National City, illuminated by the moon's glow, quieted down. By now, most of its citizens were asleep. While in the Luthor Corp building, silence and tension almost suffocated the lab. There were notes sprawled out on one of the tables next to the sample of the kryptonite serum Lena had examined hours earlier. Alex glanced over the data from the Harun-El trials, trying to figure out how to create an antidote for the green variant. But she wasn't having much luck. And her head began to pound, making it harder to tolerate the bright lights of the lab. Alex looked up from the microscope and glared at Lillian, who gave her an equally disdainful one. Her gaze shifted to her sister.
Kara, for all the power she possessed, looked so small. She had the edges of her sweater clasped against her palms as her one leg bobbed up and down. Her muscles refused to relax, forcing her to lean forward, resting her elbows on her knees. In contrast, Lillian sat with her legs crossed, back against the couch, and arms across her chest. Alex saw the worry in Kara's eyes as she looked up briefly. Needing the excuse to move her sore body, she got up and approached her sister and Lillian.
"Can I talk to my sister for a moment?" asked Alex, her voice hinting that it wasn't a request.
Lillian rolled her eyes but got up and moved.
"Are you okay, Kara?" Alex asked as she sat down on the couch.
"No."
Alex wrapped her arms around Kara, pulling her close.
"What if this doesn't work? What if I can't go near Lena again?"
The hopelessness in her sister's voice broke Alex's heart. Kara rested her head on her shoulder. She rubbed her sister's arm, resting her chin on her head. Ignoring Lillian's exasperated expression, Alex continued to comfort her sister. "It will."
"And what if it doesn't?"
"You know I'll do anything to ensure it does. And Lena will, too," said Alex as Kara shifted against her.
"I know, but I can't shake the feeling that it won't." Kara's voice cracked as she fought the tears. "I can't lose her, Alex. Not now. Not before we've had a chance to..."
Alex knew what her sister wanted to say. But looking at the Luthor matriarch, she understood why she hadn't spoken it aloud. Her blood boiled as she watched Lillian's expression shift from annoyance to disgust.
Kara pulled away from her sister's embrace as she said, "I'm going to get something to eat."
Alex grabbed her sister's hand before she could walk away. "We'll figure this out."
Kara gave Alex a small smile, eyes still misty from unshed tears, before walking out of the lab. That left Alex alone with Lillian.
And as the older Danvers walked back to the table, ready to examine her notes, she heard Lillian say, "Where's the Kryptonian going?"
"None of your business," replied Alex.
"Do you approve of my daughter having feelings for your sister?" asked Lillian.
Alex said nothing as she continued reading.
"Come on. We can be civilized, can't we?"
"I don't know. You put my sister through three variants of kryptonite, nearly killing her, endangered Lena, and all to prove that somehow Kara was dangerous," said Alex, turning to face Lillian.
"Well, I may have overstepped when trying to make my point," Lillian said, with little remorse in her voice. "But it's still valid. Your sister's a danger, and I can't have my daughter, a Luthor, dating that alien."
Alex met Lillian's eyes as she said, "Kara's more than an alien, Lillian. She's my sister, Lena's best friend, and she cares about her. So much so that she's willing to expose herself to kryptonite for her. And what's your problem with Lena dating her anyway?"
"Lena's a Luthor. She deserves better than some alien refugee from an exploded planet." Lillian looked at the doorway, knowing that Kara still heard their conversation. "Besides, the Kryptonian's already done enough damage to my family."
"And what about the damage you and Lex have done to my family? To Lena?" Alex got out of her chair and approached Lillian. "Hours ago, I learned that your maniac of a son killed my father. And that's after Lena revealed to us what Lex did to her."
"What I did to my daughter was for her good," Lillian said, ignoring the older Danvers sister's heated glare. "And I take no responsibility for what Lex's done. As for your family, I needed to prove that your sister's a threat."
"A threat? To who?"
"To National City, this planet, my daughter," replied Lillian. "I can't have her loving someone who could kill her."
"That's rich, especially coming from you," said Alex. "You've nearly gotten Lena killed several times."
