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It was a perfect summer evening, ever warm with clear, dark skies. A slight breeze blew through, cool enough to provide relief from the heat of the day that still radiated from the concrete throughout the city. Tonight, upon an exquisite rooftop garden in National City, reserved specifically for a private party of certain elite circles, patrons found themselves enjoying each other's company. A live jazz band played in one corner, situated upon a stage decorated with various flora. Delectable hors d'oeuvres and glasses of champagne and wine were catered by the roaming wait staff, apt to provide every guest with a serving, and tasked so that they never leave them wanting. Varied clusters of well-dressed people mingled among themselves, laughing, chatting, conversing about politics and common business interests, or simply just relaxing. For a certain group of women, the latter was certainly the case.
"Gosh, I still feel so lucky to be friends with you guys. I mean, I'd never be invited to things like this otherwise," Kara said with awe as she stared all around her.
"Except if you were a certain superhero," Lena winked.
"Well, yea, of course, but then I'd never be able to enjoy it like this. I'd be the center of attention and well...not being a celebrity does have its advantages sometimes."
"Truer words were never spoken," Lena smiled. "Cheers."
Kara raised her glass up and tapped her glass against Lena's, sporting her typical award winning smile.
"Cheers!"
They were temporarily interrupted by one of the wait staff who happened to come upon them with a tray of finger food. Kara's eyes went wide and happily helped herself to more than her fair share of servings. The man didn't judge, and only gave her a smile of pleasure at being able to provide one of his guests with something that delighted them. Lena raised a brow at her friend, which signaled Kara to halt her appetite, at least until the next round came. Mouth and hands full, Kara smiled with squirrel stuffed cheeks and nodded to the man. He then acknowledged her with a similar nod and took his leave.
"Kara, sweetie, you really need to hold back a bit while in public," Lena joked.
It took a while to respond since she was happily chewing her food. When she finally swallowed that round, she answered.
"But Lena! Those were potstickers! Or like...something that looked them, but...," she moaned with pleasure, "these are sooo much better!" She immediately stuffed her mouth with the ones she still had left in her hands.
Lena couldn't help but laugh whole-heartedly at Kara's authentic enjoyment in the simple pleasures of food.
"So, where'd Alex disappear to?" Kara asked, as she gulped some of the champagne to wash down the hors d'oeuvres.
"She said she was going down to the lobby to fetch Sam. She should be here any— oh, there they are."
Kara looked to follow Lena's gaze and watched as the two made their way through the crowd. Sam had her hand hooked around the crook of Alex's arm.
"Lena," Sam started as they approached them. "You didn't tell me you'd be sending down a fine escort," she said flirtatiously, causing Alex to blush.
"Mmmm, but she did request to come get you herself. She felt like it would be a noble thing to do. Isn't that right, darling," she responded, leaning in close to peck Alex on the cheek, making the woman blush further.
"I um...I just volunteered. You know, to um...to make sure you found us okay." Her cheeks turned a tinge darker as her ears burned hot. She tugged at the collar of her shirt, incidentally loosening her tie a bit to let the heat of her body escape.
Kara chuckled at her flustered sister.
"Alex, you need to reel in the panic a bit, we're all just friends. Though, if I didn't know better, I'd peg you as a type of womanizer with two fine ladies on you," she teased.
"Kara!" Alex exclaimed, redder now than she was with the other comments, causing them all to laugh.
"Your bespoke suit does add to your dashing and handsome look, Alex," Sam teased, as she tugged her closer. "I wouldn't mind being your arm candy for the evening."
"Sammy, don't get any ideas. The Director here, is mine. Isn't that right, love?" Claiming her girlfriend, she leaned into the other side of Alex, slipping one arm behind her, around her waist, then draped the other one across Alex's chest; her hand landing on the opposing shoulder.
Alex curled her lips into her mouth, biting on them in embarrassment as her eyes darted to the floor. Kara couldn't help but continue to poke fun at her sister.
"Oh come on, Alex, you're cute. Admit it. You do love them both, don't you?" she continued to tease, grinning brightly.
Alex's eyes shot up to Kara with a glare. She hated being put out like that, but did secretly enjoy having both attractive women by her side.
"C'mon, smile. Ohhh, wait," Kara said, fumbling for her phone. "Lemme get a shot of you three. You all look amazing."
With Lena and Sam pressed up close to her, angling themselves for the photo, Alex managed to put her mock anger away and relax, smiling into the camera.
"Rao, you guys look great together," she said, admiring the photo before showing it to her friends.
"Kara, make sure you send that to me," Sam insisted.
"Same," Lena said, before tugging Alex away. "Now, if you ladies don't mind, I'll be stealing her for a while," she smirked.
"Lucky woman," Sam teased, smirking back at her friend.
"Don't I know it," she grinned, before pulling Alex away towards the the quieter side of the roof.
