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When Kara Zor-El, of House El, of Krypton first landed on earth she was mesmerised by the colours. Krypton had nothing on the radiance of a sunrise, or the ethereal beauty of a moon-cast waterfall, or even the rolling lush greens of the forests. The colours here were so much more perhaps it was because the planet was so young, so untainted by pollution and development where its skin was torn and ripped, its life-force taken and morphed, its resources stolen without pause (though she would later learn that Earth was already trending towards Krypton’s explosive path).
She had been captivated by the ocean, especially, so blue, and when Alex had dragged her to her first sunrise she’d fallen in love, and for a moment, just a moment, had no longer felt like she was being crushed by the weight of her culture, her people, her planet, by being the last. For fifteen minutes she’d been free of the encompassing weight that hunched her shoulders, the cacophony of sound still assaulting her senses, even after three weeks on Earth. For fifteen minutes she had felt hope. Alex hadn’t understood, but there was no way she could have, and Kara, upon reflection, had never wanted to be understood, had never wanted anyone to feel the pain she was in, to feel so empty she had waded into the ocean and wished for it to take her away.
The colours were something to her, and the Danvers’ had done their best to take her to forests, parks, rose gardens, rivers, and mountains to fuel her unrivalled desire to be surrounded by such beauty and colour. As she had grown older, acclimatising to her existence and identity as Kara Danvers she had kept picture books and paintings, and calendars and screensavers of various wondrous landscapes and foreign places of earth. For her birthday and Christmases canvasses and brushes and coloured paints were her gifts, and she’d devote hours to the task of recreating the beauty around her. She sometimes tried her hand at Krypton, but it hurt, and she could never get it right, and feared that one day, it would all be lost, and eventually she knew, it would, so she kept to things on Earth, things that she could see, touch, experience…feel.
When she and Alex had moved to university, her sister would surprise her and they would go hiking by the lake, or explore mountain ranges, or have picnic’s in the park. In National City she, as Kara Danvers, wasn’t able to get out as much, but when she did she’d walk along the ocean-shore, ride a bike next to the river, hike in the forest, or kayak on the lake. Supergirl had no such restraints, and donning her cape had been the most freeing thing she had ever done. She could soar through the air and gaze at the stars, and rest atop mountains, and mirror birds over forests, and even race cheetahs. She’d walked with elephants, swam with dolphins, flown with eagles. Earth was just sooooo bright…until it wasn’t. That was the day her Soul Mate died.
~*~
Soul Mate’s were a human concept, Kara had learned. On Krypton you wed and procreated for the glory and wealth of your House. Love was something that came later, if you were fortunate, otherwise the best you could hope for was mutual respect and the loyalty of your mate. At worst the match was deemed a failure (very, very, rarely, for the joining of a house was viewed as final and the breaking of the union was frowned up and just not done), and each partner took a lover while their energies were still expected to support the House and Union. Most Union’s operated within society mechanically. Couples were not based on gender but children were expected from the Match if the couple were not pre-occupied with serving society.
Sometimes a Match worked out, and love entered the relationship, more than the respect and admiration for the partner and their contribution towards the Union and House/s. Her parents and those of her friends were not fortunate in this regard, though the couples did develop affection and respect for their mate (her parents cared for one another, and loved her she knew, but weren’t in love with each other, she hadn’t known the difference until she came to Earth).
She could only recall two couples in her own circles that had found love with their partner, having been fortunate enough to be Matched to them. Two men from the Military Guild had been Matched for a long time-she was too young to know the years, but they were old, grey, but there was a light to them when they looked at each other. The other pair were Kal’s parents, and she had always been in awe of the two when they were together at House events. There was something to the way they looked at each other, touched each other, that had kept the younger her in awe and had left her with an itch to find her own perfect match, for more than wealth, power, or glory. She wanted love. Her mother had warned her of her responsibility and duties as she had grown up, and she had known that she would have to wed for the House, and not for her heart, but her mother had hoped that she would learn to care for her Match, who–ever they might be.
She had heard it was like nothing else; that your heart would stop and for a glorious moment you would feel absolutely nothing, be nothing, and then in the next moment your heart beat would synchronise with your perfect-match and no-one would be able to keep you apart. Rumour was that you would be eventually able to hear their thoughts, to communicate with just a look, to share memories and dreams and Rao’s essence. Earth called this joining of people Soul-Mate’s, but she learnt that it didn’t always mean romantic love, but a connection between two people. Jerimiah and Eliza maintained that they were soul-mates, the lover kind as well, but were the best of friends before easing into their non-platonic relationship.
Her time with the Danvers had only fortified her desire to find a match for love, to ignore the social constructs of her destroyed planet, and she had willingly followed her heart (even though she were guilty about it, but Kal-Clark, had talked to her and told her it was okay to adopt the culture of her new home, even if it did go against the old one. She could be whoever she wanted on Earth, love whoever she wanted). It had been difficult sometimes, going against what she had known to what she was learning, and her meagre experiences with potential matches and mates hadn’t gone over very well, so she had followed her heart to other things, and not people.
She had gone to work for Cat Grant, one of the most amazing women in the world, and had truly blossomed under her guidance and tutelage and she thanked Rao (on Rao Day- which was Summer Solstice on Earth) for the media-conglomerate taking her under her wing. She also thanked Rao for potstickers, Alex, potstickers, Kal, potstickers, J’onn, potstickers, Winn, potstickers, James, potstickers, Eliza, potstickers, and of course, her new home... which had potstickers. She also asked Rao to watch over her dead people and guide Jeremiah through the stars.
Becoming a reporter had been a conflicting decision, mostly because she didn’t just want to be Supergirl, and reporting was Clark’s thing, but she had wanted to help people so badly. Cat had thought it would be a good idea so she had tagged along with her cousin as he investigated Lena Luthor. Meeting the youngest Luthor had been…. An experience. Truthfully she had finally realised why all of those movies, t.v. shows and books all had that moment when the world stopped and then kept on turning, the glance that lingered as two people passed in a street, or the moment when, somehow, in a crowd the loved one was the only voice heard. Her heart screeched to a halt and then pulsed in sync with Lena’s and would do so until her death, or Lena’s, because she knew that she’d die with her.
Ka-Clark had been difficult about the entire thing, having heard her heart stop and then beat with Lena’s, and knew what it meant, having had that earth-shattering moment with Lois, but not entirely thrilled Kara’s heart now beat for a Luthor. Though the my-perfect-match-is-a-woman aspect had been a bit to wrap his head around, and she blamed the Kent’s (but she loved them still), and of course the general society in Kansas. Clark would come around, he had to (she didn’t want to think of a life without him accepting her in it, couldn’t bare it).
