Brainy slapped Lex's hand off his shoulder. "I am not going to help you hurt one of my friends. I agreed to work with you to stop Leviathan and that is all. I will not help you with whatever you are planning to do to her."
"If you don't help me, I will personally share what you have been doing over the last few weeks with all your Super Friends. I know for a fact you haven't told them because you're scared of their reaction." Lex smugly smiled. "Help me with this and no one will know of your involvement, I promise."
Brainy wanted to storm out of the room and tell everyone what Lex was planning, but his feet didn't move. He knew doing this would reveal his work with Lex and he wasn't ready to share that with the world. Brainy, instead of leaving, sighed with crossed arms. "What are you planning to do to, Carly?"
"Let me tell you." Lex said, sitting on the tabletop. "Carly, could be powerful if she just knew how to use her gifts. If she were a full vamtronian she wouldn't have to worry about the sun or aging. She could fly and hypnotize anyone who stood in her path. I'm just going to help her in the right direction. Once a full vamtronian, there is a device I made from Lena's original contact design. With a few tweeks I have calibrated the contacts to a vamtronian's mind. She will be under my control and if she fights it, well, the pain will be excruciating."
Brainy's anger rose. "So, what? You're planning on turning Carly into a full vamtronian against her will and then making her a killing machine? A slave to whatever sick game you're playing? If you do this, Supergirl will come after you."
"I know she will, but by the time she gets to me it'll be too late. Carly, will be mine to control. Leviathan is a threat to everyone and having someone who will make the risky calls will be an aid to our cause. Don't you think?" Lex said with a raised brow.
Brainy shook his head. "Using Carly as a piece in your game of chess is not the way to win. If you want to beat the bad guy, you should never become worse then they are."
"Brainy, have you ever seen the movie The Dark Knight." Lex rose from the table as Brainy shook his head. "Well, in that movie there is a quote that I find quite true. You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain. No one can always be good, sometimes the only way to get things done is to get your hands dirty. You will see that in the end this will help us defeat Leviathan."
Brainy walked to the doorway when Lex yelled after him. "Don't let Carly know anything is amiss. I want tonight to be a surprise."
Brainy rolled his eyes and went into the tech room to get some peace and quiet, only for me to walk in. When he saw me he looked down at the floor, not even having the courage to look me in the eye. I noticed this and asked. "Brainy, is everything alright?"
Brainy quickly answered. "Yeah, everything's fine. Why would you ask?"
When I was about to tell him, an alarm went off in the building. Brainy quickly pulled up security footage showing an awful car crash on the other side of town. I wanted to talk with Brainy, but I knew this was more important. I suited up and ran into the main room to find Kara waiting for me, the day was cloudy so the sun wasn't an issue. Kara flew herself and I to the scene, when we arrived the car was teetering over the edge.
I went to the back of the car and pulled it toward the roadway. The condition of the car meant I couldn't pull it all the way back onto the bridge and so instead I held it in place as Kara got to work getting everyone out. I used one of the bridge cables to keep my balance, not wanting to have the car pull me down into the river with it. Kara got everyone out, except one of the children. She was about to grab the kid when the edge of the bridge crumbled, causing the car to go completely vertical.
I shot forward and grabbed one of the rods to keep myself from falling into the river alongside the car. My grip was slipping so Kara knew she had to be fast. She flew to the side of the vehicle and ripped the car door off. Kara pulled the little girl from the car and flew her to safety. Once I knew both of them were clear from the vehicle, I let go and it tumbled into the river below.
A crowd had formed around us and they cheered our names, not just Kara's, but both of ours. We waved toward the crowd as Kara was preparing to fly us off. We were mid lift when the little girl ran back over to us. She gave Kara a hug and Kara returned the favor.
The girl then backed up from Kara and waddled over to me. She had a teddy bear in her arms and she put it in my hands. "Tank you for saaavving meeee. You can have Teddy, share with Supergurl pleaasssee."
I took the fuzzy white bear and nodded. "You are very welcome and I will share Teddy, I promise."
The girl smiled and gave me a hug. The other family members thanked us while Kara flew us into the air. We headed back to her apartment to unwind for awhile. We got dressed in our everyday clothes and sat on the couch together.
