Penciled Geranium - Ingenuity
Alex pulled her motorcycle up to the gate and was about to hit a call button when the gate opened. She hesitated as the metal squealed open and then she jumped when a voice filters from the call box.
"Chop Chop Agent Danvers, or ill shut this down now and then you have to park risk beautiful bike getting stolen in the alley next to the building," Lena encouraged the agent and Alex could only grit her teeth together and revved her bike in response and enter the closed off and secure parking garage.
Alex got off the motorcycle but brought the helmet with her. She learned long ago in an alien bar fight that the helmets that they are required to wear are so sturdy even Kara had to exert herself to crush it. She pushed the button on the bike shutting it down and thanked the heavens it was keyless entry, like most vehicles. She always kept the keys in a durable pocket on her tactical clothes. She never had to fiddle with keys and pockets again. Oh boy that was a story for another time. Needless to say she had the bike ripped out from under her as she was trying to get the keys out of her pockets. Never again will she do that and J'onn simply smirked at her rookie move all those years ago.
She approached an elevator but before she could hit the button the doors opened and Alex once again felt at a disadvantage but she entered the elevator doors and turned around. She looked at the buttons as they counted, then around the box itself and she saw the camera. She would bet Kara pot stickers for a month there was x-ray, night vision and alien detection to different physiologies in that little lens staring at her. She smiled and held her hands up and slowly turned for the camera. The quirked an eye brow. The numbers continued to climb and in no time at all doors opened.
Alex looked out of the box, left, then right, and listened. It was quiet, eerily silent and it set Alex on edge. She pulled her gun just in case and held it the ready, Helmet hand providing a base for her gun hand. She slunk around the desk, and saw nothing, and then around the corner, and nothing again. She finally took a deep breath and walked through the doors to Lena Luthor's office.
She sat there in a navy blue pencil dress with a glass of red wine held loosely in her left hand and a Beretta 96A1 in her right aimed, unflinching at Alex. They stared at the other. Dark brown pierced green and it was Alex that took the first step forward and lowered her gun and put it on Lena's desk then then CEO stared at the agent and didn't lower her gun. Alex stood there and she clenched her jaw as Lena Luthor analyzed every bit of her. Alex almost shifted as eyes bright roving, like an eagle. Then Lena shifted her weight and indicated with her gun to drop the helmet. Lena stood up with a glass of wine still in her hand and the gun trained on Alex.
"As I recall Agent Danvers, the deal was I would show you mine if you would show me yours," Lena's ruby red lips curled into a wicked smile.
"What do you want me to do? Strip?" Alex laughed with her hands out.
"Oh, would you?' Lena deadpanned with that still sinful grin. Alex blinked, and tried to work her throat to swallow.
"Look, Lena, I don't think it's necessary to strip I can just empty all the tactical gear on your desk," Alex offered but not moving.
"Agent Danvers, Alex Danvers, Step-sister to Kara Danvers, Bio-Engendering PHD from Stanford, but fell just short of a MD/PHD, and Second in Command of an underground government organization that I have not yet been able to figure out the name of yet. Just give me time, I'm just waiting for a little rabbit to follow the carrots, and then ill follow it back to him," Lena watched Alex squirm just a moment then took a sip from the glass, still never letting down her gun, "What I am trying to tell you is I deem you a highly intelligent, resourceful, and shall I say tricky woman, and I wasn't born yesterday, so if you would be as so kind as to strip, I would be grateful," Lena explained and never took her eyes from Alex's.
Alex sighed as she felt embarrassment and rage swell within her stomach as she was being made to disrobe in front of this woman. She looked to the ground as she began to take off her boots when fabric collided with her head. She looked at the materials, and sighed.
"Thank you, I was afraid you were going to watch and keep me like that," Alex said as she turned from Lena and continued to disrobe. She simply thought of it like the locker room. Everything was ok, natural.
"Oh I am going to watch Agent Danvers. Remember, not born yesterday," Alex heard her take another sip of wine, and a desk drawer open, clattering, and then shut, "You and I will go through your belongings in detail in a moment. Trust has been a huge issue as of late. My apologies."
Alex simply shook her head and sigh, "The panties, and sports bra too?"
"No, you are fine, I can tell you are not hiding much there," Lena quipped bringing Alex around as she pulled on the bottoms of the scrubs.
