Chapter Text
Chapter One
Lena Luthor was not someone who was easily unnerved. But seeing the malevolence of Reign looking out from her friend Sam’s eyes was one of the most disturbing experiences of life. And that’s saying something for a woman whose brother is a sociopath who tries to kill her every six months. But then it had been Lex’s obsession with killing Superman that had allowed her access to a store of a powerful element that was helping her to control Reign; at least to an extent.
The Worldkiller was currently pushed deep down thanks to Lena’s Kryptonite enhanced tech, allowing Lena to keep working on her solution to help Sam. But the raven-haired genius knew time was her enemy. Even Kryptonite wasn’t enough to completely suppress the monster within her friend. Tapping frantically at the keys of her computer as she worked, she heard Sam let out a panicked sound. Her head whipped round and she saw Sam looking at her with a fear-stricken face.
“Sam?” she said cautiously as she stepped away from her workstation. “Lena… I… Something bad is happening.” She looked up at the ceiling as if even in her human state she could see through with X-Ray vision. “They’re coming.” Before Lena could ask anything more, she startled at a sound and movement behind her.
There in her lab, a red glow around them, had appeared four figures. The indistinct shapes quickly resolved into Supergirl, and three others; one being the Martian she had seen working with Supergirl a number of times before, one the Daxamite manchild Mon El and the other a beautiful brunette woman Lena had never seen before. Supergirl stumbled towards her, alarm evident across her face. “Lena the Worldkillers are on their way here!” Before Lena could respond, she saw the blonde superhero’s face falter. It was as if the world stood still as Supergirl registered the lab and the secure med bay and the woman inside.
“Lena, what is this? What’s going on here?” The blonde looked between Lena and Sam sitting on the bed, a curious look turning to one of understanding and then hurt. It was the most human that Lena had ever seen the other woman look. There was something too familiar about it that tickled at the back of Lena’s mind. Before she could respond, a loud crash sounded and two ominous figures were bursting through the secure door into the lab.
In the chaos that followed, the four heroes were bested, the two intruders had freed Sam and Reign had fully surfaced – revealing Sam’s duality to all. And still, it was the look that Supergirl gave her that she knew would keep her awake at night.
XXXXX
The cool of the internal concrete wall of the DEO helped Kara focus as she leaned her back against it. It had been a trying morning for the blonde hero and she was taking the opportunity of an ebb in activity to gather herself. The events of the previous evening as well as the difficult morning weighed on her mind. Arriving at Lena’s lab to find Sam ensconced in an experimental medical bubble, getting her butt handed to her by the Worldkillers again, discovering her best friend had been harbouring Reign for weeks; she knew she shouldn’t dwell. And yet.
Of course it was the Lena of it all. That her best friend could keep something like this from her had bothered her. But what made it worse was that it only reminded Kara what she was keeping from Lena. Additionally, the fact that she had begun to consider Lena as something more than a friend of late only made her discomfort at keeping the whole Supergirl thing from her more pronounced. That Lena had access to Kryptonite and used it to contain Reign only added to Kara’s inner turmoil.
Kara took in a deep breath and stood upright. A momentary indulgence away from the noise and bustle was all she could afford. She was Supergirl and she was needed. And she needed to talk to Lena.
Walking into the main atrium of the DEO she could see Lena out on the balcony on her ‘phone. Affording her friend the time to finish the call, she waited by the opening. She felt the moment Lena realised she was there, a slight roll of her shoulders and an awkward shuffle of her feet. Lena turned to see her and bobbed her head in acknowledgement but couldn’t keep the flicker of annoyance from crossing her face. Kara hated that look; a look that was all too often aimed at her when she was in the suit. She sighed. The CEO turned back to lean on the balcony, hunching over as if there was something she could do to hide her voice from Kryptonian hearing. Of course they both knew it was futile. But Kara took the hint and focused her hearing on the playlist Wynn was listening to while he worked to find a way to track the Worldkillers.
Soon enough Lena finished her call and turned back towards Kara, her face the epitome of her CEO persona. Cold, closed off. Kara hated this look too; at least when it was aimed at her. “Lena,” she began. The other woman held up her hand. “I don’t need any more lectures about Kryptonite or Worldkillers Supergirl. I was helping a friend. That’s all.” Kara nodded, doing everything to keep her stoic Supergirl demeanour. “I get it. But Lena, I’ve had your back so many times. Risked my reputation, defended you. Surely you can see how this might look to the DEO. To Alex… Agent Danvers.” Lena raised her eyebrow at Supergirl’s stumble over Alex’s name but schooled her face back to the stone-cold CEO. “One of the best things about being a billionaire and one’s own boss Supergirl, is that generally other people’s opinion of me matters very little.”
“I understand why you might feel that way Lena, but there are those of us here who do have a high opinion of you regardless. But I do have to ask… How much Kryptonite do you have?”
“That batch keeping Reign under control was the last of Lex’s cache.” Kara nodded, a trickle of relief surfacing, allowing her to bestow a small smile on her friend. Before she could continue, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her and she looked up to see the sky darkening. The sun was being eclipsed.
XXXXX
The plan to find the Worldkillers and bring back the sun was simple enough. Find Sam and wake her long enough to send a signal to them from her location. Except it involved psychic links, 31st century technology and a mystical valley that only existed in theory. It hadn’t come as much of a surprise to Kara that Lena had worked out where Sam was going when Reign took over, nor was the fact that she was willing to go there. That combination of intellect and loyalty driven bravery was such a defining trait of her best friend. Although who she thought she was kidding still thinking of the CEO as just a best friend was by now a joke she was playing only on herself.
Nevertheless, the plan to enter the dark valley of Juru via was set and Brainy was making preparations. Kara was taking a moment to rest under the sunlamps and charge up; she knew she would need as much strength as possible on their mystical journey. She heard a familiar voice calling her name. It was James. As someone who knew her well enough to know she could pick out her name even whispered a few corridors away, it wasn’t unusual for him to get her attention in this way. But considering the current world in peril circumstances, it still surprised her.
She got up off the medical bed and reached over to turn the sun lamps off. Stepping out into the corridor to find him she almost walked into him as he paced anxiously. “Everything okay James?”
“Can we talk alone for a minute?” Even in times of world crisis she would always have time for a friend. She nodded and followed him as he strode down the hallway. Coming to a quiet corner he turned back to her and leaned in, indicating she should come closer. “Lena told me about Sam.” She nodded. He must have been the call Lena was on earlier before she had passed out. “Yeah,” she said with a quiet sigh. “Everything is kind of a big mess. And this eclipse is them; the Worldkillers. We’re working on a way to find them and shut them down.”
“Is it dangerous? Can I help in any way?” She didn’t like the way his face looked when he asked that. He was too eager. It was a side of him she never did like. “It’s dangerous,” she said in answer. “Or so Brainy says. But I’ll have Alex with me. And Lena is coming, because of how well she knows Sam… And Reign.” That eager look crossed his face again. “So Lena will be with you?”
“Yes. James, what’s this about?” He looked behind her as if checking whether anyone could hear them. He stepped even closer, uncomfortably so. “Lena’s Kryptonite. While she is occupied with you, she’s out of the way. I can check her lab for you.” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I can break into her lab, check around her vault and see how much Kryptonite she has stored up.” Disgusted at his suggestion, she snatched her hand away from his grip. “She told me she’d used the last of Lex’s cache. Why wouldn’t you believe her?” His sneer told her everything she needed to know. “Come on, we’ve had this conversation before. She’s a Luthor. She’s been trying to get close to you since day one.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “Aren’t you dating her?” His only answer to that was to wave his hands dismissively. She ignored his dismissal and continued. “James, you’re right we have had this conversation before. And you’re still wrong. She is my best friend. This Sam business aside, she has come through for me every time I have needed her. And this was her coming through for Sam. She should not have to continually keep proving herself. That’s not real friendship James.”
“That’s great. You have a friend. Clark had a best friend other than me once too. They were like brothers. I just want confirmation. If she is what you believe her to be, then no worries, there won’t be anything in there. I can be in and out as Guardian…”
“I said No!” She had pulled herself up to her full height, channelling every part of her Kryptonian arrogance. She didn’t like having to ‘Supergirl’ her friends. But what James was suggesting was not what she wanted. And it felt like it would be a betrayal of Lena. It didn’t matter to Kara that Lena would never know. Kara herself would know. And after having her trust in Lena validated so many times, now was not the time to question it.
“If you want to be useful while we are occupied then you can do so as Editor in Chief of CatCo. Help to maintain calm. Counter misinformation. But stay away from Lena’s lab.”
“But what if…”
“I won’t ask again James.” And turning her back on him she walked back to where the Legion Cruiser was about to set off.
XXXXX
The Dark Valley was well named. When Supergirl had suggested this whole mind transference to find Sam, Lena had not hesitated to insert herself into the team. Now that she was here, she wasn’t quite as sure. It wasn’t even the valley itself that was giving her pause. It was her companions. Not so much Alex. She actually liked Kara’s sister. She liked her for Sam. It hadn’t escaped Lena how the two brunettes had been circling each other for the last few months since Alex’s former fiancé had left for Gotham. Nor had it escaped her that Alex seemed to not only be courting Sam, but in a way, Ruby too. And Lena was more than happy that Sam and Ruby had found a woman like Alex to be part of their lives; though it was for Alex and Sam to determine exactly the nature of how that would play out. That Sam was also Reign was undoubtedly a complication. But that too was for Alex and Sam to resolve between themselves.
So, no it wasn’t so much Alex who was giving her cause for her momentary regret in volunteering for this mystical expedition. No, it was the blonde superhero who was currently grousing about her vulnerability and tiredness from the strain of mentally carrying the two humans into the Kryptonian valley.
It was simply that the hero bothered her. It was that she could be equally insufferably pompous and inspiring; equally arrogant and encouraging; equally independent and welcoming. It was that she was so naïve in her black and white perspective of good and evil; an inflexible edifice of uncompromising morals. She was stubborn, condescending and controlling.
But Lena had to be truly honest with herself and admit it wasn’t really Supergirl’s flaws that bothered her. It was her own increasing attraction to the blonde in spite of these flaws. It was every way that Supergirl proved she really was the hero the world needed. It went without saying that she was brave. Add to that an almost unhealthy tendency for self-sacrifice, unfaltering kindness, her belief in the power of the human spirit and an uncanny ability to have Hope in the darkest of times and you have the perfect storm of allure for Lena. All this aside from the fact that she was the very image of Artemis or Athena, as if a Goddess herself had stepped direct from the pages of her childhood books.
None of which would really make her quite as bothered and confused in the normal run of events. It was all this on top of the fact that as well as such conflicting attraction and irritation at the Kryptonian, she was also head over heels with her best friend Kara Danvers. Where Supergirl was practically an Adonis in female form, Kara was handsome in a down to earth way. She was warm and bright and joyous and had an inexplicable but unwavering belief in Lena. It was confounding to the Luthor that she was so deeply attracted to two people simultaneously.
What had made things worse was the strange dream she had had a few months before when Morgan Edge had tried to kill her. The dream had dangerously intertwined the two women in her imagination, with dream Kara flying her across the skies just like Supergirl would. She remembers with vivid longing the warmth of Kara’s arms cradling her as they flew across the skies. The dream had felt so real to Lena. So real in fact, that she even remembered smells within the dream. And in the dream, Kara had had that same inimitable scent that usually distinguished Supergirl; a combination of Ozone, jasmine and a sweetness reminiscent of honey. Ever since, the scent of the two women had been both frustratingly indistinguishable and utterly addictive. This conundrum had led Lena to wonder whether Kara was actually dating the hero. But Kara told her everything and there was no reason to believe she would keep something like that from her. Lena herself certainly wouldn’t.
And yet, the thought of Kara and Supergirl as a couple settled itself in her mind. This thought of the two women in this imaginary relationship sparked a dangerous combination of envy and jealousy in Lena. A feeling that made her uncomfortable seeing as she should be happy for her friend. Of course, being brought up in the Luthor family had ill-equipped poor Lena for dealing with such a mountain of unfamiliar and conflicting emotions. Hence, she channelled it into a steady annoyance at one of the sources of those feelings. Figuring the Kryptonian could carry her ire better than the human labrador that was Kara, it was all directed towards Supergirl.
And so, Supergirl’s presence bothered her.
For Sam though, she would forbear and keep things as civil as she could.
With these thoughts still playing on her mind, she ventured deeper into the dark valley with her two companions.
The three women walked together in silence, with only Supergirl’s frustrated tutting every now and then. Just as they were walking through a particularly tangled thicket, Alex’s foot caught on a root and she would have fallen flat on her face. Instead, Supergirl was there. Even without her powers her arms wrapped around the agent, pulling her upright and placing her gently on her feet. Lena couldn’t help but smile at the annoyance that flashed across Alex’s face. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who found the Kryptonian’s inability to just let things go somewhat irritating.
Alex shrugged out of Supergirl’s grip and started walking again but paused. “You know Supergirl, a trip wouldn’t have been a massive tragedy. I don’t need you babysitting me.” Both women had their backs to Lena, but she didn’t have to see the blonde’s face to now the look of offense that would be there. “Alex,” Supergirl started gently. The agent turned this time, taking in both the blonde and Lena. “You don’t have to save everyone. You have to let people save you sometimes. That’s what I’m here for now. I’m the one here to help you this time, not the other way around. You need to be saving your strength.” Supergirl gave a wry smile. “I’m sorry Alex, you’re right. And Brainy did have a point. I feel more tired than I ever remember being.”
“Yeah, I guess carrying both of us in here can’t be fun for you.” The blonde gave a resigned shrug. “Maybe if we had known about Sam sooner we could have avoided this…” The jab at Lena was too much. “You can’t still be mad about that,” she parried back. Supergirl fixed her with those mesmerising blue eyes. “I’m pretty sure I am still mad about it.”
“I helped a friend the best way I knew how.”
“And being a Luthor the best way was to do it on your own without telling anyone else.” Lena knew Supergirl regretted the Luthor jibe the moment she said it just from the flushed look on her face. But the raven-haired woman had no capacity right now to soothe anyone’s regrets, especially Supergirl’s. “You don’t like secrets?” Supergirl threw back immediately. “No, I don’t.”
“Good. What’s your real name?”
She of course didn’t expect the answer. She expected an excuse, or another Luthor accusation. Instead Supergirl was silent for a moment. The hero glanced at Alex and seemed to relax her shoulders, the way she held her body becoming somehow smaller. It tickled something at the back of Lena’s memory that she couldn’t quite get hold of. The blonde stepped closer to her then. “Do you really want to know? Do you think you could hold that knowledge and keep the people I love safe by telling no-one else?” Lena was stunned. Was she about to learn Supergirl’s real identity. Did the hero really trust her that much? Despite the current animosity between them, they did make a good team when tackling villains and Supergirl had always come to save her when her life was really in danger. Before she could answer, Alex was tugging at Supergirl’s sleeve. “I don’t think this is the time for this.” Supergirl’s brow furrowed. She glanced back to Lena then took a grip on the stick in her hand and nodded to Alex in agreement. “You take point Agent Danvers.”
“The two of you need to pull yourselves together. Lena, stop baiting the tired Kryptonian. Supergirl, stop taking her bait. We’re here to find and help Sam.” So saying she set off again deeper into the valley. The two women behind her exchanged knowing looks and nodded, both agreeing that the mission was bigger than their imagined differences.
