I want to thank my good friend shyesplease for taking the time to look for this work, and fixing my grammar, spelling and punctuation!
She'd heard the whispers of course, who hadn't? A civilization of savages that attacked out of nowhere, plundering and killing anything that crossed their path. It was something to fear when you lived close to the coastline, where the boats of the invaders had access to the small villages. It wasn't something you'd ever expect to happen so far inland. But when it did, everyone was taken by surprise.
The shouts and cries carried in the night, waking the villagers and townsfolk from their sleep.
It was the only warning the inhabitants of Castle Luxor had before the savages' attack descended upon the kingdom.
Lena tore the blanket off of her and rolled herself out of bed. She ignored the cold air that surrounded her before clambering in a most unladylike fashion over to her chambers window. She threw open the panes, and pushed her body as far as she could up against the brick walls to peer outside. It was then she noticed the torches that burned red with anger, as the invading forces' footmen marched over the small village outlining the castle.
A gasp escaped her lips as she witnessed the townsfolk being cut down as well the houses being set ablaze.
The door behind her bursted open, causing Lena to spin around in fright - expecting some monster to be there to slaughter her where she stood. What she didn't expect was to see her handmaiden, Jess, rushing into the room, gathering a long thick cloak before reaching out to grab her hand.
"Milady, we must make for the tunnels!"
Castle Luxor was built with an intricate tunnel system, with the purpose of allowing the royal family an escape route during times of war.
"Jess, what's going on? Why are we being attacked?" Many questions circled through Lena's head but these simple and most prominent ones were voiced.
The handmaiden did not respond, instead she threw the cloak over the princess's shoulders.
"Jess!" Lena's voice was was panicked and confused.
"Lena, you mustn't panic and make for the tunnels." She ignored the question and quickly tied off the cloaks fastenings around the woman's neck.
It wasn't like Jess to sidestep questions and that's what set Lena off the most. Not the quick shoving out the door, nor the attacking forces that were leaving death and destruction on their way up to the castle. No, that didn't frighten her. What frightened the youngest Luthor was the fact that her oldest friend - her only friend - wasn't being truthful in this moment.
"Castle Luxor has stood for centuries, it will not fall tonight - but you must get to safety. Your mother has already gone to the tunnels, you must follow after her!"
Lena followed after her friend, pulling the cloak tight around her body, blocking out the cold from enveloping her body - her nightgown doing little to insulate her. The two women quickly descended the spiral stone staircase leading away from Lena's isolated bed chambers, Jess's grip on the Lena's hand persistently pulling the princess along, leaving a growing fear in Lena.
Lena suddenly stopped all together, wrenching her hand away from her friend's. The handmaiden slightly tripped at the sudden loss of the limb, before coming to a halt and turning around to face her charge. She regarded the young Luthor with confusion covering her face.
"You said my mother had already left, what about Lex?"
Jess reached out for Lena's hand, set on starting for the tunnels once again - no time for stopping and asking questions. Just as her hand was within grabbing distance, Lena stepped back.
"Where is Lex?" She asked again, her mind set about not leaving without her brother.
Lex Luthor; her older brother and now king of Metropolis was once her best friend. When Lena had only been 4 years old, the former king, Lionel Luthor, had arrived after her mother's death and brought her to Metropolis. While he claimed that taking in a young orphan was an act of goodwill, there were many that thought completely different, and rumours flew in the kingdom. Many of the village people claimed that she was the result of torrid lover affair from a time when King Lionel had left Metropolis to fight a war. While Lena was too young to understand the words that were being said, Queen Lillian knew all too well what they meant. It was the beginning of the end for any sort of relationship between mother and daughter, for the Queen showed no love for the new family addition.
Lex on the other hand was friendly from the start, happy to have another person in the castle who wasn't several decades older than him. He played the part of older loving brother perfectly. It wasn't until Lionel took ill that everything changed. The friendship between the two Luthor siblings frayed when Lex was thrusted onto the throne. While Lena was heartbroken about the loss of her dearest brother and friend, Lillian couldn't be prouder. Her golden child now ruler. While she whispered orders and plans into his ear, she had Lena pushed out of the picture.
