Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J. K. Rowlings and Supergirl the CW. I own nothing and I don't make any money from this story.
Fair warning, I tried experimenting with flashbacks in this chapter. Let me know what you think.
Chapter 11: Three things cannot long be hidden: the Sun, the Moon, and the Truth.
-o0o-
The soft sound of socked feet slowly making their way down carpeted stairs was so quiet that it almost wasn't there. But to the woman sitting at her kitchen island, drinking a cup of soothing chamomile tea, the sound was so familiar her daughter may as well have been stomping down in steel toed boots.
If anybody else looked they wouldn't see it. Despite her terrible ability to tell a lie, Kara was actually very good at hiding how she was feeling. But the experienced eye of a mother could tell she was trying to smooth her own ruffled feathers.
Alex probably said something insensitive. Eliza knew her daughter didn't mean it. She was just hurting. And she had a right to be. Unfortunately, she was taking her anger out on her little sister. But like she had told Kara earlier, Alex would be okay as long as they were there for her.
The young blonde Kryptonian spotted her adoptive mother and decided to pull up a stool on the opposite side of the island.
"How's she doing?" Eliza asked while pouring hot water into a ready mug.
Her adopted daughter accepted the mug she handed to her and began to absentmindedly bob the tea bag. "Asleep, finally. Mercifully."
Eliza nodded, but kept her eyes on her daughter, waiting for her to continue. "So, how's she doing?"
"She's doing okay, under the circumstances." She tried to temporize, while gazing into the bottom of her mug. But Eliza wasn't buying it. She knew Kara adored Alex, even when she was at her worst. She would protect her big sister from anybody, even their mother. Eliza knew she had contributed to that.
It was almost two years ago now, but she could still vividly remember that Thanksgiving where both of her daughters had to set her strait about how she treated them. How critical she was of Alex in how she treated Kara. How Kara was a grown woman who didn't need the people she cares about to make so many sacrifices for her.
Seeing her girls standing side by side as they stood up to her wasn't just eye-opening, it was inspiring. And it made her realize that they were right. Ever since then, she had done her best to be fair to both of them. But Kara still felt the need to protect her big sister from their mother's judgement.
But this wasn't a time for secrets. It was time to be honest. Eliza reached across the island and gently put her hand under Kara's chin and lifted her eyes to meet hers. "How is she?"
Kara hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Before she fell asleep, she was transitioning from sad drunk to mean drunk. By tomorrow she should be Alex again."
Eliza nodded to what she knew Kara wasn't saying. Eliza didn't need her to say that come morning it was up to them to try and keep her from crawling back into a wine bottle. Alex would only get worse if they didn't pull her out of the downward spiral she was in.
However, as concerned as Kara was for her sister, Eliza could tell that there was something else bothering her. "Kara, honey, what's wrong?" Kara just shook her head and looked back down at her tea.
This time she didn't think Kara was protecting Alex. No, she's probably protecting herself. And given recent history, that means there is only one possibility.
"What did Harry do this time?" She asked cautiously. Kara's eyes snap up to meet hers.
Eliza smiled at her. In encouragement and amusement at her daughter. Why are children always so surprised that a mother knows?
"I trusted him," Kara began. "I trusted him and then he tried to kill a man."
That wiped the smile off of her face. "I thought you and he had come to an understanding?"
Kara nodded her head. "So did I. Then I catch him with his hand around Morgan Edge's throat. I got there just in time to stop him from…" Kara didn't finish her sentence, but she mimed swinging her hand through the air with her fingers curled into claws. Eliza could infer from that.
But something still didn't seem quite right. Kara said she managed to stop him, so it wasn't a death on her conscience. And from conversations with Kara, she knew that while things were improving between her and the speedster, Kara still didn't fully trust him. Not enough to be so shaken be this turn of events.
"Honey, what else happened?" Eliza tried to coax it out of her. But Kara just shook her head and refused to look back up at her.
Eliza sighed in dismay. She would let Kara keep whatever it was to herself, for now. She would tell her when she was ready. Or, far more likely, she would tell Alex. Either way, her girls were going to be okay. She takes the near empty mug from Kara and puts her hand on her cheek, "Why don't you go up and get some sleep too. You look as worn out as your sister."
She gently ran her thumb along her daughter's cheek. Managing to draw a small smile from her, before she rose to her feet and padded back upstairs.
When her daughter was out of sight, she let her smile fall. Dragged down by the shared gloomy mood of her daughters. Alex was suffering from a deep case of heartache and Kara was keeping secrets.
Her girls were in trouble.
-o0o-
Talking to Eliza had helped. Or at least it had made her feel better. But it didn't even come close to fixing the fall out of two nights ago.
But there isn't anything Eliza can do. Kara thought as she made her way to her bed. Alex already asleep in her own. Kara climbed under the covers and shuffled around until she was comfortable before laying her head on her pillow.
But it didn't matter. As tired as she was she couldn't stop his words from ringing in her ears. Even now, two days later, she couldn't stop playing it over and over in her mind.
She wasn't going to let Edge get away with this. He killed dozens of children, and risked the lives of hundreds more. All to hurt Lena. He was going to answer for his crimes if she had to drag him to the DEO and have J'onn extract a confession from his thoughts. Kara was so angry that she didn't even acknowledge the two members of the cleaning crew she passed as she stomped into Edge's office. Throwing open the doors, Kara stopped dead in her tracks. Harry in his full speedster attire had Edge pinned to the wall, with his hand at his throat.
"Never again will you threaten someone I care about."
Edge's eyes were rolling back in his head. His attempts to pry Harry's hand from his throat were quickly losing strength. He was close to passing out. But it didn't look like he would even get that far, as Harry was raising his claws. Preparing to end Edge's life.
Kara knew what she had to do. She tensed her muscles ready to sprint across the room at her top speed to stop what was about to happen.
