A/N: Hey y'all! I'm sorry I have not been posting a lot. Life is hectic, and I've been trying to juggle everything at once. Don't worry though. I'm still going to work on this. I'm not abandoning it. So, a lot happened last chapter but not everything I had wanted. I intended to include the fights, but that would have made it infinitely larger and I wasn't sure if that would be boring or not. Thank you for all the support, reviews, favorites, and follows. I truly love reading through the reviews. It shows me how much y'all care. So thank you! I had one reviewer tell me that I was very detailed, and that means a lot to me. I want to make this authentic as possible but also add my own special thing. This chapter is long, more than 10k words, so I hope you enjoy it. I wanted to get it out as fast as possible so there's probably a lot of mistakes, but I'll make sure to fix it later. With that, let's get to it!
Chapter 13
The whole group stared as Oliver convulsed in front of them. With wide eyes, they turned around, wondering if anyone had any idea what was happening. Kara's trance snapped, and she jumped forward, grabbing Oliver's arm. Shaking him, she slowly saw his eyes roll back forward and his body loosen. The group let out a sigh of relief.
It had been almost a week since Kara and Oliver were thrown back to Earth-1. Tracy and Harry had located the facility, but there were still complications on the raiding. Oliver had enlisted the help of an unmentioned old friend to scout the area and figure out the makeup of the building. The building mirrored that of the one on Earth-38, making the siege slightly easier. They could be in and out quickly, sending Kara back to her own earth.
They only issue was that they were short staffed. They needed a team, a league of justice as Thea and Felicity kept repeating. Oliver made several calls, bringing in people she had never seen before. The large table in the Arrow Cave was currently full with Dinah, Dig, Felicity, Oliver, Harry, Tracy, Wally, Iris, Joe, Curtis, Rene, Nate, Amaya, Mick, and two people she had never seen before. The man wore jeans with a tight blue shirt and brown jacket over it. His arms were crossed over his chest and a natural scowl planted on his face. The woman on the other hand was smiling, her elbows leaning on the table. She was very beautiful, her dark skin and light hair complementing each other.
Oliver gasped and slid his hands over the table. His body shivered, and Kara grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look at her. Felicity and Thea were standing next the blonde, both worried and feeling utterly helpless. Oliver voice shuddered as he let out a shaky breath.
"Oliver! Hey! Oliver! Can you hear me?" Kara tilted his head back, trying to get a good look at his face. He pulled his head from her grip and squinted at them.
"Kara? What?" he asked, dazed.
"Oliver, are you okay? What happened?" Felicity asked, pushing through the group.
"Yeah," he said, shaking his head out. "I'm okay, Felicity. J'onn contacted me. They're breaching the building tomorrow night. We need to get ready."
Dig sucked in, crossing his arms. "You said we needed to have a little bit more information before attacking."
"I know, Dig. I can't explain it but before J'onn let go, I saw images in his mind. He and Bruce had been talking, and J'onn relayed all that information back to us. Comparing them to what we already know, they are exactly the same. We need to pair off and spar. Felicity, Curtis, Wells, and Tracy I want you hacking into their mainframe and coming up with anything you can. I want every detail from what color their shoes are to who their mother is. Get on it. The rest of us will be pairing off. I want us to be perfect. We are a team now, no matter how much I wish I could do everything myself. We need each other. We fight for each other. No one dies. Let's go."
The group, shocked but motivated, hurried to get everything done. Kara moved to join the group of people walking over to the mats, but Oliver pulled her aside, worrying her.
"Everything okay, Oliver? I know J'onn can totally invade your personal space, and I apologize on his behalf," she rambled, nervous around him. She couldn't seem to forget their first encounter and how poorly it had gone before.
"Relax, Kara. We weren't exactly suited up when we were thrown here. I just wanted to make sure you had something to wear when we do this."
She nodded, relieved. "Yes! I think Harry had told me that Cisco had something in the works after the Music Meister incident. He's finishing it up, but he says it'll be ready by tomorrow."
"Great." He looked at her, examining every wince and grimace she hid behind her sunny smile. He hadn't forgotten what had happened before Woodward had tossed them back. She had frozen and nearly fallen off the balcony due to the pain. "Kara," he said, gently.
I'm fine, Oliver," she said, through strained breaths.
He grabbed her arm, nearly dragging her to the office upstairs. "Kara, tell me the truth. You've gone through a lot these past weeks, and we kept trying to forget everything that happened. It isn't fair to you. You need to talk about
She laughed. "That's sound advice, Oliver, except it's coming from the guy whose biggest flaw is not sharing his feelings."
"Kara, I don't want you to be like me."
She paused, midsentence.
"I've made a lot of mistakes that I've had to live with, and I will regret for the rest of my life. Lies I've told, people I've hurt, things I've withheld, but I will not be responsible for you dying, Kara. I can't lose anyone else. So, please. Talk to me. Throw things, yell, cry, do whatever, but get it out. These things make us stronger; I told you before. They make us smarter, and I will do anything I can to help you."
Kara sighed, the rims of her eyes slightly welling up. "I can't forget it, Oliver. They beat me and shoved needles into my body." She stopped, running her hand over her eyes. "I wasn't gone long, but they took advantage of it. General Lane give them liquid kryptonite, and they injected it in my body almost every hour. They took so much blood, and they cut me open. I could feel myself dying. I heard my mother's voice several times begging me to join Krypton. It dragged on forever, and—" She shuddered. "—I had given up. I thought no one was coming. The scientists had finished their tests and talked about how they were going to kill me. They were going to mutilate my body and inject lethal doses of kryptonite just to see how long it would take me to die. Every step I take. Every shock of pain in my leg that I feel reminds me of what they did, and it scares me. Oliver, I was ready to die when Alex got there. I wanted to. Then they saved me, and I'm back as if nothing even changed. But I hold the pain and the memories of what happened. They're scars that don't heal." She turned to look at him, her eyes tired and drooping. "What do I do, Oliver? How do I move on?"
He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, his head resting on hers. Oliver was not a man who hugged. He rarely showed any emotion, attributing his secluded nature to the 5 years he spent on the island, but he couldn't help but feel anger building up as he listened to her speak. The circumstances that had graced the blonde Kryptonian's life had also left its mark on his, and he couldn't help but think that they had more in common than he had originally thought. The choking darkness that had grasped at his life was one that he vowed to keep Barry from, and he had expected to do the same for the woman who fought with more passion than anyone he had seen before. She was intriguing. Beautiful and driven despite the past that pulled at her everyday she put on the cape. The torture that she had endured was terrifying, and he couldn't help but entertain thoughts about what he would do when he found the woman who hurt her. He felt like he failed her and the people he called friends. It was a grieving mistake that he seemed to make so much, and he didn't want to live with it anymore. The pain of death. The pain of failing.