I wanted to talk to Brainy some more, but I knew he wasn't going to talk to me. If he wanted to talk, he would come to me and I just hope he trusted me enough to do that. I held the teddy bear up to Kara. "You jealous the girl handed me the bear?"
"She said we had to share it." Kara smiled
"Well, honestly, I think I deserve it. If you want the bear, you're gonna have to come and get it from me." I said with a suggestive smile.
Kara had the same look in her eyes. "That can be arranged."
She leaned forward to try and take the bear from me when there was a knock at the door. We both sighed as Kara got off the couch. I followed after her and when she opened the door neither of us recognized the man on the other side.
The man smiled at us. "Nice to see you both again. My name is Mxyzptlk, and I am here for you."
He strode into the house as Kara closed the door behind him. He walked around the kitchen and scanned the room like he had been here before. Kara crossed her arms. "Okay. If you are Mxy, then why do you look like this?"
"Okay, I only took on that other form and sophisticated accent to impress you." Mxy said, wiping invisible dirt from his suit. "But now, I can't use any of my powers, except to help those whom I have wronged."
"Oh, how sad for you." I sighed with annoyance.
He looked at me and answered like I actually cared. "Yes. A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, I agree. But great news. Kara is the last one."
Kara sighed. "What could I possibly need your help for?"
Mxy snapped his fingers and Kara's TV turned on by itself. We both watched as the moment Lena admitted she had known Kara's secret and how much she truly hated Kara. Mxy interrupted. "Your best friend thinks that she is your enemy. And the worst part...It's your fault. You hid the truth from her. You let her find out from that sadist, Lex, and now, you think she could be capable of anything."
"What's your point?" Kara asked
"My point, toots, is this. I am offering you a do-over." Mxy admitted, jumping up on the counter. "I could send you back in time. Wouldn't you like to be able to tell Lena that you're Supergirl on your own terms? Wouldn't you like to see what the world would look like if you controlled the narrative? Haven't you hurt enough?"
I shook my head. "I don't know, Kara. This could be just another game."
"I get it. You don't trust me. Okay, but how's this? Ready? Now, by Fifth Dimensional law, I am required to give you this recording." Mxy jumped from the counter and a tape recorder appeared in his hand. "My name is said backwards on the tape. If I do something you do not like you can just play the tape and banish me back to the Fifth Dimension."
I noticed the look on Kara's face. "You're not seriously thinking of doing this, are you?"
Kara pulled me off to the side so we could have a more personal conversation. "What if I could change things? If I told Lena that I was Supergirl before Lex, maybe she would have reacted differently. I mean, isn't that worth a try?"
I was uneasy about the idea. "Changing history to save a friendship? Kara, I don't know…"
Kara grabbed my arms and shook her head. "No, this is changing history to save history, 'cause Lex and Lena are planning something horrible, and we are no closer to finding out what that is. And when the fight comes I don't know if I have what it takes to stop her."
I placed my hands on her shoulders. "Alright, listen to me. If you really think that this is your best chance to set things right with Lena before she hurts somebody…then do it."
"Thank Zook, you made the right choice." Mxy yelled, popping up between us. Both Kara and I screamed at his sudden appearance. "Sorry for spooking you. I'm still working on eavesdropping."
Kara made up her mind. "Okay, uh, before we do this, Mxy, I need your word that if things go sideways, you'll put it all back to normal."
"I am court-ordered to do so. Boop." Mxy poked Kara in the nose and stood before me with hands on his hips. "Now, no shade to Vampire Barbie, but it tends to work better when it's just me and the subject."
Before I could whine about him calling me Vampire Barbie, I was suddenly in my apartment. A note was laid on the counter that read. "I will return your girlfriend tonight, don't worry. Just do whatever it is you vamtronians do for fun. See you soon Vampire Barbie. ~Mxy"
I rolled my eyes and laid the note back on the counter. I sat down, grabbing my journal, a journal I would never let Kara read because of how much I wrote about her. I turned to a new page and decided to write a poem. Sadly, I used to be an angsty teen who did this all the time, it brought me a sense of peace. Since Kara was doing God knows what for God knows how long, I needed to pass the time. This poem was going to be about Kara, no surprise there.
