Earth year 2043, Ngo

If they could hit pause on their life, Taylor would very much like to know how they got here, on a strange planet, in the ruins of a thousand years old monarchy, battling former classmates, for real this time. Well they're not entirely stupid, so they know ; they've seen the signs, Roho slowly spiralling into bitter hatred, Rendll forgoing her tamaranean glory to follow him around like a lost puppy and Vax gladly leaning into his more violent tendencies. But it used to be playful, they used to be somewhat friendly, and when Taylor stopped paying attention, when they blinked, everything blew up. This isn't school anymore, they won't get an A+ for getting out of here alive.

It was supposed to be a nice getaway, a cool trip to a nearby planet, featuring good food and history lessons, maybe even getting the guts to ask Max on a date. Instead, the moment Taylor stepped foot inside of the ngoan royal castle, it blew up, taking out both of Tsavo's parents and all comm links out of the planet. They have no way of getting out of there, Tsavo is missing, Adam is panicking and useless and Max is so deep in thought, watching as the castle burns in the distance, that Taylor doesn't know how to reach out, how to motivate their team to do exactly what they learned in class and save the day. Truthfully, they don't feel much like a hero right now.

Out of habit, they toy with the sun grenade strapped to their belt, a gift from Alex that travelled thousands of light years to arrive in the mail one morning with a simple post-it note, just in case. Taylor has carried it everywhere ever since.

"Don't," Max says, her gloved hand cold on their arm. "It'd be a waste of resources."

Taylor wants to lean into the touch, but they don't. There's been something going on between them, lingering touches, glances, fucking sleepovers ; they've let it spiralled way beyond a simple crush and now it's too late to ask.

It occurs to Taylor, distantly, deep in their mind, that they might not go home, that this might be the reason why their Yeyu was so wary of letting them play hero, why she's sheltered them so much. With powers come responsibility, and their Yeyu of all people knows that it's impossible to carry this knowledge without doing something to help.

"With my powers at least I'll be able to do something."

"Do what ?" Max asks with a prickle of annoyance. "We have no plan. You can't just burst into that place and hope to find Tsavo. We don't even know if he's..."

"Don't," Taylor cuts, refusing to even begin to think about it. "I could get to the ship, rewire it to send a message out. Then all we'd have to do is wait for back up or extraction."

"You don't need powers to do that," Max points out.

"Say the person who doesn't need a fucking yellow sun to do anything."

"I've seen you cross battlefields and reprogram satellites with your hands tied behind your back. You once stole my sword, one handed, to decapitate a robot, while disarming a bomb, and there were no casualties. You come from a whole family of heroes, it's in your blood, you don't need the sun to do any of that."

"It was in class !" Taylor snaps. "I did all of that in simulations with no real stakes !"

"Pretend you're in class then."

"I don't want to interrupt your panicking," Adam cuts, panicked, "but this is a stupid idea."

"It's not," Max says harshly. "It's how I escaped Almerac. I pretended this was a game, that my father had given me a ridiculous challenge and that I had to get to my ship, silently, without getting caught by my mother." She stops, tenses in the way one does when they're holding back tears. She never talks about this ; her history is nothing more than a looming cloud that hangs over her head, turns her broody and frightening at times. "When I slit the throat of my handmaiden, I pretended it was a game, when I got lost in space, when I was alone and scared, I pretended it was a game, when I arrived here and I didn't know what preceptor Amata's intentions were, I pretended it was a game. It's kept me alive all this time, it's not stupid Adam, and it can get us out of here."

"Okay," Adam says, raising his hands in surrender, "okay. What do you suggest ?"

"Taylor," Max says, "you're the best at anything technology related. If anyone can send out a call for help, it's you. I can protect us through the battlefield with a force field."

"You got hurt," Taylor retorts, barely resisting the urge to trace the trail of dried blood that adorns Max's face. "Using your powers is too dangerous."

"Not if we're fast. I can run and Adam can carry you."

"Max..." Taylor sighs. They hate this plan.

"Taylor..."

"Okay," they concede, "but I'm keeping the sun grenade as my number one back up plan."

"Fine," Max mumbles with a decisive nod. "Are you ready ?"

