DAY ONE – EVENING
Lena woke up to a panicked Alex.
"Lena, Kara, get up please."
"What's happening?" Kara mumbled sleepily. She held Lena tighter, her eyes still closed.
"I'm not sure, but Taja sounds serious. I think something's coming. Please get up and put your cloaks back on."
Lena, still pinned down by Kara's hand on her waist, twisted to her side and reached for the cloak she knew she folded and placed beside her.
"Darling, I think we need to move."
One of the more surprising things Lena found out about Kara since they started going out and basically moving in together was that Kara was at her most stubborn when she's just waking up. Lena, an early riser, had to basically bribe Kara with sex or food, sometimes both, just so the Kryptonian would wake up. But she had no option for both now…or well…she could always resort to blackmail.
"Kara, if you don't move now, I swear to your Rao I am withholding sex for a month." Lena muttered. She saw Alex roll her eyes.
"Ugh fine. As if you can actually do it." Kara mumbled, releasing Lena who was wearing her Luthor side smile.
"Don't tempt me, Kara Zor-El." she said, fastening her cloak around her.
"Would you two be quiet? Taja is coming. Shut up and don't move." Alex whispered urgently. Was that fear she heard in Alex's voice?
Lena watched in silence as her best friend—no, as High Lord Taja—walked towards the wooden chair. She had seen this version of Taja before, but sparingly, and this was perhaps a harsher version of what Lena had known all those years. This was Taja dealing with lawyers who insisted on getting their way and greedy financial advisers who thought they knew better.
But perhaps this was a worse version of that Taja she knew.
Taja had no warmth in her, not a trace of humanity. This was all Shadow and no Taja at all.
She did not know when she did it, but she was suddenly aware that she was holding on to Kara's arms.
"You ask for death by coming here, unannounced, my lords. This better be worth your lives."
Taja's voice sounded like an echo in her head. And the shape her mouth was forming was different from what they were hearing.
"Scarlet? Is this you?" Lena asked, in her head.
"Indeed, Master Luthor. The cloaks you are wearing are made from a fiber of my being. If I cover you completely, you will not be seen nor sensed. You do not see me now for you are all inside me. But this way, we can all speak freely, in our minds." Scarlet's voice echoed.
"Does this mean we can read each other's minds?" Kara's voice sounded weird in Lena's head. She sounded…brighter, more cheerful than usual.
"I'm afraid not, young Master Danvers. I am no telepath. I can only relay voices and thoughts if they are directed at me or if I can hear them. Perhaps, you can consider me a stealthy communication device of some sort."
"Would all of you please shut up? Something's coming." Alex interrupted, annoyance and fear staining her usually composed voice.
They probably all felt it at the same time. The same energy as this morning, the same energy in the DEO…but this was diminished. It was still uncomfortable, like something was holding Lena up by the neck, and a weight was placed on her chest, enough to cause her discomfort, but not enough to stop her from breathing.
"Pardon the intrusion, Master. We understand the risk we took in showing up tonight."
They weren't there. And then they were.
Six figures of varying sizes were bowed low to the floor, faces and shapes hidden entirely beneath cloaks of different colors. Lena wasn't sure who among them were speaking, but two figures, one almost as wide as Taja's table and the other slim but long were at the front. Maybe one of them? She couldn't even tell if the voice was male or female…
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Whether you live or die relies entirely on your next words. I suggest you use them wisely."
"Famine. War. Death. These has come upon our lands and we are in dire need of your help, Master."
"Famine?"
"Our lands have stopped producing and the livestock we rely on have started dying in turn."
"War."
"We had no other recourse but to turn to our neighbors to feed our children."
"Death."
"We brought death upon each other. And for that we deserve nothing less than death…but spare our children, the infirmed, and our elders, Master."
There was an eerie silence that was suddenly hanging in the air. Lena could almost feel the fear emanating from the cloaked figures. It was as if the suffocating air was not because of everyone's powers, but from their fear. It was palpable, almost physical. These were demons who knew they were going to die. They were waiting for death, as payment for their Master to save their lands and people. It didn't feel like such a demonic thing to do, after all. But there was fear, nonetheless.
