Chapter Text
It was almost midnight as the soft National City rain landed on the dark windows of the famous L-Corp building.
A deep sigh came from inside the top level of the L-Corp building. A single figure sat at a pristine glass desk, faced with her back against the tall windows with a glass of the hardest alcohol that she could find in her right hand. It was an anniversary but not celebratory like a birthday or a marriage, but a life changing anniversary that had shoved Lena Luthor into complete darkness.
Lena leaned back in her chair as her grey, dull eyes drifted to the digital clock that sat on her desk. Her eyes squinted shut as the clock turned to midnight April 22, 2044. Fifteen years.
Fifteen years she had effortlessly tried to find Kara and their daughter. Fifteen years of sleepless nights, drunken stupors, and endless heartache. But fifteen years she refused to give up on her family.
Lena swallowed thickly as she took another sip from the liquid in her cup, her eyes drifting closed as the glass cup left her lips. The only time she had even found some peace was when she slept, even if nightmares of her wife and daughter haunted, that’s the only place she could picture and see them.
As the rain continued a soft patter down the tall glass windows of L-Corp, Lena allowed sleep to consume her, oblivious to the two soft pats of feet landing on her balcony.
The door opens to Lena’s right and both pairs of feet take cautious steps.
“Mom?” a deep, smooth voice breaks the silence of Lena’s office.
“Mom, we’re here,” another voice says softly, grabbing the now empty glass from her hand and quietly laying it on her desk. “Grab her purse and jacket, I’ll get her,” the second voice whispers to the first.
The tall, broad figure lifts his mother as softly as he can into his chest, laying her head on his shoulder. “Let’s go,” the second voice whispers as he leans against the door and waits for his companion, carefully pushing against it as to not wake his mother up. His companion gently lays Lena’s black coat over her as they walk to the railing in attempt to protect her from the soft rain. Blue eyes meet blue and they nod in agreement, slowly ascending off of L-Corp’s balcony and into the protective darkness the National City sky afforded them.
They both fly slowly and but with just enough speed to avoid getting drenched in the rain that flew against them.
Lena’s jet black hair softly caressed her face, rousing her slowly from sleep. Lena’s drunken state combined with her deep sleep barely allowed her to open her eyes. All she felt were strong arms holding to her tightly and a warm shoulder that she turned her head further into.
It was familiar. She had been carried this way thousands of times. It’d be only fitting if it was Kara. It could only be Kara. But Kara is gone. She’s not here.
The brunette faintly whimpered, her face contorting into pain and sadness.
“We’re almost there Mom. I promise,” the deep voice vaguely says, picking up speed as they neared the infamous Luthor mansion.
A few minutes later, the trio quietly land in front of two large glass doors, alerting Kelex, a flying smart robot originally from Krypton. He flies in front of them, blocking their path towards the glass doors.
“Identification please,” asks Kelex, looking to the man holding Lena.
“Kane Michael Luthor.” Kelex then turns to his companion. “Identification please,” the robot repeats. “Knox James Luthor.” Kelex turns and opens the left glass door. “Welcome home Master Kane and Master Knox.”
The trio entered into the dark, vast mansion, their feet softly thumping on white granite as they being walking passed the black grand piano and living room and up the glass staircase, with Knox following closely behind. They ascend quietly to the second story, the two men solemnly looking at the family portraits of five people that line the dark gray walls.
Knox quietly opens the humongous white doors to their mothers’ room, allowing Kane and their mother to slip through into the soft white carpet. Kane hurriedly walks through the dark and slowly lays Lena onto the white comforter of her bed. He graciously slips off her heels and unwraps her from her dark coat. Kane then picks her back up and quietly eases her underneath the thick white sheets.
“Goodnight Mom,” Kane whispers, his lips pressing a soft kiss to Lena’s forehead. Knox repeats the same action and they both vacate the room, only leaving the soft sound of Lena snoring behind.
“Are you tired? I was probably going to go get changed and head down for something to drink,” Knox calls out to his brother as he is already halfway down the hallway.
“Yeah, I’ll meet you down in a second,” Kane calls over his shoulder as he starts ascending the stairs to the third floor.
“Here,” a can a beer appears from behind Knox’s right shoulder. He turns his head and gives a faint smile as a thank you and takes the can.
“Fifteen years Kane. Fifteen years ago tonight and they’re still not back. For all we know, they’re probably dead,” Knox whispers as he cracks his can open and takes a heavy sip.
“Don’t say that. Momma is still out there and so is Laurel. I know it. They wouldn’t just leave us here. Also Mom is still trying her best to locate where they are,” Kane replies, walking from around the back of the crimson couch and settling on the far end.