No. No Taylor isn't ready, but they think about their Yeyu, about her ability to leap head first into danger with no qualm when her help is needed. Kara Zor-El was not ready to be a hero the day her sister's plane when down and likewise, Taylor isn't quite ready to make the decisions needed to save their friend, but it's time to make the jump, and with that in head, they join the battle.

It's not a bad plan, considering their narrowed options, it's even quite smart, but Taylor can't shake the bad feeling from their gut, can't shake the deeply rooted suspicion that things are about to go very very wrong. The ground disappears. More precisely, it explodes beneath them and they find themselves propelled through the air, flying across a new impressively large crater. Even without their supersenses and with the protection of Max's force field, Taylor can smell the potent scent of burnt flesh and boiled blood.

They land harshly, the ground aggressively meeting them again, and it's Max who takes most of the impact, sheltering them with her force field until she can't anymore. Taylor swears they hear her bones snapping. And realistically, they know they can't, with their dimmed senses and the deafening sounds of battle, this one noise is impossible to single out, but they hear it nonetheless, along with the sharp breath evading Max's body, and the absence of an intake after it. Their hand is on the sun grenade before they can give themself too much time to think about it.

The switch is immediate, still, Taylor feel it gradually, can decompose the return of their senses like the world has slowed down around them to offer them this moment. It starts in their toes, a warm spark that quietly spreads in their veins, the artificial sunlight tingling on their skin until it reaches their fingertips, then their head, spreading all the way to the tip of their hair. Then it's power, untamed and raw, their fists clenching with pure strength, their feet leaving the ground to hover inches from it. Only after comes the stench of war, so strong they can taste it, and the drilling noise of anger and fear that makes their ears vibrate. A wave of nausea hits them and they fall into a crouch, webs spreading in the dust all around them.

It takes a moment to shake off the surge, to remember the advices and the years of practise until they manage to isolate a single weak and too unfamiliar heartbeat, Max's. Her breathing is laboured and slow but it's there and it's enough to give Taylor hope. They take off, distantly aware of Adam trying to keep up after them. Their speed and strength is second to one person only, and it's Supergirl. They're at the castle door in a matter of seconds, have crossed the courtyard in less time than it takes to think of it, and in a beat, have bursted back first through the final wall that separates them from the hangar.

"Holy shit," Adam whistles behind them, out of breath and covered in grime. "Holy fucking shit."

"Make sure she keeps breathing," Taylor says in lieu of a reply, tenderly thrusting Max in his arms. "I'm going to rewire the comms."

"How do you plan on sending your signal out ?" Adam asks, struggling a bit under Max's weight. "Nothing's in working order around here."

"I'm a certified genius. I'll figure it out. You keep watch."

And figure it out, they do. The hull shielded most of the ship's tech from the EMP blast that took the planet comms out but a few wires are still fried beyond recognition. They make quick work of replacing them, cutting, shortening and resoldering with precise bursts of heat vision, all the while feeling like their Mum is whispering guidance and encouragement in their ear. In this moment, they feel like the worthy child of Lena Luthor.

With a few more tweaks, they snap the covering back into place and after a couple experimental taps on the control panel, the ship blinks back to life, a string of letters indicating the AI rebooting itself. "Okay," they mumble under their breath, "okay, that's good." They take a step back, a makeshift amplifier in their hand and survey the ship, trying not to let their confidence dwindle when they take note of the scorch marks maring the inside of their ship.

"This is Captain Lor-El on board of the Wayfarer. I repeat, this is Captain Lor-El on board of the Wayfarer." They are met with nothing but dead silence. "Calling out all intergalactic forces in proximity of Ngo for immediate back up." The line doesn't so much as crackle. "I repeat. This is Captain Lor-El on board of the Wayfarer calling out all intergalactic forces in proximity of Ngo for immediate back up. There was a coup. We are down two members, one injured, one MIA. This is Captain Lor-El on board of the Wayfarer calling out all intergalactic forces in proximity of Ngo."

They repeat their call, over and over until the words lose their meaning and their throat is raw and painful, until Adam enters the ship, Max propped up against him and Taylor throws the amplifier down in barely contained rage. The effects of the sun grenade are fading, and their fit barely leaves an indent on the floor. "We're fucked."

