Welcome back! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. If you have any ideas you'd like to see included in the next segment, feel free to drop a comment. No beta, so all mistakes are mine.
When Kara Danvers woke up this morning, she found herself singing and dancing through her morning routine, anticipation burning boldly in her chest. Today, she was going to interview Lena Luthor for the fourth time and she couldn't escape the jitters coursing through her body while she thought about the alluring dark haired woman who liked to bat her eyes and flirt with the young reporter. Their relationship so far had been professional yet pleasant. Without a doubt, Kara had a ridiculously deep crush on L Corp's CEO, at least that's what Alex told her after listening to her little sister gush about the other woman for what felt like the millionth time.
There was just something incredible about Lena; her capacity of kindness was inspiring, considering the family she came from. Lex and Lillian Luther were never going to receive the Nobel Peace Prize or Citizens of the Year and their ability to have raised a woman so intensely focused on bettering the world was unbelievable. Sure, Luthor Corp made the standard donations to the local hospitals, easily written off on tax returns, but L Corp was becoming a humanitarian leader in National City under Lena's helm. The cancer wing of the National City Children's Hospital was expertly staffed with world class doctors and nurses, the best equipment money could buy, and Lena reserved two days of every month (often more) to spend time with the children fighting tougher battles than anyone could imagine. She made sure their Christmas lists were filled and their families were taken care of financially so those parents could focus all their energies on their sick children.
Despite the negative press she still received, Lena Luthor was a hero without a cape, always appearing when people needed her most and never accepting credit for the hard work she does. When they first met, Kara joked that the other woman was like Batman which made Lena laugh, what a magnificent sound that was. In that moment, the Catco reporter knew she was in deep.
So, when the world turned to absolute shit, Kara was lucky to have the youngest Luthor by her side as they slowly made their way through the nearly abandoned L Corp facility. Lena disengaged the alarm from behind Jesse's desk, silence filling the building. It would seem that most of her employees got the heck out of dodge, probably to search for their own friends and families. With hope, they wouldn't encounter any of the infected before reaching the parking garage; her people understood that they were better off developing their own vaccine than trusting a hack like Maxwell Lord. If only the rest of the country knew better, they might not be in this situation now.
The emergency protocols just engaged earlier had deactivated the bank of elevators in the hall, so they went straight for the nearest stairwell, their weapons clutched tightly but pointed towards the ground. The echoes of their footsteps felt more deafening with each passing floor, Lena taking the lead as they descended.
"Is this what you imagined your day would be like when you woke up this morning?" Kara joked lightheartedly from under her mask. The older woman looked back briefly, one eyebrow raised.
"I woke up this morning determined to ask you out. I can't say playing out a zombie apocalypse movie is the worst first date I've ever been on." She quipped sarcastically. The blonde chuckled behind her, raising her hand to nervously touch her glasses out of habit but they secure under the face mask.
"So, what are my chances of getting a second date?" Leaving the question to dangle between them, Lena stopped as she reached the door to the parking garage, pressing her ear into the door to check for any movement. When she didn't hear anything, she pulled the door open and gestured for Kara to follow. The garage was completely abandoned, save for Jesse who was waiting by the furthest wall.
"I made sure to close to gate back once everyone evacuated. They all have directions to get to the facility near Midvale. According to the security cameras, there is a swarm of infected persons converging on the building, probably were already on their way because of the alarms earlier." Even with the craziness happening around her, Jesse still managed to be an outstanding assistant. She was already dressed similarly to the other women and was quick to activate another panel hidden in a support beam. A massive section of the back wall disappeared into the ground, revealing a fleet of Ducati motorcycles.
"Wow, so when you said you liked to be prepared, you meant 110%?" Kara commented before handing Jesse the third backpack and mask she'd carried down the stairs. Lena removed her mask, using a carabiner to clip the device to her backpack before handing the third rifle and machete to her assistant.
"You can double up with me or Jesse if you don't know how to ride." Without a word, the blonde picked up the helmet on the nearest bike and swung her leg over to straddle the machine. Clipping her on mask behind her, she winked at the CEO, like she imagined Alex would, before securing the black and silver helmet on her head.