Yet still in this moment, a moment where people were being slaughtered, Lena still cared for her brother.
Jess sighed before slowly closing in on the young girl. She softly placed her hands over Lena's.
"Last I heard he was off gathering men to start a defensive push against the invaders."
A sigh of relief escaped Lena and her eyes closed.
"I understand you're worried, but if we don't leave for the tunnels soon we mi-"
A door to their left bursted open, wood splintering under the unyielding force on the other side of it. Jess spun around and placed herself in front of Lena, protecting her from the wooden debris and whatever was on the other side of the door.
For Lena everything slowed down, her laboured breathing and pounding heartbeat the only thing she could hear. From behind Jess, she could see the hulking form of a barbarian in the doorway, his massive bloodied axe hanging loosely in his grasp. It was unlike anything she had ever seen - this man was covered from head to toe in animal hide and fur. He easily towered over every man she had laid her eyes on, and there was more like him looking at both her and Jess.
Their low talking between them sounded like grunts and growls in that moment, animals that had taken the form of men. Their language unlike anything Lena had ever heard before. For every step they took towards the pair, both Lena and Jess took backwards as well. A dance like no other, prey and predator circling one and other in a deadly trot.
The more the brutes advanced caused the female duo to backpedal faster and faster, somehow hoping to put enough distance between the two groups. Hoping that stalling the inevitable would grant them time for the knights to rescue them. The men in front of them strides became quicker and quicker, clearly growing tired of the cat and mouse game that was going on and wanting to move on to another part of the castle - no doubt ready to plunder whatever treasures they could or spill even more blood. The barbarians suddenly halted, their dark eyes regarding the duo with unwavering malice.
Both Jess and Lena took this halt as a time to run. They both spun around with the intent to run far away from the men only to be stopped by the brick wall in front of them. The low chuckling of the invaders brought their attention back to them. Their backs were up against the wall. Nowhere to run. The handmaiden's head turned slightly to the side, giving the Princess a look that just said run. Lena's eyes widened and she shook her head, trying to convey her disagreement with her plan.
Jess suddenly charged forward towards the men, causing a distraction for the young women to hopefully get away. With Jess's sudden surge forward, Lena did the same in a different direction.
The sounds of swords unsheathing behind her caused Lena to look back. Jess had run forward and was poised to strike the axe bearing man in front of her. The warrior's reflex far greater than either women predicted, gripped his battle axe with both hands and struck her with it. The blade cutting through the soft human flesh like it was water. Jess's screaming echoed off the stone walls and she fell to the ground, her side filleted open, spurting blood.
The screeching caused Lena to stop dead in her tracks, without a second thought she ran back towards her only friend. Tears ran down Lena's face. She was dead set on her friend not dying alone.
One of the other men stepped out in front of the one who cut down Jess, and he backhanded the rushing brunette, causing her to fall face down on the cold hard castle floor. Lena groaned, her cheek stinging from the sudden blow to the face. As she started pushing herself off the ground, she was pushed back down by a sudden weight on her back. Her dark hair was pushed aside revealing the pale skin of her neck. Lena flinched at the cold steel that glided across her neck, gasping as the blade nicked her flesh.
Rushed and irritated voices rose from above her. Lena stood there frozen, terrified of what the man on top of her was going to do, and terrified of what the men were arguing about. The weight on top of her was suddenly lifted as the man fell over behind her, the biggest of all the men standing between her and one of his own. She observed the scene around her - the two men arguing with one another, while the others were grabbing various objects from around the room and shoving them in their packs.
Suddenly the sound of a horn pierced the room. The warriors stopped what they were doing and glanced at one another, seemingly forgetting about the woman in the room. Upon seeing that the assailants attention was preoccupied with the unknown horn, Lena made a break for it. She hoisted herself up quickly. The sudden rush of adrenaline and the amount of effort she put into pushing herself off the ground caused her to let out a grunt without noticing it, the noise alerting the men and springing them into action.