He pushed her back slightly, forcing her to look in his eyes. "Kara, I understand. I swear, I would kill to make sure that never happens to you again, but I can't. It's a burden you will have to live with, but don't live with it alone. You are a hero. You put the cape and boots on knowing that you might die that day, but still you do it. I don't consider myself a hero, and I probably never will. I've done terrible things and spilt innocent blood, but you are. Everything you've done is something to be proud of. The pain in your leg, the pounding in your head needs to remind you that you beat Cadmus. You didn't die. You kept fighting. Kara, you've gone through things that you should never have had to go through and after this you can quit. You can start being Kara Danvers full time, but never blame yourself. You are strong. Stronger than me, and it's not because of your super strength. Don't hide your pain. Show it. Show how you fought through this crucible and came out better than before."
She nodded, her eyes clearing from the tears. She gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Oliver. I never would have thought you would be the one to talk this through with."
The corners of his mouth tilted upwards. "I didn't either. Let's go. The rest are waiting for us."
The two walked together in silence, Kara already feeling lighter after expressing the pent up fear and aggression she had been holding for the past few weeks. From the moment she put on the cape, she had thrown herself in the limelight. It was a dangerous line of work, and she was positive she hadn't exactly weighed the pros and cons when popping up onto the superhero radar. Kara had the heart of a hero, but she didn't want to admit that she was at peace with dying. She wanted a hero's death, something honorable that the House of El would be proud of. She feared the cowardly death that her mother had endured. The guilt that Alura had to deal with became too much for her to bear and instead of living with it and escaping with her daughter, she found her release in death. The woman rocketed her only child to a world where it was impossible to tell whether or not she would be safe. It was that cowardly form of abandonment that made Kara rethink her opinion of her mother. She had always placed Alura on a pedestal, believing that she was perfect in every way. It was the natural belief of a child who loved her mother, but the more she faced and the more she lived life, she began to realize the flaws that she had. She began to see them in herself, and it terrified her. Kara loved her mother, but she didn't want to be like her. She didn't want to have a legacy of being someone who chose death over guilt.
The two of them stopped where the crowd of people were currently watching Thea about to roundhouse kick Rene's head off. They flinched when they heard the hard slap against his head and the crumple of the body that followed soon after. Thea landed softly on the mat and grinned triumphantly.
"Were you even trying?" she asked, offering her hand to the man who took it, begrudgingly.
"Of course not. I'm not tryin' to hurt you," he retorted, rubbing his jaw where a purple bruise was already starting to appear.
"You need to start to," Oliver said, walking up to the two of them. "This isn't a joke. Fight her."
Rene raised his eyebrows at him. "I know Thea can handle herself, but I'm not sur—" He ducked just in time before his jaw caught another hit.
Oliver advanced toward him, making the man back up as he tried to avoid being hurt. He glanced into the man's eyes. Or killed.
"Hoss, I don't know what yo—" He barely avoided another hit from him, stumbling backwards.
"Never get distracted!" he yelled, his boot connecting with Rene's knee.
The man fell down and Oliver wrapped his arms around his neck. Rene struggled against his grasp, his anger quickly igniting. Oliver released him, pushing him away slightly. His eyes wide, Rene stepped forward to attack him until Oliver pointed his bow, already nocked with an arrow, at him.
"What the hell are you doing?" Rene screamed, more pissed at getting beat again than at Oliver.
"These people almost killed Kara! They've killed countless others, and they've always been five steps ahead! You want to joke around, have a little fun, then get out now. I don't have time for games. Cadmus is stronger than Darhk, more ruthless than Chase, and more united than we are. We won't stand a chance unless you get your head out of your ego and in this team."
Rene's anger deflated as he recalled his encounter with Kara. He had felt threatened by her and Barry at first, but anyone with eyes could see her dedication and heart. She was strong, stronger than anyone he had ever seen, and if this group had almost beaten her, then Oliver was right. He often found himself annoyed and angry anytime he got his ass whooped and felt the need to lash out at whoever had beaten him instead of learning from it.
"I'm sorry, Hoss," he said, gritting his teeth. "I'll do it your way."
"Good," Oliver responded, everyone crowding over to him. "Dinah against Thea, assuming you're in?" he asked, remembering her wish to leave the team.
She nodded. "Hell yeah."
He gave her a small smile. "I'm glad. Rene against Thea, Dig against Carter, Dinah against Amaya, Mick against Nate, Kara against Kendra, and I'm against Wally. Iris and Joe, you can decide how you want to contribute."
The pairs split off, Wally slapping his hands together and rubbing them together while approaching Oliver.
"Are you sure about this, Oliver?" he asked afraid he might hurt the man.
"What has Barry told you about me?"
Wally raised his eyebrows. "Not much really. Why?"
"No reason. Let's go."
Lightning flashed in his eyes, and he rushed the man, hoping to surprise him. His shoulder slammed into the wall, and his body slowed. He rubbed his shoulder, looking towards the spot where he had just been. Blinking quickly, he tried again only to find himself trip over a wire. His body tumbled and he slip across the floor, groaning. Two arms wrapped around his neck, and he flailed, trying to get him to release his grip. Wally began vibrating, using what Barry taught him, and phasing through his arms. Oliver slipped through empty air, regaining his balance quickly and anticipating the hit that was already coming. He ducked and slammed his elbow into the figure behind him, forcing Wally to his knees. He strung an arrow and pointed it at his neck. Wally raised his hands and Oliver lowered the bow.
Angrily, Wally stood up, and glared at him. "What was that supposed to do? Embarrass me?"
"Calm down."
"Calm down? What do you even expect to do without powers?" Wally said, seething at losing the fight.
"Apparently, despite not having powers, I can still knock you on your ass. I also seem to remember carrying you during the fight against the Dominators, so all I expect from you is a little respect. I know what I'm doing. You're young and you're unexperienced, and you are extremely cocky. You have a lot of power at your disposal, but you seem to treat it like a toy. There's a weight to powers. There's a heaviness. You are able to do the impossible and save people in the blink of an eye, yet you seem to have no clear motive. You say you want to be a hero, yet you thrive in the public eye. Those two never ever go together. So why are you here Wally? Do you just want to be seen as a hero again because if that's the truth then you'd better get out now."