Angered by the Danvers' words, Lillian stood before Alex. "Don't insinuate that the alien you call a sister cares about Lena."
"I don't have to. I've seen Kara risk her life for Lena multiple times, stand by her when the world thought she was evil, and be there for her when she had no one else," Alex said as she stepped away from the Luthor matriarch. "And even when I distrusted Lena, Kara never waivered in her loyalty or friendship."
"And look how well that turned out for Lex." Lillian went back to her seat. "It's not wise for a Luthor, especially Lena, to befriend or fall in love with a Kryptonian."
"Lena isn't Lex, and Kara isn't her cousin," Alex countered.
"You're right; Lena isn't Lex. She foolishly developed feelings for your sister." Lillian shifted in her chair. Her cold, almost emotionless gaze never left Alex as she continued. "You didn't answer my question: do you approve of my daughter's feelings for your sister?"
Alex looked down for a second. "I do, but what about you? Can you allow Lena to love Kara?"
"No."
"Why?" asked Alex.
"A Kryptonian can't love a Luthor," replied Lillian. "Kara will never love Lena."
"Is that what you think, Lillian? That I won't love Lena because she is a Luthor?"
Lillian looked at the doorway, finding Kara standing there, arms crossed. "Well, given your history with my daughter, I find it hard to believe that you care for her."
"I never meant to hurt her," said Kara.
"Yet, you never bothered to disclose your real identity until she walked in on you. And what about trust? Do you think you'll ever be able to trust Lena? Or that she'll trust you after what you've done?"
"Lena forgave me for what I did, and we don't keep secrets anymore," Kara retorted as she walked into the room.
"Still, you haven't quite gotten over the fact that my daughter can make kryptonite, have you?" Lillian inquired, uncrossing her legs and leaning against the table.
At that, the Kryptonian fell silent. Lillian's words, harsh as they were, had some truth to them.
"I thought so."
Kara's eyes locked onto Lillian's. "That doesn't mean I don't love Lena."
"That may be true, but you're an alien, a Kryptonian," Lillian said, a sureness to her voice. "And sooner or later, Lena will realize that trusting you, loving you, was a mistake."
"All right. That's enough, Lillian." Alex narrowed her eyes at the Luthor matriarch. "Lena needs us to work together, not at each other's throats."
"I never agreed to work the Kryptonian," said Lillian.
"Then feel free to head home because Kara is staying."
"And leave you two alone with my only sample?" Lillian eyed the two Danvers sisters. "No. I'm staying."
Exhausted from the day's stress, Kara stumbled over to the couch. She felt Lillian's gaze bore into her as she grabbed her overcoat and made it into a makeshift pillow. Curling into her sweater, she made herself as comfortable as possible on the stiff leather. Lillian's annoyed expression was the last thing she saw as her eyes closed. That was forgotten as memories of her and the ravenette danced in her head. The way Lena smiled every time she visited her, how she gently touched her arm as though it would break her, and how Lena's Irish accent came through whenever she got excited about her projects lulled the Kryptonian into a peaceful sleep. The reality of their situation was ignored as she gave in to the happiness of her dreams. Dreams in which she got to be with the woman she loved.
Alex, noticing Lillian staring at Kara's sleeping form, said, "Don't, Lillian. Leave my sister alone."
Lillian let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes. "Don't boss me around, Danvers."
Lena could see red, glowing eyes as she huddled in the corner of the office. She tried to stand, but her trembling body refused to cooperate. That left her trapped as Kara approached her, fist raised. Closing her eyes, she felt her blouse tighten around her neck as she got lifted, and seconds later, a hard fist slammed into her jaw. The blow almost broke the bone. It didn't, but her relief was gone when she felt another blow land on the side of her cheek. This time, the contact broke the skin, making a small rivulet of blood run down.
"Kara…"
"Don't." Kara tossed the youngest Luthor against the nearby wall, fist against her throat. "Don't say my name, Luthor."