To her delight Lena had felt something as well and their friendship had grown to include lunch-dates and then dinner dates, and hanging out as friends, and even curling up in front of the T.V. and binging seasons on Netflix. Lena had asked Kara out a few months after the Medusa Virus attack she had halted, after a lot of grovelling on Kara and Supergirl’s behalf, and Kara had to come up with a family emergency for why she hadn’t talked to the CEO immediately after-but then she felt so very, very guilty over Lena’s immediate concern. She still wasn’t as friendly with Supergirl, and Kara itched with the need to tell her girlfriend of five months, three weeks, two days, and eighteen hours, who she really was, but she was terrified of rejection. Lena was in love with Kara Danvers, not Kara Zor-El Danvers, Supergirl, alien, and reporter.
Lately they’d been having problems, or at least that’s what the talk-shows and online relationship advice people, and a lot of Tumblr users, told her. Lena was slowly pulling away, or it felt like that to Kara, and she was trying desperately to keep Lena with her, sending her Plumeria’s, trying to clear her busy Super schedule for a date, but most of the time she had to run out on Lena, and it was taking its toll. So was her secret.
But sometimes, when they were curled up in bed together, with their clothes still mostly on- as Kara had been too afraid of her strength to go further, but Lena she had discovered, was an enthusiastic kisser and many of their nights had ended with Kara wide-eyed and panting with desire, raw and molten, curling in her belly and urging her to let go- she’d felt a peace. There were no responsibilities or worries outside of Lena’s heartbeat, the woman she was in love with curled comfortably in the harbour of her arms, listening to her heartbeat as she read emails on her phone. Often they just lay together, limbs entangled, and spoke of their dreams and desires and their childhoods.
Lena got Kara, and it was so refreshing. There was no judgement in her green eyes, no pity either, just raw understanding and awe, for Kara’s strength. Sometimes she would say something, something that would have Kara going still, fumbling for a reply and cursing her cowardice that she couldn’t just tell Lena who she was.
She was in love with Lena, and it made her heart soar, made her struggle to keep her feet grounded, but at the same time guilt gnawed at her, its poison seeping into her being asking her how she could be committed to that wonderful woman if she didn’t tell her who she was? How could she accept Lena’s soft ‘I love you, Kara’s if Lena didn’t know all of her. How could Lena love her, all of her, if she didn’t know all of her? The doubt lingered in the back of her mind and grew, morphing and tainting every aspect of their relationship. The soft smiles in the morning over coffee, when Lena was still half asleep, radiant in the sunlight with bleary eyes, tangled masses of raven curls, and wearing one of Kara’s t-shirts. The soft lip curl of amusement when Kara stuttered and stumbled over her words. Her arms when she held her as Kara broke down crying about missing her parents and her home- she told Lena they had died in a fire, to keep things simple.
It was incredible how Lena made her feel so many things; love, freedom, strong, vulnerable, the chance to be dorky without judgement, being able to cry and have someone understand her. Understand her desire to be more, to help people, to make a difference, to bring every light in the city and set it free, high among the stars. If she were to describe how Lena made her feel with one word, it would be hope. Lena was her star, the one thing she had learnt children of Earth would wish upon. Hope. She knew she could spend the rest of her life with Lena, grow old with her, laugh with her, love with her, dream with her. Lena was her hope.
They were #relationship goals, if Kara didn’t say so herself. Cuddles at all times of the day, movie nights, dancing in the rain, hiking in the hills (away from the press) lunch-dates disguised as interviews, cooking to the sound of 80’s music from Kara’s Spotify playlists-which Lena pretended to hate but secretly loved, and laughter, so much laughter that Kara couldn’t remember a time when she never laughed or smiled, when her eyes were haunted with shadow and her lips etched with the loss of her home. Now her face hurt from smiling so much, and that was saying something.
But there was a strain on their relationship, and it wasn’t from the constant death threats and attempts by Lex on his sister after her betrayal, or Lena’s long work hours. No, it was the fact that Supergirl was between them, which was really weird considering she was Supergirl, but Lena just didn’t know it. Kara had to duck away at random moments; she skipped on dates, left early, sometimes never showed up until the next morning with Plumeria’s and a sheepish smile. Lena had asked her if she wanted to be in this relationship (Lena was even more insecure than Kara was, which was saying something) and Kara had spent the next day being the most attentive girlfriend she possible could, but still, there were cracks starting to appear.
Alex had noticed something was up, but at her request hadn’t pried, she didn’t even know she was dating Lena, having wanted to keep that a secret from her sister until she was ready. Alex didn’t know, and she’d asked her not to look into it, and as far as she knew Alex had obeyed her request, letting Kara sort through her feelings on her own, offering advice, but not knowing who for. How would she explain she was in love with Lena Luthor and wanted to tell the sister of Earth’s most notorious alien-hater who she was? Alex would have an aneurism.
As though thinking of her sister had summoned her, her voice came over her comms device. ‘Supergirl, come in.’
“Alex, hey. What’s up?” She asked as she soared between some buildings on one of her evening patrols before she would head to her dinner date with Lena. It was in half an hour, so she wanted to head home, have a quick shower and get changed.
‘Winn’s been tracking a suspected Cadmus operative and he’s finally stopped moving.’
Alex handed her the co-ordinates and she changed direction, hearing her phone buzz in her boot and landed down to grab it as she flew towards the abandoned factory where Winn said their target was. J’onn was grabbing a team and would be there to back her up shortly, but she would land first.
‘Hey babe, we still on for tonight?’
Kara hesitated but quickly text back. ‘Something came up. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.’ Feeling her heart sink as she sent the message off. They’d been trying to find Hank Henshaw for months, ever since Lena had helped them capture Lillian and had stopped the bomb, but had been unsuccessful. This opportunity was something they couldn’t pass up, even if it meant additional cracks to her already brittle relationship. When she cleared the warehouse she would hopefully convince J’onn to take over Superhero duty for a few days and convince Lena to go with her home to visit Eliza, and maybe tell her who she was then, under the stars looking over the ocean she first fell in love with.
She tucked her phone back into her boot and looked over the warehouse. It was quite a way from the main city, in an abandoned factory, or maybe a junk-yard, Kara couldn’t tell. It had certainly been used for junk though, piles of it was around the building, but there was fresh tracks and she figured that this was the place.
She did a customary scan of the building and hesitated, seeing it was lined with lead and relayed the information, hearing the acknowledgement over the line before she dove through one of the windows, just in case the roof was a trap. She landed with a shattering of glass and rose quickly to look around her. She was right, beneath the lead-lined roof there were spikes, edged with a vibrant green glow. Kryptonite. The doors were also lined with the stuff and Hank Henshaw stood before a series of monitors with his back to her. There were two teams of Cadmus Agents on either side of him, and she could see the green radiating from their guns and swallowed. They were facing her as a trio were working the computers in front of the monitors, but made no move to shoot at her.
She chanced a glance around her and changed her mind, maybe it had just been a storage shed, because there wasn’t any rusted equipment or processing line, just dirty concrete and a few vehicles.
“Supergirl.” She hid her reflective shiver at hearing her name from Hank so full of hatred, when she was used to the soft way J’onn said it. He turned from the monitors and then she was able to see that they were all of her, the warehouse, from every angle.