The communication device inside the helmet crackled as the other two women joined Kara on their respective bikes. As the engines roar to life, a screen inside of the helmet flicked with a map showing their location in real time as well as other information they would need on their journey.
"This is unbelievable, Lena. You really are trying to give Batman a run for his money."
"Ha, Batman wishes he had the gear Miss Luthor has developed all on her own." Jesse joked before pulling her bike towards the front entrance. Lena shook her head modestly before turning to Kara.
"Everything you need to know is on the screen inside your helmet. It's automatically set to navigate you towards the shelter. You'll be able to see mine and Jesse's locations in case we get separated. If there's minimal detours, we should be able to make it to Midvale on a single tank of gas in a few hours. After that, we can grab your sister and mother and relocate to the shelter. Sounds good?"
"Sounds good to me." Lena readied herself to take off behind Jesse, but Kara reached out to grab her arm before she had a chance to grab the throttle. They both pulled off their helmets briefly to make eye contact.
Despite being fairly confident in her plan, there was so much that couldn't be accounted for, just past the big metal gate Jesse waited in front of. Everyone knew how zombie movies went, there were always moments of unpredictability that made the journey to safety harder and for the first time ever, Lena had two people depending on her that she cared for immensely.
She'd known Jesse since college, having hired the younger woman with three degrees as less of an assistant and more like a second in command. Lena trusted her more than anyone and her wealth of knowledge was an immeasurable asset to L Corp. Beyond that, she was the only friend the CEO had that wasn't seeking her friendship as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. She was like family, filling the place in Lena's life that her mother and brother could never.
And, then there was Kara. The sunny journalist from Catco with a mischievous streak and abs for days hidden under unassuming cardigans and slacks. She was dangerous to Lena, like a drug she'd be more than willing to become addicted to. Lena was never one to be reckless with her personal life and her business, but the youngest Danvers had succeeded in infiltrating the protective walls she'd erected after taking control of Luther Corp. Even Jesse, her hard ass of a friend and assistant, was powerless to the effortless charms of this blonde woman who apparently knew how to handle high power rifles and ride a motorcycle. There were clearly many fascinating things to learn about Kara Danvers and Lena prayed they lived long enough for her to learn. She made Kara's sister a promise to get her baby sister to Midvale in one piece and she intended to keep it.
So, when she leaned over the gap between their bikes to draw Kara into a slow kiss, she prayed for their survival any god who would listen. The other woman's lips were a brilliant flame, consuming Lena's resolve like the driest tinder, and burning through her body shamelessly. When they pulled apart, Kara grabbed her neck and pulled their foreheads together.
"You better make it to Midvale in one piece so we can do that again." The blonde told her, serious as a heart attack. With little left to be said, she put her helmet back on and rode to the entrance of the garage, Lena shortly behind her.
"Alright, ladies, be safe and don't take any necessary risks."
No words were spoken as Jesse commanded the gate to open.
As if to punctuate the severity of their plight, the clouds above the city began to darken, filling the streets with a profound sense of foreboding. Since L Corp had substantial generators in case of power failure, there was no way for them to know that the city was without power until they were outside. Of course, the sound of the gate rattling open alerted the infected down the block. There was barely a moment to breathe before they zeroed in on the three women, a dozen or so coming from both sides of the block, their bodies beginning to deteriorate even more than the ghouls they'd seen on the news earlier.
There was only one clear path directly ahead of them, so Jesse took off straight ahead, already veering off course of the GPS, which would be ineffective at helping them navigate densely populated areas. Finding the clearest paths as they traversed through National City would ultimately assure their freedom. Kara and Lena followed close behind her, swerving through abandoned vehicles, some turned over and others crashed into lampposts. The driver side doors were wide open as if the owners left in a hurry, just like the homes and businesses with broken glass littering the sidewalk. They were able to travel forward for six blocks before the GPSs began routing them downtown.
