Chapter Text
Kara found her first day back at the D.E.O. as exhilarating as she found it surreal. The reconstruction utilized the original’s blueprints, but featured several welcome differences. Primarily, she noted, a distinct lack of lead-lined rooms meant to hide things (radioactive green things, usually) from her. They weren’t worried about dealing with rogue Kryptonians, J’onn explained - that task now belonged specifically to Kara. The armories once again carried non-lethal weapons, something J’onn adamantly demanded. On top of that, before returning to the future, Winn re-tooled his force-field belt prototypes to increase their durability. Even the faces were familiar - Kara ran into multiple former agents who resigned under Lt. Colonel Haley, only now flocking back under the new management.
Even in the maelstrom of new information, Kara had a separate set of sensations overloading her mind. In just a few more hours, her long-awaited date with Lena would be here. A moment’s wandering thoughts landed her in a thrilling turbulence of fear and excitement, and it occupied her entire subconscious while greeting agents new and old.
Several hugs (including an extra tight one from Vasquez) and handshakes later, Kara navigated back to the conference room, already occupied by J’onn, Alex, and Brainy. None of them, Kara noted, wore D.E.O. standard uniforms, but instead opted for their personal suits. Kara felt slightly out of place at that moment, still sporting the soft pink cardigan she’d worn to CatCo this morning.
“It’s like walking around a daydream,” Kara mused, plopping down into a rolling chair. J’onn shook his head.
“As though nothing has changed, but of course - everything has.” He leaned his forearm against the glass wall overlooking the main floor, peering out. “Carte blanche means it’s ours to shape as we see fit. No more government interference.” Alex leaned back in her seat, tapping her fingertips against one another..
“It also means we should probably have one of us here at all times, doesn’t it?” she murmured, looking pointedly at Brainy. As Kara and J’onn followed suit, he sensed the eyes on him and arched an eyebrow.
“Even if I desired to resume my role as Director, I am not capable of being on premises as often as required.” He folded his arms across his chest. “While it is true that I will not be merging into the Coluan Hivemind, it is still in need of repair. I have formulated several contingencies, most of which demand my intermittent presence in the 31st century.” Kara straightened up in her chair.
“Are any of those solutions permanent?”
“Not as of yet, but I will have a better understanding after my next trip to the future. Regardless, perhaps it is best to reinstate Director Danvers to her former role.” Alex sat up, shaking her head vigorously.
“I won’t lie, there are parts of me that want to be in command again. But I don’t think I’ve got the same bandwidth I used to.” She held up her palms, looking between J’onn and Kara. “I just got married! I have Esme to look after, I’m finally comfortable as Sentinel - I don’t think I can add running an entire organization to my plate right now.” Resting her arms on the table, Alex shot J’onn a pointed look. J’onn pulled back from the wall, placing his hands on his hips.
“I am…in a similar position.” This time, as the shadow crossed J’onn’s face, Kara recognized it unequivocally. “My life has expanded far beyond the walls of the D.E.O., and I do not wish to confine it in such a way again.” A mischievous smile creeping out her lips, Kara shrugged.
“Well, I know you aren’t asking me to take over this place…”
“Absolutely not,” the other three responded in unison.
“And I’m going to try my best to not be offended,” Kara chuckled, “but I guess that means we need to get an outside hire?” Brainy moved over to the head of the table, sliding his finger along the glass. As he did, the table lit up with images and projections. He quickly scrolled through, and Kara recognized several of the images as dossiers.
“A computer table?! ” Kara gasped, excitedly squeaking. Brainy smiled, flicking his wrist and sending the images into the air above the table.
“I have already compiled a list of possible candidates, cross-referencing them by leadership history, experience with the extra-normal, and prioritizing positive instances of prior collaboration with us.” He rotated his index finger, and the images sorted themselves into two rows of three file folders.
“That’s not a lot of options,” Alex said, concern thick in her voice. Brainy offered a wry grin as he flicked his wrist again, and the holograms faded into nothingness.
“There are not many who meet the necessary requirements and also can be trusted to stand by our ideals.” Kara flicked her eyes back to J’onn, who nodded in confirmation.
“It’s imperative the Director not run the D.E.O. contrary to the beliefs we stand for.” He folded his arms across his chest, face wrinkled in thought. “That said - for our security, we’ll need to keep access to the Tower to a minimum; I don’t want any record of its location on the books here, and this new director should be kept ignorant of its location as well.” Alex shrugged, standing up.
“Sounds good to me,” she said, stretching. “But until then, we’ve got reports of an alien attack on a military installation in the desert to investigate. Briefing downstairs in ten minutes?” Brainy shook his head.
“I must adjourn to the Tower at once; I will need to begin testing my repair hypotheses for the Big Brain.” He turned on his heels, and began walking toward the door. He stopped on a dime, however, and rotated back to face Kara, one hand extended.
“Oh, one more thing - I’ll need your glasses.” Kara stared at him, nonplussed.
