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Kara stuffed her mouth full with two mochis and slowly chewed her way through the snack.
“Dis so good, Lena!” The skin of the mochi was the perfect texture and the tangy matcha filling was so refreshing after the numerous sashimi she had. The empty bento sets stacked so high beside her at the empty seat that Kara would have been embarrassed if they were not in their own private cabin.
Her first trip by bullet train has been underwhelming so far, travel-wise but the food made up for it ten times over.
“You got some powder on your chin, darling,” Lena smiled. Reaching over, she wiped at the corner of Kara’s mouth with a napkin. She lingered for a moment and Kara was rewarded with a whiff of her jasmine perfume. At this proximity, Kara could count every freckle that escaped Lena’s foundation and feel every puff of air when she exhaled. All she wanted was to touch, to feel whether the skin is as soft as it looks.
Kara wanted to trace those cheekbones, run her fingers down that jawline and rub her thumb over those lips.
Kara nearly choked at that thought.
Giving her a few light pats on the back, Lena leaned back. Kara shot her a thankful smile as she chugged down some water. She hoped she was not blushing too heavily.
“Thanks for doing this with me, Lena. You didn’t have to.”
“I know you only asked for this assignment so you can come to Japan with me. This is the least I could do.”
“Yeah, Andrea gave me a weird look when I asked to review Japan’s bullet train rides. Apparently, we already have an article about that from Catco’s local reporters. I’m putting a touristy spin on this one, though.”
“Still, having to wait for the next train back seems like a waste. If only we can call Supergirl, she can just fly us back to Tokyo when we reach Osaka.”
Kara gulped as she fiddled with the arm of her glasses.
“She probably has better things to do.”
Kara’s stomach churned every time Lena talked about Supergirl like this, like someone that was above the rest of them. As though Supergirl did not have her failings and had not fought with Lena multiple times over their conflicting ideology. Supergirl did not deserve the reverence in Lena’s voice and Kara sure as hell did not deserve Lena.
The aftertaste of her lunch turned bitter. Kara stood up and started pacing.
“Lena I – I have something to tell you, but before I do so, please know that I love you and I trust you. I am just so sorry I took so long to tell you but I am such a coward and every time I tell someone they treat me differently. And I can’t have that, with you. But I recognize that that is an excuse but I really do – ”
“Anything, Kara. There’s nothing you can do that I won’t forgive,” Lena cut in, giving her a reassuring smile. She grabbed one of Kara’s fidgeting hands and squeezed lightly.
Kara sucked in a deep breath.
“Lena, I am Sup–”
Kara was suddenly on her knees and her ears felt cottony on the inside. Disoriented, she instinctively stumbled to where Lena was sprawled on the floor. Besides looking slightly disheveled, Lena seemed physically unharmed and was already trying to stand up.
“What happened?” Kara tried to say but she could not hear her own voice through the ringing in her ears.
Kara looked out the window and all she saw was a blur. She lowered her glasses and squinted her eyes. The passengers in the cabins ahead were equally disoriented and some were bleeding from where they have fallen. Kara gasped when she focused further ahead.
All that was left of the captain’s cabin was a gaping hole at the front. Remains of the control panels dangled at the side. Th Kara’s heart dropped when she saw a lone captain’s cap on the floor of the cabin. Whatever system that moderated the train’s speed was failing and the train was reaching dangerous velocities.
“Kara? What’s going on?”
At least her hearing is back.
“I think something might be wrong with the controls. I’ll go to the front and check! Stay here, Lena.
Lena frowned and pointed to her ears. There must be an explosion that took out the front of the train and their hearing along with it. Kara knew that human ears would not recover so soon.
Kara pointed to the door and then mimicked walking with her fingers.
Lena nodded and moved to exit the cabin. Eyes widening, Kara blocked the doorway, motioning for Lena to stay inside. Lena raised an eyebrow and shouldered past her decisively.
There was really no time to waste so Kara conceded. Leading the way, Kara worked her way through the chaos in the next few cabins. In the pandemonium, their presence escaped the notice of other passengers. When she reached the door to the captain’s cabin, she motioned for Lena to stand aside.
Kara saw the exact moment Lena registered the gaping hull in the cabin ahead and knew that she had to act quickly.
Flicking the door ajar, she quickly super sped her way through and slammed in shut behind her. The gust of wind she left in her wake confused Lena for a beat before their eyes met again.
Kara saw a flash of confusion on her face, a dawning realization, hurt and then, a cold calculated look slipping in its place.
Kara chocked back a sob. It took all her willpower to focus on the task at hand when all she wanted was to go back to Lena.
“Supergirl, the train runs by magnetic levitation. That’s why the train is still moving even with the controls taken out. Check whether you can put the wheel disc braking in place. If it’s not, you must create an aerodynamic braking system. Extend the trains drag panels manually. Tear pieces of non-essential metal out if you must.”
Kara nodded without looking back.
If she did, she may not have the strength to fly off.
Kara took off and found herself having to stay in a state of super speed to keep up with the train’s speed. She sped to the wheels and identified the calipers that should have been deployed to slow down the train. Carefully, she worked her way down the length of the train and wrenched the breaks into place.
The train slowed down but not enough to decelerate to a stop. The coastal line was approaching too fast for her liking.
Kara flew around the train, flipping the drag panels up with great effort. Metal shards flew off as the locked panels protested her movements and it almost hurt when they hit her skin.