"We need to be cautious riding through downtown. There will be more bodies to avoid." Lena spoke through the internal mic. They took a sharp right turn onto a quiet road, narrowly avoiding an overturned firetruck on the corner. The side street was devoid of the infected, but littered with vehicles. Kara slowed her bike and allowed Lena to cross between the narrow pathways first. They both came to a full stop when Jesse did.
"There's a park two blocks ahead. We might have a better chance cutting through there as opposed to staying on the road. Going straight ahead will put us 10 miles away from the entrance to Highway 45. We will need to reroute back onto Main Street if we take the long way around the park. And, who knows that kind of disaster that part of downtown looks like right now."
"I think the park is the right choice. Just stick close and keep an eye out."
They didn't rev the engines and glided through the entrance as quietly as possible before following the paved path to the other side of the park. Everything seemed clear until they came upon the picnic area. There were dozens of tables set up for an event, a grill left burning with the nostalgic smell of summer.
Lena sighed, not at all surprised by the blasé attitude that people were treating the virus that was now the source of their worst nightmares. If only people were willing to suffer a few months inside to ensure a vaccine should be properly developed and tested. If only their government cared enough about its citizens to provide living wages and suitable unemployment benefits and guaranteed housing for the millions of people straddling the line between poverty and homelessness.
During their second interview, Kara confronted the CEO about the millions of dollars of personal funds that she was donating to provide overworked hospital staff with hazard pay, supply every hospital and clinic in the city with PPE, and purchasing tablets for every student in underfunded public schools. Each of these deeds were done anonymously, but the dedicated reporter knew how to follow a paper trail. Lena refused to take credit for going above and beyond, even as the media hounded L Corp about their development of a vaccine. Trailing behind Lord Industries saw as drop in their stock value and the board was breathing down her neck, but she insisted that she did not want the public to know about all that she was doing to keep National City afloat.
Beneath her pressed slacks and crisp collars, there was a tender soul hidden away in Lena Luthor, banished away by her adopted mother's harsh words and the sting of her brother's betrayals. In some ways, many people allow those dark hands to dig into their skin and burn the anger and self-loathing that a home without love causes into their bones. They lashed out at the world and themselves for the cards they were dealt and wanted others to know the pain they feel. Against the odds, Lena strived to be better, not just for herself, but for the people around her. She was genuine and loyal to a fault, a quality very few people were allowed to see. Kara hoped that she could become one of those people one day, if they managed to survive this zombie apocalypse.
Like a vengeful master, the darkness loomed over them, robbing the riders of light and security as the heavens began to pound a sorrowful beat through the skies. The first cries of thunder was deafening and the skies opened upon them like bullets. Even with the headlights on, visibility quickly became a luxury, but they surely heard the ferocious growls from a crowd of infected 500 feet in front of them. The lights drew the danger towards them and they were forced to split up to avoid being overcome by the mob. Jesse veered left and the other women jerked right, plowing through an empty baseball diamond.
As the horde pushed them further towards the fence, Lena was forced to remove the handgun from her thigh and take aim at the creatures coming too close for comfort. The first shot was muffled by a clap of thunder, the second was superfluous as their pursuers had the sense to flee after their first comrade crumpled to the ground. She slipped the weapon back into the holster and steadied herself.
She refused to look him in the face, the man who was no longer a man. Refused to think of the family and friends he left behind. No, she was not responsible for his death, even though his life was terminated by her hands. Maxwell Lord was the only one responsible for this mess and she would not be made to feel guilty for surviving. And, she wasn't fighting for herself alone. Kara and Jesse were depending on her and probably the future of humanity. Failure is never an option for a Luthor and she wasn't about to start now.
The screen inside her helmet fogged up for a moment when Kara exhaled as sigh of relief as the park gate came into view. She was desperate for solid pavement and to be off the muddied grass caking the tires of her bike. Both women spotted Jesse zig zagging between playground equipment 100 feet from the entrance.