Tears poured down the ravenette's cheeks, eliciting a stinging sensation as they touched the cuts on her face. She tried to breathe, but Kara had her hand on her windpipe, constricting her air. Black spots appeared on the edge of her vision. And the harder she tried to stay conscious, the more lightheaded Lena felt. She reached up, trying to pry the Kryptonian's fingers from her throat, but it was no use. Her weakened state was no match for the super strength. About to pass out, the pressure let up on her throat, and the ravenette collapsed onto the floor.
Coughing, Lena looked at the Kryptonian. "Kara, I know this isn't you."
"You know me?" asked Kara as she crossed her arms. "That's rich, especially coming from the scum of the Luthor family."
The sound of the office door slamming open drew their attention. And to Lena's surprise, Nia Nal was standing in the doorway, a shocked expression on her face. She avoided the girl's eyes as Kara stood in front of her. The infamous red cape slapped her as the Kryptonian whipped around and kneeled in front of her. Their eyes met. There was no kindness, empathy, or trace of the friend the youngest Luthor had come to know. Only rage.
"Don't think about leaving," hissed Kara.
The youngest Luthor swallowed as Kara glared at her before turning to Nia, charging at her.
"Kara! What're you doing?" asked Nia as she dove out of the way.
"She's not herself, Nia!" shouted Lena, pushing herself onto her feet. "She's under the influence of red kryptonite."
Nia looked at Kara's eyes; sure enough, the calming blue color was replaced by a brilliant red. And beneath were several red veins trailing down the length of Kara's face. Nia found herself dodging another of the Kryptonian's punches. Glancing at Lena, she saw her blouse torn and ripped in several areas, and her jeans didn't fare much better. A layer of dust and sweat coated her clothes. And Lena's hair, usually nicely kept, now clung to her. There were also scattered bruises covering various parts of her body.
"What'd you do to Lena?" questioned Nia.
"Nothing the Luthor didn't deserve," replied Kara coldly.
Kara used her heat vision against Nia, who projected a shield and deflected it. She tensed her jaw, pursing her lips, narrowing her eyes at the Naltorian. She flipped the desk between them as she walked toward her. The wooden frame shattered as it contacted the wall, showering them in wood splinters. Kara, unfazed by the pieces hitting her body, clenched her fists. Her only focus was the Naltorian.
Taking the opportunity, Lena bolted for the doorway. Unfortunately, the Kryptonian spotted her and sped over to her. Her body froze as a gust of wind blew from behind her. She didn't have to turn around to feel the looming presence of her friend. And she didn't dare move. Lena tried to hide the fear, but her body betrayed her, trembling as she heard Kara's footsteps getting closer.
"Please, Kara…" Lena's voice came out weak. "Don't."
Just as the Kryptonian was about to grab the youngest Luthor, Nia used her powers to manifest a chain, throwing it around Kara. Unfortunately, the binds broke as she was about to pull her away. Nia was thrown halfway across the room in seconds as her chains disappeared. The impact knocked the wind out of her. She pushed herself onto her feet just in time to see Kara slam her fist into her. The Naltorian lost her balance and used the wall to keep herself upright.
Lena ran over to the desk's shattered remains, spotting a familiar-looking device. It was the same one she'd seen her mother use on Kara years ago. Grabbing the sonic grenade, she turned to Kara, who lifted Nia off her feet and had her other fist readying for another punch.
"Supergirl."
The sound of her superhero alias made Kara drop Nia and turn to Lena.
"Catch."
Kara reached out, grabbing the grenade. That triggered the device and brought her to her knees. It clattered onto the ground, rolling a few feet from her. Both Nia and Lena watched her cover her ears. The agony in her screams was almost enough to make the youngest Luthor regret what she did. But one look at the red in Kara's eyes, the hatred that radiated from them, washed away any guilt. And as Nia ran over to her, they both left the room. They were halfway down the hallway when they heard an explosion.
Nia pulled Lena into the stairwell before Kara entered the hallway. She used one of the metal bars from the broken wall to secure the door. It wouldn't do much, but it'd give them a few more seconds. The floor, stairs, and railings were covered in a thick layer of dust and debris. It was clear that the ravenette tried to avoid her at the expense of the Luthor Corp building. Nia walked over to Lena, who'd taken a seat in one of the few places that managed to miss the destruction.
