Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Light filtered through Lena’s eyes as she opened them, sitting up, the brunette adjusted her vision to a room lit with a blue hue from lights situated on the wall, she was lying on a large bed, looking down she saw she was dressed in a black lacy dress, seemingly tailored precisely to her curves. Lena stood up from the bed with a wobble, a splitting headache forming as she did. With a slightly blurred vision, Lena looked around the room, searching for any clue as to where she was. The room was dark, with grey walls and floors, and brown floor-length curtains. The sheets she had woken up on were a light grey, almost silver, made of a silky material, nothing like she had seen before. The room seemed so alien to Lena, very different from any room she had seen on earth. Lena took a moment to take it in, from the bioluminescent light fixtures to the strangely shaped headboard, and the feel of the silky sheets she had rested on. She rubbed it in between her fingers as she pondered if it was made of a similar material to Supergirl's cape, which she had felt when she was showering Kara with questions about it after she had found out Kara was Supergirl. The sound of fast-approaching footsteps, and a voice invaded her thoughts, it was one of a woman, she was commanding for the doors to be opened to the room Lena was in. Lena quickly sat back down and in strode a woman, with brown hair and tanned skin, dressed in a grey gown, and a grey headpiece situated on top of her head.

“Lena, dear, you’re finally up”, she said coming to sit beside Lena, reaching out for her hand. Hesitantly letting her take it, Lena looked up at her, her vision starting to become less blurry, she recognised her as the woman whom she had looked up to, working with to build the transmitter portal that would help so many aliens in returning to their home planets.

“Rhea?”, sitting up straighter, Lena’s memories caught up with her. Rhea had lied to her about her intentions with the transmitter portal and had flooded National City with daxamites. “Where the hell am I?” pulling her hand from Rheas, Lena scooted further away from her.

“I’ve been looking after you, ever since Supergirl nearly killed you when she attacked our portal.”, she said, moving a strand of hair out of Lena’s face. Lena pulled her head back, away from Rhea's cool touch. All she could remember was being next to Rhea and Supergirl, they were fighting. Kara was trying to stop her. The last thing she heard was Kara calling out to her after she had been knocked to the floor by a blast, and then everything went black.

“Supergirl tried to stop you- I should have stopped you.” Lena turned her lip at her, “You lied to me… you used me”. Lena felt like a fool for falling for her antics, having trusted her, having revelled in having an ounce of what resembled a mother-daughter relationship with this woman.

“I did what I had to do for my people. But I did it for you too.” Rhea said, smiling at Lena, one that was far too sweet to be genuine. “You are meant for better and bigger things Lena. This planet is a waste of your potential. You represent the best of your race. I am going to create a society, worthy of you.” Rhea stood up and walked to the window near the far side of the bed, pulling on the brown curtains, light filling the room. Lena followed, cautiously walking toward her. She followed Rhea’s line of sight, peering out the window she saw dozens of ships, destroying National City. Daxamites were flooding the streets with guns, wreaking havoc on its citizens. Lena gasped and took a step backwards. Turning to her, Rhea grabbed the brunette by the shoulders, “Get comfortable Lena, you are where you belong… beside me, presiding over this new world that we will create together.” Lena felt sick as she watched Rhea look proudly over the destruction of the CEO's home.

Flinching at a particularly large explosion, Lena stepped out of Rhea’s grasp. She walked back over to the bed and sat down. Lena needed a plan; Rhea was not going to let her just walk out of this. She needed to act as though she is agreeing to Rhea’s plans if she were to get anywhere, she can’t imagine defying the Daxamite would benefit her in any way. She needed to find out exactly what Rhea wanted from her, and she needed to gain her trust if she was to have any freedom here, she needed figure out how escape from the ship and put an end to the inevitable war that was going to outbreak on earth.

“I have had a dress made for you, from our royal seamstress on board. It is hanging in the closet for you. Put this on and join us for dinner in the throne room in half an hour, I have some good news.” Rhea announced, before turning to leave, commanding the doors to be opened by the guards situated outside.

“Rhea,” Lena called after her, clearing her throat, “Thank you.” Lena gritted a small smile to her, “I understand now why you did what you did, earth does indeed have many flaws… too many people ready to disobey order and turn on each other…” Lena thought back to the time when she found out Kara was Supergirl. She had a tough time at first, knowing she had been lied to throughout their friendship. She had gained similar feelings of what she was saying to Rhea. She wanted to make something that would make it so people wouldn’t inflict hurt on each other. She quickly realised this took away their will and would disrupt the natural balance of humanity. Shortly after, she forgave Kara, it hurt that she had been lied to by the person she had trusted most, but she realised that in the end it was never Kara’s intention to cause Lena that hurt. She had lied to her based-on not wanting Lena to have any harm come to her if enemies knew she was friends with Supergirl. But she also lied to her for a selfish reason, she wanted to just be Kara with Lena. The CEO realised everyone has flaws, it was inevitable, and that isn’t a bad thing, only when there was bad intention. An intention to cause harm to others, which was what Rhea was doing. Lena heard the sickening sound of explosions below the ship, Lena fluttered her eyes closed, steadying her breathing. After a second she opened them again and looked back up at Rhea, she saw that the older brunette had an almost joyous look on her face, unaffected by the mass murder happening below her feet.

“I’m glad you finally see it from my point of view Lena, you will make an excellent Princess of Daxam. Together, we will have this planet at our fingertips, my dear, just you wait and see.” With that, Rhea exited the room, doors closing behind her. Lena let out a shaky breath she was holding in and ran a hand through her raven hair. Lena needed to play this out. She needed to ensure the safety of her planet and to do that she is going to need to get all the information she can get from the inside. Rhea no doubt had something bigger planned, and Lena was going to find out what it is. If she was going to have to play princess and listen to all of Rhea’s diabolical ideas, then so be it. She is not going to let her planet be turned into the new Daxam, not if it kills her.

-

Lena opened the closet to a scarlet gown, which had a cage like pattern on the boddice. Fitting, she thought. Pulling it out, she also noticed a matching tiara next to it. Sighing, Lena put the dress on. After zipping it up, she walked over to the mirror. “Boobs in a cage.” She scoffed. She then placed the tiara on top of her head to finish the look.

