"MOMMA! PAPA! IT'S CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS IT'S CHRISTMAS IT'S CHRISTMAS!" The 8 year old announced as she bounced up and down eagerly on her parents' bed. "WAKE UP!"
"Alright Kara sweetie I'm awake, I'm awake", Alura replied, stifling a yawn, "now I have an idea, why don't you go remind Aunt Astra what day it is?" Before she knew it the little ball of energy was gone, footsteps sprinting down the hall being the only noise.
"At least this year she waited until the sun was actually up." The words came as mumble from underneath the pillow next to her. Alura let out a laugh as she pulled herself out of bed to get ready for what was sure to be an eventful day.
–-
"Okay, who's next?" Alura's voice could barely be heard over the chatter of the room as she made her way over to the Christmas tree. It was beautifully decorated, or at least that's what Kara had decided with a sure nod when she finished hanging all 22 mismatched hand-made decorations. Thank god she didn't have a say in the whole room just yet, that job was left for the members of the family who could fly as the power comes in tremendously handy when sticking things to the ceiling.
"I'd actually like to give Lois something next, if that's alright with everyone." After the unison of 'yeah''s and 'of course''s, the 19 year old retrieved a small box from under the tree, wrapped in a neat bow.
"Now then Clark who wrapped this? I know it wasn't you, you can barely tie your shoelaces" the girl teased as she threw a wink Clark's way. Her soft brown hair was lazily thrown back in a messy bun, to complete the cosy look of Christmas jumper, skinny jeans, and slipper boots. The boy blushed at the comment, running a hand through his dark hair.
"The uh, the lady at the store offered to do it." The sentence trailed off to an almost inaudible level which, unfortunately for Lois, being without super-hearing meant she didn't catch the words but she gathered from the laugh erupting in the room that she was right. Suddenly Kara was on the sofa next to her tugging on her arm.
"Why are they all laughing? What did he say? Clark what did you say I want to know what's funny!" Lois leaned closer to the pouting girl and whispered,
"They're laughing because I'm right, your cousin's a very silly man." Kara's face lit up,
"Well I could have told you that!" The room burst into laughter once again.
"Okay okay look, who tied the bow is not the point." Clark said, raising his voice a little to be heard over all the noise, "the point is," everyone settled back down with lazy smiles on their faces, finding themselves wanting to know what's in the box that caused so much amusement, "Lois, I love you. It means so much to all of us that you came to spend Christmas here with my parents, my Aunt and Uncle and I, and I know Kara loves hanging out with you," a strong nod of the young girl's head confirmed that, "so I just wanted to show you that you really are part of our family." Lois opened the box to find a beautiful silver necklace with the House of El crest hanging delicately from it. She took it out of the box and slowly ran her fingers over it, a smile forming on her face. "So... do you like it?" Clark asked nervously.
"I absolutely love it." Lois said as she stood up from the sofa and promptly planted a kiss on her boyfriend's lips. "and I love you."
The couple's moment of bliss was interrupted by the sound of ripping paper from by the tree. Before the second was up, Clark was next to Kara holding the half-unwrapped present at the top of his tall reach, dancing around the room with the little one half a step behind.
"But it's my turn!" The girl was jumping as best she could to get the present but it just wasn't enough.
"Did anybody saaaay it was your turn?" The older boy teased as he flew over the sofa and landed softly on the other side. Kara unceremoniously followed the same path, climbing over the sofa and landing with a thud as her eyes stayed trained on the present in the air. Clark was standing in one place now, waving the present above and laughing along with the the rest of the family at Kara's futile attempts at jumping high enough. He was about to let go and give his cousin the gift back when suddenly it was pulled from his hands. "What the.." He looked around to see where it had gone but couldn't place it.. or Kara.
Alura's hands flew to her heart and excited squeal erupt from Astra. He followed everyone's eyes upward to find Kara, back pressed against the ceiling, present clutched to her chest as though if she let go she would fall. Kara spend the next few seconds silent, absolute shock on her face as she stared back down at Clark. Then before anyone knew it she was off, present crashing to the floor, lamps being knocked over as the newest super sped around the room, screaming about how it was the best Christmas in the history of Christmases.
–-
After finally getting her daughter's feet back on the ground, Alura proposed a toast to the young girl and her newfound powers, and the family celebrated well into the night. If this wasn't an excuse to let Kara up past her bedtime then she didn't know what was.
