Alex was stood on the rooftop of the DEO, watching as the sun began it's descent on the horizon as night crept in around them. The smell of smoke hung thickly in the air, the dying embers of the few remaining blazes lighting up the sky with their orange glow.
Sirens pierced the night air, no comfort or respite for those who wished for sleep in the downtown area. People were crowded on street corners, watching as the fire crews and the police and the paramedics and every other form of emergency services continued their work and would do so deep into the night.
It was normally so peaceful up here, the quiet thrum of traffic the only sound to hear for miles but no, there was none of that, not tonight.
The DEO was still a hive of activity but there was an almost sombre air to the place now, the Agents within still processing what it was they'd witnessed on the screens.
Much like Alex was now, hence why she'd retired to the roof for a moment alone before the one person she wanted to see more than anything would arrive.
She just couldn't understand it, couldn't get over it.
Lena Luthor was dead. Executed in cold blood by her mother no less. Used as nothing more than a tool to hurt the Kryptonian she loathed so deeply.
Her heart felt heavy, so heavy.
She knew CADMUS were not to be taken lightly, she'd known since they'd first appeared, since the ordeal with her own father all those years ago. They'd taken him from her and now… now they'd taken Lena from Kara.
Lena… Poor Lena. Alex shuddered as the her mind flickered to the moment the gun went off, the pain in her eyes and the blood which oozed from her chest. They watched her last moments, they watched her die.
And there was nothing they could do to stop it, nothing other than gawp and wince.
And she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve to die, didn't deserve to go the way she had. There were many people who did yes, but Lena was not one of them. Because she was good and kind, loyal and brilliant. She had so much potential, to become greater than anything. She was young and bright and witty.
And she was her friend.
She knew Lena had meant something to her, their time spent together bringing nothing but a fond nostalgia back to her. But she hadn't known exactly what until she watched her die, until it was too late and that all too familiar sting of grief rippled around her without any warning.
Lena had become her friend, someone she valued and respected. She had given Kara her everything, had given the DEO everything they hadn't even asked for, had turned against her family because it was the right thing to do. Always selfless in her actions, always good of heart.
So selfless that she'd sacrificed herself for the people without any thanks, sacrificed and surrendered herself to her mother so that the explosions would come to an end. She'd given herself in an exchange in order to save lives but she'd lost her own in the process.
And this was what it had brought her, her need to help others. Nothing but an early grave.
Alex pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling the light sting of tears at the back of her eyes at the whole situation.
She couldn't help but think if they'd moved earlier, if she'd run instead of walked through the lobby of Hammersmith Tower that maybe, just maybe, she'd have reached them in time. That she could have put a bullet between the man's eyes and stopped her from even being taken.
And because she'd been too slow, Lena was gone. And with Lena gone that left Kara, hurt and upset and more than a little broken, of that she was sure.
The look on Kara's face when that gun went off, when Lena took her last breath. It was seared into her mind's eye forever, of that she had no doubt. It was like something in her just clicked off, vacant and empty, one lone tear sliding down her cheek as if it was all she had left to give.
God I'm sorry Lena she muttered internally, her head dropping onto her chest in resignation.
I'm so sorry.
She didn't think for a second that this was how it was going to end. Not one bit. She was sure, so sure that they'd find her and bring her back. That Kara would bring her from wherever she was being kept and they'd finish CADMUS once and for all.
That they would be victorious, winning the battles and the war.
But it was how Lena ended, murdered alone with no one to hold her as she went, no one to offer words of comfort, alone and afraid though she masked the fear well, stubborn to the end. They'd lost this battle, and now they could very much lose this war. Because she knew why Lillian had chosen to kill Lena, she knew it without it even being confirmed because she'd set as much in the video.
She'd done it for the simple reason of getting to Kara, of getting under her skin and goading her to become her worst self. There was no doubt that Lillian Luthor had some awareness of their friendship at the least, otherwise she wouldn't have found Lena so fast following her move to Kara's place.
It was a way of getting what they wanted by removing Kara from the equation. Because if Kara lost control of herself following this she'd be feeding into every bad piece of propaganda CADMUS had been spewing over the air waves and she had no doubt that people would be out to put her down like a rabid dog.
And if she didn't lose control of her physical form, surely it would have detrimental effects on her mind. It could break her, destroy her even. And if the look in Kara's eyes had given her anything to go by she couldn't help but think that just maybe the plan had worked.
Alex sighed sadly, rubbing her weary face with tired hands.
It was such a mess, everything was a mess.
The familiar wooshing sound hit her ears and it pulled her from her musings almost instantly. Tentatively she looked over at her sister, her shadowed face low and silhouette slouched as she walked towards her.
Alex met her halfway on the landing pad and reached out her hands to cup Kara's face. Her eyes were dull, face slack and Alex was almost sure she was about to keel over.
"Hey…" Alex said delicately, pulling the woman's face a little and forcing her to meet her eyes, which she'd avoided doing thus far. As soon as she looked into them her heart broke a little more in her chest, the pain so raw and fresh etched into every crevice of her face which was highlighted by the low lighting of the helipad.