When at last Taja spoke again, Lena saw the unmistakable flinch in all six figures.
They were waiting for death.
"The children, the sick, and the elders, how do you care for them when there is little food to be found?"
"We keep them away from where the fighting is heaviest. Our healers are doing what they can, but every day, more and more people come. All the food that can be spared are split between our soldiers and our vulnerable kin."
"Who is fastest among you?"
The farthest figure from Taja crawled in a hurry and stopped in the middle of the two figures in front. Lena watched as Taja lifted both her hands to her mouth and whispered something that either Scarlet could not hear or understand. Taja's hands began to glow as she continued to whisper. And when she was done, she made as if she was compressing the words she had released into her hands, pressing her palms together. When she was satisfied, she threw what looked like a small, red marble at the figure that had just advanced. Lena thought she saw a hand stretch out to catch the marble.
"How long till you reach the Ancient Palaces?"
"Four days, Master."
"By my power, you will do it in two days. By my command, you will neither rest nor eat until you have proceeded directly to my Chief Healer and given him this. Take heed. Rest as soon as you have given my orders. Without rest, your body will collapse if you try to go further than I have commanded, and you will die. Go now."
There was a slight movement under the cloak and the figure was gone.
"We are grateful, Master."
"How long has this famine ravaged your lands?"
"About ten years now, Master."
"And the war?"
"Seven years, Master."
Something rang clear through Lena. She knew Taja's sudden hesitation. She understood.
Seven years ago was when the last tournament was held. And it took Taja seven years to recover from her wounds. She knew her friend only too well. Taja had made the connection and was now getting angry, not at the figures in front of her, but at herself.
"Taja, I know you can hear me. Calm down, please." Lena was startled by Alex's voice inside her head. There was strain and effort in it. But it was no longer stained with fear.
Nonetheless, the pressure was building. Lena could feel the weight on her chest growing heavier, her throat tightening. She felt Kara's grip tighten around her wrist and she knew, at the back of her head, it will bruise. But it didn't seem so important now that they were going to die soon anyway.
"High Lord Taja, am I not your wife?" Alex's voice was strong and overwhelming. It was warm and loving, but powerful and insistent.
She wasn't sure if anybody else saw it, but Lena did. It was there, an almost imperceptible nod from Taja.
"Did you not promise to keep me safe?"
Another nod. Lena's vision was failing. She was getting lightheaded. She was no longer able to take in air and every exhale squeezed out whatever else she had stored in her lungs. Kara's hands on her were cold and tight.
"Then why am I dying?"
Lena watched as Taja's brow furrowed, heard Taja's knuckles crack, before air suddenly rushed back into her lungs and she could breathe again.
"It was my weakness that caused this war."
"We should have informed you when you woke up, Master."
"Taj, ask them if they have a soil or a plant sample." Lena was still gasping for air, but her mind was clearer now. She could help. Lena's mind was suddenly running at full speed.
If it was something in the soil that was causing their plants to wither and die, she could find it. It would be risky to bring something infected on Earth, but her lab was secure and isolated. Perhaps Taja could open the demon gate straight to her lab to lessen the risk of exposure to Earth's outside air. There were other risks, but she could manage it.
"My lords, did you bring an infected plant or a measure of the land that has been affected by this famine?"
"We did not wish to spread the land's sickness as we travelled, Master."
"Very well, your messenger will arrive at the Palaces in two days. At which point my Healers and their apprentices, including some engineers and workers, will depart for your lands. They will most likely take a full day before they arrive. I have instructed them to make a shelter where the children, the sick, the wounded and the elderly will be tended to, regardless of which side of the war they are in. They will also bring enough food to last a month.
As for you, go back to your lands now and fill a small jar with soil that has been infected by famine but has not drank the blood of your people. Seal it completely. Fill another jar with uninfected soil situated near where the famine has hit. I will personally come and collect both jars in four days and to see what ails your lands.
Needless to say, my lords, this war ends now."
"High Lord, we do not deserve your pardon. We came knowing that our intrusion upon your land, especially on these days, will be our death. Your assistance has been most generous, do not spare us now."
"No more blood will be shed on my account for now, my lords. Not even to ease my thirst."
"Master, your thirst is dire, and we, your subjects, sense it. Let us ease your burden as you have eased ours again and again."
"This realm is my burden. Rule your lands well and with care, as you have sworn to do, and you will ease my burden. My thirst is eternal and there is no cure for it.
Go now."
"But Master—"
"One more word, my lords, and I will leave and solve this problem another way. I can just as easily travel to your lands now and unleash my wrath upon your people. None will be spared. Choose wisely."
All five remaining figures disappeared without another word. But the atmosphere remained just the same. It was still slightly constricting, heavy with fear.
"You're the one who's scared…" Kara said, out loud. Lena threw a warning look at Kara, who answered her with a smile and a shrug.
"Of course, I was. If they found out you were here…" Taja's voice was shaking.
"But they didn't." Alex stood up and walked towards Taja, who was still seated on her chair, motionless but for the slight shaking of her hand.
"My people were dying while I was trying to live. And then I nearly killed all of you. Forgive me if I don't feel so good about it." Taja insisted. Before Alex could reach her, Taja had stood up and distanced herself again.
"You know for an old lady, you sure are grumpy. Next thing we know you're gonna yell at us to get off your lawn." Kara sneered. Lena wasn't sure what Kara was playing at, but it didn't seem like the perfect time to tease an angry god.
"Kara's right." Alex said, sitting on Taja's chair. There was a moment when Lena thought Taja would actually tell Alex to get off her chair. But Taja hesitated, sighed, and said nothing, so Alex continued. "You're old by our standards and you've been doing this on your own for a long time. You lied to those people when you said this realm is your burden. This isn't your only burden. You carry our realm on your shoulders too. But instead of seeing the three of us as a burden, why can't you see us as we really are?"
"And what is that?"
"Family." Alex answered softly.
"I agree, Taj." Lena added. "We know we won't be here for a long time but use us while you got us. I know I'm hardly the authority on functional families, but this…this is it, Taj."
"Besides, isn't that why we're here?" Kara said. "Because you need to bring your family to your gathering. You could have said no to Lena. You could have asked me to stop Lena from wanting to join you. But you didn't. Instead of stopping us, you went and prepared everything for us. Because you knew you had to bring us. The same compulsion that overrides your fear of bringing Alex here, is the same reason why Lena and I are here too. You called Lena your sister and well…you called me your 'charge', whatever that means."
"Darling, she basically called you her protégé." Lena answered.
"Wait. What? I—I'm not…What are you talking about? Protégé?" Kara stammered, looking at Lena and Alex.
"Tell me she's noticed." Alex said, looking at Lena.
"I doubt it." Lena shrugged, smiling at Alex and then at Kara.
"You've got to be kidding me." Alex huffed, rolling her eyes.
"What are you two talking about?" Kara asked loudly.
There was no doubt in Lena's heart and mind that she absolutely loved Kara. Kara was everything Lena was not which made them perfect for each other. And while Kara have always paid attention to the things that matter, there were some things that she was adorably oblivious to.
"Let's see. You ran a marathon race for nearly six hours against two demon dogs for the first time…and you won." Lena started.
"Taja beats you within an inch of your life almost every day, you have not used the sun lamp once, and yet you still miraculously recover and are ready at any moment." Alex added.
"My markings have now reached halfway between my elbow and my shoulder whenever I—to borrow Alex Danvers' words—'beat you within an inch of your life' and all within the span of a few months, and yet you are still alive." Taja offered, her words lighter now.
