Chapter Text
Lena Luthor moves to National City on an odd Thursday not expecting any mail when she curiously passes by her building’s mailboxes.
“Good evening, Ms. Luthor. Expecting a package?” the doorman, Anthony, asks, when he sees her paused with a key in her hand.
Lena shakes her head. “No, I think it’s too soon for that.” she laughs. “Just making sure that my key works for when mail does come.”
Anthony nods understandingly. “Please let me know if anything is wrong with it, and I’d be happy to get it fixed for you, Ms. Luthor.”
Thanking him before he turns to greet another resident, surprise passes over her as she picks up a solitary postcard in her box. On the front is a photo of Metropolis - she can see LuthorCorp’s headquarters in the far distance while the Daily Planet stands front in center.
When she turns over the card, she finds elegant handwriting in purple ink and a small drawing in the corner.
Hi, Alex!
I wanted you to know that I got to Clark’s place A-OK!! I’m pretty sure I’ve already called you by now - I’m actually writing to you on the train technically… But I’m in Metropolis! The convenience store in the train station were selling these so I figured I’d get a headstart.
How’s your new place? Has training started already? I can’t wait to see it in a couple months! I’ll talk to you soon! Love you!
Love,
Kara
Well. Lena had never seen so much writing occupy such a small area. Next to the name (Kara), she had drawn a picture of a dog with an arrow and an accompanying note ( he’s so cute - his name is Krypto! ).
The next day as Lena returns home on her way to the office, she finds herself stopping in front of a convenience store next door, staring at a rack of postcards. As she contemplates at the window, she realizes that she’s never written a postcard to anyone before.
She’s be sent to boarding school, gone on trips abroad during school, accompanied her brother to look at oversea holdings, but none of them warranted something to remember them by aside from small trinkets she collected for herself.
“What am I doing?” she mutters, walking inside, a jingle from the door following her.
Dear Kara,
I think you have mistakenly sent me a card meant for a friend. I hope this postcard gets to the right place. And yes, the dog is very cute.
Best wishes,
Lena
Too soon to be a reply, Lena receives the second installment of Metropolis postcards.
Instead of a view of the city skyline, branded on the front, is the Superman insignia. Lena grimaces. She grew up in Metropolis, went to school there, followed Lex to help run the company after college. But God help her, she never fell into that bandwagon. (No matter how good everyone said Superman smelled.)
She proceeds to flip over the card. She can only wonder what a Superman fan has to say (she’s always found them overzealous). On the back, she spies familiar penmanship and instead of a dog, there is a small cartoon Superman zipping across the postcard.
Hi Alex,
I hope you liked this postcard as much as I did! I hope your training is going okay. And I’m glad we got to call for at least a little bit! I know you’ve got that whole no technology thing while you’re there, but I’ll write you as much as I can. Wish me luck with Clark! I start tomorrow!!!!
Love you and miss you!
Kara
This time, instead of immediately sending back the card with a note attached, Lena keeps it. Based on what she read, she was sure there would be more.
The next card belies a sense of urgency - a generic flower on the front and a short missive scrawled on the back. There was no doodle.
ALEX.
MON-EL KISSED ME. WHAT DO I DO?!?! WRITE ME BACK SOON. ARE YOU NOT GETTING ANY OF MY MAIL??? I NEED YOU.
KARA
Weeks after her big sister leaves for training, Daily Planet intern, Kara Danvers finds a short letter from said sister scribbled on lined paper. She’d been waiting for a reply to at least one of her ten postcards she’d sent Alex at this point.
She even went out of her way to find a different picture on the front each time, no matter how generic or cheesy the postcard was, every single one was different.
Dear Kara,
What’s with the radio silence? I haven’t heard from you in a week! Is everything okay? Is Clark treating you alright? How’s the internship? Write me back as soon as you get this! I need to make sure my little sister is alive.
(Seriously though - I was expecting at least one letter a week. There is no way Clark (even with his new superhero apprentice), your internship, and learning how to Supergirl could stop you from writing me. Unless you died. And if you did, I swear to god I'll kill you myself.)