"You are one to talk," Alex pulled the scrubs top over her head and shifted in it, "these are nice, can I keep them?' Joked Alex. Lena simply smiled, and nodded. Alex looked to the desk and saw the gun had been put down but in Lena's hands was a slender weapon, like a gun. Lena leaned against her desk and motioned for Alex to stand next to her. She put the glass of wine down, and then opened the gun magazine. The bullets were not bullets at all but darts. Lena then closed the magazine and then walked over to the bar and brought out two bottles of water. Alex looked at the gun on the desk. Her fingers twitched to take it.
POP!
Alex pulled her hand back as fast as she could to the sting in her shoulder. She pulled away one of the darts and then looked at Lena infuriated.
"I THOUGHT THIS WAS A TRUST…" Alex was interrupted as Lena threw the gun at her and walked back to her desk and sat down to pull up the files to show Alex. Then Lena looked up at Lena.
"You, darling, were to shoot me too. Complete trust requires a fool proof plan it wears off in three hours, tick tock," Lena went back to the computer hitting keys as she went.
"I don't want to shoot you," Alex said as she looked at the dart gun in her hands.
"Thank you for the sentiment but it's only fair. With you there will be full disclosure. Now," Lena leaned back and crossed her legs, looking every bit like a queen, "Shoot."
Alex raised the gun up and aimed for the fleshy part of Lena's leg and smirked at the curse that fell from the CEO's lips.
"Why in the hell did you shoot my leg Alex? Anywhere else but the leg seriously? I have to walk and stand on this tonight," Lena fumed as a vein popped in her forehead. Alex laughed, seriously laughed and wondered if it was the drugs in the dart, then Lena laughed with her.
"Are we high?" Alex asked laughing.
"No, but the whole situation is tense and it was good to get that over," Lena leaned back and looked at Alex, "You are not like your sister Alex, it's strange. I would have thought with the same home dynamic it would have been similar."
"Kara is not my biological sister as you know," Alex looked to Lena, "She lost a lot when she came to us. Social idiot really. Always scared, she began to model a lot of her mannerisms after Nick at night sitcoms from the 50's," Alex smiled remembering her little sister trying so hard to fit in.
"Experiencing the destruction of your whole planet, let alone your family, then dropped on a planet where you have superpowers can be daunting," Lena raised a hand when Alex began to bristle at her words, "Relax, I have known for a long time. Glasses don't hide her from me, and it's because I spend so much time with her," Lena turned from Alex, "I just wished she could find the courage to trust me and tell me."
"That's my fault, Lena," Alex moved toward the smaller woman, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kara wanted to tell you for a very long time, but every time she said she wanted to tell you there was a nondisclosure agreement, by the way you have to sign, and she never wanted that between you both. She loves you so much, and I think it's because you love the Kara side, not the Supergirl side of my sister," Alex took her hand from Lena's Shoulder when Lena looked her in her eyes, "Every person she has told look at her differently, treat her differently, and all she wants is to be treated as Kara. You are the first person to do that. You are amazing with Kara and I hope your relationship stays strong."
Alex moved from Lena and began to lay out her tactical gear in front to the woman before her. True to Alex's word she packed two guns, one with regular bullets, the other retrofitted to take kryptonite rounds, and I have a series of knives stashed away, with two flash bombs. Lena smiled a sincere and gorgeous smile that made Alex look away as if she was simply organizing her clothes.
"Thank you," Lena said as she touched Alex's shoulder ever so slightly. Alex could only nod. Lena took her research and projected it on one of the screens on the wall.
"So Reign/ Sam is a kryptonian Worldkiller right?" Lena asked to make sure she had her facts right. Alex nodded looking at the data, "SO she is still vulnerable to all the effects we have discovered about kryptonite, or so that's my theory."
"I agree but due to her conditioning, or maybe even a slight genetic component she has, gives her the ability to withstand more of the effects. For example a Kryptonite bullet could take down Kara, but it took four to bring Reign to her knees and she still flew off. She is amazing and I would love to study her but to me that's kind of weird. Aliens are people too."
"Exactly but I don't think we can have an easy victory over Reign, unless…" Lena looked at Alex and Alex turned around and walked back to the desk, "I think you will be angry with me but I have kept some of the kryptonite to study and synthesize."