"Kara I'm so sorry…" Alex trailed off again, feeling herself come apart the longer she looked into her little sisters eyes. Eyes which were usually so sparkling and full of life, optimism and joy, "I'm so sorry about Lena" She added on, watching as the girl slowly began to crumble.
Kara's worn face sagged, hot tears beginning to pool in her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled, breaths coming out in ragged gasps as if she could barely breathe.
"Alex… I… I co-" Kara attempted weakly, voice barely above a whisper before it completely broke halfway through. A tremor seemed to move through her body. Without a care a cry broke through, mouth and eyes widening in tandem and she couldn't stop the beam from flaring from her eyes, the heat searing into the roof of the DEO as she let all the anger, all the hurt shoot from her. Unrestrained, raw and pure it burst from her eyes, her body juddering violently as she did so.
But it didn't last, it couldn't last. She didn't have the energy to sustain the burst, didn't have the power and it soon dwindled, taking what remained of her strength with it, now scarred into the ground below her feet.
"Shhh" Alex cooed lovingly, not at all frightened of the burst that had brunt over her shoulder, never frightened of her sister. Gently she moved her hands from the girls cheeks before pulling her into her arms, wrapping them around her in bear hug, "I've got you" She reassured, feeling the girl begin to shake almost violently in her arms.
Kara just buried herself into the woman's hold, gradually letting go of the emotion she'd held in for so long. The shock was wearing off, the flight over from Gotham clearing the fog of what she'd just witnessed.
She couldn't stop the tears once they'd started, the hot salty liquid streaming down her still soot stained cheeks. Desperately she clung to Alex as her legs gave way from under her, the older woman gently lowering them both to the ground.
Alex just held her even tighter, one arm cradling her head whilst the other smoothed soft patterns up and down her back and coaxing out the violent sobs which were wracking her frame. It wasn't long before the tears she herself had held at bay made themselves known, mingling with Kara's which were soaking through her shirt as she sobbed into her shoulder.
It was so terrible, it was a tragedy.
Lena hadn't deserved this fate given to her, none of them deserved it.
Gently she rocked the girl back and forth in her arms, soothing her the best she could but Kara was distraught as she spilled her pain out uncontrollably. Her whole body shook, chest heaving as she struggled to breathe through the sobs which were shaking her whole frame.
Alex wished she could take her pain away, take this pain away. She wished she could go back and get there quicker, she wished they could have saved Lena, could have prevented her from ever being taken.
And she wished, oh God how she wished she could fix this thing, fix her sister.
But she knew there was nothing she could do now, only hold and soothe the heartbroken girl in her arms as much as possible and help her through this grievous loss she'd suffered at the hands of their most lethal enemies.
If she could trade places with her, take Kara's pain and make it her own she would in a second. Anything to help her little sister. Because even though she was Supergirl, she was still her pain in the ass baby sister who she'd promised to protect since they day they'd been brought together. Kara had suffered so many losses in her life, had seen so much death already and yet still the universe seemed to have it out for her. Still gave her yet another person she loved who she'd have to mourn.
"I… I c-could have s-saved her" Kara gasped breathlessly into Alex's shoulder, clinging blindly to the woman's shoulders as if to anchor herself in the now.
"No Kara" Alex soothed, stroking the woman's head affectionately and ignoring the pain rippling through her back at the vice like grip the blonde had on her body right now, "You couldn't have saved her… None of us could" The red headed Agent sighed sadly into her ear, "There was nothing you could do… Nothing we could do…" She continued on, allowing her own tears to continue to fall.
Quietly they rocked back and forth, no more words needed between them as they both grieved for their friend who was taken to cruelly, too soon. Neither knew how long they sat there in the darkness, how long it had taken for Kara's heaving sobs to subside into feeble and weak tremors before disappearing into hiccups.
It was only when J'onn's familiar presence joined them, when he kneeled behind the two and engulfed them both in a tight hug did they come out of their bubble. He sat there with them for a few moments, giving them a little more time to grieve before speaking.
"Kara…" He said softly, a tone so unfamiliar coming from him yet so comforting right now, "I think you should know this, are you listening?" J'onn added on, voice a little firmer now in a bid to draw her attention.
Dutifully she looked up from Alex's shoulder, face red and blotchy, eyes swollen. Weakly she nodded towards him, disentangling herself from Alex's grasp finally though she remained on her knees.
Rao it hurt so much. Why did it hurt so much? It felt as if her heart had been yanked from her chest and crushed, every ounce of feeling being sucked from her and then some.
Lena… Why Lena?
"We've just had a call from the NCPD…" J'onn began with a sigh, his face neutral but softer than its regular stoic expression, "They've found Lena… I've sent a team to collect her, they're bringing her here".
As soon as the words left his lips Kara's entire body seemed to freeze, eyes widening as if all the air had been knocked out of her lungs once more.
Finding Lena could only mean one thing now…
… They'd found her body.