Lena thought back to what Rhea had said. A princess? From what Kara told her, Daxam was a planet notoriously known for their slave-trading market and their egotistical and aristocratic royal family, seeing themselves as above others. Kara mentioned the prince, she said he was the ‘frat boy of the universe’ having a new girl in his bed every other day and only thought about himself. Lena rubbed her temples at the thought of having to potentially meet this prince, who she assumed she would have to work alongside to play the role of Daxam’s ‘Princess’.

After one last glance in the mirror, she headed towards the doors. She creaked one open and saw there were two guards stood each side of it, in steel armour and cloaks settled on top of their shoulders, they had large spears stood upright at their sides. As she started walking, they followed, marching behind her. They met two other guards at the far end of the hallway, where they opened the door for her. Lena strode in, walking under spears crossed over above her head, when she reached the end of the canopy of steel, a man to her left offered her a hand. “Yeah, I’m good.” She declined, with a slight eyeroll, this all seemed too much. Lena pondered whether it was because Rhea was trying to stop her from running away, or if it was accustomed for royalty to be accompanied everywhere, even in their own ship. Lena hoped this didn’t extend to the bathroom.

Lena stepped towards the large table in the middle of the room, where she noticed there were three people sat down, Rhea at one end, a dark-haired gentleman similar to Rhea’s age, who Lena assumed to be the King was sat at the other, and there was another man, with his back turned away from Lena, who she assumed was the prince.

“Lena!”, she announced to the table, after noticing her arrival. Rhea stood to greet her, as did the men. “Please, take a seat”, she said with a gesture towards the seat across from the prince, whom she had not seen the face of yet. Walking around the table, his features came into view.

“Mon-El!?” Lena felt shock run through her body, this was her best friend’s boyfriend. She couldn’t believe this was the prince Kara despised so much. Who was he? Was he the man Kara had spoken about so affectionately? Albeit, on occasion with frustration at their clashing views and his sometimes-childish behaviour. Or was he this prince, a frat boy without any sense of responsibility or concern for anyone but himself.

Mon-El gaped at her, “Lena?!” Mon-El looked between Lena and his mother, with a startled look on his face. “Mother, what is this?”.

“Now you are both here, I can tell you the good news.” She sat down, and so did the King, Mon-El and Lena following suit, with uneasy looks exchanging between them. “As you know, I have chosen Earth, for our people to inhabit, with a bit of work I believe this will make a fine home. However, this won’t be easy, and Me and Lar-Gand, won’t be here forever,” she said gesturing to the King at the end of the table. “We will need a King and a Queen to take over for us when we are gone, to ensure our subjects are on the right track… You will both be joined in matrimony. Tomorrow.” Lena’s mouth shot open, an objection on the tip of her tongue, however, Mon-El had beat her to it.

“Matrimony?! Mother, Lena and I are not going to marry, I have found a mate down on earth!”, he stood, raising his voice.

“Silence Mon-El!” Rhea ordered, her voice filling the room. “You will marry Lena. Your mate on earth, Kara Zor-El… she is kryptonian scum, far to obnoxious and self-righteous for our kingdom. She does not share our vision. She would rather run than to protect what is hers. Look what happened to her planet. The one that exploded down to no fault but their own, destroying our home in the process. I am not going to let her lead this planet into a flaming demise like she did her own!” Lena’s fists clenched under the table, her anger increasing by the second. Kara lost everything when her planet exploded, by no fault of hers. Only thirteen, alone, and scared. Just as Mon-El opened his mouth to argue back to his mother, she spoke again. “Lena shares our vision, Lena will not run,” Rhea turned to her and gave her a hard look in the eye, almost as a warning. “And she is a perfect match to produce an heir.”

“Excuse me what?! An heir? We are certainly not giving you an heir” Lena practically shouted across the table, side eyeing Mon-El.

“She doesn’t need us for anything” the prince started to say, reluctantly, “she just needs our genetic materials. Daxamites can generate a child using just locks of hair.” He said, sighing, bowing head to the ground.

“Which I collected while you slept.” Rhea added. “My son knows me well; I hope for the best but prepare for the worse” a smile crawled onto her face like a fly to a rotten piece of fruit. “So, the wedding will legitimise your union in the eyes of the daxamite people, we will have a formal ceremony, tomorrow. Just remember, there are people you care for,” she said walking over to a screen, pressing her fingers to it. A target appears on the screen, aiming straight for her city, “one button and I can take out you’re entire precious city.” Lena felt her stomach drop. “The question is… will you agree to the ceremony now… or after I’ve murdered thousands of lives in the city below.”

“Fine.” Lena uttered, her voice small.

“We will do as you ask.” Mon-El added, both hanging their heads low, admitting defeat.

“I know it’s hard to see now, but in time you will realise you made the right choice.” Rhea smiled, sitting back down. “Now, let’s feast. A big day is ahead of us.”

A big day indeed.

Chapter Text

Supergirl crashed down onto the DEO’s balcony with enough force to form craters where her feet had made impact. “Alex!” Stumbling into the room, she rushed to find her sister. “Alex! They’ve been taken! It happened so fast- I woke up and they were gone- they-”

“Kara! Slow down what happened.” Alex grabbed Kara’s shoulders, stilling the panicked kryptonian.

“They took Lena and Mon-El, I was fighting Rhea and they knocked us out, the last thing I saw was Lena being thrown across the room, it all happened so fast Alex. And now they’re gone! They’re with Rhea, I know it- we need to get them back.” Urgency danced across Kara’s face.

“We’ll get them back Kara we just need to find a way to get onto that ship. Daxamites are destroying the city-“A loud boom tore its way through the DEO, as daxamites blew holes into the walls. Dozens of them ran through carrying guns and speers, aiming them at DEO agents.

Whipping her firearm out, Alex starts to shoot at them. Kara singes them with her heat vison. One tries to tackle Kara from the side, she intercepts and throws the daxamite across the room. Another gets brave and charges at her from her right, punching him in the throat he goes down like a sack of potatoes.

