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Note that Lena's dog's name is pronounced Keeva.
Luthorsport, Ireland
January, 1941
The beach was deserted, mostly because no one in the small coastal village of Luthorsport other than Lena Luthor was eager enough or mad enough, depending on who you asked, to take their dog out for a walk in such wind and misty greyness. Though rain still threatened, with the wind such as it was, taking an umbrella was a waste of time and resources. Lena walked along the pebbles and coarse sand that made up the shoreline as her spaniel Caoimhe jumped and played and chased the waves back from the shore. Lena walked with her hands shoved deep into her coat pockets, collar popped up, grateful that her hat was well pinned to her hair, else it would be half way to the Americas by now.
Through the mist coming off the roaring waves, Lena could just make out the towering cliffs ahead, with the lighthouse jotting out into the wild Atlantic ocean; the safety and warmth of the village and port behind her. A shape moved in the waves up ahead, seaweed no doubt. Lena kept walking, wondering if there was a way to increase the light from the lighthouse. War of not, Ireland was a neutral country, and she didn't want any ships smashed upon the rocks.
Caoimhe barked and ran ahead. What had looked like seaweed was now moving forcefully, coming ashore. Lena whistled and Caoimhe ran to her side. Lena hooked the leash to Caoimhe's collar. "No barking at seals," she said, giving the dog a pat on the head. Lena looked back at the shape coming out of the water, and saw that it was no seal. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Lena breathed. Caoimhe stood behind Lena. "Come on," Lena said, tugging at the leash. Caoimhe cooperated with her mistress as they apprehensively made their way down the beach. "Hullo?" Lena called.
A woman emerged from the waves, almost doubled-over, coughing up water, her wet blonde hair dangling over her face, soaked clothes clinging to her body. Lena grabbed the woman's shoulder to stop her from falling while she coughed up a good amount of sea water.
"You must be freezing," Lena said, Caoimhe sitting patiently at her side. "Where did you come from? How did you get here? And in the water? The waves are huge - "
The woman nodded and tried to straighten up. She pushed her hair back from her face, and grabbed Lena's arm for support.
"I'm Lena," Lena said. "Do you - do you know where you are?"
The woman looked at Lena, then looked up and down the beach. "Where's Alex?" she asked, her voice raspy.
"I - I haven't seen anyone else," Lena said. "We don't usually get people appearing from the waves. Especially not in January, on the morning after a storm."
The woman let go of Lena's arm and swung around. "I have to find her. I have to go."
"No, wait - " Lena began, but the woman was already walking back into the waves. "You'll drown!" Lena called, but the woman jumped over a wave and leapt up into the air, disappearing into the mist and clouds. Lena stared in disbelief. "You saw that too, right?" she asked Caoimhe. The dog cocked her head and tugged at the lead, eager to press on.
…
"Any news today, Joe?" Lena asked as she entered the post office, both Lena and Caoimhe walking sand and water into the small shop.
"Not a word, Miss Luthor," Joe replied. If anyone was going to know what was happening in and around Luthorsport, Joe would be the one.
"A storm like that last night, and no news?"
"Oh, I thought you meant from the papers. Mr O'Brien at the station got a call from up the line saying there's been a tree down across the tracks, so we've none of the morning papers from Dublin. No morning mail. No nothing. Mr O'Brien said he'll let me know as soon as he does when the tracks are cleared again."
"Lucky there was nothing for market today," Lena said.
"You'd have to be mad to go out in a storm like that. The boats would have been wrecked for certain."
"So no word of any ship wrecks, then?" Lena asked, fishing for information while trying to sound casual. "Or planes falling out of the sky?"
Joe chuckled. "I think you're reading too many Boys Own magazines if you think something like that'd happen here, Miss Luthor. If something went down in a storm like that, anyone on board would be a goner for sure. Even the size of the swell this morning was immense. Biggest I've seen this winter, that's for sure. Here's your letters," Joe said, handing Lena two letters. "They came in yesterday afternoon."
"Thank-you," Lena said, taking her mail, a quick glance telling her there was nothing of significance.
"Mind you don't get blown away. That wind's still up."
"I know," Lena said. "I just walked out along the beach."
"Aye, I can see by your shoes. Nothing washed up?"
"If anything did," Lena said, "It'd have been swept back out by now. See you tomorrow."
"See you then, Miss Luthor," Joe said, as Lena left the post office, Caoimhe at her heels.
Lena walked down the deserted cobblestone street towards home. Had she been hallucinating the girl on the beach? Joe was right, no one could survive out at sea in a storm like that. Even the most seasoned fishermen of Luthorsport hadn't risked going out in it. But the woman - she had flown. Lena was sure of it. It hadn't been a trick of the light and the mist, the woman had flown. Surely that was impossible, but yet - Even out here, Lena had heard whispers, rumours of super soldier programs. Perhaps that woman was the result of one of those? Did they do such experiments on woman?
Caoimhe barked and Lena looked up, her thoughts returning to the world in front of her, where the woman from the beach was leaning beside the door of the Luthorsport Hotel, holding another person in her arms. Lena exhaled loudly, and hurried towards the woman. She glanced up and down the street, but it was empty. No one was out on a day such as this. No one but Lena and the mystery woman.
"Please," the mystery woman said as Lena approached. "Please, please can you help us?"
The woman was dripping wet, her lips looked white and her skin almost had a greenish hue. She was holding another woman in her arms who was white with cold, shivering and barely conscious. Her hands and knees were bleeding. Their clothes were dripping water onto the path.
"Is that Alex?" Lena asked as much out of curiosity as concern.
The blonde woman nodded. "Please, can you…"
Lena took a key out of her pocket and opened the door. "Was she at the rocks?"
"Yes."
"Quickly, inside," Lena said, closing the door behind them. "Mary!" Lena called to the housekeeper, pulling off her gloves and stuffing them in her pocket.
"Morning Miss Luthor ma'am! Didn't think you were popping by this morning," a woman called from the other end of the building. Mary lived in the hotel, and though there were no guests at this time of year, she kept the place in order and ran the bar of an evening.
"We've got a couple of guests. They might be staying a while. I'll show them upstairs if you can make up some hot water bottles and something to drink. Hot and strong. Room two."
"Right away, ma'am."
"And Mary, call Caoimhe. She's smells like a wet dog, which she is."
Mary whistled, and Caoimhe galloped down the hall, where a warm fire and some treats would be waiting for her.
"Can you carry her upstairs?" Lena asked turning to the women, knowing full well that she couldn't lift another fully-grown adult.
The blonde woman nodded.
"Right. Well, follow me," Lena said, leading the way. "We don't get many visitors this time of year. There's eight rooms, all of which are full all summer, but in January, well, room two has two nice cozy beds, and a private bathroom. Hot running water too. Here," Lena said, reaching the top of the stairs and using her master key to open the door. Lena flicked on the light, grateful the electricity was still working. "Straight into the bathroom. Let's get the two of you cleaned up. I'll have Mary call for Doctor Grey, and - "
"No. No doctors. No one can know we're here. We - we can't, we…"
"A town like this where everyone knows everyone, everyone will know there's guests at the hotel and - do you know where you are?" Lena asked.
The woman opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She looked too exhausted to fully comprehend anything beyond the desperate need of her situation.
"Never mind for now," Lena said, wishing she could provide the woman more comfort. She turned on the bathroom light, and grabbed the plug for the bath. "Sorry, but I never caught your name."
"Kara Danvers," Kara said, carefully entering the bathroom so as not to hit Alex's head on the side of the doorframe. "This is my sister Alex," Kara's voice cracked. "I can't lose her. Please, please help us."