The next day, Lena paced back and forth in her office, wringing her hands together as she waited for the Danvers sisters to show. She'd looked at the USB drive that Lex left at her apartment and discovered that he was behind Jeremiah's death. And he'd manipulated Eve to kill for him, allowing him to frame her if the need arose. She knew he was maniacal, but Lena never thought he'd stoop this low. But the few green lines that protruded through her skin reminded her that Lex would. Her door opened and pulled her from her thoughts as she turned around.
"Lena, why did you call us here?" asked Alex as she and Kara walked toward the ravenette.
When Kara stepped closer, the youngest Luthor stepped back. "Don't come closer, Kara. I don't want to hurt you."
Kara furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What? What are you talking about, Lena?"
"And why are you wearing sunglasses at this time of night?" asked Alex, pointing out the large shades covering Lena's eyes.
Lena reached up and slowly removed them. She avoided the Kryptonian's gaze as she said, "Lex showed up last night with the serum I made to kill him. He changed it, so it'll hurt Kara whenever she gets close to me."
"That still doesn't explain the sunglasses," said Alex, glancing at Kara.
Lena fixed her gaze on her desk, trying to find the words to explain what'd happened. "When the serum entered my body, it altered it, changing my eyes and leaving several green veins by the injection site."
"Can I see?" asked Kara as she closed the distance between her and Lena, ignoring the sensation of needles. "Please."
Unable to fight against the pleading tone in the Kryptonian's voice, not wanting to hurt her, Lena stepped back and rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. She pulled her hand away as she allowed the sisters to examine the unsightly veins on her arm. The pain she endured last night was still fresh in her mind. And looking down, she was reminded that her brother had made another attempt to invade her life. Why couldn't he leave her alone? Why did her family have to ensure that their infamy also trailed her? The feeling of Kara gingerly grabbing her wrist yanked Lena from her thoughts.
"Kara, please." Lena pulled her wrist from the Kryptonian's grasp. "I don't want to hurt you. I can't give my brother what he wants."
The Kryptonian looked at Lena, taking in the sight of her glowing neon green eyes. Seeing them in the fading light of the evening was eerie. And knowing the cause was kryptonite, the one substance that came from her home planet, unnerved her. She hated Lex for forcing Lena to stay away, hated that he tried to take away the person she wanted to share her whole world with. Clenching her fists, Kara turned and walked out to the balcony. The red kryptonite in her system was taking hold, and she didn't want to hurt Lena.
Alex glanced at Lena before following Kara. "Kara, are you all right?"
"No." Kara grasped the railing as she tried to focus on something else. "I can't stand Lex. I want to make him pay."
"I know Kara, but that isn't going to solve our problem," said Alex, looking behind her as Lena approached the doorway, still keeping her distance. "And right now, we need to help Lena fix what her brother did."
Kara stared down at the passing cars below her; red lines flickered across her skin, begging her to cave in. She focused on her breathing, and the lines slowly faded as she calmed down. Both sisters stood there under the stars. Alex's hand rested over the Kryptonian's tensed one, grounding her as she fought the intrusive thoughts. She lightly squeezed it as she gave her a brief smile. After listening to the sounds of the bustling city for a moment, they walked back inside. Lena stepped back as Kara walked past. She met her eyes and saw the anger beneath the mask of pain.
"There is something else I must tell you, and it's not good." Lena walked over to her desk and pulled up the folder containing Lex's USB drive file. "Do you remember when we talked about Jeremiah and how you thought his death was strange?"
Kara nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, I located the original report, and the coroner is someone Lex hired previously to cover up a string of murders a few years back," continued Lena. "And last night, he gave me a USB drive that contained a single video."
"About what?" asked Alex.
Lena swallowed. "About Jeremiah's death."
"Let us see it," said Alex without hesitation.
The youngest Luthor's hand shook as she pulled out the USB. She knew exactly what was on it. Memories from the previous night resurfaced as she looked at it. It'd taken a glass and a half of scotch to stomach what she'd seen. And several glasses of wine afterward to sleep without the images appearing in her mind, forcing her to wake up hours later. Safe to say, she woke with a severe hangover and a panic attack upon realizing what the serum did to her eyes. Biting the inside of her bottom lip, Lena pushed the drive into her computer and turned to the sisters.
"Are you sure that you want to see it, Alex? I know your father's death was painful," Lena caught the older Danvers' gaze. "Watching this video won't make it any easier."
"I know, but I need to see it – we need to see it." Alex gestured to Kara as she spoke. "It's odd our father died of a heart attack, especially when he's fairly healthy. It doesn't add up."