On the way over, they picked up a few flutes of champagne, then sat on a concrete bench, surrounded by perfectly shaped topiaries in varying artistic shapes and sizes that peppered the landscape, providing a few areas of privacy.
"So much better," Alex sighed in relief. It still was always a challenge for her to be in a very formal setting with other guests who have more political power and financial backing than she ever had. Most times, the atmosphere just felt so fake and suffocating.
Lena placed her glass down on the bench, then scooted closer to Alex, twisting the woman towards her so that she could adjust her loosened tie.
"You do look quite stunning tonight, love," she said as she twisted the silk knot back into place. She then slid her hand across the top of Alex's chest and down her arm.
"You're the stunning one," Alex adored. Her eyes fixated on Lena's green eyes that glowed vividly in the moonlight.
"Always the charmer," Lena responded coyly.
She raised her hand to the back of Alex's neck to pull her into a short, but heartfelt kiss. When they pulled away, Alex slid her hand over to Lena's and held it; their fingers intertwined.
"I just feel so lucky to have you," Alex admitted. "I honestly never thought I'd ever get the chance to be with 'The Lena Luthor,'" she chuckled. "I mean, never in a million years would I have thought that someone like you would've ever noticed me, not to mention think that I'd be worthy enough to be considered their girlfriend...," she said slightly ducking her head from embarrassment.
Lena tilted her head in adoration, then lifted Alex's chin with her fingers.
"Alex, look at me. You need to stop selling yourself short. How couldn't I have fallen for you? You're strong, brave, brilliant and beautiful. If anything, it's me who should feel lucky."
"Lena..." The downward pitch of her tone indicated her high disregard for the unnecessary flattery.
"I'm serious," she responded, as she placed her hand on Alex's cheek to bring their faces closer. "Knowing that I was lucky enough to snag you away from all those other ladies you've been seeing, makes me feel one of a kind," she finished before kissing her once more. "You're mine, Alex Danvers, and it makes me feel very special to be able to say it."
Alex grinned as their foreheads touched. Eventually, Lena's words fed her confidence and she snaked her arm around Lena's waist to pull her towards her, removing any distance between them. Alex kissed her passionately. She led the kiss with a hungered mouth, with every underlying touch of her lips and tongue deepening the feeling behind it. That intimate moment they shared was so enthralling and so perfect, that it nearly pulled the words, "I love you," from the depth's of Alex's heart. However, it was left lodged in her throat. She knew that saying them was too soon. Reluctantly, she whispered out a meek substitute.
"I'm happy to be yours."
At the sound of those words, Lena smiled happily into their kiss before pulling away, but didn't get too far. At some point, Alex's hand had made its way onto Lena's cheek, cupping it softly and keeping her close. Her thumb brushed gently across her fair skin, and the look of adoration in Alex's eyes and smile, was enough to make Lena blush. She did feel lucky. Damn lucky.
"Come on, let's return back to the party before they start wondering where we went off to."
Alex nodded and stood, but not before stealing one last kiss. After doing so, she offered her hand to Lena to help her up. Lena smiled at the gesture.
"You are quite chivalrous, Director, I'll give you that. And that alone makes it quite easy for a woman to fall for you," she teased, as she took Alex's hand to stand, then slipped it into the crook of her girlfriend's arm.
Alex smiled bashfully at the compliment.
As they walked back towards the center of the crowd, they spotted their friends speaking to another couple who they couldn't identify by their backs. Sam noticed them over the shoulders of the others and winked. Lena smiled in return.
"I love Sam," she started. "but if she ever tries to steal you away, you better believe I'll be the first in line to deal with her."
Lena's voice was playful, but Alex definitely believed that there was some truth to those words. She had to admit, that she felt flattered at Lena's possessiveness.
When they finally approached the group, it didn't take much time before Alex recognized the voice of the man whose back faced her. He picked up on the shift of Kara's stare and turned around. One look and Alex cringed internally. That ever present, smug grin was not one that Alex wished to see again.
"Agent Danvers!" the man grinned, then reached out to take Alex's hand and kiss the back of it. "It's been quite some time," he said with a slight head tilt and squint of his eyes, as he looked her up and down. "Never pegged you as the suit wearing kind of gal. I prefer the look of a dress and heels on a woman such as yourself. I do recall how stunning you looked in them," he winked.
Alex stayed quiet, displeased even, with annoyance in her eyes. She wasn't too keen on seeing him there, nor hearing his usual flirtatious comments again, considering the history of their involvement together. Their odd relationship constantly toggled back and forth between friends and enemies, and the more they worked together, the more irritating she found him to be. His hubris became increasingly difficult to overlook, and constantly got in the way. She was just about to respond with a smart-ass remark, when Lena quickly intervened and tugged Alex back slightly to give her enough room to slip herself between the two of them.
"Lena Luthor," she introduced, offering her hand.
"Ah, the infamous Lena Luthor," he greeted, as he took her hand.
