Work Text:
When she first saw the watch clutched in her sister's hand, she remembers, she was excited.
Really excited.
Kym can vaguely recall that it was a long day of playing around in the house, painting garden gnomes, waiting anxiously for Daena's return from the Police Department. It had been a few months after Daena started working at the APD, and Kym, for one, had been excited- she wanted to celebrate it! Crouching at the door, she giggled at the gnome she had painted, grinning at the thought of Daena seeing it.
Hearing the sound of Daena's footsteps, she once more, hid dutifully in the shadows, ready to suprise-attack (hug, more like tackle) upon Daena entering the room.
"Mom, Dad, Kym, I'm hoAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"
Daena screamed, trying to fend herself as a cackling energetic ball of blue tackled her, crashing into the wall behind them.
"KYM OH GOD, STOPPPPPPPP I JUST GOT BACK!"
"ENAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
"KYM PLEASE I HAVE SOMETHING VALUABLE!"
"Valuable?"
Kym stopped thrashing as she tilted her head in curiousity. Daena nodded slowly, attempting to pry away from her.
"Yes, I'll show you, but only if you let me go."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Really?"
She asked, a mask of doubt shown on her face. Daena sighed bringing her pinkie finger up to Kym's face. She smiled.
"Cross my heart and hope to die, you give me anxiety, but I'll comply."
"Okay."
Stepping back from her sister, Kym looks at Daena, her curiousity taking over.
"So what's the thing that's valuable?"
"Let's talk about it at the dining table!"
-:')-:')-:')-:')-:')-:')-
Kym felt her eyes widen as she stares at the watch.
"It's… it's shiny!"
Daena laughed, throwing her head back with glee.
"Yes squirt, it's very shiny!"
"What does it say here?"
Kym asked, using her fingers to trace the side of the golden watch, the fancy lettering feeling smooth against her skin.
"That says D.L.! They're my initials, Daena Ladell, so if someone decides to say that this pocketwatch is their's, I can say that they have my name on it."
"Can't you just shoot them?"
"Y- wait, what?"
"Yesterday, you said that you would shoot a bad guy if they ever give a f-"
"Kym, no."
Kym pouted.
"Why?"
Daena looked up thoughtfully, placing a hand on her chin.
"Well you see… I made a promise."
"A promise?"
"Yes, it's a promise I made to someone when I started working."
"Can you tell me what the promise was about?"
Daena ruffled Kym's short locks.
"Of course, squirt."
-:')-:')-:')-:')-:')-:')-
When Kym turned 11 years old, she starts noticing the small details.
It started from something small, really. Daena coming home late, the tension in the house, her parents whispering to one another. Kym could now read, flipping through the newspapers, reading articles.
Something was wrong, and she didn't know what.
That is, until she saw Daena clutching her chest when she was coming home.
"Ena?"
Daena whipped her face around, face pale white as she saw Kym staring at her. Kym could see that she was forcing a smile.
"Er… hello squirt! Uh… can you not tell Mom and Dad about this? Would be real nice!"
"…"
"Please?"
"Ena… are you sick? Or hurt?"
"…it was only a scratch, I'll live, no wo-"
"Ena, no, you aren't okay. You're sweating, pale, and shaking. Clearly, it's more than a scratch."
Daena's expression was pained, as she stared at the girl standing in front of her. It seemed ages ago when she was a mere toddler, causing mischief wherever she went, giving her parents a hell of a night. Now, she was no longer a toddler, and although she still causes mischief, she is now intelligent and mature.
"… let's talk in my room, squirt."
Kym nodded.
-:')-:')-:')-:')-:')-:')-
"… so let me get this straight. When you were on patrol-"
"Called in as backup."
"Same thing."
"Nah, pretty different."
Kym glared at her, and Daena laughed, making Kym relax slightly.
"Fine, whatever, but you were chasing a suspect for a murder, she "grazed" her dagger against your throat, that "may or may not" have had poison on it?"
"Pretty much."
"Pretty much? Ena, you could die if you aren't careful."
Daena looked down at her watch, staring at the new golden chain Kym got her a few months ago, ignoring identical brown eyes boring into her figure.
"I know, squirt. But I accepted this fate, accepted the consequences when I started working for the APD."
"What do you mean?"
Daena sighed, and took Kym's hand in hers, gently stroking her palm.
"Look, squirt, the world isn't safe anymore. The world changed. Evil now plagues everything, and it's my job to protect everyone from that evil. When I put myself in danger, I also put my coworkers in danger as well. This goes vice versa."
"But you're a superhero! You're stronger than the giants!"
Daena blinked.
"You think… I'm a superhero?"
Kym nodded fervently, gripping her hand tighter.
"Oh squirt… I may be a superhero, but the world is changing quickly: eventually, there would always be a goodbye, especially when I'm in this… risky job."
"But-"
"Hush, squirt. I'm not planning to say goodbye anytime soon,"
Kym sagged her shoulders in relief.
"but I do want to make one thing clear to you."
Bringing her watch to her chest, she smiles.
"Superheroes don't live forever. We're humans too; we all have to say goodbye, but that's why we do good at our jobs. Only humans can save humans, and at the same time, only humans can harm humans. That's why I didn't want to worry Mom, Dad, and you. I don't want to hurt any of you."
"But why? Superheroes always seem immortal! They never die in the books."
Daena hummed a tune, pusuing her lips.
"That, squirt, you would eventually learn why we have mortality, and why it's so precious."
"…Ena?"
"Yes?"
"Can I sleep here?"
Daena smiled softly, patting her hair.
"Of course little squirt. Let me sing you a song…"
"The Lullaby?"
"Mhmm. Now, darling close your weary eyes…"
everything will be fine
let the breeze walk away your tears,
there is no need to cry…
fin.
A/N-
Admittingly, I think this work has become one of my favorites out of all my writings, despite it being thrown together in 3 hours. Something… about is raw, and… human? I know, I probably did an… acceptable job, but something in me tells me that this is different from other fics, and that's what I love about it.
Please let me know if you liked this piece or not in the comments <3
Kudos, comments, and shares are appreciated,
Hadzy