AN: This is a completed fic that is already posted on AO3. I am posting the whole thing at once.
Hello! Firstly I apologize for the length of this note. It is probably the longest authors note I'll ever leave on a work but there are somethings I need to say. This fic is a rewrite of one of the first fanfics that I ever wrote and felt proud of. I started the original fic (which is still up if you want to read that one) when I was still in high school and unfortunately never finished the original version. It wasn't that I lost inspiration for the fic or didn't want to write it anymore, but I felt that I had grown a lot as a writer and I could never get back to the point where my new voice fit the old voice of that fic. So I decided to start over. There are quite a few changes in this version, although one major change is the character of Maggie. I was never the biggest fan of Sanvers when they were together (like they were cute, I enjoyed watching them, but they weren't the kind of ship i looked for fanfic for) so after Maggie left, I found it harder to write their relationship. While I have written quite a ways ahead on this version, Alex is single for what I have written so far. I have ideas to take her character in two different ways, but if you have a preference for who you'd like to see Alex with, I'd be happy to hear it. Another big change is the length of the chapters. The original fic had chapters of about 3k, while this fic will have chapters between 6k and 8k. I also feel that I have done a better job of blending these two worlds together than I did in the first version. If you read the original Something to Fight For, I hope you enjoy this version just as much. I sincerely hope my rambling hasn't turned you off this fic right off the bat so, if you're still around, please enjoy and let me know what you think!
CH 1: On the Run
They're all exhausted. Alex sits behind the wheel of the second vehicle that they had stolen, this one a simple black truck. The van that they'd taken from the Gibb church was too recognizable due to the symbol on the side so they'd ditched it as soon as they'd all gotten changed and mostly recovered from the confrontation with their parents. That left them with the issue of needing transportation. None of them trusted their own vehicles enough to take them, so with limited options they were left to thievery. Alex didn't like it, but he also didn't want to take any more chances than necessary. Alex had grabbed the truck he was in while off running other errands, mostly getting clothes and picking up a couple of disposable cell phones from the gas station. In the meantime, Chase and Karolina had posed as an arguing couple and stole an SUV from a restaurant. They needed the extra space so they could take Old Lace with them, Gert refused to leave the deinonychus behind and none of them were willing to challenge her on that. Chase rode in the truck with him, the back seat laden with various camping supplies, while the four girls and Old Lace drove ahead of them in the SUV.
"Were you really going to leave Karolina behind?" Chase asked after hours of tense silence only broken by the radio playing. It takes Alex a moment to process the question, his mind hazy with a bit of highway hypnosis.
"Not for long," Alex answers and from the way that Chase grunts he knows it was the wrong thing to say. "I mean, I would've gone back for her. After we were settled somewhere."
"Even though we decided we can't settle anywhere in the city?" Chase scoffed, arms crossing over his chest. "Yeah, right."
"We made that decision after we got Karolina back, I was all for going to get her. I just wanted the rest of us to be safe while we did that."
"Whatever Alex," Chase rolled his eyes. "You can believe whatever you want." A beat. "But you should apologize to Karolina. Even if you don't like her because of everything going on with Nico, it wasn't cool to say you'd leave her behind. Especially not after what she did for us."
"I know, and I will." Alex took one hand off of the wheel to rub at his eyes tiredly. He ignored Chase's comment about 'everything going on with Nico.' Alex wasn't quite sure what to make of that situation any more. He'd been in love with Nico for as long as he could remember, but he'd messed up by not telling her what he knew about Amy before. Nico was Amy's sister, she deserved to know the truth about her death. By not telling her, Alex had effectively driven her away. That much he understood. It was the part about her running into Karolina's arms that had thrown him for a bit of a loop.
"Do you want to switch? I can call the girls," Chase offered, reaching for the old style flip phone on the dash.
Alex shrugged, leaving the decision up to Chase. At this point, they'd been driving for more hours than Alex could track. They'd stopped twice for gas, letting Old Lace out for a bit at each stop, and to load up with junk food. Alex had spent a good portion of the money he'd gotten from Darius just getting their camping gear, tents and blankets and pillows that were little more than rocks. They were running out of funds too fast. Maybe they were far enough away now to stop for a bit longer, get some rest. Alex was fairly certain that they weren't being followed since they'd crossed state lines so many times now, from California to Arizona to Nevada and then back to California.
"I think we should stop soon," Gert's static-like voice filled the cabin of the truck, Chase having evidently put the phone on speaker so Alex could hear as well. "We're all exhausted and Old Lace needs to run."