Numbly she pushed herself to her feet on shaky legs, digging deep into her reserves to actually get up off of the floor.
"Where?" Kara got out hoarsely, voice rough from crying.
"Her office. It seems they dropped her off there… Her secretary found her half hour ago" J'onn confirmed with a sigh. All the years he'd been on this planet, this place he now called home and yet mankind never failed to disappoint him. They had so much potential to be good, to be brilliant. Yet continuously they squandered it, the love they held for war and senseless violence eclipsing and negating the more positive traits they held.
With a nod Kara stepped away from the two and moved to the edge of the roof.
"Where are you going?" Alex called after her, using the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away the remaining tears on her cheeks.
"Call off the team… I… I want to be the one to bring her in" Kara spoke quietly, voice low and filled with grief and resignation before she shot off into the sky and following the path to Lena's office she knew all too well.
She wasn't surprised to find the balcony doors open, the office crawling with Police whilst the lights flashed vividly along the glass panels. Quietly she landed and moved into the room, all eyes on her as she carved a path to Lena though nobody questioned it and nobody spoke a word.
Moving further in she spotted a forlorn looking Maggie who immediately moved towards her, leaving the spot where she'd been sitting next to the sheet covered couch.
"I'm so sorry" Maggie said sadly towards the blonde, reaching out and giving the girls hand a gentle squeeze. Alex had rung her almost immediately after it had happened, barely able to get the words out in her own grief.
And when they'd gotten the call about a body found in L-Corp she knew it was going to be Lena's, hence why she'd made a beeline for the area before anyone else could respond.
When she'd walked into the room and spotted the strewn body on the couch she thought that maybe the CEO was just sleeping, looking so relaxed and at peace. But as soon as she got in close and flicked on the light the large puddle of red which covered the entirety of her chest reached her eyes, the grey hue to the woman's porcelain skin enough of an inkling that the woman was gone.
Though she hadn't crossed paths with the Luthor here in National City she had crossed paths with her back in Gotham a few years back, when she was dating Kate Kane and had been dragged to one of Wayne's infamous parties.
And Lena had been there of course, and as always she was unmissable. She owned the room, charming each and every person as she mingled. And Kate had introduced them proudly, glad that her friend could finally meet her girlfriend. And Maggie had liked her immediately, how normal and down to earth she'd seemed in a room that was filled with nothing but the elite.
They'd met a few times after that, brief conversation over a glass of champagne before Lena would be led away by someone or another who wished to share a dance with easily the most desirable woman in the room. She was kind, she was sweet and even Maggie knew that she didn't deserve this.
"I sat with her until you got here, so she wouldn't be alone" Maggie said gently, hating the fact she had to use the voice she'd utilise whenever she was speaking to a victims family on Kara.
Alex had told her full well about the suspicions she had regarding their relationship, and so doing this to her… It just wasn't fair.
None of it was fair.
Kara nodded towards her in thanks before her gaze caught the faint silhouette beneath the sheet over Maggie's shoulder and the Detective stood to the side in order for her to pass.
Sucking up every ounce of courage she had left in her Kara walked towards the couch, the couch where they'd shared so many good times, so many memories.
The closer she got the thinner the air seemed, the heavier her legs felt but she pushed on through. She had to do this, if not for herself then for Lena. It was the least she could for her, considering she was gone because of her.
Stopping beside the couch she reached out a trembling hand and pulled back the sheet, bringing it down gently. Her legs shook beneath her weight as soon as Lena's face came into view and she dropped to her knees, unable to bear it. She looked so peaceful, so at ease.
She felt Maggie's small and slim hand come down on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze of reassurance and Maggie could see the Super faltering, could see her breaking under the grief of all that had transpired.
Taking what little strength Maggie could give her she removed the stained sheet fully, depositing it onto the ground. She could see the prominent blood on her chest in her peripheral vision but refused to look at the wound which had killed her, physically unable to take it in. Instead she focused on her face, her beautiful face which was bruised and lightly bloodied but pretty much unmarked.
Gently she placed one arm under her neck and slid the other beneath the woman's knees, ignoring at the light stiffness Lena's body held as she pulled her into her arms and cradled her to her chest.
Lovingly she tucked Lena's head into the crook of her arm, securing her body for the flight before pushing herself to her feet. And it took so much effort to do so, so much energy was spent willing herself to get up. And even though Lena was normally weightless in her arms, today she had never felt heavier.
She never thought this day would come. Never believed this day would hit so soon.
She hadn't pictured a future without Lena in it for a very long time, certain in her abilities to protect her, to save her.
Had she really become so arrogant…
Holding her tightly she moved past Maggie in silence, clinging to the body in her arms for fear of dropping her. Ignoring the pitiful stares from the surrounding officers she moved back towards the balcony before floating up into the sky, careful not to jostle Lena too much.
She knew how much she hated flying after all.
Carefully and quietly she flew back towards the DEO, never once taking her eyes off of Lena's face. Unconsciously she still searched for the familiar rhythm of her heart, and still it crushed her everytime she realised that it had stopped for good.