We’re getting a quick break this weekend, and if I don’t hear back, I’m coming to Metropolis!
Love,
Your concerned big sister
A puzzled look sprawls across her face. “What’s Alex talking about?” Hurriedly, she scrawls back a note, foregoing the usual card, and mails it off the same day.
Alex,
I’m fine! You don’t need to come to Metropolis! I’ve sent you like billions of letters at this point. :(
Love,
Kara
Nonetheless, when Alex arrives at Clark’s apartment, Kara is ecstatic to have her big sister back.
“Alex!” Kara squeals, arms wrapped tightly around Alex’s neck. Kara hadn’t had a decent conversation since their last call before Alex’s combined training with the DEO and NCPD picked up. The program had a decidedly strict communications policy with the outside.
“Don’t Alex me! Why haven’t I heard from you?” Alex asks sternly, pulling away briefly.
No way. Kara gapes in shock. “What do you mean? Didn’t you get my last letter? I’ve been writing you like twice a week!”
“Well, I haven’t received any,” Alex says, shrugging. “They’re strict about telecommunications, but anything through the post should have made it to me. I got mom’s letter just fine.”
Both sisters hear a door open, Clark walking in with a stack of mail in on one arm, his free hand waving a manila envelope. “Hey Kara, you got mail from someone in National City.” However, once he notices Alex in the room, he pauses.
“Wait a sec… You call Winn and James, and if Alex is here, who’d send you mail from National City?”
Too fast to be human, Kara snatches the folder out of his hand.
When Kara opens the envelope, she’s pleasantly surprised to see eight postcards or letters she (thought were) sent to Alex. In addition to the collection of missives, she sees a letter written on thick stationery.
Dear Kara,
I’m not sure if my last letter got to you, but I hope you’ll excuse the fact that I have collected some of your postcards instead of resending them one-by-one. I must also offer you a second apology, I may have read the first few in my confusion when receiving them. I do, sincerely, hope these letters make it to your friend/family member/partner. I’m a 100% positive that they’ll brighten their day when they receive them. I know these were never intended for me, but your letters were always a pleasant surprise.
Best wishes,
Lena
“Uh oh.”
Dear Lena,
Thank you so much for returning all of my cards. I hope you didn’t go blind looking at my terrible drawings! All of these cards were for my older sister who is currently doing a joint FBI/NCPD training. I mixed up two of the numbers in her address and they (fortunately) ended up with you! I don’t know many strangers who would bother to send back mail sent to the wrong address, so I’m really lucky it was you. I did get a chance to give these to their proper recipient, so it’s all good here!
On another note, seeing as how you said you found my cards a “pleasant surprise,” I was wondering if you would be willing to have a pen pal? You seem really lovely and nice, and I love meeting new people.
Just in case you are unsure of my qualifications as a pen pal, I have enclosed a short list of ten reasons why I would be a perfect pen pal for you!
1. I include a Kara Danvers’ doodle at the end of every letter.
2. Unless, you don’t like my drawings, then I’ll have you know I am a very open and adaptable pen pal. Criticism is welcome here!
3. I literally write for a living so you can expect proper grammar unless it’s absolutely necessary to abandon.
4. The stories I will tell you will be true and factual (yes, I am indeed a journalist – junior journalist). (This also explains reason #3. I am still working on getting one article published somewhere in National City. My time will come!)
5. I have a pretty irregular schedule so you don’t have to feel obligated to write me regularly (I just really like to talk to my sister so I write every little thing on multiple postcards).
6. I am super friendly.
7. I am not a serial killer (Alex – my sister – told me that if I said that it’d make me sound more trustworthy and less creepy?!?!).
8. Feel free to look up my portfolio on NCU’s newspaper if you need references; I have nothing to hide!
9. Also, I’m okay with whatever information you want to offer. I understand writing a cub-junior-sort-of reporter is a little iffy, but everything is always off the record and you have no obligation to tell me anything about yourself.
10. My handwriting is legible.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Sincerely,
Kara
P.S.
Please don’t feel obligated to reply if you don’t want to. By all means, you have gone above and beyond for a mystery pen pal to return all my letters. Thank you again!!