It was difficult to keep time in the valley, but all three women knew that in the real world outside, the sun was slowly disappearing. As such they each now walked through the valley with a sense of urgency, eyes scanning all directions for any sign of Sam. Alex was the one to see Sam first, a terrified and almost incoherent Julia beside her. The Agent and Lena rushed to the brunette’s side, Supergirl hanging back slightly. Lena appreciated Supergirl’s consideration. She didn’t know Sam; she didn’t really know any of them. It was herself Lena, along with Alex, who were Sam’s friends and were the ones who would get through to Sam. The two dark haired women both knelt close by Sam, speaking softly yet urgently. They reminded Sam who she was; comforting her; encouraging her. When she backed away, thinking they were visions of those she had harmed sent to torture her, it was all three women who reassured her they were all alive and unharmed and had in fact come to save and help her. It took the evocation of her daughter’s name to truly make her come to herself and as she stood, they could see her momentarily freeze as her consciousness returned to her body to help Brainy and J’onn find where the Worldkillers were.
Sam’s head lolled forward for a moment and then shot up, her eyes red. This wasn’t Sam anymore. It was Reign. The Worldkiller stood in one smooth movement, her hand shooting out to grasp Lena by the throat. Lena’s fingers scrabbled at the hand squeezing her vulnerable flesh. It was with mild surprise she heard Supergirl’s voice. “Let her go!” It was commanding, firm, uncompromising. Lena felt the hand around her throat tighten just a little. Reign turned her head to look at Supergirl. “You dare speak to me? I will break her neck!”
“No! Take me! Take me instead.” Reign’s lip curled into a snarl. “There is no ‘instead’, daughter of the House of El. There is first, then second, then third. And the best way to break you so I can beat you is to kill these two humans and make you watch.” Lena closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. She heard Supergirl shout another protest and felt the deadly fingers squeezing tighter. But then in a flash of light she felt the hand fall away, the dark valley falling away.
She woke to see Brainy pulling the psychic device from her head, followed by him waking Alex and then Supergirl. She breathed a sigh of relief. Their mission had worked it seemed. The heroes around her jumped into action and she was left to help Brainy on the ship. The fight to save the world was back on and the balance had tipped away from the Worldkillers. Now there was only the fight for her friend’s soul.
Chapter Text
Chapter Two
Mornings always made Kara feel hopeful. Each day a new start, the sunlight bleaching into her apartment or lighting up a mountain range she happened to be flying over. No matter what had happened the previous day, dawn waged war with the dark and won. This day was no different and despite the troubles of the last two days, despite finding Lena had Kryptonite and had kept Sam’s nature from them, despite everything, they were rid of two out of three Worldkillers. And after seeing how Julia was able to reclaim herself, Kara was more than confident that Sam would be able to do the same and that they could get her back. As she stretched in her bed, she thought about the conversation she had had with Lena once they had all reconvened back at the DEO.
“Lena.” Kara called her friend’s name across the DEO and walked confidently towards her. “Nice work with the Legion ship. Brainy was impressed. Although he might not say it to you himself.” A shy smile flickered across Lena’s face and she dipped her head, as ever reluctant to accept any compliment. “You didn’t do too badly yourself Supergirl. Going toe to toe with Reign. Impressive.”
“I still couldn’t quite get the ball over the line. I hope you’ll work with us to see if we can get it there.”
“I’m in this to help Sam first and foremost.”
“I get that.” Kara paused, knowing how much she could have said right then if Lena had known who she was. But if the dark valley wasn’t the place to reveal her identity to her friend, then the middle of the DEO most certainly wasn’t either. Instead she reached for all she could offer. “Julia was able to overcome the Worldkiller inside her. And if what Alex tells me about Sam is right, then…” Lena smiled then, a genuine dimpled grin. “Yeah, if Julia can then Sam definitely can. We just have to show her the way.” So saying she turned to leave.
Kara couldn’t let her go without a last apology. “Lena, wait. Before you go. I… I wanted to apologise.” The CEO raised an eyebrow as if to question the hero. “And?” was her simple response. “I reacted badly to seeing you experimenting on Reign. I have… a history with being locked up and poked and prodded, but it’s no excuse. I over-reacted to the Kryptonite thing but… as far as I’m concerned we’re good. Our slate is clean.” She held out her hand, hoping Lena would take it in the spirit given. The other woman gave another genuine smile and nodded, reaching to take Kara’s hand and shake it. “Well I can work with that,” she said. Kara smiled in return. She was more than happy that her hero persona was back on friendly terms with the woman she was best friends with as Kara Danvers.
Kara shook the pleasant memory from her mind and moved to get dressed. There was much unfinished business. Besides Reign herself, there was the Legion to think about and a conversation to be had with Mon-El. Her feelings for the man had now firmly settled in the realms of friendship. It wasn’t that she hadn’t felt something when they were first together, she had. But she realised it was an immature attachment. If she was completely honest with herself, there had been an abusive undercurrent to their relationship and despite the fact that this older Mon El was an improvement, she could still see flashes of the misogynistic and controlling man who had been so wrong for her. That and of course her growing realisation of her feelings towards Lena. So friendship was all she was going to be able to give to the Daxamite and she was content with that.
Flying to the DEO and boarding the Legion ship she was greeted by the good news that the Legionnaires still in stasis were now all cleared of any infection caused by the Blight. The elimination of the Worldkiller Pestilence had corrected the course of the future and cleansed the timeline of the deadly plague. As Imra and Brainy outlined their plans to stay in this time a little longer to help with Reign, Kara’s hopefulness increased.
It didn’t last for long.
As she was talking to Mon El, making it clear that what was between them was nothing more than friendship and she valued it nonetheless, Alex came running onto the ship. “There’s been an attack on Lena’s penthouse.”
XXXXX
When they arrived at Lena’s penthouse, the main living area was a mess. The shattered glass of the windows crunched beneath Kara’s feet as she ran her invulnerable fingers over the charred remnants of the frame. Another charred pattern stretched across the floor, the telltale tree like patterns reminiscent of a lightning strike. Lena had undoubtedly utilised a self-made device that channelled electricity to deter her Kryptonian attacker.
Sensing the other woman’s presence, she turned to see the CEO looking at the marks that Kara has been studying. In her hand was a long black baton, her hands still tight around its handle as if the Worldkiller might make a return at any moment. “Electricity was how I was able to bring Reign out. And put her back in her box again. It seemed prudent to have a defence on hand.” Kara dipped her head in concern and gave Lena a soft smile. “And are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” The answer came out in clipped syllables, cloaked in a cool demeanour. Lena placed the electrical baton down on what was left of her desk. Then crossing her arms, she took in the rest of the room where Alex and Winn were overseeing DEO agents beginning to clear the mess that Reign had left behind. “It’s not me she came for. She was after Ruby.” Alex’s head whipped towards Lena at Ruby’s name. The dark-haired woman’s face softened and she uncrossed her arms reaching out a hand of comfort to the agent. “She’s okay Alex, she’s in a safe place. I promise.”
“She came to you first. Where else might she go if she’s looking for Ruby?”
“She’d go to Patricia’s. Sam’s mom. She probably assumes that’s where I sent her. She’d be wrong.” Kara noted Lena’s determined look and glanced over to J’onn who watched the exchange with interest. He placed a fatherly hand on Alex’s shoulder and Kara saw the tension immediately leach from her sister. “Supergirl and I will go to pick Patricia up and bring her to safety at the DEO. We should pick Ruby up too.” Lena shook her head. “She is perfectly safe where she is. It’s not on any map. You can’t see it from space and it’s completely secure. The fewer people who know where she is the better.” Alex stepped toward her, training and professionalism helping her maintain a calmness. “Lena, she will be scared. We won’t bring her to the DEO, but you have to tell me where she is.”
Just then there was a scuffle at the doorway and James came through out of breath. He met Kara’s eyes for a moment and nodded in acknowledgement, but it was clear he was here for Lena. He put his arms around the CEO, Kara looking away politely to allow for their shared moment. She noticed Lena bestowing a smile on him, the type of smile one shared only with a lover. Her heart clenched but she quickly berated herself inwardly, determined to be happy for both of her friends. Stepping back from him, Lena narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing here?” He looked at her in surprise, a telltale flicker of his gaze over to Winn. “Winn told me what happened. This is why I should have stayed last night.” Kara saw a barely supressed laugh bubble from her friend and couldn’t help her own smile at James’ delusion that his presence would have made any difference against a Kryptonian.
Saying aloud what Kara was just thinking, Lena moved smoothly across the penthouse to a picture which she moved away from the wall, revealing a safe behind it. “Director J’onzz. If you and Supergirl are going to Patricia’s you will undoubtedly encounter Reign. For that I can help you. But I need to speak with you and Supergirl alone.” At Lena’s request, J’onn signalled for the room to clear, the most reluctant being James, glancing forlornly over his shoulder as Alex shepherded him out of the room.
With the three now alone in front of Lena’s safe she swiped her palm over the surface which glimmered on contact and opened the door slowly. “Director J’onzz. Only you and Supergirl can know this. I told her yesterday that I had used all of Lex’s Kryptonite while trying to find a cure for Sam. While that was true, I must tell you both that I have worked out how to manufacture the substance…”
“Lena!” Kara couldn’t help her shock and anger. The absolute look of ice cold warning Lena shot her then was even more surprising. There was none of the resolution that they had reached the evening before when they had spoken. None of the warmth or amusement. Kara felt a terrible fear settle in the pit of her stomach at what might have happened between then and now for Lena to be so dismissive of her. “Of course you would think the worst of me Supergirl,” Lena snapped at her. “Lena, I don’t, but you’ve just said…”
“I said I had no kryptonite. I did not lie. I do know how to make it. My offer is to use the components here in this safe and my equipment in the lab to make a special dose souped up just for Reign.” Kara was taken aback by Lena’s words and demeanour. She clamped her lips shut, knowing if she spoke now, she might say something she could not come back from and hoping J’onn would know what to say. She shot a pleading look at him and with relief saw his compassionate nod. “You’re right Miss Luthor. Kryptonite will be needed to deal with Reign. We appreciate that you are discreet enough to ensure no one outside the three of us is aware that Kryptonite can be successfully made and that you know how.”
“Of course. I am not a villain. I intend only to help. I will get right to work.” J’onn nodded and turned to go, signalling for Kara to follow him. He hesitated for a moment at the door. “Miss Luthor. Make it as strong as you can. I know that may take time, so Supergirl and I will head to Patricia’s with an electrical trap of Winn’s. We cannot wait. Do you understand?” Knowing that it may mean one or both of the heroes in front of her sacrificing themselves, Lena nodded, a serious look on her face. “I understand. Like I said, I will get right to work.” With that she began retrieving the items from her safe, leaving the two heroes with no option to leave for their rendezvous with Patricia Arias. And Reign the Worldkiller.
XXXX
After a long and hard day of loss and hard choices, all Lena wanted to do was curl up alone in her bed with the bottle of Jura single malt she had bought herself on her last birthday. When James had come to tell her that Patricia was dead, she let him comfort her. After what he had told her about Supergirl the night before, she felt like he was the only person aside from Kara that she could trust. And poor innocent Kara was well out of this whole mess. Except for the fact that it was Kara’s sister who had been with Ruby when Reign came for her. It was Kara’s sister who had put her body between Reign and Ruby. It was Kara’s sister who had called her to say that Reign was captured and that Supergirl and the DEO director were on their way to her lab with the unconscious Worldkiller.
When Supergirl came into her lab carrying Sam’s body, wearing Reign’s battle gear but maskless, Lena knew what had happened. And that Ruby would need the people she loved around her to deal with the knowledge of who her mother was. She had barely been able to bring herself to speak with Supergirl and the Martian. The Kryptonian spoke softly to her, as if everything was normal between them. As if she hadn’t asked James to spy on her just the previous day. It was all Lena could do not to scream. But Sam needed her to start work on a cure. And Ruby needed her to be there with Alex and Kara.
So instead of heading home after making a start on drawing more of Sam’s blood and setting up various scans and enough Kryptonite to keep Reigh under, she drove herself to the store and bought all the flavours of ice-cream she could find. She then made her way to Alex’s building where Ruby mourned both mother and grandmother.
Lena entered Alex’s building, clutching onto the ice-cream filled bag and walking towards the elevator whose doors were closing. She called out to the person inside to hold the door and hastened her steps. The hand politely holding the doors back resolved into the person she most needed to see right in this moment. Kara looked radiant with her hair half up, the spill of her golden hair tumbling down her back in perfect curls. Lena took a breath as the two of them embraced. The way Kara held her and always tucked her chin into her neck was a homecoming she had not looked for, but now found she could not live without. Watching the blonde’s smile as they separated, Lena knew the time to stop stringing James along and tell Kara how she felt was swiftly approaching.
Smiling back at Kara she pressed the button for Alex’s floor. “You really are a sight for sore eyes,” she said with affection. Kara blushed. “You too. I’ve missed you.” Lena shook her head apologetically. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been in touch. It’s just that…” Kara held up her hand. “You don’t need to apologise Lena.” Accepting her friend’s graciousness Lena settled into a comfortable silence watching the floor numbers flick past.
“Alex tells me that you’re helping Supergirl to fight Reign.” Lena couldn’t help the way her lips curled in distaste. “Frankly I’m only working with Supergirl to save Sam because I’ve no other choice.” Kara’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?” Lena turned and looked at her friend, naivety writ large on her face. Was it really right for her to shatter Kara’s vision of who Supergirl was? In that moment she decided to tell the truth.
“I suppose it’s that old adage. ‘Never meet your idols, it’ll only lead to disappointment’.” Kara’s shoulders slumped. “You really think so?” she asked. “She isn’t all truth and justice like she pretends to be. You know, she asked James to spy on me. Asked him to break into L-Corp and search my private vault.”
“What?!”
“Yeah. Pretty bad, huh? Of course James told me. And he didn’t do it.”
“James… James told you this?” She nodded, surprised at the intensity on Kara’s face. Kara stepped back, putting her hand on the wall of the elevator as if needing the support. She looked back up at Lena, her face reddening in what looked like anger. “No. She did not say that… She didn’t. He said… he told you she asked him to do that?” Lena could tell there was something seriously affecting Kara now. Her breath was becoming shallow and Lena could see the firm pulse at her throat fluttering faster than normal. She reached out to put a calming hand on Kara’s arm but the blonde pulled away, a look of absolute hurt on her face. She shook her head again. “No,” she hissed almost as if to herself. “He wouldn’t, couldn’t.” Looking with now wild eyes at her surroundings she grabbed Lena’s hand. Ocean blue eyes met pale green in unspoken need. “I can’t… in here. I can’t do this closed up in here. Lena, do you trust me?”
“Of course Kara. You know I do.” As soon as Lena gave the answer, the blonde slammed her hand on the roof access button and pushed back to lean against the wall as she watched the numbers go up the two extra floors. As soon as they reached the roof Kara rushed out. Lena followed her, concern blooming in her chest. How could she have known that telling her friend what Supergirl had asked James to do would elicit such a reaction. She placed a gentle hand on Kara’s back. “Kara. Are you okay? I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in her too. She… I mean, using my friendships against me. That’s like something my mother would do.” At this Kara whipped round, her eyes now rimmed red in the effort of trying not to cry. “Except she didn’t Lena. She would never…” Kara took another deep breath and looked up at the sky. “Tell me exactly what James said. Please.” Lena let her hand drop to her side. It was clear that there was something more to all this but she trusted her friend completely.