"I think we're far enough away to stop, at least for a few hours." Karolina's voice comes through as well. Alex can't help but wonder if she's sitting up front with Gert, who Alex knows is driving, or if she'd left the front seat for Molly and is curled up in the back with Nico.
"Yeah, let's just take the next exit."
"National City?" Gert questions, reading from the sign that Alex passes moments after. The exit is another two miles away.
"Yeah, we'll find somewhere to lay low there for the night," Alex glances at the clock on the dash. "Or what's left of it at least."
"You guys wanna take the lead?"
"We'll follow you."
"Alright," Alex watches as the SUV indicator light turns on, the exit fast approaching. "See you two in a bit."
Silence lingers in the car once again as Alex directs the truck to follow the girls in the SUV through the deserted streets of a city he's vaguely familiar with. As he drives, Alex can't help but ask himself one simple question: how the hell did they get here?
The girls' vehicle isn't quite as silent as the boys' but that is only because of Molly's soft snoring. She sits in the front passenger seat, her pink cat hat pulled down over her eyes as she dozes. Karolina's a little bit jealous at the ease at which Molly had fallen asleep, but since Molly was the only one of their group not yet old enough to drive, no one bothered to wake her up. Karolina herself could have been resting for the past few hours, after she'd switched off driving and Gert got behind the wheel at their last stop, but she remains awake. With Nico sitting beside her, she can't really bring herself to complain about that either.
They haven't talked yet, not about the kiss they shared in the school hallway or the one in the back of the van before they decided to leave L.A., but Nico had chosen to ride with her, sitting in the front seat while Karolina drove and then moving to the back when it was Gert's turn. Once they had climbed into the back seat, Nico had scooted across the bench seat and let her head fall on to Karolina's shoulder, their hands barely touching. The small contact was enough to set Karolina's heart racing. She'd wanted this with Nico for so long, denying to everyone - including herself - that she felt anything more than friendship for the petite girl at her side that after a while, Karolina had started to believe it, too. She didn't let herself think that her feelings were real until she was presented with the reality that if she didn't say something now, she might never get the chance to say it at all. Still, Karolina was hesitant to make another move where Nico was concerned. Sure, they'd avoided death for the moment, but now they were homeless and on the run. Their relationship, if they had one, could wait until things were more stable. Karolina wouldn't do anything unless she was sure that Nico wanted her too.
It takes them about a half hour of driving around the strange city before they stumble across an apparently deserted warehouse district. After a quick call to the boys, they decided that hunkering down in one of the warehouses is probably their best bet for the night. Gert shakes Molly awake so she can break the lock for them, an act which Molly is a little too excited to perform in Gert's opinion but she doesn't say anything. Molly tosses the crushed lock to the side and holds the gate open so both vehicles can be driven in. Following Chase's advice they decided to back the two vehicles in side by side, just in case they needed to make a quick getaway.
"Stay unseen and get back soon," Gert instructs Old Lace after Old Lace climbs out of the SUV. The deinonychus gives what sounds like an affirmative hum before she darts out the back entrance of the warehouse, presumably in search of something to eat.
"We should get some sleep," Alex says to the group as a whole, opening the backseat of the truck so that everyone can grab something to cover up with. "Someone should sleep in the driver's seats, just in case."
"I'll take the SUV," Chase offers, only taking a pillow with him and then moving back to the other vehicle after claiming the keys from Gert.
"I'll take the passenger seat, it reclines," Gert takes a pillow and blanket as Molly grabs one of the sleeping bags, calling that she's got the backseat of the SUV.
"I'll take the driver's seat in the truck," Alex looks awkwardly in any direction other than where Karolina and Nico are standing close together. "Shut the door when you're done, yeah?"
Karolina nods and reaches to grab the last sleeping bag, two pillows, and a blanket. Alex claims the last pillow for himself and moves around the truck as Nico pushes the door closed.
"Do you want the backseat or the passenger?" Karolina asks Nico, holding out the items in her hands for Nico to select what she wants. Nico shakes her head.
"I've got a better idea," she says and walks around the back of the truck. Using the hitch as a step-stool, Nico climbs over the tailgate so she's standing up in the bed of the truck. "Hand me the sleeping bag?"
Karolina passses it over and waits as Nico sets it up and then calls for both pillows. Once Karolina has the blanket hanging over her shoulder, she follows Nico into the bed of the truck.
Nico had unzipped the sleeping bag and spread it out along the bed of the truck, placing the two pillows just beneath the back windshield. She looks nervous, Karolina notes, standing at what would be the 'head' of the bed and wringing her hands together.
"Is this okay?"
"It's perfect," Karolina assures her, picking the pillow on the right side and settling down. Nico lies with her a moment later after taking a deep breath that Karolina thinks she probably wasn't meant to notice. Karolina spreads the blanket over both of them, the chill in the air encouraging them to lay a bit closer together than strictly necessary.
It's not the first time that they've chosen to sleep close together. The first night they'd been on the run, before they'd traded the van for what they have now, Nico had ended up pressed against Karolina's back with an arm thrown over her waist. Granted, they'd also been sleeping in one van with four other kids and a dinosaur so there hadn't been much free space. Now, they have no excuse for pressing close together except that they want to.
Nico shifts beside her for a little while, unable to get comfortable. Karolina stops her with a soft gesture, lifting Nico's pillow to stack with her own and then guiding the smaller girl to rest her head against Karolina's shoulder instead. The placement moves them closer together and relieves the strain in Nico's neck that came with laying completely flat. Karolina moves her arm so she's cradling Nico to her more securely, her fingers resting lightly against Nico's waist.
"Is this okay?"
"Yeah," Nico releases the word on a sigh, closing her eyes and nuzzling closer. Some time passes and Karolina feels Nico's body relax against her and assumes that she has fallen asleep. Karolina herself remains awake, staring up at the dark ceiling above them, lost in thought.
She feels restless now, fully recovered from whatever had happened to her when she and Jonah caused that electromagnetic pulse back at the dig site. Besides the buzzing of energy beneath her skin, there's the whirling thoughts in her mind. Karolina has so many questions now about who she is and where she comes from. Is she human? Is she alien? Is she both? What about the Gibborim teachings? Everything that her grandfather believed? Was all of that a lie?
Those questions and many more circled around and around in Karolina's brain. The worst of it all was that she knew exactly who she could ask those questions to but she was unwilling to do so. Jonah was the reason that all of them were in this mess. Pride may have been doing his dirty work for him, but Karolina didn't believe that any of their parents were inherently bad people. They'd followed the wrong person, they'd done horrible things in the name of making the world a better place for their children and they deserved to be punished for those actions, but Karolina didn't see them as bad people. None of them except for Jonah. Jonah was the figurehead, the enticing incident. Without him, none of this would have happened.
But also, without Jonah, Karolina wouldn't have been born.
She can't quite come to terms with the fact that her father is a murdering, psychotic creature from another planet. The evidence is indisputable, given the energy that Karolina can feel humming beneath her skin, the energy that is only being held back by the bracelet she wears. It's not even the extraterrestrial aspect that Karolina has trouble connecting with. Finding out that she's part alien is actually kind of a relief since it explains the powers she has discovered she had. That at least answers the question of why she has these powers when her friends don't. With the existence of people like Supergirl and Wonder Woman, believing that aliens are real and living with them has simply become an accepted part of the world they live in. The shock had been that she was an alien, but Karolina could come to terms with that easily enough now that she knew about it.
But her real father being a murderer? Her mother helping him by supplying children for him to feed on?
That, Karolina was struggling to wrap her head around. It probably didn't help that Karolina had yet to share that bit of information with her friends yet. For one, there hadn't been time for that. They'd either been preparing to leave or actively on the run since they'd rescued Karolina from Jonah's hands. Since they were taking two vehicles and Karolina didn't want to tell this story any more than strictly necessary, she had simply decided to wait until they were all in one place to start this particular conversation. For another, Karolina had no idea how to start this conversation. How does one tell their closest friends - not to mention the girl they're falling for - that her real father is the reason that they are all on the run in the first place and also an alien. It doesn't seem like something that can be dropped into casual conversation.
A weight against her waist pulls Karolina from her thoughts. Nico had shifted against her, her arm laying across Karolina's abdomen now. Karolina looks down at her and is surprised to find Nico already looking back at her.
"You should be asleep."
"My pillow is really tense."
"Oh, sorry," Karolina takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she forces her muscles to relax. Nico resettles against her, a little further away than she had been before so she can continue to look up at Karolina's eyes.
"Why can't you sleep?" Nico asks softly. Her hand is resting against Karolina's clothed stomach and she has to resist the urge to trace patterns with her fingertips.
"Just a lot on my mind," Karolina answers just as softly, squeezing Nico around the waist.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Not now," Karolina pulls Nico close to her again, mentally steeling herself before she places a feather-light kiss against Nico's forehead. "We should sleep."
"I'm not sleepy," Nico says through a yawn, nuzzling closer to the girl holding her as a soft breeze brushes over them from the warehouse's open windows. Karolina shivers slightly though she's not sure if it's because of the wind or because Nico had just pressed her lips against the skin of Karolina's neck so softly Karolina wasn't sure if she had actually done it. It was probably just the wind.