“My…my glasses?”
“Yes, I will need to recover the Microscopic Motion Activator. Since you no longer use your glasses, I will need to remake the trigger mechanism for its deployment. No worries, reprogramming is a much easier task than creating it from scratch.” Kara swallowed nervously, pulling at the collar of her shirt.
“I, uh…” she stammered nervously, suddenly realizing the enormity of her mistake. “I may have…left them behind…at the wedding. On a barrel, outside.” Brainy stood stock still, but Kara could see thousands of gears turning inside his head.
“You…left behind a multi-million dollar piece of technology that constituted your superhero uniform, another multi-million dollar piece of equipment at an upstate ceremony venue?”
“On a barrel,” Kara offered meekly.
“Outside?” J’onn asked, incredulously. Alex covered her face with one of her hands.
“How has this not come up before now?” she asked, an exasperated look on her face.
“There was a major lull in crime after the All-Stone nearly destroyed the world,” Kara said, sheepishly gazing at the table. “I haven’t needed to go out in my suit since before the wedding.” Brainy took a sharp, uneven breath.
“Well! It’s a good thing your identity is already out in the open,” he snapped, slapping his palms against his legs. “Otherwise someone just picking up a pair of spectacles whilst cleaning up a wedding would have discovered it!”
“Brainy, I am so sorry,” Kara began, but Brainy shot one hand up in a gesture of silence.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, ” he muttered tersely. “The good news is, I can track down the original via its nano-technical operation frequencies, but in the meantime - you’ll be without your suit. Not that’s necessary for stopping firefights, but I suspect you’ll want to preserve the rest of your wardrobe from harm.”
“I think I still have my old one, even though the cape is ruined. I could-” Kara faltered under Brainy’s withering glare. “I…uh, Thank you, Brainy,” she offered from her seat, and Brainy simply nodded stoically and left the room. Alex followed him out, squeezing Kara’s shoulder and chuckling softly as she passed her. J’onn made to follow suit, but Kara reached up and gently grabbed his forearm.
“J’onn, wait a sec,” she implored softly. J’onn, sporting a bemused look, stopped in his tracks. “There’s been a few times since the wedding that I’ve…well, I’ve thought you looked like something is bothering you.” She caught him tense up, but gently continued. “You know if there’s something wrong, you can tell me, right?” J’onn held his stance for a moment, inhaling deeply. His eyebrows knit in a way Kara had seen countless times by now; whenever J’onn came against uncertain outcomes, his eyes would search the air the same way they were dancing about now. He let his breath out, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Kara at the table.
“At the wedding, I…Winn dropped a bit of foresight from his time in the 31st century on me. Ever since, I’ve been struggling with that knowledge.” Kara straightened, her hackles raised in concern.
“Are you alright? Is something bad-” J’onn held up his hand, chuckling ruefully.
“No, nothing terrible is happening,” he shook his head, pausing again as he appeared to collect the right words. “Quite the opposite, actually. It’s that…well, M’gann and I, we’re…we’re going to have a child.” The wave of relief that washed over Kara was quickly followed by a sudsy tide of elation, and she clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle her squeal.
“Oh, my! J’onn, congratulations!” His smile was honest, Kara noted, but it had the same rueful weight as his previous laugh. She quickly reeled in her emotions, recognizing something deeper. “That…that is a good thing, isn’t it?” J’onn knit his fingers together in front of him, the muted smile clinging to his face.
“No, it is, and I am happy. But I am also deeply nervous. Remember, even though M’gann chose the shape of a Green Martian, she is, genetically speaking, a White Martian.” J’onn sighed, concern etched into his features. “Since they first came to the surface of Mars, there has never been a union of a White Martian to a Green Martian; our unique relationship is the cornerstone of the alliance that has formulated the resistance against the genocide. But, M’gann and I…we’re afraid, Kara. Besides the fact that our child is the first hybrid of our races, M’gann’s blood has been altered into a bio-weapon! We just don’t know what could happen.” Kara reached across the table, her hand resting over J’onn’s.
“I had no idea, J’onn.” She made firm her grip as she felt minute tremors shake from his hands into hers. “But, if Winn gave you this news from the future, doesn’t that mean it all turns out alright?” J’onn shook his head slightly.
“Kara, you know as well as I do the future exists in a state of constant fluctuation - from this century, we undid the future Blight, and protected Winn’s name to keep his future family together. What was true when Winn last left the future won’t necessarily always be true.” He paused for a moment, taking a steadying breath. “I suppose it does at least prove there is a chance that everything will work out fine.” Kara tilted her head, a slight smile playing across her lips.
“And here I thought you were afraid you weren’t going to be able to handle another daughter.” J’onn let out a hearty cackle.
“H’ronmeer be merciful, you and Alex certainly tested me enough! But, if Winn’s to be believed, we’re having a son.” Kara got up from her seat, stepping behind J’onn’s chair to wrap her friend in a tight hug.