There's a knock on the hotel door, and even through the thick wood she hears the stern, clear cut voice,
"Lena I expect you downstairs in the lobby at eight o'clock, don't be late." 10 minutes. The 9 year old turns back to the full-length mirror on the closet door. She doesn't reply, she knows her mother would have been long gone before she opened her mouth. She puts her earrings in, double checks there are no loose strands in her dark, tied back hair, and looks in the mirror one last time. The girl's wearing a black, knee length dress with simple black shoes that her mother picked out. She had wanted to wear a different colour this time, perhaps a dark green to bring out her eyes, but her mother had insisted that black is the most elegant.
She had worn the same colour to each and every one of these infuriating corporate events her parents dragged her to each month. Not that she ever put up a fight, one cold stare from her mother was as much convincing as was needed, but Lena wished she could be back at the house, or out by the lake, calculating how far away each star was using the techniques the early astronomers themselves used. Anywhere but here, plastering a fake smile on her face, shaking the hand of each dirty business partner of LuthorCorp. Lena knows she doesn't have a choice though, so she straightens herself, turns, and makes her way to the door.
I wonder what ever-so exciting events are going to take place today, she thinks sarcastically as she walks out of the room.
–-
"I wish we didn't have to be here." Lena says, looking out over the room full of tall men in black suits with women on their arm. Men who's right cufflink could pay for an entire educational career. Men who walk past the homeless, as if their sitting on the street exists solely as an inconvenience to their work day.
Lena watches them all, shaking hands, pretending to care about each other, as if they didn't all turn up for the purpose of making money and making money only.
"You know why we gotta be here, sis." She hears the words of her brother next to her but continues to stare at the interactions surrounding them. Lena knows, of course she knows. Lionel and Lillian won't be around forever, although with the level of technology LuthorCorp is developing it wouldn't be surprising, but Lena tries not to think about that. No, they won't be around forever and damned if a Luthor is going to let their work die when they do.
Herself and Lex have been a part of the company ever since she could remember. Of course it was blatantly obvious which sibling their parents would prefer to inherit the company, however the Luthors are smart people. They know they face opposition, they know they need back-up plans, and that's what Lena is. Second choice. Second to Lex, ever since the moment she entered the house.
Lena isn't too bothered by this, could she feel it forming deep emotional scars? Yes, but that was a problem for another day. She enjoys the learning, she enjoys the access to the labs and the technology, the 9 year old spends more time in the Research and Development department than she does her own bedroom, and Lex is always excited to hear what she's been creating.
She turns to her brother. Tall stature, tailored suit, clean cut dark hair framing his face. He's only 17 but with the way he carries himself you'd think he'd been running the business single-handedly for years. Lena thinks he's the only reason she hasn't gone insane in this family. Why they chose to adopt a child she'll never know. Why such a cold family were allowed to adopt a child she'll never know. Don't they do checks for these sorts of things? Make sure the family are nice people? It's probably because they're rich, rich people can get away with anything. Though she looks at her parents now, laughing, holding glasses of champagne, she figures seeming nice on the outside is all part of the game.
"Hey, Lena, I'm heading out for some fresh air, want to come?" Lex's voice snaps her from her train of thought. His voice was light and soft, qualities not often heard in their household. Qualities she only even hears from Lex when he's addressing her. But she's grateful nevertheless, this is her family and sometimes when she's around Lex she actually believes that.
"That sounds perfect right now." The two head out of the double oak doors and towards the elevator. Lena looks around to check if their parents or any investors are around, and upon seeing the two are alone she lets her childish side break free. "I'll race you, I'll take the stairs, first one outside wins?" She raises an eyebrow and waits for her brother's response. They come to a quiet stop in front of the elevator. Maybe Lex is getting too old for games like these now. After all, he's almost 18. He'll be full on working for the company any day now, why would he want to play pathetic games with his littler sister? Why did Lena think-
"READYSETGO!" The elevator doors had opened and Lex had already jumped inside, frantically pressing the 'close door' button as he flashes a smile back up at Lena. A grin brakes out on her face as she lets out a quick squeal and sprints for the staircase.