‘Supergirl, we are three minutes out,’ Alex said and it occurred to her that they must have sent agents over before telling her. Which was a bit frustrating, but she could and would definitely use the back-up. Hank was stronger, as fast as her, could take her hits, and could fire lasers from his eye.
“Henshaw,” she drew a deep breath and placed her hands on her hip. “You and your companions are under arrest. Come quietly.” The pose had always made her feel strong and proud, like her family was standing behind her, but she had to admit she did deflate a little at Hank’s response.
Hank laughed, a great bellied laugh, and even some of his agents smiled cruelly over at her.
“I think you are a little outnumbered here, Supergirl,” he spat her title and she hid her wince. J’onn definitely needed a new body to shift in to, Hank was ruined for her now.
‘Supergirl, don’t engage him alone. J’onn is coming ahead,’ Agent Vasquez relayed through her communication device but Kara didn’t have the time to respond because Hank was approaching her and edging to the side. She moved to match him, casting a wary glance to his soldiers, but they made no move to intercept her and she focused her attention on Henshaw, feeling there was more to this than she was seeing.
“We are ready, sir,” one of the tech people said and Kara flicked him a glance and then turned her attention back on Henshaw as he moved.
“People of National City,” he thundered and one of the monitors changed to show him standing before Supergirl.
‘He’s broadcasting all over the city,’ Vasquez relayed in her ear and Kara gave a sharp nod, not wanting to speak just yet. Her heart was hammering strongly, she could feel it pounding through her chest and hoped the three minutes would come faster.
His cyborg status was evident as he turned his glare on her.
“Aliens have no place on our planet,” he spat out through clenched teeth, his hatred evident. “Humanity did not need alien scum to fly! Or to be unique or special, or to be heroes!” He paced around, one of the tech people following him with the gaze of a camera and Kara edged away from the kryptonite doors. “Humans are the true heroes! We have police! And Doctors! And military! And volunteers! Every day humans who do incredible things! They are the true heroes, not these alien’s who call themselves heroes because of their power of us!”
He pointed at Kara and she raised her chin defiantly. ‘Ninety seconds out, hang on Kara.’ Alex relayed and she could hear the roar of their vehicles as they drove onward.
‘I’ll be there in thirty seconds, Supergirl.’ She was very happy to hear J’onn’s voice like this, and not from the monster before her.
‘We don’t have to be afraid anymore! We are the heroes because we are human! The alien scum will be exterminated from our planet,” Hank barked and Kara brought her hands up defensively.
“Today begins a new era! Earth belongs to humans!” Hank boomed and Kara had the odd thought that once he would have made a great motivational speaker, if only he weren’t using his rights to free speech for Xenophobia. “No alien scum will find sanctuary on our planet any longer! They will no longer lord over the human race with the face of heroes and the hearts of demons!”
“We start today with your beloved Kryptonian, Supergirl!”
With that, admittedly, bold proclamation Hank started to walk towards Kara with slow, purposeful steps.
“You should have died with the rest of your planet,” he hissed and Kara’s lips split in a snarl and she rolled her fingers into a fist.
“What you’re doing is wrong,” she said adamantly. “Not all aliens pose a threat. Most of us want to live peacefully!” She knew her protests weren’t working as Hank suddenly broke speed and launched himself at her. She let her breath out in a resigned exhale and ducked under his right hook.
‘You can’t out muscle him,’ J’onn said and she could hear the whip of the wind around him as he bore himself to her rescue and she wished he’d hurry up. ‘Avoid engaging if you can.’
“Really, ya think, J’onn? Real-omph,” she was cut off as Hank slammed a fist into her stomach and she was sent reeling backward.
“Ah,” she gave a yelp and ducked out of the way as a laser shot from his eye, it tore through the concrete like a knife through butter and left a smoking trail behind it.
“Henshaw!” J’onn boomed as he arrived and the guns were on him immediately, and he tore through the ranks of humans and ripped the guns from their hands, managing to break most of them before Hank turned his attention to the Martian, who morphed into his true self.
The two faced off, circling each other like some western movie, she almost expected the music. The waddle-addle, ah, wa, wa, wa, and the roly-poly twig thing flanked by dust that would roll across the empty street.
Panting she rose to her feet and ran over to the other agents. Some of them must have been enhanced or had Kryptonite because she fell away from them, feeling its poison entering her system and burning her from the inside.
“I can’t get to them,” she said as she stumbled away, coughing and spat blood out onto the concrete.
Through their combat gear she could see the green glow of Kryptonite and she backed away. “They have Kryptonite!”
As she spoke there was a thud and a bang and a handful of DEO Agent’s poured into the building in full combat gear and immediately started to engage the CADMUS agents.
Alex was at their head, eyes flashing as Kara wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked as she rushed over, keeping her gun up and trained on the enemy as her own comrades were firing and fighting.
Hank and J’onn were still battling it out, two titans among men and Kara stumbled a little away from the agents and nodded, straightening as J’onn went fly back into the wall.
“Go! I’ll help J’onn.”
Alex held her gaze for a moment, smiled a warning which clearly said you-had-better-come-out-of-this-alive, and then ran off to tackle a CADMUS agent with his gun trained on J’onn.
“Argh,” Kara growled as she slammed into Henshaw and sent them both stumbling to the ground and she reared up off of him and slammed her hand towards his head. He focused his eye and she was sent flying backward and across the warehouse as it hit her in the face.
“Ahhh,” she screamed and rolled onto her knees, pressing her hand’s to her face and saw J’onn launch himself at Hank with a roar.
The DEO and CADMUS agents had emptied their ammunition, and bodies littered the floor, and now they were circling each other with hands at the ready, a few knives had been pulled. Alex was beating the shit out of a pair of agents, moving between the two with speed that should have defied her human biology but she was as sharp and as focused as the blade in her hand.
“Kar-” J’onn was cut off as Hank punched him squarely in the face and stumbled back and rubbed his chin on his shoulder and Hank paused victoriously.
“Monsters like you don’t belong here,” he growled and J’onn moved forward to circle him.
“Monster’s like me? By whose definition am I the monster? I haven’t made it my life’s purpose to eradicate any other species but my own, killing hundreds in the process,” J’onn protested with a snarl, and his hatred of Hank was obvious. “You are a despicable human being, and the only monster here!”
He and Hank became a blur of black as they launched each other back and forth across the warehouse and Kara stumbled to her feet. She chanced a glance at her reflection in a monitor and winced. Half of her face was burnt and bleeding, something out of a horror movie and she sent a brief prayer to Rao, for the sun, and moved along the outside of the CADMUS agents, waiting for a moment. If she timed it right she could burst past them and take them out before the Kryptonite got to her. She was still weak, she could feel the green radiation burning through her solar stores and then attacking her cells, it made her nauseous and dizzy and her body was throbbing like Alex had taken her into the green-room and had given her a lesson in hand-to-hand combat. Her face was burning, she had lost feeling in it but it ached and she knew she was something of a sight, not National City’s most desirable bachelorette right now.