Another dozen daxamites flood into the room, charging straight toward her and Alex. Hearing a thud, Kara looks to her left at Alex, a speer landed not a foot in front of her. Kara looks to Alex and back at the daxamites. Looking behind her, the DEO agents are all have their guns at the ready. There’s a beat of silence before Kara rushes forward, using her superspeed to knock the weapons from the daxamites hands. She hears clatter around her, and some groaning from the shoulders she must have dislocated from the force. Some, however, get up and swing at Kara. Supergirl dodges the hits as best as she can, a daxamite appears behind her and knocks her down onto the floor. Daxamites aren’t quite as strong as Kryptonians, or as fast, Kara uses this to her advantage, swinging her leg out knocking the three raging daxamites to the floor with a thud.

Super-speeding back to Alex, she checks she’s okay, and looks around the room. There are some injured DEO agents, some cradling their injuries in their hands, and others stood with guns pointed at the wounded daxamites on the floor, seemingly all knocked out whether that be from Supergirl’s efforts, or the agents. Supergirl’s turns her head to the side, she can hear rapid footsteps toward the main room, there are more incoming daxamites. “Everyone, get out now!” She shouts back to her colleagues. The agents rush toward the exit, some helping to carry others out the door. Kara and Alex stay back to make sure everyone is out safe before they make a run for the balcony. Kara jumps first, hovering over the side, waiting for Alex. Just as Alex is getting ready to leap, Daxamites invade the DEO. Alex makes the jump, twisting her body toward them, she shoots, hitting three daxamites in the chest as she falls backwards into Kara’s waiting arms.

Supergirl flies them to the nearest safe place she can think of. They stumble into Al’s Dive Bar, securing the door behind them with haste. They walk in and find Winn and James there, as well as Maggie, who rushes over to Alex, grabbing her by the face before scanning her body for injuries.

“I see we weren’t the only ones who thought this was the safest place to go.” Al’s bar was just off the highway, from the outside it looked as though it was the back of an abandoned building, seemingly invisible to anyone who didn’t know it was here.

“Kara,” Winn rushed over, pulling Kara into a hug with a heavy sigh, “James and I were doing our run of the mill Guardian duties when the Daxamites hit. The ships appeared out of nowhere, they just keep multiplying. Once they started setting off explosives everyone ran to cover, this was the first place we could think of to get away.”

Kara squeezed Winn a little tighter, rubbing his back, “I’m glad you’re okay- both of you.” She said to them both, before releasing Winn. She was still worried about James and the whole guardian thing, there were a few times where both him and Winn came to Catco the next day with a few cuts and bruises. It’s not that she doesn’t think James is cut out to be a hero, she is just worried that there are some bad guys that are just too powerful to face- even for her. She’s constantly worried out the people she loves getting hurt. She had no doubt however, that James had the heart of a hero, and was ready to dedicate himself to his city.

“Now we’re altogether we might have a chance to fight back.” Kara said hopefully, looking back at the group.

“Without the DEO mainframe, we will be flying blind” Winn said.

“Not to mention the Daxamite Military paroling the streets” Maggie added.

Kara was at a crossroads, unsure of what to do. There were hundreds if not thousands of Daxamites attacking the citizens of National city, and she had no knowledge of how to get to Rhea. Kara was certain she wouldn’t be able to just fly up to their ship and knock on the door.

“Maybe I can be of service.” Their heads all whipped around to the voice. Lillian Luthor emerged from the dark corner of the room. Before she could blink, there were several firearms pointed directly at her. “What? Not happy to see me?” Lillian quipped, a small smirk on her lips.

“Hands above your head” Alex ordered, as she stepped toward the older Luthor.

“No” she replied with a dark chuckle.

“You made a mistake coming here” Supergirl said stepping forward to join Alex in front of the woman running the organisation against her very existence along with other aliens inhabiting this world.

“I find it as distasteful as you Supergirl,” Lillian said rolling her eyes, “but I need your help… and you need mine.”

“What do you want?”

“To take down our common enemy. Everything I warned against has come to pass. The alien invaders have come to destroy our way of life and claim our planet just as I said they would. Now- you can shoot me if you’d like… or we can work together… and we can save our loved ones and this city.” Lillian walked over and took a seat, ignoring Alex’s pointed glare and the barrel at the end of her gun.

“You mean your daughter that you kidnapped and framed?” Kara scoffed.

“We are going to save this city. But we will never work with you.” Alex’s glare intensified, her distrust for the woman radiating off her.

“That’s right, we’ve got this” James added.

“Don’t let pride get in the way of your objective. That ship is armed with Kryptonite cannons, and you have no transmat portal, and the daxamites have upgraded their shields.” Lillian comments. Kara started to worry, Kryptonite cannons limited ways she could get onto the ship alone, they needed to find another solution and fast. “I need your help to get on to that ship.”

“Even if we wanted to, like you said, there is no way on board.” Alex questioned.

“Are you so sure about that?”

“What are you saying?” Kara asked, stepping closer to Lillian. She knows a way on to the ship, and at this moment Kara is running out of time to find a way herself.

“I’m asking you to work with me,” Lillian sighed. “Together we can save Lena and Mon-El.”

“you’ve said your peace. Now leave.” Alex was not going to trust the Luthor, they would find a way to get onto that ship themselves.

Lillian got up from where she was sat. “You’re making a mistake Agent Danvers.” Lillian said stepping into Alex’s space. Alex’s nose flared, giving her daggers as she stepped around her, walking toward the door.

Kara’s eyes flickered between them, what if Lillian had the only way to get onto that ship? If they found a way it might be hours from now, days even. What could happen to her city in that time? What could happen to Lena and Mon-El?

Just as Lillian was passing Kara, the blonde shot her hand out and grabbed her arm. The Luthor stopped in her tracks and looked to the Kryptonian. “I understand why you all don’t trust me. But whatever happened in our past. I’m asking you to leave it there.” She said with almost an urgency in her voice. “The love I feel for my daughter is real.” Kara swore she could see a slither of desperation behind Lillian’s usually cold eyes. “Help me save her… Please Kara.”