“He’s going to have the best father in the universe,” Kara muttered, her cheek pressing into J’onn’s shoulder blade. Another soft chuckle came from the Martian.
“A tall order, but I’ll give it my best,” J’onn replied.
***
“Last week, a facility out in the desert was attacked by an unknown alien assailant,” Alex said as she flicked her wrist, sending holographic images from the tablet she held into the air above the command center table. The images spun around, displayed by the nano-projector, aligning themselves in a perfect grid. Pinching her fingers together, Alex gave another turn of her hand and then flung her fingers apart, expanding the two-dimensional picture into a three-dimensional rendering. The image clarified into a tableau of a mesa in the desert, split down the middle by years of erosion, figures scattered about the landscape and flashes of light frozen in the still frame. Kara caught Nia’s eyes from across the table, who immediately mouthed Freaking cool . Kara barely suppressed a giggle as Alex continued.
“This creature appeared out of thin air on top of the only entry path to the base, the security footage catching a ball of orange light when it arrived.” She swiped two of her fingers across the air, and the image moved toward a hulking humanoid, taller than the others, with spots of bright orange light where its eyes should be. Several other spots of light appeared in a line from the nape of its neck to its forehead, in a perfect line. In the still frame captured, its arms were folded behind its back, and it appeared to be avoiding the gunfire that surrounded it. “Security engaged with it immediately upon detection. While it did not directly attack any of them, the movements of the creature aligned the soldiers in a manner that caused friendly fire. One soldier fired a rocket at the creature that somehow hit this mesa rock instead, sending shattered boulders down and crushing their ATV somehow.”
“Somehow?” J’onn asked. “They couldn't determine what the creature did?” Alex shook her head, swiping her fingers again, and the projected image blurred in response. The images began moving, showing a missile traveling through the air toward the hulking orange shape. Alex tapped her fingers onto a spot in the air, and the images shifted frame to frame. At the moment the missile should have impacted the creature, an explosion appeared instead on the mesa rock above. Kara’s face wrinkled in confusion, Alex cycling the two frames around the detonation to no avail.
“How did that happen? It’s like the point of impact completely changed.” Alex again pinched her fingers together, expanding them outward as the image closed in on the creature.
“According to all reports, it never even unfolded it’s arms. No one caught it moving, either - it wasn’t just fast, it simply disappeared and reappeared at will. Almost like-”
“Like magic, ” Kara groaned, leaning on the table’s edge. “Why did it have to be magic?” Fresh memories of Nyxly surged through Kara’s head, whose peak potential made Kara’s immense power as useful as snail shoes. Nia cocked an eyebrow, studying the brutish creature.
“Does that mean this guy’s from the fifth dimension, too? Sure looks different than the others.” In reply, J’onn simply shrugged.
“We shouldn’t rule out the possibility, but there are more creatures in this universe who can wield magic like this besides the imps. We can run through our database of known magic users and cross-reference with this one’s species to find an answer.”
“That’s part of the problem,” Alex chimed in. “We don’t have any record of this species on Earth before.” She waved both her hands through the air, and the image of the desert battle cleared, with images of several alien species popping up in its place.
“We’ve covered Ardenans, Dyrlians, Rolvacians, Tamaraneans, Tynolans, Vulxans, and Xudarians,” she continued, each respective species filling the projected space as she listed them. “With the extra eyes, we even checked against Kalanorians, since we know Barry just dealt with one in Central City.” An image of a red-skinned, hulking figure sporting a third eye and a dorsal fin appeared. “But that’s a dead end too.” J’onn frowned.
“Let’s expand our search parameters, see what we can find. In the meantime, Kara and I will head out to the attack site; maybe we can discern more information at the scene.” Kara straightened up from the table.
“Uh, about that,” she began. Nia’s giggle cut through before she could finish.
“J’onn, she’s got somewhere very important to be tonight, remember?” A puzzled look came over J’onn’s face, shifting quickly to a soft chuckle as he realized. Kara felt her cheeks flush as the torrent of worries and anticipation began to froth again.
“It’s okay, Lena and I can resched-”
“Absolutely not!” Nia, J’onn, and Alex chorused for the second time that day. Kara stopped, her eyes widening in surprise. Alex strode around the console until she could wrap an arm around her sister’s shoulders.
“Kara, we’ve got this handled,” Alex said, smiling. “Besides, I think you two have done enough waiting.” Kara ran her palm against the side of her face bashfully, mouthing a quick “thank you” to her sister. She looked back at J’onn, who nodded reassuringly.
“I’ll see if I can’t pick up any psychic residue that would clue us in on this alien’s intentions,” he stated simply. “I’ll be fine without you there - go enjoy yourself. You’ve earned it.” Kara turned jauntily on her heel, already power walking toward the balcony opening.
“Promise you’ll call me if you need help!” Without waiting for a response, she rocketed off the landing, her chaotic background thoughts slowly solidifying into her preparations for the evening.
