Consequences
Disclaimer: Supergirl characters and concepts belong to Greg Berlanti & Co. Smallville characters and concepts belong to Alfred Gough & Miles Millar. DCAU characters and concepts belong to Bruce Timm & Paul Dini. All other recognizable characters and concepts belong to DC Comics. Plot and all original characters belong to me.
A/N: This is my first foray into Supergirl Fanfiction. The story is already finished (I've been working on it since Spring), and I'll be posting updates on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The reason I'm not listing it as a crossover is because I'm not using the characters as they existed on their respective shows, but as I imagine they might exist on Supergirl's Earth. For instance, with regards to Smallville, I'm thinking that on this Earth, the show is more or less canon (minus anything - like Milton Fine - that would contradict Supergirl) up through Jonathan Kent's death in Season 5, and diverges a bit more from there (i.e. no Milton Fine means Chloe gets to keep her metahuman abilities instead of becoming a living supercomputer). Not getting into any more at the moment in order to avoid spoilers, but if anyone has questions feel free to PM me.
Prologue
"Did I kill anyone?" Kara asked, praying to Rao that the answer would be no. While she could remember most of what she did under the Red Kryptonite's influence, everything after her "talk" with Alex was a blur.
Alex shook her head. "No…no, you didn't kill anyone."
Kara breathed in a sigh of relief, silently thanking Rao for that small miracle. But then she glanced up from the table at her sister and the guilt came flooding back. "Your arm…."
The elder Danvers nodded, seemingly unconcerned about the fact that said arm was in a sling. "Broken bones heal," she assured Kara. "And this will too."
Unfortunately, the attempt at reassurance had the opposite effect, shattering what was left of the Kryptonian's composure. "It was so horrible, Alex," she sobbed. "It was so bad…it was so horrible. Every bad thought I've ever had, it just came to the surface. I couldn't stop it." Her breath caught as she recalled the encounter in her apartment…the anger…the cruel words she'd hurled at her big sister. She dared a glance back at the elder Danvers, whose loving and concerned expression had yet to falter. "I didn't mean it," Kara cried. "I didn't mean what I said to you. I'm sorry…I'm sorry for what I said."
"Kara, you're my sister, and I love you. No matter what." Alex brushed her good hand across her little sister's cheek. "Yeah," she nodded. "There's some truth to what you said. We're going to have to work on that." The elder Danvers looked on the verge of tears, and it was all Kara could do not to break down again.
"What about J'onn?" she asked, having a vague recollection of a certain Green Martian revealing himself in order to take her down.
"The alien infiltrator is exactly where he belongs," a male voice announced. Kara sat up to see General Sam Lane march into the recovery room, looking as smug as ever. Alex moved protectively between the General and her sister, her good hand moving to one of the weapons Kara knew she kept hidden on her person.
"With all due respect, General," Alex growled, "you have no authority here."
"On the contrary," he shot back. "The President herself has ordered me to take command of this unholy mess you lot dare to call a government agency." General Lane shook his head. "One alien managed to take the place of the human we'd trusted to run this agency, and another goes rogue and terrorizes the city she claims to protect." Kara couldn't help but flinch at the reminder, and Alex quickly went to her defense.
"Supergirl was poisoned, General. She wasn't herself. The only one responsible for what happened is Maxwell Lord. It was his botched attempt at recreating Kryptonite that altered Supergirl's mind."
"That may be, Agent Danvers, but if all it takes to turn Supergirl against National City is one arrogant man-child and his chemistry set, then what's to stop someone who actually knows what they're doing from trying the same thing, or worse?"
Alex moved closer to General Lane, and Kara could see her starting to pull out whatever weapon she'd latched onto. "You can't punish Supergirl for what someone else might do! She still has rights!"
"She's an alien," General Lane scoffed. "She may look and sound like us, but she's not one of us and has no more rights than your green-skinned Martian friend." He gestured to someone outside the room; a moment later he was joined by several of his soldiers – including the one whose life Kara had saved during the incident where Non had kidnapped J'onn (who she'd still believed to be Hank Henshaw at the time). And that soldier looked about as angry and disappointed with her as the rest of the city. Unhooking herself from the medical equipment, Kara slid from the table and gently pulled Alex's hand back from whatever she'd been planning to draw. Her sister's heart was in the right place, but she wouldn't let Alex get herself hurt or killed over this. And after what happened…what she'd done to the people of National City…Kara couldn't help but think that maybe General Lane had a point for once.
"It's alright, Alex," she whispered, forcing back her own distress for her sister's sake. Not giving the elder Danvers a chance to respond, she turned to the General and raised her hands. "Do what you must, General."
