Chapter 36

Metropolis Docks...

Rage. Blinding, unadulterated rage. If it was possible for the half-Kryptonian to literally see red everything in this entire vicinity would be reduced to ashes by now but as she can't she'll settle for her hands around Rose Wilson's throat.

However, as their fights always seem to go, Rose impossibly dodges the initial charge, throwing a blinding powder in her wake.

If Mia was thinking rationally she would curse herself for always falling for this but she isn't thinking rationally, only emotionally so, like last time, she once again misses the inhaler that is being casually tossed through the air until it strikes her right between the eyes.

"I am going to take great pleasure in ripping out your eye this time, sweetie-pie," Rose promises.

"Grrr!" Mia growls as she once again charges, only to be met with a spinning kick that this time has superpowered strength behind it, sending the Latino superhero flying into the wall, through the wall and onward until she is crashing outside.

Rose breaks into a run as she chases after. She made a promise after Alaska that the Angel of Vengeance was as good as dead and if Rose Wilson is anything, she is a woman of her word.


"Look at you," Isabella Rojas remarks as she takes in her daughter, moving some of Andrea's long hair to the side to give herself a clear view of the face. "You've gotten lovelier. Motherhood agrees with you."

"Mamá," Andrea's voice chokes with emotion. "Is it really you?"

"Yes."

That's all Andrea needs to hear as she literally throws herself into her mother's waiting arms and sobs out years worth of pent-up grief.

"That's it. Let it all out," Isabella tells her daughter in her most soothing, motherly tones.

It takes a long time but eventually Andrea manages to get coherent enough to ask the pertinent question. "Am I dead?"

"Yes."

Andrea looks back at stares at her mother incredulously. "You couldn't have cushioned that a little bit?"

"You always said you wanted me to take things seriously."

"I never said that."

"You implied it."

"Ay Dios mio!" Andrea complains at how her mother remain the same infuriating person.

"You should be more careful saying that around here," her mother cautions.

"Can you never just let me win one?"

"When you stop taking life so seriously," her mother makes a condition.

"But I'm dead…oh God…I'm dead," she says aghast as it finally starts to sink in.

Isabella escorts her daughter into one of the pews and sits her down. "Here now. Remain calm," she tells her daughter as she gently rubs Andrea's back.

"Mia. What about Mia?" Andrea has to ask after, almost frantic now.

"Mia is fine…and beautiful by the way. It was nice of you to remember me when you named her."

"Must you be so flippant?" the younger Rojas complains.

"Got you off your panic attack didn't it."

Andrea covers her face with her hands.

"Breathe deeply."

"I'm dead."

"It's a psychological thing. For once listen to your mother."

"I always listened to you."

Isabella scoffs loudly. "Andrea, honey, now I'm dead I know about all the things you got up to you never told me about."

"Oh Lord!" Andrea says in horror. Like she told Clark once she was far from a model Catholic.

"It's actually not a good likeness."

"What?"

Isabella points at the image of Christ on the cross. "Of the Lord. He doesn't really look like that."

Andrea blinks and looks at her mother incredulously. "Seriously?!"

"Yes. Seriously. Now are you ready to talk?"

"No."

"It's the Snake thing isn't it," she says in reference to the man who killed her and who Andrea killed in return.

"Please Mamá. I can't," Andrea begs, her voice breaking, looking away, not wanting her mother to see her shame.

"You need to. It is weighing down your soul."

"He killed you. He killed you," Andrea sobs. "And I was useless. Helpless. I just stood there and watched it happen."

"But you got your vengeance didn't you."

"Please. I can't," Andrea's voice cracking up more and more. She can't talk to her mother about this.

"You can't what? Tell me what you told Clark? How Snake deserved it?"

"He did deserve it!" she snaps angrily

"But it didn't bring you the peace you thought it would, did it though?"

Silence.

Isabella carries on. "Quite the contrary. It left you hollow inside so you tried to make that go away by attempting to kill Lionel Luthor. Tell me, sweetheart what do you think you would have felt if you had succeeded. Would Luthor's death have brought you peace?"

After a long pause there is a very quiet, "No." Andrea gathers herself to unleash her confession. Ironic in this place? Maybe. "I was wrong. It's not for me to decide who gets to live and who gets to die but I was so angry. I couldn't see anything beyond my grief. He took you from me and he had to pay but you were right. It didn't make me feel better. It didn't fill the hole inside me. I imagine what would have happened if Clark hadn't stopped me from killing Luthor. I've woken up in cold sweats just thinking what sort of person I would be now."