****
“Run simulation,” Brainy muttered, softly tapping his fingertips together. A quiet series of chirps sang quickly, then concluded on a harsh buzz. The words REPAIR: FAILURE ran across the screen before his eyes. Releasing an aggravated sigh, his fingers flew across the keyboard before him, tweaking variables he judged to be responsible.
“Run again,” he jabbed, and was rewarded with another series of tones finishing with that infuriating sound he’d associated with failure. The image of a smirking Nia, bouquet in hand as she glowed radiantly flashed in his mind, an image of what he stood to lose.
“Again!” he growled, gritted teeth sending a zing through his jaw. Beeps. Buzz. FAILURE.
Scowling, Brainy slammed his hand against the desk, quickly shooting out of his chair and pacing away from the screens. The Tower was empty, save for him, so there was no one to hear his frustrated outbursts. But it also meant there was no one to bounce ideas off of, and he needed a sounding board. Of course, there was always one option available to him, he knew. But he also knew he wasn’t likely to get help from them if he asked. Brainy rubbed his temples, pacing rapidly as he calculated the odds of making a breakthrough without outside assistance. Running those against the estimated amount of time he had left to complete the repair before irreparable damage occurred to the Hivemind, the hundreds of possibilities narrowed down to a whopping .098% chance of success. A resigned sigh escaping his lips, Brainy took a steadying breath. Eyes shut, he brought a hand up to his chest and let it hover over the glowing implant near his heart. Exhaling, he opened his eyes and delivered a sharp tap.
A protrusion of light erupted from the node, slowly coalescing into a humanoid figure in front of him. A perfect copy of himself, silver hair collected in a tight ponytail now stood in the wake of the light, arms crossed in a gesture of disappointment.
“I told you already,” the Brainiac-5 of another universe chided, “there is not a solution that will work. I’ve run thousands of calculations since you told me, and-“ Brainy waved a hand sharply in the air between them.
“Yes, yes, as have I! I’m not interested in what is possible or impossible at this moment, I need to operate under the assumption that it is a certainty.” Brainiac-5 frowned, eyes laden with concern.
“The assumption of success is a confounding variable that directly hinders precise calculation. You’re asking me to sacrifice accuracy for your emotional state.” Brainy turned away in annoyance, running his hands through his loose hair.
“No, you don’t understand – operating with the assumption of failure has narrowed the consideration of my options. We need to return to base facts only to have any success.” He let his shoulders slump, turning back to his doppelganger. “Will you help me, or not?” Brainiac-5 said nothing, merely offering a neutral stare. A tense moment passed, but he shrugged in acquiescence.
“Very well,” he muttered, taking a seat at the table in the center of the room. “Let’s return to the foundation.” Brainy clapped him on the shoulder, his grin taking over his face as he ran to the whiteboard.
“First, the facts!” He said, rolling the board to the table and uncapping a marker from the tray. “Number one, the AI Plague has damaged the Big Brain to a state of functional danger. First query - how is it damaged?”
“A collection of every living Coluan subconscious mind and all of its assimilated predecessors, the Plague caused internal communicative damage not dissimilar to the peeling of axon layers in nerve clusters of organic species. Vital functions cannot be properly completed due to packet transmission failure, leading to a slow decay until complete death across all combined consciousnesses.”
“So! Internal transmission failure, leading to decay.” Brainy jotted the information across the top of the whiteboard. “Number two - what are the reasons these internal sub-communications cannot be repaired?”
“As you are aware, the Plague’s damage is not reversible – most of these clusters have completely lost the ability to hold and transmit information, akin to cell death in organic structures. Repair is impossible when there is no foundation to build a restructure upon.”
“So, the damage is internal and catastrophic, and so it cannot be undone,” Brainy continued, scrawling quickly as he spoke. “Number three – there is one known possible solution to restore function, even if it does not restore the lost pathways.”
“A massive consciousness transfusion,” Brainiac-5 cut in, shaking his head. “But it must be on a titanic scale. Otherwise, it only serves to delay the inevitable.” Brainy spun around, pointing the marker at his compatriot.
“Aha! Now, that – the scale. Why are we certain of the necessity of the scale, and what is the estimated minimum value needed to achieve it?” Brainiac-5 frowned yet again, his stare now filled with concern.
“The solution we are addressing is akin to creating an entirely new hive mind from scratch, something you are very aware of. Creating a new singular collective consciousness would require the entire combined processing power of every living Coluan in the 31st century, essentially sacrificing an entire species for the rebirth of a new one.”
“Yes, yes – but we aren’t creating a new one; we’re supplementing a whole, albeit damaged, one. How much does that take?”
“It would take thousands of Coluans, possibly hundreds of thousands. Despite the elevated intellect of our species in the 31st Century, the number of new pathways that need to be forged precludes certainty on anything less than a singular equivalent intellect.”
“So, we agree that the issue we are confronting in finding alternate solutions is a combined intellect variable – a definitive integer!” Brainy wrote CI Value on the board, circling it before slapping the marker down triumphantly.