He was about to raise it to kiss it as well, but she quickly turned her hand sideways and shook his instead. Firmly. He scoffed in amusement before continuing.
"I've heard so much about you. Brilliant and ravishing. Though, those words fail to describe you. You far exceed their definition. Especially while standing in your presence."
Alex was already more than irritated with him, but his attempts to praise Lena with his flirtatious ways, nearly brought her over the edge. She was about to step forward, but Sam held her back, discretely grabbing at her arm. She gave Alex a silent look to calm down. Giving a slight raise of her brow and a tilt of her head, Alex nodded in understanding. Sam knew Lena dealt with men like him before, and her look to Alex was to urge her to just watch and see how she handled him.
"Maxwell Lord. Brilliant and charming. Though, I'd say those words fail to meet the even the bare minimum of what I'd describe you in person," she countered with a dry tone.
Sam bit her lips, trying to contain her amusement, while Kara had to cover up her mouth to do the same. Alex smirked, then relaxed her stance. Lena would be fine after all.
"Ouch, quite a harsh statement, Ms. Luthor. And what pray tell have I done to earn such contempt?"
"Enough," she said sternly as she crossed her arms and stood in her usual power pose.
"Hmmm," he responded playfully. "Well, then I shouldn't waste any more of your time. Wouldn't want to make an enemy out of a Luthor," he quipped.
"Wise choice."
"Hmph," he said with that infamous smug look he was always known to wear. "I shall take my leave, but not before I finish what I came here to do."
"And what's that?" Lena countered.
"That, is no concern of yours, Ms. Luthor. But if you must know, I sought out to speak with Agent Danvers," he said, throwing a wink to Alex over Lena's shoulder.
Gritting her teeth, the gesture only further added to the high amount of disregard she now held him in, and infuriated her more.
"I believe you mean, Director Danvers," she corrected sternly with almost a low growl.
Max's eyes lit up, ignoring the bite of her tone.
"Oh is it now? My apologies then."
He nodded slyly to Lena, then squeezed his way past her to come face-to-face with Alex once more.
"I have a proposition, Director. A moment of your time?" He smiled then raised his arm for her to take.
Alex planted her feet and raised her brow at him, while crossing her arms.
"Oh, come now, for old time's sake? I promise, what I have to say will interest you greatly."
Alex sighed. She knew full well that anything that Maxwell Lord had in mind was usually something that she didn't approve of, or was highly skeptical and suspicious about. It had been a long time since their last interaction, and though he had kept up his end of the bargain to keep their secrets safe and not interfere with DEO business, it still bothered Alex that he was there with an agenda in mind. Much to her chagrin, she accepted his offer and took his arm.
"Thank you, Alex," he said with a friendly disposition. Calling over his shoulder, he said, "I'll return her once we're done. Pleasure to see you all." He smirked at Lena then turned back and stole Alex away, far from her friends.
"I despise him," Lena finally breathed.
"Most people do," Kara frowned.
"How well do they know each other?"
"Good. I guess? They worked a lot together in the past. Even went on dates," Kara said, scrunching her face up at the distasteful thought.
"Dates?"
Lena's tone was skeptical, unbelieving that Alex would willingly go out with a man like him. Kara sensed more to it though, knowing how Lena occasionally felt threatened by ex loves. When she was with James, Lucy was a problem. And when she first got with Alex, Maggie was too.
"Don't worry, Lena. The dates weren't really dates. They were work related," she shrugged. "At least that's what J'onn told me."
"That so...," she responded, curious. "And Alex...she claimed the same?"
"Um...yea? I think so. I mean, it was over a year ago and...I don't recall her ever saying she enjoyed them."
Sam handed Lena a drink and placed her hand on her shoulder.
"Relax Lena. She'll be fine. Alex doesn't seem quite fond of him, and she can definitely kick his ass to the moon if he tried anything. And besides, if he does do anything, you won't be the only one in line ready to smack the living shit out of him. The guy bothers me. When you two were gone and he came over to start talking to us, I was ready to throw my drink in his damn face. Arrogant prick."
Lena chuckled at feeling the strengthening grip on her shoulder. Her friend was getting too worked up. Ironic, considering she was the one originally trying to calm her down. She patted Sam's hand. With that touch, Sam broke free of that thought and caught on to how she was starting to overreact. Catching each other's eyes, they giggled in unison. It helped to calm Lena down, but her concerns were kept fresh in the back of her mind.
Max led Alex towards same direction Lena had earlier, in hopes to get away from the crowd. However, as soon as they got closer to the space she and Lena had just been at before, Alex hastily took control and led Max into a different corner. Somehow, sharing the same space for two distinct types of interactions felt weird to her, especially when those two people contrasted so much.
"Okay, Max," Alex said, stopping them in a secluded section of the rooftop garden. "What do you want?"
"Can't a guy just have a conversation with an old friend?"
"Friend?" Alex scoffed. "There's many things I consider you, Max. A friend is far from any of them."