Kara’s eyes fell to the ground, steadying her breath. She was desperate. Two of the people she loved most were on that ship, she would do anything to have them be safe.

“How can we trust you on this when you have betrayed us so many times before?”

“Listen- all I want right now is for my daughter to be safe. I may have kidnapped and framed her, but I never tried to kill her.” Lillian’s argument isn’t strong, but Kara has limited options here. “Please… help me save her.”

Kara lets go of Lillian, and paces. Her breathe is shaky. She starts to pick at her nails, thinking, and thinking, going over all the reasons why this is an awful idea. Alex is going to kill her. She runs a hand through her hair, and reluctantly looks up at Lillian.

“Okay”, Kara breathes out.

“Okay?! Kara, we can’t trust her!” Alex pipes up, stalking over to Kara. “She is dangerous. You know how many times she’s attacked the us? The DEO? All aliens over the world? Ring a bell?”

“I know Alex! I know okay! But we are running out of time. She has a way to get on to that ship, we don’t- “

“We can find one- “

“When Alex? Look around, there is no time. Outside those doors people are getting slaughtered by those Daxamites, the longer we wait the more damage there is going to be. We can’t trust her no, but she can help.” Kara snapped, desperation getting the best of her.

“There must be another way” Alex asserted.

“Alex,” Kara said helplessly, “Please… It’s Lena and… and Mon-El. I can’t lose them.” she choked out.

Alex looked into Kara’s slightly glossy eyes, finally cracking, she let out a sigh of defeat.

“Arms length.” She commanded. “If you try anything I won’t hesitate to shoot you.” She added, pointing a finger at Lillian.

“Noted.”

Kara excused herself and goes to take a seat at the back of the bar. She could see Alex putting handcuffs on Lillian. She hears an ‘ow’, to her having the handcuffs be too tight, making Alex smile.

“Hey Little Danvers” Maggie said, sitting herself besides Kara.

“Hey” She replied, giving her a small smile before looking at the floor.

“We’ll get them back.” Maggie reassured.

“I know… we always do.” Kara replied, with a chuckle, trying to be optimistic.

“I’m sure she’s okay. Little Luthor is one hell of a fireball.”

Kara’s head snapped up at the mention of Lena. “Yeah, she sure is, I bet she’s up there kicking everyone’s asses” she said with a real smile.

“No doubt about it, I bet she’s already threatened to have everyone’s jobs.” Maggie knocked her shoulder into the Kryptonian, who laughed, and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

Kara cleared her throat, “and Mon-El, I’m sure he’s safe. I taught him a few things about defence, hopefully they came in handy”, she added.

Kara took a few breathes and steeled her emotions. Now they had Lillian they had somewhere to start. They were one step closer to getting them back, and making sure National City was safe again. Kara stood and strode over to Lillian.

“Okay, what do you know?”

Chapter Text

Lena left the dinner table after forcing down her food. Tonight’s revaluations made her lose her appetite. Flopping down onto the bed, Lena stared up at the ceiling, running a tired hand down her face. Not only does she have to marry the prince, but to have a child with this man she doesn’t know what to make of. Lena’s track record with mothers wasn’t too successful. After losing one at only four, and being emotionally out of reach with another, Lena had never entertained the idea of parenthood. She didn’t know what having a loving mother felt like, so how was she supposed to show the same to her own child?

There’s a knock at the door, “Lena?.. it’s me, Mon-El”.
Lena sits up, and makes her way slowly to the door and opens it.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt you, I- uh- can we talk?”, Lena nods and let’s him in.

“What can I do for you, Your Highness?” Lena jibes.

Mon-El rubs the back of neck nervously, “About that… I’m sorry you had to find out this way, I haven’t even told Kara yet-”

“Why haven’t you?”

“I had quite a reputation on Daxam, and not a good one…, I knows how she feels about the Prince, and I’m not that guy anymore, I’m trying to be a hero of earth - like Kara” Lena sits on the end of the bed, gesturing Mon-El to join her. “ I didn’t know my parents were alive, before this morning… and now, I’m conflicted, wondering if it would have been better if they had stayed gone.”

Lena sighs, “I get complicated parents, Lilian hasn’t been the best role model”

“As the Prince I was careless, self-absorbed, I only cared about who I bedded and the wealth I was showered with. I let my parents do whatever they pleased… they did awful things, and I just let them. I am not going to let that happen here Lena.”

Reaching up, Lena pats a hand onto Mon-El’s shoulder, giving him a small smile. “What’s our next step?”

“Well tomorrow, mother says we wed, and If we don’t it will put the people of earth in more danger”

“So we do it-”

“Right.”

“And what about the heir?” Lena enquires.

“If I’m right, our locks of hair should be in a lab of some sorts on the ship, being put into a birthing matrix to grow a fetus.”

“How long does this process take?”

“I’m not- I’m not sure, on Daxam my focus was other things.” Mon-El says looking away embarrassed of his past self.

Thinking back to her own days in the lab, Lena knows DNA is a complicated web to weave, by her calculations the process should take a few days, at least, however, from what she’s heard of Krypton the science is far more advanced than earth, and she would expect the same of Daxam.

“What if we searched for the lab now, do you think there is a way to stop the process?”

“Maybe, if we go now”, Mon-El nervously looks towards the doors. “I think the guards are out there, but I think I can convince them to go elsewhere.”

Mon-El goes towards the door and steps out into the corridor. “Gentleman” Lena hears from the other side, “Is it not accustomed for a man to have some alone time with his bride before the big day?” He chuckled. “No? Well, I think it’s best I get to know Lena a bit better, is all, can we get some privacy?” Lena shakes her head pulling a face. She can hear one of the men grumbling, and then two sets of boots, clonking down the hall.

Mon-El slips back into the room, “I’m sorry about my methods, but I think I have bought us some time”.

Lena and Mon-El step out into the corridor, walking as lightly as they can as to not make any noise, “Which way?” Lena whispers.