"You would have just gone on to find another and another…"

"Please. Stop," Andrea begs, sickened by the mere idea of that.

"Andrea. Sweetheart. You're not lost. You're most certainly not damned. If you were we wouldn't be having this conversation. You are damaged and that damage cannot heal until you are willing to let it."

"I don't know how."

"By not doing it alone. You need to let someone inside. You need to not be afraid to show your vulnerable side. Honestly, I think deep down you know this if only that it comes from a feeling of loneliness."

Andrea for the first time in ages looks up, particularly at the image of Christ and tries to find an answer within.

"You have always been my strong, stubborn, overly serious…"

"Focussed!" Andrea corrects.

Isabella smiles. "There's my daughter," she says proudly.

"Am I?" Andrea asks seriously.

"Of course you are."

"Mamá…I ran away. From your work. Your legacy," she elaborates on why she asked the question. "I half-expected…"

"Me to kick your ass?"

"Yeah."

"I thought about it if it's any comfort."

"How is that any comfort?"

"Andrea. I'm not ashamed of you if that is your worry. I could never be. You are my daughter. I love you. For a moment you simply lost your way."

"You said I wasn't lost."

"Not now but back then, yes, you were lost but I've been watching you. It's taken awhile, longer than I thought admittedly but you are back on the right path. Honestly look at your life. You're a mother. A good one. You have made sure that Mia has everything that is important even at the cost of anything you might personally desire."

"Mia is everything."

"Is she? Weren't you on a date last night?"

"Oh no. No. Not happening. I am not discussing my love life with you," Andrea point blank refuses.

"What love life? You haven't been with anyone since that night Mia was conceived."

"Oh, this I have not missed," Andrea mutters as the way her mother has to poke her nose into everything.

"That's no way to speak of the dead," Isabella jokingly chastises her daughter.

"I'm also dead."

"Not exactly."

"Huh?"

"I must admit I wasn't entirely truthful first time you asked me that."

"Then what is the truth?"

"Call this a temporary stopover. Somewhere you needed to be. Andrea, you need to unburden your soul. To let go of your guilt. You made a mistake. You've admitted that,"

"Without guilt how do I know what I did was wrong? How do I stop myself repeating it?" the younger Rojas expresses her deeply hidden worries about her own character.

"Because I raised you. I know who you are. You're a good person. A little short-tempered, you get that from your father unfortunately."

"I'd rather have nothing from him," Andrea snaps shortly.

"Your anger is understandable but he is still your father. Half of what you are comes from him and I could never regret having you."

"Hnn."

Isabella shakes her head. "You are a good person. You know what is right and what is wrong. You need to learn to trust yourself again."

"Easier said than done."

"Perhaps if you do it alone but you don't need to be alone, sweetheart. You have people in your life who will help you. You need only ask them."

"I like my…"

"…independence. Believe me I know," the older Rojas says in a compliant. "At least think on it."

"Fine," Andrea huffs, feeling ridiculous that she is getting lectured by her mother. She's a grown woman dammit!

"It's time for you to go back now," Isabella says.

"What?! No. I…can't lose you again!" Andrea pleads.

"You've never lost me. I am part of you. Always but Mia needs you. You are the only one who can stop her now."

Andrea looks at her mother curiously. "What do you mean?"

"The grown-up one. From the…well a future. She is about to make the same mistake you did."

"What?!" Andrea gasps in anguish.

The older Rojas explains. "Clark thought he was protecting you by not telling you the truth. He didn't want to ruin the image you had of Mia. He's a good person but he can be a bit overprotective. Try not to hold it against him. To put it succinctly Mia came back in time to save your life…by killing the person who is meant to kill you."

"She's what? I would never ask her to do that. Never!" Andrea insists passionately. She would never ask her daughter to avenge her.

"She's just like you were 5 years ago. Lost in grief and pain."

"Send me back," Andrea demands. "I have to stop her. I have to make her understand."

"There it is. Did you not miss that passion?" Isabella asks her daughter who gives her a quizzical look in return. "Look, you may have been 'focussed' as you like to call it but what was it you were focussing, hmm? It was your passion but ever since you left Metropolis where has it been? You've been going through the motions of life rather than letting yourself feel it again."

Andrea finds herself contemplating whether that is true or not.