"Oooo," he mocked, waving his open hands around her. "Still holding a grudge against me? After all this time?" His tone was smooth and inviting as he stepped closer to her.
Alex wasn't having any of it. She stuck out her hand, his chest coming in contact with it, stilling his movements. He managed a quick tilt of his head as his eyes narrowed at her. Alex only stared back harshly.
"After everything you did to my sister, to Supergirl, and to me? You bet your ass I'm still holding grudges against you. And you're lucky I'm not throwing you off this damn roof."
Max grinned and took a step back.
"So violent, Alex," he teased. "But, I wouldn't have expected otherwise. It's why I like you so much. You're not quite like the other women I've met before."
"Cut the crap. Your smooth talking isn't going to buy my friendship, or my trust."
He huffed and finally relented.
"Very well. I'll get to it then. I'm here to request your assistance. I have a...mission for you. For us, really. And before you say anything, hear me out."
He sighed and started to pace away from her, then turned back.
"There's someone who I've considered competition for quite some time. As of recent, he's now become quite an enemy of mine."
"I'm not killing anyone for you, Max."
Max chuckled. "I hadn't thought of that. That option does sound more appealing..."
Alex rolled her eyes, causing a half smile to form on his face.
"Anyway, he planted a mole in my company. I just recently found out that they had stolen a valuable piece of my research. I'm not going to explain to you how much I'd love for you to kill them both for ridiculing me like that, but I'm trying to take the higher road. What I'm asking is that you be my undercover partner to try to salvage my data, destroy any evidence of it in their company, and expose them as criminals. Now, I know you're going to huff and roll your eyes at this, but here's the thing. I know what they're planning on doing with the data. They're building something. The details of which, I don't have quite figured out. But, from what I have uncovered, it's not good. If they succeed with their plans, National City is going to be in a world of hurt, and it'll for sure be a huge problem for your agency, Director."
Alex crossed her arms, staring straight at Max as if she was searching for any hint of malicious intent. In the meantime, she was slowly trying to comprehend it all.
"You need my help to sabotage your competitor, claiming it's in my best interest? Sounds like a lot of bull to me."
"Alex," he said, as he inched closer. "Look, believe me or not, I've had some...recent experiences that led me to realize that um...," he pursed his lips and looked up at the sky, as if some omnipotent being would provide him with the words that strangled his voice. After a second, he continued. "It made me realize that my ways haven't been the most...responsible, and have been quite selfish. I'm trying to change that."
"Wow. Big words, Max. You're really going to play the 'I'm-trying-to-change-please-forgive-me' card? That's...that sounds desperate, even for you," Alex taunted.
"I'm serious, Alex," he said, his tone much firmer with all the playfulness in his expressions no longer present. "It's not easy for me to say this, clearly. And I'm doing my best. Let's just say, that since we last spoke, I've had a major change of heart about how I approach things."
Alex noticed the shift in Max's tone, and although she didn't trust him, she swore she felt the sincerity of his words. She mentally cursed herself for being too forgiving of people; a trait she attributed to Kara's constant lecturing of how everyone deserved another chance.
"Fine. Let's say I believe you. I still need proof. I don't just randomly offer my services to partake in illegal crimes without proper backing."
"I figured you'd say as much. Here's an encrypted thumb drive containing everything you need to know, and everything I know of him and his research. It's big, Alex. I need your help to stop him. We save National City, and I get my data back. It's a win-win scenario."
"I'll review it."
"Thank you. I'll need your answer in the next 12 hours. Time is of the essence."
"Understood."
Max smiled and nodded his head before taking his leave. Alex stood there with the thumb drive in hand, staring at it as she contemplated the idea of working with Max once more. It wasn't often a man like him would reach out for help, and of all people, she never assumed he'd turn to her for it. All these actions made her think that there really was a significant threat at hand. She'd have to get the data to Winn immediately to discover what that was.
She walked back towards the crowd so deep in thought, that she was jostled by a stern grip on her arm.
"Alex? Are you alright? What happened back there?"
Alex looked into Lena's green eyes, and caught the worry in her look.
"I um...I'm fine. I just have to get back to the DEO."
"Now?" she said in surprise.
"Yea. I'm sorry. You guys can stay here and enjoy yourselves. I'll come by your place when I'm done."
She pressed a kiss on Lena's forehead and hurried towards the exit. Unsettled by her abrupt leave, Lena returned to her friends, bothered. Her thoughts stewing on what Max could have said or done to Alex. Part of her wanted to storm up to that smug bastard and force him to talk, but knew that she didn't want to cause a scene without having proper reasoning behind her actions. Annoyed, she decided that she'd wait until she was back with Alex, to question her further.
"Hey, Alex! You're fancy tonight," Winn said, as the well-dressed Director approached him.
"Yea, long story. Here," she said, tossing him the drive. "Decrypt this. I wanna know what's on it."
"Now?"
