Chapter Text
In a flash of seconds, a wormhole-like space appears in the center of the room, spiraling inwards. Suddenly a body comes out, and the wormhole disappears behind her.
As soon as her feet touched the floor in her living room, Kara immediately found herself thinking about a certain dark haired CEO. She shakes her head to clear the image, mumbling to herself “must be the space travel” And then she nodded, as if trying to convince herself. She went straight to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and gulped down half of it.
“Kara?!”
Kara was registering Alex’s voice as she turned around when Alex’s body suddenly crushed into her, in a full body hug. And then she remembered, she didn’t quite tell anyone she was leaving their earth when Barry Allen came for her. She returned the hug, rubbing her palm softly on Alex’s shoulders and back.
“What happened? Where were you? We searched for you, We didn’t get any signal out of your phone either, and..and..to think that Cadmus..It’s..” Alex’s was speaking in rapid lines her hands reached up and cupped Kara’s face. Kara can see the well that starts in her sister’s eyes, She put her hands on Alex’s shoulders, trying to get her attention and stops her before she suffocate herself from speaking so fast.
“I’m here, I’m okay, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, and I will explain now if you’ll let me”
***
“Oh wow, a multiverse huh” Both Alex and Kara are sitting on the couch. Alex has beer in hand, listening while Kara munching on popcorns as she gushes about her recent adventure fighting The Dominators along with other superheroes in another earth.
“Guess that explains why we couldn’t pinpoint your phone signal, or any sign that you even exist here, at all” Alex continued. “I was so worried” She looked over to her darling sister. Kara sees the forlorn look in her sister’s eyes.
“I know, I’m so sorry I didn’t get the chance to tell you. It was an emergency, and I really wanted to help, I thought it will be a fast joint mission. It was not” Kara moves and hugs her sister again. “I really am sorry, but I’m here now” Alex tightens their hug, kisses Kara’s temple and releases her with a smile on her face.
“Wait until Hank sees you” Kara slouched forward and says “Oh God, Hank…He’s going to kill me!” Alex burst into laughter seeing the helpless face Kara making. “Not even your pout going to help you this time sister”
***
It’s been four days since Medusa. Lena mused. She was standing on her office balcony, looking out into the city, bright with lights, clueless.
“She didn’t even try to come and say I told you so” Lena continued her musing. “Let alone coming here to at least give support or maybe a comforting word or two, after all I did?”. She sipped her wine as she ponders yet again “What’s with that?” She tilted her jaw ”And why do I even care?” Truth be told, she was angry, and more alone than ever.
A gush of wind stroked her cheek, blowing stray tendrils on her nape and then she heard a soft thud on her right. She kept her eyes on the city. The solid sound of familiar boots, enough to give her heart its own erratic thuds every single time. That is one other thing she is yet to figure out why. She has an idea, but it is too foreign even for her.
After a long moment, neither one of them willing to break the silent. It is comforting in a way, Lena thought. She heard Supergirl sighed for the second time before she finally speak.
“Lena”
Lena’s heart tugged at the way Supergirl mention her name. There it is, how is it that every time Supergirl spoke her name like that, all the mask and burdens as a Luthor seem to just melt away. She closed her eyes but kept facing forward, a mask properly on her face.
“Lena, I’m sorry it turned out the way it was” Lena didn’t say anything, so Supergirl continues. “I know how hard it was for you to do what you do” At that remark, Lena spoke.
“No you don’t” Lena opens her eyes and continues “You have no idea how it feels to betray your own family” She turned her head sideways, catching Supergirl’s face in her peripheral vision. Her jaw tilted slightly upward in that fashion only Lena could ever master that makes the arrogant gesture seems almost endearing. The husky, sarcastic tone laced in her voice “How ironic, the only family I ever known. My whole life spent to prove myself worthy to be seen at least as a daughter. I’d say I hate her, no matter how cruel she is, or how evil, she is my family” She turned towards the city again and sipped her wine slowly.