And then she hesitated.
She knew what she was supposed to do, what she should do. Her heart was screaming at her to act before it was too late. But her head was telling her to let it happen. That Edge killed children, he tried to kill Lena, and when he failed he killed his own people to cover it up and save himself. If anyone in National City truly deserved to die, it was Edge.
Harry already had blood on his hands. He had shown that he could live with it. And he was going to leave this Earth eventually anyway, so what did it matter. Maybe this was the reason that Harry was here in the first place. Maybe killing Edge was what he was meant to do, and she and J'onn and the DEO had been standing in his way. And in the end, Kara wasn't required to save him. She wasn't required to save anybody, certainly not Edge.
No, that isn't right. That can't be right. If she let him do this that would make her no better than Edge. Using somebody expendable to do what she didn't have the stomach for. She couldn't let this happen.
Moving faster than a speeding bullet, Kara clamped her hand on his wrist, and pulled him away from Edge. The man himself landing on his feet, and drawing in as much air as his lungs could hold.
Harry turned to look at her. "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted in her face.
That was the moment that Edge ran for the door. Harry made to follow him, but Kara refused to release her hold on his wrist. But he managed to improvise quickly, by grabbing a glass paperweight off of Edge's desk and flinging it at the back of his head. Where it promptly shattered against his skull, making Edge drop like a lumping sac of spuds.
Kara took her eyes off of Harry to see the rise and fall of Edge's chest. Proof that he was still alive. Those few seconds of inattention were all Harry needed to grab her by the wrist, twist to break her grip, and throw her over his shoulder into the wall on the far side of Edge's office. Where she knocked what must have been an expensive painting off the wall before it, and she, landed on the carpeted floor.
Kara looked back at Harry completely bewildered. She couldn't believe he did that. Not that it had hurt obviously. But the fact that he actually did it. No bad guy had ever had the stupidity or the courage to judo throw her before.
Which is probably why it worked. Didn't see that coming at all.
But it seemed Harry couldn't have cared less that it had worked. For as soon as she was out of the way he began advancing on Edge again.
But Kara was done playing nice. She used her superspeed to cross the room and body checked Harry. Sent him crashing right into the minibar Edge kept in his office. It, and he, fell to the ground to the sound of breaking glass.
"What are you doing?" He growled again. Sounding a lot like his panther form. Which Kara noticed he did when he was angry.
"Stopping you from making a huge mistake." She fired back just as passionately.
"It's not a mistake to make sure that that," He pointed a finger at the still unconscious Edge, "piece of shite never hurts another innocent." He countered. His accent getting thicker with his rage.
"It's illegal. He isn't like the other people you've killed. He's not standing over another person and pointing a gun at them. And even if he was, you can't play judge and jury yourself." Kara pleaded with him to see reason.
But Harry wasn't going to be deterred that easily. "Well I'm not about to put my faith in the bloody legal system. I've seen it fail me and others too many times. Men like Edge just buy their way out of trouble. The only sure way to stop Edge from ever hurting anyone else is this."
Kara could tell she wasn't going to get him to see reason by citing laws. So, she tried a different tactic. She tried appealing to his heart. "Harry, I understand where you're coming from, I do. You have no idea how hard it is to resist the urge to crush men like him with my powers." She put her hands over her heart. "Those feelings are so strong sometimes. But we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard, to set a better example."
Harry just scoffed. "That's rich coming from you. You speak of a higher standard, but you can't even be honest about yourself with the people closest to you."
Kara felt a blow strike her heart, but she wasn't going to surrender that easily. She looked him in the eye, hoping, pleading for him to understand. "The wrong thing for the right reasons is still the wrong thing."
But Harry refused to listen. "This man jeopardized the lives of hundreds of innocent children. How can it be wrong to make sure he never does it again?"
She felt her heart suffer another blow. He wasn't going to listen. He wasn't going to change. He was still the same killer he was when he arrived here during the Daxamite invasion. Kara knew there was no way to change his mind. But there was one last thing she could try in order to talk him down.
"You said you would try to work with us. That you would operate according to our rules. That you would abide by our standards as long as you were here." Kara unexpectedly had an idea on how she could drive in the nail. "I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. Does your word truly mean anything, or was that a lie?"
She couldn't see his face beneath the mask, but his body language became more relaxed as she spoke. And maybe it was a little underhanded to throw his own words back in his face. But she couldn't let him kill Edge. No matter how justified he may be.
He took a moment to observe the state of the room and all of the damage they had done. Then he just swept his arm in a great circle, gesturing to the entire room. And Kara watched as the minibar righted itself. The shards of broken glass coming back together in the shape of tumblers as the spilled liquids returned to the bottles. The fallen painting jumped back up to its hook and the thrown paperweight returned to its rightful place on Edge's desk.
With another wave of his hand Harry was levitating Edge off the ground and directing him back behind his desk. Soon he had him situated in his chair with his body slumped over his desk. If anybody else walked in the room right now they wouldn't know anything had happened, except that Edge had fallen asleep at his desk. Until Kara saw a white halo of light appear around Edge's head.
"It's an obliviate spell. He won't remember anything from the moment I attacked him. He'll wake up thinking he fell asleep at his desk." Harry explained without any prompting.
"What about the cleaning crew outside?" Kara asked.
Harry just shook his head. "Edge must have his office soundproofed or they would have come in to see what was going on when I hit the minibar."
Kara nodded her head. That was a good point.
"I know you don't believe this, but you are doing the ri- "
"You're an idiot." Harry interrupted her. Some of the growl returning to his voice. "This is a mistake. And you will realize that the next time Edge does something to endanger some one's life."
And Kara's heart took another blow as he spoke the words she knew to be true, but was afraid to voice. She could only hope to stop him before he did any permanent damage. But Harry wasn't done. He had one last (horrible) point to make.