"Before you go here is my last piece of advice. Don't be afraid to show your vulnerable side. Don't be afraid to let others into your heart. Don't live out your life alone when you don't need to. Trust me, I know how that feels." Isabella looks her daughter square in the eye. "Goodbye Andrea. My little Angel," she says lovingly as she pulls her daughter into one last hug. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mamá. I…don't want you to go again."

"We'll see each other again but Mia needs you right now. You wouldn't want to deny her time with her mother would you."

Andrea closes her eyes tightly as the pain of her having no mother rushes in. No. She couldn't do that to her own daughter.

"Forgive yourself," are the last words she hears as the physical presence of her mother fades away and she finds herself falling…


Back on Earth Andrea's body remains slumped, lifeless, the continuous beep of the heart monitor remaining as VRA agents storm in.

One of them pushes Andrea's head back and then lets it as it slumps down once more. "She's gone," he reports.

"Where's Ravager?" another asks. "Shit, General Wilson will have our heads if anything happens to her," he says in fear of the reaction.

That's when the continuous drone of the heart monitor changes to beep…beep…beep.

"What the hell?" a 3rd agent asks the moment before Andrea's eyes snap open…along with the restraints which break with consummate ease. The agent flips his gun in her direction.

On instinct Andrea grabs it and crushes it in her hands. Her eyes widen momentarily in surprise before a dangerous gleam fills them, along with a wicked smile as she rises to her feet, her body giving off an aura of superhuman power.

"Get her!" someone shouts and the agents attack.


Meanwhile, Oliver has managed to find Tess and Emil. After exchanging the usual witty banter with his ex the trio were now trying to make their escape. Tess now armed with a gun she 'borrowed' off an agent.

"This is not the way out," Tess says.

"I need to find Supergirl first."

"She's here too?"

"Rose Wilson is here."

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh. Now do you want to explain to the Boy scout how we didn't stop her from killing the little wench?"

"Where is he?"

"Saving present day Mia. A squad had found Dinah…"

"…who was looking after her," Tess finishes, knowing, well more than she probably should about Clark's dating habits.

"Yeah so he went after her and I came here to rescue you and Supergirl followed me."

"Our lives are too complicated," the redhead complains.

"Yeah but what are you going to d-" he stops as an agent comes flying out a door, impacts the wall opposite and slumps down unconscious. "Stay here," he tells the other two as he goes investigate. He loads an arrow, ready to fire as he storms the room to find a certain Latino woman, snarling with rage, holding a man twice her size over her head with ease. "Easy there Glamazon. Put the agent of a tyrannical regime down and let us all remain alive and well."

"Be thankful you're a friend of Clark, Queen," Andrea tells him in none too friendly terms. Remember she ain't too fond of billionaires. To her they're the sort of people her mother used to have to fight constantly to try and protect the people in Suicide Slums. She tosses the man in her hands away and dusts them off. "Now, where's my daughter?"

"Have you tried the gaping hole in the wall?" Oliver asks back cheekily.

"Don't get smart, America's Most Wanted," she snaps back before stomping out the room, through said gaping hole.

"Ouch. That hurt," Oliver feigns before his eyes finally take in the room properly. The horror show it was.

"What were they doing to her?" Tess asks as she and Emil enter.

"You tell me. No seriously. Tell me," Oliver says to Emil because he has a feeling he needs to know.

Emil gets to work examining the equipment while Oliver's eyes spots something on the floor. He bends down and picks it up.

"What is it?" Tess wonders.

"An inhaler?" the blond archer asks back perplexed as he and Tess share confused looks.


The last time Mia and Rose met at the facility in Alaska at first they were merely playing with each other and then, when they were about to let loose, the place blew up. The one exception was when Mia let loose with her energy blast and cost Rose her eye.

Believe you her for Rose there hasn't been a moment since that she has not been contemplating her revenge. Dreaming of it.

And this time she has no intention of playing around. No fun and games. This is the all business, relentless, merciless Ravager.

There is nothing pretty about this fight. Mia is too far gone in her rage to think about which fighting style or technique. It's just raw violence.

And the physical state of both combatants after only a short time shows just how violent it is. Cuts, bruises, swelling and all the rest one would associate with a brutal fight are evident on both women.

Also no banter this time. There's nothing to say.

The two women wrestle on the ground, fists, elbows, knees, teeth. Mia gets Rose underneath her and starts wailing away with her right until Rose grabs it and presses her feet into her opponent's chin and pushes with all her strength.

