Chapter 1

Two weeks.

It has been two weeks since the plan to install New Daxum on Earth had been stopped by Supergirl.

Two weeks since National city had been damaged, devastated, and nearly destroyed by an alien threat. Of course thanks to the efforts of the DEO, Superman, and most importantly Supergirl the destruction had been limited at least, and the loss of life nearly zero thanks to their efforts. She really had to commend the Super's, when the rubber meets the rode they really do perform like their namesake suggests, always super.

Even when it means making a decision that would cripple any normal individual. Having to choose to sacrifice a relationship for the greater good. Mon-El of Daxum gave up Earth in order to protect it, a home he had known for such little time. He didn't complain, didn't flinch, he chose to leave Earth and Kara in order to protect her.

Kara Danvers had to say goodbye to the love of her life for a mistake she had made. She had to make a sacrifice greater than any person should have to, and it wasn't even supposed to be her burden to bear.

Like always her decisions affected everyone else.

Her own hubris.

Her own insecurities.

Her own weaknesses again caused nothing but ruin to those around her.

With her head bowed, hands gripping the wet wood of the park bench she sat planted to for the last few hours so hard her knuckles had turned white. Freezing rain pelted her snow white skin as her eyes laid unfocused on the puddle formed at her feet. Her normally piercing blue eyes dulled, chestnut brown hair clung to her neck and face drenched by the falling rain.

Lena Luther was a monster.

In trying to fill the void left by years of abandon from her biological mother, and the absent and toxic relationship with her adoptive so called mother the now deceased queen of Daxum had exploited her greatest weakness. With such ease Lena still couldn't knock the queen for getting under her skin. It was genius, calculated, and effective. All qualities instilled in her from her first day in joining the Luther family.

Maybe it truly did just run in her DNA.

Maybe Lex was right? They were one in the same. Destined for madness.

She shook her head slightly as she closed her eyes tightly trying to dispel that particular thought. She was nothing like Lex… She was a good person.

A voice in the back of her head spoke in a snide voice, "Would a good person allow for all of this to happen?"

Lena's breathe quickened as she began to panic. The thought of becoming like her brother, her father, her moth… No, that woman was not her mother.

Taking a deep breath she shakily stood. Her grey cotton sweatshirt clung to her curves soaked from the rain, her blue jeans shades darker, and her flats squished with the accumulation of water from the puddle they had been dangling in.

The sun had set long ago, overtaken by dark foreboding clouds that drenched the city in rain. She wrapped her slender arms around her chest as she began the trek in return to her penthouse. Shivering slightly she quickened her pace not wanting to be caught in the freezing rain any longer. She had wondered out here thoughtless trying to drown out the guilt, frustration, and anger she felt. The last two weeks had been a living hell to say the least. Her company had been in free fall and just today settled to some sort of normalcy (losing share values of $400 million wasn't exactly great in the investors eyes, but at least they weren't hemorrhaging money at the moment).

The board was out for blood and Lena was on the chopping block. To make matters worse the city viewed L-Corp as the main conspirator in allowing the Daxumites to reign free over the city. And, they weren't that far from the truth honestly.

Lost in thought Lena failed to notice the three large men following a few yards behind her. The men talked in barely hushed voices asking each other if that was really Lena Luther? The goon in the middle eyed her from behind and finally nodded to his compatriots. Motioned his hand to the alley way ahead and his goons nodded in agreement each sneering with a sick glee.

Lena thought she heard someone behind her when suddenly a grotesquely smelling hand covered her mouth muffling her startled stream. Four more gruff hands restrained her arms as they pulled her roughly into the alley way, hidden from the light of the street she had been traversing. The men slammed her against a wall, two of the goons restraning her arms and legs with her bodies, and the taller of the two held his hand to her mouth silencing her protest. She thrashed to no avail, the large goons overpowering her. Her eyes darting frantically around to each of the individuals. They were the most brutish looking men she had ever seen.

The obvious ring leader spoke in a slurred voice, "You're that Luther that let them aliens attack the city! Aren't you?!"

She continued to thrash about as adrenaline coursed through her veins. She bit the hand holding her mouth to the pained yell of the leader.

"Ouch you bitch!"

He rocketed his closed fist to her stomach. The moment it connected all of the air escaped her lungs as bile made its way into her throat. She doubled over in agony as the two goons holding her released her arms letting her sink to her knees. Tears formed in her eyes as she grasped at her stomach. She tried to breath but couldn't get a single breathe through her mouth. Lena had been hit before, sparring lessons when she had younger had taught her how to take a punch, but she had never been hit full force in the gut before. So this is what it felt like.