"Up until this point, everything he's done, all the people he's hurt, have been his fault. The blood has been on his hands. Everything he does from here on is your fault." Harry accused as Kara heart suffered yet another blow. She tried to look for some snappy retort, if not to ease her own hurts then to wound Harry in return.
"And mine." He finished.
That was the moment Kara understood what was really happening. He wasn't trying to hurt her, or absolve himself of guilt by blaming her. He knew this was wrong, and if he did it, Edge would make them regret it later. Them, and whomever else he hurt.
Harry didn't waste any more words. He merely turned invisible and was gone in a flash of silver. Leaving Kara standing alone, trying to think of some way to heal the damage done to her heart.
Picking up her phone, she checked to see if she had received a response to the last message she sent.
She hadn't.
Holding out hope, but knowing in her heart it was a wasted effort, she sent another message. Pleading for an answer. Desperate for a single glimmer of light in the dark place she found herself in. Hating herself for letting things get this bad.
All I did was make things worse. Kara whimpered to herself as she buried her cheek deeper into her pillow. Searching for that elusive thing called 'a good night's rest.'
She would find sleep in a few more minutes. But rest would not be found that night.
-o0o-
She looked up at the sound of her phone pinging. Another text announced the beginning of the hour. Looking at her clock, she checked the time and saw how late it was.
Other than the maintenance staff, everybody else would have gone home hours ago. Not that that matters. It was typical for her to be at her desk long after everybody else had left. Though, recent events had given her a whole other reason for staying at the office.
Trying to avoid certain people.
Whoosh
Speaking of people she was avoiding, she looked over her shoulder to see if he was back. Yep, he was there again. Leaning on the banister just like last night.
Lena got up from her desk, ignoring the new text on her phone, and the man in black on her office balcony. She knew he would wait out there until she went home. And if another text came tonight, it would come in fifty-nine minutes.
Deciding to, once again, ignore these two things, she went to her minibar to pour herself a glass of scotch. If she was going to put up with another night of Kara texting her and him sitting out there, she was going to need a drink.
Last night, he had shown up just after everybody else had gone home, having come here strait from the DEO. Showed up on her office balcony in a flash of silver light and… waited. He hadn't come inside (like she had come to expect from another superhero), though the door was unlocked. He didn't tap on the glass. He didn't do anything to actually bother her.
Except give her the creeps. What the hell is he waiting for?
She threw back her tumbler and poured herself another before moving back to her desk. Fortifying herself for another night of working while ignoring the creepy speedster looking over her shoulder. Her phone pinged with a second alert to again prompt her to acknowledge her new text message.
In frustration, she switched it to silent, dropped it in her bottom desk draw and slammed the draw shut.
Why can't you just let me hate you?
-o0o-
The sun was shining the next morning when Kara woke up. Before Eliza and certainly before Alex. Which wasn't that unusual. Though Kara certainly enjoyed her sleep, once she was out of bed there was no stopping her. The fact that Kara was a morning person was something that annoyed the hell out of Alex.
But what was unusual about this morning was that after she had brewed a pot of coffee, she felt a yearning to use a telescope that she hadn't looked through in years. It had originally belonged to a dear friend who had died when she was in high school. They had been so close that his mother had wanted her to have it. And even after she was out of the house, Eliza had left it sitting on the terrace.
Still cradling her mug of coffee, she looked through the eye piece. It was day light, so she couldn't look at any visible stars. But it did provide a terrific view of the cove.
She was broken from her nostalgia by the sound of the sliding glass door opening. She sent her sister a half-hearted smile. Not sure yet if she was dealing with sober Alex or hungover Alex.
"You slept in." Kara said by way of greeting.
"Yeah." Alex responded, sounding just as surprised as Kara. "Haven't seen you use that in a long time. It was the best 'thank you' gift we ever got for solving a case."
Kara absentmindedly fiddled with the focusing nobs as she got lost in nostalgia for a moment. "Kenny was the first person I ever lost on Earth." The corners of Kara's lips couldn't seem to decide if they wanted to drop into a frown or rise into a smile. The memory of Kenny's murder always made her want to cry. But were offset by all the happy times the two of them had shared. And Kara would always remember fondly their last night stargazing together when he tried to kiss her. "It never gets any easier."
Alex knew exactly where her sister's thoughts were in that moment. "Kenny Lee, keeper of secrets." Deciding to move past those old ghosts, Alex instead thought it was time to make some much-needed apologies.
"You know, that was the first time I realized what I had in you." Alex began, looking into Kara's eyes and trying to convey… some emotion she couldn't quite put into words, about how she felt for Kara. "What it could mean to have a sister. It's hard to believe that I used to think that you were the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I'll never get over it."
Kara's smile finally won the battle with her memories. Her mood rising, she jokily replied "Well I did hog the bathroom."
"Yes, you did." Alex didn't even hesitate to respond. Never missing an opportunity to point out that Kara was, and still is, a bathroom hog. "After Kenny, that's when I realized that you and I could get through anything together."
Kara's smile got a little wider. "That was the first time I became Kara Danvers."
Alex nodded in acknowledgment. "It's a good thing too. It got us through the next ten years."
Kara let out a snort "I remember thinking that I would never feel at home on Earth, I still don't. but in a way… I feel at home with you." Now Kara was the one trying to convey some inarticulate emotion to Alex.
"Always," Alex said with a nod, confirming for Kara that no matter what, they would always be sisters. "It was a good idea, coming here. I don't think I could have slept in any other bed without Maggie." Her mood turned pensive now. "I'm sorry I tried to punish you for trying to help."
Kara just sighed without looking back, "It was your turn."
"I never want to hurt you." Alex pushed. Hoping Kara would for once stop being so understanding. That she would yell or scream or say something mean. Because if she just let Alex push her without pushing back it made her feel worse for pushing at all.