“He said that Supergirl took him to one side just before we… before an important mission I was helping her with. She said this was the perfect opportunity while I was out of the way to verify that there was no more Kryptonite. She asked him as Guardian – which he told me about by the way – to break into my lab, into my vault.” Kara looked so sad as she shook her head in disbelief. “I’m sorry Lena but none of that is true. She didn’t say any of that to James. In fact she said the exact opposite.” Lena’s brows furrowed in confusion. “How… how do you know?”
“I know because… Oh Rao, it’s time.” And Kara reached up to her face, slowly removing her glasses and pulling the clips from her hair so that it was fully down. “I know because I’m her. I’m Supergirl. I’ve always been Supergirl.”
The silence between them in that moment was palpable. Kara quietly unfastened the top two buttons of her shirt, letting the blue of the super suit peek out. And then, as if to remove all doubt, she lifted up into the sky, swooped round for one, two loops. She floated back down and hovered for a moment before landing back down.
Lena stood stock still; unable to move, unable to speak. Even though they were on the roof she could feel walls pushing in on her. Every feeling she had ever had about Kara and Supergirl welled up and threatened to drown her. Except her heart was saved by the sight of the woman in front of her. Steady, implacable, inescapable. Safe.
“Please say something.” Kara’s voice was small, unlike anything she’d heard from either her sunny best friend or the powerful superhero. Lena blinked, stepping back from the blonde so as not to risk her reaching out to touch her. The hurt on Kara’s face at the deliberate move to put distance between them barely registered. Kara was Supergirl. Supergirl was Kara. The two women she was falling in love with were the same woman. This woman. The woman who had lied to her.
“You’re really her.” It wasn’t a question but Kara nodded in answer anyway. “And you’ve been lying to me all this time.” Again, not a question. She could see the look of shame on Kara’s face, the defeated slump of her shoulders. “Yes,” the hushed response reached across the void. “I’ve not been honest about who I am.” Lena turned and paced two, three, four times back and forth across the roof. Every interaction, every conversation. Every save and interview and embrace. All flooded her memory at once. Then she stopped and looked at her friend, looked at the hero of National City as a particularly strong memory struck her. “You… the dream I had where you flew me. It wasn’t a dream, was it? That was really you flying me… in your normal clothes.”
“That was me.”
“Why?... Why would you take that risk?”
“Lena…”
“Tell me!” The shout echoed across the rooftop. Kara rubbed her hands nervously on her own jacket. “You were poisoned. I had to… I had to get you to Alex as quickly as possible. Every moment counted. Even changing into the suit…” She looked down at her feet then back up to meet Lena’s piercing gaze. All Lena could do was look at her friend. Emotions warred within her. Shock, anger, relief, disappointment – all fell before the realisation of just how much she meant to Kara. As to what she would do now? There were still too many variables. Her scientific mind took control and she kept her gaze aimed at Kara.
“So,” she started, her voice remaining steady, betraying none of her inner turmoil. “What is your version of this conversation with James?”
“My version? The truth!”
“No Supergirl, you don’t get to be the offended party here. What is your version?” Kara sighed and closed her eyes. Then she shifted her posture; arms, shoulders, hips, feet. Every part of her moved just slightly as she became Supergirl in front of Lena’s eyes. While the flight had been enough to convince the CEO on an intellectual level that Kara really was Supergirl, to see the transformation in this way truly cemented who Kara was. And helped Lena see how she and everyone else was fooled on a daily basis by a pair of glasses. Here standing before her in her full Kryptonian arrogance truly was Supergirl. That she happened to be wearing Kara Danvers’ clothes hid nothing while she held herself like this.
Then she started to speak, outlining an entirely different conversation to the one that James had reported. And the voice. It was deeper than Kara’s friendly tone, but also the timbre and cadence were different too. Just for a moment, Lena wondered whether maintaining two such disparate personas took a toll on her friend. But her remaining anger at the deception wiped away her momentary concern.
“And you had this conversation when? When I was getting ready to help go into a mystical Kryptonian valley? When we were in a fight to save Sam?!” Kara nodded, Supergirl confidence still evident. Something clicked at the back of Lena’s mind then. The start of a plan, a way forward. “This was at the DEO?”
“Yes. He pulled me aside while we were there. Why is that important?”
“It’s nothing to concern yourself about Supergirl.” A frown crossed Kara’s face. “You don’t have to call me that when we’re on our own Lena, I’m still Kara. I’m still your…” Lena couldn’t let her finish. “No. You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to throw our fake friendship in my face expecting me to forgive and forget that you lied to me.” The Kryptonian persona slipped away then, Kara’s face becoming less stern, less other. “Lena, it was never fake. Everything I said to you was real. Our friendship is one of the most real things in my life. And I… I’m not supposed to tell anyone.” Lena narrowed her eyes. “Not supposed to? What the hell does that even mean? You think you’re protecting me? You’re not.”
“I am protecting you. But it’s not just that… I’m not allowed to tell people. After… there are people who know. But last year there was an… incident. Alex got hurt, she almost… Lena she almost died. Because she is someone I care about, someone I love. And a bad guy who knew us as kids and knew about who I was, he… he hurt her and blackmailed me and I almost… Well, I almost broke a criminal out of prison to save her. Anyway, she was saved and the guy had to have his mind wiped by J’onn. Anyway, the President gets weekly reports straight from J’onn and she kind of freaked out when she found out I was vulnerable to that kind of blackmail. So now there’s a Presidential Directive that I can’t tell anyone outside of the people who already know.” Lena’s shock at Kara’s story was tempered by her lingering anger and distrust of the hero after the reveal of such a big lie. While there was mild concern for Alex, an order not to reveal her Supergirl identity seemed all to convenient in the light of Lena’s own reaction. She mentally added another step on her internal to do list in how she could resolve this whole mess.
But being a Luthor, she couldn’t help but throw another verbal barb. “So even with a supposed Presidential Directive, you’re revealing your identity so as to support a story that absolves you of the manipulation that James accused you of.”
“It’s not like that,” Kara pleaded. “It wasn’t about me.” Lena gave her a sceptical look. “Okay, it was a little bit about me. And I have been wanting to tell you for a while now. But it was about you. You had to know the truth about what James had done. You need to know that what he said to you was not only a lie, but the exact opposite of what actually happened. It hurts me too. He is… he’s supposed to be my friend and to think that he would throw me under the bus like that to… I don’t know, get into your good books I suppose. Maybe take your relationship to the next level. I mean, I know the two of you are dating. I can’t imagine what he thought he was going to gain. So no. It wasn’t about me.” Lena knew Kara well enough to know that her disappointment in James was genuine, that her pain at his apparent betrayal of their friendship was very real. And despite everything, in spite of her anger, in spite of her own disappointment, in spite of her own feeling of betrayal, she knew that she would do anything to end that look of hurt on Kara’s face.
Breathing deep and straightening the bag on her shoulder, she stepped closer to Kara. Still not close enough for the other woman to reach out and touch her, but enough to signal that there was something there to save; that there was some hope for their friendship. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. This ice-cream is going to melt soon and your sister will be wondering where you are; where we are. I already told her I was coming to spend the evening with Ruby. So, you are going to fasten your shirt, put your glasses on and put your hair back up. Put it in a proper ponytail. We are going to spend the evening with Ruby and I will call you Kara in front of her and your sister so that the DEO agent will not find out that you have disregarded a ‘Presidential Directive’. You will NOT talk to James. You will not confront him, you will not text, email or call him. Do you understand?” She watched as Kara reacted to her CEO persona, gulping air and eyes tracking every movement of her mouth. The blonde nodded. “I understand,” she said, almost meekly; a contrast to the pure Kryptonian power exuded only moments ago. Integrating these two personas, these two women into one in her mind was going to take Lena some doing. But the fact was, that she wanted to. She needed to. Hoisting the bag further up her shoulder she walked past Kara, who was fastening up her shirt and tying up her hair.
“Let’s go be Ruby’s aunts for a couple of hours. Our personal drama can wait.”
Chapter Text
Chapter Three
The night passed with almost no sleep for Kara. She had got home after spending the evening at her sister’s and immediately put on a pair of sleep shorts and her favourite comfortable tee-shirt; a faded yellow shirt with a cheesy science pun that was Lena’s. She had acquired a whole stash of Lena’s clothes and did not doubt that some of her own had found their way into Lena’s drawers. It was what friends did. Wasn’t it? And while Lena’s scent had long faded from the shirt, it was still a reminder that there was a foundation of friendship. A foundation that they could hopefully rebuild from. If Lena ever forgave her for the lies that is.
While the vision of Lena’s face as she told her the truth about Supergirl was not her favourite memory of their evening, it wasn’t the only thing keeping her awake. The instinct to fly to James’ apartment and rip him a new one was overwhelming. The energy expended to resist, to keep her word to Lena and let her friend deal with James. That’s what kept her awake.
Thankfully, she did not need as much sleep as a human. She had spent many nights out on patrol, fighting fires, preventing muggings, capturing rogue aliens. She was used to it. But this night, she could not bring herself to even put on the suit, let alone patrol with no purpose. She left her comms on so as to respond to any absolute emergencies that may come through, but grabbed her blanket, retreated to her bed and watched comfort movies on her laptop: The Princess Bride, Matilda, Spirited Away and of course The Wizard of Oz.
She was snoozing through Dorothy’s ‘there’s no place like home’ when she got Lena’s text.
Lena: Exactly how good are your sight and hearing?
She grabbed her ‘phone and blinked at the odd message. Despite its strangeness, she was glad of any contact with her friend and replied straight away.
Kara: The sight is enhanced, plus the X -Ray vision you know about. Hearing… well, I can hear Superman’s heartbeat in Metropolis right now and that’s the other side of the country. That only works with people I really care about though. I can hear well is what I’m saying.
Lena: How is the most powerful person on the planet THIS dorky?
Kara: It’s a gift 😉
Lena: We are not back to an ‘exchanging emojis’ stage yet Miss Danvers.
Kara: We’ve moved on from Supergirl I see though. I’ll take that.
Lena: Quite.
As Lena’s reply seemed to not require a response, Kara placed her ‘phone back on her bedside table. She closed her laptop and put it on the floor by her bed, flopping back on her pillows and staring up at the ceiling. Whatever was going on in Lena’s mind, Kara could only control her own actions and behaviour. And she knew that what Lena needed was kindness and consideration above all. Both things she had been sorely starved of in the Luthor household.
Her ‘phone pinged again.
Lena: Be in the suit outside my penthouse in one hour. And when I say outside, I mean in the air. Be discreet.
Kara: Of course. Do you just want me to hang around outside?
Lena: Listen to the conversation that unfolds. It is of interest to you. It will be important to us both.
Kara: No problem.
Lena: Thank you Miss Danvers.
Kara couldn’t help but smile at that last message. Lena’s insistence on using her superhero moniker the night before had stung. It was like her friend couldn’t see beyond the suit. If she was honest with herself, one of the reasons why she had delayed telling Lena the truth was the comfort she got from Lena not seeing the suit at all. That Lena only saw Kara and still treated her like she was the sunshine after the rain was one of the most healing balms of her life. But that was a selfish reason for lying to someone she cared about deeply.
Almost an hour later she jumped out of her window wearing her Supergirl suit and headed across to the fancy side of the city where Lena’s penthouse was located. She picked a spot where she could hover discreetly, not able to be seen or heard by the occupants of Lena’s residence. Luckily, Lena rented the entire floor so neighbours were not an issue. But her friend had been clear that she should not be seen, at least not by the other person in the main room with Lena.
At first, Kara couldn’t see anyone in the main living room. She respected Lena too much to x-ray through to her bedroom and had no reason to look elsewhere. It wasn’t long however before the CEO walked into the room. Kara sucked in a breath at Lena’s appearance. She was not in comfortable dress down stay at home clothes. She was in full on CEO mode. An expertly tailored Italian cut dark red suit, accentuating Lena’s perfect curves. Under the waistcoat, a black silk shirt buttoned up to the top. For Lena it was the closest thing to her armour. To Kara she looked beautiful. Powerful. Perfect.
A knock at the door came and Lena swept across the room to open it. James stood there, a schoolboy smile on his face. Kara watched with a touch of smug satisfaction as Lena deftly ducked away from his attempt to hug her. He followed Lena inside and surveyed the window and room that was only yesterday attacked by Reign. “You got this place fixed up pretty quickly considering it looked like a war zone yesterday.”
“Yes. Never underestimate how quickly contractors can do a job if their client is a billionaire who won’t hesitate to get them blackballed if she is dissatisfied with their performance.” Kara saw Lena’s dark look directed at James as she spoke and wondered whether the man understood the double meaning. As if in answer to Kara’s musing, James continued, oblivious to his impending doom. “I’m glad it’s all sorted out. And I’m glad you called me over. I thought we might have been able to get together yesterday but I get that you needed to spend time with Ruby. Maybe we can make up for time tonight? Dinner?”
“I’m not going to be free for dinner with you this evening James.” Kara winced at the bite that Lena put into ‘with you’. She inched closer, still hovering out of James’ eyeline. Lena continued. “In fact I’m not going to be free for dinner any evening.”
“Oh, yeah sure. While you’re trying to find the cure for Sam, I get that you want to be focussed on that.”
“Actually, now that the Legionnaires have remained here rather than returning to the future, I was hoping to hand off my work to Brainy. After what you told me about Supergirl I haven’t been able to concentrate. I just don’t want to see or speak to her again. I just can’t work with her. And that means the DEO too. I actually called you over here to ask if you would talk to J’onn and Kara’s sister to explain why I can’t work with them.” Unable to take her eyes from James’ unfolding disaster, Kara could see how he shifted uncomfortably. And yet he still did not seem to see the full story. She was stunned and hurt that with his next words he went all in with the lie. With a betrayal of their friendship.
“So you want me to talk to Alex about Supergirl asking me to spy on you?”
“I do,” came Lena’s reply. “You’re really that angry with her?” Lena’s face took on a flinty look. “I am angry at the person who abused my friendship and manipulated me.” Entirely oblivious, James stepped forward, moving to reach out for Lena. She dodged his hand and turned to walk around her desk, putting its bulk between them. He hesitated but didn’t back down. “I can understand how that would make you angry. I will have a talk with J’onn and Alex.” Lena looked at him with distaste and took a deep breath. “And you’ll be telling them the same story you told me? No softening it to spare the details and paint her in a different light for them?” Without hesitation he nodded. “Of course. It’s what happened, they should know.” He was a dead man walking in that moment. “Oh, you really are committed to this now aren’t you?”
“What do you mean?” There was no turning back now. “I mean Mr Olsen, that you will obviously be concocting an intricate lie, perhaps even right now, to tell Agent Danvers and Director J’onzz as to why I won’t be working with them any more. A lie you need because you know they will just ask Supergirl what the hell you are talking about.”
“Lena, I don’t understand.” Even in the dim light of the early morning Kara could see the colour of Lena’s eyes, how the pupils tightened pinprick small and how they were bluer than usual, the warm greens almost absent. She hoped she would never be under the gaze of this version of her friend. The CEO just cocked her head and lifted the top of her laptop open, turning it towards him. “No, you don’t understand do you. You really are a very stupid man.” Lightly brushing her fingers across the space bar to activate the recording she had cued up, she leaned back and crossed her arms. As the sound of his own voice accused him from the screen of the laptop, realisation finally hit James Olsen. “You really thought an organisation as paranoid and secret as the DEO doesn’t have every inch of its buildings covered by cameras? I expected at least a scintilla of awareness of such things from the editor of my magazine. Would you care to revise your earlier remarks?” He could only shake his head and stepped backwards to slump into the chair facing Lena’s desk. Still watching discreetly in the shadows, it looked to Kara almost like an old painting of a queen and her disgraced knight. It wasn’t far from the truth. The recording had finished and Lena reached down to the laptop and jabbed the keys, restarting the playback as if to torture the man some more.