"Alex… you don't need to see the video – you shouldn't. My brother's already done enough, and this is just another way for him to hurt you two again," Lena said. "Lex knows you'd want to see it and is using it to get at you, Alex. I won't let him hurt you again."
"I don't care what your idiotic brother wants. I need to know if he killed my father or had anything to do with his death." Alex looked at the ravenette, her gaze stern. "Show me the video."
"Are you sure?" asked Lena, her hand hovering over the mouse.
Alex glanced over at Kara, who gave her an affirming nod. "Yes."
Lena clicked on the video file and stepped away, allowing Kara and Alex to see it. Alex sat down in the chair and pressed play as the Kryptonian stood over her shoulder. There were rustling noises as a scuffle occurred off-camera. A few seconds later, Jeremiah staggered into the frame, gasping for breath as his heart seized up. Both Danvers sisters went rigid as the video continued playing. Eve appeared from the camera's right side, her back turned toward them as she approached their father. Then, the screen went black. Alex looked at her sister as the video ended. Her anger was mirrored in Kara's eyes as they flashed red before she turned to Lena.
"Did Eve kill our father because of Lex?" asked Alex, getting up from the desk.
Lena nodded. "I called Eve last night. My brother wanted to manipulate Kara and me, so he enlisted her to kill Jeremiah, saying he'd killed her father. But, as usual, Lex had no intention of helping her enact revenge. And he used this video as leverage to prevent her from betraying him."
Alex pushed past the ravenette, with Kara trailing behind as she left. She wanted to find Lex and make him pay for killing her father. Her hands balled into fists as she rounded the corner of the hallway leading to the elevator. The wound that had taken months to heal opened, and the pain she'd pushed through came rushing back like an overwhelming tsunami. They had their disagreements, but he was her father. And Alex still loved him. As she went to enter the elevator, she stopped, covering her mouth as her building sobs broke free. She collapsed into a nearby chair as Kara sat next to her.
"I'm sorry that Jeremiah's death wasn't what you thought," said Kara as she wrapped her arms around her sister. "I promise that Lex will pay for what he did."
Before Alex could respond, the ravenette showed up with a glass of scotch. As she handed it to Alex, she said, "I'm sorry."
Alex took the glass, tossing it back. "You don't have to apologize for your brother's actions, Lena."
Lena looked down, unsure of what to say.
Sitting in the chair opposite her sister, Kara saw Lena's growing unease. If not for the kryptonite, she would've taken her hand and pulled her into a hug. Instead, she settled for getting up from the chair and walking toward her, still keeping her distance. She gave the ravenette a sympathetic smile, trying to comfort her. Kara looked and noticed the tiny green veins protruding from her hands. The sight made her nauseous. How could Lex do this to his sister? Sure, siblings fight, but Kara knew Alex wouldn't do something like this. It both infuriated and saddened her to see what he'd done to her. She took a few deep breaths, keeping herself from losing control of her rising anger.
"As much as I hate to impede on the discovery of my brother's actions, we have a bigger problem to address," said Lena, holding up her arm and showing the green veins.
Alex got up from the chair and nodded in agreement. "Let's head back to the tower. I can treat you there."
As the ravenette went to say something, the elevator dinged. They turned to see someone none of them had expected to see: Lilian Luthor. She removed her sunglasses as she approached them.
"Hello, Lena," said Lillian.
"Hello, mother," replied Lena. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm here to help," stated Lillian matter-of-factly.
Kara crossed her arms and stood in front of Lena, keeping her distance as she glared at Lillian. "Haven't you done enough, Lillian?"
Lillian narrowed her eyes at the Kryptonian before saying, "While I've made some questionable choices in the past, I'm here for my daughter."
"You're the reason she's in this mess. So, what exactly do you hope to achieve by coming here?" asked Alex, taking a stand next to her sister.
Grateful that the two sisters were defending her against Lillian's surprise intrusion, Lena stood next to Alex, forgetting briefly that Kara was there. Like the ones on her body, sickly green lines started to appear. As they spread, she staggered back, vertigo hitting her. A weak groan slipped past the Kryptonian's lips as she fought against the kryptonite poisoning. But as it worsened, Lena stepped away. She hadn't meant to hurt her. Yet, she did. She looked down, missing the worried glace Kara threw her way.
"I came to help fix this," said Lillian, as if she wanted to use the situation to exemplify her point.
"And what makes you think I'd accept your help, mother?" Lena asked.
"Well, I doubt you'd want to keep hurting your girlfriend every time you go near her," Lillian pointed out, raising her brows slightly.
Remaining composed, Lena said, "Fine. You can help us only if Alex and I take charge."
Lillian rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, dear."
