Their glasses clinked together as the group toasted to the victory against the Children of Liberty, which they all hoped would be the last they hear from them. The super-friends all gathered in Kara's apartment drinking a bottle of champagne Alex brought with her. "After the week we've had we deserve a little celebration" she said pouring everyone a glass.
Her mother Eliza arrived with her, inviting herself along. Not that anybody was complaining. Kara was delighted to see her, embracing the older woman thanking her for coming to her aid in the battle. "You're my daughter. I would do anything to protect you" she said, shooting a glance to her other daughter who pretended to act jealous and get a family hug.
J'onn was also fortunate to attend the party. However due to his condition he was put under strict orders by all the Danvers women to remain seated on the sofa and not to move. He winced every time he did, the bandages around his rips chaffing his torso. He wasn't used to being immobile, but his surrogate family was adamant. He took a glass from Alex's hands and let the young woman sit down beside him.
Kara stood in the centre of the room and decided to make a toast of her own. She looked around the room, at her friends and family, a grateful smile on her lips before speaking. "I just wanted to thank everyone for being here today" she said, her eyes meeting everyone in turn. "And not just right now. The last few months have been challenging, and stressful to all of us. To some of us more than others" she added apologetically to her sister and the Olsen. "I guess what I wanted to say is…I wanted to thank you all for sticking by me, even when I was at my lowest part, or most infuriating, or when I lost my temper and… you stuck by me. We all stuck by each other. And it means everything that I was able to get through this with you all, together." She looked around the room, her friends and family smiling back at her. Alex, Eliza, J'onn, Olsen, Brainy and Nia, who stood silently at the back, all gave her a friendly smile. The only one missing was Lena, who hadn't shown up for some reason. Kara put it out of her mind and raised her glass. "So here's to us. Whatever gets thrown at us next, I hope we continue to face it together" she said.
"To us" the others replied in unison.
With all the toasts completed the group were able to start mingling in a more relaxed fashion. Brainy and Alex started talking shop while Eliza kept J'onn Company. Kara joined James to ask if he knew where Lena was. "She said she was coming" he told her, looking around the room curiously. "But then something might've come up. She looked a little distracted when I left her office earlier today."
"What were you talking about?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Nothing really. Passing remarks about work and personal phones? How are you holding up by the way?" he asked changing the subject.
She rubbed her shoulder where it had been pinned by that metal scaffold. "Now that the Kryptonite is wearing off I'm feeling a lot better" she said.
They were interrupted by Alex who hopped over to tell Kara "mom was hoping for some family bonding time. I think she's still worried you're not a hundred percent" she warned.
Kara sighed. "she'll have to get in line" she muttered, swallowing her drink counting in her head the number of worried looks she'd gotten since being brought back from the battle. She found the perfect excuse to divert the topic by asking Alex "by the way, did I see Kelly in that crowd earlier or was I crazy?"
Alex's face went pale as Olsen nodded. "Yeah, my sister is here to visit for a few days."
Kara's widened looking at Alex. "Holy crap, are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Alex replied, grabbing another glass dragging Kara away from this conversation. "Just do me a favour and don't say anything to mom about this."
"Come on, you can't expect me not to want to talk about this" Kara cried, following her sister pestering her leaving Olsen smirking and shaking his head. Siblings, they never change he mused.
He looked up around the room and found one of their friends had separated herself from the rest of the group, glimpsing her through the windows on the small balcony outside. He set down his glass and went to check on her, but not before making a brief detour to his jacket to retrieve something.
Nia stood on the balcony overlooking the street, leaning against the railing lost in thought. She could hear the others inside the apartment having fun, but despite the victory Nia didn't feel like celebrating. Olsen stepped out onto the balcony besides her leaning his elbow on the banister. "Not joining the others?" he asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Not really in the mood" she replied.
Olsen nodded. "I hope it's not what Miranda Oakridge said. The Children of Liberty are over."
"That's what we said last time" she sighed. "And she has a point. As long as there are people out there who agree with what they believe in, peace between humans and aliens will never be possible."
"I wouldn't be too sure" he said, looking into the apartment. "It occurs to me that there are already humans and aliens coexisting peacefully, and becoming very close because of it."