“Lena…” James pleaded. She held up her hand. “No. Nothing you have to say is going to help you here.” She slammed the lid of the laptop shut and stalked over to the window. Spinning back round to face him, her back now to Kara she practically growled. “Get up.” Instinct and self-preservation made him obey instantly. “Did you think it would help you James? Did you think that in a vulnerable moment I would seek comfort in you? That in my anger and disappointment with Supergirl I would fall into your bed?” Of course he had no answer. Lena continued relentlessly. “I’m sorry to say… actually I’m not sorry to say it – but that would never have happened in a million years.”
“You don’t think we were heading that way?” Lena laughed at him then, an empty cold laugh to Kara’s ears. “Oh Mr Olsen, No. I’m gay.” Kara dropped at least three feet from her place hovering in the air. James just looked at Lena slack jawed. “And not just a little bit gay I’m afraid. Not Bi, not questioning. But full-on number six on the Kinsey scale, gloriously sapphic, completely physically, sexually and romantically attracted to women and only women.” James’ face was one of anger now. Which made the Kryptonian observer angry. That it was a perceived threat to his manhood that would bring out the strongest emotional response rather than his manipulation being exposed infuriated her. It took every ounce of her self-control not to burst into the penthouse right then and toss him into the sun. But her own precarious relationship with Lena was reliant on her trusting her friend to deal with this in her own way. So she remained out of sight and under control.
XXXXX
Lena wondered whether she had miscalculated. But she smelled Kara’s perfume on the breeze outside her window. Even as James clenched his fists and stepped towards her, she knew that with just a whisper from her, Kara would be between them in a moment. Her brief moment of doubt evaporated. “Struck a nerve?”
“We’ve been dating. We’ve kissed. You can’t be… I would know.” She laughed again. It was nothing she hadn’t heard before. “You kissed me and I let you. Appearances matter in business Mr Olsen. I would have expected a man in your line of work to know what a ‘Beard’ is. There’s always Google I suppose.” He stood seething now. The pulse in his neck bulging dangerously. Turning her back on him dismissively she opened the glass door of the balcony. She glanced back at him and felt just a moment of pity. Whatever had or hadn’t been between the two of them she knew Kara had genuinely cared for him. And he had thrown it away; for what, she didn’t care. She was done with him either way. “Supergirl, you can come in now.” The Kryptonian swept into sight and landed gently on the balcony. “Miss Luthor,” she said politely as she walked through the door on Lena’s invitation. Grateful that Kara heard the whispered instruction to maintain her Supergirl identity while James was here, she turned to face him once more. It was imperative that James did not know that Kara had revealed her identity to Lena; in light of the other information she had uncovered during her night of hacking into the DEO, if he knew, then he would have leverage over Kara and that was something Lena could not allow regardless of her ambivalent feelings to the Kryptonian right now. She smoothed her hands down the front of her jacket, just to give herself a moment. Tipping her head in acknowledgement to the hero she lifted her chin and they faced the man together. “You and I are done Mr Olsen. And I suspect that you have spent the last of your good will with Supergirl. Out of respect to your friendship with Kara, I won’t fire you. But we cannot work together. There’s a subsidiary of CatCo in Gateway City. Let Wonder Woman deal with you for a while.”
“I’m not moving to Gateway City. My life is here.”
“Not entirely Mr Olsen. You have a friend in Metropolis don’t you? I suppose we could expand to the East coast. I’m sure Miss Grant would have something to say about it though. She still does have sizeable shares in the company.” His eyes darted to Kara. “Are you… going to tell him?” Kara shook her head slightly. Damn her soft-heartedness. But then that was one of the things she most loved about the blonde. “No,” Kara said softly. “While Superman and I speak regularly, I think it’s up to you to tell him, don’t you?” He clenched his jaw and grunted a reluctant yes. Then he turned and walked slowly towards the door, but stopped with his hand on the handle. “I’m not going to Gateway. I agree we can’t work together Lena. You’ll have my resignation before the end of the day.”
“Make it before noon.” Before he could respond, Kara stepped toward him. “And Guardian retires today. Do you understand?” He nodded, his shoulders stooped, all arrogance bled from him now. “Goodbye James. Don’t come back to National City.” There was nothing he could say faced with them both. He shrugged a farewell and walked through the door. Neither woman cared where he went.
As soon as he had gone, Lena felt Kara’s arms surround her and melted into her friend’s embrace. The whole experience had been utterly draining and on top of a sleepless night, all she wanted to do was indulge in the warmth and comfort of her friend. But then she felt Kara’s body stiffen and the blonde pulled away. She had a wide-eyed look on her face. “Lena, I’m so sorry. I know we’re not back to the hugging stage yet. I shouldn’t have just…I mean you did look like you needed a hug. But I’m sorry.” She placed a hand on Kara’s arm to calm the other woman. “It’s fine Kara. We’ll make an exception this once. Okay?” The blonde nodded. She shifted on her feet uncomfortably. “What now?”
“’What now’ is that we have some difficult conversations ahead of us in which I might shout at you a lot.” Lena couldn’t keep the teasing smile from her face that belied her words. She felt her heart flutter at Kara’s corresponding relieved grin. “I’m okay with letting you shout at me for a while. As long as I don’t get the scary CEO look.” Lena chuckled. “The big bad Kryptonian is scared of little old me?” Kara turned serious again then. “I’m scared I’ll disappoint you again.”
“I can understand that. Now. I have a confession to make and then a reprimand.” Kara’s response was to walk to the couch and slump into it. It was slightly jarring seeing her act so like her Kara whilst still in the suit. The pout on the blonde’s face didn’t help Lena regain her anger. Settling into the couch, Kara looked back up at her, a hangdog look on her face. “Lay it on me Lena.”
“I suppose you’ve probably guessed how I got hold of the recording.”
“Well, I know you hacked the Pentagon for fun when you were 14 so cracking Winn’s firewalls must have been a hoot for you.” Lena gave a wry smile. “Indeed. Anyway it was quite a challenge to find the recording I wanted. And I thought, well while I was in there… why not have a good look at what Supergirl and her government agency get up to.” Kara rolled her eyes at this. “They’re not exactly my agency. It’s me who generally gets told what to do. Even my sister has a higher clearance and official rank than I do.”
“No Kara. You, the most powerful person on this planet, let them tell you what to do. Because you’re the exact opposite of what Lex would be with your power. You believe in co-operation and accountability – I could see that from the pile of mission reports on all your activities. They made a compelling read I must tell you. Beyond the mission reports though there were two things that interested me. The first was this.” She leaned over to her desk and pulled a brown folder with the printouts of the first document she was most interested in. She saw that Kara was surprised that she had gone to the trouble of printing off the file that she now placed in the blonde’s lap. “It’s a habit formed from many years of dealing with people who want to cover their tracks by deleting digital records after the fact. Always print them while you have them.” Kara nodded as she shuffled the papers in her hand, the crinkle in her forehead pronounced. “What you have in your hands is the whole sum of both my Secret Service and DEO file.” Kara flipped the three sheets of paper and looked up at Lena. “There’s not much here. I’m glad they haven’t invaded too much of your privacy.” Lena smiled her softest smile and sat beside Kara, placing her hand gently over the hero’s as she clutched the papers. “That’s the thing. There should be reams of information here. How I was connected to Jack and the nanobots; exactly how closely I had worked with Rhea; my fears of flying and of water; going to shoot Edge. A hundred things I have told you. None of it is here.”
“Lena, you told those things to Kara Danvers. Either as your best friend or as a journalistic source. If it didn’t directly affect a mission there was no reason for me to include the information. Though sometimes, like with the nanobots, I might have fudged a bit. Oh!” Unable to hold herself back, Lena threw her arms around Kara. She felt Kara’s warm hands rest tentatively on her waist, then move up to pull her into a full body hug. “I only barely understood that you were protecting me physically – saving my life,” she murmured into Kara’s neck. Then pulling away and placing her hands carefully on Kara’s again she looked into those ocean blue eyes. “But you’ve been protecting me in so many other ways. And… it means so much to me. And it makes me feel guilty that despite knowing all that, I am still angry with you.”
“Lena, your feelings are valid. You get to be angry. I really am so sorry.”
“Thank you,” Lena replied, accepting the latest in what was sure to be a long line of apologies. “Thank you for protecting me. Now…” That last was said in a firm voice as she stood. “We should talk about protecting you. Because this… Kara…” Kara gulped and looked up as Lena dropped another document in her lap. “This is where the shouting happens I presume?”
“You’re damn right! You absolute idiot! Presidential Directive?! Kara, it’s an Executive Order! With the power of law. It’s not just a suggestion or a request. It’s illegal for you to tell anyone else who you are. You broke the law Kara!” Kara shot up out of her seat, her hands held up to calm the dark-haired woman. “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble. It’s not illegal for you to know…”
“I am very well aware! But Kara, what the hell?! They can lock you up in a Kryptonite lined cell. Heck, they’ll probably put an order in for the technology I’ve used to keep Reign in check. How could you even let them write this, something this legally binding? And then just ignore it to tell me? Of all the self-sacrificing, self-righteous, idiotic…” This time it was Kara who got up from the couch, stepped into Lena’s space and put her arms around her to end her tirade with a hug. They swayed quietly as Lena let Kara’s warmth and comfort leach the fear out of her.
Neither woman wanted to let go, so much of what happened the last few days still looming over them. But there was still a cure to find for Sam.
Lena leaned back but did not entirely pull away, remaining in the loose circle of Kara’s arms. She lifted her hand slowly and placed it on the symbol of the House of El on the blonde’s chest. She blinked back the threat of tears in her eyes and looked up at Kara’s open face. “Feel better?” Kara asked gently. “I really do. There is something to be said for catharsis I suppose.” This time she did pull fully away from Kara’s embrace. She bent down and retrieved the documents from where they had been abandoned on the sofa to store them away carefully. Then she straightened the front of her suit and stood tall in her heels. “I’m still mad at you. But I’m… I’m in the place where I don’t want to be mad at you.” Kara risked a grin. “I can live with that.”
“Good. Now. We have to set our stuff aside for the moment because we both have a lot of work to do. I had a thought last night about using the same kind of biolistic delivery system that L-Corp use for gene re-sequencing in crops as the pathway to cure Sam.” Kara hummed in agreement. “That makes sense actually,” she said, a hopeful lilt in her voice. “I suppose Kryptonian biology is closer to that of plants than humans in a way – it’s how we process and utilise sunlight.” Lena looked down to hide the smile at the thought that Kara, who was the epitome of sunshine, shared vital traits with a sunflower. “Okay, good. That confirms my hypothesis. Would you… fly me to L-Corp?” A flash of surprise crossed Kara’s face. “Really? I mean, sure of course.” Lena simply arched her eyebrow. Without further hesitation Kara bent to sweep Lena up, one arm cradling her back and the other supporting her legs. Neither commented on the intimacy. That conversation was still a way off. Seeing that Lena was ready to go, Kara took off from the balcony and flew them both to the lab at L-Corp. The lab where Reign waited patiently.
Chapter Text
Chapter Four
It turned out to be a frustrating visit to the lab at L-Corp. Whatever Lena injected Sam with, the DNA over-write was rejected. Kara could see Lena’s annoyance by how she snapped at both Winn and Brainy, the former usually being the last to suffer the youngest Luthor’s ire. As she watched the three of them work, Mon El hovering beside her as if he could actually help, she desperately wanted to do something, anything, to reassure her friend. She still thought of Lena that way, despite the events of the last two days, despite her own more than friendly feelings. Whatever may happen between them, a deep and vital friendship was at its foundation.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the telltale ping of Lena’s ‘phone. The CEO picked up the ‘phone and her eyes quickly scanned the message. She huffed impatiently. “That’s Eve. Someone is at CatCo causing a disturbance. They’re asking for me.” She subtly met Kara’s eyes and continued. “They are asking for Kara too, but it seems she hasn’t arrived at work as yet. I’ll text her to make sure she drops whatever story she’s on and come in. It…seems important. Supergirl would you mind?” Neither woman saw the looks exchanged by the three men who had all noticed that the two of them had arrived at the same time. And not even Kara heard Brainy’s muttered ‘finally’ as they left the lab together.
After a quick flight, Kara landed them both on the roof of CatCo. “Why don’t you head on down to your office and I’ll catch up. If it’s Kara Danvers this person is asking for, I’d better change.” Lena sent her an enquiring look. “Oh, I have clothes stashed all over the city, but especially here at CatCo. I’ll do a quick change and join you straight away.”
“Of course you do,” Lena quipped with a teasing smile.
“Oh wait, Lena!” Kara grabbed her friend’s arm to stop her leaving. “I meant to give you this back at your place. It’s … it’s something that only a very few people in the world have. I want you to have one.” She held out what looked like a most ordinary object. It was a watch. Lena eyed it carefully, her eyes assessing the elegant wrist band and gold face. “Kara. You don’t need to give me gifts to get back into my good graces.” Kara shook her head. “No, that isn’t what this is. And I know your friendship is worth more than that anyway. I know it will take conversations and working together and me proving how much I trust you… so this is a first step to that.” She moved closer to Lena and took her hand. Carefully fastening the watch onto her wrist, she touched a small clip on the ring of the face and lifted the face up. “You open it like this, see. Press this button under the face and it will let out a sound that only I or my cousin can hear. But the sound from each watch is also personal to its owner.” Lena gave her a deadpan look, which collapsed into the smirk she couldn’t hide. “You don’t want Clark coming to rescue me?”
“No I do not…Wait… How?”
“Oh come on Kara. It was obvious once you told me the truth about you. You accompanied him the first time we met. He has a similar ‘relationship’ with Superman that Kara Danvers does with Supergirl. He’s married to Lois Lane, who basically has Superman as her personal guard dog. Plus, he was best friends with my brother once upon a time. It all adds up.” Lena’s logic was hard to deny, it was the truth after all. Plus, she had promised herself no more lying to Lena about the big things. “I suppose it’s better you know since he’s an important part of my life.”
“Yes. And yes, I’d prefer it if it was you who caught me if I’m falling out of a helicopter or something.” Kara gave an amused huff. “I’ll be there. Although I have rescued Lois a couple of times; once when Kal was off world and once when he was dealing with a volcano.”
“Well, let’s try and keep you on earth as much as possible in that case, shall we?” Lena replied with a chuckle. “Yes Ma’am.”
In that moment, Kara knew everything between them would be okay. This was how it always was. The back and forth, the affectionate teasing. And now Lena knew the truth, Kara could be fully honest with her and it might actually make their friendship stronger. She was willing to do the work, to make real amends and rebuild trust. Because somewhere beyond that friendship was the something more that had been getting stronger over the last few months. For now though, all that should take second place to the immediate goal of dealing with Reign and helping Sam. And whatever Eve had called them over here to do.
She said as much to Lena, who tapped the watch on her wrist as if to acknowledge the gift it was and then darted off towards the roof entrance to the building.