"We're not," Max groans, staggering forward and into Taylor's arms. They don't resist the urge to bury in her hair, catching a whiff of her honey-like smell, hidden deep under the scent of smoke and dried blood. "We just need to get higher. There's a. There's an antenna on the far east tower. It's still mostly upright. Could be used to boost the signal."

"Okay," Taylor mumbles, detaching themself from Max's limp embrace. "Far east tower. Opposite from here. Easy."

"You can do it, I believe in you."

A ghost of a kiss is laid on their temple, a sword is slipped in their hand along with a small communicator, and with that they're back in the chaos.

They navigate the castle with poor remains of x-ray vision, dodging incoming blasts by ear and taking advantage of already blown down walls as shortcuts. They're starting to see it, how it can feel like a game, how it's easier if it's a game, if it has no consequences, if the unknown body they just sliced open will simply be fully revived once the teachers decide it's the end of the lesson. Like all games though, there's a final boss, and Taylor doesn't see him coming.

Roho rams into them with the strength of an out of control wrecking ball and Taylor is sent sprawling through two walls. They land on their back, the wind knocked of their lungs and the sword out of reach. Roho is above them in a second, grasping them by the collar only to pummel them further into the ground. "Hello, spawn of El," he groans his sharp teeth bared by his devious smile, "got lost ?"

"Spawn of El ?" Taylor scoffs, "is that the best you got ?"

The comeback might appear petty, but Taylor knows Roho, has fought him before, and so they know he's bound to react poorly. He slams them down on the ground twice more, Taylor can feel their right arm snapping in two but refuse to acknowledge the pain. Roho's fury has jolted the sword closer to their reach and with the last ounce of their superstrength, they lift it and slam the pommel against his temple. They scream as they do so, their broken arm protesting against the sudden move, and the sudden roar and attack are enough to get Roho to fall back enough for them to grab the sword with their valid arm and slam it clumsily against his thick armour.

With just enough room to move and breathe, Taylor scrambles to their feet and rams into Roho, the intense pain in their body causing them to black out for half a second. They regain their footing quickly and though the world is fuzzy and everything hurts, they attack with heightened rage, grateful that Wonder Woman herself taught them how to fight with their left hand.

"Where's Tsavo ?" they ask, narrowly dodging a large paw and striking back swiftly only to miss him by a hair.

"Like I'd tell you."

"Where's Tsavo ?" Taylor repeats, striking again. This time their sword hits his flank, slipping between to ornate plates of armour to cut his thick skin.

"He got what he deserved. Shouldn't have stood in my way."

He pushes them hard, striking right in the middle of the chest and Taylor staggers back, staying upright only thanks to years of training. They lose no time in charging again, this time aiming for a knee left open by Roho's attack. He's always relied on his brute strength and this is exactly what Taylor has always refused to do, why they came to Crucible and why the sun grenade was last resort only. Aunt Diana may have taught them how to fight with their weak hand, but Crucible taught them how to fight blinded and with their hands tied. Taylor has done nothing but train and learn and Max is right, they can do it.

"You're going to lose, you know that right ? Intergalactic forces are already on their way."

"You're lying !" Roho roars, back on his feet already and charging blindly.

Taylor sidesteps him, twirling their sword cockily. Technically they are lying but, "I'm not," they say. "Called them myself. Preceptor Amata is very disappointed."

The last jab is a bit too much and Taylor knows that before their legs are swiped out from under them. "I can't fail," Roho grunts.

"And yet that's exactly what's going to happen." Taylor scrambles back, ignoring the pain in their arm in favour of gripping the swords with two hands. They have to buy themself time. "Where are your friends ? Vax ? Rendll ? Do you really think they'll stick with you when you fall ?"

Roho lunges, and Taylor meets him with two booted feet to the stomach and with everything they can muster, they push until he's sent sprawling in a graceless arc over them and lends hard on his back. Heaving and puffing, Taylor rolls back up to tower over him. Arms trembling, they tilt his head up with the sharp point of the sword and square their shoulders, invoking Rao or whoever is listening for five more minutes of strength.

"What are you gonna do ?" Roho growls. "Kill me ? Isn't that against your little family's code ?"

"Where's Tsavo ?"