Mon-El approaches a corner, peaking round it to check for guards, before nodding and ushering Lena to follow. They hastily tiptoe down the dark corridor. A door suddenly opens at the end, light illuminating their path. Mon-El pulls Lena into a nook besides them, flat back against the wall. They hear a voice coming from the room.

“The zygote should be nearly formed, double check all the DNA strands are in check, I will go inform the Queen” the man says talking to what Lena assumed was his assistant. He then steps into the hallway, before luckily, turning the opposite way from where Lena and Mon-El were hiding.

Once he was gone, Lena and Mon-El carefully step toward the room, being mindful of the Daxamite still working not 5 meters away. Peeking her head around the corner, Lena sees the man sitting at a lab table, looking into what Lena assumed was a daxamite microscope, luckily facing the wall away from the door. The man looked a little panicked, looking from the microscope, and back to his notes, and then looking back at the microscope again. Lena took a risk, and she slipped into the room, Mon-El following, hiding behind another lab table, hidden from the man’s view.

“This can’t be right” the man says, grabbing his hair worryingly. “This is wrong, what am I missing.”

The scientist who left returns, “What are you babbling about boy?” He grumbles out, standing over the assistants shoulder.

“The DNA, it’s- I must of miss interpreted what I was seeing, the cells, they’re not- I thought I was seeing a human helix here,” he points to the strand. “But I- Sir, that’s Kryptonian.”

The scientist laughs and shakes his head, as if he didn’t believe him, “no, I’d of noticed, move, let me look” he takes a seat in front of the microscope and has a look for himself. “No, look it’s- well- well-” the man stutters, looking back to the boys notes and back to the microscope again, double checking, triple checking.

“If I’m right Sir…”

The man grunts, and slowly looks up to his assistant, “Then this zygote is not Daxamite at all… it’s human mixed with Kryptonian.”

He suddenly raised from his chair, “We must tell Her Majesty at once,” before bolting out the room, the assistant swiftly following.

Meanwhile, Lena sat on the floor, mouth agape, unable to process the information she just overheard.

“Lena- Lena?” Mon-El said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

Coming back to reality, Lena’s eyes snapped to his, “Did he just say-”

“That your DNA got mixed with a Kryptonians?… yeah.” Mon-Els eyes downcast to the floor, processing what this meant for him as well, “My mother must have gathered a strand of hair off me in my sleep, and had mistaken Kara’s for mine, probably left on my shirt, or on my head from a hug”

“The baby… is mine… and Kara’s?”

“We can stop there from being a baby if we stop the process before it’s complete, if we get to it before the zygote has fully formed, it won’t start to generate more cells.”, he says, pulling Lena up to her feet.

They walk over to the table and go to reach for the zygote, just before they reach it, a voice sounds throughout the lab. “Zygote generation 100% complete”.

Snapping his head up to the screen to his left, Mon-El splutters and looks back to the Zygote, “Lena… there’s not much we can do now. In the birthing Matrix, once the zygote has fully formed it will grow in its sack, for 6 weeks until the fetus is fully formed.”

“That’s okay- I- this is all so much,” Lena takes a shaky breath, it’s not every day you find out you’re having a baby with your best friend, and in six weeks no less.

A voice travels down the hallway, once belonging to the Queen, and a gaggle of apologies from the scientists for not realizing their mistakes sooner following her.

Mon-El pulls Lena out of the lab and back into their hiding spot just before Rhea rounds the corner.

“How did you let this happen?” Rhea boomed at them.

“Your Majesty, we hadn’t mixed human and alien DNA together before, and we had mistaken the Kryptonian helix’s for human ones, and of course some of the DNA is similar to Daxamites- it became more apparent the DNA was not those of daxamites as the zygote formed. We are terribly sorry Your Majesty. Would you like us to terminate the Zygote?”

Rhea took a deep breathe, steadying her anger towards her imbecile scientists, before turning to them, an evil glint in her eye, “No, keep it alive - Kara Zor-El is the mighty ‘Hero of Earth’ I doubt she’ll back down so easy… and now, we have some leverage.”

Chapter Text

“So how do we get onto the ship?”

“Straight to the punch as always Supergirl”, the older Luthor remarked.

“We haven’t got much time to spare, the Daxamites are ruining National City, the more time we spend dilly-dallying the more time we waste, and more lives are lost.”

“Dilly-dallying? I truly don’t know what my daughter sees in you”, Kara huffs as she stalks past the smirking woman.

They approach the doors to the fortress of Solitude, which Kara was reluctant to take the oldest Luthor to. There is a device that Lillian claims can transport someone from one place to another when tweaked to the correct coordinates.

“How do you know this will work?”

“It was my son that invented this device Supergirl, taken from him by your incompetent cousin.” Lillian picks the device up in her cold hands, “It had so much potential, a device that can take you anywhere in the world…”

“The ship is hovering above Klyde Park at the moment, it shouldn’t take long to identify the coordinates.”

Inspecting the device in her hands, Lillian sighs, “It’s broken, I can get it fixed within a few hours. Hopefully, the ship stays put until then.”

The super keeps a careful eye on the older Luthor, she can’t trust her to not sabotage the device or to sabotage anything else in the Fortress. She did not want to bring her to such a sacred place for her and Kal-El, but she was desperate. Lena and Mon-El are in danger, as well as the whole of National City. They’ve been gone not 24 hours and Kara is wrapped up in a trap of nerves. Every second that goes by, there are more people of National City getting hurt and killed, too many of them to fight off, Kara feels helpless. On top of that, two of the most important people in Kara’s life are captured by a merciless monarch. From what Kara had heard about the Queen of Daxam, she was a cold and callous ruler, built on corrupt morals, participating in slave trade and other cruel and barbaric practices. The Queen built her society based on fear, scaring her subjects into submission and obedience. Kara was not going to let Earth be turned into the new Daxam.

“I’m not going to double-cross you Supergirl, at least not today. You can ease up with that stare of yours, I feel as though you'll burn a hole through my head.” Lillian piped.

Kara crossed her arms over her chest rolling her eyes, “I won't… not today.”