"Lena, what's going on?" asked Nia now that they had a moment to breathe.
"I was talking to Kara about kryptonite and possibly working on making her resistant to the effects." Lena rubbed her sore neck, trying to forget the feeling of Kara's hands crushing her windpipe. "Then, as if a switch flipped, she acted like I was enemy number one. That's when I realized she had red kryptonite in her system."
"Did she try to fight?"
"At first, yes, but the more Kara fought it, the stronger it became," Lena replied. "Eventually, it came to the point where she warned me to run. So, I did."
Nia looked at the broken remains of the stairwell. "So, this is what Kara's like on red kryptonite?"
"Pretty much," said the youngest Luthor.
"Wow."
"Yep. It's a good thing you came." Lena looked down at her ruined clothes, ignoring her exhaustion and pain. "I'm not sure how much longer I had."
A second later, the door slammed open, breaking the metal bar and sending its pieces flying off. Lena and Nia jumped as Kara appeared behind them.
"That wasn't very nice, Luthor," chided Kara, cape swaying behind her.
"Kara…" Lena struggled to keep her voice from trembling. "I didn't want to hurt you."
Kara went to step near the ravenette when an all too familiar voice said, "Step away from my daughter, Kryptonian."
As Kara turned around, she saw Lillian standing in the hallway, gun in hand. She looked down at the weapon, noting that it was a specialized one designed to shoot kryptonite shards. And as she stepped closer to the Luthor matriarch, the familiar sensation of nails in her blood came over her. It made her lean against the wall. After her fight with Lena and Nia, her solar reserves were low, and the kryptonite's effects began making her nauseous.
"What're you doing here, mother?" asked Lena.
"What does it look like? I'm protecting you from this alien," replied Lillian as she approached Kara, smiling as she collapsed, holding her gun up.
Green veins spread throughout the Kryptonian's body, overwhelming the red. Lena saw her friend return for the first time that evening, although she was succumbing to the poison. Blue turned a sickly neon green as Kara struggled to fight. Her vision swayed as she looked at the youngest Luthor. She wanted to apologize, to take Lena somewhere else, but all she could do was stay on the floor. She felt the end of the gun press into her shoulder. Seconds later, a gunshot rang in the quiet hallway, followed by agonized screams.
Lena, not caring that she was injured, ran over to Kara. She saw that the kryptonite shard had lodged itself deep into her shoulder. Blood soaked the blue suit, turning it a dark purple. And as she knelt next to the Kryptonian, Lena felt her reach out, their hands brushing for a second. The touch made her recoil, her eyes darting away and missing the hurt expression flashing across Kara's face.
"L-Lena…" The words barely tumbled past Kara's lips. "I-I didn't mean to hurt you. I t-tried to fight it, but-"
Before Kara could finish her sentence, another shot rang out. This time, a kryptonite bullet lodged itself into her abdomen. The pain increased, and she writhed on the ground, desperately trying to ignore it. As if sensing that, Lillian unloaded another one into her bicep. A scream erupted from her throat as a searing sensation tore through her. And when there was a moment of reprieve, she felt several more bullets dig into her. Kara tried to move, but her muscles were too weak.
"Lena…"
"Kara…" Lena failed to hold back her building sobs. "I'm so sorry."
"L-Lena, I need you," pleaded Kara, closing her eyes as she mustered what strength she'd left. "Please, don't go."
"Don't think about going near that Kryptonian, Lena. If you do, it's a betrayal of your family," warned Lillian, her voice venomous.
Lena, meeting her mother's gaze as she helped Kara sit up, said, "Kara's my family, and you've hurt her. Just like you did Lex and me. You're nothing to me."
Lillian stood there, stunned by her daughter's words. She holstered the gun and looked at Nia before turning and leaving the building.
That left Lena alone with Kara as Nia left, running after Lillian. She wiped several tears from her cheeks as she sat there. Looking, she saw the green veins had multiplied, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Seeing the hero she and National City adored so weak and vulnerable, clinging to life, broke Lena's heart. She'd barely look at her. But when a hand gently brushed against hers, she glanced downward, seeing that it was Kara. Hesitantly, she held hers out as the Kryptonian weakly grabbed it and intertwined their fingers.