Lena was dead, cradled in her arms so tenderly. This wasn't a rescue mission anymore now, this was a funeral. She wasn't bringing her home to save her but to bury her. A rogue tear slipped from her heavy lidded eyes, mingling with the dried blood on Lena's cheek as she did so.
There was so much left for Lena to do in this world, still so much she had left to achieve, so much kindness to show and inspire. She was just too young, too good.
It wasn't fair, this wasn't fair.
She'd never got the chance to tell her how she felt, how utterly enamoured she was with the wonderful woman. She left it too late, took too long to work out the feelings that had been building within her and now it was too late.
Too late to tell her that she was falling in love with her, too late to save her.
It hurt so much.
With sadness still hanging heavy in her heart she landed on the DEO balcony. Immediately she spotted a forlorn Alex who was waiting for her by the entrance, her own face twisted into one of pain no matter how hard she'd tried to mask it.
Alex gripped a little harder to the table behind her, unable to take her eyes off of the limp body of her friend which rested so peacefully in her sister's arms. The blood was visible, the wound open and on show and she shuddered just looking at it. She hadn't stood a chance, not at the range she was shot at and she was certain Lillian had known that too. How a mother could do that to her child was beyond comprehension, could inflict such a grievous wound without even flinching.
However she caught herself on her words, because Lillian wasn't Lena's mother, not really. They shared a name and a home but that was it. She'd never been her mother, never loved her as she should have, nurtured or cared for her.
Wordlessly she fell into step alongside her sister, walking with her to Med Bay where J'onn had gotten a bed set up already. He knew that Kara would want some time with her before she was moved to the morgue.
Kara just moved through the DEO in a daze, unwilling to catch the eye of those around her. She knew they were watching her, pity in their eyes with their heads dipped in respect as she passed. And she couldn't deal with that right now, the sympathy.
Instead she fixed her gaze on Lena alone, committing every detail of her to memory, because after today it would be all she had left. She took in the strong and sharp jaw, the slight point to her nose, the plump lips which were a shade far too pale without the familiar lashing of red or pink lipstick to cover them. She took in everything possible there was to take in, the natural arch to her brow, long swanlike neck, lashes which went on for days.
Almost robotically she made her way through the base, moving on pure instinct and familiarity alone. And finally she made it there, almost walking into the fresh bed in the centre of the room. Alex moved to the glass windows which surrounded the place and pressed a button, instantly blacking out the room so that no prying eyes could witness the scene in there at that very moment.
A scene so sad it was breaking her own normally hardened heart.
She watched as Kara finally relinquished the woman from her grip after several silent seconds, watched how gently she laid her down onto the bed, as if she was frightened of breaking her – though it meant nothing now.
Kara pulled her hands back, lightly pushing back a stray hair which was stuck to the woman's cheek and tucked it delicately behind her ear, hand trailing down with a feather like touch across her cheek as she moved. The other took a hold of Lena's one, her hand which was normally so strong and so warm now cold and weak. Even against her own heated flesh the cold bite to Lena's was unmissable and it churned the knot in her stomach even tighter than before.
Alex sighed softly, shaking her head and willing herself to pull it together. Right now she had to be strong, for Kara's sake more than her own. Kara needed her to have the strength which had all but faded from the blonde and Alex – being the dutiful sister she was – would do so in a second.
Moving forward she came up alongside her taller sibling, looking down on the body of their friend. Silently she put her hand over the one which was entwined with Lena's, a show of support for them both.
A sorry to them both.
She tried to find the words she'd spoken to the girl up on the roof, tried to find something to say but there was nothing left to say. There was no words that could console the distressed alien, no words that could convey the comfort and sympathy she wanted to show. There was nothing there, nothing left.
"I should have saved her".
Kara's voice was the first to cut through the silence which had been hanging in the room for several moments and the sound startled Alex, who wasn't expecting it. It was hollow and vacant, a shade of her usual self.
"I should have saved you…" She said again, this time to Lena directly who was as cold and unmoving as ever.
Alex sighed and gave the woman's hand a squeeze, "You weren't to know… None of us thought Lillian was going to do… do this" She got out, shaking her head and dropping it onto her chest in resignation.
"This is my fault… CADMUS wanted to get at me, wanted to hurt me" Kara replied, her voice so calm and composed that it set Alex's teeth on edge, "Well it worked".
"Hey, listen to me" Alex reassured, turning to face her sister a little more, "You are not to blame, the only people who are to blame are CADMUS. You didn't pull the trigger".
Kara just laughed dryly, weakly, "I may as well have…" She sighed monotonously, still unwilling to tear her gaze from Lena's body. Her skin so pale she'd have blended in with the white sheets were it not for the bloodstains covering her body, "You heard what Lillian Luthor said on that video… If Lena wasn't my friend then she'd still be here. She died for me, because of me and what I am".
"She died for all of us Kara, not just you" Alex replied gently, knowing how fine a line she was treading right now, "She wouldn't want you to blame yourself for this".