"Now."
After a few short minutes, Winn had decrypted the data and displayed the information on the screen. They both took a moment to read through it and decipher what it was they had come upon.
"Is this...is this for real?"
"Apparently. Guess Max was right after all."
"Max? As in, Max Lord?!"
"The one and only. I can't believe this...," she said with disbelief, her eyes still combing through the data. "We gotta stop this... Thanks Winn. I'll be in touch. Don't tell anyone about this. Understood?"
"You got it boss."
A short while later, Alex was found in a conference room, speaking to Max on the phone.
"Convinced, Director?"
"Yea. If everything shown there tells me what I'm assuming to be true—"
"It's true, Alex. Look, before you get all high and mighty about my research, know that what he's building, was never meant to be the intention of what that technology was to be used for."
"I don't have the luxury to debate your moral values right now, Max. What I want is to handle this as quick as possible. I'm having doubts in even giving you that data back. The better part of me wants to just wipe his whole entire system clean of everything."
"Ah, but you won't. Will you?"
"Dare me."
Max chuckled. "I won't. I know better. But know that if that is your plan, you won't get my help, nor will you have the other part of the information you need to execute any plan you may have to get to him. His...facility is quite sophisticated and it will take you some time to get to. You won't have the time."
"And you have all that?"
"At my disposal."
Alex sighed. "Fine. We'll do it your way, but we get access to the data as well. The DEO needs to keep this on hand for future reference."
"You'll have to talk to my lawyers about that."
"Whatever needs to be done."
"Then we have an understanding. I have everything in place. Two nights from now is when we move. I'll send you all the details. It will be a pleasure to have you as my date again, Alex." His tone was playful, and Alex swore she could see that same damn look on his face. That aside, she cringed at the idea of being Max's date. Lena wouldn't be pleased at all.
It was late that evening when Alex finally returned to Lena's apartment. On the couch, Lena was on her computer, nursing a glass of wine. She sat comfortably, having traded in her evening dress for a pair of loose cotton pants and oversized shirt. Alex walked over, admiring her soft form, but regretted not being able to partake in her change of attire.
"Hey babe," she said, as she fell onto the couch, inches beside her.
"Rough night?" Lena responded without taking her eyes off her screen; her fingers tapping across the keyboard.
"Yes and no. Just long. And unexpected."
"Everything alright?"
"Meh?" Alex shrugged her shoulders, not really knowing how to respond to that without talking about the mission.
Lena raised a brow at the nondescript answer. Peeking over her screen, she saw Alex flopped back against the couch cushion, her head facing the ceiling with her eyes closed. Lena closed the lid of her laptop and placed it on the floor, then sat up and placed her right hand on Alex's thigh.
"What's up, love?"
Alex opened her eyes and turned her head to Lena. A soft smile formed at the sight of her. She reached over with her left hand. Her thumb lightly smoothed out the crinkle between her brows.
"No need to furrow that hard, Lee. It's just another day at the DEO. It'll work out," she comforted.
Lena understood the need to be discreet when it came to DEO related topics, but it never meant that she liked being left in the dark. Especially when she felt in her gut, that it had to do with a certain tech billionaire.
She leaned into Alex's side, placing a chaste kiss to her lips. Her left hand slid over onto Alex's chest and took hold of her tie.
"Alex...," she said softly after breaking from the kiss.
Alex's eyes were still closed, but hummed questioningly in response. Lena pulled away and stared at her girlfriend's face. Fierce, protective Alex was alluring, but relaxed Alex was just so beautiful. Lena's heart swelled at the sight, once more feeling lucky to have someone like her. Not realizing how long she had been admiring her without finishing her sentence, Alex was prompted to speak. She could feel Lena's stare.
"Babe, what's up?" With her eyes still shut, she moved her right hand to gently grip Lena's, which still laid firmly on her thigh.
Returning her focus, she remembered what she wanted to say.
"Does any of this have to do with Maxwell Lord?" before finishing her sentence, Lena tugged a bit aggressively at Alex's tie, causing Alex's eyes to fly open at the unexpected, jarring motion.
She looked at Lena, immediately noticing that something was clearly bothering her.
"Um...I...," she stuttered, not knowing how much she could tell. She always felt like she was in a tight spot whenever Lena questioned anything related to her work, or rather, DEO specific business. But, considering he had approached them earlier that evening, she figured she could at least answer that part with sincerity.
"Yes," she finally managed to utter.
"What did he want?"
"I can't say. I'm sorry babe. Really. But, it's a DEO matter. I can't give that kind of information out freely. Even to you. I'm sorry."
Lena nodded in understanding before letting go of Alex's tie, knowing that she was right. It wasn't any of her business to pry into secret government dealings, despite having been part of it many times before, and even partnering with them more often than not. She decided to let it go, but was still very much bothered that Max Lord was involved.
"What's going on, Lee? Something's bothering you. I can tell. You're not hiding it very well."
