Archive of Our Own

Lena placed her hand under her chin in thought, when she had been summoned to the D.E.O she had no clue as to why, and upon arrival being asked, or rather begged, to have some new alien tech used on her was something out of the ordinary.

She’d asked why, of course, and that’s when Kara’s sister, Alex, had stepped forwards.

“We need information on your brother, I’m sure you’re aware he has escaped prison. He has threatened Supergirl and our city, as well as Superman. Being his half-sister, we hope your information will help us in tracking him down, figuring out how he is or what he might do.”

“Haven’t you tried Lillian? I’m sure my mother would have one or two thousand things to say about Lex.”

This time it had been Supergirl to answer.

“We already have tried, her thoughts were too obsessive, she changed memories to make Lex look like a hero.”

“Which is how he was seen in her eyes, anyway. Dude could’ve murdered a puppy and she’d see it as a blessing.”

Lena had ignored Maggie and stared at Supergirl.

“And you want to access my memories of my childhood with Lex, in front of my girlfriend’s friends and family, not to mention the Hero of the city. Just to be clear.”

Supergirl bit her lip and nodded.

“Yes, please.”

And now here she was, back to the group, rubbing her chin in focus.

“I have one condition.”

Alex perked up immediately, stepping towards the younger Luthor.

“Of course, fire away.”

Lena turned and held her hands behind her back.

“None of this comes back to Kara, whatsoever.”

Alex paused, and the whole group seemed to look guilty, Supergirl especially. Lena sighed and crossed her arms.

“I know you’re all close with her, but if she finds out about any of this at any point in our relationship, I want to be the one to tell her.”

They were all silent, not knowing what to say, until Supergirl herself nodded.

“I will personally make sure Kara won’t find out anything from us. Scouts honour.”

Lena smiled at her hand gesture and nodded.

“Okay, then I’ll do it.”

The rest was a bit of a blur, Lena was taken to some random room in the building, she was placed in a comfy looking armchair, her arms restrained to ‘keep you from hurting yourself’ supposedly, and a small circular disc, no bigger than a penny, was placed on her temple.

The white circle throbbed when it touched her head, and a very slight dull ache spread through her body, behind her eyes, across her shoulders and down her spine. It settled quickly, and her eyes suddenly felt heavy.

Around her the team were surrounding a monitor, Winn was typing quickly at the keys and he sighed successfully, the headache almost vanished entirely that very moment, so she assumed he’s managed to get the device working.

“Okay Lena, we now have a direct feed to your thoughts. The device will put you into sleep, allowing us to search through your mind, which will come across as dreams for you. Do you consent to being drugged?”

Lena rolled her eyes, gesturing weakly with her hand.

“It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think? Yes, I consent.”

Winn flushed embarrassed, and Alex flicked him up the head. Lena sighed and closed her eyes as the chair began to recline. With her eyes shut, she felt a presence next to her. She opened her eyes, meeting the deep blue of Supergirl’s own, smiling at the concern.

“I’ll be fine, Supergirl. Don’t worry.”

Supergirl knelt down next to her, taking her hand in her own by reflex.

“I know- well, Kara mentioned you’re a lucid dreamer, right?” Lena nodded, “Well, if you want out, just think of me, or Kara, saying something out of the ordinary, and I’ll make sure you get out safe, okay?”

Lena smiled, already knowing what to say.

“Yeah, if you see Kara saying ‘Pot-Sticker are gross’, then pull me out.”

Supergirl grinned and nodded.

“Sure thing, good luck Lena.”

Then she was gone. Lena stared at the ceiling, barely acknowledging when Alex called they were about to start. The lights above her seemed to dim, before she knew it, all Lena saw was dark.

Lena woke up to a familiar sight, Kara was on her back, sheets barely managing to cover her bare chest, hair in a mess from the previous night, but with no sign of bites or swollen lips. Lena furrowed her brow, lifting her hand and running her thumb over Kara’s bottom lip. She cupped the side of her face, leaning up on her arms to get a better view of her sleeping girlfriend.

“I never get how you’re up so early every day…” Kara mumbled, opening her eyes and grinning at the dark-haired woman leaning over her. Lena tilted her head and smiled back.

