Thanks for your support! If you took the time to leave a review I would appreciate it a lot. (ThankYou, (GRACIAS) Harukichiru, Synergy, TheoMoose, Jemjo storys)
Lena (Luthor?)
8:25 PM
Lena didn't remember the last time she had taken a bus. It must have been that time I ran away from school to go and spy on the girls of the dance school. The wool cap that she had put on to go unnoticed stung a little. She rested her cheek on the cold glass, watching Kara's reflection at her side.
It had taken a lot of work, but she had got Artemis not to carry that huge bow in her back. The Amazon had had to settle for a pair of daggers (where the heck did she get them?) hidden in her belt. She was sitting a seat behind, arms crossed, looking at the window too. For a moment their glances met in the reflection of the window. Lena held her gaze for four seconds, then looked away.
Beside her, Kara was fighting her own nervousness. Her girlfriend watched all with fascination barely hidden in her eyes. It seemed like the first time she was getting on a bus. Which is probably true. But one thing is to hug a woman you just met and another very different is to tell her that you are Supergirl. We'll have to keep the secret for now. Lena took her girlfriend's hand and kissed her knuckles.
"How are you?" Lena asked.
"Uh? F-Fine. I mean, I'm not afraid to burst into Lex Luthor's house at night or anything..." Kara smiled nervously and Lena smiled back. "Umm, there are no... traps for intruders, right?"
"We won't enter as intruders, honey. I have the access card to enter."
"And if not, we can always break the door." Artemis said without looking up from her nails.
Kara's cell phone vibrated again. Lena watched her girlfriend take it, bite her lip, sigh wearily, and then accept the call.
"Clark." whispered Kara. "... Yes, I'm fine, I'm with Lena ... What? ... Clark, speak slower... I know, Clark, I-... Look, I can't talk right now, I'm in the middle of ... Clark, I know, I'm being careful. I seriously can't ... Oh, yeah. Go, I'll call you later."
When Kara hung up, Lena was looking at her, asking in silence. And though she couldn't see her, Lena knew that Artemis was paying attention too. Kara smiled slightly and took her hand.
"It's okay, Clark just wanted to make sure I'm okay." Kara squeezed her hand. "He had an emergency and had to hang up. I'll call him later." Kara opened her eyes, as if remembering something. "I need to tell Alex where I'm going."
While Kara wrote a text message, Lena turned her head to look at the Amazon (my God my mother calm down Lena just smile). Artemis looked back at her, smiling with a hint of mischief.
"Are you nervous?" She asked.
Lena shrugged, looking away. "Anxious would be the right word." she whispered. "I haven't been in that house in years. And I don't even know what I have to look for. But if there's anything to find, it's there." Lena sighed. "Lillian would only hide her secrets in a place where she and only she could have full access."
Ten minutes later, they got off the bus, in a residential neighborhood just outside Metropolis. The night was young, the beautiful houses around it still didn't have their lights on. At the end of the street, Lena could see the familiar shape of her childhood home. I remembered it bigger. She shared a glance with her girlfriend and the Amazon, and the three of them advanced along the street.
Luthor Manor wasn't the largest mansion on the street, but yes the most elegant. Lena still remembered how Lionel had been a fan of details. The mansion was painted in warm colours, yellow and brown, but at night it seemed to Lena that the colors were more dead than ever. Does that surprise you? Nobody has lived there for almost five years.
Lena saw Maggie leaning her back on the brick wall. The detective watched the street, taking care of not being seen by any neighbor. Maggie walked up to the door as she saw her friends approach.
"We'll talk inside. All the neighbors could see us here" she said, still looking around.
Lena took out her wallet, opened it, and pulled out a small plastic card from the outside. She walked over to the electrical panel and slid it over its surface. A small green light shone, and the CEO of L-Corp opened the lacquered aluminum gate.
Lena tried not to let the memories flood her as they walked through the front garden. There Lex and I used to play chess. Lena looked away. And here we used to play Dragon Castle. Lena gritted her teeth. And that's the tree where I used to go when I was sad...
"Lena, don't cry, come on. You know you shouldn't pay attention to him. He didn't mean it."
"L-Lex ..."
"Come on, Lena. Dad was just very angry and you showed up at a bad time. He didn't mean it. I promise."
"Nobody loves Me."
"That's a lie, don't say it again. I love you. You're my little sister and I'll always love you."
"Promise me, Lex?"
"I promise."
She hadn't realized that her hand was shaking until Kara grabbed it.
The brunette slid her card back into the door panel of the mansion. With a mechanical sound, the second panel glowed green. The door opened with a squeak. The four women were received in utter darkness. Lena was going to turn on the lights, but she was gently stopped by Maggie.