A groaning from some of the downed agents drew her attention and she cast the fighters a look before darting next to the agents. She scanned them and determined which ones needed the hospital and which ones didn’t and relayed her information back to the DEO. Vasquez was taking care of that, she said in her earpiece, and told Kara to take them outside, where the DEO medical van would be pulling up shortly. Kara obeyed, not caring for who the human had fought for, only caring that they needed help, though she made sure to warn the DEO to cuff the CADMUS agents and then she ducked back inside. She knew she should be helping her friends but she was as weak as a human right now, and was struggling to get the wounded outside, let alone hold her own against highly trained agents who had the means to kill her.
The DEO’s superior training and stamina was showing and they were turning the hide against the CADMUS agents and most of them were in cuffs or lying prone on the floor. A few were still fighting and Alex was kicking and punching and blocking her way through those that remained, a whirlwind of martial art’s moves Kara had felt before in the training room and she spared a moment of pity for them, Alex packed a punch. There were only three left, the one Alex was fighting, and two more who were holding their own against the DEO agents who they were fighting.
Hank and J’onn were still a blur, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. To Kara’s relief another set of DEO agents were in the room trying to remove the kryptonite, where CADMUS got it, she’d love to know.
Kara was jogging over to the monitors intent on shutting this televised gladiator match down when something hit her from behind and she went flying into the concrete wall.
J’onn was a smoking crumpled heap over in the corner and Hank was bloody and beaten with wild eyes as he looked down at her. Half of his metal frame was visible and she blinked at him in horror. She’d seen many futuristic movies where robots went rogue and tried to destroy humanity, and right now Hank could be the cover-poster for it.
“What did they do to you,” she rasped out, her skin was raw and bleeding and burnt and she was struggling to breathe.
“CADMUS saved me,” Hank panted and there was a rattling in his chest as he breathed, something broken maybe. “But no one is here to save you.”
Kara’s eyes went wide as she watched Alex bolt over to him and slam her hand into the back of his head which would have been a coward-hit, but he was a cyborg and it was a battle, so she was excused.
She fell past him with a cry and went down, clutching her broken hand and Kara had to use a burst of speed to get between her sister and Hank’s laser vision and they both went flying backwards.
“I am the future of the human race, Supergirl!” He boomed and she realised he must have some sort of microphone on him because the television monitors were repeating his words as well as the video feeds, if a little delayed.
“No,” Kara shook her head and slowly rose to her knees, trying to shield an unconscious Alex with her body and Hank paused as he prepared to fire his laser vision.
“You aren’t,” she shook her head and blood dribbled from her mouth and down her chin and she wiped at it, knowing it wouldn’t help. Her body was still trying to dispel the Kryptonite, and with no sun, it would take her hours to get back to normal, but with her injuries she wasn’t certain she would make it. She was resigned to the fact, she only wished she had time to say goodbye.
“The people of earth, all the people on earth,” she corrected and felt her body slump forward but rallied and rested on her heels, staring over at Hank. Her phone vibrated in her boot. “Are the future. Their light is so bright,” she panted and forced the words from her melted lips, ignoring how they slurred like she was drunk. “As bright as the stars, and each of them is one, every life is a star, and they are all worth protecting.”
Kara swallowed and almost choked on it, on the blood streaming down her throat. “I love them,” she rasped, trying not to move her mouth because of the pain, and Alex stirred. “All of them. I love my human friends, my alien friends, their my family, my-“
“-Your perfect-match?” Hank asked innocently and Kara went still and jerked her head up to meet his eyes. He was smiling, manically, half human half robot. “Oh yes, we know all about her,” he sneered and Kara tried to rise to her feet but her feet gave way under her.
“You should have known better,” he continued and zoomed over to where the agents were still fighting and when he returned he was holding a kryptonite gun and a radio. “You should have known we’d be watching you. Imagine my surprise when we saw the two of you together.”
He almost succeeded in looking apologetic as he pressed a button on the radio and barked, “Kill her,” into it.
She could hear the echo of a gunshot in her heart, bouncing of the walls of the bone cage that housed it and her vision, once so bright and colourful, slowly faded into grey.
“Nooooooo!” An anguished howl split her lips, tearing her face apart and she tried to get to her feet only to have Hank kick her in the chest and she fell backwards over Alex.
“I would give you time to mourn her, but even I’m not that cruel,” Hank spoke like he was doing her a favour, like he believed he were the hero in the situation and the barrel of the gun came up.
“Say goodbye, Alien scum.” The sound of a shot rang out.
~*~
Lena sighed as she placed her phone back on the table cloth and replaced it with the glass of wine she had been nursing since she arrived, alone, to the restaurant. The waiter’s kept on casting her sympathetic glances and she knew what they were thinking and it drove her to take another composed sip of wine. Kara was late, again. But really, she thought to herself as she eyed the rose liquid she was rolling in the glass, what else did she expect from National City’s resident hero.
Oh, yes, she knew. She was Luthor after all, and what girl comes in on the heels of the celebrated Clark Kent as a no-body? No body ordinary, that was for sure, and so she had paid a little bit more attention to Kara, even as she was drawn to the blondes light, like a moth to a flame. It hadn’t taken her long, her second meeting with Supergirl to be exact, and honestly, who else but a Super thought glasses, and cardigans were a mask against the world? Clark Kent and Kara Danvers, that was who.
Then Kara casually mentions she flew to her office, and well, there was the hair and the light she radiated. Kara shone so brightly it was a wonder the rest of the city didn’t realise that the Girl of Steel was a meek, wall-flower reporter who wore hand-knitted cardigans and modest hemlines, and a ponytail and glasses to hide her from the world.
To test her theory she had enquired into the blondes love life and had pushed gently until Kara was flustered and nervous and fiddling with her glasses and unable to meet her eyes and then she had asked, ever so innocently if she didn’t say so herself, what about Clark Kent? They had seemed friendly when she saw them so surely he’d been interested in the lovely, sunny reporter, she’d asked as she placed a hand on Kara’s arm, eyes intense. Kara had gone as red as her cape and had blurted he was her cousin, and well, nail in the coffin. She may as well have written her name across the sky, or carried a bus with her name on it through National City’s park. Very subtle she was.
It had been a few weeks later, after sitting down to one of their not-date dinners, where they’d see a movie, or walk in the park, or get ice-cream after- how Kara didn’t figure out Lena’s intentions before she kissed her she didn’t know. So, Lena had taken that step, finding her heart belonging to the blonde against her wishes and eventually just went with it. Kara had looked radiant in the sunset, silhouetted against the ocean, and so Lena had released Kara’s hand-honestly, Kara, ‘just friends’ don’t hold hands when they walk together- and had cupped Kara’s cheek. Her skin was warm and soft and smooth, and flushed wonderfully under the light pressure of her finger-tips, jaw falling open slightly, blue eyes mirroring the ocean as she rambled into silence.
“Kara,” Lena said slowly and ran her thumb gently along the fine line of her cheek. She delighted in the shiver that ran through the blonde and watched her swallow nervously. “I’d very much like to kiss you.”
Kara’s eyes widened behind the think lenses of her glasses and Lena could see the ocean beyond them, the same beautiful blue shade. Lovely. She swallowed again and Lena followed the curve of her throat and neck down to where she had a modest neck line in the summer dress she was wearing.
“May I?” She requested softly as she leant in, giving Kara plenty of opportunity to object, to pull away, to shake her head, to say no. Kara nodded eagerly and licked her lips nervously and Lena’s eyes were on the movement and she felt a thrill run through her veins.
Smiling she leant in and gently, ever, ever so gently touched her lips to Kara’s. It was remarkably chaste, barely more than a peck, and she was more concerned with how her heart was pounding in her chest, its roar trying to beat its way from its prison of bone and flesh, and the way Kara’s lips curled into a smile.
Whenever she was feeling low, all she had to do was think of that moment and her heart would sing and grow warm like the amber in a crystal decanter on her desk.
The waiter came past again, awkwardly hovering outside of her vision before steeling himself and striding up to her. “Ma’am…would you like a refill?” He enquired politely, offering her the bottle of wine she’d been drinking. He’d already come past thrice, twice to ask her if she was ready to order, and the second to ask her if she would like a refill. At least he was polite about it, and aiding her in drinking the disappointment away.
It wouldn’t bother her as much if Kara told her why she was gone, and then let Lena know she was okay. The CEO had to depend on the media for her reports on the nights when Kara didn’t make it back- they would text each other goodnight on the nights they didn’t fall into sleep in each other’s arms- and would toss and turn until morning worried about her girlfriend. She didn’t mind that Kara was out protecting the city and saving people, Kara shined when she was helping people, but she just wanted to know she was safe. And, she admitted to herself as she signalled for a refill, she was hurt Kara didn’t trust her enough with the secret, even if her knowing would lift a weight from Kara’s shoulders.
She reassured Kara frequently, especially when she did something silly, or down-right goofy, and she’d say how much she loved her, all of her, dorky quirks and enviable metabolism included. She meant her alien self as well, but Kara wasn’t ready for that to be in the air between them, so she kept silent on it, leaving openings where Kara could confess, and telling her she’d love her no matter what, but still, Kara maintained her silence.
The waiter refill her glass and she eyed what remained in the bottle. “Leave the bottle,” she said and waved him off and watched him go before glancing around the restaurant.
It was modern and sleek and romantic with wooden floors and accents and soft, romantic lighting. Candles were on stands dotted about the room and she looked past the television in one of the walls to look at the candle on her table. She sighed as she reached for her wine again, resigned to dining alone, and preparing her armour for her departure from the restaurant amid pitying looks and the flashes of camera’s. The restaurant was one she frequented, one she had shares in, and was very good with catering to celebrities or public figures and had a back door especially for their elite. But Lena would use the main entrance and let her photo be taken and have the scathing captions blasted all over the media the following morning. It had made Kara feel horrendously guilty the last time it had happened, and maybe it would get her to admit who she was. Then she felt sick for thinking of guilt-tripping her sweet and kind girlfriend into telling her something she wasn’t obviously ready to share with her.
With a loud exhale she made the conscious decision to enjoy the fine dining and then return home, she wasn’t one to turn down exquisite food, and they certainly served that. She was looking for her waiter when a ripple of discontent ran through the relaxed atmosphere and she narrowed her eyes as she tried to find it. All diners eyes were glued to the television and the waiters had paused to look at the images being broadcast.
There was that disembodied head and voice that was achingly familiar and Lena sighed and closed her eyes briefly, pointedly moving from the television. It seemed her mother’s organisation CADMUS was still up to no good, even with Lillian behind bars. Her mother and brother hadn’t taken kindly to her betrayal and she’d had her life threatened on multiple occasions since, and Supergirl had to rescue her a few times.
A guest had obviously asked for the volume to be turned up and she heard a man’s gravelly voice emerge from the television and lifted her head. He was ranting about aliens, about cleansing earth and starting with Supergirl. Suddenly he had her full attention and she pushed back from her table to view the television better.
Her heart flew from her chest and was caught in her throat as she saw her girlfriend being thrown around, and spit blood from her mouth. And Lena lifted her hand to her lips as the rest of the diners murmur and gasped as the battle raged on. Unlike the other diners she knew of J’onn and had no reaction to his arrival, save relief, she had seen him in action and knew he was strong enough to protect Kara. She saw Alex Danvers arrive with an army of black-combat equipped agents and felt her relief grow, she knew Alex wouldn’t let anyone harm Kara, not without dying first, and the thought made her heart ache for Lex. Her brother was still trying to kill her, while Kara’s sister was risking her life to protect her. She let out a smothered cry when Kara was hit in the face with the laser and quickly glanced around to make sure no-one had heard her broken whisper of ‘Kara.’
The diners were speculating over where Supergirl had gone when she was seen dragging the agents from the building, but through the doors they could see medical personnel seeing to the wounded, so they assumed she was saving them. It was hard to hear, all the noise was beating, grunts, roars, the battle jibs exchanged between the two fighting titans. They were debating what consisted a monster, and to be fair both of them looked it, but J’onn was making sense. He wasn’t the one leading a genocide.
She watched as Hank’s skin was torn off in one moment, and the alien was in heap on the floor, his body smoking from the force of Hank’s laser vision.
Supergirl was moving towards the cameras when Hank slammed into her from behind, tossing a piece of concrete at her. It shattered on impact but sent her reeling and she stumbled to her knees.
“What did they do to you?” Her voice was faint but Hank’s voice was strong.
“CADMUS saved me! But there is no-one to save you!”
The diners shifted in surprise when a bruised but determined Alex Danvers ran at Hank with grim purpose and her hand formed a fist as she rose into the air. They shared a collective wince and groan as the agent went down with a cry and gasped when Kara leapt in front of her sister and the two went tumbling backwards.
“I am the future of the human race, Supergirl,” Hank boomed as he approached, looking like something out of a sci-fi movie.
And Kara did what she always did, she surprised Lena.
“No,” she said as she coughed before Alex, protective even as it was futile. Blood was dripping from her mouth and nose, blending with the torn and burnt flesh of her face. And Lena’s hear ached. She needed to see Kara now, but she couldn’t tear her eyes off the screen as her, and the cities hero, stood up for her faith in humanity. It was beautiful and showcased exactly how big Kara’s heart was and just how bright she shined, and Lena wanted to yell at the television and say it was her light that made theirs brighter, hers guided them to the stars, but she sealed her jaw shut as Hank stared down at her, hatred rampant in his eye.
“I love them. All of them.”
There were tears in Lena’s eyes as Kara defiantly stood up to Hank, broken and bleeding, and dying as she was, and some people in the restaurant were openly sobbing, unable to tear their eyes away.
Lena felt her blood turn to ice as Hank mentioned Kara’s perfect-match, having known, or figured it was the Kryptonian equivalent of a Soul-mate and the hairs on the back of her neck rose to attention. She didn’t like where this was going and her eyes scanned frantically around the diner and she pushed away from her seat, missing Hank’s next words but hearing the synchronised gasp from the other diners. She started to move towards the door, she really, really didn’t like this.
The waiter who had been her server for the evening appeared in front of her, smile in place and she tried to move around him when she heard the words ‘Kill her’ emerge from the screen, and she didn’t have time to scream as a gun emerged from somewhere and he shot her with it. She heard the gunshots twice, once live, and then repeated a moment later on the television and then she fell backwards onto a table and wine and food went everywhere and the diners started to scream.
She heard a broken scream, like that of a wild animal of another world before the noise faded into nothing.
~*~
Kara gazed at Hank for a while in shock and then gazed past him to see J’onn leaning on his arms, a smoking gun in his hands. Slowly Henshaw turned and she could see the build-up of his laser in his eyes and tried to warn Hank, even as her breath was stolen from her lips in her grief.
Hank turned his vision on J’onn only to have it met by a pair of furious blue eyes and laser beams. Superman had arrived. Kal’s cape billowed out behind him as he roared at Hank and an explosive blow sent him directly into the ceiling and the roof buckled with the force of his strike. Henshaw landed harshly, the concrete cracking around him and was still, deathly still. Superman slowly straightened with his eyes flaring with rage and turned to his cousin.
“Kara! We need to get you to the DEO!” He was next to her in a heartbeat and Alex was rising slowly into a sitting position, half under Kara, and cradling her wrist, face pale.
“Did you hear me?” Kal asked and reached out to clasp Kara’s shoulders. She slowly lifted her eyes from Hank and looked him in the face and he flinched.
“No,” she rasped out and he was reminded of when she first came to earth, a broken and defeated pitiful creature with hidden strength. “Take care of them,” she said waving a hand to the humans and shifted forward, coughing blood.
Superman spared Alex and the other agents a glance before turning back to his blood-relative. “You’ll die,” he pleaded, reaching for Kara once more and she flinched away from him.
“I just did,” she cracked out, voice hoarse and devoid of life, of sunshine, of hope. It was broken. Kara was finally broken. She had faced the extinction of her people, the loss of her planet, of her culture, but the thing that broke her was the death of Lena Luthor. Clark wasn’t blind to the irony. A Super and a Luthor.
Kara fought her way to her feet, staggering upright and unsteady on her feet before falling forward, eyes rolling in her head and he caught her before she hit the ground.
“Get her out of here, Superman,” Alex gritted out, teeth clenched in pain and he nodded and flew out of the warehouse, cape billowing majestically behind him. The remaining CADMUS agents were neutralised; either surrendering at the sight of the livid Superman, or being beaten in the fight, but the monitors were still broadcasting and she knew she had to do some damage control.
Alex rolled to her knees with a groan and braced her-self to rise to her feet. She was sweating like crazy and her hand was shaking and she could see the pale, milky bone sticking from her flesh and a wave of nausea rolled over her. She bit her tongue harshly, tasting blood, to banish the sensation and slowly made her way over to the computers, her picture being broadcast to the entire city.
“What button?” She gritted out and a few moments later Winn was replying and she eyed the keyboard for the button. She felt a presence behind her and jerked her head around, relief rolling through her body when she saw it was J’onn, looking a little worse for wear, but still alive.
“Nice hit,” he rasped and she sniggered.
“Mum’s gonna kill me, and then you,” she pointed out, “and then me again.” The gravity of the situation dawned on her and she giggled. “I am so grounded,” she said in awe. “I’m thirty years old and I am gonna be grounded for the rest of my life!” J’onn was giggling too, the two of them looking like fools on the television.
“Go to your room young lady! You’re grounded!” J’onn rumbled as serious as possible and then shared a look with Alex and burst out laughing.
The adrenaline was fading, leaving pain and relief. “I am so, so dead, J’onn. So dead.”
J’onn was leaning heavily against her and she sighed. “So dead,” she repeated and he snorted.
‘Um, guys.’ It was Vasquez. ‘You’re still live….’
Alex straightened and cleared her throat as J’onn tried to puff his chest authoritatively. It didn’t work. “Right, um, okay. That’s awkward…..um, how do we turn it off?”
Winn guided her through the process and she managed it with little difficulty, even with only one hand doing the typing. A few minutes later and the monitors went blank.
“Well…that was awkward,” Alex muttered and the agents around her laughed. It wasn’t that funny but the relief at winning, at being alive, at containing the threat was high and, well, it was kinda awkward. No doubt the two of them would face many looks from their fellow agents and various memes on the internet in the coming days. Though the positivity gained from J’onn being Alex’s ‘Space Dad’ (around the world, and especially on the internet where #SpaceDad became a thing) would be worth the comments, smiles, and laughs.
~*~
The lights were bright. White in her vision and there were people yelling, she could hear them, but couldn’t pin-point the words. She was too tired, it hurt too much, she didn’t want to listen, to see, to- she closed her eyes and surrendered to darkness.
~*~
She was vaguely aware of a presence at her side, a hand in her own, squeezing it. It was a harder hold than normal, and she considered briefly leaving the darkness to investigate this abnormality, but it was soothing and peaceful and quiet in the dark, so she let herself sink.
~*~
It was gradually that Kara became aware of where she was, lying prone in the DEO medical bay under the harsh glare of the sunbeds. She could feel its heat thought her skin, repairing her broken cells and charging her solar stores, but she kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see the world in shades of grey. Her powers were coming back to her in flashes, she could hear the sound of the agents in the mess-hall eating, the scrape of their cutlery against plates, and then could only hear the sound of her heart-monitor. She wasn’t at full strength yet, it would take a while until then, so she squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face into a pillow.
Everything hurt…but she was numb.
Words couldn’t describe what she was feeling, she was just…empty, there was no anger, no pain of loss, just… a shell. She felt like she were adrift on the ocean’s currents like when she had first com to earth and walked down the sand and into the ocean and had prayed to Rao it would carry her away. The dark and still waters of her mind pulled her closer and she willingly dove into it, letting its cold, dark comfort pull her into shadow.
~*~
“I don’t understand. Why’s she like this? What’s wrong?” The voice was familiar, pitched with stress and she rolled over in the water feeling a slight rise of….something. She wanted to comfort the voice. It was- she needed to. She didn’t know who it was, but, she needed too.
“What do you know about Perfect-Matches?” The voice was calm, quiet, like the water, strong though, and heavier.
“I-Kara-she’d been talking about it recently.” The first voice came again, layered with warmth. Kara. Who was Kara? The name was…familiar…
“Perfect-Matches are the equivalent of Soul-Mates here on earth. They say that when their Perfect Match is born their world turns to colour. When they meet their heart stops and beats in sync with their match… and then they die…. Their world turns grey.” What a horrible fate, she thought and ran her fingers through the cool, black surface she lay on. To love someone so much your world is bright only to dull when they die.
Hm, it hurt again. Everything hurt again, burning, screaming, tearing and she rolled over again, face-first into the cool and calm water and let it run comforting hands over her cheeks and she slid back into its depths.
~*~
“Why won’t she wake up?” The voice again. She had heard it sometimes as she drifted on the black ocean. Normally it was far, far away, and the words muffled and blurry but now it was clear and she lifted her head, ignoring the water pressing against it, urging her to lie down again. She wanted to hear the voice, it was warm, well, she didn’t know what warm felt like, only knew it was the opposite of where she was, and it was tipped with the bitterness of loss.
“She’s given up. It is not uncommon for Kryptonian’s to waste-“
“Don’t you!” The voice was brittle with pain. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, J’onn! I know my sister! I know she’ll never give up! She can’t.” The last word was cracked and broken and she wanted to rise up, but it was hurting again, always hurting, and the cool waters of the ocean eased her back with comforting coolness.
The voices grew quiet. “Her mind closed itself off when she was in the Phantom Zone to protect her, it’s not unreasonable to-”
Wait, don’t go. Please, she thought as the voices faded again and all that remained was silence, the silence of the ocean around her and she fell back into it. Alone again. Always alone in the dark.
~*~
There was something not-cool on her hand, it was like liquid, only gold and bright, so bright. It hurt, but-wait, no. It didn’t hurt. It was, it was warm, but no pain. Curious she rolled onto her back and sat back in the cold and dark. There was something, what was it? It was like a candle over by her hand and she lifted her hand curiously to peer at it. The water was falling away from her hand as she lifted it up and tilted it around. There was light there, warm and comforting and it was solidifying into a shape. A rectangle, five long rectangles, fingers. A hand. There was a hand on her hand.
There was warmth sinking through her slowly, pushing at the cold of the ocean and the ocean pushed back, cooing promises silkily. But the warmth. It was glowing, bright and bright, so bright she wanted to tear her eyes away but couldn’t.
“Kara.” A new voice. Kara perked up. That’s right. She was Kara!
“Wake up please.” This voice was lovely to listen to. Sweet, soft, warm. Home. The voice was home. The voice wanted her to wake up.
But I am awake, she protested and the light moved to her head, bathing her in warmth. It was running down her hair now, in soothing gestures and she purred.
“Come back to me, Kara.” The voice whispered, voice gravelly with loss and pain and she tried to reach for it. She didn’t want it to be in pain, ever. It would never be in pain as long as she were around.
Drops of water landed on her face and she brought her hand to it curiously. They were glowing, bright gold like sunlight.
“Please.” The voice begged, voice cracking and it was heavy and thick. Kara ached. She needed to get to the voice. “Open your eyes. It’ll be okay. I’m here.”
“Please, I need you.” The sky was turning gold, the water around her cast in murky shadow and the ocean slowly started to change its colour.
The area around her was lighting, turning gold and bright, ever, ever so bright, and the ocean was reflecting it as she shadows fled before it. Her world turned gold and Kara launched herself from the ocean and into the sky. I’m coming, Lena!
Awareness was slow. She could feel her lungs, her body as oxygen raced through it, the pump of her heart. It sounded louder than usual. She was on a bed, she could feel the soft sheets of on and around her and the soft pillow beneath her head. It smelt good, even with the faint sterile taste on the back of her tongue from the medical equipment, and something metallic and heavy-blood. It was also warm, so warm and Kara took a deep breath and slowly released it. There was a weight on her chest, comforting and warm, and something soft curled around her.
She sighed softly and curled into the warmth. The warmth moved on her chest and she fluttered an eye open curiously and gazed down, feeling the warmth all around her skin into her skin and chest, flooding her body with liquid gold, soft and gentle. Familiar black curls were spread across her chest and tumbling down her side and Lena was breathing quietly into her shirt, one of her hands across her chest and the other curled beneath her. It was one of Lena’s ones, she noted with a flare of warmth, one of her Ivy League Alumni shirts, worn and soft. Comforting. It also smelt like Lena and Kara took a deep breath. Perfect. She was home.
Reaching up she gently brushed some of the strands of hair back from Lena’s face, wanting to gaze upon it least she had forgotten it since the last she’d seen it. Lena’s skin was soft and warm under her fingertips and fire, energy, sparked in her skin where theirs touched. A soft rumble came from her girlfriends chest and she smiled reflectively and ducked her chin down the best she could to press her lips against Lena’s hair. It smelt like her cherry shampoo and she rested her head there. Lena stirred.
“Mh, Kara?” She asked and Kara smiled wider. Her girlfriend was adorable when she was sleepy. All blinking doe-eyes and messy hair and soft, sweet smiles.
“Mh hm?” She hummed reflectively and pulled Lena tighter against her chest and closed her eyes.
Lena shifted on the bed and Kara groaned in annoyance, and pulled her soft warmth back to her. “Mine,” she murmured and wiggled back in beneath her and sighed happily.
“Kara!” Lena’s voice was startled and it was enough to jostle Kara back into awareness and she opened her eyes curiously, gazing down at her girlfriend. Lena was lifted up on one elbow and gazing up at her as though she were proof of divinity, green eyes wide and glowing and slowly filling with tears.
Instantly Kara was alert.
“What’s wro-omph.”
“Ow,” Lena’s grunt sent waves of air over her skin and a shiver ran down her spin as warmth followed the gust of air down her neck.
“Lena, what?” She began, confused, and brought her arms around her girlfriend as she started to cry.
“I nearly lost you,” Lena was murmuring, squeezing Kara tight enough that she knew Lena would bruise come morning, or night, whatever time of day it was. Her collar was getting wet but she was able to make out “Henshaw. Kryptonite. Nearly died,” amongst the sobbing.
“Shshhhh,” she soothed and ran her hand up and down Lena’s back gently. “I’m he-ere,” she paused as she felt something beneath Lena’s clothing and could feel a frown falling over her face. She moved her fingers down and felt something underneath the fabric of Lena’s clothing and recognised it immediately as bandages. The scent of blood and medicine and creams was much stronger now and she let a growl rumble from her chest.
Lena drew back immediately, concerned and Kara met her worried green gaze with eyes that sparked.
“Who hurt you?” She bared her teeth as something in her chest roared and pounded at the thought of someone hurting Lena.
A soft hand and gentle stroke of a thumb on her cheek wasn’t enough to distract her from her goal, but she reflectively curled her head into Lena’s palm. “Lena,” she said quietly, as she took Lena’s hand and intertwined their fingers, pressing her hand further into her cheek. “Who hurt you?”
“Who hurt me?” Lena jerked back a little and her hand fell from Kara’s face and mourned the loss, even as her fingers were gentle along Kara’s palms. “Who hurt me? Kara…” she trailed off, hair haloing her and green eyes bright, as bright as a field in spring. “Don’t you remember?”
“Hm?” Kara asked, and tilted her head. There was something at the back of her mind, something telling her that something was wrong, and needed fixing, but Lena was with her, and it wasn’t as important as Lena.
“Kara….I was shot,” she hedged and the beast in Kara’s chest launched itself to its feet with a roar. Rage flooded Kara’s body and she tensed.