It was only after Taja spoke that Lena noticed that the strangling feeling was gone, but she didn't want to ruin the moment and Kara was still confused so she let it go. Lena did, however, pay attention to Taja as she stalked towards Kara, the markings on her hand slowly crawling up.
"Pfft—what? That's not true." Kara huffed. "Lena, knows. I go to her place or at L-Corp after getting beat up. Tell them how awful I always look." Kara said, looking at Lena expectantly.
There was a blur and a loud 'thud' when Kara caught Taja's fist.
"I rest my case." Lena said, gesturing at Taja's arms, where the markings were now almost at her shoulder.
They had all proceeded to go outside, cloaks fastened around them, where Scarlet had managed to wrangle four chairs, made of smoothened tree stumps, and a table big enough to hold all the food Alex and Taja gathered earlier. There was also a pit where a fire was roaring, and meat was being roasted.
There was a moment where Lena, Alex and Kara all hesitated, before their stomachs all complained and they started eating anyway, and while Lena couldn't shake the feeling the there would be repercussions for eating demon fruits and vegetables and, in Kara and Alex's case, roasted demon meat, she also couldn't deny that they tasted just a little bit…more.
She looked at everyone on the table. Kara had become more animated, Alex was her usual reserved but warm self, and Taja was grinning at Kara's antics, her fangs gleaming.
"Everything okay?" Kara's voice broke through Lena's thoughts and she found herself staring at brilliant blue eyes.
"Everything's fine. I just…We were talking about family and I realized since I met you and Taja, I've started having meals with family that I actually enjoy. When I'm with you, I never have to question why you want to spend time with me, or what motives you have for inviting me over for dinner. It was never like this with Luthor family dinners. There was always an ulterior motive."
"Well, I can't speak for Fangs, but I always have an ulterior motive for inviting you to dinner." Kara said, smiling.
"Really? And what is that?"
Kara scooted closer and whispered.
"Yeah. I just have this massive crush on you. Not sure if I ever told you that. The doctor says it's serious and the only cure is being in constant contact with you."
Lena hummed. "Pity the richest person on Earth doesn't have a bedroom—" she leaned closer and kissed Kara deeply. It had, just now, occurred to her how much she missed kissing Kara, and so what was meant to be a chaste kiss was turning into something else and Lena wasn't sure she wanted to stop…and neither did Kara it would seem. Once again, it was only their need for air that stopped them. "—but I heard there's this fancy bathr—"
"Please don't have sex in Shadow's bathroom. I'm going to have to use that bathroom too and I do not want to know that my little sister has had sex in it." Alex said sternly, but the effect was somewhat diminished as she was practically sitting on Shadow's lap.
"Fine. We won't tell you if we had sex in the bathroom then." Kara said, grinning.
"But Shadow will know and she will tell me." Alex retorted, looking at Kara and Shadow.
"Sorry, Sunshine…" Shadow grinned back.
"Alex, you're going to have a problem if you refuse to use all the rooms Kara and I have had sex in, though." Lena said as she tried to keep her face straight.
"No. No don't tell me. Luthor, I swear to god I will personally make your life a living hell if you start naming all the places—"
"Kara's bathroom, for one." Lena started.
"Oh and the locker room at the DEO" Kara added.
"No…just…"
"Basically, everywhere in Kara's apartment." Lena continued.
"Oh yeah…the dining table and the couch has always been my favorite. Thanks for reinforcing those, by the way." Kara piled on, kissing Lena on the cheeks.
"You're welcome, darling."
"Shadow, help…please…"
"Also everywhere in my office."
"Both training rooms at the DEO."
"Shadow, make them stop."
"Both of you, stop it." There was no force behind Taja's words but one look in her eyes and Lena knew the conversation was over. It was fun teasing Alex, but not Taja…
"Ugh, fine. We'll keep it in our pants." Kara said, mock disgust betrayed by the grin she couldn't help.
"I suggest you gather your strength. We leave at sunrise. And this time, we will not stop running until sunset." Taja was addressing everyone, but she was specifically looking at Kara, her eyes fierce and bright.