This is why she loves Lex so much, this is why he's her best friend. The simple childlike family fun that she's almost given up on so many times in the past. Lillian forces her to feel like an adult at 9 years old, but Lex understands. They may favour him but they still push him into this life, he still faces the same pressure and responsibility as Lena. Sometimes she wonders if he needs these moments just like she does.
Finally Lena reaches the last flight of stairs as she jumps the last 4 and stumbles towards the main entrance. She quickly scans the room and doesn't see her brother, so she's either won by a mile or lost by one.
She flings herself out of the big doors and searches for the tall boy, and her eyes find him, on the other side of the street. Is he.. yelling? She can't quite make out what's happening in the dark evening, so she starts to take a step when she stops dead.
"You freaks don't belong here and you know it." She recognises the voice she was looking for. So different to the way it was with her earlier. This time is was hateful and angry, it always scared Lena to hear her brother like this, how he could just lose control so easily. Lillian's demeanour was never usually something to like, but she always has composure and control, even when she's angry she speaks with purpose. Lex, he has no say in his anger, no free will, it consumes him.
"You have no right being here, taking things that aren't yours, acting like you deserve more than the rest of us, you bunch of entitled, disgusting-"
Lena can't listen to her brother speak like this any more, "Lex, Lex stop it!" She yells across the street, willing her words to reach him but he doesn't seem to hear.
"-fucking vile supers, with your mutant fucking powers, one day you'll all be kicked back to where you're from, or even better- dead."
Supers. That's why Lex is so angry, the group have powers. She doesn't understand much surrounding the phenomena, she reads stories in the paper here and there about people with powers however her questions over the years were always met with dismissal and violence. She doesn't know much, but she knows what LuthorCorp's technology is used for. She doesn't know much, but she knows what Lex thinks. She hears some muffled voices from the figures facing her brother, then the words rise out of him once again.
"I swear to God one more word out of your disgusting alien mouth and I'll do it myself."
"Lex please, just come back inside!" Lena takes a step off the pavement towards the group but hesitates, scared of her brother's anger. Logically she knows he would never hurt her, but she often sees him do things he regrets when he's like this. She doesn't know whether to run towards him or run away, so she stays frozen on the spot, one foot on the road and one behind.
"Lena go back inside, you don't understand" He shouts, glancing at her for a second.
As he does, the group turns and flees. As they reach the street lamp Lena can make out a bit more of the figures, there are 3 of them, all shorter than Lex, presumably teenagers. She doesn't know if their powers are useless in this situation or if they're just too scared to use them. They were probably just practising when Lex saw them, unaware the world's largest anti-super organisation was holding an event on the very same block.
She sees something flash across Lex's face as he moves and grabs one of them, throwing them to the floor. The actions sends some of his hair falling into his face, the knees of his suit trousers getting stained with the dust of the street. Lena thinks the boy being pinned to the floor can't be older than 14, he looks so scared, like he thinks Lex is going to murder him there and then. Lena glances at Lex's face again. He might be right.
Lex, spitting profanities at the poor kid, raises his fist and Lena can take it any more. The words come out beyond her control, before she even knows what she's saying-
"Lex! Don't do it! You don't have to-"
But her sentence stops her sentence in it's tracks. It happens in slow motion. She can't hear anything, she can't control anything. First, her eyes go wide as she watches Lex push his fist down towards the boy on the gravel. Second, her arms surge forward towards the pair as everything around them changes, as everything around them morphs into an attack on the eldest Luthor.
The earth beneath them shakes, the city rumbles, the pinpoint of which being right under Lex's feet. Every light breeze in Metropolis is seemingly headed their way as all the air crashes into him from every angle, throwing him high up in the air, swirling around him before his fist can make contact. The boy is flung higher, the vortex sucking out the oxygen as he struggles to find breath.
Lena stands there, terrified of Lex, terrified of herself. She knows this is her doing. She can feel it all coming from somewhere inside her. She wills herself to stop but watches as her hand gestures towards the building opposite. It catches fire with an explosion and Lex is forced down by an such immense wave of water from above, only able to get one breath in before his suffocation is replaced with drowning, sending him crashing face first into the middle of the street that crumbles around him in a crater, water gone but clothes soaking, booming flames encircling the impact.
Lena finally drops to her knees, staring at the scene before her. The boy with the powers is nowhere to be seen, he must have run off in the midst of it all.