In lieu of a response, Taylor gets spat on the face, and find no regret in themself when they knock Roho out with a heavy boot to the skull. Distantly aware of the blood trickling down their face, of the sharp pain in their arm, they make their way to the tower. It's on instinct only that they make it there alive, or maybe it's a higher force watching over them. The climb is painful, rocks cutting their hands as they scale the wrecked facade and then cling desperately up the flimsy metallic antenna.

The wind nearly knocks them over several times and the blood on their hands make them slippery, but they hold on. They hold on because Max is injured and needs help, they hold on because on top of this antenna is their way home, they hold one because when they repeat their message, the voice that answers is familiar.

"Taylor ?"

"Aunt Alex ?!"

Earth year 2043, Crucible Academy

Taylor comes to in a very strange environment. They feel warm and floaty, yet grounded, and the strong scent of lavender that fills their nose is definitely out of place. It's the smell of home. Without opening their eyes, they identify the weight of two arms thrown across their body, one strong and muscly and the other lithe and supple. "Mum ?" they cough, "Yeyu ?"

"Hey," their Yeyu rasps, "look who's awake. How are you feeling aonah ?"

"Like I've fought an alien twice my size," Taylor tries to joke, failing miserably when their words are swallowed by a coughing fit. They're propped up by two sets of arms and a soft hand runs up and down their back until they calm down.

"Breathe love," their Mum says in their ear. "You're okay."

"Did everyone make it out ? What are you doing here ?"

"There was a beacon in the sun grenade," their Yeyu answers. "As soon as you activated it we were able to portal there and signal your position to the intergalactic forces. They're trying to regain control of the situation but we thought it was better to bring you back to school."

"Did everyone make it out ?" Taylor asks again, afraid of the answer when they can feel both of their mothers exchanging a look.

"Tsavo is," their Mum starts in her bad news voice, "a little worse for wear. They had to place him in a medically induced coma. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Taylor whispers half heartedly. "He's strong. He'll be okay. What about the others ? Max ? Adam ?"

"Your friend Adam had a bit of a nervous breakdown. He's asleep now. And Max's being looked after. She refused to leave until we were back at your side," their Yeyu says, her teasing smile perceptible in her light tone. "Preceptor Amata had to literally drag her away from you. We had an interesting discussion with her and some of your teachers. About sending students on day trips without checking the political stability of their destination first."

"Are you mad ?" Taylor asks tentatively.

"At you ? No," their Yeyu replies with no place for discussion. "You were very brave. I'm so proud of you."

"We are so very proud of you," their Mum adds with a soft kiss to the temple.

With no more warning, Taylor finds themself engulfed in a bone crushing hug and it makes everything worth it. The blood, the pain, the fear, being away from home for so long, everything fades to the background in favour of savouring this one moment of love and safety.

"Where's Aunt Alex ?" Taylor asks after a while. "I think I heard her voice."

"She's coordinating forces."

"Having the time of her life," their Yeyu adds with a soft chuckle.

"Aunt Kelly is going to be so mad."

"Oh for sure. Alex is in a lot of trouble."

"As she should," their Mum grumbles good-naturedly, accompanying her statement with a light smack on her wife's arm.

"It's a Danvers thing," their Yeyu whispers in Taylor's ear. "Doing heroic things that worry the wives. Between you and I though, it's always worth it."

Taylor must doze off after that because they blink and when they open their eyes again, their mothers are gone and Max is next to them instead, looking grumpy and tired in a wheelchair. She's bundled under heavy red fabric and it takes a moment for Taylor to recognise what it is.

"Hey Cranberries. Is that my Yeyu's cape ?" they croak reaching out to touch the familiar material. Instead of touching the cape though, their hand is met with warm fingers that tangle themselves with theirs.

"You're awake," Max breathes in relief. "Thanks the Gods, you're awake."

"How are you feeling ?" Taylor asks softly.

"Like I've been run over by a boat. Wait no. What's that Earth saying ?"

"Like you've been hit by a train ?" Taylor offers cautiously.

"Yeah," Max replies with a firm nod closely followed by a wince. "That one."

"Come here," Taylor says, shuffling clumsily to make space on the hospital bed.

"What ? No. You're hurt."

"Come here," Taylor repeats. "I don't even know why I'm on bedrest, I'm fine."

