noticed the other red
and blue costume on the floor.  It only took a
second to realize that it was an equally poor copy of
her own.   	
	"She's supposed to be me."  the Kryptonian
woman laughed out loud.  "I don't know if I should
be flattered or insulted."
	After watching for a few more minutes,
Supergirl took more to the now dark sky.  If nothing
else, at least that "Supergirl" was getting laid.

	Ignoring the city speed limits, after all what
cop actually paid attention to them, Susan made it
back to her small attic apartment in only fifteen
minutes.  It wasn't much, only three rooms, but then
again she was almost never there. She took a
moment to scan through the pile of letters from her
mailbox, it was the first time she'd been home to
pick up the mail in a week.
	Most of the assorted colored envelopes got
tossed right into the nearby waste basket.  The
remaining bills were laid on the small phone table.
She'd get to them eventually.
	Walking across the room, Susan began
stripping as she went.  The clothes that hit the floor
were also something she'd get to later.  It was only a
dozen paces to the small bathroom and by the time
Susan was in it she was down to a pair of panties.
	Standing in front of the small medicine
cabinet mirror, the police officer took a few minutes
to take stock.  At 30, Susan had a harder body than
when she graduated high school.  Her breasts were a
compact 34b and she'd never had the need for a bra.
	In the Army she'd always wore her hair in a
sort of buzz cut.  Now it was about an inch and a
half longer, just enough to form into the natural
curls she'd had as a teenager.  Her stomach was flat
as could be, the result of a daily workout. Her legs
were long and powerful, again the result of a daily
run.
	Susan had never considered herself pretty,
she'd been too much of a tomboy while growing up
to worry about that.  An Army brat, she'd rather play
soldier with the boys than get into dolls - unless of
course they were GI Joe's.  She remembered the day
she'd given her Barbie doll a butch haircut with her
father's electric razor and outfitted it with one of her
brother's GI Joe's fatigues.  This was long before the
days it became politically correct to think of female
soldiers.  Her dad had found it so amusing.  
	The Army had been her entire life, that's why
it had hurt so much they they'd told her that the
Army didn't want her anymore.  She could've fought
it of course - many women did.  But given the
choice of going quietly or a court martial that
would've laid her personal life bare, she'd taken the
road that caused the least embarrassment to her
father.  He never knew the real cause of her
resignation.  She'd told him that she hadn't made
Delta Force and if she couldn't be with the best, she
wasn't going to settle for second place.  It was
something he understood.  It was only after Colonel
Wienczorkowski's death last year that she'd come
out.  Her mother had know about her preferences
since she was 17.
	
	Laying out a new pair of red lace panties, she
pulled off the soiled pair she had on. It'd been clean
when she changed clothes at the station house but
had gotten wet during her conversation with
Supergirl.  The bush between her legs was slightly
darker than the red stands on her head.  Susan then
reached into the shower and turned it on. With the
way the water ran in this building, it would take a
few minutes to warm up. 
	 Running her hand across her crimson locks,
Susan wondered if she should let them grown. 
Maybe she needed a break with the past.  She could
always tie it back beneath her helmet.  Maybe
something like Carmen used to wear.   
	The memory of Carmen brought a longing
between her legs as the tall redhead stepped into the
shower.  It'd been a long time since she'd thought
about Carmen.  Back then, it'd been Captain Carmen
Anna Gutteriez.  She'd been the Commanding
Officer of Charlie Company of which the then 
Lieutenant Wienczorkowski's platoon had been part
of.  Unknown to anyone else, even to this day, she
had also been Susan's lover.
	The warm touch of the strong downpour felt
good against Susan's skin as she stepped under the
showerhead.  One of the few advantages to this old
building was the high water pressure.  She took the
bar of soap from the small wall shelf and began to
soap up her body.  
	As Susan stroked her breasts, bringing her
pointy  nipples to a accustomed hardness, the
memory of her old love wouldn't leave her thoughts. 