Her eyes finally come back into focus and she finds them locked to Lex's. He looks at her in a way that she's never seen before. It's somehow more than how he looked at the teenagers. He expected nothing better from them. He expected more from Lena.
She realises what it is, his face is full of betrayal. Betrayal at hurting him, betrayal at being the thing he despises most. She realises they will never recover from this. She just gave up her only true family. Lex is not angry at her powers, but angry at how she has taken his sister from him. No super is considered family to a Luthor.
Lena gets to her feet, and runs.
–-
4 years later
She closes the book and sits at her desk, sorting through the ideas that it left her with. She scribbles her thoughts down in a notebook to come back to them when she has time, right now it's 3:56 in the morning and she really should go to bed.
Only, Lena finds she isn't tired at all. This happens often, she gets over involved in a project and time flies out the window. She has to fill her days somehow, as Lex doesn't speak to her any more. Lillian and Lionel barely speak to her either, not that they did much before, however they promptly shipped her off to boarding school after the incident. Only now it was summer, and as she was transferring schools for High School in the fall she didn't have the option to stay with any friends for a few months.
Lena is terrified. The new school is a school only for students with powers. Lena hasn't used her powers in four years and she wasn't planning on starting now. The thought of it makes her sick to her stomach. Not that her family are keen on it either, however it is the law that people with powers must either attend a speciality High School, if their powers were made apparent before the age of 14, or attend a course on the matter if they were older.
With Lena's discovery happening so publicly, no amount of money could cover it up. There was no hiding.
The school is called Sky High, and unfortunately for Lena she would have to come home every evening. Come home to her family knowing she'd spent all day around supers, that her only possible friends, if she made any, would be supers. Her family, who have not mentioned a word about the matter at all, apart from Lillian's assistant notifying Lena of the law and of the school.
Lena has done her fair share of research, she knows all there is to know about the place. Part of her is excited to see the technology first hand, the school itself is suspended in the air with a gravity-altering device, and she heard that the detention room somehow nullifies all powers. She also read that there were engineering classes on field-technology, building ray guns, protective suits, that sort of thing. Lena tries to only think about these parts, thinking maybe if she excelled in these they would forgive her for taking no power-oriented classes. She knew that was wishful thinking though.
The 13 year old finishes jotting down her notes on the book and decides to at least pick out a new one for tomorrow before she heads to sleep, so she quietly slips out of the room and makes her way to the household library. As she's scanning the titles she hears a low conversation from a nearby room, placing the voices as Lex and Lillian.
Lex is indeed all but running LuthorCorp now, the only thing in his way is Lionel's name on the documents, however he doesn't mind. His father trusts him with free reign to do whatever he wishes.
She moves closer to where the sounds are originating.
"This will be the perfect statement to make our intent known."
What is Lillian talking about? What are they planning?
Lena moves closer to the room.
"I agree, it's time everyone knew we're not here to mess around."
Oh God. They're planning something awful. Lena's stomach turns, what if it's an attack on supers? An attack on the thing they resent about her the very most? Logically Lena knows her parents are prejudice against many, many things, but the thought still gives a certain sting to the dread.
"And you're sure you've developed something that can put an end to them?"
"Mother, I have not a doubt in my mind. I was doing some research on the House of El and managed to pull up the origin of their powers. Most powers occur naturally on Earth, however I found a document that states their planet of origin as one called Krypton. They get their powers from our sun as Krypton orbits a red sun. I also found records of an battle with their ancestors long ago. Records state that a substance called Kryptonite was involved, deadly to Kryptonians. I won't bore you with the details, however I engineered an explosive laced with it. If we can get them all in one place then they'll be dead the second it goes off."
"My genius boy, you make me so proud. I had no idea you'd been working on something so incredible all this time."
She doesn't think she's ever heard pride in her mother's voice before.
"You know as well as I do that they don't belong here, mother. I'm simply doing what's right." He used that tone, the one he inherited directly from Lillian. The sure, composed, voice that Lena had never quite found in herself.
Her brother is planning to murder the most influential line of Heroes in the USA. Lena can't listen to this any longer. She heads straight for her bedroom and tries to sleep, mind racing with nightmares before she even closes her eyes. Lena prays she'll wake up and it will all be over, it will have just been a dream.
Lena prays for that every night.