“That’s because deep inside you know you love her. That’s why you wanted to prove yourself in the first place. You wanted her to love you. And that makes it harder to betray that love” Supergirl stepped closer behind Lena, she can smell her perfume. “Lena, right now, I have no words that could describe how much I want to understand your feeling. But I stand with my words before. You are nothing like your mother. And after that night, no matter what people say about you, you are your own hero. You are National City’s hero. Heck, you are my hero”
Supergirl wanted so bad to just put her hands on Lena’s shoulders and physically shake those words into her. Somehow she felt the both of them are not in that stage yet. Yes they have both declared friends, but touching is intimate gesture no? she thought. Her mind went back to the night of Medusa as she stares out into the bright city lights pass Lena’s arched shoulders, those fine shoulders that seems to never rest. She spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper but maybe because she is wishful. “I want to know if you still consider me a friend”
Lena turned towards Supergirl then. Her eyes searching something in the depths of Supergirl’s soft blue eyes. She blinked before she spoke. “I may have been blinded by loyalty to my family, but I know a friend when I see them. I’m not that naïve Supergirl”. She saw Supergirl visibly released a breath apparently she’s been holding. And she realized that she mirrored the gesture, although she wasn’t holding her breath, but deep inside her she felt lighter.
Supergirl smiles that half quirky smile of her, blue eyes still locked on Lena’s . “Is that a yes?” Her tone playful. The corner of Lena’s mouth twitched, and then she nodded, witnessing the half smile on Supergirl’s face blossoms into full-blown megawatt smile. She wanted to turn around, avoiding yet another surge of charm but apparently she had a bit much of wine tonight and her body swayed. Supergirl’s hands shot out and catches Lena by the waist. Somehow Lena’s own hand now gripping on Supergirl’s shoulder. Those shoulders of justice.
“Careful there” Supergirl searching Lena’s eyes.
“I’m okay, it’s just the wine” She realized her grip on Supergirl’s shoulder and just as fast releases them.
“Go home Lena, you’re drunk” Supergirl attempt on joke, still smiling. Finally Lena mirrored the smile.
“You’re right” Lena felt the hands on her waist slowly if reluctantly retracted. She felt the loss of warmth immediately. Supergirl started to fly but stops, hovering mid-air. One of her leg on the back of the others. She looked down on Lena “You will be okay right? Just know that whenever you need a friend, you have me” At Lena’s nod Supergirl flashes another smile and then flew upward.
***
It is an ordinary morning at CatCo. Where Mike trying to socialize as humanly as possible. Even after Kara scold him for spanking a female coworker who was walking out of the elevator they were in. He meant to show to her that he appreciate her babe-ness. Kara just wanted the elevator to crash right there and then.
At 10.15 AM Kara was being summoned by Snapper. Temporarily distracted from keeping Mike working as well as being “socialized”. It’s like being told you’re free from your baby sitting job and now you’ve got to cook for the parents. Taking her notepad with her she enters Snapper’s room.
“You brought up story about alien detector device the other day. You still working on that?” He talked to her while still typing on his keyboard. Once a while sorting papers in front of him. His glasses perched high up his foreheads.
“Err, You said it wasn’t a story. I didn’t….” Her words was cut by Snapper
“I did not say it wasn’t a good story. I specifically told you to simply be a reporter and leave out your own emotional attachment with the story, whatever bias you have on it” His eyes shifted towards her for a moment and then back on the papers as he continues “It surprised me you didn’t even try to write about Medusa”
Kara corrected her glasses before she replies “Ah, yes. I think many other already work on it, so..” Again she was cut by Snapper
“So you decided your story isn’t worthy just because other people cover the same story? What do you think all of us doing here? We all cover the same story. There are hundreds of news tribunes in the city alone. All covering the same daily news. It’s all about who brings out news closest to the truth behind every story. That’s what you want people to read. Simple truth, and let them be the judge”
“No it’s not that, It’s just that…” She looked towards Snapper who has his glasses removed and practically throw it on the desk as he looked at Kara.
“Have I not berate you enough, kid?”
“No sir, I mean yes” Kara stammered, “I mean I’ll be working on it” walking backwards and then heads out of the office.
***
Kara smiled as she passes Jess’s desk. The girl smiles back and then nods as if confirming the CEO’s presence, but nonetheless picks up her phone. No doubts informing her boss. After a few soft knocks, Kara heard the invitation. Looking down on her impeccable moss green cardigan, cream shirt and fitting brown slacks, she let herself in.