“Internal alarm clock, it comes with practise.”

Kara snorted, she looked down Lena’s body, also completely bare, and got a devious look in her eye. Lena shifted at how that look made her feel, and she made to move away.

“Not with that look, Kara. I have work, and technically so do yo-”

She stopped short of her somewhat sassy comment as Kara had moved Lena’s finger and quickly but smoothly taken it into her mouth. Lena almost felt her pupils dilate, as she saw her gently suck on the digit. After a moment she released it with a gentle pop and was suddenly really close to Lena’s face.

“Who cares if we’re a little late, I’ve already finished my story this week, and you’re the boss.”

She hooked her leg around Lena’s and moved almost inhumanly fast, flipping Lena onto her back. Kara was settled between her legs, grinning at her smugly.

“Besides, I can make you feel much better here than at work, not that I mind having fun there either.”

Lena blushed, and Kara was moving down, her head disappearing under the covers.

Lena’s head throbbed, but she didn’t have time to think about it.

It was 2000, Lena was eight years old. She was sat in her room in the Luthor Mansion, alone. She was always alone. Rain battered her window and she stared out of it with dull green eyes hidden behind thick rimmed glasses.

It had been a bad day, the rain was so bad that their tutor couldn’t make it, meaning Lena and Lex had a day to do what they wanted for once. Lena had desperately wanted to play with her half-brother, but when her mother had found out it didn’t go well.

She could still hear her now.

“Your brother is a mastermind in the making, I will not have you ruin his future with your silly games, you stupid girl!”

She’d hit her after that, a backhand across her face, her diamond ring leaving a shallow cut across her cheek. She never hit her when Father was around, but he was away on business, so she did what she like.

The door creaked open, Lena twitched a little, but restrained any other type of response. If it was her mother, it would just be more pain, if it was the staff they’d attempt to offer unwanted sympathy. So, she waited for the inevitable.

“Did Father never teach you to be polite to guests?”

Lena whipped around, smiling at the sight of her brother. He was dressed casually, green button up shirt and neat trousers, a black tie and an expensive watch on his wrist. His fiery hair was neatly combed over with a soft smile was present.

“Lex!”

Lena was at his side in a minute, they hugged, tight but brief, hugging wasn’t allowed in their house and if they were caught Lord knows what would happen to Lena.

They let go and Lex walked to the widow, Lena following her older brother.

“I heard from the help that Mother struck you, is that true?”

Lena didn’t reply, Lex touched her face and ran his thumb over the small bandage on her cheek, nodding.

“Good work on the aftercare.”

“Thank you, brother.”

His eyes were hard, angry, but the rest remained passive and calm. Lena sighed and moved away. Despite their earlier reaction to each other, emotions were also a taboo in the Luthor House.

They both sat at the window, staring out at the garden of their house, watching the gardeners frantically work quickly to get out of the rain. It must’ve been about half an hour before Lex spoke.

“You know, Charles told me something spectacular the other evening.”

Lena hummed in acknowledgement, Charles was Lex’s older friend, they met at family functions, and Lex had attended one not long ago.

“He told me about a boy from his school, young chap, Eric was his name. Apparently, he was very sad, alone, all that and the like.”

Lena nodded, watching a raindrop fall down the window.

“Charles said the teachers found him in his room last week, seemingly asleep, but was in fact-”

“Dead, he overdosed I assume?”

Lex finally looked at his sister, eyebrow raised, impressed.

“Indeed, but do not interrupt me Lena.”

She looked down and he looked out the window once more.

“But yes, he killed himself. It got me thinking, sister.”

Lex stood, hand on Lena’s shoulder, waiting until she looked at him.

“You are sad, you are lonely. He was suffering, his arms covered in weak willed attempts.”

He cupped her face, looking with all the love and affection he was able to muster.

“I do not want you suffering, Lena.”

He took something out of his pocket, handing it to her with a smile.

“Keep this for when you need it, Lena. Promise me you will not allow yourself to suffer.”

Lena stared at what was in her hand, a single pill, which she assumed would do what all of Eric’s 25 plus pills had done in one go. Luthor’s never did anything simple or easy, they had to be the best.

“Thank you, Lex, I will keep it in mind.”