"I know. I am getting better. I'm sorry I haven't shown it." Now Kara looked pensive. "Maybe if I had, you would have more hope right now."
Okay, that's enough of that. Time to put an end to all of this guilt. That decision made, Alex reached her arm across Kara's shoulders and pulled her close enough to hug. "You're here. Right now, that's all I really need."
At her sisters' words, Kara sent a glance at her phone where it rested on the wooden railing. Hoping to see the screen lit up with a text notification. But her small smile dropped completely at the lack of reply.
Alex saw where her eyes had fixated. "She still hasn't answered has she?" Alex's voice was awash with sympathy. Her own heartache had blinded her to it before now, but she knew this was hurting her sister.
Kara opened her mouth to issue a denial. No matter how worried she is, she would do her best to hide it for now. Alex didn't need to have something else added to her list of problems.
Alex didn't even let her try. "You don't have to hide it. I'm worried too."
Kara sighed in defeat. "No. She hasn't responded to a single call, text, or email."
Kara bowed her head. Unwilling to look at Alex in that moment. But her big sister had no intention of saying 'I told you so.' Instead, Alex just pulled her closer to her side. Trying to shield her from the pain.
After the confrontation in Edge's office, Kara went straight back to the DEO. She needed to check on her friend. Fortunately, Lena was still unconscious when she arrived. Giving her some much-needed time to think.
Lowering herself into a seat at her friends' bedside, her mind began to wander. Thoughts drifting back to the last time she had sat vigil over this very bed. When Mon-El had been the one laying here. She shook her head, trying to derail that train of thought quickly. She didn't need memories of Mon-El to weigh her down right now.
And she didn't need the image of Lena waking up and grab her by the throat the way he had either. Although that may still happen if she decided to come clean.
She didn't like what Harry had said in Edge's office. About how she couldn't be honest with her friend. She had been struggling with this issue ever since that first game night Lena had attended. That was the moment she realized that despite all the odds, despite the suspicious first meeting, and despite the influences of their respective families, they had become friends. And ever since then she had struggled with these feelings.
But she had known Lena for over a year now. She had more than earned Kara's trust. But every reason that Alex, J'onn and James gave her for not telling Lena was still valid. She was wrestling with the choice. And she wasn't telling anybody because Harry had been right about one thing: It's her secret, it's her choice who she trusts enough to tell.
So, the question is whether or not I trust Lena enough to bare my most closely guarded secret to her. Kara kept turning the decision over and over in her head while she waited for her friend to wake up. She tried to imagine how Lena would react to the news. Which led her to thinking about how Alex and the others were going to react to her telling Lena. Which led to her trying to think of ways to apologize to all of them.
That was when Kara had a revelation. All the things she was thinking of revolved around telling Lena. The thought of what it would be like if things continued as they were, wasn't something she wanted to consider.
I guess I've already made my decision. That was the moment she noticed Lena was beginning to stir. And not a moment too soon.
Lena's eyes crack open and immediately moved to focus on the only other person in the room. "Supergirl? What happened? Where are we?"
Lena started to get up off of the bed, but Kara quickly put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"Easy. Its ok, you're at the DEO. Paladin got you off the plain and I managed to save the poison barrels. It's all over." Kara explained softly. Thankfully, Lena relaxed and stopped trying to get out of bed. Though she refused to lay back down, sitting was a fair compromise.
"But how did he get me out of the plain? We were in midair, and then it felt the oddest sensation. Like someone was trying to squeeze me out of a toothpaste tube. Then for the split second before we hit the ground, I could have sworn we were in the DEO. What was that and how am I alive?"
Kara struggled to find a way to answer Lena's questions before deciding that 'Harry' was better explained by Harry. "Can we put a pin in that for now? There's actually something I need to talk to you about."
Lena seemed taken aback, but fell silent and gestured for Kara to go ahead.
Of course, now that she had resolved herself to coming clean, she didn't have a clue how to begin. She decided to start gently and try to ease into the issue.
"I haven't been completely honest with you. But of course, you know that." Kara awkwardly stumbled. Realizing she had merely stated the obvious. "But I want to be honest with you. I want to be able to tell you everything."
Kara's resolve started to falter. She was trying to be reassuring. But the more she spoke, the more she could see Lena withdrawing into herself. Her back had straitened from its relaxed posture. Her arms, which had been on her lap, were now crossed in front of her. And all visible emotion had swiftly vanished from her face.
Lena could probably see where this talk was going and was preparing herself for the worst. Kara didn't know if it was because she was flaunting the fact she was hadn't shared her identity with her before now, or if she was dreading what was about to be revealed.
"And that means being honest with you about who I am. So… here goes." Kara took one last deep breath before taking a plunge that would change the course of her life. "You know me as Supergirl. On Krypton, my name was Kara, daughter of Alura and Zor of the house of El. But on Earth, my name is Kara Danvers."
Kara would swear that time had stopped, the silence was so encompassing. Lena's face, which had been turning more intrigued as she talked, snapped back to the emotionless Luthor poker face in an instant. She began to fidget in her seat as the silence dragged on, with Lena showing no reaction what so ever.
Finally, Kara could take it no longer. "Please say something."
Another heartbeat passed, before "I need to get to the office."
"What?" Kara asked, startled by the non sequitur. She became alarmed when Lena began to get out of the bed. Thankfully, the medics hadn't bothered to change Lena into a hospital gown. Still wearing her jeans and black top, so they were both spared the awkwardness of Lena changing clothes in a room with transparent walls.
She had almost made it to the door before Kara even thought to stop her.
"Wait, Lena you should stay in bed." Kara urged, as she ran after her.
"I need to get to L-Corp and get them working on a vaccine. Now that we know what is causing this illness, we should be able to synthesize a cure." Lena insisted
"Sam is already doing that. Please Lena you got hit on the head, survived a plain coming apart in mid-air and are suffering the side effects of appa- of teleporting. You need to get back in bed." Kara was worried Lena was in shock because she didn't seem to be hearing anything she was saying.