Lena is perched on her throne. Her office chair, but she always made it look like a throne every time she sits there, Kara thought. And as usual, she dressed beautiful in her peach colored dress. Her hair styled in a sleek classic bun high on her head. Not a strand of hair dare to escape it. Kara only dreaded the thought of doing this all over again.
“Hello Kara” Lena greeted Kara from her chair, gesturing for her to sit on the vacant chair in front of her
“Hi, How are you” Kara greeted back, a nervous smile on her lips.
“I’m fine, thank you for asking. How may I help you today? Wait, I think I know how I may help you today. You’re here for Medusa's story, am I wrong?” Lena’s face straight as she finishes her inquiry. For a moment, Kara was speechless, unsure how to start.
“No, Lena. I meant it when I say how are you, really” She paused to let the weight of her words sink in.
This time, Lena sighed, her body leaned forward. Face in her palms, shoulders starts trembling. In an instant, Kara was there. Wrapping her arms around the CEO, rubbing gently on her back as she held the woman who started to weep silently. After the trembling subsided and Lena seemed to be aware of herself again, Kara loosen her embrace, and Lena sits back, leaning with both arms on her desk. Kara spotted the tissue box on the table, took few sheets and offers them to Lena.
“Thank you” Lena offers back. Kara only smiled, compassion in her eyes.
“I did not meant to just break down in front of you like that, it was so unlike me” She chuckled nervously. Looking at Kara sheepishly as she dabbed at her eyes with the tissue.
“It’s okay, we all have our moments” Kara sits on the other end of the desk, watching Lena. “It’s probably odd to say this, but I’m glad you found it’s okay for you to cry in front of me. Because that’s what’s friend are for, among other things of course” A goofy smile on Kara’s face.
“I know, and I’m glad that you are my friend” Lena thought about it oddly. Indeed. This bubbly personality. Who readily offer her friendship where no one else would have want to touch the Luthors with a ten feet pole. This girl who is so smart and at the same time endearingly shy and clumsy. Cute, another voice in her mind supplied. She blinked twice.
“You will get through this” Kara said to her. “You’re strong. It takes bravery to stand up like that. It took even more courage to stand up against your own when you know they were wrong” Kara reaches her hands across the desk and holds Lena’s in hers. Looking into her eyes, she continues “You are not just a Luthor, you are Lena Luthor”.
Lena’s brows bunched together as if unsure of herself, but Kara’s eyes are still locked on hers. Once more she draw strength from that gaze and she smiled thankfully. Kara smiled too, that extra goofy smile of hers, and then in an instant stopped. A serious expression on her face “Now, about that favor you can help me with” Lena chuckled.
***
The bar is filled with the usual crowd. Aliens and inhumans that needs their own escape from daily mask they have to wear around so called normal people. Whatever that supposed to mean. They are normal in their own planet. But as luck would have it, some of their planets are gone, some are refugees of their own government and many other disclosed reasons for their staying on earth. They are considered aliens because earth is not their motherland. Not their natural habitat.
Alex is sitting at one of the table, Maggie next to her drinking her beer. Once a while one of the alien patron would tap her on the back to say hello or just throwing in a nod. Alex recognized a few.
“You’re quite popular here aren’t you” Alex said as she drink her own beer, a small smile on her lips
Maggie looked at her and shrugged nonchalantly. “Many of them are just from old cases. Not all of them criminals really”.
Alex thought Maggie looked tense tonight. She is not her usual confidence self. “You okay?” she asked
“Hmm? Yeah..I’m okay. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know, you seem agitated” Maggie smiled at Alex and then replies “It’s just work. A case I’m working on” Alex doesn’t look convinced but she let it go “Want to go somewhere else?” She offered. Maggie finished her beer and about to reply when her phone buzzed. She read the message.
“I’m sorry, rain check?” Maggie put on her dimpled smile “Got to get back to the station”
Alex raises herself and reaches for Maggie’s arm. Planted a lingering kiss on her lips “Be safe okay” Maggie stole another chaste kiss before she reply “I’ll definitely get on that rain check” And then she turned around heading for the exit door. Not long after Maggie disappeared behind the door, Alex’s own phone rang. She picked up immediately “Yes?, I’m on my way” She clipped her phone back and hurried to the exit door.