"Synthesize?" Alex looked at her partner for the next few hours, "You mean make more, like engineer it?" Alex breathed. Alex stood and began taking her scrubs off furiously and then reached for her clothes. She was out of there, she was done listening to a Luthor engineer more of that shit that can kill Kara.
"What are you doing?' Lena asked as she hurriedly came around her desk watching Alex get dressed faster than any woman she had ever seen.
"I am leaving," Alex said as she buckled up her boots then began to put all of her weapons back in the right places.
"Why?" Lena asked softly putting a hand on Alex's forearms. She wanted to lie to her and tell her that she was nothing more than anther Luthor, but she couldn't. Damn truth serum.
"I will not help make something that can kill Kara or be used against her," Alex said as she turned from Lena and left her standing at her desk.
"I would not harm Kara, Jesus who do you think I am? She is still my best friend Alex. I am not sure how she feels about this whole situation but she is still, next to Sam, all I have," Lena's voice cracked and Alex turned around knowing she had the effects of the dart in her system too and what she said was the truth, "When Reign beat the ever living hell out of Kara, When I saw her drop off that building, and then her bloodied body in the news, in pictures, in newspapers, I felt like I failed her, I should had tried harder, done something, ANYTHING." Lena's voice grew hard, but it never became a yell. Alex walked back to Lena and saw her tears. Alex, ever the sucker for a pretty crying girl, wrapped her arm around Lena. Lena buried her eyes in her neck and then arms came around her torso clutching on for dear life. She had not been held like this since Maggie. She swallowed and then relaxed for just a moment and wrapped her arms around Lena, rocking and shushing the woman.
"I'll give you the research, Alex, I promise but we have to figure this out," Lena whispered into Alex's jacket. Alex nodded and hugged Lena harder and the green-eyed woman surged forward with more tears.
"You haven't been held for a very long time have you?" asked Alex curious. Lena shook her head.
"Kara is the only one who reached out to me, and it has been some time since she has done that," Lena broke from Alex and Alex studied the woman.
"Do you love my sister?" Alex whispered. She saw Lena stiffen at the question and then her shoulders sag defeated.
"Yes, but Mike, Mon-El, is back, and I have seen the way she is with him," Lena looked up to Alex with sad eyes, "There is no room for me there."
Alex nodded and then walked around Lena's desk and sat down looking at the data. She would stay, she would trust Lena, and it was that choice right there that made Lena Luthor respect Alex Danvers more that she did an hour ago.
"Are you serious?" Alex whispered as she looked at the components of the new synthesized rock she turned to Lena, "You made different kryptonite's? Do they have the same properties, and effects as the originals?"
"That's why you are here," Lena smiled as she gave Alex that forgotten bottle of water, "I was going to give you samples to analyze at the DEO. But yeah, I think I got it."
"What's your plan?" Alex asked as she sat back in the chair, and drank her water.
"I was hoping to use the various kryptonite properties to split the subconscious, weaken her, and then destroy her," Lena said as she pointed to different rocks and their supposed properties. Alex noticed one more rock Lena had not talked about.
"What's that?" Alex asked as she pointed to the rock. She watched Lena grimace, and then in a hard voice tell her it was a backup plan.
Alex and Lena worked wonderfully well together collecting samples of the rocks to put the analysis through the DEO's data base. When they got back to Lena's office they were smiling and chatting and really appreciating the developing working relationship. Alex grabbed her helmet as she took the smaller case with the vials full of scrapings and chunks of rocks.
"Now, I am sure you know this, but keep the case away from Kara, and make sure when you are testing she is out of the DEO. We can't have her on Red-K like that one time," Lena winked.
"Oh God! You know about that?" Alex groaned as she walked to the elevator.
"The whole world watched Supergirl's fall from grace," Lena smiled as the elevator dinged and opened. Both women stood there, not sure of how to conclude the evening, but it took the courage of a Luthor to step forward and hug Alex good bye. They would text back and forth on the results then they would figure out a way to get it to work on Reign.
When the elevator doors Lena walked back to her desk chair and spun around and looked out her window. There on her balcony was her hero in more ways than one. Lena looked at the woman and the woman smiled and lifted up her phone. Lena turned around and got her phone.
Kara: So you know. How long?