Wally's breaths evened and he nodded at him. His ego was hit, and he wanted to scream and hit someone, but he couldn't refute what he had said. At times, he had been so absorbed in how people viewed him that he made stupid mistakes. It was different being a natural hero and getting powers than being surrounded by the them and coveting them until you had them. To Barry it was always a part of who he was. He was a hero. He had the heart of one. But Wally wanted the glory. The pride in his father's eyes, and the love from the public. It was a driving force behind his rise to be a superhero, and he had loved every second of it. He wasn't prepared for the toll and the responsibility that it took to be one. He almost crushed from the pressure of having to save Iris's life. He could learn a lot from someone like Oliver.
"Okay. You're right. Let's do it your way."
Oliver nodded and the fight resumed, Oliver constantly pointed out flaws in Wally's technique.
Kara turned towards the woman in front of her, extending her arm. "Hi, I'm Kara. I'm, uh, I guess you could say new here."
The woman smiled at her, grabbing her hand and shaking it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kendra. I'm new here too. Sort of." She turned to look at the others who were currently engaged in battles that looked like they were to the death. "I guess we should start."
The circled each other slowly. Kendra slowly extended her wings, causing Kara's mouth to drop open. Shaking out the surprise, Kara zipped over to the woman and shoved her to the ground. Raising her arm to hit her, the woman pulled a mace out of seemingly nowhere and whacked her in the head. The electric pulse from the weapon shocked her, and a memory flashed in front of Kara's eyes.
"Supergirl! Wake up!"
She shook and opened her eyes, groaning to see Lillian in front of her holding something in her hand. She tried to focus on it, but her eyes kept swimming, causing a headache to grow. She squirmed, trying to break free. The raw skin on her wrist rubbed against the chains that held her on the table, and blood poured from the open wound. She winced at the pain but kept at it, determined to be free.
"Supergirl, that's of no use. The cuffs are made of Kryptonite. You will not be free. I suggest you stay still or this will be more painful than it could have been."
Kara immediately stopped.
"Good girl. Now, while this pains me, I need to test your reactions to electricity. Your fights with Leslie Willis were very intriguing. I would like to know if that is another one of your weaknesses."
Kara flinched as Lillian laughed. She waved the object around before staring her in the eye and plunging it in her side. She screamed as the electricity coursed through her body. Her body shook and spasmed, and she tore at the cuffs in a vain attempt to run away. Tears ran down the side of her face as her back arched. Finally, the pain stopped, and she fell back onto the table, breathing heavily. Lillian leaned over, hair slipping from her bun and falling onto Kara's face. The woman laid a hand on her cheek.
"Good job, Kryptonian. That's all for now." She smiled at her and turned away, her heels clicking as she walked.
Kara flipped to the side, the mace cracking against her head. Her body fell to the ground, and Kara's head smacked against the side of the floor. She groaned, and Kendra rushed over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders.
"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" She pulled her up, twisting her several different ways to see if any part of her was injured.
"I-I'm okay, Kendra. It wasn't you fault. Well, kind of, but not really. I blacked out for a second. Let's go again."
"What?" She asked incredulous. "I don't think that's a good idea. We should take a break or somethin—"
"No. I'm fine. Let's go again."
The woman nodded, still wary of the whole situation. She didn't know this woman very well, but if she said she was fine, she wasn't going to question it. The two stood up, and eyed each other, walking slowly. Before Kendra could even react, she was on the ground, staring into two very red eyes. Kendra raised her hands in feint surrender and twisted her legs to throw her off. Kara fell to the side, and Kendra jumped to her feet, her wings propelling her upwards. She started to fly towards the blonde but was thrown off by a gust of cold air. Her body shuddered, and she brought her arms to her side in an attempt to warm herself. She pushed through the suddenly chilly air to attack her, moving quickly. A beam of light shot from her eyes, and Kendra barely leapt out the way. Kara smiled and pushed off from the ground. Her body catapulted towards her and tackled her to the ground, pinning her arms to the ground.
Kendra, breathing heavily, smiled at her. "Wow. I was not expecting that. Who are you?"
Kara grinned and offered her hand. "Kara Zor-El Danvers. Otherwise known as Supergirl on my earth."
"Yo-your earth? You're kidding right."
"Oliver didn't tell you?"
"Oliver didn't tell me anything except to get here and hear a proposition. I figured me and Carter have had enough time off. I want to help."
"Well then, yes another earth. And another planet."
Kendra's eyes widened as she took in the new information. It was shocking and unbelievable, but she couldn't help but not be surprised. She'd never fought or met someone of her caliber. She was stronger, faster, and probably a lot more experienced, despite her strange reaction to an electric mace. It wasn't something she'd expect to see from an earth like this, or any similar. Of course she was from another planet.
"Well, Kara Zor-El Danvers, it is very nice to meet you. You were straight with me, so I'll give you a glimpse into my life. I'm a reincarnated princess from Egypt."
Kara laughed. "What an interesting group."
The two of them chuckled and talked, getting to know one another and discussing techniques and styles of fighting they had learned from their long long lives.
The other pairs remained fighting, each person in anticipation of the fight of their lives. It was no joke, and none had seen Oliver more paranoid and controlling than now. His seriousness and looming pessimistic outlook on the facility, just served to remind them of the consequences should even one-part fail. It started to seem like the beginning of the end for Cadmus and anyone who even dared to stand against the them.
Earth-38
"Alex, quit hitting Clark! You're supposed to be helping him with his technique not venting your anger!" J'onn yelled from the back.
They were in the D.E.O.'s kryptonite training room, with the levels turned up to forgo any advantage Clark had over her. They had realized that Clark relied on brute strength and his abilities rather than intelligent thinking. Not surprising, Alex thought to herself as she landed another kick to his abdomen. He stumbled backwards, his hands flying to his stomach as he hunched over.
"I agree with J'onn! Quit hitting me!" Clark yelled at her.
She rolled her eyes at the man. "If I didn't hit you, how would you learn? This is ridiculous. You are flailing around like a blind man, expecting to hit me. Without your powers, you're almost as bad as Winn. At least he managed to whack someone with a rock and knock him out. You haven't even landed anything."
"I resent that comment!" Winn yelled from the sidelines, secretly trying to take pictures. Kara would want to see this.
She waved off his interjection, turning back to Clark. "If there's too much Kryptonite in that building, you are going to die. If not from the Kryptonite, then from your absolute lack of balance and precision. Strength is one thing, but you are allowing me to use it against you. Stand on the balls of your feet. Hands up and covering your face. Push with your foot to use the full amount of your strength against me. Cover your face. Look around and be aware of your surroundings. Your reflexes are supposed to be increased. How am I still able to hit you?" she asked, her fist smacking against the side of his face.