All three of them went to Lena's lab, deciding not to reveal the Tower's location to Lillian. The ravenette insisted that Kara ride with her sister to avoid getting sick. There was some resistance on Kara's part, but after some convincing from Alex, she reluctantly agreed to let her go in a separate car with her mother. However, the ride there was another story. Lena kept glancing over at Lillian, unsure what inspired the change of heart. She knew one thing for sure: there was no way that her mother was doing this for her.
Finally, they arrived at the building. Kara went with Lillian to Lena's lab to ensure she didn't do something. That left Lena with Alex as they took the stairs. Silence hung between them, neither knowing what to do with the other.
"Thanks," said Lena, breaking the silence.
"For what?" asked Alex as she turned to the ravenette.
"For defending me against my mother. I know that can't have been easy, especially given what happened with your father." Lena looked at Alex, sympathy in her green eyes. "I know that we haven't always seen eye to eye."
Alex stopped and turned towards Lena. "You're right; I haven't always been so friendly towards you. However, my sister cares for you, and that's enough for me to trust you, Lena."
"Thank you," replied Lena.
A few flights of stairs later, Alex and Lena arrived at her lab. Both looked at the Luthor matriarch, noticing that she kept glancing over at Kara as if she was going to turn on her any second now. That infuriated Lena. But, instead of letting her emotions cloud her judgment, she shoved them back into their little boxes. She needed to focus on the task at hand. Walking over to her desk, she grabbed the notes from her experiment with the Harun-El and turned to Lillian, who was already two steps ahead, holding her notes for the kryptonite serum.
"Can I see your notes?" asked Alex, holding her hand.
Lillian handed her the notes. "I don't see why I can't take charge."
"Because you're the reason I'm in this mess," said Lena. "If you hadn't helped Lex, none of this would've happened."
Lillian's face remained expressionless as Alex began to dig through her notes. "Fine."
For the next hour, the youngest Luthor and Alex poured over the notes, trying to figure out how to reverse the serum. Words and letters blurred together like an abstract painting out of focus. She felt like a mouse in a maze, trying to find the cheese, only to realize that it was a labyrinth she'd been lured into. She was about to give up and walk out when she read a paragraph about the Harun-El antidote. Lena ran to a nearby cabinet and opened the top drawer, pulling out one of the syringes containing it.
Turning to Lillian, Lena said, "You based the kryptonite serum on the Harun-El, right?"
"Yes," replied Lilian.
"I think I can re-engineer this to combat the kryptonite, hopefully reversing its effects." Lena looked at Kara, catching a glimpse of her beaming at the news. "But we'll need a sample so Alex and I can generate an antidote."
Lillian reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small, black box. "I brought some with me. I'd figured you'd need it."
"You had that in your pocket this entire time?" asked Kara, stepping back.
"It's in a lead-lined box," stated Lillian. "I wouldn't dream of harming you, not with my daughter around."
The Kryptonian glared at Lillian, her eyes beginning to glow red. "Watch it, Luthor."
The youngest Luthor froze as fear washed over her like a towering wave ready to crash down. Memories from a week ago came flooding back in full force. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out the voices around her. She looked at her forearm, the one Kara burnt when the red kryptonite affected her, briefly reimagining the searing pain on her skin. It took all of Lena's willpower to keep herself from covering what little remained of the burn marks. She didn't want to make a scene. But that proved for naught as Kara looked at her, worry clouding her cerulean eyes, clearly noticing something wasn't right.
Alex looked at Lillian, seeing that she was going to say something. "Not now, Lillian."
"I didn't mean-I'm sorry, Lena." Kara looked down, folding her hands, looking much like a guilty puppy caught in the act.
Gathering herself, Lena said, "It's all right, Kara. I know my mother can sometimes be infuriating."
Lillian pretended not to hear that comment as she handed Lena the serum.
While Lena studied the antidote formula, Alex looked at the serum sample under a microscope. At first glance, it didn't seem difficult to rework it for green kryptonite. But, looking over the structures of the two kryptonites, it was clear that it'd take more than that to fix her condition. Despite being similar in composition, their formation altered them enough to make them as distinct as two differing snowflakes. The stress took its toll on the ravenette, and she had to step away. She left the lab and headed to the elevator.
Just as she went to push the down button, Lena heard footsteps coming toward her. She turned to see Kara. "Kara, what are you-"
"Why're you leaving, Lena?" asked Kara as she stood before the ravenette.
"I just need a break, Kara." Lena reflexively reached out to the Kryptonian before remembering she couldn't.
"Are you okay?" Kara stepped closer, not caring about the kryptonite in Lena's system.
Lena sighed. "I'm frustrated with the serum and our situation."
"Everyone is," said Kara. "But, Lena, we'll figure it out."
