It was the next day, and no one had gotten better. Bruce, J'onn, Diana, Kara, and Sam stretched out in random places on Lena's living room floor. Kara was emotionally and physically out of sorts because Lena had gone radio silent. Sam was annoyed that she couldn't eat solid food, Bruce was frustrated because he couldn't go back to Gotham until Diana's plane was ready, Diana was stuck in her head about what to do with Wonder Woman, and J'onn just wanted to go back to work. Alex, Ruby, and Jinx were stuck babysitting until Raven and Lena returned, and Cat Grant was two seconds away from storming into the penthouse to scream at Kara for making her think she was dead. Alex had the voicemails to prove it, and her urge to day drink was becoming stronger and stronger. She and Ruby balanced soups as they walked into the living room. Jinx carried a tray with a kettle and five cups behind them. Once they were settled with their food, the five heroes ate in silence, but Kara and Sam could hardly keep their eyes open as they drank their tea.
"Okay, maybe I need to take you all back to the DEO," Alex said.
"I would rather die," Sam muttered, "than have any more lab techs poke and prod me."
"What she said," Kara added nasally. "We'll be fine."
"You've been in Hell for almost a week," Alex argued. "We don't know what that did to your system."
"One, my answer hasn't changed," Sam countered, "and two, being in Hell for five days is nothing to the Hell I've lived my entire life."
"Mom, seriously? Now you're being cranky," Ruby said, settling next to her mother.
"I'm allowed to be cranky. I was in Hell!"
"So was everyone else, and they're not complaining."
"Because, as Sam said, I've been in Hell for nearly all my life," Bruce said flatly. "It felt redundant to say it out loud."
"I second that," J'onn added.
"There is truth to their statements," Diana murmured, pushing her soup to the side.
"God, I'm babysitting a bunch of drama queens," Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Jinx nodded in agreement, and the eight of them turned around when Raven and Lena stepped through the front door. Lena was wearing bloodied clothes and sported gauze on her temple, a cast on her right wrist, and walked with a slight limp. Raven's face was, as usual, neutral and unreadable, but she had scratch marks on her arms and neck. No one said anything for a long time before Kara moved into action. She rose from the floor in one swift movement and crossed the room in five steps.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Lex had a failsafe in Luthor Manor," Raven said, glancing at Lena. "Lena wanted information from his safe in his home lab, but he had a bomb in case someone other than him tried to access the information inside."
"There were biometric sensors installed on the keypad," Lena added, rubbing the uninjured side of her head.
"Which means that if someone other than him keyed the code, it would go off," Raven said.
"I put in the right code, but I couldn't get out of the basement fast enough-
"-and that's why we're late," Raven finished. "We stopped at a hospital to get Lena checked out."
"You've been in Metropolis this entire time?" Kara asked.
"No," Lena said, looking at a spot above Kara's head. "Jump City."
"Wait, you went back to Jump?" Jinx asked.
"Lena needed the type of help that couldn't be reported back to the police," Raven said.
"You took her to Doc? The Teen Titans have that place under watch all the time. You could've been captured!"
"I know," Raven gritted out. "But I. Had. No. Choice."
Jinx got the hint, and a tense silence fell over the group. But Kara – Kara had eyes only for Lena. Something was off. She would've believed them had Lena been able to look her in the eyes. But Kara could still hear the faint traces of Lena's heartbeat. It was going too fast, almost at the same rhythm as whenever Lena was lying or hiding something. Kara backed Lena into the wall and put her hands beside Lena's head, her fingers digging into the plaster even without her full strength, and she looked Lena in the eyes.
"Lena," she said softly. "I thought we agreed on no lying."
"Technically, I haven't lied to you," Lena muttered.
"Lying by omission is the same thing."
"Kara-
"What happened?"
"Raven just told you-
"I want the truth, not whatever you two came up with on your way here," Kara interrupted, arching her eyebrow in a way that was almost eerily like Lena.
Lena whined under her breath and said, "Okay, I told her to lie for me, but I did it for the right reasons."
"It's been almost twenty-four hours since I last saw and heard from you. Without my powers, I couldn't fly to find you. And you haven't been answering my calls. So your right reasons don't fucking matter."
"I liked it better when you didn't curse," Lena grumbled.
"Lena-
"Alright, alright, just – don't run off at the end."
"Why would I run off?"
Lena sighed and scratched at the gauze on her temple.
"Well… it started a little after Raven came back from dropping you off at the DEO."
Raven folded her arms, and Lena ran a hand through her hair.
"Before I do anything, I need to go down to Lex's lab."
"Why?"
"I need the research on that new Kryptonite. It managed to kill Kara, and now that she's back, I want to know what's in it."
"So you can use it?"
"Partly, yes. That's the best way to see how something works, right? Can you get the security guards off the premises? Just tell them that they're done for the day, and I'll pay whatever their check is for the week."