"Ride ahead, Jesse. We'll be right behind you." Lena's voice crackled over the headset. The other woman threw a distant thumbs up and darted for the exit. They followed behind her shortly after, keeping a sharp eye out as they crossed over one of the busiest intersections in National City, now riddled with fallen wires and crashed vehicles. After a dozen blocks or so, they finally came upon the river that split the city in two. Highway 45 was on the other side, just beyond the massive bridge that spanned nearly 5 miles across.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was an engineering marvel, standing at nearly 430 feet and 94 feet wide. There were four lanes that saw nearly 60,000 visitors a day. Today, though, the bridge seemed abandoned as they began to cross, stopped cars going in both directions. They showed caution as they drifted between vehicles, keeping their eyes sharp and their ears trained for the sound of company. When Jesse came to an abrupt stop, Kara and Lena pulled their bikes to halt next to hers.
They did not have to search long for what made the other woman bring their progress to a standstill. The CEO dismounted her bike to peer over the enormous section of missing bridge and the cargo ship that appeared to have crashed straight into one of the support beams. A piece of concrete crumbled under Lena's sneaker when she stepped too close to the edge.
"Well, what do we do now?" Kara asked. Rain continued to pour down around them, the rest of the bridge shrouded in darkness. As Lena looked around for another way to cross, a bolt of lightning struck the top of the structure, illuminating the sizable horde clamoring on the other broken edge of bridge. They pushed and shoved at each other, even at the expense of those falling to their deaths in the cold, fringed water. Unfortunately for the three women, their only options were to turn back or take a gamble on the piece of fragmented concrete angled upwards by the top of the ship.
The dark haired woman climbed over the divider to stand in front of the broken road. She pressed a tentative foot down and was met with resistance, the ramp holding strong. Despite being a genius with multiple degrees, she trust Jesse more than herself to determine they had any chance of survival if they used this haphazard ramp. Already following her line of thought, the other woman dismounted and mirrored Lena's position.
"I would estimate that there's a 35.68% that we all make it across the bridge using this improvised ramp. And, that's in a situation where the roads are dry and we can see more than 50 feet in front of us."
"35% isn't good enough. I won't let you risk your lives like that. We'll have to find another way." Lena told the other woman sternly. The other women were too distracted trying to figure out the necessary variables to notice the lightning strike the part of the bridge they entered on. Kara watched as hundreds of infected swarmed around, locking them in place. If they didn't take this risk, they would all end up dead regardless.
"Ladies, I don't think we really have a choice anymore. We're about to have some serious company. Forget the science and let's go!" The usually mild tempered woman shouted through her mic. By the time her companions had turned around, she was already angling her bike backwards towards the gap in the divider. "There's well over a hundred zombies behind us and I'd rather take a daredevil's chance than wait for them to notice us."
"No, Kara, wait. This is too dangerous."
She was nearly a quarter of a mile from the ramp before she began accelerating, ignoring Lena's warning as the speedometer needle crept higher and higher. Lena and Jesse were already racing to follow behind her as the Ducati launched high into the air. Time moved at a snail's pace as the reporter cleared the horde by over 20 feet, the tires of her bike screeching across the slick pavement. Instantly, the zombies redirected their attention towards the newcomer who stood poised and ready with her rifle pointed forward. She fired several shots, eliminating half a dozen before Jesse, and then Lena, sailed across the gap.
Even without seeing her face, Kara knew the dark haired woman was boiling with anger, but she didn't say a word. She just continued across the bridge and into the city.
"Looks like someone is in big trouble." Jesse mocked jokingly, hoping to break some of the tension. When neither woman spoke, she shut her mouth and followed dutifully behind her boss and friend. Taking side streets and traveling through residential neighborhoods, they were able to reach Highway 45 without incident.
Much like the city, the road ahead was lined with cars, filled with bumper to bumper traffic of people trying to escape. It would seem that these were the people smart enough to refuse Lord's vaccine. Thankfully, most people had the sense to resist laying on the horns, a cacophonous sound that would surely attract the monsters still inside the city.
