THIRD PERSON (KARA'S P. O. V.)
Kara landed at the door of the office, J'onn had said that it was important, so she hadn't wasted any time before flying there, kind of scared about what was going on.
When J'onn opened the door, her gaze focused on an unconscious teenage girl that was laying on the couch, Brainy checking the girl's vitals.
She walked closer to the girl, observing her suit, similar to hers with the crest of the House of El on her chest, but which worried her the most was that the whole suit was covered in blood, a small hole in her right side.
"Who is she?" she asked pointing at her.
"Halley" J'onn answered as she frowned observing the teenager again.
How could it be possible? Her cousin was only seven years old. However, the girl that she had in front had the exact same features as her aunt Astra, her dark brown hair framing her face.
"She's from the future" J'onn told her as she turned to look at them.
"How can you be sure?" she questioned still frowning, it couldn't be true.
"She is Halley, her DNA is the same as your cousin" Brainy answered. "Why are you so surprised? I'm from the future as well" he told her as she kneeled in front of the teenager, What was that girl doing at the past?
She grabbed the necklace that the girl was wearing, it was the one she had gifted her in her sixth birthday.
At that moment she closed her eyes confused, they didn't even know what it meant for the teenager to be at that time, if it wouldn't change anything at the future.
Fear, incomprehension and uncertainty appeared in Halley's face once she opened her eyes, those blue eyes that she would be able to recognize everywhere, observing how the girl tried to get up, but falling at her back with her hands on her right side just by the place of the hole.
"Hey, it's okay" she whispered gently putting her hand on the girl's shoulder, Halley looking at her.
"Kar..." it was barely a whisper.
"I know, sweetheart" she told her, wanting to calm her down. "How old are you?" she asked.
"Sixteen" it was a clear answer, but still a whisper, the girl not even looking at her.
"Okay, Do you know how you got here?" she questioned observing how the teenager nodded, but kind of insecured.
"I was using Mon-El's ring... I wanted to help, but..." the sixteen year old wasn't really sure how she had ended up at that time. "I have to go back, I don't even know if they're looking for me" the future version of her cousin looked at her in tears as she felt her heart clenching, she would be desperated to know where Halley was or if her cousin was in danger.
"That could take days, we have to figure out how you got here" Brainy said as panic appeared in the girl's face, who looked away again.
"Don't worry, we will get it" she smiled getting the teenager to look at her.
That time Halley sat up, her head bowed down in her own thoughts as she could observed the trace of the tears that were already running down her cheeks.
"Can I go outside?" the girl asked.
"Yeah, sure" she answered shortly before the teenager walked outside. "What are we going to do?"
"Bring her back to her time" Brainy answered.
"Apart from that, you said it could take days" she commented.
"Well, she's basically your cousin... You can take her in" the coluan shrugged his shoulders.
"She's sixteen, I'm not ready to take care of a teenager" she couldn't avoid panicking. "What am I going to tell Halley?" she asked, the child was going to make questions.
"Isn't she staying at a friend's?" J'onn asked, to what she nodded. "We have time to thik about an answer" he said as she sighed, the teenager was staying with her.
"Okay, I'm going to talk to her" she told them before walking outside, finding the teenager sitting on the ground under the sunlight. "Hey, What are you thinking about?" she asked sitting beside her, the girl just shaking her head without even looking at her. "You look exactly like your mother" she couldn't avoid commenting, a smile in her cousin's face.
"You always say it" Halley looked at her still smiling.
"Well, it's true" she smiled back. "You're stuck with me until we can return you back to your time" she explained observing how the girl nodded. "Halley is staying at a friend's, so it's just you and I for today" she told her.
"Aria's" the teenager whispered as she frowned, it was still weird to think that the person she had in front was her baby cousin.
HALLEY'S P. O. V
I didn't talked to much during the way to Kara's apartment, just barely answering her questions, there were so many things that I couldn't tell her. I couldn't risk to change the future.
I stood by the door the moment we walked in, observing how everything was as I remembered it, it had been so long since the last time I had been there.
"Are you okay?" Kara asked when she noticed that I wasn't moving.
"Yeah" I gave her a weak smile. "It just... It's been so long... Everything is as I remembered it" I tried to explained, a bright smile in my face when I saw the puppy that was running to us. "Comet!" I exclaimed kneeling while opening my arms to receive him. "Hi, boy" I hugged him tightly, the puppy trying to lick my face.
I stood up a little after playing with Comet, walking over my old room, wanting to see the thing that I had missed the most from that apartment.
I caressed with my fingertips the blue dragon that was painted in the wall, still amazed by it as tears started to run down my cheeks.
"You still like dragons, huh?" Kara asked standing at the door.
"I've never stopped liking them" I said sitting on the bed.
"So you're a superhero" my cousin commented sitting beside me.
"No, not really" I shook my head.
"But you're wearing a suit" she pointed out making me nodded while observing it, it was stained in blood.
"Winn made it for me, but your future self still believe that I'm not ready" I answered bowing my head. "I'm going to be grounded for sure" I added in just a whisper, which Kara seemed to hear.