“Good. I must leave now, Mother wishes to meet with me supposedly. Goodnight, Lena.”

Lex kissed her cheek, Father said it the only form of emotion men could show female relations, and he left. Lena stared at the pill in her hand and sighed. She stood and put the pill in her draws. She sat back at the window, touching her throbbing cheek.

There was a dull thud behind her eyes, and Lena shut them tight.

It was 2004, Lena was twelve years old. She was in a hospital bed, a first-class suite. There were bandages covering her arms, her glasses perched on her face, a monitor beeping every few seconds, and an eerie silence in the suite.

The door opened, revealing an older Lex Luthor, about fifteen years old. His red hair was shorter, styled a little more, and he wore a tailored dark grey suit with a white shirt. He stared at his sister, expression blank.

“Did Father never teach you to knock, brother?”

Lex stared still, shutting the door as he approached her on the bed. There were restraints on her wrists and ankles, he flicked at the one on her wrist, noticing her flinch slightly.

“There is a time and a place for humour, Lena.”

His voice was much deeper than before. Lena rolled her eyes.

“So, my failed suicide attempt isn’t one of them.”

Lex flicked her wrist, right over where he knew one of her wounds were. She hissed, and he sighed disappointedly.

“Failed is the key word, Lena. If this is what you wanted to achieve, to die, then you should have taken the route I had given you when we were-”

“I do not need your help, you abandoned me-!”

She cut herself off with a yelp as Lex slapped her wrist.

“Do not interrupt me.”

She quietened, and he took a seat, undoing his jacket buttons as he settled. Lex tapped his fingers on the arm and stared once again. Lena didn’t risk speaking.

“I am angry, Lena. Not that you attempted this, but that was all it was, an attempt.”

Lena’s hands clenched.

“Do not be angry with me Lena. It is true. You failed to die. What were we raised on, Lena?”

“… Luthor’s never fail.”

“Exactly. Never. You have now got two ways around this, Lena.”

“What are they, brother?”

Lex took her chin and made her look him in the eye.

“Either you try again, you cut deeper, you go vertical rather than horizontal, you die.”

Lena felt a spark of joy at the thought.

“Or, you live. You go back to that school, show the girls who upset you that you are stronger. That you are better than them.”

“They disagree, Lex. I am not a full Luthor, I don’t have enough of your blood in me.”

Lex squeezed her jaw tighter, uncomfortable now, and that rage was back in his eyes.

“That. Does not. Matter. You are more Luthor than any of them, you are better than them.  All of them.”

Lena’s eyes got watery, and Lex let go of her face standing up.

“You need to work on controlling your emotions Lena. But that is another issue. Go back to the school, take the main girl, and completely ruin her. Once you’ve done that, no one will try anything with you.”

He buttoned up his jacket and levelled her with a dark look.

“Or, of course, die. If you choose that at least do us the grace of looking good for your funeral. Nothing exposed. And find a way to cover your scars. Luthor’s do not show weakness.”

Lena sucked in a breath, feeling a headache start the throb across her skull.

“I will not lose to them brother.”

“Good. I hope to hear of your success at you school soon, Lena.”

He shut the door behind him with a soft click.

It was 2008, fourteen-year-old Lena was sat in a large dinner hall. Around her on different tables sat several girls, aged between eleven to eighteen. Despite all the girls in the hall, she was sat alone.

Lena had grown, her hair was shorter, slightly longer than a pixie cut, and she had a pair of thick rimmed glasses on her face. She was reading a large book as she ate a bowl of rice, one headphone in her ear as she read.

Due to only having one headphone in, she could hear as the whole hall went almost completely silent. Lena sighed, she knew what was about to happen. Someone walked to the front of her table, opposite her, and she reluctantly looked up, putting her fork down.

Lex had got bigger in his time away at University, now seventeen with muscle building his frame to be wider and more intimidating. His hair was shorter, styled perfectly as always. His suit was immaculate and most likely worth more than most of the present student’s trust funds, and he knew it.

“Lex, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

She stood, shutting her book and holding her hands behind her back. Lex nodded at her formality.

“Can’t a brother visit his sister during her school year?”

Lena would’ve laughed at the ludicrously, but she kept her face blank.

“Considering family are only able to visit on specific dates during the academic year, none of which is today. I am assuming you either bribed your way in or used the family name.”

He nodded at her, moving to take a seat as he did the same.

“Well, I did not spend a single dime. Alas our name is very useful.”

Lena nodded in agreement.

“Not that I am disgruntled, but what did I do to call for a visit?”

Lex smiled, it was fake, but still was there.

“I have a proposal. I need your opinion on some research I am doing for my dissertation.”

Lena picked up her glass of water and took a sip, staring at Lex the entire time. The silence in the hall from even the teachers made the glass touching on wood awkwardly loud.

“Lex, you and I both know that you are lying. I thought Mother would have taught you better.”

Lex’s hand clenched on the table, and Lena tensed.

“Very well. I had hoped to do this in a private setting, but as you wish to cause a scene, so be it.”

He stood up, buttoning his jacket up again.

“Father passed away this morning, he left a quarter of the company to you, a quarter to mother and the rest to me. Our lawyers will meet with you tomorrow evening to discuss the particulars.”

Lena felt a spark behind her eyes, but she pushed it deep within her. She stood with him and took his hand, shaking across the table.

“Thankyou for telling me brother.”

“You are welcome, sister.”

They released hands, and Lex left. The door shutting seemed to start a wave of talking and eyes at her, and Lena sighed. She sat down, put her headphones back in and opened her book, eating more rice.

The music didn’t stop the sound of the people around her.

“Did that actually just happen?!”

“Luthors are so cold, dude…”

“She deserves it, you heard about what she did to Sarah in First Year?”

“Stupid bitch deserves more.”

She grits her teeth together, turning up her music and focusing on her reading. Her arms burned from the previous night and she sighed.

Lena would cry later, or drink, or whatever it took to not be weak.

A headache came back, and she hissed, holding her head.

It was 2012, Lena was eighteen, and completely drunk out of her mind. It was summer break, she’d been out with a girl she’d met online. She’d invited her to her apartment after they’d been clubbing, her age did not matter, her last name got her in anywhere.

The girl with her was blonde, twenty years old, and really really attractive.

They were making their way through the apartment, pulling off clothes and laughing between pining each other to the walls and doors for long make out sessions. Lena’s hands were running up the woman’s stomach, reaching around the back to her bra and deftly undoing it.

“They weren’t kidding about you, were they, Miss Luthor?”

Lena smirked, smug, and ducked her head, kissing her breast. The woman’s laughter was cut off with a moan, she reached down to Lena’s hair, fisting it in her hands and pulling her back up to continue making out with her again.

Lena pushed off the wall, walking backwards to where her bedroom was. The door opened with a slam and they both fell onto the bed, the blonde woman falling on top of Lena, hands on either side of her. She grinned and leant down to kiss her again.

The brunette moaned into her mouth, biting her lip and electing a similar moan from the other woman. She pulled back the blonde, staring her dead in the eye and using her best commanding tone.

“Stop playing around, Harleen. Just get on with fucking me already.”

Harleen’s pupils increased massively and she dropped her head to Lena’s neck, biting down, hard. Lena arched moaning loud at the action. Her hands ran down the blonde’s back, leaving red lines down her back.

As Harleen started to move down her body, much more determined than before, kneeling on the floor at the end of the bed and dragging Lena closer, something occurred to the brunette.

Her phone was ringing?

She looked on the floor, and sure enough, Lex’s icon was flashing on her phone. She was too drunk to feel anything remotely close to fear yet, but when his face vanished, and Two Missed Calls From: Lex Luthor flashed on her screen, she felt cold.

This was all lost when Harleen found her mark, her hot mouth suddenly surrounding her most sensitive part and sucking gently, making Lena grab at the blonde head of hair between her legs and moan loud.

She’d deal with him in the morning.

It was the next morning, and Lena woke up feeling weird. Her bed was colder than it should’ve been, she remembered Harleen was meant to be there. Where was she?

She sat up with a moan, taking a pill from her bedside she’d developed to cure a hangover in thirty minutes. Lena sighed and shook her head, finally focusing on the rest of the world around.

As soon as she had, she wished she was asleep again.

Lex was there, in her room. He was older, looking sterner than ever before. His hair was shorter again, the stress of running a company taking its toll. He shook his head at her in disapproval, stepping to the side, revealing Harleen tied and gagged in a chair at the end of the bed.

Lena shot up, fear encasing her.

“Lex what are you doing.”

“You know what I am doing Lena, I am punishing you. You are acting like a fool around the city, bringing shame to the family name I have tried so hard to restore. Not to mention the company you seem to keep.”

He glanced at the woman behind him, who was crying and staring at Lena.

“At least I do not need to worry about getting you an abortion. There are some silver linings, at least.”

Harleen thrashed against the binds, letting out a yelling sob as she stared at Lena. Lex didn’t look at her, staring dead on at his sister who’s only visible emotion was disgust.

“She is very loud, sister. Is that why you picked her?”

Lena didn’t reply, and Lex sighed.

“You need to be punished, Lena Otherwise you will think you can get away with this again.”

“With what, not answering when you call?”

“Precisely that. If I call, you answer, always. Not matter the situation you are in, my reasons are more important.”

Lena shook her head, false smile on her face.

“I will remember that next time I am about to fuck someone then, shall I?”

His fists clenched, and he grit his teeth together. He glared at her, rage swooping just below the surface, and Lena tensed expecting the worst, until he relaxed.

“Father always said a good man should never hit a woman.”

Lena let out a slightly shuddered breath.

“However, Dennis is not a good man.”

Next thing Lena knew, the tall beast made of muscle who was at the back of the room was by her side. He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the wall, her feet kicking wildly due to the slight gap between them and the floor.

Harleen was squealing again, Lex made to leave, stopping by the door.

“Your friend has been transferred from her current Hospital Residence, I have moved her to Arkham Asylum. Now, I must leave. Until next time, sister.”

He nodded to Dennis, who let Lena crash to the floor after he loosened his grip. She was coughing, holding her already bruising neck. The man, Dennis, grinned down at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her up, landing a swift and painful right hook across her face.

Lena collapsed once more, her head throbbing in agony. She blearily opened her eyes wide enough to see Harleen being dragged out of the room, kicking and screaming, before the pain was too much and she passed out.

It was a few months later, Lena was still eighteen. She was sat by the windowsill as her friend, and fake boyfriend Jack, got dressed for bed. She had asked him out, explaining her predicament in total layman's terms, and he had whole heartedly agreed to be her ‘beard’.

She had a feeling that he liked her, in that way, but she did not mind. It meant he was easier to manipulate.

He pulled on his pyjama bottoms and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking out of the window with her.

“What are you looking at, darling?”

Pet names. He insisted on them, and Lena didn’t care. If it kept him happy and interested in her enough to stick around, she would make do.

“Nothing, dear.”

He nodded and squeezed her waist.

“Come to bed then.”

She bit down her annoyance, spotting what she had been waiting for outside in the building opposite. She steeled herself and turned around, placing her hands on his bare chest and kissing him. His hands fell to her hips and pulled her closer, bringing one up to hold her face and kiss her deeper.

Satisfied she’d put on a show, she pulled back as naturally as possible. She smiled at him and turned around, shutting the curtains as he kissed the back of her neck. As soon as the curtains were shut he backed off, and she was glad she didn’t need to give him another talk.

“Thank you, Jack.”

He smiled and crossed his arms, walking to the bed with a tiny strut that made her roll her eyes.

“Did you see one?”

This was why she liked him, he was smart.

“Yeah, they got plenty of pictures for him.”

Jack snorted and put his hands behind his head, looking at the ceiling in shock.

“Wow, never thought your brother would want to make sure you were getting some. Should I be worried about him coming to give me the talk?”

Lena rolled her eyes and got in bed next to him.

“No, as long as you make sure not to get me pregnant.”

They shared a look and both broke at the same time, laughing at the obscenity of the situation they had fallen into. As she watched him laugh she felt fondness in her chest. If she was stuck in this scenario, she’s glad it was with him.

It was 2013, Lena was nineteen years old. She was sat at the bi-monthly family dinner Lillian insisted on both herself and her brother attending. Her hair had grown out again, long and falling down her back, with her thick rimmed glasses still present. She wore a light grey evening gown with a blue necklace.

The table was an ordinary size but was extremely elegant. This was the Luthor French mansion, with butlers and maids, all people for Lillian to rule over. Her mother was wearing an extravagant black dress, sitting opposite Lena and barely giving her a glance.

Lex was, of course, sat between them. His red hair was all but gone at this point, thinning incredibly fast every time Lena saw him, despite only being three years older than herself. Her mother was talking about something or other, and Lena decided to focus.

“- honestly, you come from another planet and act like you rule ours? How obnoxious.”

Lex nodded and took a sip of wine.

“I agree Mother, someone needs to take Superman down, he’s a dangerous person.”

Lena tilted her head to the side, confused.

“Dangerous? He protects people, he saved thirteen people from a fire just last week.”

Lex sighed, an angry sigh, and continued to eat. She understood his annoyance, there wasn’t much they agreed on lately.

“For now, he saves people, but what happens when being the ‘Hero’ gets boring for him? When saving people is mandatory, when he just wants to have fun, Lena?”

Lena chewed her food and swallowed.

“The people see him as a God. An all-powerful God. God’s who are all powerful are not all good. He is a castaway from his planet, from his home. When his past comes for him, and it will, it will be our planet, our race, which will suffer.”

He put his cutlery down and stood.

“I refuse to sit by and wait for him to decide when we should die.”

Lena didn’t turn but also put her cutlery down.

“And whatever will you be able to do to the Man of Steel, brother?”

He paused, no doubt clenching his fists, and she stared at her Mother who was glaring at her.

“You shall see what I will do to him, Lena.”

He left, slamming the door. Lillian stood also, marching past Lena.

“Well done, you’ve ruined this meal.”

Lena stood and levelled her with a blank look.

“Thank you, think of it as payback for my entire childhood.”

Lillian laughed, one sharp bark, and made for the door.

“My dear, if you think that is a comeback, then you really are not as Luthor as you think.”

She stopped by the door, facing the fuming Luthor left in the room, totally ignoring the uncomfortable Help stood at the sides desperately staying silent.

“Oh, and get rid of the glasses. Luthor’s don’t show weakness. Fix it.”

The door clicked behind her, and Lena marched to her private Jet, eyes filling up with tears of rage.

Her head throbbed, and she ignored it.

It was 2014, Lena is twenty. She opens her eyes and all she can see is darkness. Her initial panic is squashed down, and she focuses on the situation. The thing blocking her face is a bag, a thick one by the looks of it.

She pulls her arms and feels resistance, they’re tied together behind her back. Lena grunts in her throat and moves her feet, also restrained, but much looser than her arms.

There is a quiet smug laughter coming from in front of her, and Lena rolls her eyes. Her brother has made many enemies as of late, it seems they thought it would be beneficial to kidnap her.

 “Are you going to tell me your diabolical plans, or simply sit there and laugh to yourself.”

The laughing stops, and suddenly they’ve hit her in the stomach. She groans quietly, and the laugh is back again.

“They weren’t kidding about you Luthors, were they, Lena?”

The voice is British.

“It depends, a lot of lies are made up about my family.”

The voice, who clearly doesn’t like being mocked, was quite again, followed by another punch to the stomach.

“We have no quarrel with you, Ms Luthor. We just want your brother’s money.”

It was Lena’s turn to laugh now, a bark of disbelief.

“If you seriously think my brother is going to pay you anything for me-”

The bag is removed, and Lena is blinded by a bright light burning her eyes from exposure. She shuts them quick and blinks rapidly. They laughed again and pulled her chin up, and the man Lena saw is possibly the most stereotypical kidnapper you could imagine.

Black hair with a side half shaved away, showing some scars underneath from possible sugary. A tattoo across his forehead spelling ‘unhinged’ with a tacky font, one blind eye the other blue, and with one silver tooth.

All in all, many identifying marks to use to find him.

She cracked her neck and leaned away from him.

“Your brother is going to pay us all the money we want, you are the only person he seems to have any familial connection to, apart from his mother, but she would rather die than be used against her son.”

“Yeah, you are right there. Completely bat-shit crazy, but my brother is smarter than that, more passionate than that.”

The man, who she will now mentally refer to as Typical, gave her an odd look, so she continued.

“He is not going to give you money, that would be a sign of weakness. Weakness is not allowed in the Luthor family. He won’t give you money, but he will come here personally and kill you himself.”

Typical looked furious, and he violently backhanded her.

“You don’t know shit you fucki-”

A bullet stopped his train of thought, and the colossal brute fell face first on the disgusting ground. Behind him Lena was unsurprised to see her brother, with a few specs of blood on his pristine white and red suit. He too was older by a year, his hair all gone, but his eyes the same piercing hue. He barely gave the man a glance before walking towards Lena and behind her, cutting her loose.

They didn’t speak for a moment, until Lena had stood and faced her brother.

“He hurt you?”

She shrugged, face impassive.

“Nothing worse than what I have already been through.”

Lex nodded, looking at the slowly dying man, the hole through his chest killing him quietly. He aimed his gun and shot twice more, in his back and in his head. Lena was shocked at his show of emotion but did not comment.

“He did not even ask for much money, the imbecilic fool.”

The gun was put in his belt and two others entered, both in black combat gear.

“Sir, are you injured?”

Lex shook his head and gestured for Lena to walk towards him.

“Dispose of the body’s, I don’t want any of this coming back to Lena, myself or the family name.”

They both nodded in sync and got to work, which Lena was thankful for being taken away from. She could handle violence and gore, but seeing people getting cut to pieces wasn’t something she enjoyed. As they walked out of where she had been held hostage, she saw several other pairs of these employed militants dismembering bodies Lex had presumably killed.

She swallowed the bile in her throat, feeling a headache crush her skull as a thought occurred.

Brave or not, killing seemed to come quite easily to Lex Luthor.

It is now 2015, Lena is twenty-one, and she is stood on top of the Luthor Tower. Tears are streaming down her face, blood seeping from a wound above her hairline and she is staring at the sky.

Lex Luthor is fighting Superman above the city, the Man of Steel was doing what he could to protect the people below him, but there were casualties. Many casualties.

Her hands covered her mouth as a sob tore from her throat as Superman was thrown into a building, the fragments of cement loosening and absolutely eviscerating a car below, the family inside dying instantly.

Blood was now flowing over her eye, her absolute terror pushing away the pain from her skull and side, which was also bleeding.

Superman flew out of the building, eyes blazing red and he fired at her brother. Lex dodged in the last second, firing back at the weakened Man of Steel.

“What are you doing- what- what are you-? “

She was mumbling to herself, unable to tear her eyes away.

Lena had been working in the Laboratory with her team when her intern had burst in, fear on his face and a live news feed playing on his tablet. The headline was bright and would haunt Lena forever.

Luthor Attacks Metropolis City

She had ordered them all to leave out of the emergency exits and had ran against the crowd as the building starting to shake and crumble, barely getting into her brother’s penthouse office before the floor gave out.

That’s when she’d seen her brother, Lex Luthor, stood with determined insanity over a man in a cheap suit she may have recognised if not for her fear. She didn’t see his face, but the man had thrown Lex out of the window, standing and tearing off his suit to reveal the bright red and blue suit known worldwide.

He’d snapped his head to her, acknowledging her, and nodding his head almost apologetically. Before she could speak, Lex was flying back up the building outside of the window, in a gigantic suit glowing green.

The following was a blur, Superman had tried to keep her out of the fray, but he couldn’t help where Lex threw him. She couldn’t remember being thrown against the wall, she couldn’t remember the desk cracking against her head, only just being able to stay awake after, all she could remember was the insanity in her brother’s eyes.

That’s what he was, she realised. Staring at him engage the Man of Steel in a fight to the death above Metropolis City.

Superman was distracted, flying down as fast as Lena had ever seen, catching another section of a building from hitting a group of teenagers. He threw the building section away, glaring at the evil insane man flying above him as the group ran away sobbing. Lex laughed and yelled down at the fallen man, his suit playing his words loud for all to hear.

“This is what you want, Superman?! To let them see you as a God! You are nothing but a disgraced fallen alien!”

Lena was sobbing, she knew her brother was unhinged, was scary and dangerous, but this is something no sibling should have to see. His descent into madness.