After a quick change and trotting down the stairs to the main bullpen of the CatCo offices, Kara made her way to Lena’s office. There she found her friend and Eve speaking with a rather agitated woman who held a large leather-bound book in her arms. Adjusting her glasses, she bumbled into the room. “I’m sorry I’m late Lena; I was talking to a source for a story. Your message said there was something important you needed me for?” Before Lena could answer the woman pushed forward, a desperate look on her face. “You’re Kara Danvers, right. You get all those exclusives with Supergirl. You know her?” Kara glanced over the woman’s shoulder at Lena and the two of them shared a wary look. Oblivious to the wordless exchange the woman stepped closer to Kara, who deftly moved herself between the woman and Lena. One could never be too careful. Then, holding out the book, offering it to Kara the woman pleaded desperately. “You know her. You have to get this to her… They… They’re planning something awful. I think they’re trying to build a bomb.”
XXXXX
The conversation with the woman was enlightening in ways that Lena did not expect. Not the important saving the world way. She knew frighteningly little about the inner workings of the cult that had once worshipped Supergirl. The woman who had come to them had only concerned herself with the mask that Coville had presented to the low-level members of the cult. She had been flattered when Coville had asked her to be the one to help him understand Kryptonian. And then terrified when she read the passages in his journal that the now fanatical Reign worshipping remnants were most interested in. All this was important, vital information that would help them stop whatever the cult had planned.
But it wasn’t this that Lena found enlightening.
During the conversation, she was only half listening to the woman. It was Kara she was interested in. She observed carefully how the blonde coaxed the information from the woman, using equal parts compassion and insight. What Lena was finding fascinating was how Kara used her knowledge as Supergirl to draw out as much of the story from the woman as she could. She had always known that Kara was a good journalist and that a large part of that was a marriage of intelligence and empathy. But now that she knew the woman in front of her was both star reporter Kara Danvers and Kryptonian Supergirl, it was fascinating to see this subtle blending of the two right before her eyes. Seeing it so stark made her angry with herself for not seeing it before. But then, perhaps the blend had always been there, the truth had always been obvious – but Lena herself hadn’t wanted to see it. She hadn’t wanted to know. The thought made her a little less angry with Kara for keeping the secret for so long.
The other thought forefront in Lena’s mind was a desperate need to read the journal itself. The things she could discover about not just Kara, but Kryptonians, being tantalisingly out of reach. With what the woman was saying about how Coville’s obsession had switched from Supergirl to Reign, there may well be something that could help Sam.
It wasn’t long before Kara was standing, now clutching the leather bound journal. “Tanya, would you stay here with Miss Luthor? I’ll get this to Supergirl. She’ll find the cult and she’ll stop them. Thanks to your help.”
XXXXX
On the way to the location that Tanya had directed her to, Kara told Mon El everything. What James had said to Lena; that she had told Lena who she was; that they were working through it. He had listened with patience and nodded in all the right places. For all his flaws and how toxic and wrong their romantic relationship had been, since his return he had shown how much he had matured. And he had proven to be a true friend. Imra was clearly a good influence on him. Kara couldn’t help but ponder the fact of her own failings in starting something up with him in the first place. She knew now that she hadn’t truly loved him – how could she have when her feelings for Lena had already started to grow. But he had been sweet and things had been complicated with Lena; not least the events surrounding Jack’s death and Mon El had been a moderately safe person for Kara to have sex with without hurting him. Regardless, that was all thankfully consigned to history. What she shared with him now was something much more healthy.
After having listened to Kara’s retelling of the last two days, he gave her a thoughtful look. “You should tell J’onn that she knows.”
“I don’t know Mon El. I’m not really supposed to tell any more people and she got pretty mad when she found out how much trouble I might get in.”
“Kara, if there’s one thing I learned from the disaster of our relationship, it’s that the truth is always the better option. It hasn’t been healthy for you having to lie to her. It’s crazy to resolve one deception just to leap into another. And do you honestly think this is something you can keep from Alex?” She dipped her head, ashamed at his accurate read of the situation. “I guess not. But…”
“Nope. No buts. Let it all out into the open between everyone who knows who you are. Once it’s all out on the table, you can clear the air of any other secrets you might have.” He was not subtle in his emphasis on secrets and the twinkle in his eye told her he knew exactly what it was she felt about Lena and was keeping from her. How did the once toxic frat boy become so insightful she wondered. Perhaps he was right.
Their conversation settled as they arrived at the obviously abandoned building. The whole place immediately put Kara on edge. The lack of sound of anything living, not even insects or rodents, unnerved her. Nothing was alive here. The smell of the place added to her discomfort. It was a bitter smell; like the singe of burned hair and hot metal. A smell of death.
In the depths of the room they found with increasing horror large piles of dust. As Mon El bent to pick up a delicate bracelet, Kara brushed her fingers over what appeared to be a blast shadow. “This was a person,” Mon El said, unable to keep the tremble from his voice. “You see shadows like this after nuclear strikes. But… this building is intact.”
“What kind of bomb could do this?” They could only stare at each other.
Just then, Kara heard a piercing sound. Three sharp blasts on a frequency only she could hear. “Lena!” Mon El grabbed her hand. “Wait. We have to investigate this.” She shook him off, her lips curled in a snarl. “Lena needs help!”
“Kara…”
“No. There’s nothing else we can do here. Take a sample of this dust to Winn and Brainy, that is the best way we can find out what’s gone on here.” Without further delay, she shot out of the building to follow the sound of Lena’s signal watch.
Soon enough she landed in the street outside CatCo only to catch sight of a black SUV screeching out of the parking lot and down the street. An X-Ray scan and quick listen for a familiar heartbeat told her that Lena and Tanya were in the car, along with four others. As Lena was inside, blasting the vehicle with heat vision or ramming into it were both non-starters. Instead, she sped off after the car, flying low to the ground. She swept up under it and deftly picked it up, punching up through the engine to make sure there would be no speeding off when she set them all down. Flying the car and passengers to the nearest police station, she set it down and ripped the rear door off. Lena practically jumped from the back seat and fell onto the Tarmac, pulling Tanya with her.
Another quick use of her X-Ray vision told Kara that Lena had no broken bones or major injuries. Relief flooded her and she bent to place a comforting hand on Lena’s arm. Suddenly conscious of the increasing number of strangers watching she reached out for Tanya as well. “Miss Luthor. Are either of you harmed?” Lena shook her head but looked back down the road, panic evident on her face. “My people at CatCo… Two security guards are dead.” Before Kara could shoot off to the magazines’ building, Lena interrupted her. “Supergirl, everyone else is alright. We went with them, Coville’s people, to stop anyone else getting hurt.” As quietly as she could, knowing Kara would hear her, she added, “Eve is okay. She’s the one who called the police.” Kara nodded. “Thank you Miss Luthor.” Lena looked at her expectantly. “Did you get the other car?” Kara’s shoulders dropped. “I…I didn’t see anyone else. I was focused on this car.” Lena heard the unsaid words. That it was she whom Kara came for.
Lena’s hand twitched as if she wanted to comfort Kara. “It can’t be helped. But I think we should get Tanya to the ‘FBI’ facility where she will be safer.”
“You too Le…Miss Luthor.” Lena’s stare acknowledged the things unsaid and Kara nodded her head to indicate she understood. She walked over to the police who were cuffing the would-be kidnappers and checked that all four of Coville’s people were secure. Finding the most senior officer on scene, she thanked him for his help and let him know that the FBI would be along to take over custody. Of course it was really the DEO, but he wasn’t to know that. Checking his notes, he pulled off his sunglasses and looked at her with a frown. “It’s really so serious Supergirl?”
“It is. As if the murder of CatCo employees and the attempted kidnapping of the most powerful woman in National City isn’t enough, these people are terrorists involved in making a bomb. The FBI will relieve you of them soon enough.” After he had thanked her in return, she walked back over to Lena and Tanya. “I’m going to pick you both up now, okay?” The two women agreed and she picked both up with ease and flew as quickly as she dared to the DEO.
As soon as they landed, Kara saw J’onn striding towards them. “Supergirl,” he said in way of greeting. “I saw the incident via our intelligence feed, but do you think that bringing two civilians to a secret facility is really the answer?” She didn’t hesitate in her answer. “These people are terrorists. You should already know what they are capable of from Mon El.” She spied the Daxamite lingering behind J’onn as he gave her an encouraging wave. “I gave the residue to Brainy and Winn. And yes, I did explain to the Director here what we saw.” She tipped her head to acknowledge his support. “J’onn, they had no qualms in harming CatCo employees to obtain access to Miss Watson and presumably want her so that they can further their violence. It’s she who brought us the book and it she who can read it for them. That they also took Miss Luthor as some sort of collateral is clear – it is safest for both of them to be here.” J’onn pursed his lips, still undecided but Lena stepped towards him. “Director, while I am grateful for Supergirl’s intervention, I am by no means a damsel in distress. I can be an asset during this…crisis. I would offer my assistance to your agent Schott and the one Supergirl calls Brainy.” With a flick of her eyes to Kara, she gave J’onn a determined look. “Suffice it to say, I am somewhat motivated to bring these people to justice. And to help prevent whatever it is they intend.”
“I’m quite certain of that Miss Luthor. And I’m sure Agents Schott and Dox would appreciate your support.” He waved a hand towards the lab. “Mon El will show you to the lab. Vasquez, please show Miss Watson to a secure lounge and remain with her until this threat is resolved. Supergirl, with me.” Shooting another look towards Lena, who waved to signal that she would be fine in the lab, Kara followed J’onn to a secluded corner. He rested his thumbs on his belt, brushing a finger over his badge as if to remind Kara of his authority. She was not in a mood to be intimidated however, not when Lena had been so close to harm. She drew herself to her tallest, setting her jaw in a determined expression. “Before you say anything J’onn… I need you to know that I told Lena the truth. She knows I’m Supergirl. Yes, I know the President’s order is in place. But Lena is my friend and I couldn’t lie to her any more. Plus, she has one of the best tactical and scientific minds of this generation. She can help us; be an asset.” J’onn scowled. “You’re assuming she would be amenable to that Kara. She did not seem all that impressed at our discovery of her work with Reign. It appears that she is not one to work well in a team.”
“Can you blame her? With her family history? The constant betrayal and belittling she suffered at the hands of the Luthors? And to her, it’s Sam she’s working with. She wants to end Reign as much as we do. She’s worked well with me…with Supergirl ever since she came to this city. By keeping her in the dark we only reinforce her instinct to isolate herself, to work alone; to protect herself and those she loves.” Seeing the passion on her face and how her eyes darted with concern towards the lab, he had a moment of clear understanding. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her one of his fatherly smiles. “You care for her.” It wasn’t a question. She returned his kind gesture with her own smile. “I do.” His grin grew wider. “Then she is family. Let’s go.”
XXXXX
It was good to be in a lab. Admittedly not her own, but there was something universal and comforting about the machines and apparatus that leached some of the tension from Lena’s shoulders. Winn’s familiar presence was a helpful counter to the odd figure of Brainy. The latter was something she couldn’t quite work out. Not quite human, she had deduced that very quickly. But his strange yet direct way was oddly comforting to her.
The two men caught her up with the work on the powdery substance that Mon El had brought back from the wreckage of the cult’s headquarters. She had to box up her feelings about the revelation that it was the remains of a person.
Another thing that she had had to temporarily shove into one of her mental boxes was her recent rescue by Kara. Or more precisely, how it affected her current feelings about the Kryptonian. It was the realisation that when Kara had said she hadn’t seen the other car it was because she had come straight for her. That Kara was concerned for her over other people; that perhaps despite the lie about her identity, that itself was the only lie between them and the actual substance of their friendship was deeply real. That possibly the flirtatious moments, the cuddling on movie nights, the concern over her eating habits were all signs of something more. Of which Kara was likely all in deep denial about.
Her ponderings over her friendship (or something more?) with Kara aside, there was work to be done. Not just the cure for Sam, but this more pressing matter of a threat to the city, possibly even the rest of the world.
The three of them were gathered around Winn’s monitor when Kara and J’onn entered the lab. Lena looked up, noting their easy camaraderie; both relaxed and happy in each other’s company. It was as relaxed as Lena had seen her friend whilst in the suit. The good mood seemed to linger around Kara as she leaned against a table exchanging an inside joke with Brainy. Then Kara stopped, and as if she felt Lena’s scrutiny, turned and looked her way. The smile that accompanied the look was equal parts balm and devastation. Lena was unsure how long her walls could last against such an onslaught of kindness and warmth. Then, with Kara’s next words she knew her resistance would not last. She knew in that moment she would forgive the lie, forgive the pretence. She knew she would fall back into the arms of Kara’s friendship.
“Lena, it’s good to see you quickly settled here. I trust Brainy and Winn have been appropriately welcoming?” The CEO returned her smile. “I have my own workstation and everything. These two have been perfect gentlemen. We’ve completed our analysis of the substance and we’ve found something.” Before she could elaborate further, J’onn stepped closer and held his hand up. “Before we start Miss Luthor, there is something we should clear up. Kara has told me that you are aware of her identity.” Lena’s eyes went wide and she heard a little gasp from Winn behind her. Realising she was revealing too much, she schooled her face and drew on her CEO persona. “I’ve suspected for some time Director…”
“You’re aware I can read minds Miss Luthor? So yes, I have known about your suspicions. And I expect that hacking into our systems to corroborate Olsen’s absurd story that Supergirl would ask him to spy on you allowed you access to the appropriate information confirming your suspicions. I understand such documents would be quite irresistible to someone who craves information such as yourself.” At J’onn’s nonchalant revelation of James’ reprehensible behaviour, her eyes flicked to the others in the room. Mon El and Brainy seemed unsurprised. Winn less so. Whether or not the story had been gleaned from her own mind by the director, it was best for all, she thought, that James behaviour be known to everyone in Kara’s life. She was grateful to J’onn in that moment for being the one to reveal it. She barely wanted to think about the man, let alone waste any breath or energy explaining to others what he had done. She saw from Kara’s face that she felt the same. It was best that the man and his manipulation be put behind them and forgotten. He had already consumed more of their lives than he deserved.
Thoughts of James aside, her thoughts came back to everything else J’onn had just said. Acknowledging him as he watched her with those warm eyes, she nodded in response. Her mind worked overtime to understand what J’onn was doing right now; surely revealing his ability to read minds would mean they both knew that it was Kara who told her. And yet, here he was, in an act of fatherly protection, handing Lena the perfect cover story so that she could be both brought into the inner circle and they could both protect Kara. It made her understand the man a little more that he would take such steps to protect the Kryptonian. And that he would on some level trust Kara’s instinct in entrusting Lena with the truth. “I see I wasn’t as careful with my work as I thought I was. Mr Schott, you are to be commended on your security protocols.” Winn just stared at her, glancing over to Brainy and Mon El who both seemed to be taking all this in stride. Thankfully he went along with the story J’onn and now Lena were spinning together. “Coming from you Miss Luthor, that’s a compliment.”
“Oh, don’t expect it to happen again Winn,” she answered, her voice deadpan. From the small grin on Kara’s face she knew only the Kryptonian picked up that she was teasing the poor man. J’onn started speaking again. “Be that as it may Miss Luthor, that you have discovered a piece of highly sensitive information that is governed by Executive Order is somewhat problematic. You should not know this information and yet you do. It is possible for me to mentally wipe the information from your mind, yet I am loathe to do so, not least for the violation it represents. A violation I am not willing to do except under the most exceptional of circumstances, least of all to someone who Kara considers a friend.”
“I appreciate your candour Director Jones.” She looked directly into his eyes, emphasising each word, letting him know on every level what it was she was thankful for. She continued. “May I suggest a Consultancy arrangement. And of course you can throw all the NDAs you want my way. My Lawyer is discreet. And known to you I believe. A former Major. Lucy Lane?”