Nia followed his gaze and looked at their friends, human and alien, laughing and talking with each other. She couldn't help but smile, looking up at James. "I get it, but what about those who hate us? Or people like us. Miranda isn't the first one to call me an abomination, and not just because I'm half Naltorian."
"I realise that. I only speak as a black man who has dealt with his fair share of assholes and bigots growing up" he remarked, looking at his transgender friend. "But I think we can both agree that while we can't change everyone's minds overnight, as much as we'd want to, it is possible to change enough peoples mind. Look at what happened today. Thousands of people flooded the streets to stand up for what they believe in. humans and aliens walking side by side, proving to people like Miranda that the world they're afraid of is possible. Worse, it's already here."
"But that just made them a target" Nia argued. "If they hadn't been there so many people wouldn't have been hurt. If Dorian hadn't chosen to run for the senate, they would still be alive."
"But they chose to, and they did" he said. "And do you know why? Because they believed in something bigger" he told her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "They believed in a better world and wanted to make it a reality. And they were able to do it because people like you, who can see the possibility of a better world and sees the problems in our way, inspired them to do it."
Nia sighed uncomfortably. "I never wanted to inspire anyone. I never meant for this to happen. When I became a superhero all I wanted to do was help people."
"And you have. But you must've realise you've become more than that now" Olsen told her. "You put yourself out there as a symbol of hope to this city."
"Supergirl is the symbol of hope" Nia countered.
"But it was you the people were cheering when the Sentinel of Liberty fell" he reminded her. Nia looked away, recalling the applause and the noise. "They believe in you Nia. You are a hero to them, just as much as Supergirl. You were a hero to Dorian too" he said, pulling out the silver pin he had cleaned holding it out to her.
Nia looked over at the silver pin, the glistening metal glinting in the dipping sun as she reached out and took it from the man. The elegant D, the symbol meaning to dream in Dorian's native language, the pin they wore at the rally when they were killed. It looked beautiful when not speckled with blood.
"Like our Octurian friend said, the world needs Dreamers" Olsen smirked, catching Nia's eye as he returned to the apartment letting her think on what he said. She held the pin up to the light and replayed Dorians speech again, the hope it brought and the future he represented. Maybe there was still time to make that future a reality she thought with a smile.
Kara went looking for Lena an hour into their little party. She didn't want her best friend to miss out on this. She wore her civilian clothes as she flew across the city, knowing she'll be moving too fast for anyone to notice. She touched down on Lena's balcony in her office and stepped through the blinds. "Lena?" she called, the office dark. She stepped inside and cast her eyes about.
The main thing she noticed was the mess in the entrance to the hall, walking forward finding the old photocopier that always sat by her assistant's desk completely wrecked. For a moment she feared there'd been an attack, except it was the only piece of equipment destroyed. She scanned the office. Nobody was here. No Lena. No assistant.
Her next stop was her apartment, where she found the woman she was looking for sitting by her oak desk in the corner sipping a glass of whisky. Lena never usually drank the hard stuff unless she was angry or upset. Kara knocked on the balcony window waiting for her to let her in, except the raven haired woman never turned around. She cautiously tried the handle and found the sliding door unlocked, so she stepped inside. "Lena? I've been trying to call, but your phone seemed to be off" she said, looking at the back of Lena's head getting worried. "I stopped by your office. What happened?"
Lena scoffed, rising from her chair keeping her back to the blonde woman. "You were right" she said cryptically, her voice hollow as she stared at the bookshelf in front of her. Kara tilted her head and saw the picture of the Luthor family Lena was staring at. Her, her mother and her brother. "You were right about me all along" Lena said.
"I don't understand" Kara said, stepping forward becoming concerned. "What happened? What's wrong? You can talk to me, you know that."
"No, you don't know!" Lena snapped, slamming her glass onto the desk whirling on the woman screaming "you have no idea!" Kara took a step back in alarm, staring at her friend until her face came into the light of the desk lamp. She saw her eyes were red and she had tears down her cheeks. Lena's aggression became trembling fury and Kara realised she wasn't mad at her. "I did this" she sighed, shaking as she turned away to pace the room.
"Did what?" Kara asked her, following her cautiously seeing Lena was very upset. "Lena, what happened?"