My Goddess
I see you across the room,
As if my vision is in zoom.
Your smile is bright,
Just like spotlights.
Your laugh is my favorite sound,
Even if it is scratchy and loud.
Your eyes are the perfect shade blue,
Around you everything seems new.
When I am not beside you,
I feel so out of tune.
You are my everything,
So much so I want to sing.
You are dear to me so,
And that is something I will always know.
I love you my sweet,
No one can compete.
You are my Goddess,
And I love you…
After I finished writing, I just hung out at home. I wasn't needed at the DEO and having the break was nice. I cleaned up my apartment and finished the book I had been reading for months. Speed reading was so useful, Barry had it good. When I got bored I just scrolled through random channels on the TV.
I even tried calling Brainy so we could finish our conversation from earlier, but he didn't answer. Many hours of boredom later, Kara and Mxy suddenly appeared in front of me, almost giving my barely beating heart a heart attack. When Kara saw me she quickly hugged me tight and checked if I had any injuries. I looked from Kara to Mxy, "What happened? Why is she checking me over like I got hurt?"
Mxy explained. "We went into the past to see how things would have turned out if Kara told Lena the truth at different points in time. The last one we went to, Kara and Lena had never become friends in the first place. There was a huge battle…"
"And you died protecting me." Kara interrupted with wet eyes. "I knew it wasn't you, but watching it happen right in front of me felt real. We managed to get out and I made Mxy send us back here instead of my apartment. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
I leaned forward and took her hand in mine. "Hey, don't worry. I'm right here and I promise, I'm not going anywhere."
I leaned my forehead against hers and we both closed our eyes. Kara moved back and took my face in her hands. She stroked the side of my cheek, my eyes closing peacefully. Mxy took this as his cue to leave. "I'll be off. I hear Miami is nice this time of year."
Kara turned toward him. "Thank you, Mxy."
Mxy looked at her with surprise. "Why are you thanking me? We didn't change anything? You're still stuck in the same dilemma as before."
"Maybe we didn't change the future, but you did help me." Kara said with a small smile. "I now know that anything I would have tried would have ended with terrible consequences. I just have to live with the actions I took and move forward. You made me realize that and I'm grateful."
Mxy genuinely smiled. "Thank you too. Today was nice, traveling around with you. It made me feel like I actually had friends. Until next time Supergirl." Mxy looked toward me. "And Vampire Barbie."
"I am not…" I shouted just as he vanished from the room.
Kara laughed at my annoyance with the phrase. "I don't know, I kind of like it."
"Don't you start..."
"I won't, I promise." Kara smiled wide. We stood there smiling at each other like a bunch of idiots when Kara suddenly blurted out the most random thing. "I want you to move in with me."
I looked at her with shock. "Really? Isn't it too early for that? Also what about the light and my blood bags...I…"
Kara placed a finger over my lips so I would stop rambling. She directly looked into my eyes. "I can buy thick curtains and the bottom drawer is always empty, so your blood can go there. We have been through a lot together and I want to keep you safe. What do you say? Will you move in with me?"
I knew my answer instantly, "Yes, of course I will."
Kara's smile widened as she kissed me passionately. I kissed her back with the same type of smile. "I have to go talk to Lena before the night is over. Tomorrow morning I'll come over and help you pack. I love you."
Before I could return the sentiment, she was gone. After Kara left I felt like I could fly. She wanted me to move in. Just the thought of waking up to see Kara every morning made my heart flutter. I decided to get some fresh air and headed to the roof. It was always a place where I could relax and enjoy the brightly lit stars. I leaned against the balcony and breathed in the fresh air. It was nice to just sit still, since I hadn't done that in a long time.
I watched the stars for quite awhile when I suddenly felt the presence of someone else. I listened and heard no heartbeat, but I knew someone was there. I was about to turn around when the figure appeared behind me, placing one hand over my mouth and the other to hold my arms down. I could tell by the size of the hand it was a man and he definitely wasn't human.
He moved closer to my ear, his breath hot on my face. "Hello again, Carly…"
My stomach fell to the floor in an instant. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. He moved his one hand down to my neck so I couldn't turn my head to look at him, but I could speak. "How are you alive, Remus?"