It never comes true.
–-
A few days pass, Lena hasn't yet seen anything in the news indicating her brother put his plan into action. She pulls on her dark green coat, Lillian had stopped caring about her daughter's fashion choices when she stopped caring about her daughter altogether, and decides to go for a walk. She can't concentrate on her reading and doesn't trust her shaky hands with intricate engineering.
She hasn't thought of anything else, spending every second on edge, terrified and guilty. She knows about the plan, she could try and stop it, but she pushes those thoughts down and tries to forget. She can't outsmart Lex, not at this, not without knowing exactly how he made the weapon, not without following his every move.
There's another thought, another way she could stop him. Lena never allows it to the forefront of her mind. It only exists in it's concept, never in words, never actually being thought. Lena can feel it there though, always. She can feel it burning in the back of her mind. The cause of the guilt crushing down on her, suffocating her. Lena could stop Lex.
She finally circles back to the house when she sees her a black, sleek truck pulled up the drive. She can make out Lillian in the passenger seat, then from the rear Lex rounds the vehicle.
Oh god, she thinks, this must be it.
Lex joins the woman in the car.
Lena, pull yourself together. He's her son, it's not that late in the evening, there are a thousand explanations. Use your logic Goddammit.
However, no amount of reasoning explains why Lena creeps to the back of the truck and gently jumps on just as it pulls away. There's a large, black box strapped next to her. Lena doesn't want to think about it.
What the hell am I doing?
What on Earth is my plan when this truck stops?
Do I have a death wish?
Do I actually want my family to murder me?
Lena as soon as this truck stops you have got to be gone, okay?
I don't care how you're going to get back home, this was a mistake and you need to run as soon as we stop.
I need to run.
The truck pulls up by a lake house on the outskirts of the city. True to her word, Lena sprints away as soon as the truck is moving slowly enough. She runs into the nearby woods. She stops to take in her surroundings. The lake house is busy, it looks like some kind of party.
The Els must be in there.
Lex and Lillian get out of the car.
Don't the Els have x-ray vision? Super-hearing? How do they expect this to work?
She can't tear herself away from watching. Something inside is pulling at her to do something, anything. She slowly moves down the edge of the treeline, until she can see a window into the lake house. She was right, there is a party going on. Not a huge one, but enough for how large she guesses the family would be. They look so happy.
That's when she sees the girl dance through her view. She looks around the same age as Lena, 13. She sees blonde hair falling at her shoulders, a red dollar store cape tied around her neck, a large piece of cake in her hand. She sees the girl turn around and laugh across the room.
She looks so... human. They all do. They look like what Lena imagines a family should.
She can't let Lex do this.
She decides she's going to do it. She's going to use her powers.
Lex and Lillian run back to the truck, presumably giving themselves time to get far enough away before it explodes.
Come on Lena. She raises her hands in front of her like she remembers doing so long ago.
Lena looks up at her mother. She flinches at the icy voice. "I always knew you were a good-for-nothing, worthless, wretch"
Nothing happens. She tries again.
"Mom, please mom, I'm sorry, I swear I never meant-"
"Save it. I never want to hear your pathetic voice again."
She takes a power stance, maybe that will help. Come on Lena, you can do this. She wills her energy forwards. Again, nothing happens.
"Lex? I'm so sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me, but please know that I love you and I hate how I hurt you. I hate myself for what I did to you." She pleaded, tears forming in her eyes.
He left the room without so much as a glance at the young girl.
She let the tears fall.
She pushes, as hard as she can. It had been so easy last time, she hadn't even meant to. How was this supposed to work? She knows she's probably down to seconds. She thrusts her hands forward again, the leaves on the ground in front of her shuffling.
Again, and a small puff of flames comes from her palms.
Then she's blinded by an excruciatingly bright green light. It knocks Lena over backwards.
She leans up up, shielding her eyes. The building is on fire, walls flying into the lake. The music no longer playing.
It's eerily quiet, no screaming, no struggle.
That's when she sees the shadow, the silhouette of a man limping away from the carnage, dragging something behind him. Lena stands and steps closer, ears ringing from the noise. She sees the figure collapse just outside the remnants of the building. As she gets closer she realises the man had been dragging the young girl she had seen earlier. She sees her face, laying unconscious on the ground, and she runs.