"I know…" The blonde admitted in compete resignation, "… But they did it to get to me… How do I live with that?" Kara continued, a bit more emotion coming into her voice the more she spoke.
"By carrying on Kara. By being the hero you are and the hero you inspired her to be. By taking down CADMUS and not letting her death be for nothing" Alex said strongly, challenging her grief.
She would not allow her sister to fall, would not allow CADMUS to bring her to ruin. They'd taken Lena but there was no way they were taking Kara too. She would not let them win. Not now, not ever.
"What if I can't…" Kara said quietly, uncertainty lacing every syllable and tinged with pain, "What if I can't do it, can't stop them… I let her down already… What if I do it again?" She continued to speak, her light blue eyes brimming with tears which she held in valiantly.
Alex just put her arm around the girl, pulling her tightly to her side.
"You can, you will" Alex replied immediately, words laced with sincerity and faith and belief, so much belief, "You'll end this Kara, you'll stop CADMUS and I'll be right there by your side when you do. I believe in you, we all do and Lena did too… If not for any other reason at least… Do it for her" Alex consoled, forcing her own strength over to the girl beside her.
Kara sniffed quietly, letting out a shuddering breath in a bid to clear her mind.
"I-…" Kara managed quietly, trying to piece together some kind of coherent verbalisation of what she wanted to say. The words were there, right on the tip of her tongue. Words that had been there for a while yet she'd found them so difficult to speak, to herself let alone Alex.
But now she had nothing left to lose in revealing them, having already lost everything.
"I… I loved her Alex" Kara spoke, the words like echoes in the silence of the room. Speaking about her in the past tense, loved… It curdled her stomach completely.
Finally she'd said it out loud, finally she'd found a way to say it and make it real. But now it could never be real, it couldn't even be. Because the person she wanted to hear them, the person she wanted to say them too was no longer here.
"I know Kara, I've known for a little while" Alex comforted, her heart pulling beneath her ribs from how sorry a situation it was. "I'm so sorry you never got a chance to tell her, but I think she knew… And I think she loved you too" She continued to console, tightening the arm around the girl's hunched shoulders.
Kara just smiled sadly, running her hand over Lena's head affectionately. She couldn't help but take Alex's words to her heart, clinging onto them as if her life depended on it.
She'd never know for sure, not now, but she hoped the words that had slipped past her sister's lips were true. Prayed to Rao they were.
"Can I… Can I have some time with her… Alone?" Kara asked sadly, seeing her sibling nod in her peripheral vision.
"Of course. Take as long as you need, I'll be right outside if you need me okay" She reassured in response, removing her arm from around Kara's shoulders and squeezing her hand delicately.
Kara just nodded back at her wryly and grabbed a hold of the chair beside her, not bothering to watch Alex walk away and continuing to stare at Lena and only Lena. As soon as she knew they were alone she stepped a little closer to the bed, one hand on Lena's head whilst the other clutched at the cool hand beneath her own.
"I'm sorry Lena" She croaked, voice hoarse and low and she stroked a gentle pattern on the woman's scalp with her thumb. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, that I let you down".
Emotion poured from her mouth, the tears she held at bay swimming back to the surface and defying her will, choosing to fall freely rather than be held back. Her hands were trembling, her chest tight and she could feel the pain and the grief rippling through her body as she did so. With what little energy she had left in her weary bones she leaned over the bed and brought her face down to Lena's. Slowly she placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead, pouring every ounce of feeling into it.
She lingered there momentarily, sniffing through the tears which dripped onto the woman's face before pulling back and resting her own forehead on the spot she'd just kissed.
"I love you… And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner because you deserved so much more than this, so much better" Kara admitted quietly, the dead air between them palpable.
"I love you and I'm going to make this right… I promise I'll make it right" She continued on, slipping into the seat which rested behind her. Her bones felt tired and weary, her spirit fractured and broken into thousands of pieces.
Lightly she took a hold of Lena's cold hand, clutching it between her two now seeming obnoxiously warm ones and rested her head on the pillow beside her.
This… It just wasn't fair.
And so there she sat for hours, unwilling to move, unwilling to leave the woman's side as she rued all their missed opportunities, of the time they'd lost together.
Rao, she was sorry. She was so very sorry.
Night had turned into day, the morning rolling around as the world continued to turn as it usually did. Not that Kara would have known however if it wasn't for the clock on the computer before her.
The world might have kept turning around her but she was sure that hers had stopped. It had stopped the moment Lena's heart ceased to beat, that was a certainty. Just like it had the day she'd lost her home.
She'd wanted to stay in that room with her, watching over her and giving some form of comfort but Alex and J'onn had finally dragged her out so that they could stitch up the gaping hole in her chest and prepare the body. And Alex had volunteered to do so, sending away another of the Doctors who had come to fulfil the morbid task. She'd wanted to do it for Kara, she'd wanted to do it for Lena. A small comfort, but comfort none the less.
So that was how Kara had ended up in one of the quieter rooms of the DEO, Winn glued to the computer beside her whilst James hovered behind the two protectively.