"I died when Cillian staked me, but then the universe was put back together. Lucky for me it undid my death so I could come for you again." He sniffed my hair and exhaled loudly. "You smell just as delectable as I remember."
I scoffed. "Do you really still want to hurt Deirdre? Is that what this is? Kill me so she feels my pain?"
"No, not this time." Remus said with annoyance. "Originally, that was the idea, but then I made a new friend. He's going to help us vamtronians get back on our feet after you and your friends messed with everything. He wants you and I don't really care what he does with you after that."
That's when I realized he could only be talking about one man. "Lex…"
He affirmed my fears. "Lex, made a hell of a bargain and I just can't refuse. Besides, I'll be leaving you with a gift. Deirdre will sense what is about to happen and then she will go running to your friends. My last gift to you before me and my people leave town for good."
"You're going to leave Deirdre and Cillain on their own?" I said with disbelief
He scoffed. "Yes. I have controlled her life for hundreds of years and I am tired of the mess. She can stay here and pretend to be the good little vamtronian she is."
"So how are you going to send a message to Deirdre?" I asked with fake confidence. "Break my arm? Stab me? Maybe, tear something off?"
"No, I was thinking something a little more personal." Remus whispered in my ear. "Don't worry, I'm not supposed to kill you. Just sit back and enjoy it."
He tilted my head back and sunk his fangs into the side of my throat. I remember pain radiating throughout my body. Normally pleasure is what you felt, but his bite was different. There was no pleasure whatsoever and the pain was too much to bare, causing me to pass out.
Lex returned to his off base lab where he had told Lena to meet him. When he arrived she was pouring herself a drink. The look on her face said it all. "You had a chat with Kara, didn't you?"
Lena nodded. "Yeah, this time instead of begging to apologize she outright said that it was my choice. If I went down this dark path with Non Nocere she will do everything in her power to stop me. So, either I forgive her or she's my enemy."
"Has this spat scared you from your goal?" Lex asked, pouring himself a drink. "Don't let false gods like Kara affect you so."
"Her words are not going to stop me. I want this project to work and now that I have the cube from Winn's ship, I can do just that. Once I crack the code of how it works my plan will be back in motion." Lena said, noticing the look on Lex's face. "What are you up to?"
"You'll see very soon."
Brainy entered the room with an anxious look on his face, but he tried to act like what he was about to say didn't affect him as badly as it truly did. "Remus has been sent to retrieve Carly."
Lena's eyes went wide, choking on her whiskey. "How is Remus alive and why in the hell are you making him kidnap Carly?"
"Well, sis, I'll tell you." Lex said with a gloating smile. "When this new earth was formed, Remus' death was reversed. I don't know why or how, but it was. I made him a deal he couldn't refuse. Once he helps me get Carly, he'll be leaving town for good so his kind will stop killing in the city. Taking Carly, well, you'll find out when she arrives."
"And you're okay with this?" Lena asked, looking directly at Brainy. "You're okay with kidnapping one of your friends?"
Brainy gritted his teeth. "It is the only way to save the future."
Lena turned to Lex. "I was harsh on Carly and even with my anger toward Kara, I felt bad for my actions. I am trying to do no harm and I know now my actions toward Carly were rash and uncalled for. What are you planning to do to this poor girl?"
That's when a rush of wind hit the trio. They turned toward the door to see Remus carrying something in his arms. He stopped in front of them and dropped me onto the floor, knocking whatever air was in my lungs outward.
"Here she is, now give me what I want." Remus demanded.
Lex pulled a note from his pocket and handed it to the vamtronian. "Inside is the address and key to get in. It's an old abandoned hotel I bought years ago, it's all yours."
"Pleasure doing business with you."
Remus vanished out of the room as Brainy ran around and kneeled beside me. He checked me for injuries, when he noticed the bite on my neck. He looked up at Lex. "You said Remus was just going to bring her here. Not turn her into dinner."
"She would have never come if he hadn't weakened her. She'll live and tomorrow we start the process." Lex said with excitement.
"Process of what?" Lena asked
"Unlocking her true potential."
