Chapter 13 – Rest & Resolution
2 weeks later. Eve's Apartment
Eve wakes up in her bed wearing the Coat of Arms. She relishes its warmth and its faint smell that reminds her of Cynthia. "Babe?" silence answers. She sits up and feels something jabbing into her left breast. She retrieves an ornately folded note, written in Cynthia's fine flourishing script, from her bra.
My darling,
This is not the end of our story, but a brief interlude is needed. There are many things that need to be tended, and mended, before I can lay eyes on you again. Know that you are never far from my mind, and that my hearts beat out of time for you always.
C.
Eve wipes tears from her eyes as she inspects the scratches on her forearms. She notices her nails are now glass like but with a pink hue. She smiles through her tears, picks up her phone and calls Kara.
Present day. Sahara Desert.
M'gaan weeps quietly as she clutches J'onn's sun baked body. She has tried to remove his body from the alter, only for it to be drawn back like a magnet, time and time again. Desperate, M'gaan kneels before the alter, and whispers the only Lady of Virtue prayer she can remember.
Divine Mother,
Deliver my beloved from ill fated circumstance, and the chaos of regret. May your virtue be his shroud, and your love his mantle.
- Selah.
M'gaan whispers the prayer over and over as she feels J'onn's life leaving his body.
Placing both hands on her heart, she looks at him anguished; she stops praying, and begins weeping uncontrollably. She stops when she feels a hand on top of her head. "Live on in valiance and love my child. May your goodness know no end." When she opens her eyes she finds J'onn's body inside a yellow clay coffin. Written on it in ancient Martian is the inscription: To be freed by virtue.
M'gaan raises onto one knee and rests her hands at her sides. With her back straight and her eyes fixed on the coffin she chants: In grace and love may you rise again. She chants, and waits for J'onn to break himself free...
3 months later. Kara's apartment
Kara's back has healed but the motor-function in her legs is severely compromised. The constant pain has forced her to stay in her apartment most days. She is moody, angry and not herself. I wish I had died she thinks to herself. Cat walks through the door. "I'm glad you didn't" she says responding to Kara's silent thought. Kara, now used to Cat's ability to read her mind, is annoyed by the sudden intrusion.
Cat sits down beside Kara and gives her cheek a delicate kiss. Mollified, Kara smiles and puts her arm around Cat. "I'm glad you're here" she says finally. "Were else would I be?" Cat says and leans into Kara's embrace. Kara, feeling a shooting pain across her ribs, stifles a gasp by looking out the window.
On the balcony Cynthia Marlowe looks on with amusement. She sends the Kryptonian a telepathic message. "Ask Cat to get you some food." Kara nods. "Babe can you get me some cheese cake from that bakery near your house?" Cat chuckles. "Please?" Kara kisses her neck playfully. "Please." Kara nuzzles Cat's neck for emphasis; Cat blushes at Kara's sexually explicit thoughts. "Hold that thought, I'll be back in 20 minutes. Do you want pot-stickers too?" Cat says already off the couch and moving towards the door. "Well it is on the way..." Kara says smiling sweetly; Cat rolls her eyes.
"Thanks Babe!" Kara rises from the couch too quickly and feels a burning pain in her back. "For the love of Rao!" She lets out an exasperated breath and takes to the air. Clutching her back with one hand, and covering her eyes with the other, she floats 3 feet above ground with her legs bent at a 30 degree angle. Cat has her phone in hand and is dialing Alex's number. "I'm fine. Just forgot for a second that I'm not a superhero anymore." Cat puts her phone away and looks at Kara with sadness. "You're still a hero Kara" she says quietly.
Kara floats over to the couch. Sinking gently into the cushions, she rests her tightly balled fists on her knees. She can feel a familiar rage bubbling up inside of her. "Darling please..." Cat says softly. Kara closes her eyes and thinks of a frozen river. Cat, taking the hint, says quietly "I'll be back in 30 minutes and we'll talk about this then." Kara nods with her eyes still closed.
Cat exits the apartment silently. Kara can hear her exhale heavily as she waits for the elevator. Kara can feel her thinking of the Coat of Arms as she tries to control her anxiety. Kara's eyes burn with tears as she thinks of how Cat has sidelined her own issues in order to be present for her.