Raven shrugged and left Lena in the study. Lena went in the opposite direction out to the hallway. She walked to the fourth door on the left, and Lena put in the code for the main door. It swung open, and she jogged down the stairs into an almost futuristic lab. She stopped and collected herself, memories of her spending the night with Lex on the floor while they waited for a test result flew threw her mind before she shoved them all down into the depths of her subconscious. She shook it off and went over to his safe. Lena went to the wall where she knew the safe was located and pulled away the painting hanging in front of it. Lena squinted at the keypad, but in the reflection of the protective glass, Lena saw the last person she wanted to see.
"What are you doing here?"
Clark stepped closer and said, "I heard you while I was doing patrol."
"Good for you. Now can you go, please? I'm not in the mood to deal with you."
"You got me kicked out of the funeral."
"No, you got yourself kicked out. I warned you not to cause a scene."
Clark's jaw clenched before he deflated and said, "I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to the idea of her not being here."
"Listen, you should know -
"823149."
"What?"
"That's the code."
"How do you –
"I was here when he installed the safe," Clark said. "It's been here almost as long as you have."
"And you don't think he changed the code?" Lena scoffed.
"Why would he?"
Lena opened her mouth to respond, then silently conceded Clark had a point. Lex wouldn't have changed it because Clark wouldn't be stupid enough to break into Luthor Manor, and no one else would be stupid enough to try.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked.
"I owe you."
Lena sighed and typed in the code Clark said, missing the way takes a step to the side. As soon as she entered the final number, there was a clicking sound, and Lena had little time to prepare herself before the explosion. She was blown clear across the room and into the back wall, smacking her head against the brick in the process. When she hit the floor, the breath left her in one go, and she knew at least two of her ribs were cracked. The fire spread quickly, and she eyed it with a growing sense of horror as it was getting exceptionally close to the chemicals still in containment. The explosion itself was small, but it was clear Lex assumed the second explosion would finish off whoever tried to access his safe. Lena's phone had fallen from her pocket, so she reached for it, only for Clark to step on it as he kneeled beside her.
"Lex installed biometric systems on the keypad. Regardless, if you put in the right code, it would never have opened," he explained.
Clark glanced at the shrapnel in Lena's thigh and squinted. He seemed disappointed by whatever he saw and shook his head.
"Two centimeters to the left and you would bleed out before the fire even reaches you," he said.
Lena groaned and tried to lift herself, but Clark was faster and applied the slightest pressure to her wrist with his boot. She felt the bone snap instantly and cried out, falling back to the floor. She cradled her wrist to her chest and tried to shake off the dizziness. The flames were almost licking at the second container of chemicals, and Clark stood over her.
"W-why?" she asked, struggling to pull oxygen into her lungs.
"I told you." Clark's face was void of emotion as he stared at her. "I owe you," he said.
"K-Kara-
"-is dead because of you. So consider this a small mercy."
"N-no, Kara-
Clark flew from the basement, and as pieces of the ceiling started to fall, Raven's soul-self appeared and wrapped around Lena. They were gone seconds before the second explosion brought Luthor Manor to the ground.
"When I woke up, I was in some warehouse in Jump City," Lena finished tiredly. "By the time news hit that Luthor Manor had been destroyed, we were already on the other side of the country."
An even tenser silence fell over the room, and Kara took several deep breaths.
"Kara –
"Don't."
Lena clamped her mouth shut, and Kara exhaled.
"You need to rest," she said.
"But –
"I will rest with you," Kara promised, tucking Lena's hair behind her ear. "We both need the sleep."
Lena eyed her warily, and Kara kissed her cheek.
"Come on," she said, grabbing Lena's left hand. "Let's take a bath and get in bed, okay?"
Lena nodded, and Kara tugged her along. She shot Bruce a look, and he gave her a subtle nod. Kara pulled Lena closer as they disappeared down the hallway toward their bathroom.
That evening, the penthouse was blessedly silent sans the two figures on the balcony. Diana had gone back to her apartment with Sam and Ruby, J'onn was staying at Alex's place, and Bruce was staying with Lena and Kara. Alex caught a ride with Raven and Jinx to finally see the house in Jump City and stay there for the evening. Beyond that, it was almost as if the last several days hadn't happened.
On the balcony, Bruce rested his forearms on the railing while Kara floated beside him. She'd just gotten back to the penthouse after going to see Cat at Alex's behest.
"How did your talk go?"
Kara chuckled and said, "She made me promise a full interview on what happened."
"Of course. What are you going to do about your cousin?"
"Ask me again when I get my powers back," she said.
"I'm not sure I want to know then."
"You're telling me that you don't want him to pay for what he did?"
"I'm saying that I want plausible deniability in case someone in the Justice League starts asking questions."
"Kal-El went too far. Family or not, he will answer for his actions."
"And if he stands by them?"
"Then I will ensure that he falls by them."
Bruce gave a little grin and let the conversation fall off. When the door opened, they both turned to see Lena as she stumbled outside.