"Your cooperation is noted, Supergirl." General Lane nodded to his men, who quickly moved to surround Kara. She didn't put up a fight as they pulled her hands behind her back and locked them into a set of Kryptonite-infused cuffs. The effects were instantaneous, but she did her best not to let on how it made her feel, lest Alex do something rash to try and save her from the fate she deserved. Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw her sister rush forward anyway, only to be held back by the soldiers who weren't currently holding onto the Kryptonian. General Lane shot Alex a severely displeased glare before returning his attention to his prisoner. "Supergirl, since you have shown yourself to be a threat to the safety of the citizens of National City and to the security of this nation, you are – by order of the President of the United States – to be detained here at the DEO until such time as we can assure ourselves that the threat no longer exists. Do you understand?" Kara nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment. "Good." The General pulled a piece of paper from inside his uniform jacket and thrust it at Alex. "If you even think about trying something, Agent Danvers, I'll have you put away for treason so fast your head will spin. Am I making myself clear?"
"Perfectly," Alex snarled, jerking away from the soldiers. Thankfully, she settled for glaring at them instead of making another attempt to charge the General. Without further comment, General Lane turned and left the room, his men pulling Kara along in his wake. Though she kept her head down for the most part, not yet ready to face her friends and colleagues after what she'd done, Kara found herself experiencing an odd sense of déjà vu as they moved through the complex – a feeling that soon made perfect sense when she found herself being ushered inside the same chamber that had once held her Aunt Astra. Once the Kryptonite emitters were activated and the cuffs removed, the soldiers backed out and closed the door, leaving her alone in her – what did Alex say Lord called it? – "collectable display case." And from this perspective, Kara had to admit that the description wasn't that far off. She briefly wondered if Aunt Astra had felt the same way during her time at the DEO, but decided that it didn't really matter. Astra was gone, and she was stuck inside that box for the foreseeable future. Kara knew she could seem naïve at times, but she was far from stupid. General Lane's remark about her being locked up "until the threat no longer existed" was just another way of saying that she was never getting out. Her life as Kara Danvers was over, as was Supergirl's time being the protector of National City (assuming she could ever get the citizens to trust her again). Now she was just another dangerous alien for the DEO to keep under lock and key…no different from any of the Fort Rozz escapees she'd brought in over the past few months.
"Now this brings back memories," a voice remarked. Kara turned to see General Lane still standing in the doorway of the outer chamber. She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed he'd stayed.
"That makes no sense," Kara muttered. "I've never been inside one of these before…not like this."
"No, but in that outfit, with darker hair and older features, you could pass for that other Kryptonian." As he spoke, Kara glanced down at herself. She'd almost forgotten about the wardrobe change…exchanging the Supergirl suit for a uniform like her aunt had worn. "What was her name again?" the General continued, and his still-smug expression made Kara momentarily thankful for the Kryptonite emitters suppressing her powers.
"Her name was Astra," she growled, "and even on her worst days she was still a far better person than you."
"Key word: was," he shot back. "And if I had my way, you'd be joining her."
"So what's stopping you?"
"Orders," he shrugged, moving in a bit closer to her box. "Madam President believes it's in our best interests to keep you alive…for now, anyway."
Kara frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The General shook his head. "You may not have killed anyone tonight, but that stunt you pulled with those police cars left several officers in critical condition…third degree burns and whatnot. The hospital has the officers stabilized for the moment, but if any of them die you had better believe I'll be asking President Marsdin to reconsider her policy on letting you live. We still execute murderers in this country, after all."
On hearing the word "murderer," Kara sank to her knees, fresh waves of guilt crashing down on her. Even if the officers survived, they'd never be the same because of her actions. She couldn't recall exactly what she'd done, but clearly remembered the desire to tear the city down just to show off her power, not even considering the lives she'd destroy in the process. The worst part was knowing that the Red Kryptonite didn't create that desire…it just brought those feelings to the surface from wherever she'd kept them buried. The only thing Maxwell Lord was to blame for was letting those feelings loose on the world. The rest was all of her own making, and the thought that such darkness was still inside her somewhere made Kara feel ill. She barely resisted the urge to vomit. Someone cleared their throat, and she looked up to see General Lane still standing there, seeming almost proud of himself.
"Truth hurts, doesn't it? Tonight, you showed the world what I've always known…that behind the pretty blonde façade is just another monster. Another inhuman creature here to prey on humanity. And now that the world knows the real you, no one will stand in the way of you getting what you deserve. Hell, they'll probably thank me."
"It almost sounds like you wanted something like this to happen."
Shaking his head, General Lane knelt down in front of her. "Believe it or not, this is the last thing I wanted. I was really hoping that you'd prove me wrong. What happened tonight probably disappointed me more than anyone. It's the first time I've hated being right."
"Yet you don't seem all that broken up over finally getting me in one of these."
"You're right," he shrugged, standing back up. Kara climbed back to her feet as well, crossing her arms as she tried to get a read on the General's mood.