"I can't sleep." Lena said, hours later. She honestly couldn't be sure if it was hours later.
The food had been too heavy and the past few hours had been taxing for their bodies, but Lena found herself awake. She had been situated in the middle of Kara and Alex who both fell immediately asleep as soon as their heads hit the soft furs of the makeshift bed. But Lena stayed awake, watching Taja read scroll after scroll, tablet after tablet under a single orb of light hovering just above whatever it was that Taja was reading.
The rest of the house was pitch dark. Lena was also aware of how quiet it was. She had spent some time in the woods when she was younger, and it was never this quiet. It was unsettling how quiet it was.
Taja stood up and offered her chair. "Let me get one of the smoothened stumps outside."
"Actually, do you mind if we take a walk?" Lena asked.
Taja nodded and walked towards the exit. Lena kissed Kara's forehead and murmured that'd she'd be back soon. She heard Kara murmur something back and smile.
"Something's troubling you." Taja stated as they walked in near perfect darkness. Their only source of light was an orb hovering a few feet before them. Lena could also make out Datu's silver eyes gleaming as he padded after them.
"Troubling…not really. It's just something I've been thinking about for some time now." Lena said plainly. It was one of the things she liked most about their friendship, Lena never found it too difficult to talk to Taja. In the few years they had been roommates, Lena and Taja had developed an almost uncanny talent of reading each other's thoughts…or at least understanding each other with as little context needed as possible.
"Regarding?"
"A back-up plan. I'm sure you already have one but would you care to share it?"
"I'm guessing you don't mean this trip."
"No."
Taja sighed but continued walking. "Currently, I only have one. But it is what you refer to as a 'nuclear option'."
"Don't tell me you're actually going to destroy our whole realm. There are multiple universes there. You would need—"
"I have enough." Taja cut her off, but the point came across to Lena clearly. Her friend has enough power stored inside her to collapse and destroy the multiverse. Lena had to admit, it was one hell of a 'nuclear option'.
"Okay…so I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. Any other ideas?"
"Recently, all my research has been devoted to finding a way to permanently seal the Demon gate. But that's not a very good plan. If I do lose the next tournament, the next High Lord can simply reverse that command. Only a few commandments cannot be overturned by the High Lord, and for that you'd have to be a god."
"And I suppose you've also thought about that option?"
"Yes, but there's not much in our written records that speak about how to become a god."
"And how does Kara fit into all of this?"
Taja's smiled. "Ah, I was wondering when you would bring her up."
"She is far stronger now than she has ever been, thanks to you. But I have never known you to do anything simply by the goodness of your heart, with Alex being the exception. There's always a reason behind everything."
"She has enough time. If I understand correctly, she will remain as she is as long as she has the yellow sun. At this rate, she can become powerful enough to become a demon lord by the next tournament, powerful enough to drive them back if it comes to that. Not alone, of course, but I haven't found anybody with the same biological capabilities as her. And no, I do not trust her cousin…"
"There's always technology too."
Taja did not respond but stopped walking to stare at Lena, a grin slowly forming on her lips.
"You…you know." Lena whispered. She had been keeping it a secret, even from Kara. Not that she didn't trust her girlfriend, but she wanted it to be a surprise, but also, she wanted to make sure it was foolproof. Except how could she actually explain to her girlfriend that she was creating a fully automated suit that can function remotely? Or that she was planning to make a whole army of them, in case Kara needed multiple helping hands? This was just not something you wanted a Luthor to create.
"Of course, I know."
"This is why you invested so much."
"I have near unlimited funds, Lena Luthor. You need only ask."
"How much of my projects do you know?"
"I have a pretty good idea, but trust when I say that I'm not spying on you. I've been in and out of your lab, it wasn't hard to guess. Besides, I know you still have Lex's red sun vial, the one your mother wanted you to reproduce. Though what you wish to do with it, I can only guess."