"I know, but I hate that my brother meddled in my life again. Why can't he leave me alone?" asked Lena as she turned away from the Kryptonian. "Why couldn't he have let me love you?"
The words tumbled past her lips before the youngest Luthor realized what she'd said. And as it hit her, she turned to Kara and saw that it was too late to take them back. The words were now out in the open. Leaving her exposed and vulnerable with her mother just a few rooms away. Like an injured animal unable to defend itself, she hoped she wouldn't get hurt as she took one step closer to the Kryptonian. Lena looked downward, fidgeting with her hands, trying to find the courage to speak. Yet somehow, the unintentional reveal of her feelings was enough to silence her.
"Lena...?" Kara ignored the searing pain as she grabbed Lena's hand. Even as green veins appeared, she refused to let go. "What do you mean?"
Lena swallowed. "I... love you, Kara."
"R-Really?" Kara tried to contain her excitement.
"Yes," replied Lena, as she stepped closer to Kara, kissing her briefly. "After we clear up this mess, I'd like to go on a date with you, Kara Danvers."
Unable to hold back her excitement any longer, Kara pulled the ravenette into a tight hug. The smell of roses and something akin to a forest after rainfall wafted toward her. Closing her eyes, she inhaled it, letting a sense of comfort wash over her. But it soon faded into the familiar sensation of needles in her veins. The increased exposure to the kryptonite forced Kara to pull away as she started to feel sick. Her vision swayed as she staggered back. Closing her eyes, she regained her balance as the effects faded away.
"Are you all right?" asked Lena, watching Kara lean against the wall.
"Y-Yeah," replied Kara as she opened her eyes and gave the ravenette a weak smile. "You should head home now. I'll stay here and make sure Lillian doesn't do anything."
"Think you can handle my mother? She can be a handful," remarked Lena.
"Alex and I can handle her." Kara stopped leaning against the wall and glanced behind her. "Besides, if Lillian does try anything, I'll stop her."
Lena sighed and relaxed a little. "Okay. I'll be in reach if you need anything."
"All right. I'll contact you if anything happens," said Kara as she walked back toward the lab. "Go get some sleep and relax."
Lena nodded, watching as the Kryptonian walked out of her sight. The trip to her apartment was uneventful, a relief for her. Another unwarranted visit from her brother was something she hoped to avoid. Looking down, she pulled up her sleeve, exposing the expanding ugly green veins beneath her skin. She clenched her hand, watching as they moved with her motion. Fury bubbled up inside her like a raging volcano, ready to explode. She calmed herself down, taking a few deep breaths and unclenching her fist. Lena rolled her sleeve back down as her apartment building came into view.
As she walked into the building, Lena saw a familiar face waiting in the lobby. "Nia, what're you doing here?"
"Kara called and said to keep you company," Nia replied as she greeted the ravenette.
"You didn't have to do this, Nia," said Lena as the two walked toward her apartment. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."
The youngest Luthor unlocked her door, stepped inside, and took off her coat. Exhaustion slowly gnawed at the tired remains of her mind. And the familiar and comforting smell of vanilla and chamomile lingering wasn't helping either. She tried to recall her morning as she entered her living room, but the memory seemed distant. Clouded by the day's events and haze of stress. Lena sat down, pulling off the torturous heels and rubbing the arch of her foot as Nia joined her.
"Kara insisted, and you know how stubborn she is." Nia chuckled, recalling the stern look Kara had given. It was like a puppy trying to be serious. "Especially when it comes to those she cares about."
That brought a smile to the ravenette's face. To have the Kryptonian care so much meant everything to her, especially considering how the Luthor family treated her. Lex thought of her as a sister, but the price was one she wasn't willing to pay. And in some twisted, perverted way, Lillian cared for her too. Though, the way the Luthor matriarch showed it would've made most people suspicious. And given her recent attempts, Lena also had her doubts. She got jolted from her reverie as a hand touched her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" asked Nia.
Lena nodded. "Yeah, I'm just tired. It's been a long day..."
"If you want, I can head home," said Nia, noticing the weariness in the youngest Luthor's vibrant green eyes.
"No, please, stay, Nia." Lena looked down at the unsightly green veins beneath her pale skin. "I'd like the company right now."
Nia nodded and got up from the couch. "Okay. I'll stay. Besides, Kara would probably insist that I stay since she can't be here herself."
Lena leaned against the back of the couch, fatigue pulling her under as she muttered a quiet, "Thank you."
A/N: Hopefully, Lillian won't sabotage anything. Or she will face the wrath of one very angry golden retriever. I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, especially as we are nearing the end of this little story of mine. Anyway, I hope you all have a good day. And feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!