As soon as he'd got the call from Alex his blood had run cold, half expecting her to say Kara had been hurt considering the pain in her voice as she'd spoken. And though he was relieved to find out the blonde was okay, even he had felt some sadness at the news he'd been given.
He might not have been Lena Luthor's biggest supporter, but hearing of her death wasn't something he'd ever wished. Immediately he'd answered Alex's summons, asking him to help support Kara through this rough period she was undoubtedly going to go through. So he'd come as soon as he could, offering whatever help he could muster. And he'd seen the video too, Winn showing him it almost as soon as he'd arrived. It was such a senseless act of violence, such a horrible way to go.
Lena Luthor might have deserved many things, or so he'd thought, but he knew she didn't deserve that.
Nobody deserved that.
And seeing Kara so devastated, so crushed at the news had only fuelled his own grief at the whole situation. So he'd stayed with the two of them, helping Winn wherever he could and offering Kara whatever words he could muster though he knew they did little to ease the blonde's suffering.
He knew he had the prime scoop with this news, a story which everyone would read. But he didn't care, it didn't matter. Right now his friend needed him and there was no way he was going to leverage the trust between them just to sell some more papers. She meant far too much to him, far more than CatCo ever would.
Quietly he watched his two friends, finally understanding why Winn had shirked off their usual Guardian team up. He knew the man had developed an almost obsessive fondness of the ever enigmatic CEO, knew how much he respected her for her talents in engineering and sheer intellect the woman held. He looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept a wink in days as he trawled through mountains of data and blueprints and maps, anything to find a lead on CADMUS. But still he'd persevered, running on caffeine and the dregs of his energy just so that he could bring everyone some closure.
It was admirable, and it was oh so Winn.
He'd questioned him once, when they were out on patrol. Asked him why he didn't hate Lena as much as many other's in this City did. And it was only now the words seemed to click into place, why Winn, like Kara had wanted to believe in the woman so much.
'Because no matter who your family is, it doesn't mean you're like them too'.
Because Winn sympathised with Lena a lot more than people knew, because he knew what it was like to have a family member so reviled, so horrific. Yet he was lucky because they'd never judged him for who his father was, had never judged him for being the son of a serial killer and had judged him purely on his own merit.
Lena was never given the same courtesy, never given the same pass. The minute people heard her name, hell the moment he himself had heard her name, Luthor… Immediately he'd judged her, seeing her as nothing but an ominous and villainous presence in the City because of who her brother was.
And Winn didn't want to be that person, didn't want do to Lena what he feared would be done to him every time he introduced himself.
And James couldn't help but be disappointed at himself for jumping to the same conclusions as everyone else, of not even giving her a chance because now he could see how wrong he was and it was far too late for it now. He'd been told of the sacrifice she'd made to save the people of this City, had seen how she'd died for all of them and he'd been so wrong.
His prejudice had stopped him from giving her a chance, one which she ultimately deserved and one which Kara and Winn and even Alex had been so willing to offer. It was too late for him to do the same now, but he could make it right by standing by Kara, by helping her through this. And maybe, when the news is finally ready to be broken he could make sure that she would be seen as she was meant to be, maybe he could redeem her in the eyes of the public by showing them the hero she was in the end.
It was a small act he knew, but if there was anything he could do to help now he'd do it in a heartbeat for these people around him.
Kara just sat stiffly in the seat, barely paying attention to anything other than the quick fire scrolling Winn was doing on the computer. She wished she could so something, anything but her mind and body were betraying her, too weak and tired to so much as move.
She wanted to be out there, hunting and searching for any sign of CADMUS, but the thought of Lena here, alone… She could not bear it. And she knew, even through her grief, she knew that until they found something, some kind of lead that it was a pointless task. The moment she'd been pulled from the room she'd made a beeline to the cells, all but ready to beat answers out of those that had survived the explosions, but she was disappointed and angry, so angry that J'onn had beaten her too it.
Already he'd scanned their minds, infiltrating the very centre of their psyche and to her utter dismay they truly did not know where Lillian was, or even where the central base used by CADMUS was. It seemed they worked out of a separate one, one which had already been turned over in the middle of the night by a team of DEO agents, a base which was now abandoned and empty just like the other's they'd found not too long ago.
These people had nothing to offer them, had no answers to give other than the fact they were following orders. J'onn had told her more, however she'd barely registered it, too lost in her own mind, in her own anger as disappointment seeped into her body. Still there was nothing, still there were no leads on where Lillian was hiding. The news had been yet another blow to her already wounded soul, the crushing disappointment merging with the crippling grief filling her chest. She'd promised Lena she'd make this right, she'd bring them to justice and yet here she was, useless and at a complete loss and she couldn't help but thinking she was failing her, failing her all over again.
So instead she'd joined Winn, hoping that with her eyes there they wouldn't miss a thing. That just maybe she could help speed the process along so she could destroy CADMUS, Lillian once and for all. Every time she thought of the woman Lena once called a mother anger stirred within the pit of her stomach, a bubbling hatred rearing its head. She was a monster, a psychopath and so many other things. Things that Kara couldn't even translate from Kryptonese to English.