"What? Why?" Kara asked.
"Because it's the second time that trying to help I ended up messing things even more" I answered not looking at her. "I've been training for years, but you won't let me get out there" I explained.
"Maybe it's because I don't think you're ready" my cousin commented as I shook my head.
"I'm ready" I looked straight into her eyes.
Kara decided not to keep asking about that, which I was thankful for, the memories of what happened that day, flooding in my mind so easily.
"I have to go back to CatCo" Kara said making to look at her.
"Can I stay here?" I asked seeing her frown. "I'm not going to burn the apartment like Mon-El almost did with the mac and cheese" I assured her observing how she laughed lightly.
"Rao, that was truly scary" Kara laughed. "Okay, here you go, change to something comfy" she said offering me some swear pants and a t-shirt, which I accepted before going to the bathroom. "See, that's better" she smiled once I was back at the living room. "It has my number and J'onn's in it, call me if you need anything" she gave me a smartphone, making me observe it kind of confused.
"How does it work?" I asked.
"You're serious?" my cousin laughed.
"What? It's slightly different from the one I normally use" I answered as she just shook her head still laughing.
My cousin showed me how the phone worked before leaving to CatCo, so I made myself comfortable on the couch with Comet sitting next to me, just like the old times.
By the time Kara came back, I had already ordered takeaway, pizza and Chinese food, so my cousin didn't hesitate to sit next to me and pick up the potstickers' tray.
"I was thinking about making dinner, but I think you know how to use a phone to ordered food" she chuckled as I laughed. "I definitely raised you" she commented making me to look at her, seeing how she smiled. "Tomorrow you're coming with me, okay? It's not that I don't trust you here all by yourself, but you need to go out" Kara looked at me.
"What are we going to tell them? I mean, I can't be telling them my true identity" I explained, not knowing how everyone else was going to react to that.
"Well, everyone knows except for Alex and Lena" Kara answered. "But, yes, we need a story for you" she finally nodded.
We both remained in silence, like if we were truly thinking about a story that could be realistic, so none could suspect about it, but it was kind of difficult so I stopped paying attention to that only to think what would they be doing in my time? If they were looking for me or how my cousin had reacted to me disappearing.
"Halley" Kara snapped her fingers in front of my face so I would listen to her. "I was saying that we can tell them that you're Halley's older sister and you've came to visit" she explained getting ready to keep talking.
"Wait, how is that going to work?" I questioned.
"I don't know, but it's the only thing that I can think of" she shrugged her shoulders as I barely nodded. "Hey, What's wrong?" she asked.
"I... Sometimes I wonder how things would have been if my mother had been alive" I answered in a whisper. "Wouldn't things be easier?" I looked at her, observing how she was confused by my sudden question. "I mean, you wouldn't have been so worried about me... I wouldn't have been your responsibility" I looked down, feeling her hand on my shoulder to pull me into a hug.
"At first I was insecure about taking care of you, I didn't know if I was doing it right... I don't regret finding you at Fort Rozz, Halley" Kara whispered gently stroking my hair. "I was sent to Earth to take care of Kal-El, I am fulfilling my mission with you and I can't be more proud to see the amazing woman you've grown up to be" she explained increasing the strength of the hug. "You're so kind hearted, you've always been, smart and brilliant... I have to be doing something right, if you turned out to be like this" she commented as I laughed a little. "One more thing, give me the ring before you do a stupid thing"
"I'm not traveling to the past... Again" I pulled away from her. "And it's not like I can, Brainy took it with him" I explained.
"You said Mon-El's ring as the one he gave me? Or his ring?" my cousin asked as I looked at her, I couldn't answer to that question.
"I can't tell you" I shook my head.
"It could change the future, right?" she questioned, to what I nodded. "What can you tell me about yourself?"
I looked away for a few seconds, not really knowing what I could tell her, I needed to be careful with my words, so I could assured that it would be difficult.
THIRD PERSON (KARA'S P.O.V)
The sixteen year old Halley had ended up falling asleep at the end of the movie, her head resting on her shoulder as she kept the embrace.
She had been asking questions about her for most of the night, just wanting to know her better, what she liked or disliked, her favorites things to do... But after having that conversation she could tell that the teenager wasn't as different as she thought from the seven year old Halley.
However, if there was something that surprised her was that the girl hadn't gotten over her mother's death, that was still a hard subject for her cousin to talk about. It's not like she could blame her, she spent years without wanting to talk about Krypton, about how her planet died.
She stood up when she heard a knock on the door, gently laying Halley on the couch before covering her with a blanket.
"I'm sorry it's late, but I wanted to see how things were going" J'onn whispered after observing that the teenager was asleep.
"They're going pretty good" she answered confident. "It's still a little weird, but it's Halley after all" she explained.
"I'm glad to hear that, this might be weird for her too" J'onn told her, making her nod. "Did she tell you what happened today?" he asked.