His finger brushed away with a drop a blood, and he shook his head out, determined to show them that he was an asset, not a bumbling idiot who didn't know a hook from a jab. He wasn't stupid. He knew Alex was practically glowing at the fact that she was getting to punch him and call it "training."
When Kara had first landed, he was confused. He was in his twenties and just figuring out how to balance all aspects of his life on his own. Throwing a teenaged girl who didn't speak any English into the mix just didn't seem like a good decision for either of them. So instead, he gave her to the Danvers in hopes of giving her a chance at a semi-normal earthly life that he had gotten. He avoided her for years, unsure of what to make of a girl from his home planet. He had read about Krypton. He knew almost everything about it, but he always viewed it as a sacred place that he was from. He didn't have the memories or the experiences that Kara had and it frightened him. Clark couldn't cope with the fact that his faraway home was embodied in this small girl, so he decided to avoid her altogether. It was cruel and unfair to her, but he still did it and somehow she still managed to forgive him.
He rubbed his jaw. Alex, not so much.
He lifted his hands up, just in time to block another hit. Alex twisted her body, slamming her elbow into his nose. He stumbled backwards and tripped over her foot. The minute his body touched the ground, Alex was on top of him, her fist dangerously close to his face. Angry, he flipped her off of him. She landed with a thud and clamored to her feet quickly. Clark's eyebrows narrowed, and he rushed the woman. His eyes kept moving, shifting around Alex's body, anticipating each move she made. Seeing an opening, he tried to take advantage of it and connected, driving his hand through and hitting her shoulder. She fell to the ground and groaned.
J'onn ran over to them and helped her up. She glared at the Kryptonian and gestured for J'onn and Winn to give them some space. The two of them hesitantly left, and Alex and Clark stood, uncomfortably glaring at each other.
Alex cleared her throat. "Good job. You're learning to use more than your powers. I should never be able to beat you but don't be bitter at the fact that I can. I was trained by J'onn and have fought a Kryptonian before along with several different Aliens."
Clark nodded. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath and began. "Why do you hate me, Alex? I'm Kara's cousin."
She scoffed. "I don't hate yo—" she started until he cut her off.
"Don't lie. We need to get this out of the way before we go into battle. I need to know I can count on you and you need to know you can count on me."
She shook her head. "Take a guess, Clark. Take a guess why I hate you. You aren't her cousin. You don't have the right to be called Kal-El. She lost her entire world. Everything she had ever known as a little girl. Her mom, her dad, her friends, her family, and the only way she got through it was by knowing she had a mission: protect her cousin. Not only did she get stuck in the Phantom zone for more years than she had, she crash landed and then got abandoned by the one she was supposed to protect. Her only blood abandoned her. He never called, rarely visited, and expects that everything be fine. I'm the one she cried to when she explained how important family was on Krypton. She cried to me. I was there for her. You weren't and no matter what you do and what Kara says, I'm not sure I can forgive you for that."
Clark's chest constricted as each word she said dug deeper and deeper into his chest. He wanted to deny it and say she was lying, but he knew she wasn't. He had done everything she accused him of. It was his biggest regret, and now it might be too late to rectify it.
"Jus-just focus, Clark. It's my job to train you to make sure you don't get your selfish ass killed, not have a heart to heart chit chat. Focus on the job and get Kara back. That's all we need to do."
He nodded. "Okay. Whatever you say, Alex." His head told him not to. He knew that he couldn't take it back, but he couldn't help it. He had to put her in her place. "Just remember… I don't seem to recall you being the world's best sister when she first arrived. You don't have any room to criticize me. I don't claim to be a saint or the best person I could've when she first arrived, but you weren't either. So don't act like you have so much over me. I guess the only thing we can agree on is that Kara deserves more than either of us have given her."
Alex's eyes widened, and she blinked once, trying to digest what he had just said. Her fury ignited, and she tackled the man, driving him to the ground. He grunted but threw her off easily. He pinned her arms over her head, holding them in place as she squirmed against his strength. She screamed at him, tears running down her eyes. His anger dissipating, he pulled her into him and rubbed her back.
"I'm sorry, Alex. I shouldn't have said that. I-I need to be better," he admitted, wetness forming around the rims of his eyes.
"I-I-I need to talk to her. Each time we need to t-talk sh-she goes away. She g-gets dra-dragged from her ho-home," she said, stumbling through the words. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Clark, I'm afraid that this is the last time. I'm afraid we are going to breach Cadmus and she is going to die." She shook her head at him. "I don't like you, and I probably never will, but I shouldn't have thrown those things in your face. I'm sorry, Clark."
He nodded at her. "I understand why and you have nothing to apologize for. We will get her back. We will. I promise we will."
Alex gave him a faint grin just as J'onn walked into the room, eying the two of them. His eyes glowed red for a slight second before disappearing, and he nodded at Alex. She winked at him.
"All good over here, J'onn. We're going to get her back," Alex told him, the both of them standing up.
"That's great. Bruce is calling a meeting. We leave in two hours. We need to be outside the facility as soon as possible. Everyone is clear on their missions."
The three walked back to the main room where everyone had gathered. Bruce stood in front of the monitors with Winn sitting at the computer behind him. He was apprehensive and not confident in their odds, but he still held out hope that they could somehow pull this off.
"Alright. Everyone has been training. You all know what we are supposed to do. Winn and Cisco have made a secure link for our coms, allowing us to talk with each other. There is a plane out front for everyone to make their way to. Grab your gear, let's go."
The group split off into their teams, discussing their different strategies. Alex turned towards Barry, increasing her pace to catch up with him.
"Barry!" He turned around, and the two of them entered onto the plane, grabbing two secluded seats near the back.
"What's up, Alex?" His eyes were alert, but his hands gave away his nervousness. His fingers tapped the wood, nearly burning a hole through the table. She placed a hand over his.
"It's alright, Barry. Talk to me. What's going on?"
He raised an eyebrow at him. "I should be asking you that."
"I guess we're both a little nervous."
"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I've waited for weeks to be able to do this. To be able to get revenge for what they did to her. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I get there."
Alex smiled at him. "I do. I'm going to beat the hell out of them and bring Kara back, Lillian be damned."
"Yeah." He stared off distantly, a million thoughts jumbling through his mind. It was time. In a few hours Kara could be here with him. He could have her back.
The plane was silent, everyone preparing for what might be one of the hardest fights of their lives. It was unnerving and exciting, but everyone was too focused on the mission to say anything trivial. Small talk was silenced and the group stared off in the sky wondering if this would be the fight that would kill them.