“Mom just needs to give up and so do you. I understand that Momma was everything and more and on top of that, she lost their first kid but Rao, Momma and Laurel have been gone for literally half our lives and I don’t think they are coming back,” Knox runs a tan hand through his short, blonde mane and adjusts his glasses.
Lightning lights up the dark living room before it’s followed by three sharp rumbles of thunder. “Mom’s heart can’t take anymore of this. You saw her for yourself Kane. She’s like this all the time, you’re just never around to see it.”
“Sorry, I’m trying to save the world half the time while your ass does nothing with the gifts you were given. With Clark leaving for Argo years ago and Momma gone, who is left to protect this world? Me. But at least I actually do something with my powers instead of letting them go to waste.” Kane angrily crushes his can of beer and sets it on the black wooden coffee table.
Knox scowls and rolls his blue eyes. “I’m not arguing with you, not today. Mom really needs us right now so I might stick around here for a few days. She’d really love it if we would both stay here for a few days. I’ve already got the L-Corp in Metropolis running by itself so I’m good for a few days. What do you say brother?” Knox leans forward and sets his elbows on knees, clasping his hands together. Lighting strikes, illuminating the glare on Kane’s face.
“I’d do anything for Mom, you know that. I’d stay as long as she needed me to,” Kane glares in return.
“Then it’s settled.”
Midnight rendezvous in the top balcony of L-Corp became a natural thing between Supergirl and Lena. Except tonight, something was different as Supergirl flew towards L-Corp. Lena’s heart was slightly faster but was beating heavier than normal, like something was troubling her.
“You know, sometimes working too much does actually lead to de-“ Supergirl is cut short as she looks at Lena’s black turtleneck clad back in the dark office and sees her shoulders shaking. “Lena, is everything okay?”
“I ca-can’t,” Lena whispers.
“Can’t what? What’s wrong Lena?” Supergirls asks softly, approaching Lena slowly, her soft raven hair illuminated in the bright moonlight.
“I can’t beat him. Lex. I just-I can’t beat him. I am nothing compared to him,” the brunette haired woman whispers barely enough for even a human ear to catch.
“Lena,” Supergirl whispers quietly and she settles her right hand softly on Lena’s shoulder, silently pleading for Lena to turn around.
In all the years Kara had known Lena, she had never seen her this defeated. The Daxamite invasion, her mother dying, even Jack dying. Even though Lena had her demons and insecurities, she never let them settle because she refused to allow them time to settle. She never had time.
But at this point, Lena was consumed in the failure and despair that Lex has cast upon her. And it perplexed Kara, that someone so strong, so intelligent, so beautiful, could crumble to the ground. Someone who allowed Kara to be consumed with such a fierce love with just one look at her. And for Lena to crumble because she thought she was a failure? To believe she was nothing? That angered Kara. It angered her to a point where the idea of crushing Lex under the heel of her boot sounded like the best idea of the century.
Kara would give anything for Lena to not hurt, to not suffer the years of fear, feeling like a failure, and manipulation that the Luthors had instilled in her beautiful heart and mind. If Kara could bend the rays of the sun and wrap Lena in them, she would.
Lena turned around, her beautiful emerald eyes now grey and beginning to well with unshed tears. “I’m not strong enough to beat him, at every turn, he’s outsmarted me one way or another every time Supergirl. I’ve had to push away everyone that I am close to to keep them safe, in fear that Lex would do something to hurt them.
“God, Sam, Ruby, James, and the worst, Kara! What would she think of me now? Just I just can’t beat him,” her eyelids slowly fluttered closed, as her shoulder sunk in defeat.
“Lena, look at me,” Supergirl says firmly as she removes her hand and brings it to Lena’s soft, smooth cheek. The feeling of Lena’s warm cheek brings and shiver down her spine that she tries to control. “You,” Supergirl begins, lifting Lena’s head,” are anything but nothing. Rao Lena, you are everything. You will be how we defeat Lex. The most I can do is punch him around a couple of times, that’s it. But you, you have something no else has. You have the mind and the courage to step up against your brother and outsmart him in the wittiest of ways and save this world.
“You, Lena, are everything, never forget that,” Supergirl says sternly as she dares Lena to say anything less of herself back.
Lena just stares at her with glistening eyes with her mouth slightly opened. Kara then takes notice that Lena’s heart is hammering away in her chest.
She then takes her left hand and caresses Lena’s other warm cheek. Her thumb softly caresses her cheekbones, causing Lena’s eyes to flutter closed. Supergirl does not miss the way her touch caused the brunette to shiver. Lena then brings her right hand and lays it over Supergirl’s left hand.
“Never let anyone tell you anything different, especially Lex but most importantly, never tell yourself that. You are more than enough Lee,” Supergirl takes both of her thumbs and rubs soft half circles on Lena’s cheeks.
