SUPERGIRL SEASON SIX AU: THE GREAT SWITCHEROO

CHAPTER 10

I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO

"Whoa... this is totally messed up!"

Lena had never met Cisco Ramon before, but now that she had... she couldn't stand him. He was so talkative and couldn't help but make pop-culture references every time he spoke.

"I mean — you're a Luthor!" He said in awe. "Lena frackin Luthor, but you're literally inside of Supergirl's body. This is even weirder then the time Barry and Oliver had their own Quantum Leap moment. This is like an honest to goodness Freaky Friday! Or is it more of a Face/Off thing? On second thought, maybe it's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Oooh, or perhaps it's like that episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You know? Not the lousy first season one, though. I'm talking the ultra cool and deep season four ep. Where Buffy and Faith switch bodies."

"Oh, my god!" I shouted furiously. "Can't you just shut up for ten lousy minutes?! No one cares about that damn 'Who Are You!' episode! KARA IS DYING!"

"Okay, I'll shut up," Cisco said meekly. "But Kara is in good hands. Caitlin, Alex, Brainy, and Nash are some of the smartest people on the planet. If there is anyway to save Kara, they can and will. Plus, we got our own all-powerful imp here too. Which is pretty cool, I gotta say."

Mxy and Nia were the only other ones in the lounge with Lena. All she wanted to do was scream and punch something, but with her Kryptonian powers that could cause way too much damage. She was already having trouble controlling them because of her emotional state.

"I can't heal her," said Mxy finally. "It was part of the deal. I can't interfere with either Kara or Lena dying... even now. At least, not directly."

"Which is why we brought Kara here," said Nia.

"That wasn't the only reason," said Lena. "I need to see the Flash. Where is Barry Allen?"

"You want to do what?" Barry Allen asked in shock a few minutes later in a closed off room inside Star Labs.

"I want to combine our speed, so I can travel back in time months ago to prevent this body swap from ever happening," said Lena determinedly.

"Lena... time travel is very dangerous and unpredictable," said Barry. "Kara wouldn't want to risk the world or the timeline just to save her. No matter how much it kills me to admit it."

"We'll never know what Kara would want!" Lena snapped. "Because she's probably going to die at any minute!"

"We don't know that!" Barry snapped back. "Kara can still live! She can fight this! She'll —!"

Ding! Ding!

Barry pulled out his phone as his face fell. Lena already knew what it must have said. Tears formed in both hers and Barry's eyes. "It's Kara... they can't... they can't save her. Her HLH is preventing any type of healing treatment that they try on her. She only has a few minutes left."

"Then we have to do this now!" Lena pleaded. "Kara told me that your best friend and mentor — Oliver Queen — died to save both hers and your life. So if you don't want to let Oliver's sacrice be in vain... you'll help me save Kara's life no matter what the cost!"

"...Fine," said Barry. "But only if we do it fast and you come back to this exact moment, okay?"

"Okay."

Barry brought Lena down to the Speed Lab and attached one Tachyeon Enhancer on her chest and a transmitter on his. "This will allow me to transfer some of my speed to your body. Once your going at a fast enough rate, you'll travel to the moment in time you're thinking of and you'll only have two hours to return to this time. So, be careful and..."

"Don't you dare tell me not to screw this up!" Lena snapped bitterly. "I know the risks."

"Okay," said Barry. "You ready?"

"Always."

Lena had never experienced time travel before and the now that she was — in one word — it was exilerating! She had never flown so fast in her life and could see time unfolding right in front of her eyes. And soon... she had made it to her destination:

National City. The very day before the body swap. Lena had a good idea of where Kara would be today. Probably in mid-flight to the L-Corp building. Lena flew as fast as she could, but just as she started to see the towering skyscraper, she was body slammed by what felt like a ton of Kryptonite. Lena steadied herself, in midair, just before crashing into the CatCo building.

"What the hell?!" Lena cursed.

"I don't know who you are, but I want you to answer me one question: Why are you wearing my face?!"

Lena's attacker was the very friend that she had been so desperately trying to save. "Kara?"

