Chapter Text
"Trouble on my left, trouble on my right
I been facing trouble almost all my life"
Trouble, by Cage the Elephant
***
Lena is frowning in concentration, her eyes scanning the nearest computer screen as she tries to make sense of Brainy’s radiation readings. Eliza and Alex stand beside her, also completely concentrated on the numbers and graphics, now that they have managed to stabilize Brainy’s vitals.
They’ve been working on it for quite some time now, discussing eventual observations and theories in low voices as the rest of the group stands a safe distance from them, just waiting.
For Kara, watching Lena work from so close is considerably new. When they worked together before, she was usually out in the field fighting or investigating something or someone while Lena worked inside the DEO’s labs.
But now the outside world seems to be out of danger and the only thing Kara, J’onn, M’gann, Nia and Kelly can do for now is stand by and wait for instructions from the three women who might have just saved Brainy’s life.
Kara shudders at the memory of J’onn flying inside Lena’s lab, carrying an unconscious Brainy after he and Nia found him half-dead. She folds both arms across her stomach, as if to hold herself and refrain the thoughts.
- Are you alright?
J’onn’s voice has Kara turning to look at him with an anguished face.
- I’m trying not to freak out, but… things are not great.
He rubs her shoulder in a soothing gesture.
- Brainy is safe for now and we have National City’s finest scientists working on getting him back on his feet.
- Yeah…
She feels nervous for Brainy, sure, but she also hates how a day of victory suddenly became a gathering beside a med bed, while Nia prays to every entity she’s ever known of, asking for Brainy to wake up.
Kara can hear her murmuring agonized pleas, repeating over and over that she can’t live with the feeling of letting someone die like that.
How did things escape her control like this?
- I still don’t understand how he got rid of Leviathan alone - says Kara. - We have to be missing something.
- And he found Leviathan’s headquarters - M’gann adds.
As if summoned by their discussion, Nia leaves her seat and joins them as well.
- I should’ve dreamed about that too - she says in a defeated tone, looking down at her hands.
- Hey - Kara tries, wrapping an arm around Nia’s shoulders. - You’re the reason we ever got him out in time.
- It could still be too late - she murmurs in response.
It must be quite a sight, Kara thinks. Two superheroes, in their supersuits, crying over a friend that they couldn’t save.
So much for saving the world from Leviathan tonight.
Still, she tries to be more positive, even if only to abate Nia’s suffering.
- We know he was exposed to some kind of weird radiation at Leviathan’s headquarters, but Lena and Alex reprogrammed the MRI machine, right? They’ll rid his body of the radiation and then Eliza will figure out how we can help him - Kara tries to reassure her, but Nia is shaking her head in defeat.
- If only I’d given my attention to the right things…
Kara wants to calm her somehow, but she relates too much to the feeling. She should have guessed Lex would take advantage of Leviathan’s power. She should have known to focus her attention on what really matters.
Instead, she’d sit by playing the angry reporter and falling into Lex’s every trap as Supergirl.
And what’s the point of being all powerful if you can’t see what is right in front of you? If you can’t even protect the people you love most?
- We got it - Alex announces, breaking the silence before it gets unbearable. She strides to the others and adds: - Lena’s machine worked and Brainy’s readings seem normal again. Mom will focus on the rest now.
Thank Rao for Lena.
- What now? - Kara asks, suddenly energized by the news.
- We wait - Lena answers from behind Alex. Eliza and her come closer to the rest of the group so they can give more details about Brainy’s situation. - We don’t know what happened to his organs exactly so we need to watch closely and help his functionalities work again.
- From what I’ve seen so far, some of the inner organs are seriously damaged, even if there wasn’t any apparent physical injury - Eliza continues. - I still need to research a lot more about Brainy’s system, but I think he’s safe from danger now. It should give us a few more hours to understand his body.
- He’s techno organic - Nia informs, like that isn’t a wide known fact, and Kara can only tighten her hold around her friend’s shoulders.
- As far as we could assess, his AI nature wasn’t damaged - Lena goes on, giving Nia a sympathetic look.
Kara hasn’t really processed what today’s events mean to her friendship with Lena, but she does appreciate her softness with Nia, the way Lena’s voice comes out tender and calm.