Earth-1
Kara smiled at Oliver, giving him a thumbs up. He winked at her and the group stood just behind the tree line in front of a large building. They were segregated in groups to attack different parts of the warehouse. She was with Oliver, Dig, Thea, and Felicity. The other team was Curtis, Rene, Kendra and Dinah and the final had Amaya, Mick, Nate, Carter and Wally. Harry, Tracy, Joe, and Iris were running things from S.T.A.R. Labs and would be monitoring to make sure everything was going according to the plan.
She nodded to herself, trying to reassure herself. Simple. Secure the device and make sure Felicity has time to disarm it. She shifted in her new suit. Harry had approached her two hours earlier, grinning ear to ear at the new suit that he and Cisco had been working on for a while. It was light blue, darker streaks running down the sides of it. Her cape was a thick velvet red with gold lining the edges of it. It clipped in the front of her throat but didn't prohibit her breathing. Instead of the skirt, her suit went down the sides of her legs. Her boots came past her knees with a small opening to allow her to bend them. The sides of her wrists had gold gauntlets coming up almost to her elbow and a small shoulder shield on the side of her arm. Her crest was positioned in the center of her chest, looking more like it was connected instead of ironed on and she had a red and gold belt fitted around her waist.
It was beautifully made and more than she had ever expected. He explained the components of the suit, telling her they had placed biometric scanners on the insides of it, courtesy of a suggestion from Caitlin Snow. They told her they could measure her oxygen intake, solar absorption, and anything down to her smallest atom. It was incredibly advanced, and she couldn't believe the smartest people in the world at the D.E.O. hadn't thought to make something like it.
Oliver walked up to her, fully suited, his bow in hand. "You ready?"
She took in a shaky breath. "Is it pathetic that I'm still a little scared? I know you guys have my back, it's just that I don't want to go through that again."
"I understand. But listen, Kara. You're the strongest person I've ever met, and I'm not talking about your physical strength. We are going to get you through this."
Kara nodded, and smiled knowingly. He frowned as she pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm not much of a hugger, you know?"
"Shut up, Oliver. Yes, you are."
Felicity sighed through the comms. "Aw, that was so cute. She's right though, Oliver. As much as you hate to admit it, you're a hugger. Good ole' Green Arrow is a hugger." She laughed.
"Overwatch, focus. We have a job at hand."
"I know, I know. Shift change happened five minutes ago. Ten more minutes and we can breach."
"Everyone clear?" Oliver asked through the line.
A chorus of yes's echoed through their ears. They were jittery, nervous, and most likely very unprepared, but they were ready. They wouldn't fail.
"Good. Ten minutes."
Earth-38
Barry pulled the mask over his face and turned to his right. Cisco smiled at him, placing his visor over his eyes. The two fist bumped.
"You good, dude?"
"Yeah. Sure. We're just going to break into a super secure facility with aliens and science experiments, but whatever you know?"
Alex raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you need a minute, Barry?"
Before he could respond, Bruce walked up beside the both of them. "If you do, you've got ten."
He walked away without a word, going to check up on the other groups.
Caitlin grinned. "He's a real ray of sunshine, isn't he?"
"He's got the social skills of a rock," Alex muttered underneath her breath.
Barry jumped around, waving his arms around his body in an attempt to loosen the tension. He sighed outwardly and shook his neck out. "I trust you guys to watch my back; nothing is going to go wrong. I trust you guys to watch my back; nothing is going to go wrong."
Alex furrowed her eyebrows. "What is that? So kind of weird mantra?"
He glared at her while the other two chuckled.
Winn's voice broke into the line, shutting everyone up. "This has been fun, but the time is up. It's now or never." He was nearly frozen from fear at being this close to the battle. He had been put under pressure, but in the middle of a fight was not his element. He wasn't comfortable.
"Canary, Atom, you're up," Bruce ordered through the comms.
"Copy that. Proceeding." The two of them looped their arms around each other and walked towards the two guards in front of the door. They immediately raised their guns towards the two intruders causing them both to throw their hands up.
"Whoa! Whoa! Man, chill out! I'm just here with my girlfriend and we were cruising along when we thought we might stop here to see what's going on."
"A likely story. Stay still and put your hands on your head."
Sara tilted her head at them. "Technically that's impossible. Which one do you want us to do because we can't do both."
"Hands on you head! Now!"
Sara and Ray complied, placing their hands on their head. The two soldiers grabbed their arms and dragged them inside, entering a five-digit code. The doors slide open and shut as soon as they stepped through. Sara tripped, causing the two guards to try and catch her. Ray slipped a device from his pocket onto the door and pressed the button on top. The colors blended with the wall, completely hiding it from sight.
"Sorry, fellas. I must have lost my footing a little bit. Might have had something to do with the shock of seeing all these creepy cells here," she said, righting herself and nodding towards the small rooms lined across the wall.
"Just keep your head down and walk. We're taking you to the boss."
"Cool. Can't wait." She winked at Ray who smiled back.
They stopped at the control center where three guys were sitting at designated seats in front of large computers. The doors to the panel opened quickly, making a soft clicking sound.
"Damn it, Johnson! Did you leave your post?" one of them said, standing up.
"Wh-what? I mean yeah, but these two were on the property."
"Idiot! Boss told us to never leave our posts!" he grumbled and looked at them. "And what is she wearing?"
Sara smiled and nodded to Ray. "It's just a costume. He's right though. You should never leave your post."
Johnson turned to look at her. "Huh?"
Sara and Ray galvanized into action. Sara grabbed the contractible bo staff from her pocket and swung it at Johnson, the metal pole extending and smashing into his jaw. His body crumpled to the ground as she flipped it towards the other guard. Ray pressed a button on his glove, and his suit began to unfold, sliding and connecting to cover his whole body. His armored hand connected with the other three, sending their bodies collapsing. Sara grinned at him.
"That's neat. Where'd you get that?"
"Cisco. Said he got the idea from a comic book or something."
"Nice. Let's get J'onn and Winn in here. They didn't set off any alarms, so we should be good for phase two. Get going to RD."
"Copy." He twisted his dial on the suit and shrunk down, slowly making his way to the eastern side of the building.
"Manhunter and uh-Overwatch? You're clear. All teams proceed."
Winn turned to Barry. "Overwatch?"
He smiled at him. "Just a nickname for someone on our earth. Guess you should have an Overwatch here too."
All groups entered through the door and ran to rendezvous with Sara. J'onn and Winn stopped in the control center, Winn quickly hacking through their database and opening all the gates.
Loud sirens pierced their ears, and their hands flung to the side of their heads to try and block the high pitched sound.
"UNAUTHORIZED METAHUMAN AND ALIEN PRESENCE IN THE FACILITY. EVACUATE. CODE RED IN EFFECT."
Barry turned to Alex. "Well, that wasn't part of the plan."
Earth-1
Kara stared at Oliver, her face scrunched in pain as the sirens blared above them. He ran to her side, grabbing her arm.
"Supergirl? Are you okay?" he asked, screaming over the piercing noise.
"Get those sirens off!" She sunk to her knees, clutching her ears in her hand.
Oliver motioned to Curtis. "Terrific! Disable the alarms right now!"
Curtis nodded, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Oliver turned to the others. "Bravo, stay here and guard the control center. The mission is still a go. Teams disperse! Kid, I need you to superspeed to RD and take out all the scientists. Take the device from Overwatch and download all the information off their computers."
A gust of wind knocked them back as Wally sped to the other side of the building. Loud clanging from behind them forced all of them to turn around. Their eyes connected with the monsters that were quickly making their way to them.
"Terrific, get those alarms off and shut the northern gates!"
Curtis slammed his finger onto the key, both the alarms stopping and the gate swinging down, the monsters blocked from entering. Supergirl quickly stumbled to her feet, swaying slightly. Oliver held her arm as he guided her to the southern side of the control center, Dig, Thea, and Felicity close behind.
"Alpha, make sure no one gets past those gates, and if they do, take them out!"
The team rushed through the entrance and ran down the hallway, praying the doors would hold.
Nate's skin slowly turned to steel and he smiled at Amaya. "We got this, right?"
She shrugged, touching the amulet around her neck and channeling the power of an elephant. "I sure as hell hope so. Not sure aliens are the primary enemies we fight against. This might go several shades of bad before the day is over."
"I'm glad you have so much faith in us." She smiled at him.
The two of them jumped, hearing the clanging of fists against the metal. Several punches were denting the integrity of the gate, making it whine as it bent.
"Uh, guys? Get ready. I'm not sure how long this will hold," Curtis called, fear coloring his face.
The door broke, sending the fragmented pieces flying at them. Carter flew up a few feet and caught a piece of the debris before it impaled Curtis. Mick smiled, raising his gun.
"Not too long apparently," Carter commented.
Oliver, Kara, Thea, Dig, and Felicity ran through the hallway, quickly trying to find the cloaking device. Kara tilted her head, and her eyes lit up in fear. Instinct propelled her forward, taking a blast in her chest, but protecting Felicity. Her body flew backwards, smashing into the wall.
Oliver raised his bow, instantly shooting the shaking scientist who had pulled the trigger. Dig rushed to the fallen Kryptonian, pulling her up.
"You good, Supergirl?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just a little dazed." She pointed to the others. "There are more coming."
Oliver followed her finger, making eye contact with Sam Scudder. "Damn. How many times can I put this guy down?"
"Then maybe I should try," Thea called, leaping towards the suited man.
"Speedy, no!" Oliver yelled.
She ignored his warning, raising her bow and loosing an arrow. The man raised a mirror, the arrow disappearing and reentering from a different mirror behind them. Dig sucked in a breath, barely able to dodge the projectile.
Scudder rushed Thea while she was distracted, pushing her into a larger mirror beside them. Kara quickly stood up and froze it before she could be stuck, and Thea crashed into the solid ice, her arm making a sickening crack. Oliver ran towards him, and punched, Sam's face jerking backwards from the force. Scudder attempted a kick but was thrown back once again. Taking a different approach, he ran and jumped through a mirror, appearing behind Dig and whacking him over the head. Before he could react, he disappeared once again.
"Queen, you need to close his avenues. Give him one place to come out and then strike," Harry called through the coms from S.T.A.R. Labs.
"Copy. Supergirl! I want you to freeze all the mirrors except that one, got it?"
She nodded and super speeded around the room, blasts of chilled air hitting the mirrors around them. Scudder hopped from the only open mirror, confused as to why he landed there. Oliver smiled, and Sam's eyes widened, realizing what had happened. His head slammed backwards as Oliver drove his hand through and punched him hard in the face.
The group exchanged relieved looks before groaning at the sight of more people coming.
"Well, we didn't think this was going to be easy, did we?" Thea said, standing up and cradling her arm.
"Supergirl, the guys on the left. Speedy and Spartan, take out the ones on the right. I'm going to be covering Overwatch to make sure she gets enough time to disable the device. Overwatch, time?"
"Uh, might be a while. It's going to take me at least fifteen minutes."
"Great," Oliver muttered, lifting his bow.
Earth-38
"Damn it, Bruce, hurry up!" Clark yelled, his feet barely touching the ground. His hands wrapped around the ten-foot monster's throat, trying to get him to release.
"I'm a little busy at the moment!" he yelled, flipping someone into the next. He grabbed the arm of the guy next to him, pushing his head in the wall. The man crumpled in an unconscious heap.
"Hey! Supes! Grey, says you need to cut off the zombie's air supply!"
Clark grunted against the force of the zombie as it slammed him into the wall, breaking through it. "Yeah, thanks," he groaned through strained breaths.
Firestorm unleashed a blast of fire at a gas canister near the fast approaching soldiers. The canister blew, blowing the group backwards into each other. He turned to help Clark but was thrown to the side by Roy Harper. Surprised, Jax hesitated and was hit in the face with a metal arm.
"Roy? Hey! Stop!" He raised his hands, backing away slowly.
Jefferson! You need to incapacitate him! Mr. Kent needs our assistance!
"I can't, Grey! What if I accidently hurt him?"
Roy squinted his eyebrows, turning around quickly. "Who are you talking to? Who are you guys?"
"Roy, calm down! It's Jax! We haven't met, but I'm a friend of Oliver's!"
"Who the hell is Oliver?" he asked, raising his metal arm. "I don't want to hurt you! Just get out of my way!"
Jefferson! Now!
Gritting his teeth, he pushed his hands forward, a short blast knocking into him. Roy slammed into a table, his head bouncing off the floor. Turning quickly to the side, he unleashed another blast at the zombie. Clark took advantage of the split second pause and twisted his arm around its neck. In one swift motion, the bone snapped and the body went limp.
Bruce kicked the head of the last soldier and twisted around to look at Jax. "Alright, labs are secure." He pressed his hand to his ear. "Overwatch, did you shut the gates yet?"
"Gates are shut, Prisoners are secured. I was able to override their emergency protocol."
"Good work. Atom?"
"Information downloaded. Heading to Bravo now."