"You fainted and fell off the tower," Max supplies in a flat voice. "But you're on so many different kind of painkillers right now that I'm not surprised you don't remember." She does concede though, and clambers out of her chair and into the bed, shuffling until her head is pillowed against the crook of Taylor's neck and their limbs are indistinguishable from one another, Supergirl's cape draped over both of them. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," Taylor sighs.

"It's okay," Max dismisses flatly. "I talked with your mothers a bit. It helped. I'm happy you have them."

"I'm glad they're here," Taylor mumbles, snuggling under the cape. "You don't seem okay," they prob softly after a beat.

"It's stupid," Max rejects immediately.

"I'm sure it's not. What's wrong ?"

"Tsavo's family. Monarchies. Revolutions," Max enumerates with crafted carelessness. "Do you. Do you think I have a duty ? To go back to Almerac ?"

"No. You escaped from a terrible situation. You literally never have to go back there."

"What if my people need me ? What if the only way I can help them is by going back to my mother to take my place as her heir ?"

"What did she do to you ?" Taylor asks gently. "Exactly ?"

"Beat me up when she found out I was gay," Max replies, her face set in a careful mask of blankness. "Forced me into an arranged marriage so I would participate in the national effort and produce an heir. Threw me into a dungeon. Starved me. Killed my father. Forced me to compete in violent games. Beat me up some more."

"Max..."

"It's okay. I'm okay now."

"Clearly you're not," Taylor fires back. "When you said you were a refugee I didn't think..."

"There's a reason I don't talk about it," Max snaps. "I don't want anyone's pity."

"I don't pity you," Taylor whispers, softly rubbing their hand up and down her arm. "I just wished you'd trust me with things like that. So you wouldn't have to carry them alone."

"I didn't want you to see me any differently," Max admits, her voice barely audible.

"I don't. But I want you to know you can always talk to me. Even about the hard stuff. And you'll always have me. Even when we're not at Crucible anymore. I promise."

"Thank you," Max murmurs.

"Thank you for trusting me with your story."

Max leans in across the few inches that separate them, and Taylor does something both incredibly reckless and brave ; braver even, they think, than jumping head first into a war and climbing a tower in the night to save millions of strangers. Before Max's lips can land on their cheek, they turn their head swiftly so they can kiss her instead. There's a beat during which nothing happen, during which this is nothing more than the soft press of lips on lips, until Max smiles, and deepens the kiss, because like Taylor, she knows that's where they've been heading the whole time.

July 18th, 2044, Crucible Academy

Taylor surveys their room one more time, trying to memorise its nook and crannies, taking in the smooth walls that use to be infuriating and have now become a synonym of home. It's weird to think about how they'll be gone the instant they leave the school, how this room will be repurposed for someone else and the only trace of their passage will be a plaque in the hall of honour. They're not fully packed yet, their mums won't be there for another week for graduation, but it already feels like the end of an era.

"This is so weird," Max says, her head pillowed against their chest. "I've seen you everyday for almost three years and now..." She lets her words disappear in a vague gesture of the hand. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Taylor's heart misses a beat. "You could always come with me," they say.

"Sure, I'll visit you," Max hums sadly, tightening her arms around Taylor's middle.

"No I mean come with me. You don't want to go back to Almerac and you can't just be a perpetual refugee in space boarding school. Come with me."

"I..."

"We've got a very good immigration program on Earth. You already speak English and you're super smart, you'd find a job in no time, or not, if you don't want to work. And we, we could be together."

"I..."

"No pressure though," Taylor cuts again, their words rushing against one another in an almost overwhelming hurry.

"I'd like that," Max says softly.

"Yeah ?"

"Yeah," Max echoes, an uncontrolled grin stretching on her face.

Taylor leans in to kiss her but their own wide smile makes it hard to do so and they end up messily giggling against one another instead.

"What's the first thing you're going to show me when we get there ?" Max asks, schooling her smile long enough to lay a soft kiss on Taylor's lips.

"The aquarium," Taylor replies springing up excitedly and dragging Max in their wake.

Max laughs sharply, her eyes squinting a little. Gently, she pushes on Taylor's chest so they can lie down comfortably again. "Somehow," she says, "I feel like I could have predicted that answer. Sharks ?"

"Sharks," Taylor confirms with an energetic nod.

