Notes below…
Chapter 3: "Change"
"I can't promise you a life without pain and loss, because pain is a part of life. It's what makes us who we are. It's what makes you a hero" - Alex Danvers
The day had finally come, her first exposition was happening in a few hours and she couldn't stop pacing. Her alarm went off at 7 a.m. to her disgrace, leaving her with barely 3 hours of sleep and confused thoughts. It was 10 a.m. when she was back in her apartment after running for almost two hours, Nia had helped her calmed her nerves about the exhibition, giving her encouraging words while complaining about the long run. She thought telling her friend about the events of the previous night but thought better when she realized there was no way for her to tell her without exposing herself. Maybe she could talk with Brainy during lunch time, but first she needed to take a bath and have breakfast for the second time. Since her change happened, she felt hungry most of the time, Jonn had warned her she should eat something every time she felt like it, otherwise her inner wolf would be very pissed.
She was definitely starving, for some incomprehensible reason it was 10 a.m. and she couldn't stop thinking about potstickers. She usually got up at 7 a.m., took a quick shower, put the clothes she had prepared the night before and her driver would drive her to work. Jess would be waiting for her with a cup of black coffee in hand, for which she would be extremely grateful, and then she would start her meetings, unable to have something to eat until 2 or 3 p.m., but she was ok with that, she didn't had time to feel hungry, surely if it wasn't for Jess she would spend the entire day powered only by coffee. But today… today was different, since the moment she woke up the idea of a proper breakfast had hit her thoughts, so much so, that she ended having some pancakes with eggs and bacon before arriving to L-Corp, and now after her first meeting she was starving again. Between having to put up with old dinosaurs and this new found infinite appetite her mood was becoming somber…she felt definitely irritated.
While she was taken a shower she could feel herself becoming more and more irritated by the minute, something was bothering her, she wasn't sure why but suddenly her mind was flooded with negative thoughts towards old people, which make her feel awful because she was always very fond of old people, like her neighbor for instance, which always gave her some homemade cookies whenever she helped her with her bags. She was feeling very hungry, maybe that was the reason for her irritation, so after putting some clothes on she decided to eat some left-over pizza from the previous night. It was almost 11 a.m. when she got a text from Brainy, they were supposed to meet at Noonan's at 12, but according to his text, something came up and he wouldn't be able to make it… so that was it, she would have to wait to talk about this mysterious woman with him. Right after answering him, she checked her emails, there was a new mail from L-CORP, apparently their CEO was showing up after all.
She hadn't been able to eat anything yet, but for some reason she was feeling better, her mood had definitely improved and her energy was fully restored, one last conference and she could go and prepare herself for the evening. Luckily for her the meeting went smoothly, she was able to persuade the investors about a new study she was leading in order to find an alternative medical treatment for osteosarcoma, she had found something very promising but she needed their support to move forward. These were definitely good news and she was ready to celebrate, so at 3 p.m. she let Jess know that they were done for the day and gave Daniel a call to pick her up, she had an exposition to get ready for.
The flight was supposed to arrive at 2 p.m. so by 1:30 p.m. Kara was already waiting in the airport ready to see her sister after two months. She was scrolling down her phone when she heard a distinctive heartbeat, she raised her head to see Alex giving her a small wave, a huge smile plastered in her face as she walked towards the blonde. Just a few seconds after she was being hugged so tight that it was difficult for her to breath.
"Nice to see you too sis… it's only been two months though" - the blonde said with a joyful tone while returning the hug.
"Oh shut up, I know you miss me too you dork" – finally she was here, she had missed the blonde so much, specially her rumbling and clumsiness. After a minute, she stepped back to take a closer look, it had been 2 months since the last time she saw her sister, but Kara seemed…taller? That was weird, maybe she was the one who was shrinking.
"Ok you got me, now… how about I take you to your apartment so you can rest before the exposition? I'm sure you need it" – the blonde gave her sister a warm smile while she helped her with her luggage.
"I was thinking about going to yours instead, maybe get ready together? I can take a nap in your couch if that's ok with you, I really miss you sis…" – During the mission the red hair woman had been troubled about not been able to communicate with the blonde, they only talked once a week, and the last time they did, she knew something was off, Kara sounded… different. She had to spend some time with her, try to figured out what was going on with her.
"Yeah, yeah! I'll really love that, and well I… I have something to tell you, I'll do it once we're at home though, I don't want you to freak out" – the blonde said while carrying the luggage through the airport and towards her car.
"Now I'm officially scared, why would I freak out? You know what… you're right, if you say I'm going to freak out you're probably right, so I'm waiting until we're there" – She knew something was happening, she had to play it cool and let Kara tell her what was going on, without saying another word she took the passenger seat and put some music to enlighten the mood during their ride home.
Once in Kara's apartment the blonde suggested they should eat something but Alex declined the offer, apparently, she had had something for lunch on the airplane, so Kara prepared herself a sandwich while Alex laid down on the sofa to take a nap. An hour later the blonde was pacing through the apartment, she knew she had to tell Alex the truth, but she wasn't sure now was the right time. After some more thinking she decided to take a deep breath and come clear to her sister… there goes nothing…
"Alex…wake up" – nothing… apparently her sister still was a heavy sleeper, she tried again – "ALEX! Wake up!" – the blonde repeated this time shaking her sister's shoulders.
Alex was suddenly very much awake, her heart beating a mile per hour and her fist connecting with something, more specifically her sister's face. There was no way for her to stop her hand now, everything was happening in slow motion. She could see the shock in Kara's eyes, she closed her owns before she could see the impact, she was sure the punch was going lo leave a mark, suddenly time moved forward and she felt her hand colliding against…concrete?
"Ooohhh, fuck! Fuck! Shit! It hurts like hell! – the red hair woman was shaking her hand in the air, eyes wide opened, the pain evident in her features – "Kara what the fuck?! Are you ok?" – the blonde had her face covered by her hands, apparently there wasn't any blood visible, that was a good sign, though she knew she had hit her pretty hard, the pain in her hand told her as much.
"Oh my gosh! Alex! Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I? Just… just let me grab an ice pack for your hand" – the blonde disappeared from sight going straight to the fridge. This was so wrong; she was so frantic about telling Alex the truth that she almost scared her to death and most likely broke her hand. A minute later she was once again next to Alex giving her the icepack, a remorseful look in her eyes.
"I'm I ok? Kar… I should be the one asking you that, I'm so sorry I did that, you scared the shit out of me, come here honey…let me see your face" – the agent reached her hand trying to assess the damage done to her sister's face.
"What me? Pfff…I'm ok, really Alex, you didn't even hit me that hard" – she tried to minimize the situation but her sister wasn't having it, so,when she gave her a threatening gaze, that was all it took for Kara to oblige. Ok, now was the time, it was now or never.
The red hair woman watched with curiosity Kara's face, she had studied medicine for some years before becoming an agent, although she never got her degree, she was certain a that hit so hard should've left some kind of sequels, but she didn't find anything, maybe the swelling was taking its time to be visible, either way it was weird.
Kara could see the wheels turning inside her sister's mind, she was obviously trying and failing to decipher why her face didn't had a scratch while her own hand was probably broken. Knowing Alex and her curious personality, she was sure her sister already knew something wasn't right.
"Alex… I know what you're thinking, and well, you know how I told you I had something to tell you when we were at the airport? I think I should tell you now…" – the blonde hand's were shaking, she was so nervous that she could hear the pumping of blood echoing right in her eardrums, she knew her inner wolf wasn't comfortable with the situation, she could feel it growling inside her. She knew this was a self-preservation mechanism, but she needed to tell Alex the truth, she couldn't hide it anymore. As she tried to calm down Alex's eyes were focus in her, giving her a worried look.
"Ok, you know you can tell me anything, what is it Kar?" – as she spoke her hand went to the blonde's shoulder giving her a little squeeze, she could see how stressed her sister suddenly was. The gesture was supposed to calm her, but far from that, the moment her hand touched Kara's shoulder she felt how her sister's body tensed. As if that wasn't enough, she heard a growl coming from her and when their eyes met, the blonde's seemed to be brighter than usual, a light golden tone flickering inside them. The older of the Danvers quickly took a step back, leaving a significative space between them.
"What th… oh God Kara, this can't be… this isn't possible, you can't be…"- the agent seemed shock, one of her hands was running through her hair. Of course, Kara couldn't blame her, she wanted to tell her in a less shocking way but her wolf was doing everything in its power to preserve itself, and she had lost control for a minute, so clearly her sister would be… wait… Alex was saying you can't be… I can't be what exactly? What was she implying?
"Alex… I can't be what?" – Did Alex know about werewolves? She kept quiet waiting for her sister's answer, but she seemed paralyzed, after some minutes she couldn't wait anymore, she needed to tell her the whole truth, she was in full control so now was time.
"Remember a year ago? I travelled with Mike, I was supposed to meet his family and we were supposed to stay there for a weekend? But three days later he called you and say we were staying for at least a month, but then a month became almost six?" – the blonde waited for her sister to answered, she wasn't sure her sister was listening but when Alex gave her a small nod she continued.
"His family was so great, they were so welcoming and warm, I felt so happy in that moment, before that I wasn't sure if they would want me, but they included me right away" - She took a deep breath before continuing, Alex gaze was still focus in her. "The first night there, we were having dinner when we heard a noise coming from outside, I… I still hear it sometimes in my dreams, it was a scream, a woman's scream. They tried to play it cool but I knew something was wrong so Jonn and Mike, Jonn is Mike's stepfather, kind of… they went outside to check if everything was ok, while his brother Winn and I stayed inside".
Alex gulped, she wanted to say something but her mouth was completely dry and she knew she needed to listen to what Kara was saying. She remembered the trip perfectly, she remembered how desperate she was. She knew during that time that something was wrong with her sister, months after months she had tried to contact her, but all she got were some texts telling her that everything was ok. And then, one day, her sister was back, but they never talked about it, every time she tried, Kara would change the subject, so now that she was finally getting the real story, she had to keep quiet and listen.
"Almost an hour later, Mike and Jonn still hadn't return and I was getting more and more worried by the minute, while I was thinking what to do, the front door was pushed opened, when I looked to see if Mike had returned, the only thing I could see was a big black wolf covered in blood looking at me, he was growling, teeth in full display. I tried not to move, but… you know clumsy me, the moment I took a small step, the creature was all over me. I… I was so scared Alex… I… I couldn't breathe, my ribcage was being crushed, I could feel my ribs piercing my organs…I was sure I was going to die…and all I could think about was how I wasn't going to be able to talk to you again, to say good bye to you, to tell you how much I loved you…" – tears were running through her cheeks, she had never talked to this with anyone before, not even Mike, and as she did, she felt the pain returning all over again but at the same time, it was like a weight was been lift off from her shoulders. As she tried to calm herself to keep going, her body was suddenly being pressed against her sister's, she was hugging her, small sobs were coming from the red hair woman.
"Sorry, I just needed to do that before you went on" – Alex said, her hands wiping the remnant tears from her face, Kara nodded with a small smile in her face and continued.
"After that all becomes a little blurry, I knew the creature was no longer crashing me when my lungs were filled with air once more, but a few seconds later, I passed out. The next thing I remember is being inside a huge cage, but I was in so much pain and my mind was so foggy that the first thing it occurred to me was that it was an hallucination, when hours passed and the situation was the same I realized that it wasn't. When the night came, everything got worse, my entire body was aching, I had a nasty bite in my hand which began to burn to the point I would've preferred my entire arm being ripped off. In that moment I knew I was screaming, I still don't know if it was from pain or if I was calling for help… what I do remember was someone crying from the other side of the bars, repeating once and again the same word: "sorry…sorry…sorry", despite all the pain I was in, I could still feel the desperation and remorse behind those words, this person was completely broken, I knew I had to try and sooth their pain, so in a moment of clarity all I managed to say was "It's ok, it's ok".
"Who was it?" – the agent interrupted unable to keep quiet, rage was coming out of her like waves, she couldn't believe her sister had been hurt and thrown into a cage like some kind of wild animal, how could someone do something like that.
"In that moment I wasn't sure who they were, but a few hours later someone called his name and that's when I found out that the person asking for forgiveness was Mike. Another day went by… I could hear Jonn and Mike talking, he was desperately trying to find a solution, but Jonn kept telling him that there was no turning back, he said there was no way for me to survive. I was so confused Alex, the pain was getting worse by the minute and no one was doing anything to help me, I was so scared. That night I was lying on a mattress inside this cage, by that time I had lost hope but Mike was still there, so, with the little strength I had left I asked him why… why was he doing that to me…
One year before…
"Kara I'm so sorry… listen, I… I know you are scared and in pain ok? But we can't take you to a medical center, they… they wouldn't know how to help you, this wasn't supposed to go this way, we were supposed to be together, I wanted to marry you, have a family with you… I was so stupid, I don't know what to do…" - Mike's body was shaking uncontrollably, his voice uneven.
"Mike… why… why are you doing this to me?" – her breathing was irregular, she could feel her lungs collapsing.
"Kara, honey… please try to breath ok? I need you to look at me, I have to show you something, you have the right to know what's happening… do you remember the wolf from before?" – this was going to be difficult, there was no way Kara would believe him right away, but she was dying and he needed to tell her the truth – "he wasn't just any wolf, he… well… he's a werewolf and… I'm one too, I know you don´t believe me, God even I know how crazy all of this sounds, but you have to believe me" – as he was talking Kara started coughing violently.
"Mike… ple.. please help… me, it hurts… Mike it hurts… I don't want… to dye alone" – the blonde was losing consciousness, the pain getting worse, blood cursing through her mouth.
"I can't… shit! Shit! Listen to me Kara, please I need you to fight, I need you to stay with me, you have to focus, remember Alex? She really needs you babe, think about her and fight, I know you can do it, so please… please fight" – when he saw Kara's head turning towards him, and her eyes landed on him, he stood up ready to show her the truth, his body started to contort, taking a new form in front of her, a minute later instead of Mike, a giant wolf was looking at her, she could see Mike's eyes in this creature.
Present time…
"After I saw Mike turning into this giant wolf was when the worst really started. My body was suddenly contorting uncontrollably, I could feel my bones breaking and my joints trying to accommodate to the new positions, I could sense my skin ripping and my blood boiling… but especially… I could hear Mike's screams, begging me to fight and then… I remember you… my big sister… and everything we went through together, I remembered your smell, the sound of your voice, your laugh, and in that moment, I knew… I knew I needed to stay, I knew I had to fight for you…Alex you saved me… when everything was telling me that there was no way out, you opened a door for me… you gave me the strength I needed to overcome an impossible situation…and I'm so sorry for not telling you this before, I'll understand if you don't want me around anymore, but I think you should know that, it's because of you that I'm here right now, alive and telling you my story.
The red hair woman was silent, her body completely stiffed, a sea of tears was running down her cheeks. Just when Kara tried to step away from her, she was once more trapped in a breathtaking hug, her sister crying uncontrollably on her shoulder.
So, I've postponed the exhibition a little bit because I thought this was a good way to introduce Alex to the story, next chapter it's SuperCorp all the way… sorry for spelling mistakes or grammar, English isn't my first language and I learned it by watching movies, so… sorry…
Thanks to everyone following this fic, it really means a lot and hopefully I'm uploading a new chapter this weekend, thanks for reading, please leave a review if you feel like it and mostly… STAY SAFE!