"How do you know my name?!" Kara asked. "The Multiverse is gone, so you can't be from another earth. Please, don't tell me that this is another Red Daughter thing. I really can't deal with this right now. Because I'm trying to meet my best friend for lunch and this is really ruining those plans."

"Kara... it's me," said Lena. "It's Lena. I'm from the future and I've come back to this time to save your life."

"Lena?" Kara asked in disbelief. "Prove it."

"Okay," said Lena. "About three years ago, after Mon-El left for the future, you and I went out to this alien night club and you got so drunk that you started stripping down in front of everyone and I had to drag you into the bathroom. Where, I might add, that you spent the next six hours puking."

"Oh, great Rao!" Kara clamped her hands over her mouth in shock. "Lena — it is you! But why — why do you look like a punk rock version of me?"

Lena and Kara flew to the latter's apartment. Once they arrived, Lena told Kara the whole story.

"So, that's why we need to find Mxy and stop him before he makes the deal with Lex," Lena finished.

"Lena... I can't," said Kara sadly.

"...What do you mean you can't?" Lena asked in total surprise. "Kara, if you don't do this — you'll die!"

"I know," said Kara sadly. "But if it means that we save the world and that was the only way to do it... I can't change that decision."

"Kara... what are you saying?"

"Lena, I have been Supergirl for over six years now," said Kara. "And over those six years, I have lost so much. I lost Mon-El and Jeremiah. I gave up sooo many different opportunities, and friends because of the sacrifices that I've had to make. But every one of them was worth it. Being a hero or a paragon isn't about saving yourself, its about doing the right thing no matter what the cost.

"So, if I can give up my life to save you, Alex, Nia, Brainy, J'ohn, Barry, Iris, Cisco, and everyone else — I will. Because, not only is it right, but I know that you will be here to carry the torch after I'm gone. You have always been my hero, Lena Luthor, and now it's time for you to be that for everyone in this universe."

"But... Kara... I..." Lena cried. "I can't lose you again."

"Hey, you'll see me every time you look in the mirror... and in your heart," Kara wiped a tear from Lena's face.

Lena let out a watery laugh. "How is it you can make me smile? Even in a time like this?"

"Well, making people smile has always been my job," said Kara. "It's part of the whole hope thing. Just like you've always been the one who could do the same for me. You're just as much of a Paragon of Hope as I am, Lena Luthor. But I need you to do one last thing for me."

"Anything," said Lena.

"I can't remember that you came here to warn me," said Kara. "It could ruin Mxy's plan. There is an ability that Kryptonians have that Clark told me about a few years ago. If we cause a high enough sound frequency by whistling with our super breath, it causes the anyone who can hear it temporary memory loss. I need you to do that to me."

"...Alright," said Lena. "Just — just tell me how."

"She didn't want to do it, did she?" Barry Allen asked Lena when she returned.

"Yes," Lena cried. "You were right. That was her choice. Is Kara...?"

"No."

"What?" said Lena. "How?"

"Mxy saved her by... draining the life force of someone else and giving it to Kara," said Barry tearfully.

"That... was what Mxy meant by not directly?" said Lena tearfully. "Who... who did it? Who's...?"

"It's Alex," said Barry. "She gave her life to save Kara's. I told you to come back to the exact moment you left, but you didn't... it's been thirty minutes."

"Oh, my god," said Lena.

"You need to go see her," said Barry. "Your best friend really needs right now."

Lena walked over to the infirmary door, her hands trembling. But, finally, she opened the door. Alex's body was pale and limp, but was cradled in Kara's arms. Brainy, Nia, Cisco, Mxy, Caitlin, and Nash all were trying to comfort Kara and calm down the crying ex-Kryptonian. Lena motioned for them all to leave as she touched Kara's shoulder. "I'm sorry... but she's gone, Kara. But it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is."

"No," said Lena. "It's mine."

"NO! ITS NOT! ITS MY FAULT. ALL OF THIS IS MY FAULT!" Kara screamed.

"Kara, don't hate yourself," said Lena tearfully. "If you need someone to hate... hate me."

"I can't, Lena," said Kara handing Alex's lifeless body to Lena.

"Why not?" Lena laid Alex's body gently on a nearby chair.

"Because I can't lose you too."

TO BE CONTINUED...