"So you hate being right about me, but you like having me locked up? How do I know you didn't put Lord up to that ridiculous Kryptonite scheme in the first place?"
"Why would I want Lord to make synthetic Kryptonite when I have access to the real thing? And it's not like anyone could have predicted what his botched attempt would do."
With a sigh, Kara dropped down onto the cell's small cot. Much as she wanted to believe this was some sort of conspiracy…that her loss of control was part of some plan to get her out of the way…she couldn't really refute the General's logic. "So what happens now? Am I to be locked up in here forever?" She was already sure of the answer, but still wanted to hear it from his own lips.
He nodded. "For now, anyway."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Kara frowned, not liking his tone.
General Lane gave her a smile that sent chills running down her spine. "That's classified. But you'll find out soon enough." He turned and walked out, leaving her completely alone in the chamber. She pulled her legs up onto the cot, wrapping her arms around them and resting her forehead against her knees. As the reality of her situation well and truly sank in, she found herself unable to stop the tears that had been threatening to fall from the moment she'd been locked in the cell. Her life was now in the hands of someone who hated anyone not human with a passion, and if what he said was true, it was hard not to think that maybe she really did deserve whatever he had planned. 'Rao, forgive me,' she murmured in Kryptonese. 'Give me the strength to endure the trials to come, and protect my loved ones from the consequences of my actions. Your will be done.'
"Rao's will be done," someone muttered softly in English. Wiping away her tears, Kara looked up to see Alex enter the chamber.
"How did you…?"
With a sad smile, Alex walked around to the side of the cell closest to the cot. "You taught me Kryptonese, remember? I may not be 100% fluent, but I know enough to recognize when you're praying."
"But how did you get past General Lane?"
"I had help," the elder Danvers shrugged. "Vasquez scrambled the video and audio for this room, so we can talk freely, and Burnett may have 'accidentally' let the K'hund out of his cell. I figure it'll take the General and his men at least 20 minutes to wrangle him."
"Why would Vasquez and Burnett do that?"
"Not everyone has given up on you, Kara. There are still people out there who believe in their hero."
Kara sighed, hugging her knees a bit tighter. "But what kind of hero are they believing in?" she muttered, before twisting around to meet her sister's gaze. "Why didn't you tell me about the police officers?"
Alex shook her head. "You were already hurting. I didn't want to make it worse."
"So I had to hear it from the General instead?"
"Last I heard, the hospital said the officers were going to make it. You still haven't killed anyone."
Shaking her head, Kara slid from the cot and moved to the other side of the cell. "Maybe not, but I've been to enough fires to see what third degree burns can do to a person. I've ruined their lives…." Her voice caught, and a hand flew to her mouth as tears burst forth once again. A moment later, she heard the door open and felt an arm wrapping around her from behind. Leaning into the familiar embrace, Kara twisted around, crying into her sister's uniform shirt.
"It's going to be okay, kiddo," Alex soothed, rubbing Kara's back with her good hand. "We'll figure this out. I promise."
"How?" the younger Danvers sobbed. "How is it going to be okay?" She backed up a pace, swiping furiously at her cheeks to get rid of the tears. "You heard General Lane. I'm never getting out of this cell. Okay, he did make a strange comment about some classified program that I'll 'find out' about 'soon enough,' but either way he's never going to let me go. He says I'm a monster. And maybe he's right."
"No!" Alex insisted, putting her good hand on Kara's shoulder. "You are NOT a monster! A monster wouldn't care whether or not anyone got hurt."
"And a hero wouldn't hurt people, ever. What does that make me?"
"You were poisoned, Kara. What happened tonight…it wasn't you."
Kara backed away from her sister once again, shaking her head. "That's just it, Alex…it was me. I may not have been able to stop those things from coming out, but they all came from somewhere inside me. My thoughts, my actions…." She sighed. "How can you still defend me after all of the horrible, cruel things I said to you? Not to mention the fact that I tried to kill you."
"You remember that?"
"Vaguely," Kara shrugged. "But those thoughts are still there. How can you still love me, knowing that some part of me wants to hurt you?"
"Because you're my sister," Alex assured Kara, pulling the younger Danvers into another one-armed hug. "We both have issues we need to work on, but that fact will never change. And if that blowhard of a general thinks he can get away with whatever he's planning…."
"No, Alex. It's bad enough that J'onn is locked up because of me. I won't see that happen to you as well. I'd rather spend the rest of my life in this cell than have you sacrifice your freedom trying to spare me the consequences of my mistakes." With a resigned sigh, Kara sat back down on the cot. "I need you to do something for me."
"Anything," Alex nodded, kneeling down in front of her sister. "How can I help?"