“Hey, I’m okay,” Lena soothed and placed both hands on Kara’s cheeks. “I’m okay, babe. Really.”
“Who.Shot.You?” Kara spat out through clenched teeth and took reflective deep breaths to calm herself. All she inhaled was the metallic scent of Lena’s blood and the smell of sterilising creams and bandages, which wasn’t helping.
“Kara!” Lena said sharply and she looked back into her girlfriends eyes, realising for the first time that she wasn’t framed by thick lenses of lead and felt a flicker of unease. She never took her glasses off if she could help it.
“Alex handled it,” Lena explained and settled further on Kara’s legs, the angle obviously being too much for her to told for too long. Her weight wasn’t much, nothing to Kara really, but she liked her there anyway, it was grounding. “He’s awaiting trial.”
Kara’s eyes flashed. “Good.” But she doubted a prison sentence was good enough for the scum that dared shoot her girlfriend. Following that she felt an immediate wave of guilt. She should have been there.
Lena obviously saw it in her face and rested her forehead against Kara’s. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” Kara could feel her heartbeat through her skin and noted it was exactly the same as hers, a little slower than the average human. Huh, that’s why hers had sounded so loud. It was hers and Lena’s. The thought made her feel warm and not the littlest bit smug. Lena was hers… and she didn’t protect her. The heavy, dark feeling was back.
“Don’t you dare starting thinking that!” Lena instructed but didn’t pull away. She just opened her eyes and gripped Kara’s hair. A niggling thought entered her mind. “You were saving the rest of the city, remember?” And now that Lena spoke it, it was as though there was a flood opening the gates of her mind and the memories of her missed date, her fight with Hank, Alex, the gun-shot, and most importantly, her world turning to grey. She went ridged and immediately pulled back to scan Lena.
The CEO Huffed but slowly moved back off Kara and sat on the bed, wincing as she did so, and Kara caught the look, even as she used her vision to make sure Lena was okay. There were two holes in Lena’s abdomen, stitches where surgeons had tried to heal the damage, and layers of bandages and tape.
She had Lena in her arms faster than a blink and part of her worried about her secret, but the other part was to relieved to have her girlfriend and alive that she didn’t care and held Lena close. Lena gaze a slight squeak at the abrupt movement, which was adorable, but eased into the hug with a sigh.
“I thought I’d lost you,” Kara murmured into her hair, taking comfort in the steady strum of her heart-beat. She closed her eyes and just listened to its thump and exhaled happily. Everything was okay.
Lena’s voice was ironic. “You nearly did. I did die-but they managed to revive me and get me to hospital,” she added quickly, no doubt feeling Kara’s heart clench. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten you getting hit with those laser eyes.” She leant back a little in Kara’s arms and one of Kara’s eyes flickered open. Did Lena just?
Green eyes were harsh with warning. “The next time you go into fight you will be wearing a specially made anti-kryptonite suit! One that I designed!” Lena paused and nodded her head a little. “Not that your friend didn’t do the best he could, but I am the one with two and a half-nearly three- engineering and design degrees.” She gave a little sharp nod. And Kara’s eyes were wide.
“Uhm…”
“Oh wait, your secret,” Lena said with mock surprise. She huffed and shook her head. “I don’t know whether to be insulted you thought I wouldn’t figure it out. I mean- it doesn’t take a genius, which I am- or hurt that you didn’t tell me,” her voice was softer and layered with some of said hurt and Kara felt her heart stumble.
“It’s not that- I didn’t- You’d be-“
“I know, Kara,” Lena said gently and tucked her head under Kara’s chin and the Super adjusted them both so that Lena was sitting over her lap. “I told you I loved all of you.”
Something inside Kara settled and she relaxed onto the bed. Her heart was warm and grew, and grew, and grew. “How did you know?”
Lena sniggered. “You mean not everyone can fly…. On a bus…?”
Kara felt herself blushing. “Shuddup,” she murmured and felt her heart flip at Lena’s soft laughter. “You know how I get around you. It’s not my fault you were so distracting!”
Lena chucked again and when Kara looked down into her eyes they were alight with mischief. “Distracting, am I?”
“Yesss,” Kara groaned but she was smiling and gently lowered her lips to meet Lena’s.
“I’d tell you to get a room, but you already do.” Came a voice at the door and Lena huffed as she pulled away.
“Alex!”
Her sister bolted over to the bed and Kara noticed her hand was in a blue and red cast with the ‘S’uper Logo on it and grinned as she held out an arm for Alex to fall into. She was not letting go of Lena any time soon.
Alex ignored the awkward angle and Lena curled her legs in and hooked them under Kara’s as the two sister hugged.
After a long moment they pulled away and Kara enquired as to what had happened.
“You mean she hasn’t told you already?” Alex raised a brow at Lena and the Luthor grinned, showing all her teeth.
“I had her distracted.”
Alex winced and then rolled her eyes as Lena gave Kara a quick kiss on the cheek. Kara went red.
“So, um, you guys, um, met?” And the award for the most awkward conversation started goes to Kara Zor-El Danvers.
“If by met, you mean I introduced myself as Supergirl’s girlfriend, then yes. We’ve ‘met.’” Lena said dryly and did the bunny ears and Kara winced, peaking at her sister though her lashes.
“And… you’re okay with it?”
Alex let out a long exhale and glanced at the calm Luthor before giving her full attention to Kara.
“Not at first, no, but she…” Alex looked over at Lena and gave her a small, thankful smile. Lena inclined her head and snuggled further into Kara’s arms. “The entire show-down was broadcasted live to the entire city and Henshaw had a shooter waiting for Lena.”
Kara tensed and pulled Lena tighter. Lena responded by running her fingers through the fine hairs at Kara’s nape.
“She was rushed to hospital as you were rushed to the DEO, and when she was recovered enough she went looking for you. She rang me and-well, basically said she knew who you were and demanded to see her girlfriend…” Alex ran her fingers though her hair. “That was a bit of a shock.”
Lena was smirking a Luthor like smirk and Kara nudged her. “Don’t be so smug.”
Alex shot Lena a dirty look but smiled over at Kara.
“As soon as she got here you started to respond and we knew it would only be a matter of time until you woke-up- you’ve been in a kinda of coma but not really, since you were brought in.” Alex explained seeing Kara’s confused expression.
“Tell me, Agent Danvers,” Lena’s eyes were sly and her voice as innocent as a spring lambs. “Does your mother know that you’re out?”
Alex huffed and rolled her eyes and Kara looked adorably confused and Lena was quick to explain, a smile curling her lips, why Alex was glaring at her.
A few minutes later after a parting hug Alex left, warning Kara that she would have to go through some more tests before J’onn would let her leave-he was currently out pretending to be Supergirl and saving the day- and left Lena and Kara alone. They had a lot to talk about still, but as Kara leant back on the bed and Lena snuggled into her chest, their heart’s beating in sync, she knew they get through it. As long as they were together nothing would or could stand in their way. After all, they were the perfect match.