"You're so cute," Max mumbles against their lips.

Taylor goes in to deepen the kiss, shivering when Max starts hiking her hand under their shirt, but before they can fully appreciate the moment, a low ringing fills the room and they regrettably pull back.

"Whoever that is," Max grumbles, "tell them you're busy."

"That's probably my Mum," Taylor sighs. "If I don't pick up she's going to think I've been sucked into the vacuum of space."

They cross the room quickly, intent on getting the call over quickly but when they switch the comms on, their heart plummet to the bottom of their stomach.

"Yeyu ?"

Their mother's face appears to them completely disheveled, tears hastily wiped out but having clearly fell recently. "Hey sweetheart," she says hoarsely.

"Yeyu ? What's happening ? Is Mum okay ?"

Max swiftly comes to sit next to them, out of the hologram sight, her hands lightly grasps Taylor's.

"It's Eliza," their Yeyu sniffles. "She's in the hospital. The doctors said it's bad."

"I'm on my way," Taylor says immediately, springing from their seat before anyone can add anything.

"No, no," their Yeyu cuts quickly. "I just wanted you to know she's not going to make it to your graduation and I might stay there with her, that's all."

"This is not open to discussion," Taylor cuts, gathering their shark plushy and shoving it in their backpack along with a couple of mostly clean t-shirts. "If grandma's sick I'm coming home. I don't care about graduation."

"Lor-El..."

"Yeyu..."

"You're not going to take no for an answer are you ?" their Yeyu asks with a sad smile. "You're so much like your mum... I'll let the DEO know we should expect you by tomorrow ?"

"Yes. I'm living right now."

"Okay. Okay I love you. Be safe."

"Love you too Yeyu," Taylor answers before switching the comms off. "I'll send you a flight plan," they add, turning to Max. "In case you want to join me later."

"What ? No. I'm coming with you."

"No you're not," Taylor says, shaking their head softly. "You've worked very hard, and this has been your home for many years. You should get to graduate and say goodbye properly."

"But are you gonna be okay ?"

"I will. I promise," Taylor says with a soft kiss to her cheek before starting in the opposite direction to grab their tablet. "I just need to see my grand mother in case she, in case she..."

"Shhh," Max whispers, halting Taylor's whirlwind packing course to gather them in her arms. "Breathe." Taylor goes slack against her.

The next two hours are excruciating. Taylor feels like they're running at full speed towards a brick wall and no matter what they do, they can't shake the uncanny feeling of impending doom. They manage to find most of their teachers to say goodbye, hug Tsavo and Adam for a good minute each with the hasty promise of seeing each other soon, and loose a full hour in Preceptor Lys Amata's office to discuss their future. By the time they reach the hangar, Max is the only one there, leaning too casually against the hull of the ship.

"You're good to go," she says with a somewhat forced smile. "I went through the pre-flight checklist twice. You sure you don't want me to come with you ?"

"No," Taylor reiterates. "Enjoy the rest of your time here, say goodbye to your home. I'll be okay, and I'll see you soon."

Before they can add anything else, Taylor find themself flat against the hull, Max's body pressed against their own. Insistent lips find their way to theirs and they get lost in the feeling of sharp teeth and a soft tongue trailing into their mouth.

"Gods," Max mumbles, her head falling to the crook of their neck. "I love you."

"I love you too," Taylor whispers. "So much. Give a proper goodbye to this place for me, alright ?"

"I will," Max laughs. "Now go," she adds, gently pushing Taylor's toward the hatch. "Call me when you land."

Taylor doesn't dare to look back, but they hold their breath until the door slides close behind them with a hiss. Once they're alone, they sag against it, trying to control their wild heartbeat in the face of the storm that suddenly broke all around them. They go through the pre-flight checklist too, out of habit, before switching the main engine and the comms on.

"This is Captain Lor-El on board of the Wayfarer," they say with a surprisingly steady voice. "Requesting authorisation to take off."

"This is Maxima of Crucible Academy. You're clear for take off." Taylor lets themself being comforted by the familiar voice. "Good luck," Max adds softly.

Crucible Academy recedes quickly behind them and Taylor doesn't have as much time as they'd like to get a good look at it before the portal opens and they find themself light years away, face to face with a bright green light that definitely shouldn't be there.