It sucked.

It sucked a whole lot.

The leader laughed sickeningly, "That's what you get you traitor, assaulting me like that!"

She rolled her sharp blue eyes in irony. Yeah, she assaulted him...

One of the goons spoke with a similar laugh, "Boss show her what traitors to humans get!"

He smirked with jagged teeth, "You're right, lets show her how humans treat alien loving scum like her."

The leader pulled out a switch blade clicking the small blade open bouncing it from hand to hand. Lena's eyes shot wide in horror. This couldn't be happening? This was how her life ended. The great Lena Luther cut down in an alley way by some thugs with a vendetta? Bringing her arms up defensively she fell back against the wall as one of the men kicked her backwards. Her back connected hard with the concrete wall causing her to gasp in pain. Eyes clenched shut she made her body as small as possible to protect herself. Readying herself for whatever was to come she failed to hear the whizzing of a metal object connecting with one of the goons heads. His body slumped to the ground with an audible thud. The two goons left peered into the darkness and back at their buddy who lay splayed on the ground blood trickling from the back of the fresh wound on his head. Looking at each other with confusion they had no time to react.

Another metal object came flying from the darkness lodging itself in the other goons shoulder. He staggered back in pain groaning from the foreign object lodged in his shoulder. Grabbing at the object he pulled it from his shoulder with a yell of pain. The two men looked at the partially bloody object in his hand.

A sharp metal looking bat.

Both looked up at each other in fear.

All the while Lena Luther slowly unclenched her eyes. Why hadn't she been cut up yet? In front of her one of the goons laid unconscious. In front of him the other two stood staring into the darkness of the alleyway in fear. She turned her head into the direction they were so keen on focusing on. Slowly a man in a black hoodie walked out. He was tall that much he could tell. With little light she could barely make out his figure. But, he walked at a slow relax pace. He paid no attention to the goons who stood planted in place, unable to take their eyes off of the man. Though seemingly relaxed an air of danger and power emanated from him. He walked pass them and stopped once he was in front of Lena, dropping to his knees as he knelt in front of her making himself eye level. Pulling the hood ever so lightly so that it was hanging half off the back of his head her breathe caught in the back of her throat.

Half expecting a mask or some sort of cowl she was greeted with the warmest brown eyes she had ever seen. They searched her gaze for something only for a split second before he spoke.

With a quiet tone he said, "I know its probably dumb, but are you okay?"

Lena sat there and opened her mouth trying to think of something to say. Did he mean in a whole life altering last few weeks that had turned her world upside down? Or more of the she had just been assaulted by three goons and threatened with a knife not a minute ago.

She rasped out a, "No..."

The man studied her face for a few seconds before nodding his head in some sort of agreement with himself. He gave her a thumbs up and a genuine smile that made her stomach flip for some reason. Lena chocked it up to being gut punched a few minutes prior.

The man in the hoodie stood up and turned to the two goons as his eyes turned fierce. The leader opened his mouth to say something but with quickness that Lena couldn't even follow the man with the hoodie's clenched fist connected roughly with the leaders own stomach. Karma's a bitch. But, instead of being dropped to his knees he was sent flying off of his feet ten feet connecting harshly with the trash can before him. He fell in a loud thud laid out in a heap of trash. The third goon tried to run, but again with a quickness Lena couldn't follow the hooded man was in front of the Goon who connected with his arm knocking him onto his back. The hooded man spared no time grabbing the goon and lifting him up by his neck so that his tiptoes barely touched the ground. The man in the hoodie pushed the goon forward, and as he stumbled backwards kicked him square in the chest with a round house kick sending him flying into the direction of the laid out leader. He skidded in front of the leader knocked out.

Lena only stared on in a mix of shock and surprise. What the hell had just happened? The man in the hoodie looked around at his handy work and nodded his head in an apparent good work done. He then went up to one of the goons and rummaged through his pockets before pulling out a cell phone. She watched blankly as he dialed 9-11.

He spoke in a throaty tone, "Yes operator I'd like to report a crime, I just saw three suspicious looking men pull a young woman into an alley way… yes I'm at that intersection… five minutes? Yes, thank you so much, please hurry!"

Finished he dropped the phone to the ground and stomped on it, destroying the phone completely. Done with that he turned around and walked over to the still sitting Lena. Legs drawn up to her chest she flinched backward, making contact with the wall behind her again. The man frowned but spoke up in a calm tone.