“Lucy is your lawyer?!” Lena smirked at Kara’s outburst, secretly glad she was still able to surprise the Super. “Indeed. She became disillusioned with the military I believe and now serves as counsel to a very particular kind of clientele. Unofficially she consults with her brother in law; a Mr Kent. And a Mr Wayne as well I believe. I am sure they are names you are familiar with. Of course I cannot reveal the names of anyone else she works with. I only know about Mr Wayne as he is the one who recommended Miss Lane. She’s the best lawyer I have ever had. And has almost as good a taste in scotch as your sister.” She offered this last comment almost offhand in Kara’s direction with a raise of her eyebrow. Kara’s reaction, a strange mix of awe on her face, was exactly what Lena wanted. J’onn coughed, reminding both women they were not alone. “Major Lane’s taste in scotch aside, considering her security status and … both her history with this organisation and connection to certain other individuals I cannot comment on, I can approve of her handling any NDAs between us. And I understand your revealing such sensitive personal information to us might be considered in some quarters a kind of calculated quid pro quo, but I accept it in the spirit given – that of mutual trust. Welcome to the team Miss Luthor.” He held out his hand, which Lena took without hesitation. It wasn’t often she had been so quickly trusted and welcomed into a group. In fact, she never had before today. With that in mind, she determined to live up to the trust J’onn was offering her.
“So, you were saying you had discovered something?” Kara said, her Supergirl persona fully evident. Winn spun on his chair, his face flush with the discovery they had made. “We’ve actually made some very good progress.” Leaning over to press a few keys on his computer he brought up what looked like a molecular diagram; a particularly complex looking diagram that triggered something familiar in Kara as she looked at the screen. Winn continued. “What you saw at the compound wasn’t the result of a bomb at all. It was a heavy metal reaction.” Kara’s brows creased. “Like…Uranium?” It was Lena who answered. “It’s closer in composition to Tungsten, but also…” She hesitated and glanced to Winn, who looked equally nervous. “It’s not a heavy metal found on this earth.” This was unsurprising to Kara considering the cult’s obsession with her and then Reign. “And it may very well be the exact substance that might unlock the cure for Sam.” Lena’s mention of Sam made Kara meet her eyes then immediately look away. Despite their already tentative steps back to friendship, Sam and Reign were both still sore points between them. In avoiding eye contact with Lena, Kara’s eyes landed on Winn’s screen once more, the chemical composition of the metal seeming to grow in size as she stared at it. The familiarity struck her again and then she realised why. “I’ve… I’ve seen this before. When I was looking through Coville’s book.” She stepped across the room to where Coville’s journal lay open and flicked through the pages.
Landing on the page she was looking for, she stabbed her finger at the illustration, identical to the diagram on Winn’s computer. Mon El came up beside her. “The rock of Yuda Kal,” he read, a rising dread putting a tremble in his voice. “Isn’t she the Goddess of Death?” Kara met his fear filled gaze. “Of Life and Death. Two sides of the coin. She represents the belief that Death is not the end but births into new things. But also that new life cannot happen without death and destruction.” She paused, glancing back at the journal. “He writes here he found a statue of her made of a black Kryptonian stone.”
“Well, they sure have the destruction part down.” Winn’s attempt to lighten the situation with humour fell flat. Kara looked from him to Lena and back to the book. Her eyes widened in realisation. “Oh Rao, we’ve been wrong. They’re not trying to make a bomb… they’re trying to make another Worldkiller.” Lena gripped her arm, locking their eyes together, her face determined and somehow hopeful. “Supergirl, that’s good news. It means my hypothesis was right. If they’re using it to try and make a Worldkiller, with my research and the work I’ve already done, I can use it to end a Worldkiller.” Kara steeled herself, buoyed by Lena’s optimism. “Then we need to find them, stop them and get hold of this rock.”
Just then, Lena’s phone pinged a message alert. As it was the alert sound for personal messages, the CEO picked it up to check who was sending her a text; only five people that she knew of even had this number. And with everything going on around them right now, she could well do without her mother popping up. As she read the message, her heart dropped. She almost wished it had been Lillian. Kara must have seen the look on her face because the Kryptonian reached out to place a hand on her arm. “Lena, is everything okay?” In answer she held the ‘phone out towards Kara. The blonde tentatively took the device. “I think you should read this,” Lena said in a low voice, surprised at herself that she was able to keep the shake from her voice. “There is a picture…” Without further hesitation, Kara read the text. She looked up to see J’onn’s face creased with worry. “You all need to hear this.” So saying, she read it out to the rest of the room.
“ ‘Miss Luthor. We know you can get a message to Supergirl. She came to rescue you from our comrades. So get this message to her. Supergirl, you’ve seen what happens when we try to fulfil our purpose without the aid of the journal and without Tanya to translate it. You’ve seen what our failure looks like. We will keep trying. And we have many volunteers. Every one of them will die, just like Tanya’s friend. The only way to stop the deaths is to give Tanya and the journal to us. Deliver them to the corner of Pacific and First at 11 am or we will try again. And again. And again. 11 am Supergirl.’ ”
Lena heard a crack as Kara came to the end of the message. From the mess of electronics now in Kara’s hand it was evident the noise had been her ‘phone breaking. “Oh Lena! I’m so sorry.” She smiled indulgently at the Kryptonian. “Supergirl… Kara, it’s fine. It’s not as if I can’t afford a replacement.” Still red faced, Kara mumbled her acquiescence.
“So what do we do about this threat?” Winn asked. “I won’t let more people get hurt.”
“Supergirl, we cannot give in to these kinds of threats.” Mon El interrupted before J’onn could continue. “We don’t have to do either. I have an idea… But we need to talk to Tanya first. We need her on board.”
XXXXX
As the best plans go, Mon El’s was a simple one. Tanya turned herself in, he would tag along as idiot frat boy Mike making sure she was protected and it would lead them to where the cult was making their attempt to create the Worldkiller. It mostly went smoothly. Kara was more than happy for Brainy and Imra’s support as she flew to follow Mon El’s signal. It was also the first time Lena had been part of the support team sitting beside Winn and seeing how everything worked. The take down of the cult and confrontation with the girl Olivia was straightforward enough, albeit emotionally draining considering the girl’s trauma. At the end of the day, they were able to neutralise and detain the entire remnant of the cult and prevent the creation of a Worldkiller. And they had the rock of Yuda Kal for Lena’s precious serum.
Kara flew Olivia and the rock back to the DEO, dropping the poor girl in the civilian medical centre pending further psychological evaluation. She wouldn’t avoid justice, but Kara hoped that there would be at last some leniency considering what she had been through. Moving back up to the main operations floor, she gave the precious rock to Lena and Winn who immediately got to work on analysing the rock.
While she waited, Kara went to find Tanya, brought back for debriefing by Brainy and Imra. The linguist had thankfully been unharmed during the confrontation with the cult and she was waiting alone in one of the conference rooms. Kara entered the room and reached out to shake the woman’s hand. “I want to thank you for your help today.”
“It’s nothing Supergirl. It’s been an honour to work with you. Would you pass my thanks to Miss Danvers for passing the book on to you.”
“I’ll make sure to do that. I wanted to ask you about what you thought you might do now? Someone who is an expert in Kryptonian is going to be much in demand.” Tanya bowed her head, embarrassed. “You’re too kind Supergirl. I’m sure I’ve been mangling your language. Besides, although I felt it was important to stand up to these people, I think I might be glad just to go back to being an ordinary teacher.”
“Believe me Miss Watson, there is nothing ordinary about you. I’ll try my best to ensure that you can go back to your life though. You may occasionally see men in nice suits around your campus, but that’s only because my boss is a stickler for making sure the people who help us are safe. And…” It was Karas’s turn to be shy for a moment. “Can I ask you a favour?”
“Of course Supergirl, anything.”
“May I come and visit you myself from time to time? Your pronunciation was very good and it would be nice to talk to someone in my own language.” She leaned in, a conspiratorial smile on hr face. “Don’t tell anyone, but your pronunciation was better than my cousin’s.” Tanya really did blush this time. “I’m sure you’re just being kind.”
“Not at all. I’m being truthful. So, may I visit?”
“You’re welcome any time Supergirl.”
As they shook hands again, J’onn poked his head round the door. “Supergirl. When you’re finished here, your … colleagues have important information.”
“I’ll come right now.”
She followed him to the lab where Winn and Lena waited. “Have you started?” Winn stood from his chair and walked to where the stone had been cut. “We started, but there was no point in finishing.” Lena continued. “The rock you brought us was drained of all its power. It seems it all went into Olivia’s transformation.”
“How come the two of you don’t seem too devastated by this?” J’onn asked. Winn grinned and sat back on his stool, pushing himself on its wheels over to another workstation. “Well, Miss Luthor and I planned ahead and recorded the radiation signature of the rock while the ritual was underway. Now, it’s a very rare substance, but we scanned the heavens for a matching signature and those same heavens obliged. As you can see here, we’re tracking the very same signature hurtling through space on a meteoroid orbiting a red dwarf star about five light years away.”
Kara felt a spark of hope at Winn’s words. “J’onn, do you think your ship can make it that far?” He smiled. “I tuned up the FTL drive only last week. We’ll go together.” She shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that. Your father needs you with him right now. I would take Alex… but Ruby needs her too. I can go alone.”
“No!” Lena’s objection was sharp and immediate. All eyes landed on the Luthor. “Sorry, I know I’m new to this group… but it’s clear to me from what we know that Supergirl can’t handle this rock. And from what I’ve been able to analyse of it, it shares too many traits with Kryptonite for my liking.” She shot a pleading look at Kara. “You shouldn’t go alone.”
“I can touch the black rock with no bad effects. I can go with you.” Giving him a direct look, she shook her head. “No Mon El. I need the Legion to watch over the city and wider world while I am away and J’onn is engaged in caring for his father. I trust the three of you to cover for Supergirl’s absence.” The Daxamite nodded, conceding to Kara’s logic that he and the others in the legion were best placed to fill in while she was absent. “That still leaves you going solo. I don’t like it.”
“I could go.” Lena’s voice was soft, almost timid if the word could ever apply to a Luthor. Kara gave her an affectionate look. “Lena…”
“No objecting Supergirl. It makes sense. I’d already organised for an old friend to come in and step in short term at L-Corp while I concentrated on the cure. Winn and Brainy can monitor Sam and I spoke to Cat Grant to oversee her old company temporarily while I find a proper long-term replacement for James. She still holds a reasonable percentage of shares and knows the company. No one is more motivated to find this rock than I am Kara. Sam needs this. And no one else has the knowledge and tools to detect, cut and store a substance this much like Kryptonite. Not safely.” Kara glanced at J’onn, who gave a quick nod, agreeing with Lena. “You’re right Lena. We should set off as soon as possible. I’ll get my spare suit; I’ve been wearing this one all day. You should get what you need to track and retrieve the rock. Meet back here in an hour and J’onn will take us to his ship.” Lena agreed to the time and quickly left to gather everything that she needed. Kara stared after her suddenly realising that she had just agreed to be alone for three days, or more, with the woman she secretly loved and whom she had hurt by lying. It was going to be a long journey.
Chapter Text
Chapter Five
The vastness of space stretched before them. Stars and nebulae and gas clouds slipped past. Even with the difficult circumstances she found herself in, Lena couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders they journeyed through. Sitting in the ship itself was equally a dream come true. J’onn had spent precious time showing her some of the controls; thankfully they were highly intuitive and for a woman of intellect and practical engineering knowledge such as herself, she had got the hang of how it all worked in almost record time. Of course it was all insurance on J’onn’s behalf. Kara was very much experienced in the workings of the ship and interstellar travel. Knowing this Lena expected the Kryptonian to be almost blasé during their journey. And yet she noted with pleasant surprise that Kara stared out at the stars with just as much awe as she herself did.
The novelty and wonder of the experience on Lena’s side kept things quiet between them for the first few hours of the journey. She took advantage of the silence to indulge herself; rewarding that 8 year old girl who sat on the roof of Luthor mansion with a telescope and reference book. She almost couldn’t wait to have all this done with so she could visit her brother and gloat. Finally there was something she had done before Lex. It gave her a kind of smug satisfaction to think it was something he would likely never get to do.
Before long however, the silence became a source of tension rather than comfort. The unfinished business between her and Kara started to crowd into her mind. She knew also that it would be up to her to open the channel of communication with them. And it was something that had to happen sooner rather than later. Otherwise they would try to plunge back into something resembling normality without ever really talking about anything. And it would prove to be poison to their friendship. Of course she valued Kara and the friendship too much to let that happen. So a painful conversation had to happen. Like lancing a boil it would prove painful but would be needed for healing.
The ship was on auto pilot setting and Kara was standing to one side, monitoring incoming telemetry. Lena took a deep breath and turned in her seat. “I wanted to thank you for agreeing to let me come along.” Kara shrugged and turned away from the monitor to give Lena her attention. “You were the best option.” She toed the floor of the ship nervously and moved to sit back in the pilot’s seat. “And I didn’t really want to spend two days on a ship with anyone else.” Lena huffed, making her displeasure obvious. “You were happy to consider both J’onn and your sister before me.”
“Lena…”
“No Kara. You can’t say something like that and expect me to believe you when you’ve been lying to me for two years.”
“Oh come on Lena, do you really think that everything has been a lie. I told one lie. To protect you.” Lena looked into Kara’s ocean blue eyes and considered everything that had happened the last few days. The revelation itself, James’ manipulation and betrayal of Kara, the gift of the watch, her realisation that Kara risked her identity by flying in her civilian clothes, the rescue from Coville’s thugs. “You’re right. It was just one lie. I do believe you.”
“Good.”
“But I don’t know whether I can trust you. Because I don’t know whether you trust me. You only told me the truth when it was convenient for you, to expose James.” Kara shook her head. “I’ve been trying to find the right time. I do trust you Lena. With my life.” Lena could feel the conversation shifting out of her control, could feel her anger waning. But she wanted to hold onto it for a while longer. Because once the anger faded, the other feelings were now closer to the surface than ever since the revelation. And she feared those feelings and a possible rejection should she make them known. So anger was her defence right now.
“You supposedly trust me with your life. Then why wait so long?”
“The people who know me, who know who I am, they are in constant danger. You already have too many threats against you and I didn’t want to be the reason you got hurt. You saw how those cultists picked up on the fact I care about you, how they sent that text to you to get to me. You think it would have stopped there?”
“Then why did James get to know? Why did Winn? Didn’t you want to protect them?”
“Because I’m not in love with them!” The second the words had left Kara’s mouth her eyes went wide. Lena heard a gasp and realised it was her own. The heat of her anger instantly drained away. Kara took a slight step back, her hand going over her mouth. Lena saw her clench her jaw as she shook her head. “Lena, I… I didn’t want… Oh Rao. I’m sorry.” The CEO reached tentatively for Kara’s hand, but the Kryptonian pulled away, moving towards the back of the ship. “I shouldn’t have said that… I know you don’t… Rao, why is it so small in here?” Lena saw then the same panic start to come over Kara that she had experienced in the elevator when she had told her what James had said. Her face started to go red, her eyes darting to and fro, her breathing starting to come shallow. Lena realised now that Kara was about to go into a full-on panic attack. The shock of inadvertently revealing feelings she thought were not reciprocated, combined with the small space, following on from days and weeks of heightened anxiety were all combining for a perfect storm. Kara took another step backwards, putting her hand on the bulwark to steady herself. She was mumbling now, shaking her head and alternating between looking wide eyed at Lena and around her in panic at the small space she was confined in. One more step and she stumbled back onto the low bench in the rear of the cabin. She gripped the metal of the bench and squeezed it, crumpling the metal like it was dough. Lena knew she had to do something. If the Kryptonian was left to spiral, she could well rip a hole in the side of the ship, or blast one with her heat vision. Lena moved swiftly and knelt in front of her friend, laying her hand on Kara’s.