No, on second thought, this wasn't shock. Kara knew what Lena was doing. She was trying to hide behind her work. In an office she knew was secure and familiar where she could dawn her CEO persona like armor and protect herself from the world.
She was running away. Away from Kara.
But she wasn't going to let her leave like this. Kara moved to grab her by the wrist, hoping to at least slow her down for a few seconds. "Please just listen to- "
"DON'T TOUCH ME." Lena shrieked the moment Kara fingertips even brushed her skin. Kara, and every other DEO agent, froze in place. All eyes drawn to the pair that had by now made down the stairs to the main control center. And in the aftermath of Lena's cry the entire room had become even more oppressively silent than the med bay had been.
"Don't you ever touch me again." Lena finally stopped walking, but only to hold up her hand to ward off Kara as if she were a wild animal growling at her. "I don't know who, or even WHAT you are. But I don't want you anywhere near me ever again." Lena decided not to wait for the elevator to arrive. She turned towards the maintenance stairs and practically ran down them. No one tried to stop her.
She was long gone before Kara even realized she was still standing in the middle of the DEO, staring at the door her (probably former) best friend had retreated through. Using every ounce of strength, she had to make her lip stop quivering and keep the tears at bay, while her heart felt like it was physically breaking in her chest.
"I never should have told her." Kara choked out as she fought her own tears. Alex remained silent. Knowing there was nothing she could say that would make this any better. She just hugged Kara tighter.
-o0o-
Whoosh
He was back again.
This made three nights in a row that he had sat outside her office window. Lena had guessed at this point what he was doing. He was making himself available to talk too. Not that unusual. Kara does the same thing all the time. But unlike Kara, he wasn't trying to force a conversation. He was letting her come to him. Which was a nice change of pace.
Only problem is that Lena didn't feel like talking. But she was more than ready to get him the hell away from her office. With that goal in mind, Lena marched out the door to confront the annoying interloper standing on her balcony under the light of the full moon.
She got within arm's reach of him. Not out of trust, but to show she wasn't afraid of him. Putting one hand on the railing she glares into the eye holes of his helmet and stared him down the way she had Morgan Edge. He didn't speak a word, but Lena was in no mood for a staring match.
"Take that helmet off Mr. Evans." She ordered.
He didn't even hesitate to do as she said. And there they stood, her in a pencil skirt and green silk blouse and him in his black and silver speedster suit. No more secrets, but a chasm of things unsaid between them.
"I knew it. Once I knew who Kara really was, it wasn't hard to figure out who you were." Lena didn't want any more lies, evasions, or half-truths. She wouldn't tolerate that anymore. She didn't really care if he had come here to help. But as long as he was here, she would get as much information out of him as she could.
"So, why the hell are you stalking me?" Lena decided blunt questions that played on his guilt was the best way to manipulate him. Well, it was the best way to get what she wanted out of Kara. She wasn't sure the best way to manipulate him yet.
I can always change tactics if he proves a different challenge.
"To keep you from making a colossal mistake." Apparently, Harry had decided to be just as blunt as her.
"If you're here to tell me how I shouldn't be angry or judge you all for doing what you thought was right then you can just go. I have no interest in being lectured too by another self-righteous hero." She spat the word hero at him like a particularly horrid insult. So far, this conversation is going exactly how I expected it to.
"I'm not here to judge you. You should be angry. And hurt. Someone you trusted kept vital information from you that occasionally put you in danger. Frankly, I think you should be more furious than you are." He finished rather lackluster given what he had just said.
I take it back. Not going how I expected. She thought with some surprise.
"So, if you aren't here to talk me down, why are you here?" She asked with suspicion.
"I'm here to answer any questions you still have." He replied.
She gave him her usual suspicious raised eyebrow, with a dubious look thrown in for good measure. "Really?"
"Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." He rattled off.
"Buddha?" she asked, trying to see through what game he was playing.
"Top marks. And yes, I am. So, let's get everything out in the open. No more secrets." He reiterated. He swept the arm that wasn't leaning on the rail outward. Opening himself in a gesture of 'take your best shot.'
But Lena decided to take that offer and start with the most basic issue. "Is your name really Harry Evans, or is that just an alias?"
His face scrunched in thought for a moment, and Lena was sure he was trying to think of a passable lie. She prepared herself to spot the tiniest muscle twitch or micro expression to reveal whatever fabrications he came up with.
"It's a little of both honestly." He replied after a moment. Lena just gave him a skeptical raised eyebrow.
"Harry is my real first name, but Evans is my mother's maiden name. I use it when I want to keep a low profile." Shockingly, Lena found that she believed that. But he still hadn't answered her question.
"My real name is Harry Potter." He finished with an almost expectant note to his voice.
Lena didn't say anything for a moment. Because despite Lilian's efforts to the contrary, even she had read a few fiction books. And she certainly recognized that name. "Either Harry is a family name, or your parents have an interesting sense of humor. I can't think of another reason they would name you aft- "
SNAP
CLINK
Lena cut herself off when Harry snapped his fingers and the bottle she had left on her minibar appeared on the stone railing between them with a pair of her crystal tumblers. Another 'snap' of his fingers and the cork came loose with an abnormally loud 'pop' and floated in the air above the rim of the bottle.
Then, like a puppeteer manipulating strings, he started using his finger to direct the bottle to float up, tilt and pour some scotch into both of their tumblers, before coming back to rest on the railing. And the cork lodged itself back in the neck.
Lena could only stare in awe, eyes as wide as pie plates, as she watched the man in front of her take a sip from his drink. At first, she tried to explain what she just witnessed. Floating the bottle could easily be explained as telekinesis. But the way he had made the bottle just 'pop' out of thin air in front of her was harder to explain.