She also takes note of Lena’s hunched shoulders, the way her eyelids flutter with exhaustion. Kara recognizes these signs as the indications that Lena is too exhausted to function, but still too wired to make herself rest. She used to see them on display whenever Lena worked long weeks to resolve some especially frustrating matter at L Corp.
Back then, Kara had been convinced that overworking herself was Lena’s way to punish herself for not being perfect, and she wonders if that’s what is driving Lena right now as well.
- But his organic part suffered terribly - Lena is telling the others -, so, even with the radiation gone, we can’t assume his organs will heal on their own.
- Unless that’s one of his powers - Kelly interjects.
- Not that we know of.
They all look at J’onn, waiting for him to continue.
- I mean, he is tougher than an average human. Maybe he heals faster, too, but it doesn’t mean we can just put him under sunlamps and wait.
There’s silence for a while, then Eliza’s firm voice rips through it:
- I’ll stay here and search for any sorts of treatment that can help him heal - she guarantees. - You all need to rest. It’s been a long day.
- I can stay too - J’onn offers immediately. - In case you need any help here.
Kara wants to offer the same, but she really hates just standing by, waiting for something bad to happen. On the other hand, she still feels too buzzed to sleep anytime soon, so...
- Before anyone goes home - Lena starts, interrupting Kara’s thoughts. - I told Eve and her mother to spend the night here. We should probably come up with a plan in the morning.
- A plan? - Kara repeats, confused. She had forgotten about Eve for the past two hours or so, as they were all engrossed in discussing Brainy’s case.
- Well, as far as Lex knows she didn’t betray him and she’s still afraid for her mother - Lena explains, looking uncertainly to everyone else.
- Except that Supergirl vanished with the woman hours ago - Alex points out.
- Yes, and that’s why we need to gather all the information she has on him before she inevitably decides to run away from all of this.
- I’ll keep an eye on her - J’onn is the first to answer.
Kara merely watches as Lena gives him a firm nod of appreciation. Part of her wonders if Lena isn’t keeping Eve close as part of some kind of revenge. She did seem pretty surprised when Alex said Eve’s name earlier that day.
- So Brainy stopped Leviathan? - Lena asks the group.
- According to my vision, yes - says Nia.
- I'm not sure how to tell you this, so I'll just say it - she gulps, and Kara can hear her heart racing before she adds: - I found out that Brainy was working with Lex a couple of months ago.
And it’s not a betrayal, right? Lena didn’t owe it to them to come tell them anything about Brainy.
Still, Kara looks down at the floor and hopes the disappointment won’t be too obvious on her face.
Since no one says anything in response, Lena goes on:
- Lex didn't know about Leviathan at first, because he never knew he'd been part of Leviathan's plan before Crisis. But, once we came back and I had my memory intact, I mentioned the name and he started looking for a way to defeat them. He asked for my help once, asked me to talk to someone and see what they knew about Leviathan. I only agreed…
Here Kara risks a glance at her, but Lena is the one who can’t seem to look anyone in the eyes as she finishes:
- I only agreed to help him because Brainy assured me that no one would get hurt and that Lex was our best shot at defeating Leviathan. He said that was the only reason he was helping Lex.
There is some kind of collective sigh as everyone absorbs the news.
- That sure explains a lot - Nia says bitterly.
The others are quiet, except for Alex, who's shaking her head and protesting:
- I don’t get it - she says. - Why would Brainy join him and still help us? Was he spying on us?
It's Nia who answers:
- Clearly Lex was ahead of us in finding Leviathan, and, without the inhibitors, Brainy should be completely logical, so… What if, by his calculations…
- It makes sense - Kara agrees. - Brainy didn’t let us question Rama Khan. And he spoke about Lex in some weird language…
Alex is shaking her head and pacing back and forth, seeming completely lost. Kara wants to hold her, but she can’t bring herself to let go of Nia just yet.
- But none of that makes him a spy - J’onn remarks. - He actually pushed everyone away for months. That’s not a spy’s job.
Alex opens her mouth to say something, but...
- Excuse me?
All heads turn to the back of the lab, where Eve Tessmacher stands with an uncertain look, assessing the place. She clears her throat then asks shyly:
- Can I speak to Supergirl?