“Kara, listen to me. Listen to my voice.” The blonde stopped looking around her and focused on Lena’s face. It was a good first step, but her breathing remained erratic and her other hand still held the bench in an unrelenting grip. What Lena did next was without thought; she moved instinctively, her only thought to calm Kara’s mind. With one hand still resting on the Kryptonian’s hand in her lap and the other reaching for her face, she moved fluidly up closer to Kara and kissed her. Their lips meeting was simultaneously the most ordinary and normal moment of her life and the most electric. It felt, quite simply, the most right thing she had ever done. And almost unbelievably, Kara was kissing her back. The uncontrolled panic had instantly vanished and in its place was an aching tenderness that Lena felt in lips and tongue. The blonde’s lips were soft and tasted of cinnamon and strawberries. And it wasn’t just with her mouth that the Kryptonian returned the kiss. It was as if her whole body instantly relaxed and responded to Lena. Lena felt it in the relaxation of her thighs, in a sweet sigh between breaths. She felt it in the gentle, almost absent-minded brush of Kara’s thumb over the soft sensitive flesh of her hand between thumb and fingers.
The moment was broken by an alarm sounding on the console of the ship. Yet, Kara didn’t immediately jump up to see what they were being warned of. She smiled shyly and gave an apologetic shrug, lifting her hand to Lena’s face to touch her fingers to the Luthor’s jaw. Sweeping her thumb over Lena’s cheek, she held her gaze. In that moment they weren’t a Luthor and a Super; they weren’t friends at a turning point; they weren’t on a dire mission to save earth. They were simply Kara and Lena. And they loved each other. The shrill alarm sounded once more and Kara sighed. She stood up from the bench, gripped Lena by the shoulder for a moment and moved to the front of the ship.
She practically jumped into the seat and waved Lena to sit beside her as she inspected the instruments in front of her. “Buckle in, we’re almost there and this is going to be bumpy.” Lena obeyed without question. Kara flicked a couple of switches and pulled the yolk up, taking manual control of the ship. Looking out of the viewscreen, Lena could see why Kara had jumped into action. In front of them was the meteoroid they were looking for and it was more than the floating rock she was expecting. The light of the red dwarf star that they were now orbiting, along with the meteoroid, flared across its surface. She noted with a flash of worry that veins of a green coloured rock were visible on the underside of the object. But what she saw on top grabbed all of her attention. It looked like a city, surrounded by a verdant landscape and forests that suddenly cut off. Reading the instruments in front of her, she could see the city was surrounded and protected by some sort of shield, a forcefield that could not be seen by the unaided eye. And otherwise impenetrable by further scans. If she couldn’t see the city with her own eyes, the instruments would have her believe the meteoroid was a cold lifeless rock.
Before she could ask Kara what her plan was, the ship suddenly shuddered with an impact. “Rao! We could do without a tractor beam right now. Controls are gone.” Kara flashed her a worried look but Lena kept her cool. “Whoever lives in there considers a stray ship a threat.”
“You think!” Lena just rolled her eyes at Kara’s sarcasm. “Well… This is a Martian ship, isn’t it?” As if she sensed where Lena’s train of thought was leading, Kara’s worried crinkle turned into a beaming smile. “This is why I love you,” she quipped as she pulled the chameleon circuit towards her and enabled the ship to transform into a harmless looking comet, at least from the outside.
Another twenty minutes and they were within landing distance. Utilising the ship’s ability to phase through matter, they touched down inside the dome, just outside the city. As soon as they were stationary, Kara pushed the yolk back into its rest position in the console and got out of her chair, heading to the rear of the ship. Lena followed her to gather her bag and the tracker she had built to find the black rock. Kara was reaching into one of the lockers above the bench, the squished metal moulded by Kara’s hand not that long ago craving Lena’s attention. She was snapped out of it by Kara softly calling her name and handing her a small earpiece sized device. “Cities usually mean civilisations,” she said, now all businesslike in contrast to moments before. “Thankfully, Winn is almost as much a genius as you and has access to both some Martian and Kryptonian tech. Obviously, anyone we encounter won’t be speaking English. This will help you understand almost any interstellar language… with some limitations.” Their fingers brushed as Kara handed her the device and an electric feeling zipped up her arm. She could tell Kara felt it too as the Kryptonian’s pupils widened and her mouth dropped slightly open. The memory of the kiss not half an hour ago flooded Lena’s mind. She was sure that Kara was about to initiate another one, but the blonde shook her head and stepped back. “Now’s not the time,” Kara said almost apologetically. It was a relief that the other woman acknowledged the touch had affected her too. And the implication that there would be a time. But Kara was right. This was not it. This was the time to find out what this city was and where they could find the black rock to help fix Sam.
XXXXX
The second they stepped off the ship Kara could sense something different. Her heightened senses were dulled, like a thick blanket being wrapped around her. She couldn’t hear Lena’s heartbeat and while she could still smell her perfume it wasn’t overwhelming her as it usually would. She looked to the sky, a lilac hue tinted with oranges along the horizon. The red dwarf hung there, its radiation and light wavelength responsible for leaching her powers. Grateful that Mon El had loaned her his legion ring so that she at least retained the ability to fly, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Lena watching her carefully. “As predicted, this red star has me powerless.” Lena nodded. “We were prepared for that, thankfully.” She paused and looked up at the city. “It looks like the Black Rock is about a mile into the city. We should go as quickly as we can.”
It was a half hour walk before they hit the city itself; half an hour through the edge of woodlands and across grassy fields. It was clear to Kara that it had been the shield that had kept all scans from registering both the city and this lush landscape. Beyond that, there was something too familiar about the landscape around them and the architectural style of the city before them. There was a cold nagging at the back of her mind that wouldn’t be quietened and sounded too much like Alex’s warning voice. It kept her on edge as they came closer and closer to the city.
As they came to one of the bigger commercial areas, Lena waved her towards a bustling marketplace. “They look human enough,” Kara said to her as they passed through a busy section. Lena looked at Kara in the supersuit and then down at her own black outfit provided by the DEO. “Human looking, but we still don’t exactly fit in. We should see if we can get hold of something less eye catching.” Sighing at the irony of having to disguise herself once more, Kara told Lena to wait where she was. She returned five minutes later to find the CEO discretely scanning for the black rock. Offering her one of the blue robes she had acquired, she put the paler one on herself. “How did you pay for these?” Lena asked innocently. Kara glanced at her feet, her face turning red. The dark-haired woman gave a chuckle. Of course she knew what Kara had had to do. “If only your cousin could see Supergirl having to resort to shoplifting.”
“You’re teasing me,” Kara grumbled. “And I didn’t shoplift. We’re borrowing these. I’ll give them back when we’ve finished with them.” Lena chuckled again and patted Kara affectionately on the arm. “I’m allowed a little teasing, all things considered. And if your best friend can’t tease you, who can?” The way Lena said the words ‘best friend’ settled warmly in Kara’s stomach. It was a hopeful sound. “I suppose you have the right more than anyone else right now. But Alex might want to fight you for it.” Lena’s responding laugh was light, as if the weight of the last days and their current mission weren’t weighing her down. As if simply being in Kara’s presence was enough to hold off all her fears and worries. It was enough to keep Kara’s own lingering discomfort at the eerily familiar city at bay.
She followed behind Lena who walked them discretely towards their goal. Finally they approached a garden area, with some statues and large monuments lining the pathway into what looked like a walled off area. “We’re close, the scanner says it’s in here.” Kara nodded at Lena’s words and followed her to the doorway of the low building. As they came close to the building, the same cold feeling she had had since she first saw the city and its surroundings crept up her spine. Either side of the doorway were two giant pieces of smooth rock, something similar to slate on Earth, but instead of the glimmering grey blue, here it was a dark red. And carved deep into the red slate were letters that Kara was all too familiar with. She almost stumbled towards the memorial on the left, her hand reaching out to caress the carved Kryptonian phrases. “Kara?” Lena said softly. But for once, Lena’s voice did not reach the blonde. She was locked in a deeply buried memory. At least it should have been buried. Instead it was here, on a meteoroid spinning through space, light years from Krypton’s home system. “May their flames burn forever in Rao’s light.” Kara read the words aloud, her voice trembling. Beside her, Lena finally looked at the carved symbols and gasped. “I’ve seen these before,” she said in a shaky voice. “In Coville’s journal. And Lex’s. Is this… This is Kryptonian script?” Unable to trust her voice, Kara just nodded. She felt Lena step closer to her as if to give her the strength to stand against the evidence of their eyes. “Could this be… Is it Krypton?”
Lena’s words hung in the air and Kara blinked down at the words carved in stone. The truth of every internal alarm that had sounded since they had landed crashed into Kara’s heart. She had known. Of course she had known. The landscape; the architecture; the sounds; the technology. And yet, Lena wasn’t quite right. Kara knew, she knew in every bone and sinew and cell that Krypton had been obliterated. Indeed, she had witnessed it with her own eyes. It was the shockwave of that obliteration that had sent her to the hell of the Phantom Zone. But from that obliteration, like a phoenix, she and Kal had survived. By some miracle this tiny fraction of her planet had also been spared. The shield that still served as protection to this bubble out of time must have been what had saved them.
She looked at Lena, concern writ large across the Luthor’s face. Fat tears were in her own eyes, the truth like a weight on her tongue. “Not Krypton,” she managed, her chest tightening further. “Argo. My home city.” The look on Lena’s face was deeper than pity. It was genuine and born of love. And still Kara could not bear it. She had to look away.
Before Lena could reach out and touch her, a shrieking alarm sounded all around them. Seconds later six armed droids flew into the glade. She recognised them, all too similar to the benign Kelex model that served her and Kal at the Fortress of Solitude. Instinctively Kara stepped between Lena and the droids. Powers or not, she was first and foremost a protector; more so when it came to the woman standing behind her. Bracing herself she grabbed for Lena’s hand, hoping the squeeze she gave her and the look she shot over her shoulder conveyed her feelings in what could be their final moments.
“Guardians! Stand down!”
The voice rang across the glade like a clarion bell. A voice used to being obeyed. A voice Kara knew intimately. She heard it in her dreams and through a facsimile at the DEO. The lights on the guardian droids flicked from red to blue as they switched instantly from attack mode to neutral. Through the trees, striding towards them followed by three armed men, came Alura Zor El.
Xxxxx
Lena sucked in a breath as a beautiful woman cleared the trees and advanced towards them. She knew Kara’s features well enough to know that this woman was related to the blonde. Kara’s hand went from holding her so tight it almost hurt to limp in a moment then she let go altogether, moving forward in a hesitant step. As she saw the two of them the woman froze, her eyes wide and fixed on Kara. The blonde took another step forward and Lena could sense her energy, like she knew that it was taking every bit of her friend’s strength not to fling herself at the woman on the other side of the clearing. The two of them stood frozen, eyes locked. There was barely a sound, the men accompanying the beauty standing stock still with weapons held defensively but not aimed at Kara and Lena.
“Kara?” The woman choked the word as if it cost her everything. Lena thought it was the most pained sound she had ever heard. Until she heard Kara’s stricken reply and her heart broke for the woman she loved. “Jeju?” With that one word, the intangible force keeping the two women frozen snapped and they both launched themselves towards each other. Kara threw her arms around the woman’s shoulders, burying her face in her hair. On being engulfed in the woman’s embrace in return, Kara’s knees buckled and she crumpled to the ground. The woman followed her down to the ground and the two held each other in a sobbing heap.
Lena’s own experience of family had not equipped her for such open emotion and yet her discomfort was only mild. It was two years of having Kara in her life that had taught her such vulnerability was both natural and healthy. The woman holding Kara did not seem embarrassed nor ashamed to be so openly weeping in front of her companions and Lena. Her only concern was the broken girl in her arms. As for Kara herself, she continued to weep, babbling words that Lena couldn’t make out other than the occasional repetition of ‘Jeju’.
Once Kara had spent her tears she leaned back and just looked in wonder at the beautiful face in front of her. Lena saw the look on her friend’s face, a combination of disbelief, awe and joy. Finally taking note of her surroundings, she stood up, helping the woman to her feet.
Leaving one hand clutching the other woman’s arm, she turned slightly to Lena and held out her other hand, beckoning the Luthor towards them. “Lena,” she said in a still trembling voice. “This is Alura Zor El. She’s my… This is my mom.” Lena dipped her had respectfully. “It’s an honour to meet you. Your daughter is a credit to your house.” Alura drew herself up to her full height, taller even than Kara, not something Lena had seen very often. “Any friend of my daughter’s is welcome here on Argo.”
“How… how are you here? How is this possible?” Kara’s question cut through the polite exchange. Alura returned her attention to her daughter. “Your father created this shield that covered Argo and the Vale of Argon. It protected us, saved us. I never… I would never have sent you away if I thought it would have worked.” Unable to hold herself back, Kara embraced her mother once again. She mumbled something unintelligible into the older woman’s shoulder. Lena saw Alura react with a fond smile and a gentle stroke to Kara’s back. “I’m happy you’re alive too dear one.” Alura pulled away and turned to the men who accompanied her. “Leave us. Inform the Council that the Heir to the House of El has returned and they should expect us in the next session tomorrow.” The men saluted and left the glade followed by the Guardian droids, leaving the three women alone in front of the low building. “Jeju,” Kara used the strange word she had heard earlier and Lena wondered why the device Kara had given her wasn’t translating it. She shoved the trivial thought to the back of her mind, listening intently to Kara explaining to her mother why they were here on Argo.
In reply, Alura gave the black rock a name: Harun El. She signalled for them to follow her into the building, where they descended into a dim chamber that held a huge sample of the exact substance they had come for. Alura reached out and placed a hand on the bottom part of the rock, causing a pulsing purple glow. Lena noted that touching the rock did not seem to affect Alura the way that Kara had seemed to have been affected back on earth when she touched the statue of Yuda Kal. “The Harun El powers our shield. It powers all our technology, enables us to maintain gravity and a liveable atmosphere. It’s what keeps us alive. We mined every last ounce from the only known source. We have none to spare Kara, I’m so sorry.” It was Lena who answered. “We need only a small amount. It seems more than what the people of Krypton owe for creating this ‘Worldkiller’ and setting it loose on the galaxy.”
“I hear you, friend of my daughter. If it were up to me… I have never been able to say no to Kara.” Lena smiled to herself as the other woman paused and looked at Kara with such fondness it hurt to see. This at least was something she and Alura shared. The brunette continued. “I would give this whole world to make you happy dear one, I would give anything to help you defeat this creature. I agree with Lena here that Krypton has many sins to atone for and if with just a small amount of Harun El we could do so, I would give it to you in a heartbeat. But it is not mine to give. Argo is ruled by a council of Thirteen, the Nine Elders of the Great Houses and four elected representatives. It is for the council to decide.” Kara balled her fists. “Okay, I’ve spoken to world leaders before. Thirteen councillors shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. Let’s go.” Alura’s hand landed on Kara’s arm, a calming restraint to the blonde’s fire. “Tomorrow. And don’t roll your eyes Kara, it is far from attractive. You cannot bluntly force your way into the chamber once a session has begun. Not even though you are of the House of El. Even we must abide by the rules.” Kara bowed her head and mumbled an apology.