"It's not Lex's…"
"You made it." Lena heard no judgment from Taja, only the understanding that no one else could have possibly created it, other than her and Lex.
"I didn't know what it was when I did. Lex proposed it to me under the guise of a different project, and I figured the rest out only after he had gone mad. But it is a flawed and inefficient weapon. It takes a lot of energy to create something so small that wouldn't even kill a Kryptonian. Make her weaker, sure, but not for long."
"So why do you still have it?"
Lena shrugged. "Two reasons. First as a back-up plan. It's far safer than kryptonite and can render Kara unconscious without poisoning her. I am preparing it in the event that something invades her system that would need to be surgically removed. Second, if I can synthesize a red sun, then I can do the same for the yellow sun. Make Kara heal faster without needing bulky sun lamps. I just need to learn how to make it more efficiently."
"Are you planning on telling her that you have it?"
Lena hesitated. "One of our biggest arguments was when she found out I had kryptonite. The fight got worse when I confessed to knowing how to make more. I'm terrified to tell her I have something even more potent than kryptonite." There. She finally admitted it. It had scared her for far too long…it gnawed at her every second.
"But you are keeping it for good reasons." Again, it fascinated Lena how someone can carry on a dangerous conversation like this and not judge her. But, Lena reasoned to herself, Taja has had thousands of years to learn patience and understanding. And she has become so exceedingly good at it.
"Kara can be adamant when it comes to these things. And with good reason. She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. Anything that would place her at a disadvantage against her enemies just sets her off, understandably."
"And you're afraid that this could cause a bigger rift between you."
"I know the right thing to do is to tell her, of course. With all my diatribe about trust, I am beginning to sound like a hypocrite by not trusting her. It terrifies me though… I feel like whatever I do, I will lose her."
"Don't you think you're overthinking this? You have confessed to much worse, and yet she has managed to understand you. She is still able to see the other side of the coin, Lena Luthor, and it is only because the other side of the coin is you…logical, sensible, and always coming from a good place."
Lena sighed. She was suddenly so tired. She started looking around for somewhere to sit on when she felt soft fur against her back. "Thanks, Datu." she murmured as she leaned against the massive dog.
"Easier said than done when I only just got her back. Everyday, she risks her life fighting for people, and every time she comes back wounded, I feel the weight she carries. I worry about her constantly but if I'm going to be impartial, the biggest threat to her is me. I'm the only one that can synthesize all the things that can kill her. I am terrified of losing her, Taj. What if she never forgives me? What if she doesn't see things my way? But more than anything…I hate lying to her." Lena was faltering and she knew it. She could hardly keep herself up now as she sank deeper into Datu's fur.
Sensing this, the giant dog laid down and waited. Lena felt Taja carry her up Datu's back and it was the last thing she remembered before exhaustion and darkness took over.
She woke up to Kara's warmth radiating around her.
Another interesting fact: Lena wasn't much for cuddles…except the kind only Kara could give. Her girlfriend ran warmer than the average person and was such a cuddle monster, but Lena didn't mind. She loved how she would always wake up with at least an arm around her, in some cases, and depending on the night's activities, one whole body on top of her.
"We know you two are awake." Alex said, dryly. "Get up and get ready, the dogs are getting antsy and so is Shadow."
Kara mumbled something but let Lena go.
"Antsy?" Lena asked, regretting the sudden loss of warmth.
"Can't you hear it?" Alex asked.
And Lena did hear it. Whispers. Multitude of whispers. As if a whole host had shown up and were whispering outside.
"What is that?" Kara was now awake, her brows crinkling.
"The forest has come alive. They know their Master is coming." Alex answered.
A/N: Hi! I'm back. Sorry for the delay again.
Life gets in the way sometimes, but this chapter was pretty fun to write. I always like writing things in Lena's perspective. The show has made her so complicated so there's much to draw from her.
I also wrote another "short story" with Taja as a guest somewhere. Hahaha.
Please let me know what you think or if you have any questions or suggestions, let me know too 😊