He is a speedster, so he can move faster than my eyes could see. No, moving that fast would create a burst of displaced air. Standing this close, I would have noticed it. Maybe some form of technology. A portable trans-matter portal would allow him to move an object form one location to another. No, the residual particles would give off a momentary flash of light that I also would have noticed. Lena played out possibility after possibility. Going down a list of every piece of technology, metahuman power, and alien ability that she knew. None fit the given evidence. By the time Harry threw back the last of his drink Lena could come to only one conclusion.
Magic. It was actual magic at work. And if magic was real, then that meant…
"How is this possible?" She asked in barely a whisper.
Harry just smiled before he began to tell her everything. He held nothing back from her. Who he was, what he was, where he had been (in part at least. He had been to too many places to convey in one conversation. They would be there all night) The whole time he talked, Lena barely said a word beyond asking the occasional clarifying question.
Although, she did react to a certain piece of information. "So, the theory of the multiverse is accurate. That is fascinating." It wasn't the wide-eyed look of astonishment or the glare of disbelief he saw so often during conversations like this. instead, Lena just looked thoughtful. Personally, Harry was impressed with Lena's Zen acceptance of this information. It certainly made things easier.
All the while her glass remained untouched. Until Harry finally stopped talking, then she threw back the whole thing in one gulp.
"Let me see if I have this strait." She began while refilling her tumbler. "The multiverse is real. You're Harry Potter, from another Earth. The books written about your life are real, if a little inaccurate. You're on our Earth as part of your parole because you pissed off the entities that exist in the Speed Force. Which is some kind of dimensional mortar made of exotic forms of energy. And now you travel to different Earths as a punishment until you can balance some arbitrary scale of good and evil. Did I get that write?"
He nodded at each point she rattled off until the last. "All except for the part about this being a punishment. Its more accurate to say that this is my atonement. My punishment was…" He paused. Lena wasn't sure what made him stop. But her stomach felt hollow as he seemed to age before her eyes. He didn't suddenly turn gray with wrinkles or anything like that. But his eyes looked so tired it made her heart ache.
Lena could tell that he was caught somewhere between memory and nightmare. And the look on his face scared her. Until he seemingly snapped out of it. Then he appeared normal again. "Worse than you can possibly imagine."
He was certainly keeping his promise about being honest. She didn't believe he intended to reveal that. Her first instinct was to ask him what he meant, (what memory he had just relived) but something held her back. Probably the way his smile suddenly became so strained. Switching gears like that had her very worried about his mental health.
Unwilling to risk opening old wounds, she decided to leave that subject alone… for now.
"So, you really came here just to answer my questions, not to try and get me to forgive Kara?" She asked him calmly. Her temper having long since cooled.
"What would be the point. You've already forgiven her." Lena shouldn't have taken a drink just then, because her scotch nearly went down the wrong pipe.
"What the 'cough' hell are you talking about?" She demanded through the coughs, some of her earlier fire returning.
Harry gave her a disappointed look. "Come now Lena, I've been honest with you, the least you can do is return the favor."
She pointed an accusing finger at him. "I have not forgiven Kara. She and her so called friends have been lying to me and laughing behind my back about it for over a year. They used me, manipulated me, and didn't give a damn how it affected me." She stopped there as his motivations for this conversation suddenly became clearer to her. "Is that why you think I've forgiven her? Because Dumbledore did the same thing to you and you were foolish enough to forgive him?"
"Oh, bloody hell no." He actually looked disgusted at the insinuation. "I never forgave Dumbledore for a damn thing he did to me. As far as I'm concerned, the man can rot in hell where he belongs." Harry finished ranting. Then his voice turned soft again. "I did forgive Ron and Hermione though."
Lena narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Ron and Hermione? Now I'm confused. They didn't do anything like what Kara did to me." Her voice went quiet, speaking more to herself then to him. "They didn't treat you like a villain."
Harry just shook his head at her, giving no indication he heard the last part. "You're thinking about this all wrong. Kara didn't keep information from you to manipulate you like Dumbledore did to me. Kara kept things from you because people who know who she is have targets on their backs. If you want an example; I read a report from about a year ago, about Alex being kidnapped and held hostage until Kara agreed to break somebody out of jail."
"But when did your friends- "
"Summer I turned fifteen. Dumbledore kept me in a communications blackout. Ron and Hermione wanted to tell me about the order of the phoenix and where the headquarters was located. But even if they hadn't been constrained by the Fidelius charm they couldn't put any of that in a letter for fear of it being intercepted. Do you see the difference?" Harry looked at her expectantly. Silently praying for her to hear what he was saying, too understand.
And she did, to a degree. He was right about how Kara's actions were more akin to his friends rather than his headmasters. But she didn't understand how he could think she had already forgiven Kara. Or how he could claim to have forgiven 'them' so easily. That just didn't track with what she had read.
"And you're right. I didn't walk in the door and decide, 'all is forgiven.' I ranted, I raved, I punched a hole in the bedroom wall," Harry paused as Lena giggled at the picture he was painting in her mind. The image of Daniel Radcliffe throwing a temper tantrum occupying her thoughts for a moment. "But in the end, I was just so happy to see them that I didn't care how long they kept me in the dark. Because that's what you do for family. You forgive."
"That hasn't been my experience with family." Lena sulked as she took another sip of scotch.
"Only because you've set the wrong standard for what family is. You think it means a blood relation. Technically, Draco Malfoy was my second cousin on my fathers' side. Do you think I consider him family? And don't even get me started on the Dursleys." Lena thought about that for a second before he continued. "Family are the people who are there for you, not just when you are at your best, but when you're at your worst. The people who are there when you need them, not just when it's convenient. Does that sound like Kara to you?"
Of all the questions he had asked her, Lena didn't even have to think about that one. It was an unequivocal yes.