"I don't trust him, Alex," Lena admitted. "Kara informed me of his dealings with the DEO. From what I gather, he's more foe than friend."
Her simplistic remark masked the real reason behind her concern. It was true that she didn't quite care for his past actions involving the Danvers duo, but the underlying and questionable relationship was more of what she dreaded.
Alex chuckled at her comment, knowing how true Lena's statement felt.
"He's had his moments, sure. But he claims that he's had a change of heart. That's why he approached me tonight. I wanna believe him. I felt it in his words. I mean, it'd be nice to not have to worry about him being an enemy anymore. The last thing I need is another highly brilliant mind, infatuated with some obsession that would make my life harder."
Alex threw her head back and shut her eyes again. She sighed heavily, unbelieving that she was actually defending him. Lena was as well.
"I just have to get through this mission and hope it pans out. Best case, Max holds his end of the deal and I can maybe start to look past his wrong doings. He's got a great mind. Truth be told, I admire his work and his vision, even though it's sometimes misguided. It'd be nice to really have someone like him working with us, with no hidden agenda behind them."
Lena turned fully in her seat to face Alex, and distanced herself as she did so.
"Go on, tell me what you really feel about Maxwell Lord." The sarcastic nature of the request also bore a hint of annoyance, which raised red flags in Alex's mind.
"I um...I did?" she responded dumbly, as she tilted her head with a questioning look on her face.
"The DEO has always had my support, Alex," she said defensively.
"I never questioned having your support. I never will. What's—"
"On a side note, L-Corp rivals Lord Technologies. It's not just opinion. It's fact. Our stock prices even reflect that."
"Um...yea...okay. That's...great?"
Alex was utterly confused at the direction of the conversation took, not quite picking up how it got there and why. The only thing she knew for sure, was that Lena was irritated at something. It was pretty evident in her tone and tense body language. However, the fact that Alex didn't pick up on how her comment practically compared the value of them both, made Lena even angrier.
"I'm going to bed."
"Lena?"
Without further response, Alex was left sitting on the couch, still baffled by the entire exchange, though feeling the urge to apologize. For what, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that it was going to be a long night.
Two days later and the time had come to enact on Max's plan. She had smoothed over the incident with Lena after realizing how sensitive she was about Max, and apologized for how her words had come out. She reiterated how appreciative she was of Lena's dedicated support to her and the DEO, and how she was just as valuable of a resource as Max. If not more. Alex picked up on the jealousy of her being compared like that, but was clearly unaware of the part of Lena's personal feelings which seemed to threaten her standing as her girlfriend.
Being that the mission was classified, and with Lena still fairly on edge around anything surrounding Max, Alex made to sure to keep most of the details of the mission secret, explaining her need to be away for the time being.
She stood in front of her mirror, checking out her outfit before letting out a sigh. She didn't mind going undercover most times, but doing so in a dress was never one she cared for. There were enough incidences where her outfit became a hindrance, slowing down her movements in times of crisis, that she had avoided dressing that way at all costs if she could. However, this time, she had no choice.
Max's details of the plan was clear. The man whose system they were infiltrating, was hosting a private party at his mansion. Unaware that Max knew of him stealing his data, he had invited Max, hoping to provide the illusion of "friendship". Knowing that he needed a way to distract the host, Max suggested to have Alex accompany him as his date. While he was occupied, Max would partner with Winn remotely, to hack into the man's system and obtain the data they needed. Max hoped that the plan would go smoothly. Worst case, if things went south, he'd at least felt comfortable in having a very capable agent on his side to help get them out of there.
"You look beautiful, Alex." he said, as she walked towards the limo.
She rolled her eyes but took the compliment. "Thanks. Not so bad yourself, Max."
He smiled in return, then entered the car, leaving for the venue. They went over the plan once more in detail, ready to get this over with as quickly as possible.
When they had gotten there, they started by mingling with the guests. Max schmoozed easily, as he was known to do, which was also fairly simple considering he already knew many of the others there. Alex once more became acquainted with folks outside her social circle, mentally thanking the fact that she'd had plenty of opportunities to practice speaking to these types of people at the various social gatherings Lena had taken her to. By the time Alex was introduced to the host, she was warmed up, ready to go. Much to her surprise though, she got along quite well with him. Like Max, he too was quite brilliant. She found many topics in common, enough to entertain them both. His charming nature was unlike the arrogance of Max, and for a moment, she even wondered about the ill intentions suspected of him. Putting her concerns aside for the time being, she continued her charade, all while listening quietly to the conversation happening over in her hidden earpiece.
"Agent Schott, I've planted the device as you've instructed. Tell me when you've gained access."
"Righto Max. Lemme see...alright...three layers of encryption...okay...," he said while tapping furiously on the keyboard. "Oh wow, who programmed this guy's security? This is child's play," he chuckled. "Alright, I'm in. Where to?"