“I do love my daughter; it may not be in the way most mothers do. She’s her father’s bastard child after all and isn’t as cunning or as intelligent as Lex, but she’s got that Luthor blood in her, you can see it in her eyes,” Lillian tinkers with the device, soldering and reattaching components, “She will come to her senses one day, realise that all aliens do is cause harm and turmoil… then, she will be unstoppable.”

Kara strides forward, “Lena is nothing like you and the rest of your family, she’s kind and smart, she has a beautiful soul, she would never do the things you want her to”.

“Look at what damage your kind is doing to this city. This is exactly what I said would happen, do you think she will be so forgiving when she leaves that ship to find her city in ruins?” Lillian smirks.

“They’re not my kind” Kara huffs, “Lena is nothing like you say she is”.

“Oh, but you’re all the same. Is it not you who brought the prison Fort Rozz with you when you crashed into our planet, unleashing alien criminals into our population that wreaked havoc across the world? Was it not you that when affected by red kryptonite, you terrorised the city, causing mass panic, and casualties? You have power under your fingertips Supergirl – too much to control completely. You and your kind have only brought this planet destruction. Soon, my daughter will realise this, and when she does, she will stand with me, to rid the planet of alien filth like you.”

Kara’s eyes flash red, “Lena is too good. Lena is the most intelligent and compassionate person I have ever met; she would never stoop to your immoral and warped ideas. The Luthor name does not deserve her.”

Noticing the flash of red in Kara’s eyes Lillian smiles wickedly, satisfied with riling the super up. “You feel for my daughter, don’t you?”.

“Of course, I do, she’s my best friend” Kara grinds out, jaw still clenched, and posture still guarded. Lillian just hums in response, turning her attention back to the broken device, causing Kara to tense harder, and for Lillian’s venomous smirk to widen.

“She’s so insufferable.” Kara pouts back at Al’s Bar the next morning.

“She’s Lillian Luthor, what did you expect her to be like? A ray of sunshine?” Alex is sitting at a computer, trying to find loopholes to get onto the ship without Lillian's device, not trusting her one bit.

“No. Yes. I don’t know, I’ve never spent more than 5 minutes with her, I don’t know how Lena did it for 14 years.”

“I can imagine lots of therapy.”

Lillian is sitting on the opposite side of the bar, handcuffed to a railing thanks to Alex, who glares at her across the room every chance she gets, which in turn gets her a sadistic smile sent back.

Winn is sitting at a computer, calculating the coordinates for the ship. “Got it!”

“Great, thank you Winn. And Lillian?” Lillian puts the coordinates into the device, a click sounding as it locked onto a place.

“The device is ready Supergirl.” Kara walks over and picks up the device. “Uncuff me and I will turn it on”.

“How do I know it will do what you say it will?” the super questions, looking nervously at the rectangular object in her hands.

“You don’t”, Lillian smirks.

“Kara…” Alex warns, “don’t, we can find another way.” The older Danvers sister runs a worried hand through her hair, knowing she was still scrambling to find a way onto that ship without putting her little sister at risk.

There is a loud explosion outside of the bar. They’re getting closer, there isn’t much time to waste. Kara’s eyes flutter closed, breath steadying before steel settles into her veins. This is a risk she is willing to take, for the sake of National City, and for her loved ones.

“I’m sorry Alex, I have to.” Kara reaches for Lillian's handcuffs, and Alex watches begrudgingly.

“As I said, I do care for my daughter, make sure she’s back in one piece will you Supergirl.” Lillian says as she passes Kara the device. “Now, when you're ready to go, press this button here and you should be on the ship faster than you can blink.”

Kara nods, before looking at her sister, and friends one last time before she hits that button. If Lillian was lying and this is a trap, she might not be able to do so for a while.

“Come back safe Kara,” Alex says wistfully, a worried look on her face.

Kara nods before squeezing her eyes shut and hitting the button. She feels all the air being sucked out of her lungs, then she is gasping for air, eyes flying open.

Her eyes adjust to her surroundings. She’s at the end of a dim corridor, there are muted red lights attached to the ceiling. Supergirl quickly realises they are red sunlamps, making Kara powerless. She tiptoes down the dark corridor and ducks her head around the corner. She spots two guards, they’re speaking Daxams native tongue, chuckling. Kara can pick up a few words, such as Prince, and bride. One then excuses himself to the other and walks away, the other returning to his post, standing stock-still, with a spear in his hand.

Kara takes this opportunity to duck down and make her way up the corridor, making as little sound as she possibly can. Kara thanked Rao it was dark, and she was able to make her way down virtually undetected. She took her time dipping into the alcoves in the walls there because of the structure of the ship. As she approached the guard, Kara was planning to take him out. Although her powers were gone, Kara was still freakishly strong. Sparring with Alex regularly really pays off. She needed to be strategic, she couldn’t make a lot of noise, or she would risk other guards hearing. Hiding in an alcove, Kara makes a small whistling sound. The guard perks his head in her direction and Kara hears his heavy boots thumping down the hallway. Just as he’s passing, the super takes the chance to move out from the dip and puts the guard in a chokehold. Squeezing tightly, the man quickly loses consciousness. Lowering his head to the ground, she surveys her surroundings before padding further down the corridor.

Down the next corridor, there is light coming out of a door near the bottom. Kara thinks she can also hear music, a melody she remembers from childhood about Rao’s light. Furrowing her eyebrows, she begins to pad down towards it. She remembers this was the same tune playing when her Aunt Astra and Uncle Non were to be married. As she nears the door, she can make out that the lyrics are different, sung in Daxam’s native tongue rather than the Kryptonian one she had grown up hearing.

While Kara was listening to the tune, she hadn’t noticed two guards rounding the corner. “Hey! You!” one of them boomed down the corridor. Kara ran toward them, sliding across the floor before swiping one over with her leg, then standing up to strike another in the face. He doubled back, before swinging at Kara, she ducked back just out of reach of his fist. Then the other guard, yanked on her shoulder, spinning her around. Before she could react, she had been punched square in the face. Tumbling back a few steps, the other guard pushed her back toward her attacker, where he got another hard strike to her face, knocking her unconscious.