"Look we need to get you to a hospital? We have two options here, you stay and wait for the cops? Or I take you to the hospital right now?"

Lena raised an eyebrow and in a raspy voice spoke, "Why can't you wait for the police with me?"

He released a breathe, "Whelp that's complicated..."

She tilted her head a bit, "Are you a criminal?"

He smirked, "I mean what do you define as criminal?"

Lena was about to retort but stopped. At this point could she judge a complete stranger that she had just met? Considering all that had transpired because of her?

Following a small pause her eyes softened, "I guess you did save me… I guess that buys you some points."

It was the hooded mans turn to raise an eyebrow, "And, what exactly do these points entail?"

She shrugged but groaned a bit moving her body, "They entail me not involving you in the police."

His eyes grew a bit wider, "Oh so you trust me?"

Lena's brow furrowed, "Let's get something straight, I don't even know you? For all I know you could be the ring leader behind this whole assault just to get close to me!"

He sat back a bit, "Lady I don't even know you!"

Her eyes narrowed at his use of lady, "Lady?! I'm 23! What are you 40?"

The hooded man stared at Lena incredulously, "Are you seriously picking a fight with me right now?"

Lena paused. She really was picking a fight with this man who had just saved her from these three goons. Sirens blared in the distance approaching fast. The mans head shot in the direction of the incoming sounds. He looked to her with a more serious gaze.

"Look either I take you right now, or you get the cops. Your choice?"

He reached out a gloved hand to her. Lena hesitated. All common sense said wait for the police. She didn't even know this man! All she was certain of about him was that he was strong, fast, and apparently a damned good fighter. But, for whatever reason she hesitantly placed her hand in his. A brilliant smile appeared on his face. Lena's breathe caught in her throat by the sight of it. He shook her hand and she couldn't help but smile a little at the absurdity of the situation.

She sat bruised, bloodied, and a bit sore shaking hands with a guy in a hoodie who just took out three attackers with little to know effort.

With a steely voice she spoke, "Well my alleyway savior I am Lena… Lena Luther."

She hesitate, ready for the look of disgust or mistrust. But, the man before her just shot her a brilliant smile.

In a friendly and light tone he replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you Lena, I'm AJ."

She replayed his name into her mind. AJ… Simple, but it seems to fit this mysterious man.

"So Lena, can you stand?"

Lena shrugged. He stood still holding her hand as she shakily got to her feet. Struggling to find her balance she fell forward into his arms. Her hands landed on his firm chest as she fought to find her footing. Finally finding some semblance of balance she felt his very strong arms circle around her. Warmth radiated from his body as she was partially shielded from the now lightly falling rain. She looked up meeting his gaze with a slight glare.

In an annoyed tone she spoke, "You don't have to hold me!"

He just smirked down at her nearly a head taller, "Apparently I do since you can't really stand by yourself at the moment."

She tried to come up with a retort, but let out a squeal as she felt herself lifted off her feet. His arm going under the crook of her knee as he picked up bridal style.

"What are you doing?!"

He just started walking out to the street taking a hard right out of the alley.
"The cops are only a minute away, we were wasting time." He stated in a matter o fact tone.

Lena stuttered with a huff, "Y...You can't just pick a person up without their permission!"

AJ just shrugged tossing his hoodie fully over his face masking his features.

"I can when said person shook hands on not involving the police."

Lena tried to think of something witty to say back… It had been a long day, and she was to tired, hurt, and honestly had other things to worry about like her throbbing head and aching body.

In a defeated and annoyed tone she replied to him, "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Nope."

She rolled her eyes, "Take a left at the light up there."

"Okay."

She eyed him with even more annoyance, "Are you just going to give me one word replies?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Dunno, are you going to lighten up?"

She could only stare in disbelief of his words, "I was just attacked?!"

"You're a live aren't you?"

She nodded confused.

"So lighten up a bit! Enjoy that you're alive for the moment."

Lena just stared at him for a bit… Who was he to tell her how to act or feel? Unable to respond she let her head fall to his chest. They walked making their way back to her penthouse. Lena closed her eyes simply breathing in deeply taking in his musky but pleasant scent. Coupled with the strong sound of his heart beat Lena began to relax a bit. For the moment she would listen to advice, even if just a little.

So she left herself just be for the time being.

–

Hope ya'll enjoyed. A review or two if you want this to continue and I will!

Best,