"I won't judge you if you throw the couch out the window" Cynthia says softly. Kara rips the arm off the couch instead. "Will I ever be myself again?" Cynthia watches Kara closely. "Though adversity breeds character, the way back to yourself is through your forgotten realms. Take yourself to a place were you can develop the suppressed parts of yourself." Cynthia pulls out a vial from her pocket. "This will help." Taking the vial Kara looks at it curiously. "What is it?" Cynthia smiles. "That's for you to find out." The liquid aggressively clings to the side of the vial Kara is holding. "Don't lose it and for Rao's sake don't drink it!" Cynthia chuckles as the wheels of Kara's mind turn. "Perhaps paying Lena Luthor a visit would be helpful" Cynthia says as she places a black woven bracelet on the coffee table. Kara looks at the bracelet, and when she looks up Cynthia is gone.
Remembering that Cynthia had given Cat a similar bracelet Kara puts it on. The bracelet tightens immediately and begins to burn. Kara, using her winter breath, blows on it gently. When the burning subsides Kara scrapes the frost from her wrist, underneath is a black, uniform, 10 centimeter tattoo. Looking closer, Kara can see the words: Get to work in Kryptonian carved into her inner wrist.
Kara notices that the usual searing pain in her back is now a dull ache. As a test Kara speeds back and forth. The pain increases but subsides as soon as she stops. "Stop playing around Kryptonian and get to work!" she hears Cynthia's voice say in her head. Kara laughs. "Yes Ma'am!" She picks up her phone and calls Lena.
Same day. Lena's secret Laboratory.
"Were did you get this?" Alex asks as she holds the vial up to the light. The contents of the vial seem to change color as Alex inspects it closely. "It seems to be light sensitive..." Lena adds as she stands shoulder to shoulder with Alex, her hand resting lightly on Alex's forearm. Kara notices their closeness but dismisses it.
"Cynthia Marlowe gave it to me" Kara says simply.
Lena inspects Kara's new 'tattoo'. "Who died?" Lena asks, referring to the black band of funereal style ink around Kara's wrist. "Other than my superhero self?" she says bitterly. "Kar-" Alex interjects. "I know it's just..." Kara closes her eyes. Alex puts a comforting arm around her. Kara can still feel Lena's fingers running over her wrist. Kara opens her eyes; Lena is taken aback by Kara's glowing blue gaze. She lets go of Kara's wrist and turns away.
"That's new" Lena mutters to herself. Alex, having witnessed the look, says "What was that?" Kara, still looking at Lena in a predatory way, says "Let's just say that the unifying sound phenomena now applies to Lena as well." Leaving Alex's side Kara walks toward Lena, who's back is still turned. "You sound like the ocean wind at sunrise on Krypton." Kara whispers while playing with strands of Lena's hair.
Lena turns toward her. Gone are the warm periwinkle eyes she has grown to adore, and in their place a foreign deep navy gaze. "Kara you're clearly having a side effect from whatever is in that bracelet..." Lena says motioning Alex over. Alex, still feeling like the third wheel, comes over to see what's going on. "Kar I think you need to sit down. Your eyes are extremely dilated-" Kara suddenly grabs Lena and takes to the air. They float 10 feet above ground. Lena, oddly calm, looks deep into Kara's navy eyes and says "Bring us down- now". Kara pouts, but complies.
When they touch down Kara still retains her hold on Lena. "No one handles my ladies but me!" she hisses at Alex as she tries to pull Lena from her grasp. Lena smiles. "Ladies huh? So I'm not the only one?" Kara's eyes dim as her speech falters "I-I... well... It's not like I have a harem or anything- it's just your both so... essential. I mean why in Rao's name would I resist-"
Alex sticks Kara with a kryptonite needle filled with a sedative. She falls limply to the floor. "Are you okay?" Alex asks Lena as she checks Kara's pulse. Lena runs a hand through her hair nervously "Yeah." Lena holds her breath waiting for Alex's next question. "So why do you have kryptonite needles?"