Her pounding headache brought her out of her unconsciousness, only this time she was not in the corridor. Kara blinked repeatedly, her vision blurry, before her surroundings came into focus. She was in a small room, there was a toilet, a bed, and some steel bars, keeping her from getting out. Rubbing the dried blood from her nose, she stood, swaying slightly. Looking up, the super spotted a green light suspended above her, out of her reach. Kryptonite. There wasn’t enough to make her be in searing pain, but enough to make her deeply uncomfortable.

Kara flopped onto the bed, cradling her head in her hands to settle her pounding headache. Kara suddenly heard the click of heels approaching. Lifting her head from her hands, she could just make out there was a woman dressed in a deep purple gown standing on the other side of the bars.

“Supergirl, nice of you to finally join us” Queen Rhea remarked.

Chapter Text

Mon-El sat at the foot of Lena’s bed after they snook back in, staring blankly ahead. What did this mean for him? His girlfriend and her best friend were going to have a child. Mon-El isn’t blind, he knows how Kara looks at the youngest Luthor, and how her face lights up when talks about her. The same look she gets when she’s in front of a plate of potstickers… but brighter. He longs for Kara to look at him that way. Now there is a child, half Kara, and half Lena. How is he supposed to compete with that? He tries. He’s trying to be a hero like she wants him to be. He’s learning earth's ways, trying to be everything his old self wasn’t but it’s still not enough. He isn’t her. Lena.

What’s so special about Lena? He’s smart, he’s handsome, he’s strong and he’s a good fighter. What does she have that he doesn’t? On Daxam he was the perfect man, every girl wanted to bed him, to do anything for him, to marry him. But there is nothing he can do to make Kara swoon over him like they did. Frustration grew in Mon-El. When they found out the zygote wasn’t his, but Kara’s, he saw so many emotions dance across Lena’s face before a familiar one graced upon it. The same look Kara gives Lena every time she sees her. The one he catches her giving when Lena isn’t even looking. The one that Mon-El is grasping for but can’t seem to reach. The look of someone in love.

Lena had been frozen in place ever since they had rushed back to her chambers. Being a mother was never something Lena envisioned for herself. She knew nothing about being a mother. She couldn’t remember much of her birth mother, only flashes of the day she had lost her. Lionel once talked about her when Lena was around 14. He had only uttered a mere few sentences, saying she was too kind, which of course Lionel saw as a weakness. He said Lena must be more like a Luthor to survive in this world and less like her birth mother. Lillian never treated Lena like her own child. She was so cold to her growing up, which Lena now knows was probably because she reminded her of her father’s affair. Lena was only four years old when she was taken to the Luthor manor and introduced to her new mother. She didn’t deserve how Lillian had treated her from day one. Always second best to her big brother Lex. Still, Lena tried tirelessly to impress her, with her academics, her inventions, and her extra-curricular activities, but nothing she did ever got Lillian’s attention or approval, or God forbid make her proud of her. What she did get from Lillian was her disappointment, which she had always made sure to remind her of. Making sure she never forgot she was never going to be as good as Lex. Lillian had taught Lena nothing about what being a mother meant, and how they were meant to love their children. Love is something Lena never got from her.

Lena thought back to her conversations with Kara about children. On earth, Kara can’t conceive children naturally, not under a yellow sun. Kara’s Kryptonian skin is too strong to carry a child full term, the pressure on them would be too great. She had struggled to come to terms with not being able to have a biological child of her own. Another child of Krypton, someone to share her history with, and her dying language. And now… Kara would get that chance. It warmed Lena. This could be an opportunity to give her best friend what she had deeply craved and had to grieve.

They had both been silent ever since they had slipped back out the lab and rushed back to Lena’s room. Their thoughts running a thousand miles a minute.

“Mon-El?” Lena says.

Mon-El jolts, as if awaken from a deep trance. He then stands, making his way towards the door.

“I’m going to head out, big day tomorrow” he says, with a downcast smile and a tense jaw.

Lena nods and watches him leave. She lets out a long sigh, a much needed one after the events of the day. She closes her eyes and lets her head fall back onto the pillow.

When Lena opened her eyes again, it was morning, her dreaded ‘wedding day’.

Lena’s stomach turned thinking of destruction being done in the city below her. If she didn’t marry Mon-El she knew it would get much much worse. If she can convince the queen she is being compliant maybe she can convince her to stop wreaking havoc on the innocent.

There is a knock on the door. “Come in”, Lena calls out.

Two guards open the double doors, and the Queen follows. “Lena my dear, time to get you ready”.

A man with a white dress in his arms trapeses into the room. It’s a long gown, similar to the red one she had previously had to wear, this one decorated with the Daxamite Royal crest across the left breast. It had a matching cape, flowing down the back. It was a beautiful piece but Lena could only see it as an object of dread and distain.

Lena was helped into the gown, and she was stood in front of a large mirror. The queen stood behind her, a pleased look on her unnerving face.

Stepping closer, Rhea places her hands on Lena’s shoulders. The younger woman tried not to tense as she did.

“You’re looking at the future ruler of Daxam… who I’ll trust to continue in my footsteps to making Daxam as great as it was before the Kryptonians took everything from us” she said, the look on her face turning sour at the mention of the race that took her planet away from her. Lena nodded. “You will make sure New Daxam doesn’t destroy themselves like they did won’t you dear?”, Rhea’s hands tightened on Lena’s shoulders, almost as a warning.

Lena cleared her throat, “Of course.”

Rhea rounded in front of Lena, taking her hands in hers. “Do you know why I chose you?” Lena shook her head. “After spending time with you building the transmitter portal you showed me how smart you are, how your brain works in a million different ways. Do you even know what power that holds? Daxamites are more scientifically advanced than humans are, yet you are just shy of unlocking your potential to be even more advanced. Why don’t you?”

“I…”

“Is it fear? I have been watching you for months, you hold a certain darkness. A ruthlessness. You go for what you want and what you believe in. Why don’t you believe in yourself? Who you really are.” Rhea’s hands tightened in around hers.