"Charlie?" Static fizzled across the line. "Charlie, do you copy?" He swore. "Bravo, remain in position. Atom, make your way back and guard the control center. Deal with any loose prisoners we might have missed. Superman, Firestorm, and I are heading to the southern wing."
Clark wiped the dried blood off his lip and gestured to the crumpled body of Roy on the ground. "What do you want to do with him, Firestorm?"
"We can't just leave him here. We have to take him with us."
Clark nodded and swung the unconscious man on his shoulder. "I'll take him to the control center. You guys go."
They nodded, and Clark headed down the hallway to the control center. Bruce hesitated by the exit, a paper catching his eye.
"Bruce? Look at that! What is that?" Jeremiah asked, peering at the fuzzy visual from the suit cam.
"It's DNA strands. Nothing I've ever seen before. They seem to be cells of an infant, yet the next picture shows the same strands but more developed. The time stamp is only a week," he replied, hardly believing what he was saying. "They're growing something."
Jeremiah scrunched his face in horror. "Tha-that's Kara's DNA."
Bruce's hand immediately went to his ear, sure he misheard. "That's impossible."
"Not quite. When Kara was taken, they could have easily gotten several blood samples."
"Enough to clone?" he asked, skeptical.
"It doesn't quite like identical. The first one is definitely Kara's. I've analyzed enough of her blood to recognize it anywhere, but the second one I don't know. They could have spliced her DNA with someone else's."
"That's not good. The experiment is definitely not here, so they must have it at a different facility."
"I know. We need to get ahead of this. This could be worse than this Bizarro incident I've heard so much about. It just depends on whose DNA they mixed it with. By my calculations, the second sample is from a young preteen. At the rate it's growing, they could have a mature adult in a month."
"I'll grab their research. Maybe it'll give us a clue to who's involved."
"Then we might actually be able to gain some advantage over them," Jeremiah answered, hope brewing for the first time in weeks.
Alex's head slammed into the wall behind her, and Volcana's face taunted her from the front. "Your sister put up a much better fight than you did."
Alex slipped her foot behind hers and pulled it towards herself, making the woman fall. "Don't talk about my sister." She looked behind her and gave a thumbs up to Caitlin.
"Frost?"
Caitlin smiled and raised her hands, coating the ice villain with snow. "Not sure how long this will hold, Sentry!"
"Just hold her a little longer!" Alex yelled, grabbing the staff from her back.
The fire and cold in the room fluctuated the temperatures causing Barry to break out in a sweat only to have it chilled to his body a second later. He gasped and ducked before Girder could hit him. He twisted around and hit Mardon in the nose. Barry fell backwards, a blast of lightning striking him in the chest.
Alex gripped the perfectly weighted staff with two hands gestured to Caitlin to stop the cold flow. Winking at the pale villain in front of her, she swung the staff into her head. Her body flipped to the side and fell into the table.
"Frost, the Flash needs you!"
Caitlin nodded and sent a blast towards Girder. His body froze in mid-position, and Barry stood, slamming a vibrating fist into Mardon's jawline.
"Vibe, almost done?" They heard a yelp and a spark from the other side of the room.
Cisco cursed and slammed his hand on the device. "Sure, let's go with that. We were right! They installed a failsafe that would blow everything up if we just hit it. The programming is a little difficult, but I'm almost done!" Another spark leaped from the panel and zapped Cisco's finger.
"Damn that hurt! Just give me a minute!" The three of them crowded around the shorter man.
A green light lit, and Cisco raised his hand bringing it down in a celebratory fist. "Hell, yeah! I got it! We should be able to cross now!"
They heard a small beeping inside and leaned closer. "Uh, what is that?"
"Crap. The warehouse is about to explode. I must have triggered a last resort hidden wire when I disabled it. We have three minutes before this whole place erupts in flames."
Bruce and Jax slowed to a stop, just now finding them and hearing the distressed words he was saying. Cisco raised his hands, trying to open a breach but was thrown back, falling into Alex's arms. She leaned forward and caught him, pulling him back up.
"They aren't ready! If they don't disable the device on their side in the next ten minutes, we are all going to die."
"Well, that's just great," Alex muttered.
Earth-1
"Overwatch! All the sections are clear! We need to get through!"
"Calm down! I'm done!" Felicity shouted, her fingers moving faster than they ever had before and slammed down on the last key in relief.
"Good! Supergirl? You ready?"
"I'm rea-" She started but was hit with a blast of lightning.
"Well, hi there, Supergirl! I see you got through both facilities. Not really much of an accomplishment. You idiots should know we didn't expect this to hold. This was just a distraction, but good job." A spark arched between fingers as she pointed towards Oliver. "Stay there, pretty boy. I'm not finished."
A small breach opened slightly, slowly growing in size. All of them looked towards the breach.
"Guys, the device powered down, but it's about to reboot in ten minutes! We need to get through!"
Livewire laughed. "Good job. It was inevitable. In ten minutes the device on the other side will blow and everyone there will die, including your cousin, Supes. The explosion is full of that material that weakens you. I'm not really keen on the science, but you get the idea. This warehouse is currently surrounded with explosives that will detonate in three minutes as well. Either way, the barrier will close, but you will all be too dead to take advantage of it."
"What do you want?" Oliver said through slow breaths. He couldn't see any way out of this.
"I'm glad you asked. I want Supergirl. I was told I could have her. You all can leave, but I get Supergirl. She's the only one who can stop their plans. You have just enough time for mini Flash to speed all of you out of here. Well, after I release him. Cocky little guy ran a little too fast and forgot to look at his surroundings. I have him in a boot. Clock is ticking."
"No. We won't do it," Oliver answered, amazed she thought he would take the deal.
Kara shook her head. "I have to. I can't let you all die for me."
Oliver stepped forward, trying to move closer to her. Livewire smiled and a streak of lightning connected with his chest. He flew backwards and Thea and Felicity ran after him.
"NO!" Kara screamed, her hand going to her mouth. "Alright! Alright! Stop! I'm coming, just stop!"
"Good choice, Supergirl."
The breach pulsed and Barry sped out of the hole. A streak of light followed him as he tackled Livewire to the ground. Blasts of lightning broke from her hands as she fought against the speedster on top of her. Cisco stepped through and opened a quick breach.
"Everyone through! It leads to S.T.A.R. Labs!" Felicity and Thea grabbed Oliver by both sides and ran through the breach. Alex grabbed Kara by the shoulders.
"Supergirl, let's go!"
Kara gasped and grabbed her sister, shielding her body as a blast of lightning struck her. Alex pushed her away and smacked Livewire with the end of her pole, effectively knocking her out. Barry stood up, barely conscious and his suit half burned off with the side of his body covered in blood. Kara grabbed Barry by his arm, ignoring her panicked instinct, and pulled him through the second breach Cisco opened. She laid him down on the floor and ran back through the open breach. Cisco called after her.
"Hey! Supergirl, get back here! You're going to die!"
"Cisco, you have to get everyone out of the facility on my earth! The scientists, soldiers, our team! Make sure everyone is out. No one dies. I'll do the same here."
"Damn it, Kara, just get over here!" Alex called, stepping through as well. Kara gently pushed her back.
"Alex, we don't have much time! I'll be okay and you guys can come get me after. You need to help Cisco. He isn't superfast like me! He'll need all the help he can get. Some of the prisoners need to be released and the rest of our team needs to get out! Help Barry and help the others. I'll be okay."
Alex shook her head. "No, Kara, last time you were kidnapped and it was all my fault."
"Alex, go! Please."
"Kara, promise me!'
"I promise now go!" Kara pushed her sister back through and turned on her heels, heading as fast as she could to the RD section of the building.
"Harry? Who's out?"
"Kara?" Iris said through the com. "This is Iris. My dad and Harry are advising the others. So far everyone's out except Wally and a few soldiers and scientists. The prisoners who wanted out have gone and Alpha took care of the violent ones."
"Alright, I'm on my way to Wally right now."
"Kara, hurry! The place is about to blow in six minutes, and we're picking up major spikes in Kryptonite. The bombs are laced with it."
"I got this."
Kara flew through the building, moving faster than she ever had before. A sudden explosion knocked her from the air, and she fell to the ground. She looked at her hands and saw green pumping through them.
"Kara, one of the bombs went off early!" Iris shrieked, worried for both her brother and the woman who was determined to save everyone.
"Kara? This is Harry. I heard about your ordeal. The state you're in makes you more susceptible to the effects of Kryptonite. Your immune system, so to speak, of that substance is severely depleted. You won't make it through a couple more of those bombs."
"I-I have to," she grunted, pulling herself to her feet. She entered through the door, seeing Wally chained to a table with metal handcuffs that glowed a bright blue on the sides.
"Supergirl? I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention, and she was able to get the jump on me!"
Kara ignored the apology and slammed the bottom of her hand on the cuff, breaking it in half. "G-go g-get the o-others! M-make sure th-the facility is clear of p-people!" she stuttered, another explosion rocking the building.
"Are you okay?" Wally asked bending down.
"Go!" she yelled, propelling the man into action. The blur raced through the building, clearing the rest of the rooms.
She stumbled back to her feet and took off towards the exit. A small cry from the other side of the room showed a man with a slab of concrete pining his leg down. She immediately changed course and kneeled beside him. Her leg and head throbbed with each second, the injuries she felt when she was recovering coming back in full.
"Don't worry! I'll get you out!"
"Don't touch me, alien!" he screamed, recoiling from her touch.
"Please! Let me help you!" She recognized him from her earth. She couldn't place it, but she was sure he was once one her earth.
She slipped her fingers under the piece of concrete and lifted, her strength barely allowing her to lift it. She felt the blood on her fingers as she pulled the piece of the building up as far as she could. Kara flung it to the side and pulled the man up. She threw his arm over her shoulder and rose a few feet in the air.
"Kara, you need to go now!" Iris and Harry yelled in unison.
Kara nodded, and the thoughts in her head pushed her forward. She wouldn't die. She wouldn't let anyone die. Barry and Alex along with countless others were counting on her. Screaming in agony, she increased in speed and broke through the building just as another explosion released the rest of the Kryptonite. The force threw the both of them forward, and she fell onto the grass, her head hitting the ground. The man beside her was unconscious, but she could still hear his heart beating. Satisfied, she laid her head down and closed her eyes. She could faintly hear the sound of someone yelling her name, but she her eyes shut and her eyes lolled backwards as she laid there, unconscious.
The slow, steady beeping made her eyes open. Her body ached in a way she hadn't felt since she pushed Fort Rozz into space. After several seconds, she pushed up, groaning the whole way, until she saw Barry in the seat next to her, his head in his hands with his eyes closed. She smiled and reached out a hand to stroke his cheek. He jerked awake but grinned when he saw it was her.
"Kara," he mumbled, happily.
"What?" she asked, smiling at him.
"I'm just glad we're finally together."
"Me too." She leaned forward, her lips meeting his in a gentle kiss. They pulled backwards and stared into each other's eyes.
"What happened? I thought you were half dead. You looked like you sunbathed in hell."
He laughed, grabbing her hand. "Well, after you left to save the others, I healed pretty quickly. Cisco and Alex were able to evacuate the rest of the building and save everyone. And so did you. I don't know how you do it. You risked your life for people who wanted you dead. You're absolutely amazing."
She blushed, smiling at his praise.
"Then Wally came back with Harry and the two of them found you unconscious about 100 feet from the explosion. They took you back to S.T.A.R. and laid you next to Oliver, who's fine by the way. Just a little shook. Then Alex and I came back to get you and bring you back here. You've been under sun lamps for the past two days. Luckily, you didn't get Kryptonite poisoning again. I don't think I could've handled that again."
"Yeah, me either." She scrunched her face. "The guy I saved. What was his name?"
"He's James Harper. He jumped earth's a year back and has been working with them a while now. He was an avid Cadmus follower, but ever since you saved his life, he can't stop raving about you. I think you changed his mind. He's about ready to put on a suit and become a superhero."
She smiled. "That's good at least."
He bit his lip. "But Alex is still a little pissed."
Kara groaned, throwing her head back. "I bet."
Barry rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of her hand. "I guess we were both really worried."
"Yeah?" she asked.
He leaned forward and kissed her again, savoring the moment between the two of them. "Yeah. How about we just run away together? You don't have to die by Kryptonite, and I don't have to get cooked alive."
She laughed. "I would love to, but we can't."
"I know."
She straightened and looked him in the eye. "Are you staying?"
He frowned. "Nope."
Her eyes widened, but quickly narrowed as she saw his shoulders shake in laughter. "Jerk."
"Of course I am. I want to be wherever you are. At least then I can make sure you don't leave and get yourself killed. I don't think you really understand how painful that is."
Her eyes softened. "What about your earth and your friends?"
"I have a feeling some are going to want to stay here. And still," he leaned forward, "maybe all I need is you."
She leaned forward as well, their faces inches apart. "I love you, Barry Allen."
He smiled and slipped his finger underneath her chin. Grinning, he pressed his lips to hers and pulled back slightly, his forehead resting on hers. "I love you too, Kara Danvers."