"Lena," Kara began, her body quivering as it struggled against the radiation. "Do you hate me?"
"No," replied Lena quietly.
Kara coughed. It was hard to breathe through the increasing pain. Her vision swam as she focused on Lena and how badly she'd hurt her. Seeing the physical wounds made her stomach churn. She knew the emotional ones would take much longer to heal. And the 13 kryptonite bullets ensured that she could do nothing to repair the damage. So, Kara carefully squeezed the ravenette's hand and leaned against her shoulder, knowing she didn't have much longer.
"Promise me something," said Kara.
"What?" asked Lena.
"You'll remember how I was before."
Lena shifted away from Kara, their eyes meeting before she leaned in. Still shaken up from the events of that evening, she allowed herself to forget the fear. And for that final minute, all she felt was her love for Kara. And she kissed her as her lips brushed against Kara's, their noses almost bumping from their awkward position. Her injuries were forgotten. The fact that her closest friend, the person she loved, was dying was ignored. As Kara gently caressed her cheek, carefully avoiding the cut she had caused, Lena moved closer. Their kiss was short. And before either one could return to it, the harsh reality came back.
"I will, Kara."
Kara smiled weakly in the growing darkness of the hallway. "Thank you."
In the waking world, Nia bolted upright, finding herself on Lena's couch. Looking outside, she saw National City cloaked in darkness. The youngest Luthor screamed as she swung her legs over the sofa's edge. That prompted her to run over, where her door was ajar. She pushed it open and found Lena curled in a ball. The room was quiet, and she heard Lena softly crying into her pillow. Nia carefully walked to the bed and shook the woman's shoulder. With a start, Lena's eyes opened, and she sat up.
"Kara! Where's Kara?" asked Lena as she looked around.
Nia sat down. "It's okay, Lena. It's just a dream. Kara's fine."
"It was just a dream?"
Nia pulled out her phone and showed the ravenette a photo of Kara sleeping. "See? Kara's sleeping right now."
Lena visibly relaxed as she saw Kara curling up on the white leather couch, hands tucked near her face.
"Are you okay?" asked Nia.
"No." Lena wiped the tears from her cheeks as she pulled the sheets tighter around herself. "I'm not okay, Nia. My nightmares have never been that bad before."
Nia shifted on the bed, sitting closer to Lena and resting her hand on her knee. "I'm sorry."
Lena gave the Naltorian a brief smile as she let go of the sheets and sighed. She pulled her phone off the nightstand and saw Alex had sent her the same photo. Clicking on it, she stared at it, her eyes never leaving Kara's sleeping form. For the first time that week, she relaxed. Kara was okay, and Alex was helping her develop an antidote for the serum she'd been forced to make. Lena turned her phone off and looked at Nia.
Lena grabbed Nia's hand, giving her a small smile and saying, "Thank you for being here, Nia."
"You're welcome," said Nia.
Nia glanced down at Lena's arm, noticing that the veins were more prominent. The green color had darkened. And as Lena's sleeve shifted, she saw they'd worked their way upward, covering more of her skin in sickly green lines. It reminded her of when Lex tried to send Kara to the Phantom Zone. The kryptonite bracelet he used left behind a similar effect. And it would've killed the Kryptonian if not for Lena's protocol at the Fortress of Solitude.
"Lena." Nia let go of her hand. "Look at your arm."
"What?" asked Lena.
"Your arm, it's gotten worse," said Nia, pointing to the green webbing that continued darkening as she spoke.
Lena looked down, and a soft gasp escaped from her. Meeting Nia's concerned gaze, she said, "Call Alex and Kara."
A/N: *I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22* Indeed I do, as it's my birthday, and I'm finally 22! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. There are only two chapters left. I will edit and release them as soon as possible. Until then, I'm off to celebrate turning 22 and singing my anthem as loudly as any self-proclaimed Swiftie would. Have a great day!