"Neighbors could see the lights."
Lena nodded.
The detective pulled out three lanterns from her jacket, giving one to the Amazon and one to the business woman.
"Before we start, there's something you have to see." Maggie took her cell phone. "Alex sent me this photo a while ago."
On Maggie's cell phone, Lena could see the cover of an old book. The letters were blurry and confused, but a symbol like an atom was clearly visible. Lena studied it closely.
"They found this book in Lillian's cell." Maggie explained. "I come from the hospital. I asked Diana if she knew what it meant, and she said no." She looked at the redhead. "And what about you?"
"I've never seen that symbol in my life. However, I think that word there..."
"Kρίση." Maggie murmured. "Crisis."
Lena felt the worry emanate from Maggie's mouth. The word 'Crisis' never auspices anything good.
"We have to separate." Lena said, using her professional voice. "Lillian's office is at the end of the corridor. Lionel's one over there. The police have searched the house eleven times in the past few years, but knowing Lillian (she's not my mother, never again), it never hurts to check." Lena quickly looked around. "Kara and I will check upstairs."
Nodding quickly, Maggie and Artemis (God she's my mother) went to the offices of Lionel and Lillian respectively. Kara took her hand and they went toward the stairs.
"Lena, do you have any idea what we're looking for?" Kara asked in a low voice.
"Whatever your x-ray vision finds, Supergirl." They came upstairs, where a long corridor extended to both sides. "A diary, letters, documents. I honestly don't know. The most possible thing is that there's nothing. But there has to be something somewhere, and here is the only place I could start looking."
Kara looked at her intensely, then took off her glasses.
Lena was always fascinated when she saw Kara use her X-ray vision. No matter how many times Kara explained it to her, she had never imagined what it would be like to have that power. The ability to be aware of things that were at unimaginable distances. Silently, Kara Zor-El flew to the first room down the hall. Lionel and Lillian's bedroom. Ten seconds later, she came out again, and got into the next room. Lex's first office. Kara checked a closet, Lex's bedroom, and a small playroom. When she opened the last room, she stopped for a moment, floating half a meter off the floor.
Lena stood behind her. "This was my bedroom."
And it hasn't changed at all. The walls were still bubblegum pink, the closet was next to the window, there was still a small desk next to a bookcase, and Lena felt twelve again. Like a good child of the nineties, she had hung posters of her favorite movies and cartoons on the right wall. How many nights have I dreamed that my life was a movie? Where all I had to do was work hard enough to get my happy ending… Where at the end of the story, my parents would hug me and tell me they were happy that I was their daughter.
Kara returned to the floor softly. There was an old picture of Lena and Lex on the bedside table, looking at the camera, smiles on their faces and some dinosaur toys on the floor. I remember that moment, it was the first time we saw Jurassic Park. Time seemed to pause as Lena saw her girlfriend smile sweetly, taking the picture in her hands.
"That photo must be a thousand years old." Lena whispered.
"Just when I thought I couldn't love you more... I find a picture of you as a child." Kara smiled at her, her teeth reflecting the light. "Umm... can I keep it?"
Lena suppressed her urges to kiss her girlfriend (Not now, I have to concentrate) and nodded, smiling. Kara put the photo in the pocket of her coat.
"There's nothing here either." the Kryptonian whispered. She went to the window and opened it, looking outward. "We should check the back garden."
Kara went out the window, extending her arms to her. Lena walked to her girlfriend and was lifted into her arms, as if she weighed just like a bag. Keeping her eyes fixed on the sky (Don't look down), Lena felt the cool air dance on her face as Kara Zor-El descended into the backyard. Once on the ground, Kara released her gently and began to search through the trees.
Unlike the front garden, the back garden had more trees and plants growing free in the corners. Before, there had also been flowers of all colors, flowers that Lex had ordered to plant to be able to observe them from his window. No one would ever believe her if she told them Lex Luthor liked flowers. ("Look at this, Lena, these flowers are called Plumerias, not many people find them beauty, but I think I like them better than roses. Everybody likes roses, that bores me.")
Kara had stopped by a old water well, watching it closely.
"That's never had any water." Lena explained. "Lionel liked this water well, he thought it was picturesque." Kara kept staring at it. "Is something wrong with the well, Kara?"
"I think I see something."
Kara Zor-El jumped into the well. Lena heard a scratchy sound, like old rocks rubbing against each other. Then a great rumble that kept rumbling in her ears. Kara came back out of the well with a package with dirt stains on her hands.
"I'm sure this isn't a stone." said her girlfriend, trying to to take the dirt out of her hands.