Lena raised an eyebrow as the look on his face turned smug. "So, are we still pretending you haven't already forgiven her?"
She had to stop and think for a moment. Had she forgiven Kara? She still felt so angry at her. But on the other hand, everything he said had a certain logic that she didn't really disagree with.
Her finger tapped the side of her tumbler for a moment. "You're right. Our relationship will have to change, but your right. I'll tell her I forgive her in a few days."
Harry looked at her expectantly. "Why wait a few days? Why not just call her up right now? I know she's been calling and texting you almost every hour ever since you stormed out of the DEO."
Lena took another sip of scotch and sent him a mischievous grin before answering. "She lied to me for over a year. I figure I'm entitled to watch her sweat it out for at least a full week."
Harry just nodded in acquiescence. Given the circumstances, even Kara wouldn't object to allowing Lena a little petty revenge.
But Lena still had one more question to ask him.
"Why do you care?" Now Harry was the one who looked confused. Lena clarified. "Whether or not I forgive Kara. Do her feelings really mean that much to you? Because I didn't think you were that close."
Harry just scoffed and shook his head. "I don't care about Kara's feelings. I don't play therapist to the superheroes because I have some selfless desire to save everyone. And I certainly don't get my kicks listening to people, who all had better lives' than me, complain about them. I do it because I was, quite literally, put on this Earth to help however I could. Whether it's saving the world from an alien invasion, talking some poor soul off a ledge, or helping a little old lady cross the street. If there is the slightest chance that it fulfills my obligation to the Speed Force so I can move on to the next Earth, then I will do whatever I have too."
Ok, so not a total altruist. Good to know. But the man wasn't done yet.
"I do care about your feelings though."
This night is just full of surprises. "Why do you care about my feelings?"
Harry opened his mouth to respond, but stopped. Instead, he snapped his fingers again and the letter opener that was supposed to be in her desk draw popped into existence next to them.
"If I just told you, I know you wouldn't believe me. I will just have to show you." Harry explained as he removed his gauntlet. Before picking up the letter opener and make a small cut along his palm. He handed the letter opener with his blood on it to her. And Lena accepted it with some confusion.
"I'll be back tomorrow night. We can discuss the results of the tests you're going to run on my blood then." He threw back the last of his drink, dawned his helmet, and was gone in a blink. Leaving behind a bewildered Lena holding a bloody letter opener.
-o0o-
The next morning, Alex walked out of the house with their bags, with Kara following close behind with the keys in her hand. Which Alex privately thought was a little funny. Of the two of them, her sister was the one who could bench press a building yet she was the one who was carrying the luggage.
Reaching J'onn's car, she took a look around at her childhood home. She felt so much lighter then when the two of them arrived a few days ago. I didn't realize how much I had needed this.
She turned around at the sound of their mother fast walking after them. Holding a tote bag out to them "Sandwiches, sparkling water, and pie." She said by way of explanation.
Kara tilled her head back and smiled at the heavens before looking at Eliza. "You are the best." Was all Alex could hear as she put the bags into the back seat. The rest of their words were too quiet for her to catch. And she waited for them to finish hugging before moving towards her mother for her own goodbye.
Eliza framed Alex's cheeks with her hands. "My strong girl. Brave girl."
Alex shook her head at her words still not really feeling strong or brave. "Not yet."
Her mother just smiled "No rush." She pulled her into a hug and whispered "I love you." And Alex responded in kind.
Eliza told them good bye and to drive safe and they were off. Both of them blatantly ignoring the text from J'onn saying that if they scratched his car he would put them in containment. But it was still a good thing Alex was the one driving. It still puzzled her how Kara could have super hearing, x-ray vision, and lightning fast reflexes, and yet she was still a hazard behind the wheel. No matter how much Kara insists "Opossums come out of nowhere."
-o0o-
Lena wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in her office. She glanced out the window.
Hours.
That's how long she had been sitting in her office. Long enough for the sun to have set, for Jess to have gone home and for her to have nearly finished a bottle of her favorite scotch. She knew it was dangerous for her to indulge this much but given what was staring back at her from her computer... well, she needed to take the edge off.
Nothing more than pure curiosity had made her rush the results so quickly. But now that she had them, she didn't know what to do with them. More importantly, she didn't know how this was even possible.
It isn't possible. Either the lab made a mistake, or he somehow compromised the results. She kept telling herself that, kept trying to deny it. But she knew she was lying to herself. And even more frightening, a part of her wanted it to be true. But Lena was stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that part, for now.
A familiar whoosh coming from her balcony had her practically jumping to her feet. When she turned to face him, he wasn't making his way into the office like she had come to expect from another superhero. No, he wasn't even facing her. He was leaning against the balcony edge, his helmet resting next to him, staring at the city like he had been there for as many hours as she had.
Yesterday, she had been cordial because she had planned to play him for information. His honesty had managed to buy him some good will. But that good will had dried up as soon as she saw the test results. She didn't know what kind of game he was playing with her, but she was going to put a stop to it now.
Violently yanking the glass door open and stomping her way over to him she pointed an accusing finger at him, while still holding her whiskey tumbler. "Is this some kind of game to you? Do you get some kind of sick pleasure out of toying with me? Because I had to grow up surrounded by people who did that on a daily basis, and if you think I'm going to let you do the same then I will make you regret it. I will bring your whole world crashing down on your head if you don't tell me right now exactly how this is possible."
Harry was silent for a moment (a moment that seemed to last forever to Lena) before finally speaking. "You're aware that I'm a speedster." He didn't need to turn his head to know she nodded her head. Slightly exacerbated by such a blatant statement of the obvious. "And you are aware of the fact that I came to this Earth from another point in the multiverse?"
This time Harry did turn to see her reaction. Lena's face was carefully neutral. She wasn't going to give him anything to read the situation with.