"Umm, yeah, she said that she was trying to help two aliens from being kidnapped by Lockwood agents, but... They have kryptonite bullets" she answered emphasizing her last words. "It's dangerous out there, not just for me, but for them, if she dies in this time... And what if something happens to Halley?" she questioned being worried about her cousin safety.
"She won't die in this time and nothing is going to happen to Halley" J'onn tried to calm her down. "Brainy is working on finding out how she got here, he doesn't expect it to take him so many time" he explained to what she nodded.
She had loved to meet her teenage cousin, but that girl was from another time and she needed to go back there as soon as possible.
HALLEY'S P. O. V
"It's time to wake up!" Kara exclaimed as I groaned.
"What time is it?" I asked when I opened my eyes, it was barely dawning. "It's too early" I complained.
"No, it's time to get ready, we're leaving in twenty minutes" she explained as I put a pillow over my head. "Halley, I'm being serious" she pulled the pillow away.
I rolled my eyes before getting up to get ready, but stopping once I realized that I didn't have more clothes than my superhero suit.
"I have that covered, here, try this on" Kara said giving me one of her dresses and a pair of shoes before I walked into the bathroom. "It looks nice on you" she smiled once I was out.
I barely had breakfast, not because I wasn't hungry, but because Kara didn't let me, saying that we were going to be late, so I wasn't surprised when she chose to fly to get to CatCo.
I spent most of the morning sitting in a chair while observing how she was working on an article... Well, not exactly, she was working on finding where Lex Luthor was hiding and I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn't say any information that I knew.
My attention was drawn to one of the TV screens, the images of Supergirl attacking the White House appeared in it.
"Red Daughter" I muttered under my breath, not wanting to be heard, but my cousin turned her head to look at me.
"What did you say?" she asked making shook my head. "Do you know who she is?" she questioned, but I just looked away.
"I can't give you all the information I have, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure about how it's going to change the timeline" I told her as she sighed while frowning. "I can tell you that her name is Red Daughter and she's like you" I whispered.
"What do you mean like me?" she asked.
"Overgirl" I answered, her eyes opening widely at the information.
"What's happening?" We both turned our heads when Nia asked. "Everything okay?" she questioned making both of us to nod. "Who's going to pick up Halley from school?"
"Oh, Rao..., I'm going to call Emily" Kara said getting up from the chair as a memory flooded in my mind.
"I can stay with her..." I offered getting my cousin to look at me while shaking her head. "It's myself who I'm going to take care of... I know my seven year old self better that anyone" I tried to convince her, I couldn't let that memory happen, at least being at that time could let me avoid my childhood traumas.
"No, the two of you in the same place without supervision, that's not happening" my cousin answered before walking away.
"So how is the future?" Nia asked.
"Different" I answered frowning.
"What's wrong?" the girl questioned after observing me.
"I don't like what's coming next" I muttered, knowing everything that would happen after that night.
THIRD PERSON (LITTLE HALLEY'S P. O. V)
The seven year old opened her eyes slowly, blinking at the new amount of light while trying to remember what had happened after Emily had picked her up from school.
She looked around herself. It was kind of infirmary, the walls were brightly white, it hurt to look at them, so she needed to look away, focusing on herself, she was wearing a hospital gown, her wrists were handcuffed to the stretcher with kryptonite handcuffs, which were starting to burn.
Everything in her mind was blurry, she didn't know where she was, why she was there or even how she got there... Who were her captors?
A scream made her shiver, the last time she had heard someone screamed like that was in one of her father's torturings, when he would do horrible things to those who would betrayed their army.
She looked away when the door opened, recognizing the voice that was calling her name, being relieved when her eyes met hers.
"Eve" she whispered as the woman approached her.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, you're safe" Eve smiled brushing her dark hair away from her face. "She's awake, she's ready to meet him" the woman whispered to a man that had entered with her.
At that moment she frowned, how it was possible for Eve to know that she was a Kryptonian and who she was supposed to meet.
When the door opened again a bald man came inside the room, smiling widely at the sight of her being awake.
"I see my little Kryptonian is awake" he commented while approaching her. "I'm Lex, What's your name?" he asked as she looked away feeling intimitated. "Oh, I see you're shy, well maybe tomorrow you're more talkative, kiddo" he pinched her cheek before signaling to other man to approach them.
She shook her head when she saw the kryptonite syringe in the bald man's hand, breathing with agitation as she predicted the pain she was going to feel.
The man just caressed with his fingertips her neck before the needle pierced her skin as tears starting to fall down her cheeks. The pain was unbearable.
"Sweet dreams, little one" he heard him whisper shortly before lost consciousness.
Hi!
Like I said, I'm really enjoying writing the scenes with teenage Halley, but it's also needed to keep telling little Halley's story, so that's why I added the last part of this chapter.
I didn't want for Kara to be cold with the teenager, I can't imagine her being like that, I think she would try to take her in and take care of her without even thinking about it. Plus it's just Halley a little older, it's still her baby cousin.
As for the last bit at CatCo, Halley wanting to take care of herself as a child is kind of a warning, she's trying to tell Kara what would happen, but without wanting to scared her.
Thanks so much for reading, let me know what you think,
Ayrin