Lena was reluctant to talk about it, but she knew Kara deserved to learn the truth. "Do you remember months ago when Metallo showed up and we discovered he was powered by kryptonite?" she asked. Kara nodded. "Do you remember how you can straight to me because, naturally, a part of you suspected I was involved?"
"That's not true" Kara said, recalling the fleeting moment of guilt she had when she talked to Lena about it. "I never believed you were…"
"You were right" Lena interrupted, looking away in shame. "I just didn't realise it at the time. We spent months trying to figure out where the Blacksmith was keeping his stockpile of Kryptonite, trying to work out where he was getting his supply. We spent months and couldn't find any trace of his workshop, a facility that might store it, no trace of its radioactive signature anywhere on the planet. Because there isn't one" Lena said, her voice laughing as she began to laugh hysterically.
Kara's concern turned to worry as Lena started cackling in the dark apartment. She wasn't making any sense. But she didn't say anything hoping she would explain in her own time.
"There is no stockpile, no facility, no signature for natural kryptonite anywhere for us to find" she explained, pouring another glass of whisky and drinking it. "They didn't need any of that, thanks to me. You were right. Once a Luthor, always a Luthor" she sighed.
"Lena, you're not making sense" Kara said, her pulse quickening as she approached the young woman. "Could you maybe put the drink down and we can talk?"
"No, you don't…stop being my friend, I don't deserve it" Lena shouted, on the verge of crying as she backed away from the blonde. She shook her head shamefully. "I don't deserve it. I shouldn't have done it, I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help myself. I saw a puzzle and I had to solve it. Had to solve it, if only to show Lex that I could. you all warned be, James warned me the dangers and I tried, I thought I destroyed it all, but I missed something and it's…it's all my fault" she stammered, breaking down into sobs as she walked to the window to look at her pathetic reflection. She was Kara standing behind her looking lost and confused, guilt tearing the businesswoman apart. "The kryptonite came from me" she confessed. "I'm the reason the Blacksmith has it?"
Kara blinked in surprise. None of this made sense. "You? But…no, I don't believe that" she said.
"It's true" she said, balling her fists in fury at herself and her short-sightedness. "I didn't know. But then I looked at the logs and I found it. Turns out L-Corp has a pretty major security breach I need to address" she chuckled humorously. "Safeguards for any hack, and unauthorised entry in or out of the system, and file gets downloaded onto an external drive I am notified about it. Building on my brother's already flawless security protocols. Except us both overlooked something." she turned her head to look at Kara's reflection. "The first time you introduced us, Jake White? You remember?" she asked her sadly. "I recognised him. Maintenance guy, worked for me. I remembered it since, I checked the records. He fixed my air conditioning in my office. I started remembering more of that day. I met him, barely looked at him. I had to take a call, I forget what. I was gone for maybe ten, fifteen minutes. He was still there when I got back, working on the air conditioning. I didn't think anything of it. Ten to fifteen minutes. That's all he needed" she sighed.
"Needed for what?" Kara asked.
"To get what he needed. I never thought about it. There was no security breach that day. No notification. No alarms. Nothing missing. But the timing…I did the math, I checked the logs" she told Kara. "The timing fits. The worst possible time, or the best, or just lucky. I don't know how he found out but he must've known. I thought I had that project locked up tight. I thought I had kept it hidden from everyone, even my own company. Oh, that bastard" she spat. "He was there for eight months, eight months working for me. He left a couple of weeks after that day, weeks after I purged all records of that experiment. Because you're my friend and you asked me too" she said to Kara, who was still as confused as Lena kept skirting the issue. Lena knew she was stalling. She had to say it. "Those eight months…it was in that window I cracked the formula to make kryptonite. I had the solution and the blueprints in my office, on my laptop. When James found out I told you, but the day before Jake was there to fix my air-conditioning. I didn't realise what he'd done until I got the idea about shared networks and checked my printer this afternoon. It should've been replace but…another oversight. If I had I never would've found the archived task log and found the timestamp…smack bang in the middle of those fifteen minutes. The bastard!" she repeated as Kara took a step back. Now she was beginning to catch up and realise what Lena was talking about. "While I was gone he used my laptop, hacked it or maybe I just forgot to close it, but instead of copying the files onto a drive that would've alerted me he printed it! Printed a hard copy of every file I had stored about Kryptonians, Lex's research notes I found, and the formula to synthesise kryptonite. He printed it and just walked out of my office with them and I DIDN'T NOTICE A THING!" she cried.