Anyway, moving on. "Well, I've traveled to multiple different Earths, and I've actually met a few different versions of you. Not only different versions of Lena Luthor, but also different doppelgängers of you." Harry paused for a moment to let Lena wrap her head around that before continuing.
"On one Earth you were an evil sorceress during medieval times, and you were trying to take over a great kingdom. On another Earth you were an actress named Katie McGrath. On another Earth you were the personal assistant to a woman named Claire who ran a ...very unique theme park." He seemed lost in thought for a moment.
Lena let Harry organize his thoughts. She had something more personal to consider.
The idea that on another Earth she was an evil power-hungry sorceress sadly didn't surprise her (after all if there really was an Earth for every decision ever made, then it stood to reason there was at least a few Earths where she chose to give in to her worst impulses) The idea of her being an actress or being somebodies personal assistant was a little strange though. And she briefly wondered how unique a theme park would have to be to make him pause.
After a moment, Harry shook his head and continued. "But my absolute favorite version of you was on Earth-1383. I loved that world. It was almost exactly like my own except for one major detail." The look on his face was strange. Wistful but with a touch of pain around his eyes. "There was no Voldemort."
Now Lena knew what that look was: longing. That's what it was. He longed to go back to that Earth. but why? She could understand why that Earth was special to him. But what was so important about her on that Earth? He must have seen the question on her face because he answered it.
"The one flaw was that there was no 'me' on that Earth either. Apparently, without a Voldemort to fight, Fate didn't see a reason to create a Harry Potter on that Earth. So, in January of 1980 my mother had a miscarriage when she was pregnant with her first child." Harry pushed off the banister and turned to face her fully. The gravity of what he was about to say starting to press down on Lena. "It was more than a little infuriating to think that I might only exist because I was needed to fight Voldemort. As if Fate decided that that was to be the sum total of my life. Like I had no right to more."
Lena wasn't sure how she was supposed to respond to a statement like that. But what ever she might have said Harry just waved it aside, digressing back to his original explanation.
"But mom wouldn't let one miscarriage stop her. She wanted kids of her own. I mean you know what she was like. Wouldn't let anything hold her back. And in 1983 she carried a baby to term. A little girl who would grow up to be a dark haired, green eyed beauty with an absolutely brilliant mind. Can you guess who I'm talking about Lena?"
Lena was having trouble breathing. He couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying. Yes, she remembered her mother. She grew up in Ireland but had been born in Wales, England. She had red hair and green eyes that Lena inherited. She was unfailingly kind but with a dangerous temper when angered. But she wasn't a witch. She didn't attend magic school in a thousand-year-old castle. And yes, her mother gave birth to her in 1983 but he couldn't seriously be suggesting...
It's just not possible. He can't be saying that his mother and my mother are-... Were-. Because that would make him my-. Tears she refused to let fall were gathering in the corners of her eyes. Lena had started to back away from him, but he didn't let her get far. A gentle hand on her shoulder was all it took to freeze her in place with her eyes trapped by the soft look on his face. A dark, cold part of her told her to turn and run away. But another part urged her to let him finish.
"Your mother on this Earth was the doppelgänger of my mother on my home Earth. That's why the test you ran on my blood revealed a familial match. Because, genetically, I'm your big brother."
-o0o-
Well that was it. The big idea that stalled me for months. I had originally planned to use Lena as a red herring. A diversion to keep everybody guessing who Harry was going to end up with. But then this idea came to me and wouldn't leave me alone. I hope its so surprising it keeps you guys and gals on the edge of your seats until the next chapter when we witness how it changes things.
You know, I had originally planned to make it a short filler chapter. Just a set up for next chapter when things really go to hell in a hand basket, what with them finding Mon-El and the appearance of another iconic speedster things are really going to take a turn (nudge, nudge. Wink, wink). But this chapter really got away from me.
You know, I start each chapter with a simple idea of what I want to happen. But as I write these ideas and interactions come to me, and I have to decide what I can and can't (or shouldn't) include. And by the time I realize it's not a little chapter anymore, I'm suddenly overwhelmed by all the things I still want to include, I don't know if I can do it justice.
Writing is harder than it looks is all I'm saying. So, I understand why there still haven't been any new crossover stories. But after I got a few reviews (and flames) last chapter, I realized that there was a point that I want to make to all the potential authors reading this. And I hope that it will inspire you all enough that you feel the need to share it with others.
If you have an idea for a story and you aren't writing it because you don't feel like writing, that's fine. If you aren't writing because you're not satisfied with it, that's fine too. But if you aren't writing because you're afraid of flames or negative reviews, that's not fine. You're never going to get everybody to like your work. But here's the thing they don't want you to know: the flamers don't matter. If you love a story, you don't write it for the flamers, you write it for yourself. You write it because you want to get an idea out of your head, or you just want to see if you can do it. Whatever your reason. And if a few people liked what you wrote enough to comment on it, then that's great. But you write your story for yourself. Not the fans, and certainly not the flamers.
Enough with the heavy stuff. I hope everybody liked that moment in Edge's office. A few of you might have recognized it from the 90's Superman and Batman animated series, where Batman and Superman met for the first time. My little homage to my favorite 'way back in the day' television series.
I'd like to take a moment and correct an error from last chapter that a fan was kind enough to point out. 'Magical melodies' was supposed to be 'magical maladies.' I think autocorrect screwed me and I just didn't notice. But I don't feel too bad, I mean who hasn't had that happen.
But it does highlight just how badly I'm in need of a new beta reader. I've been in contact with War sage, and he still isn't in a position to beta and I haven't been able to reach kathryn518 in months. I hope the pandemic didn't get her. And with any luck the two of them will be in a position to return sometime in the future. But for the moment, I am in the market for a new beta. Anybody interested? PM me and we can talk.
On that note, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Good morning, good afternoon, and good night.