Alura led the two visitors back up the steps and out into the garden that housed the Harun El chamber. The three women paused, soaking up the red dwarf’s light. Lena noted with interest Alura’s gaze on Kara; every twitch of her eyes drinking in the vision of her daughter seeming to have returned from death. Realising she was the subject of Lena’s scrutiny, the older woman turned her attention to the Luthor and gave a smile. “Can you blame me, friend of my daughter for drinking in every movement, every way she has grown, every nuance of strength?” Lena blushed. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t judging.”
“Nothing to apologise for. You look out for her. I appreciate this more than anyone.” She looked at Kara, who grinned at both of them, unable to hide her joy. “Now, the two of you must be hungry and tired. Come, let me take you to my home and we shall eat and you may rest. And I would like, perhaps, to be reacquainted with my dearest daughter.”
XXXXX
It wasn’t to her old home that Kara’s mother took them. Alura explained that most of the original buildings in Argo had been greatly damaged, despite the shield’s protection. Houses, schools, libraries; all had been damaged. Some could be salvaged as is, most had to be demolished and rebuilt. The building that had been the home to the Science guild had been the only one of the great edifices of Argo to have survived. The Hall of Judgement, the College of War, the Great Academy of Art and Music – all had been victims of the great cataclysm. They had been rebuilt on smaller scales, some more reduced than others. At the centre of the city, where once had soared the great tower of Rao, there was now the green expanse of a park with a great round dais where all the citizens gathered on high days. Close by there was the new Hall of Wisdom, behind which was the Council Chamber that housed the gatherings of the ruling council. It was here that Kara would present her case the next day.
In this central district, Alura brought Kara and Lena to a modest house nestled in an area of gardens and other similar homes. As Alura showed them around her home, a tour that did not take too long as it was not much bigger than Kara’s own National City apartment, the blonde could not keep her eyes off her mother. She felt as if she looked away for a moment, it would all prove to be a dream; that Alura’s miraculous presence would prove ephemeral and at the blink of her eyes the older Kryptonian would prove to be just a figment; like smoke disappearing through her fingers.
Kara’s life had been loss piled upon loss. A further loss of Alura in these circumstances… Kara was unsure if even her heart built on hope would recover. What helped her slowly accept the truth of her mother’s miraculous survival and their reunion was Lena’s reassuring presence. As Alura showed them the guest room and drew them both through the house, as she prepared a meal with Lena’s help and the three of them ate the meal together – through all this, Lena talking to Alura, Lena smiling shyly at the other woman’s questions about their friendship and Lena offering the help in the kitchen; it helped cement the reality of it all in Kara’s mind. That Lena was experiencing her mother’s presence as much as she was; it made it real. And eased her fears as they all talked through the afternoon.
There came a time as evening made its presence felt when Lena stood quietly and excused herself. Kara made to follow but Lena touched a hand gently to Kara’s and shook her head. “You need some time with just you and your mom. Let her get to know you again. Get to know her.” Kara gulped, grateful for Lena’s instincts and nodded. “Will you be okay on your own?” Lena gave a small laugh. “Of course. I’m sure that as soon as I relax, I’ll probably drop off to sleep. And if I don’t I have a notebook and a book to read.” Of course, Kara thought it was so typically Lena to carry a book with her everywhere, and it was exactly the kind of thing that had Kara falling for the other woman. Kara conceded and watched Lena leave for the guest room Alura had prepared. She turned back to look at the older woman and was once more struck by the enormity that her mother was alive. She was here. She could touch her and be touched by her. So she sat by Alura and they reconnected.
XXXXX
After talking long into the night with her mother Kara eventually crept into the guest room. There had been some difficult words between her and Alura. Both carried years of trauma, especially Kara, and there was some anger on the blonde’s part that needed to come out. In addition, there had been the painful story of her aunt Astra that she had needed to tell. Alura had cried at the second loss of her twin. But she also took comfort in Astra’s reconciliation with Kara at the end. And after everything was said and done, Kara and her mother embraced, forgave and spoke gentle words until Kara’s eyes began to droop.
She closed the door of the bedroom quietly so that she wouldn’t wake Lena. Creeping across the room to the empty bed where Alura had lain some Kryptonian nightclothes for her, she sat on the end and took a deep breath. Silence was easy to find here where she didn’t have her powers. Out of habit she pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes to achieve complete darkness. The dull ache as she pressed hard against her face was a sort of comfort that helped her focus as she decompressed after the tumultuous events of the day. Thus cut off from all sight and sound, when a cool hand brushed her shoulder she jumped up off the bed like a startled deer.
“Geez Lena! I thought you were asleep. You almost gave me a heart attack!” A slight blush spread across Lena’s face and the CEO bowed her head sheepishly. “I’m so sorry Kara. I just… you looked like you could do with… I just wanted to check whether you were alright.”
“It’s fine Lena. I do appreciate the thought. If not your ninja like quietness.” She added that last with a fond smile and sat back down on the bed. “I suppose everything seems ‘ninja-like’ without your super-hearing,” Lena said with a wry smile. Kara huffed an ironic laugh. “Yeah, I guess I’ve relied on my powers for so much more than being Supergirl. I don’t think I truly realised what an integral part of me they are. I think I always kind of resented my super-hearing more than any of my other powers, but…” She paused, glancing down at their now entwined fingers. “I think… I mean, surely there’s a balance to be found between being overwhelmed by a cacophony of sound and this feeling of emptiness because I can’t hear your heartbeat.”
“Kara…”
“Sorry. That was too much wasn’t it.”
“Kara, no.” Kara felt Lena’s fingers on her jaw as the Luthor gently tipped her face back up so that their eyes met. “It’s probably the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.” It was Kara’s turn to blush and she pulled away from Lena’s grip. Before the silence could engulf them, Lena spoke again. “Can we talk about it?” Kara darted her eyes around the room but then forced herself to meet Lena’s gaze. Ocean blue and pale green locked together and Lena smiled in encouragement. Kara nodded, adding “We probably should.”
“You said… well, you implied that you were in love with me.”
“And you kissed me.”
“You kissed me back.”
Kara chuckled. This was how it should be between them. To and fro, with no fear, no lies. Thinking back to what she had said on the ship she bent her head again. “I’m sorry.”
“Not for telling me you love me I hope. Or kissing me.”
“No! I could never be sorry for that kiss. I just… It wasn’t how I wanted to tell you. Just blurting it out like that. By accident? You’re worth more than that.” Lena’s hand came to her face again. Gentle, soft, cool; her fingers tentative but firm in directing Kara’s gaze back to her own. “Then tell me. Tell me in the way you would have wanted.” Her voice was soft and reached directly into Kara’s chest. All the blonde wanted to do was to pull her close and kiss her; to pour out all her feelings through touch, in action. But Lena deserved more, deserved everything. So she closed her eyes, picturing the scene she wanted to paint with words. Then she opened her eyes again and began to tell Lena.
“I would ask you to dinner. Get you to clear a whole day. I’d fly you to a small town on the shores of Lake Garda.”
“In Italy?!” Lena interrupted. Kara nodded, a sweet smile spreading across her face. “There’s this little family restaurant, part of a bed and breakfast. Gio and Laura. You’d really like them. They’re ski instructors in the winter and… well anyway, I promise you it’s one of the best restaurants in the world. We’d eat and drink and talk about everything and nothing. And you’d order their Crème Brulé while laughing that an Italian place should be serving Panna Cotta. But then you’d agree that it was the best thing you’d ever put in your mouth.”
“The best thing?” Lena’s voice was low and smoky and she raised her eyebrow in the exact way that made Kara turn beetroot. “Lena…” Kara whined. The dark-haired woman only laughed and squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I couldn’t resist. Do carry on darling.”
“Yes. Well. We’d finish and you for once would let me pay and we’d go for a walk around the town. I get to hold your hand and your smile makes everyone we see smile back. We’d find the Crazy Golf and you would probably win because I just can’t make the banking shot on the Windmill hole. We would swing past the Gelateria on our way down to the harbour and eat pistachio ice cream while we wait for the boat. I might have been brave enough to put an arm around your waist as we stepped up the gangway onto the boat. There’s this halfway point in the middle of the lake where the captain pulls the boat to a stop and I would draw you to a quiet railing away from everyone and we could look into a star crowded sky. I would show you where, from earth’s perspective, Rao still shines; where Krypton still twinkles in the far reaches just off Orion’s shoulder. That’s when I would do it. I would tell you I love you. That I’m in love with you; falling in love. Lena, you’re the most beautiful person I’ve met on every planet I’ve been to. And not just on the outside. Every part of you is beautiful, I’m in love with all of you Lena Luthor. Your kindness, your humour, your devotion. Your commitment to fairness and making the world a better place. Your passion and stubbornness, your fierce intellect and absolute competence at everything you turn your hand to. It’s the way I feel safe and whole and… at home wherever you are. And I will love and cherish and adore you until the day I die. Which, barring Kryptonite or perhaps magic is likely to be a very long time.”
Tears glistened in both women’s eyes as Kara’s confession drew to an end. The picture of the day she would tell Lena everything had lived inside her for so long and now she felt a sense of completeness within herself. It all felt so right. She pressed her forehead to Lena’s and took a deep breath before pulling away looking for Lena’s response. The smile was all she needed to know there was nothing to fear.
“That sounds like a perfect first date darling.” Kara’s heart skipped. “First?” Lena nodded. “When I take you on our second, I have a lot to live up to.” Kara’s smile grew so wide she could feel her face ache. “So you…”
“Yes you wonderful oblivious idiot. I’m falling for you too. I like you, like an insane amount. And I think I could really fall in love with you. And I… Look before we take this any further I have to say this…”
“You’re still angry with me.”
“No. Kara no. I was angry. Because I was very hurt. I thought... I thought you didn’t trust me. That you were all laughing behind my back, making a fool of me.” She paused, as if to give Kara an opportunity to interrupt. But the Kryptonian kept quiet, her attention focused on Lena, allowing her the space to have her say. Naturally, Lena loved her for it. She shifted as she sat, making herself more comfortable and continued.
“Intellectually I get it. I do understand. It would have been crazy if you’d told me when we first met. Of course people don’t go around just telling people they hardly know all their deeply held secrets. And then you were protecting me and then you legally couldn’t. But I know you.” She paused for emphasis. Her eyes boring into Kara’s, the hint of blue more obvious even in the dark of night. “I know you,” she said again and Kara nodded. “Maybe even more than Alex. So I know that a part of it was selfish. I gave you a safe place away from Supergirl, away from responsibility, away from the demands of others. You used me as an escape, a safe room.”
“You’re right. I’m so sorry. That was…I took advantage of you. Never again.”
“But that’s the thing Kara. I would gladly have given you all that, do all that for you if you had just asked. If you had given me the choice.”
“You have the choice now. I promise. No more secrets. I’m sharing everything. The DEO, Supergirl… Krypton.”
“That’s all I ask. To be given the choice to share in those things or not to be part of them.” She laid her hand atop Kara’s the root of her hurt now bared between them. “It was… it was the thing the Luthors took from me. The right to choose. I was pushed and goaded and manipulated into the mould they wanted, into the Luthor that they needed.”
“I’m so sorry Lena.”
“I forgive you. You know what that means for me to say? You know what it means for a Luthor to forgive?”
“I do”. And Kara did know. She knew the Luthors and people like them all too well. Her uncle Non had been that kind of person. Cold. Hard. Unrelenting. And unforgiving. “I do,” she said again, her voice a whisper in the darkness of the night. “Can you forgive me too?” Kara’s eyes widened at Lena’s question. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
“The way I reacted. Or more accurately, over-reacted. I wasn’t entirely fair to you.”
“Oh Lena, it’s totally…” Lena didn’t let her finish. “Do you forgive me?” And Kara saw it then, heard it in the way Lena’s voice cracked, felt it in the tremble of the brunette’s fingers. Lena was gifting her own vulnerability to her. She was opening herself completely and throwing herself on Kara’s love. In doing so, she was turning her back on everything within her that was Luthor. “Yes, I forgive you.”
“I love you Kara Danvers…Oh wait, what’s your Kryptonian name? I heard your mom call you Kara.” The blonde gave her a soft smile. “Yeah, my birth name is Kara. Kara Zor el.”
“I love you Kara Zor El Danvers.”
And then they were kissing. Kara wasn’t sure which of them moved first. One moment she was looking into Lena’s teary eyes, the next their lips were touching and Lena’s hand was caressing her face. It was different than the kiss on the ship. More urgent, insistent, passionate. It was Lena who opened her mouth, inviting Kara to explore. The Kryptonian responded immediately; testing, probing gently. The sound Lena made when their tongues touched released something deep within Kara. She rested her hands firmly on Lena’s waist and pulled the brunette onto her lap. It came as a great delight to the Kryptonian exactly how pliable Lena became under her hands. They squeezed at Lena’s waist and wandered down to her thighs, then back up to her arse. Lena’s hips bucked forward at Kara’s sensual touch. At this Kara’s eyes flew open and she cut off the kiss, pulling away from Lena but only slightly, her breath coming out in short pants. Lena had only understanding in her eyes. “Too much?” Kara nodded. “Sorry,” she said. “Even without my powers I seem to have got a bit… overwhelmed.” Lena chuckled affectionately. “It seems your hyper-sensitivity isn’t only down to a yellow sun. Nice to know.”
“I’m sorry,” Kara said again. Lena shook her head and kissed her playfully on the nose. “There’s nothing to be sorry for darling. I had no expectations for tonight other than clearing the air.” Kara blushed and bowed her head, lifting her hand to push non-existent glasses up her face out of habit. “I do want you, you know,” she said slowly. “I mean, I’m insanely attracted to you. And falling more in love with you every day. It’s just, with everything.” Lena placed her finger on Kara’s lips. “Normally I find your rambling utterly adorable… but for future reference, when denying me an orgasm just leave it at an ‘I’m sorry’.” Kara’s mouth dropped open. “Org… orgasm?” Lena smirked and lifted her leg to dismount from Kara’s lap, rolling away. “You’re too easy.” Kara gave an annoyed huff but still felt a warmth at Lena’s feeling comfortable enough to tease her about sex. As Lena started to get up off the bed to return to her own, Kara reached out and circled her wrist with her long fingers.
“It’s no ‘orgasm’ but can we… Would you stay with me? Just to sleep. I want… I want to sleep with you in my arms tonight. Is that okay?” She saw a moment’s hesitation in Lena’s eyes. But then with a softening of her jaw Lena smiled again. “I think I would like that.” Shifting fully off the bed, Lena turned away to give Kara the privacy to get changed. Then, once the Kryptonian had settled into the bed, she held her arm out in welcome and Lena folded herself into the embrace. Kara lay on her back, one arm underneath Lena and the other resting on her waist. She gave the other woman a chaste kiss on the cheek and settled herself into the soft mattress. Before slumber could completely take hold, she shuffled more onto her side, tucking Lena closer. She whispered into the dark of the night, her lips almost touching Lena’s cheek. “Sleep well Lena.” A satisfied hum was all the response Lena gave as she snuggled deeper into Kara’s arms. The warmth that settled in Kara’s chest was more than just the physical presence of Lena’s head resting there. It was assurance, it was attraction, it was affection. Most of all it was the feeling of Home.