“The solution is calculating the value, and then finding solutions to meet-“ Brainiac-5 interrupted him by crashing his fist against the desk.
“You are suggesting drawing on a collective sacrifice of others to replace the assured solution you would provide? How could you be this-“ Brainy held up a hand in protest.
“I am suggesting no such thing! There is now a value we can operate on in pursuit of exigent solutions! There are ways to reach the value of this number by the combination of standard repair and creative engineering.”
“With what time?!” Brainiac-5 shouted, bolting from his chair. “There is no combination of known solutions that can achieve that before the decay is terminal! Querl, I am sympathetic to your plight, but you continue to gamble, and selfishly so, with the future of our people!” Brainy deflated, grimacing.
“I will not give up what I fight to protect – never again.” Blinking slowly in response, Brainiac-5 tutted in exasperation.
“I’m sorry, I wish there was another way.” He put his hands gently on Brainy’s shoulders, lowering his voice to a whisper. “But this is the burden you have the responsibility to bear.”
The weight of the world surged back over Brainy, threatening to drown him. Not like this, he thought, it cannot end like this! His eyes flicked back to his doppelganger, whose anger had faded back to sadness.
“I can do it,” Brainy whispered, “I just need time.” Brainiac-5 shook his head.
“You and I both know that value can only be achieved with the merging of a willing 12th level intellect, and there is but one such 12th level intellect in the universe.” As Brainiac-5 began reaching for the node that would return him back to the collective consciousness, a realization shocked Brainy like a lightning bolt. His hand shot up, catching Brainiac-5’s before it connected.
“That’s it,” he breathed, his chest swelling with hope. Brainiac-5’s eyebrow cocked quizzically. Brainy felt his cheeks rise, unable to contain his smile, a mad, impossible plan already forming in his mind.
“The repairs require a willing 12th level intellect – and I know exactly where I can find one.”
***
The ability to move fast enough to try out six outfits in less than five minutes should have offered her peace of mind, Kara reasoned. Unfortunately, that extra time filled immediately with anxiety over each one. Some part of her rational brain recognized the internal perfectionist taking over, unreasonably demanding every single moment of this night be unabashedly glorious.
Of course, logical thought doesn’t happen often before first dates.
This was not supposed to be the difficult part, Kara mused annoyedly, staring at her reflection as she rocked back and forth. She ran her hands over the smooth black fabric of the dress clinging to her. Kara used to love this one in particular, until her sojourn out with it while on Red Kryptonite had made it impossible for her to look at it without wincing. Flashes of a nightclub sparked before her eyes, the vivid and horrifying picture of James wincing as she nearly broke his arm under a haze of ego and jealousy. That was six years ago, she calmly thought, that was a different time, and that was not me. Nothing bad is going to happen if I wear this with Lena. She looked apprehensively at the dress in the mirror again, biting her lip.
“Nothing bad is going to happen,” she reiterated aloud, attempting to force herself to relax. She glanced back at her closet, eyes falling over a green satin number. Safer, she wagered, at least history-wise. Her inner turmoil built a quick fever pitch, and a rush of air tossed the nearby curtains askew as she ran for the dress on the hanger.
Another look couldn’t hurt.
***
Night fell by the time J’onn touched down atop the broken mesa, the scorch marks now days old and cool to the touch. Checking to make sure no soldiers kept watch, he knelt and closed his eyes, reaching out into the stone with his mind.
Immediately his thoughts were filled with screams, anguish, even the voices of the dead. The surge of painful echoes would have overwhelmed a lesser psychic, but 300 years of experience guarded J’onn against such backlash. He sifted through the red cries of the wounded unharmed, drifting gently past each wailing afterimage as he searched for traces of the attacker. Picturing the orange humanoid, he dove deeper into the surrounding sand and stone.
Despite his intense focus, J’onn still didn’t sense the creature’s lingering emotions until he drifted directly over top of them. Studying the cluster of psychic residue, he realized perceiving it at all presented a unique challenge. It was as though they both did and did not exist, nearly eluding detection by appearing absent. No creature I’ve ever met masks their emotional aura in this way, he mused, frowning. What are you trying to hide? Steeling himself for something unpleasant, J’onn extended his mind into the cloud.
Unpleasant turned out to be an understatement of the experience. The bizarre duality of the residue made the information so disfigured as to be nearly unintelligible. J’onn felt as though he were wading through a sink of jello, slogging through as it filled his ears, his eyes, his nose, his mouth. Every piece of information he tried to seize flitted about like confetti in a tornado, and each thought he heard sounded as soft as a whisper. He almost gave up his attempt when he noticed an intensely colored scrap dancing on the imaginary winds. It flickered like an ember amongst ashes, hot in the breeze. Sharpening his focus to a razor’s edge, he cut through the confounding sludge and took hold of the spark, demanding it answer him. Slippery as it was, the fragment of energy divulged its psychic secrets to the Martian.