"Go to my apartment and open up my computer. You know the password. Under the 'CatCo' folder, there's a resignation letter I wrote back when Cat figured out my secret and was making me choose between that and my job. I didn't need it then, thanks to J'onn, but now I want you to change the date, print it out, sign it for me and take it to Cat. And once that's done, I need you to take care of my loft. Sell my things…put them in storage…I don't care. Just as long as the world believes that Kara Danvers returned to Midvale to stay."
Alex frowned. "That's crazy-talk, Kara. I told you, we're going to figure this out. I'll be damned if I let you stay locked up here like…like…"
"Like an alien?"
"You know what I mean," the elder Danvers sighed. "You don't belong in here."
"That's not your call. And I already said that I won't let you do something stupid and reckless trying to get me out of this." Kara slid off the cot and knelt down in front of her big sister, cupping the sides of Alex's face and touching their foreheads together. "I love you, Alex, and I always will. Even my darkest thoughts cannot change that, and I thank Rao every day for bringing us together…for giving me the best sister anyone could ask for. But after what happened tonight, I can't be Kara Danvers any more, or Supergirl. In here, I'm just Kara Zor-El, last daughter of Krypton. And I don't want you giving up any more of your life for me, the way you have since I landed. Close the book on Kara Danvers, and start living for yourself. Promise me."
"Kara…"
Kara shook her head, taking Alex's uninjured hand in her own. "Please, Alex. You have to let me go."
"No," Alex insisted. "I don't accept that. I'll take care of things with your job and your loft, and I'll tell Winn and James whatever you want me to, but I refuse to abandon you…or J'onn. I don't care what General Lane thinks."
The Kryptonian sighed, knowing her big sister well enough to recognize when she was fighting a losing battle. "Fine. Just promise me you'll be careful. Don't do anything to piss off the General. Last thing I want is for you to end up in Gitmo for daring to 'consort' with 'dangerous' aliens."
"I don't think even General Lane would go that far…" Kara's eyebrow shot up, and Alex shook her head. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll play nice with the General…see if I can convince him to let me see you and J'onn without the subterfuge. Happy?"
"Not really," Kara muttered, climbing back to her feet as Alex did the same. "But as long as I know you're safe, I can take whatever General Lane can throw at me." She looked into her sister's eyes. "I really am sorry for what I said and did to you earlier. Even if there was truth to any of it, that doesn't excuse the way I behaved."
"It's alright," Alex nodded, reaching out to brush some stray hairs out of Kara's face. "I forgive you, and I'm sure Rao will too. And the second you change your mind about letting them keep you here, just say the word and I'll stage a jailbreak so epic the Game of Thrones writers will be green with envy."
At that, Kara couldn't stop a small laugh from escaping. Leave it to Alex to slip a reference to one of their favorite shows into an otherwise serious conversation. "So am I supposed to be Tyrion in this scenario, or are you referencing some episode I haven't had time to watch yet?"
The elder Danvers shrugged. "I guess you'll have to find out once you're out of here and back to your normal life."
Kara frowned, her mood souring once more at the reminder of what she'd likely never have again. "Alex…"
"I know, I know," her sister muttered, throwing her good hand in the air. "Excuse me for trying to be optimistic. One of us needs to…." The lights outside the cell started to flicker, and Alex swore. "That's Vasquez. The General must be on his way back." She swore again, throwing in a few Kryptonese words Kara definitely hadn't taught her. "I have to leave, Kara. I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Kara nodded. "Whatever you need to do to stay on his good side."
"What should I tell your friends?"
"After what I did?" She shook her head. "Assuming they're even still interested, you can tell them that I'm sorry…that I never wanted to hurt them, and that I'm doing the right thing now and paying the price for my actions."
"Kara—"
"Just give them the message if they'll listen, okay?" Kara asked, barely holding back the tears that threatened to spill out as she recalled how horribly she'd treated both Winn and James. James, especially. She had no idea how he could possibly forgive her for getting so aggressive with him and saying what she did about Lucy, who she knew he still cared for even if they couldn't work as a couple. Frankly, she wouldn't blame either man if they never wanted to see or talk to her again.
"I will," Alex nodded, pulling Kara into one last hug. "We'll figure this out," she whispered, sounding on the verge of more tears herself. "And you'll always be a Danvers, no matter what you decide to call yourself. I love you."
"I love you too," Kara whispered back before pulling away. "Now get out of here before General Lane decides to give you a cell of your own." The lights began to flicker more insistently, and the sisters shared one final look before Alex left the cell, punched in the code to close the door and slipped out of the room, leaving Kara alone once more. For a moment, she half expected General Lane to come storming back in, yelling about unauthorized visitors. But nothing happened. Shaking her head, the Kryptonian wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and returned to the cot. It took a few tries to find a position that was even remotely comfortable on the too-small piece of furniture, but once she worked it out, she closed her eyes and attempted to sleep, silently praying for Rao's light to keep the inevitable nightmares at bay for as long as possible.
TBC