"What is it, Kara?"
"Um..." Kara narrowed her eyes. "Photographs."
Lena and Kara sat on the lawn, opening the pack carefully. The wrapper contained a box of pine worn by time. Lena tried to open it, but it was locked.
"Kara, please?"
Kara Zor-El took the box and opened it with a movement of her wrist. As she had said before, Lena found herself in the middle of a bundle of old photographs, discolored and damp. Kara began to spread them on the floor. Lena felt her heart shrink.
Lex
Her brother (he must be no more than three years old) was in many photographs, with an impossibly young Lillian and Lionel. In some, next to a blond baby looking curiously at the camera.
Lutessa. Lena couldn't stop looking at the baby. Her throat was dry and a rancid heat ran down her esophagus. Lutessa Lena Luthor. And I have lived her life.
"Lena."
Kara put her hand into the box, taking out what Lena thought was a thin chain. In the dim light, the brunette saw a silver medallion, large and resplendent. Lena opened her mouth in amazement and took it in her hands. On one side, the medallion had engraved a beautiful golden 'V', in the center of which was a small...
"It's the same symbol of the book." Kara said, observing the object intently.
Lena flipped over the medallion. Behind it was a beautiful gold design. The brunette brought it to her face.
Kara didn't need to move to see it much more clearly than she did. "It looks like a ghost."
"I don't think so, it looks like a woman coming out of a well." Lena ran her fingers through the image. "A woman coming out of a well..." She stared at Kara. "I don't know much about Greek mythology, but this can only be Aletheia, the goddess of truth."
Superman
8:30 PM
"Kara, are you okay? What happened?... All the press has gone crazy! You have to take care of yourself! Lena has become the target of public attention... No, no, no, our facades are based on the fact that nobody notices us... The press won't leave you in peace now... Kara, I have to go! I have a bomb threat! Bye!"
Superman hung up the phone and took off into the sky. The water tower where he had been sitting swayed a little. It's as if all the problems come together, said a sulky voice in his head, much like Lois'. And Lois was very grumpy from the day before.
Superman flew to the roof of Princeton Plaisboro Hospital, where a bald man in a ridiculous (numbers?) suit was preparing a bomb.
"Hey, you." Superman said aloud. "I give you a chance. Get away from that bomb and I promise I won't hurt you. "
The ugly man turned, surprised, and then smiled.
"Ho ho ho Superman!" What the heck? "I'm very pleased to see you. You have arrived just in time to see Calendar Man exert justice against the wicked! I invite you to sit down and enjoy the vendetta of the oppressed."
"...Okay, sir, you're having some sort of problem. Get away from that bomb and I can get you some help. I really don't want to hurt you."
Calendar Man frowned. "If Superman isn't going to exercise justice, then...!"
PAMP!
A crutch flew from somewhere, striking the man right in the head. Calendar Man fell immediately to the floor, remaining motionless.
"Honestly, I've never understood why they're allowed to talk so much."
Superman looked up at the rooftop door, to find the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was a brilliant black, like a night dotted with stars. Her face seemed to have been carved by hand by some great ancient artist (I have seen that face before). She wore a hospital gown, and had a cast on her right leg.
The woman went out on the roof, hopping on one foot to her crutch. Superman reacted, bending over to pick it up and give it to the woman.
"Thank you." She said smiling. "You must be Superman. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, okay, it's also a- Wait, you're Wonder Woman!"
She smiled and held out her hand. "Diana, please."
"Well, if I can call you Diana, you can call me Kal." Clark shook his hand. At her look of surprise, Superman blushed. "Umm, it's not my secret identity. It's my kryptonian name. And it's not really a secret, so..."
"Kal sounds good." Diana smiled. "I've heard a lot about you. You're kinder than I imagined, Kal."
Superman smiled genuinely. It's Wonder Woman! "Thank you, really. I've grown up hearing stories about you. And now you're here and it's... Oh. "
Overcoming his initial excitement, Clark recalled what he had seen on television the day before. My God, Lena Luthor is... He felt suddenly uncomfortable, not knowing what to say. His gaze fell on the woman's injured leg. Diana noticed.
"Your cousin is really strong." There wasn't a hint of grudge in those blue eyes.
"Some people say that she's stronger than me." Clark shrugged. "I don't mean to imply you're weak or anything like that, but shouldn't you be resting?"
"My doctor is a strange man." Diana put her hand on her hip. "I asked if my leg was getting better. He looked into my eyes, wrinkled his mouth, and just said 'go for a walk and see for yourself'. And then he began to eat a lollipop. It was weird."