Mia grits her teeth and with one arm picks her silver-haired opponent up before slamming her down into a nearby parked van's hood once, twice and then slams her into the concrete ground, cracking it. She then grabs Ravager by the throat, her right hand burning hot with energy and picks the one-eyed woman up.

When Ravager tries something with a device around her wrist, Mia grabs it and crushes it with her left hand, which is also burning how with energy.

"You think cheap tricks can beat me!" Mia growls as she squeezes tight and with far more strength than Ravager can ever hope to break as the world starts to go black. "I'm Superman's daughter! I'm the daughter of the Angel of Vengeance!" she yells in all in her pent-up rage and grief. "I am Vengeance! And now you die!" she proclaims as she pulls her left fist back, the glow around it becoming all but blinding and prepares to unleash every inch of her Kryptonian inherited strength…only for her wrist to be caught in an iron grip. "What?!" she roars, snapping her head round to see who dares.

"Mia Isabella Rojas!"

"Mamá?"

"Put her down," Andrea orders her daughter.

"No!" Mia shouts in defiance. "She has to die! Don't you understand! She's gonna to kill you! I can't watch that happen again. I can't!" she says hysterically.

You know Andrea is just realising she could have done with her mother providing more details about her impending death…and she has not even begun to process that whole thing yet. All she can do is use her own experience. "I know how you feel Mia."

"You can't!"

"I can because I watched my mother die, helpless to do anything and I swore I would hunt down her killer and make him pay…and I did."

"Then why are you trying to stop me?!"

"Because it will not bring you peace Mia. I thought it would. I thought it would fill the emptiness. The void of pain and anguish within. Instead, to my horror, I felt nothing. So I went to look for another person to blame, hoping killing them would fill the hole but your father stopped me and I'm grateful he did because I know now that killing that person wouldn't have helped either. You want to know how I know that?" she asks her daughter and can see enough of a quizzical expression to see she has her attention. "Because it wasn't death that healed me. It was life."

"I don't understand."

Andrea reaches out and cups her daughter's face. "It was you. The first time I held you in my arms. The first time you looked at me with those eyes, just like your father's, that was the first time I had felt truly alive since Mamá died. It was also the moment I felt the shame over what I had done. There you were, my miracle, my little Angel and there I was a killer with blood on my hands. Mia, you don't want to have to live with it like I do, carrying the regret and shame inside you every second of every day. Let it go, Mia. Do what I couldn't. Be better than your stupid old Mamá and put her down."

"I don't want you to die," Mia says with deep anguish, tears welling up in her eyes, on the edge of losing control of her emotions.

"And I don't want to lose you to the darkness. I won't lose you, Mia. Even if that means following your Abuela's example and kicking your ass," the older woman threatens.

Mia snorts and tries to hold it in but she can't as the next instant she is laughing but the laughter doesn't last long before it's turning into tears and anguish and grief. "Mamá," she calls out for and in an instant Andrea is there, gathering her daughter into her arms and the young woman sobs and sobs and sobs, her chest heaving with racked emotion.

Ravager is now on the ground, let go and forgotten.

"Shh, shh, it's alright, my Angel. Mamá's here. Let it all out," she comforts her daughter, rocking her gently and brushing her hair.

"I'm sorry," the broken young woman cries.

"It's ok. It's ok," Andrea promises before starting to sing to her softly in Spanish the same Lullaby she sings to present day Mia when she is trying to comfort her.

The two sit there like that for awhile, barely noticing when agents are taken down with arrows. It's not until the Green Arrow is bent next to Ravager checking for a pulse that Andrea notices him. 'Is she?' she mouths.

'Alive,' he mouths back before speaking aloud, "We need to go. This is the main base of operations for the VRA. We can't stay here," he tells her since sooner or later they'll be swarmed by agents.

Andrea nods in acceptance, scoops up Mia in her arms and rises to her feet. "Lets go," she states with all the confidence and strength she has been missing for months.

A van screeches to a halt near them, driven by Tess. The side door is flung open by Emil.

"Get in!" Tess orders them and the trio obey. The door is slammed shut as Tess, grinds the gears and the accelerator as the van drives off with a screech of tyres.


Author's Note: Since Clark saw Jonathan in the hereafter Smallville made it within their rules so hence Andrea getting to see her mother. It's long been in my head that Andrea is the one to pull Mia back from the edge by confessing that what she did was a mistake and that she doesn't want her daughter to have to live with that. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews.