"...and I was proven wrong," Lena finished explaining to the DEO team, "I'm not the only surviving Nodei."
"Holy shit, Lena." Maggie, whose mouth had been agape for much of the Luthor's story, concluded in a whisper.
The Nodei's visit to the DEO was going as Kara assumed it would be. The Kryptonian had quietly been surveying the room while Lena repeated her narrative. The Luthor was keeping it together well, Kara noted, for telling it aloud for the second time ever. Winn had been peppering Lena with questions, clearly fascinated with her planet's politics, and attempting (with little success) to restrain himself from asking even more. Maggie was stunned, while Alex was unreadable.
"Thank you for agreeing to do this," J'onn said, bearing the sage expression of someone who'd experienced their own share of horrors from home. "It's no easy task."
Kara placed a hand on Lena's back. Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw Alex staring at the gesture. In fact, she'd noticed her sister's intense gaze the entire time, eyes darting to any hand brush or knowing glance shared between the Kryptonian and the Nodei since they arrived at the DEO. The elder Danvers - and perhaps the entire group - must have known something had transpired.
There was an ease between Kara and Lena, the awkwardness from the bar encounter had dissipated. While this dynamic didn't just materialize overnight - the blonde felt an inexplicable connection to the brunette even before she learned of Nodeisi - the events of the past 24 hours had fast-forwarded them to a heightened familiarity with one another. Whereas Kara and Lena were dancing around facades going into their respective Friday nights, the weekend had succeeded in tearing the walls down. Both of them probably envisioned a better time to reveal their respective identities, Kara speculated, but she assumed that those secrets would have eventually spilled out regardless.
"It needed to be told." Lena shrugged humbly, allowing a heavy silence to fill the room.
Lena ran a hand through her sable locks, brushing a few strands behind her ear as her story sank in with the group. Her gaze shifted to Kara, causing the Kryptonian's pulse to quicken.
How the Luthor could make her feel like a teenager with just a glance was beyond her. She'd been replaying the previous night's events in her head: the Nodei's lips moving against hers in a frenzied passion. The urgency of Lena's fingertips caressing her neck. Her back against the cold concrete as Lena took control of the kiss. A sense of relief, as well as something primal that seemed to pulse from Lena's body into hers. The blonde knew that, while there was still plenty of the brunette's mystery to unravel, the two had just crossed into intimate territory. So intimate, in fact, that Kara was a little unsure how to proceed. When she returned to her apartment last night, she took hours to fall asleep, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of events. Sick of being stuck in her head at 4am, she promised herself she'd just be transparent about her feelings for Lena, while prioritizing the larger crisis of a potential Nodei attack at hand. She could manage both, right?
"So as of now, we know of nine Nodeis on Earth." Winn paced, snapping the blonde out of her reverie.
"Nine?" Lena asked.
"Yeah," the Kryptonian confirmed. "There was at least one Nodei at the first rover attack."
Lena nodded.
"Then Purple Eyes and two others that capsized the fishermen." Maggie recalled.
"And the others," Winn gestured toward the Luthor, "who attacked you at the canal."
"And then there's you, of course." Alex added briskly. She had already crossed the room and was typing at one of the computers.
"Any chance you can name any other Nodeis on our side?" Maggie quipped. The Luthor chuckled sardonically.
"At this point, no," She stared at the ceiling as she pondered. "They must've arrived as a guerilla force and decided to start a rebellion here."
Lena's gaze dropped down, locking eyes again with Kara. The Kryptonian noted a look of determination in those emerald orbs as the Nodei addressed the room.
"Anyone up for a field trip?"
The DEO team was a conspicuous sight as they swaggered through L-Corp. Lena led them to her lab, Jess greeting the team with her usual charm as they rounded the corner. Spotting the Luthor at the front of the pack and brushing shoulders with a beaming Kara Danvers, Jess gave her a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.
"So…" she whispered slyly to the brunette as the team entered the office, ogling the state-of-the-art space. "I take it you two finally had your make-up date?"
"You could say that." She smiled as Jess lit up, letting out a stifled squeal. Kara appeared preoccupied by the pool taking up the eastern corner of the space, but Lena saw a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Things are going well."
"More than well, by the way she's looking at you." Jess smirked and Lena couldn't help but mirror her expression. "We should double date soon. I told Sebastian about you two. We've been rooting for you two to just make a move and get a room already."
Lena swatted her playfully. They looked over at the group, who were exploring the lab. She knew Kara could pick up their conversation, pretending to busy herself with the office's skyline view. It was difficult to contain her amusement as Winn fanboyed over L-Corp's gear next to her.
"I'd love to meet him. You said he digs swing bands, right?"
"Crazy about Sinatra and all the classics," Jess gushed, then turned to Lena as an idea came to her. "We should all go swing dancing sometime!"
The Luthor happily accepted the invitation, earning a giddy shoulder squeeze from Jess. Her assistant headed back downstairs. Once the area was clear, Lena strolled to the middle of the room and summoned the team to join her.
"If we're going to take down these Nodeis," the Luthor began, activating a holographic map of National City in front of her. "We need to figure out how many are out there, and where they are. Over the past month I've developed sensors that can identify Nodei activity. I programmed them using my own DNA, they function at extreme depths, and should be subtle enough to avoid them noticing."
"Ok, that's bomb." Winn declared, before producing his tablet to take notes. "Just a few quick questions. What calibration system did you use? How did you account for temperature? Is it differ-"
"Jesus, Winn. Keep it in your pants." Maggie snickered. Winn was unfazed as he examined the display of the harbor, entering data into the tablet.
Outlining the bay region of the map, Lena pointed to a series of alcoves and continued.
"We install the sensors at these points along the harbor, track their movement, and then we can hopefully pinpoint their headquarters."
"And their path towards you and L-Corp?" J'onn inquired.
"They know I've been on Earth. Hard to say how long," Lena conceded, "but they've clearly kept tabs on me. I'm a target to them, halfbreed or not. I'm ready to join your fight against them."
"Doesn't seem like you have a choice." Alex observed. The Luthor hummed in agreement. She noticed Kara fixing her sister with a sideways glance, perhaps also noticing the slight frost in the elder Danvers' tone.
"These halfbreeds, whether they're a small group, or an entire colony, are clearly getting impatient," Lena acknowledged. "Millennia of living in fear, just to come dangerously close to repeating the cycle. I think they're past the point of diplomacy."
"Sounds like plenty of threats we've handled before." Winn raised his chin defiantly.
"Yes, but they've never had this much of an aquatic advantage," J'onn reminded him.
"Or with so much unknown about their setup on Earth," Lena mused. "Which is why it's going to take the combined efforts of our forces."
"What if we could lure them to land?" Alex proposed. "They're still strong as hell, but at least we'd stand more of a chance."
"But civilian safety is the issue." J'onn noted. "Lena, it'll have to be on their turf, won't it?"
"Most likely."
"But I'm so slow underwater," Kara lamented. "Same with J'onn, Alex, any of us without fins. We need to fight smarter below the surface. Could really use some gillyweed about now."
The Kryptonian earned some laughs from the group. Lena grinned at Kara's nerdy reference.
"I'll make more underwater suits, like Supergirl's. For everyone," Winn announced. "Even if they can't go too deep, at least we get more coverage."
"I'll train you, Kara," Lena asserted as the blonde tilted her head curiously. "It's just a matter of using your abilities differently underwater."
"By all means," the Kryptonian agreed earnestly. "Show me how."
"Of course," Lena promised. "And before we face them again we'll need to monitor and gather any intel we can. The sensors are almost ready to be installed, the software should finish synching with L-Corp's database by the morning. Once they're good to go, we plant them and gather data."
"Given the pattern of the attacks, they can't be stationed far from the city's edge," J'onn mentioned as he studied the coordinates. "You recommend stakeouts, then?"
Lena nodded.
"It'll just be cat and mouse until we can figure out a home base, or a leader."
"We can arrange that." J'onn turned to the group. "We'll work in shifts, randomizing the times to avoid detection. Starting tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow." Lena answered.
The DEO team agreed to the plan, eventually dispersing after reviewing more logistics. An ecstatic Winn crossed the room towards the Luthor, lowering his voice as he approached.
"So," he began, attempting to be nonchalant. "I'm actually free now. Can I get, like, a VIP tour of the lab, or…"
"Sorry, Winn," Kara replied with a smirk, wrapping an arm around the Nodei's shoulders. "We've got plans."
"But we're talking silicon paradise here," he whined. Lena chuckled and gave him a sympathetic shrug.
"Swing by on Sunday and you can get the full tour, I promise." She walked with the blonde towards the door as a defeated Winn mumbled something about "tech-ing before necking." The afternoon sun greeted the two aliens as they meandered outside.
"So, are you thinking Nat Noodle Express, round two?" Lena asked.
The blonde laughed with a slight blush. "As amazing as that sounds, I had something else in mind."