Kara stared at Lena who was trembling with guilt and fury. She didn't know what to think. It was devious and explained it all. The DEO couldn't detect synthetic kryptonite with their satellites, and with the blueprints the Blacksmith didn't need a stockpile when he could make as much as he wanted. And Lena told her once, if you knew what you were doing it wasn't hard to make. And she'd already confirmed the Blacksmith was smart enough to make it. But it went further than realise the source was Lena's office. It meant the secret to how to make kryptonite was out, a copy was in the world. The Blacksmith had it. Jake had it. It was out there. They could sell it to anyone they wanted, share it with the world. It was the worst case scenario they all feared. Kara couldn't breathe, covering her mouth in shock and panic.
Lena saw her reaction in the reflection and began sobbing harder. "I'm sorry Kara" she cried, covering her eyes understanding the reach of her mistake. To think, if she had replaced that printer when she was meant to Jake's crime would never had been found, it was that perfect. She stood at the window looking out over the city, a city being overrun with weapons using her blueprints, her greatest achievement. For a moment she glimpsed Lex standing in place of her reflection, a silent clap taunting her. She'd inadvertently done what he could never have hoped to achieve. Everything Jake was doing as the reckoning was possible because she couldn't help prove she was smarter than her brother. "I'm sorry. You were right. It's all my…"
But to her shock Kara dashed over and wrapped her arms around Lena, giving her a hug. Lena froze, unable to understand why. She didn't deserve any kindness from her. But Kara held the woman whispering to her "it's not your fault. I know you didn't mean for this to happen. It's not your fault."
Lena trembled as she broke into sobs, letting go of her emotions letting the shame and guilt pour out and Kara cradled her, sharing her pain as they embraced each other in the dark apartment looking out at the city, both thinking about the man who used and betrayed them. Kara stayed the night to help Lena accept her guilt, promising they'll bring the man to justice for all he's done.
Eliza arrived back at her cabin late that evening, bidding her daughter goodbye leaving her at the apartment to ride with her security detail. She had offered to stay the night but Alex wanted some time to herself. She told the girl to get some sleep and knew the young woman was lying when she promised her she would. She climbed out of the black sedan thanking her driver, telling him she would be fine on her own from here. She knew there was a whole team of security guards watching the place and had her safety monitored at all times, so the last thing she needed was more bodyguards inside with her. The driver waved her goodnight and parked across the street as she walked through her front door.
Her phone buzzed inside her bag as she turned the key, retrieving it curious to who might be calling her at this time. She looked at the caller ID: Private Number. Her heart skipped a beat, glancing over her shoulder as she stepped inside and locked the door for privacy. She knew whose phone was calling her. She'd been expecting this call. Once her bag was on the ground and she'd hung up her coat she did a brief circuit of the cabin making sure she was alone before answering the call. "Is it done?" she asked.
"Not exactly" a voice answered.
Eliza froze to the spot. This was not the voice she was hoping to hear from. "Who is this?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and composed.
"Not who you were expecting" the voice told her. It wasn't distorted or altered. Eliza had never heard this voice before. But she had an inkling who it was because her blood ran cold. "I'm disappointed. If you wanted me dead, you should've hired someone better than this amateur."
"I'm afraid you must have me confused with someone else" she bluffed.
She heard the voice chuckle. "Or maybe you underestimated your target, Mrs Danvers" he said, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "I have to admit, I was expecting something like this from your daughter but not from her mother. I suppose I should give you points for audacity, but you'll have to do better than that. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this" he promised. "It was very nice getting to speak to you Mrs Danvers. I hope we get to meet each other soon."
The caller hung up, leaving Eliza staring standing in the cabin frozen and alarmed. The man she hired wasn't an amateur, far from it. But if he had failed to complete his mission, then the man she had just tried to have assassinated was more deadly than she anticipated. That filled the experienced mother of two with increased levels of dread for her daughters.