Lena’s jaw tensed under Rhea’s watchful gaze. Fear is the most powerful emotion, alighting every inch of ones being into a timid entity or a roaring force to be reckoned with. Lena fought with the darkness inside her, she knew it was there. She had brushed with it when she had first found out Kara’s secret, quick to only think of her hurt, her need for revenge against her.

“Fear is power in itself Lena,” Rhea continued, “What makes a good ruler is fear. People need fear to obey.” Rhea brushes a stray hair from Lena’s face, “I see a lot of myself in you. When I was your age, I was intelligent, ahead in my academics and in my work. It was only when my father died, and I had to ascend the throne, that I had to unlock my true potential. That I had to do what it takes for my people… Now… you will look after my people alongside my son, or it is your people who will suffer.”

Rhea walks back behind Lena, smiling sweetly at her in the reflection of the mirror, “I know you’ll do the right thing.” With that one last warning, Rhea turns to leave, after barking orders at the staff dressing Lena for the ceremony.

After Lena is dressed, she is lead to a corridor, at the end is a room. There is a melodic tune flowing out of the door, one unlike any she has heard on Earth. With each step, the feeling of dread fills Lena’s lungs, each step getting heavier. She knows this is what she must do, at least for now, before they can think of a more solid plan of action.

As she rounds the corner into the room, there are guards lined up either side of the isle all with spears pointed into a canopy similar to the one she received attending the dinner. At the end, Mon-El is stood in a deep blue suit, with an extravagant gold and red robe draped down his back. There was a crown situated on top of his head shimmering in the natural light flowing in from a window on above the altar.

Rhea stood in the centre at the end of the aisle, Lena assumes she will be conducting the ceremony. She stood with her full royal ceremonial outfit. Crown, robe, and sceptre in her hand. Next to her, was a slightly smaller crown sat on a satin pillow. Much daintier than the one sat on top of Rhea’s head. It was similar to Mon-El’s, however more pointed into a tiara shape. Lena assumed it was hers.

When Lena reached the end of the aisle, she stood across from Mon-El. He gave her a small smile, before clearing his throat and looking to his mother.

Rhea stood, her lips spread in a sly smile. “Here stands Mon-El of Daxam, and Lena Luthor of Earth… gathered here today to join together in matrimony, to show their commitment to not only each other but to the people of Daxam. Please join hands.”
Lena and Mon-El tentatively joined hands, eyes flickering up to each other’s nervously before shooting back to Rhea.

“In Rao’s name this couple is to be joined as husband and wife, and as Prince and Princess of Daxam…”, Rhea looks to Mon-El, “Mon-El, repeat after me… I take you, Lena to be my wedded wife”.

He repeats Rheas words, with an edge to them, clearly angry at his mother, yet compliant.

“…to honour each other in sickness and health, in lightness and darkness…” they continue.

“Until death do us part.” This part rang in Lena’s ears. Marriage was something Lena saw as being sacred, a commitment she wasn’t sure she’d make to another person. She couldn’t see a world where someone would look past her name and see her for who she truly is. She vowed to herself at a young age that she wouldn’t marry unless she was certain the person she was saying these vows to was saying them as honestly and as whole heartedly as she was. Now she was stood here saying them, all the words coming out her mouth empty, void without any emotion tied to them. She was shattering her ideas of what marriage meant to her.

Lena spit out the words Rhea was saying like a bad taste on her tongue.

“Do you, Mon-El take Lena Luthor to be your wedded wife?”

Mon-El sighed deeply before grumbling out an “I do.”

“Do you, Lena, take Mon-El to be your wedded husband?” Lena shivered, this was it, she was going to be married. But this is what she had to do, to help save Earth from the destruction the Daxamites will cause if she doesn’t.

“I…”

“Hey, you!” a guard shouted from just outside the door. There was a loud crash and the groaning of a guard, then a large thud hitting the floor. There were some heavy footsteps following it before another thud sounded through the corridor.

A guard stumbled into the room, wiping blood from his brow, “Your Majesty, the Kryptonian seems to have found her way on board” he informs the Queen.

Both Mon-El’s and Lena’s heads whip to the door at the mention of their loved one. Both making a move towards it, but Rhea catches their wrists just before they can step off the altar.

“Hm, of course she has.” The queen replied smugly, like she knew she would. Smirking, she begins to walk toward the door, “Stay here” she orders.

“Mother. What are you going to do with her?” Mon-El worryingly asks.

“If any harm comes to her, you’ll see my full potential, and you don’t want that to happen.” Lena threatens.

Rhea stops, turning to face Lena, she’s met with a blazing look in her eye, one that means she isn’t playing games.

“There it is,” she chuckles “the darkness.” Rhea smiles smugly.

“We will not marry if she is harmed mother.” Mon-El adds.

Rhea rolls her eyes, “So ready to risk everything for a Kryptonian” the older woman scoffs, “It’s pathetic, she’s turned you soft Mon-El… Being soft is what gets you killed.” She begins to walk back up the aisle. “Now, you will marry, or your stupid little girlfriend will be killed before you can blink” she threatens.

Lena huffs, her gaze turning darker, if she lashed out now, she risks her best friend’s life as well the countless lives that would be lost in the city below her. Keeping quiet, she reluctantly nods.

“Do you, Lena, take Mon-El to be your wedded husband?” Rhea asks.

Squeezing her eyes shut, flashes of the city being terrorised and buildings exploding flickered behind her eyelids. Kara also flashed in her mind, a kryptonite dagger to her throat. She slowly exhaled, before opening her eyes again.

“I do” the words fell out of Lena’s mouth, broken, and corrupted.

A wicked grin broke across Rhea’s face. She then reached for the crown placed besides her, bringing it in front of Lena. Her grin turns into a smug smirk, mirth dancing across her hard features. Lena’s grim expression remained on her face, staring blankly into Rhea’s dark eyes.

The crown is placed on top of Lena’s raven hair, the sharpness of it poking into her scalp.

Rhea grabs both Lena and Mon-El’s hands before turning to face the canopy of guards.
“To the Prince and Princess of Daxam” She shouts, raising both of their hands up in the air.

A chorus of cheers sounds throughout the room joined by the stomping of boots and the boom of spears hitting the floor.