The Nodei's head tilted, intrigued.
"Do you mind a short flight?"
"I mean, I was built more for the sea than the air," Lena joked in a rare bashful moment. Kara was about to rethink her grandiose plans when the brunette stepped in front of her.
"But I trust my pilot," she said, looking at the Kryptonian through her lashes.
The blonde wondered briefly if Kryptonite really was her greatest weakness, because damn. Feeling a goofy grin tugging at her lips she extended her hand, which Lena promptly accepted. She pulled the brunette into an embrace, advising her to hold on tight.
"Sometimes closing your eyes helps with the dizziness," Kara offered as Lena dutifully secured her arms around the Kryptonian's waist. "At least that's what Alex said when we flew together."
"The past tense there isn't lost on m-ahhhh!" The Nodei's teasing gave way to a short, surprised gasp as the two jolted towards the sky.
After the powerful burst of wind died down seconds later, Lena cautiously opened her eyes. A glass pyramid, illuminated in brilliant contrast to the night sky, filled her vision. Then came the sounds of a bustling street, muted conversations, the scent of something sweet wafting around her. The Nodei instantly recognized her surroundings. Spinning on her heels, she came face to face with Kara. The blonde was studying her reaction, weight shifting from one foot to the other.
"Paris!" Lena observed in surprise.
"Yes," the Kryptonian giggled nervously, "but more importantly," she placed her hands on Lena's shoulders, gently steering her to face a vendor's cart across the street.
"Those killer eclairs you were telling me about!"
"Wow," the brunette observed as she blinked a few times, taking everything in.
"I mean, I know you've been here a bunch, but since I don't have to hide my speed anymore… I- uh…Well, in retrospect, this may be a little intense for the first date. I have to admit, I was thinking more about the food than the setting." Kara ended her ramble, letting out a small laugh at Lena's still-stunned expression.
"It's way too much, isn't it?"
Suddenly aware of how Kara must have interpreted her silence, Lena scrambled to explain.
"Oh no, not at all! I'm sorry," she placed a reassuring kiss on the blonde's lips. Pulling back to look Kara in the eye, she added, "I just got hit with three very pressing thoughts at once."
"Ok, cool," Kara exhaled in relief. Lena felt the Kryptonian's arms snake around her waist and decided she could get used to this position.
"May I ask what those thoughts were?"
The brunette noted in their closeness how Kara's hair, tied up in a bun, fell in adorably messy tendrils that framed her face exquisitely. With one hand she brushed the hairs aside, tracing the blonde's jawline, while the other slowly fingered the collar of Kara's button down. Seeing a blush cross the other woman's cheeks in response to her movements was satisfying.
"Well, by my calculations we just traveled at the speed of light." Lena noted. "And somehow I managed to stay in one piece."
"I have plenty of practice." The Kryptonian bragged. There was a glint in her eyes, which were now fixated on Lena's lips as Kara whispered "told you so."
"Then there's the fact that you remembered my eclair soft spot." The Nodei remarked, impressed.
She was soon met with the Kryptonian's lips pressing against hers. Kara pulled Lena closer to her, opening her mouth against the Nodei's. Lena gladly reciprocated, their tongues resuming where they left off. Her body was buzzing from the blonde taking charge this time, among total strangers no less. In front of the God-damned Louvre. The brunette felt breathless as if still zipping through the sky.
"And three?" Kara asked, breaking the kiss.
"Uh-uh," Lena shook her head, half-lidded eyes closing again. She pulled the Kryptonian back into her by the collar, knowing that her mouth had one purpose in that moment, which didn't involve talking.
Whereas last night's makeout was spurred by the impulsive fervor of first contact, this one had a bit more finesse. Engaged in the back-and-forth tango of dominance, they communicated through satisfied sighs and wandering hands. The passion of the first kiss was there, but the two could now pay better attention to the sounds and feelings of each other's reactions, learning what the other enjoyed. The Nodei became hot thinking of all the thrilling ways she could elicit feedback from Kara - stamina and the rawness of her emotions may have been the only things preventing them from taking things further the night before - but was also eager to know Kara alien-to-alien. Over eclairs. Right now she was still adjusting to being 'out' as a Nodei, even if it was only to a small group. But the learning curve didn't seem so steep when she was around the Kryptoninan.
After several more minutes, Kara's rumbling stomach caused the two to finally pull apart. They giggled at the interruption, opting to stock up on eclairs, stroll the nearby park, and take advantage of the night before tomorrow's mission commenced.