With traffic moving in slow motion, Lena made the choice to travel perpendicular to the road rather than join the standstill. Her companions followed closely behind, their journey nearly silent for almost 75 miles. The internal clock of their helmets showed that it was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon, a substantial chunk of time having been spent on navigating the zombie filled and rain slick roads as safely as possible. Surely, without those hindrances, they would have made better time, but there was less of a rush now that they weren't condensed like sardines in the city. They remained silent, even when they stopped halfway through to relieve themselves and chow down on protein snacks in a dense cluster of tress, the nearest rest stop nearly 20 miles behind them.
Kara knew that she would owe Lena an apology once they reached Midvale. She should have waited for Jesse and Lena to give the go ahead before taking such a risk, but the gravity of the situation became more apparent as they worked their way through National City. They didn't even know what they would find when they reached the reporter's hometown. Above all else, she needed to ensure that her adoptive mother and sister were safe; they were very likely the only living family she had left.
Sure, they weren't blood related, but the Danvers were everything to her. When she had nowhere to go, Eliza and Jeremiah welcomed her into their home with open arms. Alex, accustomed to being an only child, was much harder to convince, but they eventually managed to learn the importance of sisterhood and were closer than two people could be without sharing a body. Kara cherished the love she found with the Danvers because they helped her put the puzzles piece of her life back together when an accident left her with catastrophic memory loss and parentless.
She only knows the details of that day from secondhand sources, but many of her memories were vague. The doctors said she suffered a traumatic brain injury that erased a significant part of her childhood memories and locked away the memories of her parents. When the Danvers first adopted her, she didn't speak for weeks and she suffered headaches that would thoroughly incapacitated her. Eliza was patient with the young girl who saw the world with new eyes and gave her a new place to belong. Sometimes, Kara felt like they treated her like she was made of glass, but she knew her family intended well. When she felt most out of place in the world, the purple amethyst necklace they gifted her when she turned 13, just three months after meeting them, reminded her of the bonds they shared.
Once they followed the exit towards Midvale, the traffic on the road began to thin and almost disappear entirely with cars continuing towards larger communities and areas with supplies. The rain began to clear away, even though they only parted to reveal the darkening night sky, a glowing moon sparkling above them. When they entered town, they stopped onto of the cliff overlooking the beach Alex taught Kara how to surf. The waves were an inky color, beating destructively against the shore line as the moon reflected on the surface.
The three women dismounted their bikes and removed their helmets, shaking away the stress and fear from their day. They tossed their backpacks on the ground and hooked the assault rifles on the handles of the motorcycles. For a moment, it was easy to ignore the difficult journey ahead of them. First, they would have reunite Kara with her family and them migrate towards the prison almost 50 miles away. Then, they would have to regroup with L Corp's scientists and their families, situating everyone into their new homes and determine how the space would have shared and the use of supplies. There was enough food and rations to feed a decent amount of people for several months, but the chances of their resources lasting any significant amount of time decreased with each additional person. Luckily, there was fertile land around the prison for them to grow fresh fruits and vegetables.
Thank God for Jesse because Lena truly wasn't sure if she could handle this level of organizing on her own. She was anxious to continue their research because the spread of the virus was very likely to increase now that they would be forced to bunker down with an unknown number of people. She trusted her employees to follow safety protocols, but the priority would be to develop an effective vaccine as quickly as possible.
Kara cleared her throat loudly, drawing Lena from her thoughts. She grimaced when the other woman looked sharply at her.
"I'll give you ladies a moment." Jesse said before she strolled away towards the trees.
Her anger from earlier reared its ugly head as she looked over at the nervous blonde woman rubbing the back of her head, eye pointed towards the ground.
"About earlier-"
"Cannot happen again, Kara." Lena surprised herself with her harsh tone. She wasn't mad at Kara necessarily. She thought about and understood the place where Kara was coming from; she was desperate to get to her family and make sure they were safe. Granted, Lena didn't feel the same urge to reunite with her own family because she honestly hadn't spared a single thought all day for Lillian and Lex, but she was sympathetic.
"I'm so sorry, Lena. I can't believe I was so stupid." Kara exclaimed, her voice breaking as she tried to shake the negative feelings away with her hands. She muttered incoherently to herself, repeating the insult over and over, so distracted by punishing herself that she didn't see Lena step into her personal place and grab her face. Her eyes were wet with tears as she tried to avoid the dark haired woman's intense glare, but Lena Luthor would not allow herself to be ignored.