One of the looting men grabbed the first thing within reach - a chair - and hurled it at the retreating woman. The flung chair caught Lena by surprise, as the sheer force of the thrown object caused her to stumble forward. The nightgown she was wearing got caught up with her flailing legs and knocked her off her feet. The last thing Lena remembered was the sound of the horn again being blown in the night and the bloodied body of her friend looking straight at her as her head collided with the stone floor.
Hours had passed when Lena finally came to.
The constant rocking and intermittent ocean spray was what caused Lena to finally regain consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open before quickly closing again, the bright sunlight and pounding of her head causing her quite the discomfort. The boat rocked again and Lena's head slightly hit the wooden paneling beside her, the pounding in her head increasing by the soft blow.
She moaned.
The noise that occupied the vessel dropped off immediately, and curious whispers replaced instead. Lena cracked open one of her eyes only to have the other one quickly follows suit, for above her and around her were the unknown faces of the barbarians that attacked Metropolis.
The Princess of Metropolis attempted to scramble away from the group surrounding her, however, she only succeeded in flailing around ridiculously instead - her captors had taken the time to bind her hands and feet while she was unconscious. The laughter from the men and women around her caused a sinking feeling in her stomach. What kind of person would cherish the sight of a fellow human being being scared for their life?
One of the woman reached out towards Lena, and she once again tried to slink away from the woman's hand. It wasn't until a knife was drawn on Lena that she stopped in her tracks. The female warrior once again reached out and untied Lena's cloak fastenings, before removing the cloak entirely from Lena and placing it upon herself - leaving her only in a thin nightgown.
Oh, if Lena's mother could see her now, she'd have a field day. There had been many occasions where Lillian complained and tisked at Lena's headstrong and brash attitude. Lena had a knack for turning away unwanted male attention, not sparing their feelings in the process. So Lillian would have the time of her life seeing her daughter slinking away in fear like a meek, scared child.
The boat dipped and the ocean water sprayed across the ship. Lena shivered as the droplets lightly pelted her body - goosebumps littering her exposed skin. To make matters worse, the nightgown she was wearing wasn't doing her any favours as the moisture began to make the material slightly see through. It seemed like one of the men had the same thoughts and reached toward her legs, eager to take his share of the spoils.
On instinct Lena acted out, her leg kicking out and catching the man across the face. When face and foot connected, a loud crunch was heard. She may have been frightened but she wasn't that scared little four-year-old anymore; she wasn't going down without a fight.
"Back off!" she snarled.
The men let out the most animalistic growl she'd ever heard come from a human's mouth. He angrily wiped the blood from his now disfigured nose. He took a threatening step towards her when a shout from the other end of the boat caused everyone, sans Lena, to perk up and cheer.
They were home.
They docked the boat in no time at all, and everyone started to debark, eager to return to their family and friends. Lena was not too gently hoisted to her feet and pushed towards the gangway. It was then when Lena got her first look at her new surroundings - the small village was so picturesque and homey. She didn't have much time to marvel at the view though for she was shoved harshly in the center of the back, sending her tumbling off the dock and onto the muddy ground. She shivered in disgust from the mud that now coated her skin and gown.
Before she had a chance to dwell more on it, two men reached down and grabbed onto each of her arms, pulling her from the grime. They didn't dwell on the fact that Lena couldn't quite find her bearings or that her legs couldn't keep up with their pace, they just dragged her across the ground.
When Lena eyes caught the series of logs that were standing upright with ropes hanging from the top. It didn't take her long to deduce that she was to be made a mockery of. She was pulled to a stop in front of the most center pillar, and her captors made quick work of tying her hands to the pole.
To say Lena was uncomfortable was an understatement - hands bound tightly together and pulled above her head. She could feel her arms slowly but surely being pulled out of their sockets as a gaggle of villagers gawked. Her nightgown which was now drenched and muddied was a sight to see she was sure.
As much as she wanted to turn around and cover her barely concealed modesty from their prying eyes, this wasn't the time to show weakness. The last few hours were a horrible ordeal, but she was ashamed of how terrified she acted throughout the whole thing. It was like she was four years old again and petrified of the new life she was about to have.
Lena's eyes turned to steel and she held her chin high. She was a Luthor, and a Luthor doesn't show fear in the face of death.