All she wanted was to stop her, to end the terror the woman was so determined to spread amongst the people of National City. She had to pay for it, for all of it.
So caught up in her own mind she didn't even notice the new presence in the room, Maggie's small frame moving towards her. Only when a hand fell onto her shoulder did she removed herself from her own head, turning to see the petite Detective who was standing there with a sad smile of reassurance on her lips.
"Any luck?" The woman asked quietly, not even bothering to ask if Kara was okay. She knew she wasn't, that much was obvious and she wasn't about to open any more wounds on the Super if she could help it.
Winn sighed and shook his head, briefly looking away from the computer to address Maggie. "Nothing, I've narrowed the field but I've still got at least 400 miles of ground to cover" He grumbled tiredly before turning back to the computer and continuing with his work.
"We've got nothing either" Maggie admitted, moving her hand from the woman's shoulder and down onto her hips as she stiffened her posture. "We analysed the evidence we took from her… But it hasn't come back yet, not that I'm holding out hope that we'll find anything" She grumbled, looking between the trio surrounding her.
"How's the clean up going?" James asked the woman who was quickly becoming a good friend of his.
"Clean up's fine. The confirmed death toll right now is 278 and we're not expecting it to climb any higher thankfully… But we have bigger problems, that's why I'm here" Maggie said with a sigh, the words instantly pulling their attention onto her and even the attention of the sombre blonde.
"What's happened?" Kara asked, voice raspy and low and so hollow of emotion.
"It's not what happened it's what happening" Maggie sighed, pulling out her phone for the other's to see. "Protests and marches are erupting over the City, the people think that Aliens are responsible for the attacks and they're after blood. NCPD are struggling to keep the situation calm and under control because the situation is escalating rapidly" Maggie passed on, swiping through the numerous photos of various protests.
The crowds were huge, their banners and placards covering the images in vile anti alien sentiment. People were fighting one another, large groups of people brawling in the middle of the street.
Kara looked at the images with sadness, shaking her head at the sight. This place, this City had been so welcoming to aliens, far more than Metropolis ever had been. It had been a haven of sorts, people and aliens co-existing better than anywhere else. She'd been so proud of the people, so proud of her City for its tolerance and acceptance.
And yet now, now it all seemed to be a façade. Battle lines were evidently being drawn, those seeking justice looking for it in entirely the wrong place. Because aliens weren't to blame for this, humans were. And now National City was doing exactly what CADMUS wanted them to do. The people were scared and hurt and angry and they wanted to blame someone. And humans didn't just explode and kill people, but aliens did.
"That was their plan the whole time wasn't it" Kara gulped quietly, turning her gaze away from the sight before her. For a brief, flickering second her faith in humankind dwindled, the love she had for these people she becoming absent.
But then she pulled herself together, willing away the treacherous thoughts. They were not too blame for this, but they were being manipulated onto such a track.
"CADMUS have been spewing anti alien propaganda for months, warning people to be very frightened of their power… And now they cause widespread terror and destruction and the people just eat it up".
Maggie nodded solemnly, placing the phone back in her pocket.
"They've played right into their hands. We've managed to get a lot of aliens out of harms way, detaining them in the NCPD for their own safety but four alien bars have been set on fire and a lot of people are dead already. We've tried to convince the people that CADMUS were the ones behind the attack but these people… they saw these attacks with their own eyes. It did look alien, even though it wasn't" She grumbled out, frustrated with the current outcome.
Overnight the City had turned into a bubbling cauldron of anger and fear, teetering close to the precipice of which there was no returning from. The people were turning not just against aliens but also each other, those who were still determined to stand alongside them becoming just as much of an enemy.
Maggie thought she'd left all of this behind in Gotham, the hatred and the ugliness of the people there. She guessed she was wrong.
If they weren't careful this would get bad very quickly.
"So what do you want from us? Why are you telling us this exactly?" Kara asked curiously, looking back up at the Detective whose poker face was giving away absolutely nothing.
"We need proof that CADMUS were behind this if we're going to get everything to calm down out there… We don't have it but-" Maggie got out, silently wishing she was having this conversation with Alex and not Kara. It might be a little easier to explain and to get what she needed if she were.
But she knew Kara deserved to be in the loop and knew that the woman deserved to be the one who made the call.
"But you do…" She finished, suddenly looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself as she spoke.
Kara just furrowed her brows, wondering what it was that they had which could help.
"Alex mentioned a tape… a video of Lena and Lillian talking" Maggie continued, pulling herself together and strengthening her posture as she stared down the Super whose eyes were widening the more she spoke.
"You want to release it?" James queried, unconsciously stepping a little closer to Kara and putting some space between the two. With where the blonde's head was at right now it didn't hurt to be too careful.
Maggie nodded firmly but there was a genuine look of remorse across her features at the request.