A few moments later, as he opened his eyes in the desert, J’onn found himself profoundly wishing it had not. He launched himself into the air immediately, rocketing back to National City.
Few things in life could still disturb J’onn J'onzz, but what he just learned disturbed him to his core.
***
Kara paced nervously in the foyer of the restaurant. She’d eventually decided on the little black dress, despite the bad memories. No time like the present to make new ones, she’d told herself, and promptly ran out of her loft. She rocketed out at top speed, denying herself the temptation of changing to another outfit. Or course, in her haste, Kara failed to notice she was nearly half an hour early until she’d arrived at the restaurant. With no time to go back home, Kara resigned herself to pacing, only glancing away from the carpet to meekly smile at the maitre’d when he intermittently checked in.
Kara imagined the static from her constant shuffling generating a lightning storm, a perfect cacophony to match the swirling tempest of her thoughts. She imagined her worried ideas into storm clouds, illuminated by bright blue bolts of electricity shooting between them as fast as her mind created a link between them. So deep was she in this imaginary storm that a sudden, soft touch against the back of her upper arm nearly sent her rocketing through the roof.
Struggling to get her heart rate under control, she whirled around to find Lena’s mirthful face filling her view.
“Lost in thought?” Lena purred, gently squeezing Kara’s tricep. Heart thudding against her chest, Kara began to stammer slightly while struggling to dig her way out of her internal maelstrom. Her tongue lost all momentum, however, as she took in the spectacle of her date.
Lena’s hair cascaded freely around her shoulders, wavy mane shimmering in the soft light of the restaurant. Dark emerald silk satin loosely hung from her shoulders into a soft plunge, wrapping tightly about her hips as it draped to the floor. The pale skin of her leg slid out from a high slit, and Kara’s breath caught as she followed it down to the straps of a jet black spike heel at her foot. A silver solitaire necklace shined against her sternum, matching the dangling narrow teardrop earrings sparkling like icicles.
Kara flicked her eyes back up to Lena’s, basking in their warm light as she rediscovered her breath. The hurricane split apart, thick clouds bursting into wisps of air in her head. The crackling of lightning dissipated, the howling winds settling into a gentle breeze and stabilizing into a total calm.
“Wow,” she offered, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “You look…amazing.” Lena averted her eyes demurely, leaning in to swiftly press a peck against Kara’s cheekbone.
“You too,” she murmured, a rosy tinge playing about her cheeks. Her wits finally recovered, Kara offered one arm to Lena while gesturing toward the restaurant with the other.
“Shall we?” Kara felt one hand wrap around her bicep as the other rested atop her wrist.
“Absolutely,” Lena replied, and the two spritely trotted into the main hall.
***
“I’m just saying, give it some thought!” Kelly grunted, another blow slamming against her shield. Alex whirled on her toes, using the momentum to toss the thug she’d grabbed head first into the building’s metal wall. A resounding clang thundered from the impact, and Alex waited for it to quiet down before replying.
“I have given it thought,” she sighed, putting her hands on her hips. “And I’d much rather spend that time with you and Esme.” She watched as Kelly maneuvered the shield, taking the momentum of the next strike of the baseball bat and throwing it out to the side. The burglar’s eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled forward, only to have them roll back as Kelly wheeled back into him with her free arm. He let out a grunt as he careened backward, thudding motionless against the pavement.
“But it was your dream job! You worked for years to get to that point. You left so you wouldn't have to work for Lex, not because you didn’t love it.” Alex hung her head, shaking it softly.
“That was then! This is now - our lives are so different.” She swiftly ducked as she spoke, hearing the scraping of metal behind her. She felt the rush of air as something passed over her head, turning back to see the thug she’d laid out a moment ago dazedly wielding a sewer lid.
“Do you mind?” She snarled, throwing a push kick at his chest. Attempting to utilize it as a shield, the thug put the lid up between them to catch the kick. In the face of Alex’s frustration, his resistance held up like a wet paper bag, his grip unable to withstand the force of the kick and sent the lid directly into his chest. With a visceral oof as the air shot out of his lungs, he collapsed against the street, gasping and coughing. Alex felt Kelly’s hand rest on her shoulder.
“I just don’t want you to feel like we’re holding you back from doing what you want,” she said. Alex put a hand up to Kelly’s cheek.
“Babe, I know exactly what I want, and what I want is to spend that time with my family.” She leaned in and kissed her gently, her nose bumping into the cold metal of the mask. Kelly chuckled.
“Worst part about the outfit,” she muttered, “Not as glamorous as Spider-man makes it seem.” Alex arched her eyebrows.
“Now you know why I went for the face paint.”
“There is absolutely zero chance you designed that part of your outfit with the thought of kissing in mind.”
“”I’ll bet you $20; I can show you the emails I sent Brainy.” Kelly playfully thudded her hand against Alex’s collarbone.