The sound of galloping hooves reached ear shot, and the townsfolk stepped aside, parting a lane through the crowd.
A woman astride a midnight-black war-horse galloped down the pathway, not stopping once as she bypassed everyone. No, she waited to stop until she was about a horse's length away from Lena, only to regard the Luthor with a steely expression. The blonde woman's eyes roamed over Lena's form quickly, taking in the state she was in - from the cut on her head where her head collided with the ground back at the castle to the wet and muddy nightgown.
When their eyes locked Lena fought the gasp that wanted to escape her mouth. This woman might have had the bluest eyes that Lena had ever seen, and maybe she was the most stunning person Lena'd ever set her eyes on. But all that didn't mean anything when this woman was armed tooth to nail with a sword at her hip and a hatchet mirrored on the other side. She was covered in layers of leather and metal - it screamed that she was a fierce warrior. The outfit finished off with a coat mostly covered in fur - it wasn't something the others were wearing, the article of clothing making her seem regal than the civilization appeared to be.
It wasn't until the female warrior locked her eyes on Lena's binded hands that Lena believed she had seen a looked filled with anger. What took her by surprise was how the blonde yanked back on the horse's reins and headed back towards the onlookers. She gracefully flung herself down from the saddle and closed in on the ringleader of Castle Luxor's raiding party, the one who cut down her best friend. Anger and sadness bubbled within Lena at the thought, but it was quickly disregarded as the blonde woman started shouting at the mountainous man in their native tongue.
"I send you with a scouting party to find new land for the clan, and you bring back a woman. Not only do you turn the scouts I sent into a raiding party, but you take a prisoner!" The tall blonde shouted at the man who towered over her.
"Your highness, the-" He managed to get a syllable out before she jumped right back down his throat, unrelenting with her anger.
"They what? Kryptonians are people of peace - we don't meaninglessly attack people. I don't care if both Clan Daxam and or those raiders from the mainland attacked us, we don't act like barbaric savages." The words spoken caused the crowd to fall silent.
The sound of several footsteps broke the silence, a short young man and another woman with short auburn hair appeared – their visage showing worry and slight panic. "Kara.." The woman started before the blonde. Kara raised her to signal silence before she bellowed out.
"We are not Daxam! We are not monsters! If I hear that something like this happens again – you might as well join Clan Daxam because when I'm done with you…you're going to wish the mainlanders got their hands on you." Kara's chest heaved as she finished her speech.
Kara's face showed no emotion as she marched off in the direction of Lena, fist clenched tightly in an attempt to control the anger and contempt that was rolling off her in waves. Her right hand reached into the left side of the robe, and when she pulled her hand back, the hatchet was clutched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. When Kara reached within ten feet of the log Lena's was attached to, her armed suddenly cocked back and she hurled the small axe at the pale woman.
Lena's eyes momentarily widened at the sight of the axe rotated ever so quickly in her direction. Her eyes slammed shut and she twisted her body around so that when the axe struck her, it would strike her side and not her chest.
A loud thunk was heard and Lena's arms that were once suspended dropped heavily down, nearly knocking over a physically and emotionally exhausted Lena. When she opened her eyes, Kara was right in front of her, so close that Lena could see the small scar over the woman's right eyebrow. Lena's hands were gently enveloped by one of Kara's while the other produced a small knife from her person and sliced through Lena's bindings in a swift cut.
Without missing a beat, Kara removed her thick and warm coat and placed it around Lena's shoulders. The act was one of the most intimate gestures Lena had ever experienced. The dark-haired woman quickly glanced over at the blonde in surprise.
"I'm so sorry." The words Kara whispered took Lena by surprise; she wasn't expecting to ever hear English ever again.
Lena turned to look at her in shock.
Blue met Green, and for some reason Lena knew she was going to be okay..
I really hope you guys enjoyed my attempted at a supercorp au, it was so much fun to imagine and write this out. I watched so many documentaries to prepare for this fic and the ones that follow it. That being said; if there's any sort of scenario or prompt you'd like to see in another one shot let me know!
You can find me on tumblr at aeducaanwrites or you can hit me up on twitter at aeducaanwrites.