"Is your doctor a sarcastic man with a beard, cane, and who doesn't wear a white coat?"
"Yes." Diana nodded. "Do you know him?"
Unfortunately. Lois hates hospitals because of him.
Superman heard a dry moan. The man in a suit of calendar began to regain consciousness, then sat down on the floor. He growled in pain and his eyes narrowed. Seeing both heroes, his face turned into a grimace of anger.
"You should be the first to support me, not stop me." he said angrily.
"Why should we approve of you killing innocent people?" Diana replied, puzzled and slightly irritated. "Great Hera, what is with this man?"
"I didn't want to kill innocent people." said Calendar Man. "I wanted to kill the last Luthor! Don't you realize that we're better off if that woman dies? Lionel is dead, Lex is in jail, and the girl turned out to be an Amazon. With Lillian dead we could..."
"Are you saying Lillian Luthor is in this hospital?"
Oh oh.
"He's crazy, Diana, don't listen to him."
"Is Lillian Luthor in this hospital?" Wonder Woman ignored him. "Is that what you're saying? Are you sure about that?"
"Of course I'm sure of that!" Replied the bald man. "She's right below us. The bomb was for her room. Just let me prepare my bomb and... "
Superman tapped the man on his head with his little finger. He fell unconscious again.
Diana's lips were tight, her eyes slightly clouded. Her right fist was tightly closed. Oh, God, please...
"Lillian's in this hospital."
"Diana, I can't allow..."
"I won't hurt her." Diana looked at him. "I promised your cousin. For better or for worse, Lillian Luthor's fate is out of my hands." She sighed loudly. "I'll go back inside. It was a pleasure, Kal."
Wonder Woman began to move toward the door, walking slowly with her slightly dented crutch. Superman hesitated for a moment whether to believe in her or not. Come on, she's Wonder Woman... If she has promised...
Diana went out the door. Superman hesitated a moment, then took Calendar Man in his arms and flew to the nearest police station.
Diana of Themyscira
8:55
Of course, the door of the room was guarded by two policemen. That was no problem for someone who could fly and enter through the window. Leg wounded or not, an Amazon never allowed herself to be overcome by any obstacle.
A dim light shone in the room, but Diana felt the darkness stab deep into her soul as she set her eyes on the woman in the bed. To her surprise, Lilly looked better than she'd imagined. The passage of time had not changed her face, her scant wrinkles gave her an air of aristocracy rather than decadence.
Not like that time.
Diana walked slowly, taking care of her injured leg, and sat down in the chair by the bed, watching the woman in it. A soft beep bounced through the walls of the room. Lillian's left hand was handcuffed to the bed. The Amazon smiled.
"Hello Lilly." Her hand moved to the nightstand, where she knew the doctors kept the emergency tools. "You look pretty good for your age. At age fifty-six, Corina was blind and weak. And a year later she died. I remember reading some of her poems in her ekphora."
Diana found a black velvet case. Opening it, she saw the spare medical instruments.
"It became natural." She looked for something sharp inside. "Bury my friends, I mean. I have done it many times, and will continue to do so forever. I don't remember the number of friends I've buried over the years. I should have buried you too." She found a scalpel, and tried its tip on her finger. "You should have died thirty years ago." It was sharp. "You should have died being Lilly, and not living to become the monster you're now. I should have cried at your funeral, remembering all the good times we shared."
"I still remember them, in fact. I could never forget them." She stroked her neck with the tip of the scalpel. "Like when you told me about Chicago, your childhood there and your family. Or that awkward date with Red Panzer that you rescued me from, lying about a car accident or something. Oh, and how to forget the Contest? You were there supporting me. It was the first time you saw Artemis. What did you say? 'You have to win because that savage can burn the world if she wins,' or something."
Diana pressed the scalpel lightly. The skin cracked. Diana stared at the spot where the sharp blade bit her skin.
"I never met someone like you." She pressed a little more. "A warrior who never took a sword in her life. You fought your battles only with your intellect. And you won them all, always." She pressedd a little more. "You always won. Like when you destroyed the evidence that linked you to the people you hurt. Like when you took my daughter away, made me believe that she was dead, and raised her as if she were yours."
Diana sank the scalpel deepest. A thread of blood began to flow from the wound.
"Oh, Lilly, I thought there was no pain greater than that of loss, until you taught me the pain of betrayal. And not to just me." she raised the scalpel again. "You ruined my daughter's life. You ruined my wife's life. And there are simply no words to describe how. much. I. hate. you...Ατίμωση."
Diana plunged the scalpel into the palm of Lillian's hand. Blood began to flow from the wound, staining the bed. Diana looked in her face for some sign of pain, of consciousness. There was nothing.