"I know he's got a hidden office or lab, or something in this place. I need to know where to go."
"Okay. I'm checking to see for concentrated energy levels...BINGO! Okay, lemme overlap that with some blueprints...Got it. There should be a staircase hidden within the room down the corridor. I'm taking the cameras offline. Alright, you're good to go."
Alex continued to engage the host, easily keeping focus on both sets of conversation at the same time. Truth be told, she wished she wasn't currently in the process of infiltrating this guy's system, or on this mission really, because she was truly enjoying speaking to him. After some time, she overheard them speak once more.
"Alright, Schott. I've hacked into his lab and found the data. Any alerts on your side?"
"Nada. I've fully cloaked your presence. No one knows you're there and what you've done."
"Good. Any backup systems I should be wary of?"
"Hm...I'm sure he's got them somewhere...oh..."
"Oh?"
"It's off-site. Looks like the same type of infiltration is needed to get to that server as well...I'm trying to see if I can bypass it, but the security there is much more sophisticated. There might be more stuff there to guard. I—"
"I'm in. I'm wiping the data as we speak."
"What?! How? I couldn't even—"
"You're not the only tech guru on this mission. I hacked into it through this system's mainframe. They're connected, so I had local access to processes that aren't available remotely. I hijacked them and reverse engineered it. Anyway, almost done here..."
"Well...yea...I...damn, why didn't I think of that..."
"Alright. Clear. Anything else on your end?"
"Nope. All clear. I'll reset everything back to normal once you're out of there."
"Understood. Alex, I'm headed back. I'll rendezvous at your location, then, it's your turn."
Alex noted her signal, and started to wind down her conversation with the host. Her phone rang on cue, and she excused herself momentarily.
"Heya, sis!" Winn said on the other line.
"Hey, what's up?" she asked, pretending to act concerned.
After a short while, she returned back, explaining to the man how she just got an emergency call from her brother, who was beyond worried about their mother falling ill, and required her leave immediately. Without much suspicion, he nodded and gave his condolences, then thanked her for a lovely conversation. Max arrived just in time, getting word from Alex about the "sudden change of plans". He nodded, then turned to say his goodbyes. Before they knew it, they were back in the limo, done with the evening's mission.
"That went quite smoothly," Max smirked.
"Very," Alex said, surprised. "Got everything you needed?"
"Every last bit."
"Good. You know we'll still need a copy of that, right?"
Max chuckled. "I know. Don't worry. I plan on keeping my end of the bargain."
"I'd hope so."
Max noticed the doubt in Alex's tone.
"What is it?"
"I just find it hard to believe that that guy was building such a destructive weapon. I don't picture him as a terrorist at all. He's...I dunno. I just didn't pick up any of those vibes from him."
"So instead, you doubt me."
"Surprised?"
"Never. Not by you at least," he laughed. "He's got that going for him though. He's quite good at manipulation and covering his secrets. It took me a while to even figure out that it was him behind it all. Trust me though. He's the bad guy, Alex. Not me. Here," he said, handing her a small device.
Alex took the thumb drive from Max and quickly placed it in her purse.
"That contains everything. Copy it and return it back to me. I'm trusting you to keep your end of the bargain of letting me keep the data. I'm offering you the chance to do it at your leisure, without my presence. I hope that's trust enough for you."
"It's a start."
Max chuckled again. "I do miss working with you Alex. I would hope that by the time this is all over, we'd see eye-to-eye again. We do make quite a good team."
"Your flattery gets you nowhere, Max. I barely did anything but drink and schmooze. I hardly lifted a finger to help you."
"On the contrary, your trust and confidence in me, granted me access to Agent Schott and some proprietary technology belonging to your agency, which allowed me to successfully infiltrate his system. Not to mention, you kept him happily occupied so that he didn't even suspect a thing. You did more than you think."
"Mmmm...perhaps you're right."
"I am," he said smugly. "Now, considering we're both already dressed up. How about I take you out for a drink? A celebration of our victory."
"I'm going to have to kindly decline that offer. Thanks though."
"I promise there won't be any snail eggs this time," he joked, causing Alex to wince and shudder at the memory.
"I still can't believe you fed that to me," she laughed.
"It's a delicacy. There's a reason it's priced the way it is," he smirked.
"Uh huh. Yea, no thanks. I'll take cheap beer, or a slice of pizza over that."
Max laughed. "Noted. The next time, I'll take you to a casual bar. My treat."
"As great as that sounds, I'll pass on that too."
"Oh come on, Alex. How are we to be friends if I can't take you out?"
Alex side-eyed him. "Friends, huh?"
"I'd like us to start there."
"I'll keep you in my good graces, Max. But friends is all we'll ever be. If it even gets to that point."
"I do love a challenge."
Alex shook her head. "Clearly, you haven't changed much."
"Mmmm..no. Not entirely. But what I said to you was true. I am trying to be a better man. Though I suppose my advances are being thwarted by a certain, Lena Luthor."