"Baby, why are you awake?"
"I need to talk to my Dad."
"And it couldn't wait until the morning?"
"No." Lena squinted at Kara and added, "Also, have you ever known me to sleep through the night after I get hurt?"
"I mean, no, but I gave you two 800 mg pain pills."
"Sweetheart, I can drink two bottles of wine and still recite the periodic table from top to bottom and back again."
"I'm not sure that's something you should be bragging about," Kara said dryly.
Lena grunted and plopped down on the couch.
"Go away, Kara," she said.
"Yes, your Highness," Kara teased.
Lena tossed a pillow in Kara's general direction with her left hand, and it missed Kara by almost a foot. She snorted and floated over to Lena, kissing her forehead before going back into the penthouse. Bruce came and sat next to Lena. It took all of thirty seconds for Lena's emotions to get the better of her. Bruce, like always, knew what she needed. He wrapped his arms around her. Everything broke free and came out in broken sobs. She felt the entire weight of the last week melt away, replaced by relief. The cologne, the stubble on his jaw, and the way Bruce kept whispering in her ear that he promised he would come back told Lena it wasn't a dream. When her cries tapered off, Bruce pulled back.
"Feel better?"
"No," she grumbled. "I came out here to ask if you were okay."
"I am. A little tired, but considering the alternative, I will take it."
"You were dead."
"I know."
"But you promised to come back."
"And I did."
"Barely!"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
Lena scowled and folded her arms. Bruce grinned, but his smile fell a little.
"I'm going back to Gotham -
"What? But you -
"Lena," he interrupted gently. "Let me finish. I have to go back to Gotham because there are things I need to finish before I officially move."
"Move?"
"Yes, move. You know the day Kara proposed to you again, I had news to share that I pushed off."
"What news?"
"I retired from Wayne Enterprises unofficially two weeks ago." Lena's eyes widened, and Bruce moved some hair from her face. "I told them to hold off on releasing the news until the end of the month. Do you remember Vincent?"
Lena nodded.
"He took my place, and that's partly why I have to go back. I want to be there when they make the formal announcement." Bruce sighed and rubbed his face. "I also need to retire something else, seeing as Batman died in a plane crash, and I figure this is the best chance for the next generation to take over. Alfred and I already discussed leaving my Batman legacy to Ryan, giving her everything, and that includes the manor, the car, the weapons, and whatever else I had. I trust Ryan and Luke to take care of Gotham, and I am confident the city will be better with them in control. Plus, I think full retirement would be good for me. And the weather in National City is ten times better than it is on the East Coast."
Lena blinked, and she slowly sat up.
"Wait, you're moving here?"
"I am." Bruce grabbed Lena's hands and squeezed. "It's time for me to dedicate my energy and life to me being the best father I can be for you. And I cannot do that with the cowl and cape. It will be a change, and I'm hoping you will be patient with me. But I'm invested in this fatherhood thing, and I want to make sure I do it right. It goes beyond a sheet of paper. This is a lifelong job, one that I want to be the best at so you always know that I am with you every step of the way. I have been trying to save Gotham for so long, chasing the ghost of my parents and maintaining their legacy, but I nearly missed out on how I can truly honor them." Bruce smiled genuinely as Lena's lips trembled, and he added, "By being the best man that I can be while being the father that you need, I am honoring their legacy more than I ever did as Batman."
Lena fell forward into his chest, and he started laughing.
"Please don't start crying again, You've already ruined my shirt."
His deflection worked, and Lena laughed too. She sat up and wiped at her face, trying and failing to stop the tears from falling.
"I can't believe you're retiring for me," she said.
"Of course, I am. I have to walk you down the aisle again, help you carry all of your stuff –
Bruce stopped suddenly and paled, and Lena frowned at him.
"Carry my stuff? What are you talking about?" she asked.
Before he could come up with a weak response, the door slid open, and Kara poked her head out. Lena turned, and Bruce deflated in relief.
"Hey, sorry, but Diana just called. She said the plane is ready whenever you are."
"Oh, I guess now's the best time then. The faster I leave, the faster I get back," he said, getting to his feet.
"Wait –
"I'll be back," he said, kissing Lena on the head before hurrying past Kara.
"What was that about?" Lena asked.
"Don't know," Kara said, shrugging.
"You're a shit liar."
"And you are a shit patient. Come back to bed."
"Not until you tell me what's going on."
"Why does something have to be going on?"
"Because you're acting shifty, and there's no possible way Diana called you."
"Why is that?"
"You dropped your phone in the tub not even six hours ago," Lena deadpanned.
"Baby, can't you just trust me?" Kara whined. "I promise it's nothing bad."
"No, because you know I don't like surprises."
Kara sighed and rested her forehead on the doorframe.
"I promise to tell you what's going on if you promise to give me ten consecutive hours of sleep."
"Fine."
"Rao, you are insufferable," Kara whispered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"