Deep in her minds eye, she could still picture her
laying naked alongside her.  The softness of her rich
brown flesh and the fullness of her large breasts. 
The sweet taste of her dark nipples and full lips as
the redhead would partake of each of them.
	  Soapy hands glided down across her slim
stomach as she remembered Carmen's touch.  Her
powerful fingers slid downward, finding their way to
the bright red bush below.  Continuing down
between her legs and then around to the cheeks of
her ass, Susan left a soapy trail of bubbles in her
wake.  
	Susan let out a soft sigh as her fingers again
rubbed against her mound, reminding her that there
had been few lovers since Carmen.  A few one niters
here and there, but no relationships to speak of.  She
thought of the snide remarks she'd heard from a few
assholes about her and Maggie Sawyer.  To tell the
truth, Susan sometimes wished the rumors were
true.  But Maggie had been involved in a long term
relationship for years now. 
	Running her long outstretched fingers across
her small mounds once again, giving them a playful
squeeze, the lithe woman was reminded of how
horny she'd felt lately.
	"God, I need to love someone."  she said to
herself as she again glided her fingers down across
her stomach and the thick layer of red hair.
	With a practiced skill she parted her vaginal
lips, quickly finding the small stubby clit hidden
within.  Closing her eyes as she leaned back against
the tiled wall, she pressed a slippery finger against it.
	"Oh yes."  she purred as a familiar tingle
spread out from her cunt. "That feels so nice."
	She slid a soapy finger up within herself,
followed by a second and a third.  It was a poor
substitute for the touch of a lover, but it would have
to do.  
	It wasn't long before she was furiously
pumping her fingers in and out, sparking the tiny
flame between her legs into a conflagration.
	The warm water had finally turned to hot,
filling the tiny room with steam.  The heat of which
paled next to that which radiated across her quaking
body as her fingers caressed her love canal in an
orgasmic frenzy.  
	Water running down her face, her lips
formed a silent O.  Susan felt her legs and arms go
weak as repeated waves of delight rippled up and
down her naked form. 
	Long silent moments, broken only by the
splatter of the shower drops, passed as the redhead
rested against the now warm tile.  The water
washing away the traces of her climax.  She had
wanted to find a small measure of sexual relief
through masturbation for the last two days but
refused to do it at the police station - even if she
could've  found the privacy.
	It wasn't until she opened her eyes again that
Susan realized that somewhere along the way, the
image of her dark haired Latino love had morphed
into that of a much younger smaller chested blonde.  
	
	
	Quickly finishing the shower, Susan moved
into her bedroom and went through her closet. 
There wasn't that much to pick from, she really
didn't have that much in the way of civilian clothes,
as she still tended to think of them. Usually she wore
her uniform to any official function she went to.
	Then in the back of the closet, still in the dry
cleaning plastic from the only time she'd worn it was
the jade v-neck dress her sister had bought her as a
birthday present.   It wasn't something she would've
bought for herself, not that she didn't like it.  It was
just that she was always around people who weren't
too concerned with their appearance.   
	Remembering all the complements she'd
gotten when she'd worn it at her sister's anniversary
party, she'd lifted it up and examined it closer. One
in particular stuck in her mind, a comment from her
brother in law that had he been single and didn't
know better, he'd have been trying to talk her into
bed. 
	"Might as well go whole hog."  Susan
quipped as she pulled out the box of accessories that
went with the outfit.  The black high heels, the small
gold earrings and finally her grandmother's locket.
	The appropriate makeup followed and by the
time she was done, Susan looked in the mirror and
was surprised by the image that looked back. It'd
been a long time since she realized just how much
she and her sister Janet looked alike. And she had
always thought Janet was beautiful.
	
	About to get going, two thoughts suddenly
hit Susan.  How was it going to look, her all dressed
up and having dinner with Supergirl?  And where
was she going to take her for dinner?  All of her
favorite restaurants where she usually took another
woman were  frequented by lesbian friends.  She
couldn't take someone like Supergirl there, it would
be all over town by morning.  Maybe she should
change into that dress uniform after all so it would
look like official business.
	"No, I like the way I look."  Susan said as
she checked her reflection again.  "I let Supergirl
decide where she wants to eat.  
	With that she was out the door before she
could change her mind. 


	The distant chimes of a clock tower could be
heard striking eight as Susan stood outside of her
building.  She's gotten a few strange looks from
passerby's as she kept scanning the skies for the
arrival of her dinner guest.  It would be quite
understandable if she was late, or if for some reason
she didn't show at all.  She was talking about
Supergirl after all.  She had responsibilities all over
the world.  Susan was still staring at the rooftops
when a woman walked up to her and said hello.
	
	"Good evening, Susan."  the young blonde
said.  "I hope you haven't been waiting here long."
	Susan turned at the sound of her name.  It
took a second for her to recognize the woman in the
bright red double-breasted jacket and matching skirt. 
Her long blonde hair had been pinned up and back
and she wore just the slightest touch of lipstick.
	"Super....."  Susan started to say.
	"Kara."  the Girl of Steel corrected her.  
	"Kara,...."  Susan remembered.
	"I hope I didn't disappoint you."  Kara said. 
"You looked like you were waiting for me to come
swooping out of the sky."
	"Not at all."  Susan said smiling.  "I actually
prefer it this way."
	"That's great."  Kara replied.  "Too many
people usually look at me and only see the suit.  As
if I was just a carbon copy of Superman.  They
forget I'm a woman underneath those red and blues."
	"I know the feeling."  Susan agreed as she
now realized that she could take Kara to her favorite
restaurant and no one would notice.  Then again, of
course they'd notice her, how could they not.  But
without the costume they'd never make the
connection.
	"Shall we get going?"  Kara said.
	"I'll get us a cab."  Susan said.
	"You'd better, this outfit wasn't made for
flying."  Kara grinned.     


	The club was called "Amanda's", located
down by the edge of Metropolis Harbor.  It was a
very upscale establishment, with a gigantic bay
window that opened onto the lower bay.  The only
thing that set it apart from the dozen or so similar
clubs around town was that it's clientele was
exclusively female.  Susan had once been there for
lunch with then Captain Sawyer when she first
applied for the SCU.  She always wanted to come
back for dinner but had never been with anyone
special enough to justify the ridiculous expense.  
Tonight she did.  As a member of the SCU, she had
no problem getting past the bouncers at the door.
	"I hope you don't mind a place like this."  she
said to Kara as she hesitated by the door.
	"Not at all."  Kara replied as she gave the
place a quick x-ray scan to see what kind of place it
was.  "Actually it might be interesting."
	They were seated at a private booth near the
bay window after Susan flashed her badge and said
they had a private matter to discuss.  The hostess
remembered Susan from her lunch with Maggie
Sawyer and was only too happy to comply.
	As they'd walked across the large room, all
eyes had been on Kara - much to Susan's delight.
Kara on the other hand was more interested in some
of the celebrities she saw around the room.  The
most famous of which was Congresswoman Diana
Scott, an openly lesbian legislator.
	"I recommend the seafood, it's the best in the
city."  Susan said as they were handed the menu's.
	"You can order for both of us."  Kara said as
she placed the menu down on the table unopened.  
	Which Susan did, smiling at the waitress as
the brunette checked Kara out.  
	
	"I guess you're the center of attention." 
Susan whispered as the brunette walked away.
	"At least they're looking at me and not the
you know what..."  Kara replied.
	Changing the subject, Susan asked a
question she'd been wondering about all afternoon. 
Actually it was the least of the questions she'd been
wondering about but it was a safe place to start.
	"Kara, I was wondering.."  she began. "How
old are you?  I mean if I had to guess I'd say about
20."	
	"In Terran terms or by Kryptonian
standards."  Kara asked back.
	"I think you better explain the difference."
	"All right."  the Girl of Steel explained. 
"According to your calendar, I've just passed my
21st birthday. If I were still on Krypton, I'd be 5
years into my adulthood."
	"So you're considered an adult at 16 on your
world." Susan said.
	"Yes." Kara said.  "but I'm sure there are a
lot better questions that you'd rather ask."
	"Well I guess the big one would be...." 
Susan said as she hesitated a moment. "Are we just
two people having dinner or is this a date?"
	Kara laughed softly.  "Which do you want it
to be?" before Susan could answer she added "Did
you think that I was that naive, not to know that you
were a lesbian?"  
	"Well, I don't exactly wear a sign around my
neck."  came the reply.
	"I knew that five minutes after I met you this
morning."  Kara explained.  "I overheard one of the
other officers mentioning it."
	"Then you really wanted to date me?"  Susan
said with a touch of astonishment.  "I was so
worried that it was all going to turn out to be some
kind of misunderstanding."
	"Well I've always had a thing for redheads." 
Kara said. 
	"Really?"  Susan said, feeling like a 16 year
old on her first date.
	"On Krypton they were considered blessed
by Rao."  Kara explained.
	"Rao?"  
	"Originally the sun god, eventually he
became the primary god-figure in our culture."  Kara
explained.  "Krypton had a red sun as I'm sure
you've read somewhere."
	"Yes I have."  Susan said as she remembered
the long series of articles about Superman that had
been written by Lois Lane of the Planet when he'd
first appeared."
	"Did they have lesbians on Krypton?"  Susan
asked.
	"We never really got hung up on labels." 
Kara answered.  "Once you were an adult you loved
who you wanted to.  It was something that you
decided and no one else cared.  And the next
question of course would be...am I a lesbian?"
	Their eyes locked for a moment.  Clear pools
of emerald and blue, born on worlds thousands of
light-years apart.
	"A few years ago, when I first came to
Earth, I’d have to say I was bisexual, a great many
Kryptonians were - at least when they were young." 
Kara answered. 
	"And now.?"  Susan asked hopefully.
	"Well it’s been quite some time since I’ve
been with a man."  Kara said.
	"You say it like it’s not really by choice." 
Susan noted.
	"It’s not.  It seems that few men are
interested in a woman who can turn cars into scrap
metal.  At least not any men who would interest me.
I’m sure if not you, then some of your fellow female
officers have come across that before - a man who
can’t deal with a woman who’s stronger or better at
something than they are."
	"Well, not me of course but I know what
you’re talking about."  Susan replied.
	"Now imagine what it would be like if one of
those women could crush them like a twig.  I’m sure
you’ve heard some of the jokes."  Supergirl said.
	Susan had indeed heard many of them, most
from her fellow officers.  The ones that said you
could fuck Supergirl day and night for a month and
never get a rise out of her because her invulnerability
made her totally non-responsive.  Or the even nastier
ones like the one that said if she climaxed while you
were inside of her the pressure on your cock would
be so great that you’d get it crushed to a pulp.
	"Don’t all you super-types have a secret
identity of some kind."  Susan asked.  "Couldn’t you
have a relationship when you’re that other person."
	"Up until I finished college, I had a secret
identity."  Kara explained.  "I even wore a brunette
wig to look different.  But that person wasn’t me.  I
had two affairs as "Linda" but both came apart when
I told them who I really was."
	"There are other super-heroines,"  Susan
said, really trying to help. "Maybe you should talk to
one of them and see how they handle it.  Maybe
someone like Wonder Woman."
	"Wonder Woman."  Kara laughed softly.  "I
had a long talk with Diana, that her name by the
way, about the time I turned 18.  Her suggestion
was that she and I should become closer.  She’d
always had a thing for younger women, just look at
Wonder Girl."
	"What did you tell her?"  asked a curious
Susan.
	"I told her I wasn’t interested."  Kara
replied. "It wasn’t that she isn’t one of the most
beautiful women I’ve ever met.  Amazon Princess
and all, she’s most definitely that.  Tall, beautiful
with the most perfect body I’ve ever seen."
	"I’ve seen photographs of her."  Susan said. 
"I know I’d be hard pressed to say no, even if it was
just for a night."
	"Well I knew she’d had a hot affair with
Superman the year before.  That was before Kal
really got involved with Loi......with his current
love."  Kara explained.  "She gave me the
impression that her interest in me just more a matter
of completing the set than really wanting me."
	"But what about the other men in the Justice
League and such?"  Susan asked, amazed that she
was suggesting possible male lovers for Kara.  But
there was something about her that made her want
to help.  Even if it crushed any fantasy she might
have had towards her. "I’m sure there’re not put off
by powerful women."
	"None of them really interested me."  Kara
said.  "In fact, there’s only one man who interests
me, and that’s not going to happen."
	"By that, I take it you mean Superman." 
Susan said.  "And if I remember the news articles
right, the two of you are first cousins."
	"First cousins are a problem for your
species."  Kara said.  "Kryptonians don’t have the
same genetic obstacles.  In fact, marriage between
first cousins happened a lot if the two of them were
the last of their lines - so that the family didn’t die
out.  And if it’s one thing Kal and I are - it’s the last
of our line."
	"If you had a child with a Earthman,
wouldn’t that count?"  Susan asked.
	"That’s another thing that different about our
species."  Kara went on.  "Kryptonian sperm can
impregnate an Earthwoman but human sperm
couldn’t fertilize one of my eggs.  So it’s either
Superman or no one."
	"Would artificial insemination work?"  asked
the police officer.
	"I’m invulnerable...remember."  Kara said. 
"Surgery’s not an option.  No, it was either the old
fashion way or nothing."
	Silently, Susan began to curse herself for
going on with what was obviously a hurtful subject
with Kara.  In her own life at least she could still
have a child if she ever desired one.  Trying to
change the subject, she asked a different question.

	"You said that most young Kryptonians were 
bisexual," she asked.  "Does that include Superman
as well?"  
	"No, Kal is as straight as the proverbial
arrow." Kara insisted.  "Of course he came to Earth
as an infant, I didn't land here until I was 15."
	It was strange but until that moment, Susan
had never really given the difference in the cousin’s
ages any thought. She listened intently as Kara told
her the tale of Argo City. Few people had heard the
full story, they’d only heard that Supergirl had come
from a Kryptonian outpost. Susan was silent for the
longest time as she listened to the tragedy, the
dinner she had so look forward to sat untouched.  
	"That's so tragic."  Susan finally said as
Supergirl finished her story.
	"Well it's history so there's not much I can do
about it."  Kara said.  "The thing to remember is
to....."  
	Kara paused in mid-sentence as she suddenly
turned from Susan and scanned the room.  Invisible
beams from her deep blue eyes turned all the solid
structures in the building as transparent as glass. 
	"Something wrong?" Susan asked as she
reached down to the strap on holster she wore 
 around her upper leg and began to pull out her off
duty revolver. 	
	"Oh no!"  Kara said as she jumped out of her
seat and flew across the room to the last table
against the window.  
	Reaching Congresswoman Scott's table,
Supergirl ripped the top off the table to expose a
small package of explosives beneath it.  The timer
on the device showed three seconds to zero. 
	"Madre De Dios!"  the Congresswoman's
companion screamed as she saw the bomb.
	"Everyone down."  Supergirl called out as
she bent over to cradle the explosive device.  
	The roar of the detonation was deafening,
shattering the vast plate glass.  Woman scattered
across the floor as a shower of tiny glass fragments
filled the air.   Thankfully that was the only real
damage as Supergirl shielded the rest of the room
with her body.  Her outfit of course was torn to
shreds, lacking the resiliency of her Supergirl outfit.
	"Kara!"  Susan screamed out as, weapon in
hand, she lifted herself off the floor and ran over to
what was left of the Congresswoman's table.  
	"I'm OK."  Supergirl said as she stood up
and brushed herself off.
	The entire front of her outfit had been
destroyed, exposing her breasts for all to see.  The
Girl of Steel didn't seem to notice.  She was more
concerned about everyone else.
	"Everyone all right?"  Diana Scott asked as
she lifted herself off the floor.
	"Everyone seems to be."  Supergirl said as
she watched the last of the patrons get off the floor.
	"It seems as if I owe you my thanks and my
life, Supergirl." Diana said as she stepped over a pile
of broken glass. "If you hadn't been here undercover
I don't know what would have happened."
	"Undercover?"  Supergirl repeated.
	Susan immediately picked up on Diana's
offering.  She was offering Supergirl an explanation
as to why she was in a lesbian club.  If Supergirl
wanted the world to know her sexuality it should be
on her terms, not because she exposed herself to
save lives.  
	"It's a good thing that I heard the ultrasonic
whine that thing gave off as it went into it's ten
second countdown."  Supergirl said, changing the
subject.
	By this time the local police had begun to
arrive and Supergirl had excused herself to change
into costume.  She had the foresight to bring the
compressed uniform in her purse. 
	"Officer Wienczorkowski, can I give you a
lift home?"  Supergirl asked.
	"I guess so, there's nothing else for us here." 
Susan said.
	With that, the Girl of Steel picked up the
green garbed officer and lifted her into the sky.  


	The two women landed a few thousand feet
away along the shore line. The small park at the
water's edge was deserted this time of night so they
had a small measure of privacy.
	"Well, I guess that could've gone better." 
Kara said as she gazed into the dark harbor waters.
	"Hey, it's all right."  Susan said as she gently
placed her hand on Kara's shoulder.  "You're
Supergirl, people depend on you.  I'm the last person
to complain about something like that.  You have no
idea how many nights have been ruined when my
SCU beeper went off.
	"I notice you're not wearing that beeper
now."  Kara said.
	"Well I really didn't want any interruptions
tonight.  I used some vacation time I had to take a
few days off."
	"I can't remember the last time I took a
vacation."  Kara said.
	"Really?"  Susan said astonished.  "If I had
your powers I don' think I'd ever stop traveling.  My
biggest problem would be where to start."
	"If you could go anywhere, where would it
be?"  asked Kara.
	"The Moon."  Susan said without hesitation.
	"The Moon?" Kara repeated.
	"I was remember watching the astronauts
walk on the Moon, even though I was only a little
girl at the time."  Susan explained. "I've never
stopped thinking how incredible it must feel to walk
on another world."
	"Kind of like the feeling I get every day." 
Kara quipped.
	"I'm sorry."  Susan apologized.  "I guess it's
hard to think of you as an alien from another world."
	"I sometimes wonder if people would've
been so willing to accept me if I had green skin and
pointed ears."
	"I think you'd look real sexy like that."  the
policewoman said, trying to lighten the mood.
	"Maybe."  Kara replied.  
	"But to be more realistic, I think I'd like to
just get away from it all for a while."  Susan went
on. "Somewhere quiet and far from emergency
beepers and responsibilities."
	Kara looked out into the darkness as she
listened.  Her gaze seemed to be focused on the
horizon as if she was trying to decide something. 
The look of concentration softened into a smile and
she turned back to her companion.
	"You said you had a few days off, right?" 
she asked.
	"That's right."  
	"Then lets go." Kara said.
	"Where?"  Susan asked.
	"Somewhere far away from responsibilities." 
Kara said as she removed her bright red cape and
held it out to Susan.  "Here, better wrap this around
you, the night air can get a little cold when you gain
a little altitude."
	No sooner had Susan wrapped the cape
around herself when Kara effortlessly lifted her into
her arms.  She held her like a babe in arms and with
a soft leap took to the air.