Lena: I think it started when you said you flew on a bus?
Kara: Ah right. I am happy you are finding a good friend in Alex. I am also VERY happy you finally know about this. It's been killing me.
Lena: Yes, but I wished you would trust me Kara.
Kara: I do, I always have. But Alex was right, she kept me from telling you with that NDA and I didn't want that between us. I hope she doesn't make you sign it. She never made Maggie.
Lena: I'll do what I have to, to keep you in my life Kara. Remember, Kara Danvers you are my hero.
Kara: I wish it were ok to go in there and give you a big Kara Danvers hug but I am glad you thought about me not being in there with the different Kryptonite residues. I would rather not risk it with the threats we have right now. Thank you.
Lena: Absolutely no problem. So are there any more secrets between us?
Kara shook her head on the balcony and smiled a bright Kara Danvers smile then cocked her head to the side. She looked away and Lena heard it too. Kara turned back to Lena and placed her hand on the glass and Lena got up and did the same. Then Kara shot off to save the day. Lena sat back down and leaned back in her chair and smiled, they were ok. Then Lena looked back at her security feed and watched the elevator with Alex in it and her eyes widened as she watched.
Meanwhile in the elevator…
Why did she hug me? What was that for? What the hell is going on with my breathing? Not again. I'm not ready for this. Not yet. My chest, my heart… oh fuck… what?! Alex looked around the elevator in a panic. She needed out of the box, NOW! Her breathing was shallow and she dropped her helmet and the box on the floor and tried to place her head between her legs and breathe.
"Agent Danvers… breathe. In… out…. In… out. When you get to the bottom stay right there I'm coming right down," Lena's voice said through the box on the wall. Alex chuckled manically at herself. The box on the wall of the box. That still kind of funny. When the doors opened she practically flew out of the elevator and no sooner did hers open did another elevator.
Alex with her hands on her hips, tried to steady her breathing. Then hands handed on her shoulders and then up her neck and then to her cheeks. Alex opened her eyes, and found green. Her breath caught but it was Lena standing right in front of her, inhaling and exhaling that she began to clear her head, began to slowly hear the sounds around her, and began to see the rest of her settings. Lena nodded and popped back into the elevator to get the box, and helmet for the Agent.
"Are you alright?" Lena asked as she gave Alex the items. Alex nodded her thanks.
"Did you drink the whole bottle of water I gave you?" Lena asked as she took her phone and shinned her flashlight in Alex's eyes. Responsive but mildly dilated.
"About half," Alex responded and blinked the tracing lights from her eyes. Lena shook her head and opened the elevator, her personal elevator and then pushed Alex inside.
"You are not leaving until you have the rest of that water and we check your blood for Kryptonite exposure," Lena said jabbing the button. Alex leaned against the wall, but could not feel her legs. Lena turned around just in time to catch the agent, propped her on her shoulder, and pulled her with her back to the office. She shoved Alex down into the chair and got two more bottles of water.
"What's happening to me?' Alex said as she began to develop a headache and covered her eyes with her left hand and took the bottle of water with her right and began to chug down its contents.
"The truth serum, it can create panic attacks, migraines, and black outs if you are not rehydrated after its use," Lena said as she snapped open another bottle of water. Alex took it again and once again chugged the contents down. Lena walked from her to a drawer in the bar and brought out a small kit. She rolled up Alex's arm and tied off the limb and drew a small vial of blood. She walked over to wall and hit a button and opened a compartment. She but the sample in the machine and waited as she watched the computer screen before analyze the blood in the wall. It only look a few minutes because Lena looked for any kind of blood irregularity and all blood came back clean. She sighed and went back to Alex and slumped in the chair. After a few moments they looked at each other and smiled.
"I'll send you home with one of my cars later when I leave. You can leave the bike here. It won't go anywhere and it's perfectly safe. You can get it tomorrow," Lena said hoping Alex was in the right mind set to understand. She had that happen to her once before and it was the worst experience ever, as if your worst fears were coming true. Hers just so happened to be small tight spaces and not being able to breathe. Alex leaned her head back on the chair and looked at Lena, really looked at her and smiled warmly at the woman beside her.
"My hero," whispered Alex with a smile.
All Lena could do was smile and feel her neck and cheeks heat from the compliment.