“You’re on,” she said, turning back to the unconscious crook on the ground. “Now, what exactly do you think these two were up to, trying to break into this warehouse?” Alex shrugged.
“Easy score? We are nearing city limits, so police response times are longest out here.” Kelly peered up at the warehouse, eyeballing the structure carefully.
“Don’t see any windows up there. I’m going to take a lap around the perimeter, see if I can find anything. Keep an eye on these two clowns for me?”
“Hurry back before I get bored,” Alex quipped easily. “I might draw sharpie mustaches on their faces.” Kelly’s chuckle echoed into the dark as she jogged away, leaving Alex alone with the still figures at her feet.
***
Don’t freak out, Kara. Just…don’t freak out. The calm inside her mind was dangerously close to fracturing again under the warm sensation of Lena’s palm gently cupping her bicep. A familiar buzzing filled her ears while the maitre’d led them through to the dining hall. Even in her feverish state, Kara couldn’t help but notice the heads turning towards them. At first, she figured Lena’s visage enraptured them as it had snared Kara. After a moment, Kara realized it was more than that - she didn’t have the wherewithal to piece together the conversations bubbling up at each table they passed, but the looks on all their faces could be best described as starstruck.
“It’s not often people dine in the same room as the Girl of Steel,” Lena murmured, the ghost of a laugh in her voice.
“Or the Light of the Luthors,” Kara teased back. She didn’t mean to be listening in, but she did smile a little as she heard the flutter in Lena’s heartbeat.
“I…Is that what they call me these days?”
“Just me. But, I do run a media corporation - I could have it copyrighted and printed on every magazine front page tomorrow morning.” Kara felt another squeeze on her bicep.
“Mmm…a girl could get used to that,” Lena hummed as the maitre’d finally stopped at a table by a bay window. A single candle in a stained glass votive decorated the table, with a small floral wreath surrounding it. Lena untangled herself from Kara, pausing only to bring her face up near Kara’s ear.
“But I think I like it better coming from your lips,” Lena whispered cheekily, sitting as she finished her earlier thought. Classic Lena, Kara thought as she sat down. She just can’t stand not having the upper hand. She quickly stole another look at her date, smiling as she watched Lena’s brilliant eyes eagerly scan the wine list.
A girl could get used to this, too, Kara mused cheerily.
****
Though she seriously considered turning the Hand of the Soldier into a sharpie, Alex found herself more engaged with the mystery of the large warehouse. Checking to make sure the thugs weren’t going anywhere, she approached the double doors of the building, lifting up the chain and padlock around the handles. The lock was simple in appearance, but she couldn’t find any opening for a keyhole, or any dials for a combination. There was a soft electric glow from a strip at the base, pulsing a muted blue light that reflected a silvery glow against the black metal of the lock and chain. Why is that shine familiar? Alex pondered, tilting her head to the side. On a hunch, she held out her palm, focusing on the form of a photon laser. The Hand of the Soldier responded, the nanites coalescing into a small metal tube with a red glowing dot at one end. Spinning it in her palm, Alex aligned the dot against the chain and pressed a small button on the side. A brilliant beam shot from the dot, sizzling against the chain with a spray of sparks. Releasing the button after a moment, Alex found her suspicions confirmed as the chain showed no sign of any damage.
“Nth metal,” she mused, flicking her wrist and dissipating the laser. “And a lock with better tech than most of the D.E.O. storerooms.” A soft set of footfalls behind her clued her in to the return of Kelly, who seemed equally as perplexed by the building.
“So, it’s holding something worth risking a robbery in the city with the highest concentration of masks and superheroes outside of Star City,” she said, eyeballing the structure. “And no other entryway I could see.”
“I don’t think these two knew what to expect, though,” Alex said as she knelt, picking up a pair of rusty bolt cutters from the ground. The blades were already bent in the wrong direction from trying to slice the superior metal of the lock.
“What the hell is this place?”
Whatever answer Kelly had prepared, Alex didn’t get the chance to find out, as a sudden boom sounded off in the distance. The two of them whirled in the direction of the noise, seeing several flashes of light several miles away.
“That’s in downtown,” Alex said, looking back at Kelly. Kelly shrugged and offered a wry smile.
“Duty calls,” she said, “and those two aren’t going anywhere.” Alex returned the smile.
“Shall we?”
“Absolutely,” Kelly replied, and the two shot rapidly to their motorcycles.
***
Kara never bothered learning much about wine, despite being a frequent enjoyer of it. After all, alcohol didn’t affect her like it affected humans; despite enjoying the taste, knowledge deeper than surface level didn’t hold her attention long enough to invest in. Of course, listening to a refined connoisseur like Lena was an intoxicating experience on its own. Kara raptly drank it in, along with the colorfully described flavor profiles for each chenin blanc in the cellar.
“The climate is very important to the flavor profile,” Lena elaborated, while Kara admired the moonlight shining through the window onto Lena’s face. “Too little sunlight, and the grapes are too acidic, and wine becomes weak and bitter.”