“Y-you’re insane…”

Her hands fell from her face and she fell to her knees. There was an echoing crack in the sky, and she looked up just in time for Superman to crash into the building once more. He bounced and stopped a few feet from her. He groaned and struggled to stand, his body weak from the amount of Kryptonite running through her brother’s suit.

He met her eyes and managed a slight and painfilled half attempt at a comforting expression.

“You Luthors really mean business… huh?”

He stumbled to his feet, glancing up at the window to be met by a thick red blast cracking him against the back wall of the office, through the other side and out of the building.

She shut her eyes, tears not stopping as a heavy thud announced the arrival of her brother.

“Hey babe, wanna hear something weird?”

The random female voice shocked her, and she opened her eyes, a flash of blonde distracting her for a split second before she remembered where she was.

Luthor Building, Lex was fighting Superman, he was in a mech suit and he’d just approached her.

“Lena, want to tell me why you are crying?”

The machine clunked to a stop and she looked up, shaking like a leaf. He was grinning wildly, face lit up with green and pulsing lights. He sighed and stepped closer, casing Lena to scramble to her feet and back away.

“Lena, do you remember? Father taught us to show no emotion, no fear, no sadness, no joy. Nothing. Anything which is weakness is not allowed Lena. Not Allowed!”

His arm reached forward, and he grabbed her, puling her up by her arm and letting her hang. Lena yelped from the pain, holding onto her shoulder with her other arm. He raised her higher, bringing his sister to eye level.

“What’s weird, babe?”

“Well-”

“Are you afraid, Lena? Afraid of me? Of your big brother?”

There was a sound of something loading, an odd whining or a weapon, and she felt dread fall over her.

“Y-you’re-”

She cried out as he squeezed tighter. The whine got louder and so did the glow. He was going to kill her.

“You should be scared Lena, very scared.”

“-despite how much I love them-”

“Because they will come for you, after today. Everyone. You are a Luthor, Lena. You will be hunted and killed for this. For me. I cannot let that happen Lena-”

“No Lex please-”

“This is a blessing, Lena. Do not be so rude.”

The weapon on his other arm was brought closer to her, she could feel heat from it.

“Lex, no!”

“Goodbye sister.”

“No!”

Superman slammed into Lex, tearing the arm off of his suit and causing Lena to me crushed under the weight, feeling her ribs crack. Her head was throbbing against her skull and she was moaning in pain.

“Lex what have you done…”

“- I have decided I really don’t like pot stickers.”

She sobbed and suddenly saw white.

Lena woke with a gasp, pulling at the restraints around her wrists and immediately panicking.

“Let me out let me-!”

They were suddenly torn off before she could finish speaking, the two handcuffs clattering to the floor.

Kara had grabbed Lena, tears in her eyes and down her cheeks as she squeezed the other woman as safely as she could. She was so angry, in fact she was furious. She wanted to hunt down Lex Luthor and strangle him but that would mean leaving her girlfriend which she never wanted to do again.

How was she going to pretend she didn’t know all this? How could she go on lying to Lena?

The woman in her arms stopped crying and she let go, trying to look embarrassed but she is certain she failed.

The two women stared at each other, Lena looking exhausted, and Supergirl trying to hide her fury and obviously failing. The rest in the room were silent until it was too uncomfortable, and Alex spoke.

“Thank you, Lena. We appreciate your… input.”

Lena nodded, and stood out of the chair and away from Supergirl’s hold.

“You are welcome, Alex. I am sorry, but I must leave now, I have a meeting to attend.”

And as though she hadn’t revealed her deepest darkest secrets of her childhood to her girlfriend’s sister, friends and the hero of the city, Lena Luthor left.

Kara was as still as a statue under all their eyes, until she spoke in a raspy voice.

“I’m going… to find that man. And I am going to hurt him for what he did to her.”

The group said nothing, and Supergirl shot out of the building in a blink of an eye. Maggie let out a low whistle and shuffled closer to her fiancé.

“Even though he is evil and all, lord help Lex Luthor when Supergirl gets her hands on him.”

Win rubbed his eyes, shattered from what they had learned.

“Yeah, not to mention the rest of us.”

They all shared a look and mentally agreed.

Lex Luthor was done for.