Alex grinned knowingly. "And you would suppose right."
"She's a very lucky woman."
"As am I."
Max had Alex dropped off back at her apartment, once more thanking her for her help. She nodded and headed inside, quite pleased in the way the evening had turned out, and relieved to know that so far, Max held true to his word and appeared to be honest in his intentions to be better. Time would tell, but at least there was a hint of progress. She smiled to herself as she put her key into the lock, unlatched the door and entered her apartment. She stopped suddenly, surprised at an unexpected figure in the room.
"Lena?" She turned to see the woman comfortably sitting on her couch, watching a documentary.
Upon hearing her name, she paused the show and looked over at Alex.
"What uh...what're doing here?"
"I came to see if you'd eaten dinner yet. I tried calling but couldn't get a hold of you. I just figured I'd stop by and surprise you. Though...I'd have to say, looking at how you're dressed, I'm the one left surprised."
"Oh...I um...I had that mission. I was undercover."
"With Max?" she said as she walked over to her.
"Yea. It was his plan after all."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you? Tell you what, exactly? I can't tell you about my missions, Lee. We've gone over this already."
"No. Why didn't you tell me that Max would be with you?"
"Same difference?"
"Not quite," she said sternly. Her arms were now crossed over her chest.
"Look. A, he was literally part of the mission. I couldn't tell you that. I can't afford to jeopardize anything involving these types of things. And B, I know how much you dislike him. I didn't want to cause any more friction by bringing him up in the conversation. It'd be pointless anyway. We worked together, we got the job done, successfully by the way, and now it's over."
Lena looked her over, relaxing her stance. As annoyed as she was, she couldn't really help the fact that Alex looked stunning in her black dress. It was more than distracting. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Alex's waist, pulling her into a deep kiss. It was rough. There was the hard press of their lips and the tight hold around Alex hips. The affection was more out of want; the act backed purely by Lena's claim for possession. Once they parted for air, Alex searched Lena's eyes. She knew that something was wrong.
"Lee?"
The softness of her voice nearly cracked Lena. Tears threatened to fall, but she maintained her hold on them. Though, the slightly misty look that clouded her eyes, had Alex concerned.
"Hey, hey..." Alex wrapped her arms around Lena and pulled her in tightly, letting the woman's head rest comfortably on her chest. "What's wrong, Lee?"
Hoping to hide her insecurity, Lena chuckled softly in response. "I just...I guess I'm not used to seeing you so dressed up like this anymore. You fancy suits, which makes you very handsome, and I love it by the way, but I haven't seen you in a dress in a while. Darling...you're breathtaking."
Alex held her even tighter. "Thank you. Honestly, I really do prefer wearing suits. Now that I do, dresses just seem less comfortable. I wouldn't even have worn this tonight if Max hadn't—"
Alex abruptly stopped mid-sentence, finally putting the pieces together. She regretted having said that last sentence, realizing even more that it was a problem, when Lena's hold around her waist mimicked that of a death grip. Alex had to practically pry her off.
"Lena. Baby, please look at me," she said. Her hands holding onto Lena's shoulders.
It took a second, but Lena reluctantly raised her eyes, meeting Alex's.
"Baby, I love you," she finally admitted. It was a long time coming, and somehow, now seemed like the perfect time to affirm her feelings for her. "I really do. And I get it now. I get why you've been so upset about Max. I'm sorry that I didn't pick up on it sooner."
Alex moved her hands, cupping them around Lena's jaw.
"I'm yours, Lena. Only yours. You don't have to worry about Max. I swear. There wasn't nor will there ever be, anything between he and I. I love you."
Alex then stepped closer, pressing a loving kiss on her lips. It was slow, soft and tender. The caressing touch was heartfelt; a reassurance of her love. Lena melted into it and threaded her arms through Alex's hold, to wrap hers around Alex's neck to pull her towards her. In between their breaths, Alex reiterated those words once more.
"I love you Lena. Only you. Only yours."
Alex felt a trail of tears reach her hands. She brushed them away gently with her thumbs, then lowered her arms to place them behind Lena. One held the small of her back, while the other held onto the back of her neck. She pulled Lena in, enveloping the woman in a deep embrace, close enough to feel each other's pounding heartbeats in their chests. She knew Lena held onto her own insecurities, and understood that a lot of it stemmed from her being betrayed, resulting in her fear of losing of someone she loved, and constantly worried about being alone. Alex also knew that the minute she started dating Lena, it became her responsibility to prove to her that she was worth loving. In doing so, Alex vowed to continue to do her best to reassure Lena of how much she meant to her, and how she'd never leave her side.
"I love you, Lena," she said once more; the words flowing out easier and easier each time.
"I love you too, Alex. So much."
Alex continued to hold her close, relieved to hear the same words spoken back. She stood there, willing to hold her tight, until those words sank in. Until Lena believed her. She wanted to be Lena's. Forever.