Author's Note: This one is a little different than the last nineteen chapters. Theme 20 was Strength and I decided to take it down a different route than I'm sure others did. Chapters 20, 21, and 22 are part of a three part story. If I wasn't purposely trying to write short chapters, these probably would have been longer but with this I'm trying something different. Head Above Water has enough intense drama in it as it is so if you wanted more, go to that story. I'm in the middle of writing this three part story, so you should get the rest soon.

Day 20: Theme Strength

Happy Reading.

Chapter 20 - Emotional Strength (Part 1)

When Lena met Kara, this dorky woman that could barely hold a sentence together without stuttering, she felt a pull toward her. It was like a breath of fresh air. Kara wasn't like the other women and men she'd been with in the past. She didn't have wealth like them, she wasn't stuck-up like most of them were, Kara was just… Kara. What you saw was what you got.

That was until you got close enough to learn that this dorky reporter was also the mighty hero, Supergirl as well. Which was a surprising factor all on its own because the way Supergirl held herself was a lot different than how Kara did. So when Lena had learned that the two were the same person, she couldn't believe it. She was disappointed that she never saw it herself, but when the characteristics were compared, it really wasn't that surprising that Lena didn't figure it out.

When they finally made the break from just friends and started dating, it was one of the happiest times in Lena's life because she was able to see both sides of this woman. The strength she had as Supergirl on a literal level, but then the emotional strength she had for her friends and family. No matter what was going on in her own life, Kara would be there for you.

That's how it worked. If you were in trouble, Kara was there as the hero she was, or as herself. She was the hero you wanted on your side no matter the time of day. She was there.

Which made this current moment one of the hardest, most draining days Lena had ever experienced in her life. At this moment, the person that she could have used most to be there for her, was the one that needed help.

Kara and Lena had been enjoying a nice short lunch break in her L-Corp office, when Kara had been called away by Alex in regards to a new monster that had appeared at the docks. She did what she always did, she changed into Supergirl with a swipe of her fingers on her glasses, dropped her ring on Lena's desk and leaned in.

"I'll be right back, Lena," Kara said before placing a brief kiss on Lena's lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," Lena had said right before Kara disappeared.

This was what they did. They got into a habit of it, just in case. The fact was there was never a sure thing that Kara would ever be okay. There were dangers that would always come back to bite her in the butt, whether it was different forms of Kryptonite, or overly strong enemies. It was inevitable that one day, Kara wouldn't be the strong one, Lena would have to take that mantle.

Today was that day.

Supergirl had gone into that fight like any other fight. With force. She was determined to take out this monster, if it was the last thing she did. If it didn't go her way, at least then she could say that she did everything in her power to stop it.

She'd never seen such a beast, it looked like something that came out of a science fiction novel. It didn't look real. Which was saying something from all of the monsters she'd fought over the years. Nothing should surprise her, but this one did. It seemed unkillable as it never seemed fazed by anything she did to it.

It wasn't a very big monster, but it moved fast, and it had extra sets of arms on it that would sometimes be absorbed into itself, or would be used to pick up items and throw them at her, while it had her in its grasp.

This fight felt different, harder, even tougher than when she fought Reign years before. In that fight there was a sense of equalness between them, but here she felt powerless. She felt broken. Something in the monster seemed to weaken her, even though she didn't feel any effects of Kryptonite.

As the monster held onto her, squeezing the life out of her, her cells draining power, she felt herself slipping. She tried scratching his skin, but it seemed impenetrable, she tried using her heat vision but it didn't even leave a scratch, she even tried to fly, but because she wasn't on the ground anymore, she couldn't get the jump start. She was stuck. It felt like her powers were losing their strength by the second.

Her mind getting hazy, her ability to hold on diminishing by the second, she needed to get out of his grip sooner rather than later but she didn't know how to do it.

She had lost her comm at some point in the fight, but could faintly hear Alex's voice anyway. Kara wasn't sure if it was because she could hear the voice through the comm, or if she was nearby.

It felt like several minutes had passed by at this moment, but it also felt like time was moving slow. As though she was watching herself lose by the second.

Then she thought of Lena. Oh Lena… She thought to herself trying to look toward L-Corp behind the monster. If she weren't Supergirl, she'd still be with her wife at that moment. They'd be watching Supergirl on the TV fighting for her life, but instead, Lena was there alone, watching the life drain out of her. She wanted anything for Lena not to see this happen, but it was.

She was losing the fight by the second, she was no longer able to bring in more air, the monster had cut off her airway. It was only a matter of time before…

J'onn J'onzz and Dreamer swooped in and grabbed the monster with their combined power, the monster's grip loosening on Supergirl, effectively dropping her to the ground, before they tossed him away. They went after him, while Alex ran up to Supergirl.

Lena watched on the TV as Supergirl's body dropped from the monster's hand, her body hitting the ground like a rag doll. By this point tears had been streaming down her face. She had to get to the DEO, she had to be there for Kara.

"Supergirl!" Alex shouted, but got no response. She pressed her fingers to Supergirl's neck looking for a pulse, there was one but it was faint. "Get her to the DEO," She shouted to some nearby agents.

They did as instructed and picked her up, taking her to the DEO.