"Look at me, Kara." She softened her gaze when the young woman finally lifted her head and wiped away the few tears that'd escaped and ran across her lips. After evading death and spending the better part of the afternoon on a motorcycle, the blonde was still beautiful, even more so up close. Lena resisted the urge to kiss her again because the present conversation was more important, but the temptation was great. "You aren't stupid. Reckless, maybe. But, not stupid. I'm sure you were just trying to be a badass like your FBI sister, but you aren't Alex. Acting without thinking not only risks your life, but endangers our mission right now, which is to get to my facility alive and find a way to save all the people running for their lives right now. We're a team and we have to work together. Do you understand what I mean? I'm sorry I was harsh earlier. There was no excuse for that."
"Oh, Lena, you don't have anything to apologize for. You are right, I was being thoughtless and reckless. There are people out there counting on us, even if they don't know it." The older woman floundered for a second when the taller woman wrapped her arms around her waist in a tight hug. Like the hopeless gay that she was, Lena found herself blushing hotly as Kara pressed their bodies together. When she finally had the sense to hug back, she saw Jesse signing the ASL letters for G-A-Y from 20 feet away. She threw her middle finger up and pulled the other woman closer. They stood without moving for several minutes, relishing the first moment of peace since their interview began that morning.
With so much uncertainty in the future, at least they had this respite to nurture the tenderness blooming between them. They would have to have a conversation once things calmed down but holding each other, basking in the brilliance of the rising moon, was a gift they weren't keen on refusing. Jesse whispered to a prayer to any god listening that the two women before her would have the chance to love each other because Lena Luthor deserved someone as loving and gentle as Kara Danvers to shoo away the dark shadows her mother and brother left on her spirit.
When they finally pulled apart, the clouds dissipated entirely, allowing the light of the moon to dance across the dark tendrils of Lena's hair, casting a soft glow around her face. Kara forced herself to memorize the lines of the other woman's face lest she forget. Unbeknownst to her, the mysterious woman was doing the same, using the pads of her thumbs to trace lines across the blonde woman's face. She paused as her finger softly parted the corner of the lips she longed to taste for the third time that day.
Like a mind reader, Kara did just that, slowly licking across Lena's top lip until her mouth fell open with a sigh. She tasted sweet like cake and of summer rain. Nimble fingers crept underneath her still wet sweater, leaving a trail of heat across pale skin, their lips dancing together delicately. Lena's hands were cautious, exploratory as they pressed into the top of Kara's back but her mouth was ferocious and teasing as she lightly bit into the smile creeping over the other woman's lips. She moaned sensually as skillful fingers pressed firmly into her sternum, caressing just under her bra line. Before things could grow more heated, Lena pulled away with a grin plastered across her face.
"We should find your family." She told the other woman whose lips were poised to pout, a face that would surely break Lena down to her core. Kara smirked down at her, licking her lips as if she was already lost in the memory of their kiss.
"You never answered my question from earlier." Positioning her hands just above Lena's breast, the heat of her palm bleeding through the sheer fabric. She could feel Lena's nipple harden as she breathed deliberately and deeply from her mouth, chest pressing into Kara's palm with each inhale and exhale. The air fogged between them as the temperature continued to drop. "Will. There. Be. A. Second. Date?"
"The first one isn't even over yet. Seems a little presumptuous, don't you think?"
"I prefer to call it confident."
"Well, I hope you're this confident later." Lena pulled Kara's hands from under her shirt and pushed her upper body away with a light shove. She yanked her own shirt back down and turned towards her bike, grabbing the helmet on the seat. "Maybe if you behave, there'll be a treat for you later."
Kara laughed loudly, the melodious sound echoing between the trees and trailing off into the night. She followed Lena's lead as Jesse rejoined their little group, making the blonde realize that the other woman probably saw them making out. Refusing to blush, she refit her gear and weapons before climbing back onto the motorcycle. With a wave, they were on the road again, driving through the tiny community Kara Danvers called home.