“So the grapes need sunlight to function, just like I do,” Kara quipped, swirling her wine glass and smiling at Lena. Lena chuckled.
“True, but too much sunlight and they burn and start to raisin. They end up with an excess of sugars.”
“So maybe I shouldn’t stay out in the sun too much,” Kara giggled tipsily. “I wouldn’t want to get burnt and overly sweet.” The charming tones of Lena’s laugh rang out again.
“I think you’re the perfect amount of sweet,” Lena replied. Lena’s laugh was contagious, and Kara shot Lena an Oh, really? look as a warm bubble began to swell in her chest. Lena put on a mock grimace.
“Was that too much?”
“No, I think that was the perfect amount of sweet,” Kara parroted, eliciting a soft blush from Lena, who shook her head and gently bit her lip.
“It’s just that…I don’t think I’ve felt this content in a long time,” Lena managed after a moment. Kara watched as her shoulders rose and fell with a steadying breath. “I think I’ve had a lot of daydreams about this - you and me, just like this.”
“Well, I just hope the reality is living up to them,” Kara offered cheekily. Lena bit back a smile, pursing her lips into a flirty smirk.
“Well, it hasn’t been terrible so far,” she replied easily. “We’ll just have to wait and see what comes next to be sure.” Kara held her glass up toward Lena.
“To what comes next,” she said softly. Lena couldn’t hold back her smile this time, and reached up with her own.
“To what comes next.” Her glass’ edge had nearly touched Kara’s when she stopped moving. Lena’s face suddenly scrunched up in confusion.
“Did you feel-”
Her question was cut off by a thunderous boom as the window next to them exploded inward, a massive shape slamming through it. Everything moved in slow motion for Kara, who immediately burst into action. She shot in between the window and Lena, blocking the spray of glass with her body. She heard Lena shout something behind her, but didn’t have time to process it as she faced down the oncoming object. Recognizing the shape crashing through the window as a car, she threw her arms up, catching the vehicle as it hurtled toward her. Digging her heels into the carpet, Kara 's arms bent to absorb the momentum, slowing it to a stop. She gently lowered it to the restaurant floor, sighing heavily as she turned back to a shocked but unharmed Lena.
“Are you okay?” Kara asked, putting her hand to Lena’s cheek. Instead of touching her skin, Kara surprisingly ran into an odd resistance, like a pillowy gel. Lena answered with a wordless nod, a soft glowing golden light now appearing around her body. Magic, Kara thought, breathing a sigh of relief. She smiled grimly as she looked up at the rest of the restaurant.
“Everyone alright?” A varied set of responses came back at Kara, but no one seemed to have been injured - only shocked. She gently stroked her thumb against Lena’s cheek again, turning back to the shattered window. A quick scan of the car told Kara it was unoccupied - meaning it had been thrown. Glancing down, she also noticed that some of the glass shards had cut the fabric of her dress clean through to the skin, and she was covered in dust and debris. Though she was unharmed, her dress looked an absolute mess. She glared into the dust cloud blocking her view of the street outside.
“Are you KIDDING me?!” Kara shouted, angrily searching for the culprit. A sudden gust of wind dispersed the cloud, revealing a gigantic humanoid figure. They stood at least 9 feet tall, clad in golden armor. The gray, scaly skin of its uncovered arms flexed as the creature punched its fists together, eyes glowing red beneath an ornate, horned helmet.
“There you are,” it rumbled, stomping toward her. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this?” Kara cocked an eyebrow, tilting her head in confusion.
“Do I know you?” The armored creature mimicked Kara’s head tilt, its reddened eyes narrowing as though it was trying to perceive something about her.
“It’s certainly difficult to be certain with that ridiculous, raggedy outfit-”
“You’re the one who ruined it!” Kara interjected furiously.
“But unless I am very much mistaken,” the creature continued unimpeded as it uncrumpled a newspaper, pointing to the front cover. “This is you, yes?” Kara could make out the snapshot of her face splashed across the page, with the headline Kara Danvers - The Girl of Steel above it.
“There were easier ways to ask for an autograph, you know. Ways that wouldn’t have gotten you beat up and thrown in jail.” There was a hefty snort from beneath the shining golden helmet.
“Cute. But, you’ll die. Just like all the others who bore that asinine, self-righteous sigil. It’s going to be a trifle odd, killing one of you not displaying it. I’ll wait for you to fetch it; I won’t get the satisfaction of annihilating the last of your ilk without it.” Kara blinked, her eyebrows arched so high they almost climbed into her scalp.
“Well, that sentence was completely incoherent, but for what it’s worth, I don’t have it with me tonight. Guess you’ll have to be disappointed and beat up.” Another snort.
“Bold of you. When I’ve finished dissolving your skull, I’ll finally be released from the prison you threw me into. I can’t wait.” Kara stared blankly at the brute for several seconds.
“I’m sorry, what?”