At that last sentence, Lena’s emerald eyes shoot open in recognition. This has happened before. Lena can’t remember when but those six words and the soft hand caressing her skin that did things to her body she couldn’t explain. This has happened before. But not with Supergirl, it happened with Kara.
Kara? It couldn’t possibly be Kara.
Lena looked up to Supergirl, registering the way her blue eyes carried so much intensity and determination to make Lena hear her. This has happened before but with Kara.
Kara. The ultimate reason for which Lena had existed for this long. Kara, the ethereal being, that when she walked into a room where Lena was, Lena’s heart skipped not just a beat, but beats. The perfect epitome of what the sun would be if it was a person. It couldn’t be Kara.
“Lena?” Supergirl interrupts Lena’s thoughts, “did you hear me?” Lena refocuses on the deep, ocean blue of Supergirl-no, Kara’s eyes. “Yes,” Lena barely whispers. “I heard you.”
“I heard you K-,” Lena is cut off as Supergirl hurriedly turns her head to the right, her ear facing the window. Lena drops her perfectly manicured hand to her hip as Supergirl does the same with both of her hands.
“Lena, I have to-,” Supergirl is cut off as Lena is already nodding in understanding. “I’ll try to come back if it isn’t too late okay?”
Lena is only left with the sound of crimson red boots hurrying towards the balcony and the soft sweep of the wind. The brunette is still standing glued to the spot, ignoring the aching her black heels are causing her feet. She crosses her arms around her middle, her pink lips parted in denial and her emerald eyes contorted into hurt and sadness. It’s always been Kara.
How could Lena not have seen that?
The shiver in her spine remains as Lena reimagines the ghost of soft fingers that caressed her cheek less than a minute ago.
J’onn sighs as he breaks his concentration from his computer and paperwork.
“Have you checked the weather radars?”
“Yes,” Alex rolls her eyes, scarecrow feet increasing their length at the corner of her dark brown eyes. “Are there any signs of foreign gases or objects in the atmosphere?” J’onn questions again, removing his bifocals and laying them on the glasses table on top of some paperwork.
“No, I checked everything,” Alex annoyedly replies. J’onn sighs as he pushes his chair back and gets up. He slowly walks towards Alex.
“Alex, it’s 2 in the morning, go home and get some sleep,” the Martian tenderly says as he puts a hand on Alex’s leather clad shoulder. “I know what today is and I know it’s hard. But just go home and get some sleep and come back in the morning. I’m sure Maggie is worried about you being here so late anyway. Go home to your wife and child Alex,” J’onn finished sternly.
Alex looks down solemnly. “I really miss them J’onn. I’ve tried to keep the hope and believe they would come back to us but year after year goes by and…” the brunette trails off, releasing a sigh to keep her emotions at bay, disregarding her and J'onn's current no-talking status.
“I miss them too. I believe that if they are still out there, they’re trying their hardest to get back,” J’onn replies softly. “I believe tha-,” J’onn is swiftly cut off by an alarm sounding off through both the hallway and debriefing room. J’onn and Alex both look to each other with hardened looks before turning to head to the control center of the DEO.
As they arrive, Brainy already has an ipad in his hand and is watching the screen aboves. All the screens join to create a large map of National City. But what confuses J’onn and Alex are the random red dots that are scattered around the city. “Brainy, what are we dealing with?” Alex questions, her voice and body switching into director mode. Brainy turns to Alex and J’onn, clicking away on the iPad in his hand.
“Apparently, there a significant amount of temporal anomalies that randomly appear then disappear around National City. There’s especially a significantly large one that is centered in the west quadrant of the city. I have yet to find a cause, but it appears nothing has breached through them yet.”
“Well, let’s hope they stay that way. Brainy, send out a dispatch message to teams alpha, bravo, charlie, and delta and call James, I want someone out there with me that I can fully trust,” Alex orders. J’onn scowls at Alex’s last sentence.
“Yes ma’am,” Brainy awkwardly squeaks, already exiting away from the tension between Alex and Hank.
“Alex, go home. I can deal with this,” J’onn angrily turns in front Alex, blocking her from leaving. “J’onn, I appreciate. I really do. But it’s a coincidence that this is happening on this exact day. Something is going on, I feel it in my gut,” Alex passionately prods to finger to her stomach, emphasizing her point.
“I’m going,” the brunette director says, walking around J’onn and hurriedly down the busy corridor. As Alex hurriedly makes her way to the armory, the comm in her ear buzzes and Alex quickly double taps it.
“Alex, I’m on my way to the DEO. What’s going on? Brainy called and told me to get there ASAP,” James’s deep, voice rings into Alex’s right ear.
“I think it could be Kara.”