Still, the train ran along the tracks at unrelenting speed.
Kara lasered the metal façade of the train, bending it out to create a drag.
The train slowed, but the change was so minute Kara was not sure if it was just her wishful thinking.
At a loss, Kara flew back to the front of the train. Lena was still waiting by the window of the cabin door, anxiously drumming her fingers on the glass. Lena raised a questioning eyebrow when she spotted Kara. Kara shook her head helplessly.
Lena frowned. With no immediate solution forthcoming, Kara knew they were running out of time.
They were almost to the coast now.
The train would plunge into the ocean, taking everyone along with it.
Determined to prevent that, Kara floated in front of the front of the train and braced herself.
Lena gasped as Kara threw herself in front of the train. In the next second, the train made a shrill noise and the entire cabin shuddered. Lena pressed herself against the glass window and saw Kara on the other side.
Lena could hear her grunting, either from the effort or from pain. Her face was red and the veins of her forehead pulsed as she strained.
The train showed no sign of slowing.
Kara’s shoulders were trembling with the effort and her face took on a pallid complexion.
She was sweating.
Lena has never seen Kara break a sweat.
Kara’s button down were ripped to tatters on one side and half of her family crest could be seen on the suit underneath. Her glasses were lost to the wind. Sparks were flying from the friction and cuts appeared as metal pieces pierced her skin.
Her unbreakable skin.
Fear crept up Lena’s throat.
“Come on, Kara. You can do this,” Lena muttered under her breath, aware that several passengers had joined her in watching Supergirl.
Even Supergirl’s best did not make a dent on the train’s speed.
Lena wrecked her brain to come up with a solution and an idea struck.
“Supergirl, lift the train. Don’t stop it. Lift it up.” Lena shouted, smacking on the glass to get the hero’s attention.
Kara’s brows furrowed minutely.
Lena, along with the small crowd around her, watched with bated breath as Kara adjusted her grip on the train.
With a mighty yell, Kara heaved upwards and the train came off the tracks. Kara was caught off guard for a moment and the train tilted to the side.
“Supergirl!” Lena yelled.
Kara locked eyes with her and visibly regained her composure. Muscles straining, Kara lifted the train into the air and transported it to a flat plot of land beside the track. When the cabin finally touched the ground, Lena breathed out a sigh of relief. She yanked the cabin door and allowed herself out, just in time to catch Kara as she sagged forward.
Lena stumbled under the weight and both of them sagged to the ground.
“Kara?” Lena mumbled. Her fingers ghosted over Kara’s pale face as she felt the hero tremble in her arms.
“Le – Solar flare,” Kara wheezed.
Someone pushed a bottle of water into Lena’s hand and Lena brought it to Kara’s lips, slowly guiding her as she took tiny sips. Another person gave Lena a napkin and she wiped the sweat and grime off Kara’s face.
“What do you need?” Lena shook Kara urgently as her eyelids threatened to close.
“Nothing. Just you,” Kara smiled weakly.
“Okay. I’m here. You saved all of us. You’re safe now.”
“Okay,” Kara echoed as her eyes drooped shut.
A flash went off accompanied by a shutter sound made Kara jump slightly. Lena whipped her head around to find the culprit – a middle aged man who looked chagrinned as the crowd glared at him and shuffled so Kara was blocked from his view. A kind-looking old woman smacked his hand with her cane and it dropped to the floor. It landed next to a small girl, who took the phone and pressed around before showing Lena the gallery page. It took Lena an embarrassing amount of time to realize what the girl did for them.
“Thank you,” Lena said sincerely.
“She’s so young.”
“She was so brave.”
“She saved us all.”
Crisis averted, all energy bled out of Kara and she went limp in her arms.
“Supergirl!”
“Kara?” Warm hands rubbed circles into her shoulders and Kara hummed mindlessly.
“Kara? Are you awake?”
Kara would recognized that voice anywhere. Her eyes flew open as she remembered everything that happened. She tried to sit up as Lena fretted over her, supporting her weight until she could place some pillows behind her.
“Lena?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re here.”
“Yes. Still cognizant then.” Lena’s mouth ticked upwards minutely.
“I’m so sorry. I was going to tell you but – “
“But a train wreck almost happened.”
Kara winced. “That. But really, I should have told you a long time ago.”
Lena sat down on the chair next to her bed. She stared at Kara for a beat. “You should have. I understand why you didn’t though. Watching your identity almost exposed to the world yesterday was hard. Watching you almost give your life to save people was even harder. I can’t image how Alex, or the rest of your family, deal with this every day.”
Kara’s stomach dropped. “So you won’t stick around anymore?”
Lena rolled her eyes. “No, I am going to scream at you every day for not trusting me with this. I could have designed a better suit, better glasses that will stay on your face or even – ”
Kara interrupted hurriedly. “It was never about trust.”
“What then?” Lena asked, incredulous.
Kara reached out and drew both of Lena’s hands into her own. Staring into emerald green eyes, she brought Lena’s hands to her lips and planted a gentle kiss on the fingers.
“I didn’t want to lose a chance at this.”
Lena’s eyes widened. “Kara, you idiot.”
A pair of lips crashed against her own. That same jasmine perfume. Skin that is so soft under her fingers Kara was half-afraid it would turn to powder. A tilt of the head and a piece of the world clicked into place.
She had waited what felt like an eternity for this.
She will spend the rest of her life earning it.
She would save any train, the world, the universe twice over to keep it.