"I won't kill you." she whispered. "I won't let you take me away from Lena again. You've sunken us all into disgrace, Lillian, but we can still get out of it." Diana twisted the scalpel. "But you... you've already fallen too deep into disgrace. A circle of Tartarus where I can't access. May the Goddesses and Lena judge you, I'm done with you."
Diana got up, took the scalpel, and put it in her boot. She picked up her crutch and started back toward the window.
"After all, you have been dead to me for thirty years."
BONUS
National City
Winn Schott had many good qualities. He was computer expert, was personal designer of several superhero suits, was the God of Karaoke, and was the best Pokémon Master in the city. Unfortunately, being fast wasn't one of his many qualities.
And that's why Winn was panting as he ran for her life.
"Mr. Schott, please, talk to us!"
"Mr. Schott, are you personal friend of Lena Luthor!?"
"Did you know about Miss Luthor's secret inheritance?"
"Have you met Wonder Woman!?"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Winn kept runing as if he were being chased by Voldemort, until he started to get dizzy. He could hear the journalists running after him, chasing him, hunting him, wanting his flesh and blood. After almost being almost hit by a car twice, Winn managed to get to a known building. This is where M'gann lives. Thanks God, I'll ask for help in her home. Please, please, M'gann, you have to be home. I'm too cute to die.
Winn entered the building, running down the stairs to the second floor. His vision began to cloud over fatigue. What was M'gann's number? 206 or 205? He knocked on the door of the apartment 206. A bald man with blue teeth man opened the door, looked at Winn, and said "Every day you look more beautiful, Mabel." Realizing the apartment he was looking for was the 205, Winn turned around. When he reached the correct door, he started knocking on very serenely.
"M'gaaaaann!" Winn knocked (shouted) on the door. "M'gaaaaann!"
"Who's there?"
"M'gann, I'm Winn, please open the door! They're after me! I can feel it in my soul! M'gaaaaaaaann!"
Winn almost fell when the Martian opened the door. Regaining his balance, he entered quickly and closed the door behind him. Only then he could catch her breath, resting his hands on his knees.
"Oh God..." he could see M'gann's legs. "Thank you... so much... I owe you- AAH!"
Winn drew back, frightened when he saw M'gann. There were dark circles around her eyes, her hair was messy, her nose was red, and she looked much more asleep than awake. She has become a zombie!
"Don't shout, Schott." Can zombies talk?
"Umm... okay." Winn fixed his tie. "M'gann, are you... okay?"
"No, genius, I'm not okay." the Martian grunted. "I've been sick all morning. All I want is to sleep. However, you seemed pretty desperate." M'gann coughed. "What happened to you?"
"Journalists, M'gann." Winn took her by the shoulders, relieved that she wasn't a zombie. "They'r-re c-chasing me."
"Winn..."
"I hear their voices chasing me, screaming my name, wanting a piece of me."
"Winn, you're scaring me."
"They're chasing me M'gann! They want my soul! THEY COME FOR ME!"
"WINN!"
M'gann's hand hit Winn's cheek.
"Ahh... Thanks, I think I needed it."
M'gann slapped him again.
"AH! What was that for!?"
"For scaring me." The Martian put her hands on her hips. "Now stand still and be good or- HMP!"
The Martian's eyes widened so much they seemed about to fall. She put her hands in her mouth, running at full speed to the bathroom. Poor M'gann, I didn't know that the Martians could also catch cold.
*Knock Knock*
Someone knocked on the door.
Winn Schott had a brief moment of panic in which he considered jumping out the window. No, enough of running away. Are you a man or a mouse? Winn sighed deeply. He looked around, and picked up a broom he found leaning in a corner. The technician braced himself and took the latch. May the Force be with me.
Exclaiming a battle cry worthy of being remembered for millennia, Winn opened the door and lifted the broom.
"Go back to hell, evil creatures!"
"WINN!"
Mon-El dodged the broom in time.
"Mon-El?"
"Winn!"
"Mon-El?"
"WINN!"
The daxamite took his friend's broom out of his hand and tossed it away.
"Winn, what the heck!?"
"I thought you were a journalist."
"What?" Mon-El closed the door behind him. "I'm going away for two week and everyone has gone crazy. What happened?"
M'gann entered the room, looking much worse than before. She opened her mouth to speak, closed it again, and ran back to the bathroom.
Winn sighed. "Come on, Lun, we have much to talk about."
Emm... yes, the doctor is Gregory House XD
Calendar Man belongs to the Batman fandom.
Ekphora: Funeral procession in ancient Greece
Ατίμωση: Disgrace.