"Right now it's the only way we could possibly settle this before any more people start getting killed out there" Maggie admitted, looking back to the woman who seemed to have coiled tightly in her seat.
Kara processed the words, a part of her unwilling to do so. She didn't want to expose Lena to such publicity, have her name tied so tightly with the events that were unfolding out on the streets. She'd suffered enough at the hands of the people.
But then another part of her roared forward, the voice in her mind sounding suspiciously like Lena herself. She'd given herself up to save the people, she'd done it for all of them. And if releasing the tape did so again, if it brought some semblance of peace to the streets of their City, her City… Then who was she to stop that.
"Look I didn't know Luthor well personally… I only met her a handful of times I admit" Maggie began, looking towards Kara with sincerity on her face as she did so.
The last thing she wanted was facing an angry Kryptonian.
"But I think… I think this is what she would have wanted if all Alex has told me about her is true… Right now those people out there need something, anything. And that video of Lena might just be it" She pressed, restraining her eagerness a little.
"Lillian does admit to being behind the explosions on it…" Winn chipped in, sparing Kara a reassuring glance as he stopped his typing, "… The evidence is right there".
Kara just sucked in a steadying breath, unclenching the fist which had tightened unconsciously in her cape.
Cape which was still stained with Lena's blood.
Blood she'd spilt for them.
Lena might have been dead but that didn't mean this was over, not by a long shot. There was still so much to be done, so much to fix. She'd promised to make this right, all of it. And that was what she was going to do.
"Okay" Kara breathed out with a firm nod of her head towards the Detective who visibly relaxed as soon as she spoke. "Speak to Vasquez, she can pull you a copy".
Maggie nodded at her and stepped forward, putting her hand on the blonde's muscled shoulder once again. "Thank you… I mean it Kara. That video could help a lot of people out there, and aliens too" The Detective added on gratefully, "And again I'm sorry, for what happened to her".
The sincerity practically bled into her words but Kara merely nodded, clearly numb to it all right now. No words could soothe her, console her but Maggie had to offer something, anything. With that she turned on her heel and hurried out of the office, making her way deep into the bullpen to get what she'd come for.
Kara just watched her go, the tightness in her chest alleviating a little. It was for the greater good, it was what Lena would have wanted. All she'd wanted to do was help people, and maybe now she could… even if it was posthumously.
James's hand replaced Maggie's on her shoulder, his grip tight and solid and anchoring her to the present. It kept her from sinking back into her own mind, sharpening her to the mission they still had yet to complete.
"That was a good call Kara… I'm proud of you" He said kindly, a tender smile on his handsome face. Even though things between them had changed now none of it mattered. She was still his friend and he would stand by her no matter what and not just because of the promise he'd made to Clark.
"Maggie was right… It's what she would have wanted" Kara agreed, looking up at him with a sad smile on her lips. The tears were evident in her eyes, the vacant expression being replaced with a sombre show of emotion.
It's what she would have wanted.
Sighing Kara was about to speak again, to validate her decision and reasoning but a familiar but distorted voice reached her ears. A voice which was resonating from the roof.
'Supergirl. I need to talk to you'.
Instantly she got up onto her feet, moving past a confused looking Winn and James and exited the office, moving through the bullpen with more speed than necessary. Without even looking at anyone she jumped off of the balcony and shot upwards, landing on the roof with far less precision than she normally did. So much so that her landing left a small crater in her wake.
Moving over to the source of the voice she spotted no one other than Bruce Wayne – or should she say The Batman.
He stood strongly, cutting a far more impressive figure than he did in his civilian attire. Dressed in his full vigilante getup he stood stoic, face obscured by the familiar black cowl whilst holding a small beeping object in his palms.
"What is it Batman? Have you found them?" Kara asked quietly, her voice low as she closed the gap between them so now they were but inches apart.
His face, well what was visible gave away nothing and her interest was well and truly piqued at his appearance, especially as he'd come to her as the Bat instead of as Bruce.
Did he have a lead on CADMUS? Did he know where they were?
He shook his head but lifted his hand, handing her the small object in his palms. She took it off of him and studied the device, a small machine with a screen on it. It looked old, a couple of years at the most if the dust in its crevices was anything to go by.
"What is it?" Kara asked curiously, turning the device in her hand.
Bruce stepped in closer and tapped at the buttons on the side, illuminating the screen so the writing on it was now visible.
Looking down at the screen Kara could see it was a row and dots and dashes which quickly began to unscramble themselves until two words made themselves known.
'I-M A-L-I-V-E".
Kara's brow tightened immediately, wondering where on earth the message had come from and who had sent it. A sudden clench of her stomach, a lurch in her chest sent her mind spiralling into the potential sender of the code but she swallowed it away. She couldn't allow false hope where there was none, just because she so desperately wished it to be.
She was gone. She'd seen her body herself.
"I don't-" Kara began, looking away from the screen and up at Bruce who returned the gaze.
"It's from Lena…
… She's alive".
So it's getting juicy guys. Thank you so much for your kind words, I truly value each and every single one of them and you guys are amazing.