"Sleep, Nico. We can talk later."
"You need to sleep too," Nico reaches for the bracelet on the arm that's wrapped around her. "Would it help if you could light up?"
"Probably, but I'll manage with out. Don't want to draw any attention to us and if it looks like we're having a rave in here, someone will probably call the cops."
"Good point," Nico let her hand fall back to Karolina's stomach and tucked her nose against Karolina's neck, breathing her in. Karolina's scent was mostly hidden beneath the smell of dirt and musk that came from travelling for days on end but Nico could still detect a hint of the girl she'd known almost all her life. It was comforting and warm, just like Karolina herself. "Goodnight Karrie."
"Goodnight Nico," Karolina tucked the blanket around them a little tighter and then pressed her nose into Nico's hair, letting the scent and feel of her oldest friend lull her to sleep.
In the SUV, Gert watched through the side mirrors as Nico and Karolina crawled into the bed of the truck, smiling slightly. She'd always sensed something there, even when they were younger. Karolina had never been subtle in her obvious admiration and affection for Nico. Gert had known there was something there long before she'd confronted Karolina about after they'd all reunited. At least, she had known there was something there on Karolina's side. Nico had always been harder to read for her, even before they'd lost Amy. Gert used to think that the sisters had complimented each other so well, Amy a little more outgoing and Nico a little more reserved in their friendships with other people. Amy had always encouraged Nico to break out of her shell more and Nico had agreed to make her sister happy. It made her happy too, at least that's what Gert had always thought when they were kids.
She thought it made sense that Nico had gotten colder, the wall around her heart stronger, after they lost Amy.
"They really are not subtle." Chase's voice pulled Gert from her thoughts and she looked over at him, slightly reclined in the driver's seat of the SUV. Molly was already snoring again in the back seat so Chase had kept his voice at a soft whisper.
"No, they aren't, but I'm not surprised," Gert whispered back. "Karolina's always been into Nico."
"I wonder what they were doing in the hall the other day," Chase glanced at Gert out of the corner of his eye, judging her reaction to the shared memory. "I told Nico she smelled like hookup when we went to get clothes."
"She wasn't the only one," Gert mumbles, cheeks flushing slightly when she catches Chase's gaze. She clears her throat and looks away. "I mean, Karolina. She did, too."
"Right," Chase swallowed. "Not like we can say anything right?"
"Right," Gert repeated. She pulled at a loose thread on the blanket that she was using and reclined her seat a little more, careful not to crush Molly's feet behind her. "We shouldn't say anything."
"That's not exactly what I meant," Chase ran his hands over the stationary steering wheel for a moment and then let go. "But I guess you're right. It's their business, they can tell us if and when they want to."
"Pretty sure Alex has already figured it out."
"Yeah, we were talking about it a little bit on the road." Chase continued when Gert looked at him pointedly. "Karolina doesn't know that Alex wanted to leave her behind. That's not cool and I told him that. Karolina saved all of us and even if she didn't, she's one of us. He shouldn't have wanted to leave her just because she's the one that Nico's into."
"I don't think that's why he wanted to leave her," Gert said thoughtfully. "Alex cares about us and he wanted to go back for her eventually. I think he wanted to have a safe place to bring her too first."
"Still, you think he would have hesitated like that if it was one of us who'd been taken?"
"Well, if it was you he'd probably hesitate," Gert said, chuckling slightly at the resigned expression Chase pulled. "But I see your point. He should apologize for trying to leave Karolina behind."
"I'm sure he'll be forgiven because I've never known Karolina to hold a grudge but it's the thought that counts right?"
"Yeah," Gert shifted in her seat, adjusting the pillow beneath her head. They sat in silence for a little while longer. "We should get some sleep."
"Sure," Chase agreed easily, leaning back in his seat. He turned his head to look at Gert, his gaze intense and unfazed even as Gert looked away with slightly flushed cheeks. "Hey, Gert? I know you don't want to say anything about it yet and that's totally okay, but I'll still be here later. Whenever you decide it's okay to talk about it."
"Promise?" Gert asked, her voice so soft that Chase wasn't entirely sure he'd heard her correctly. He answered anyway.
"Promise."
Gert didn't respond verbally, but she did lift her hand out from under her blanket and slipped it into Chase's grasp over the center console. Chase, who hadn't been expecting any kind of response - verbal or physical - considered the contact a small victory and cherished every second that he could feel Gert's hand clasped in his own until they both followed their friends into the land of dreams.
None of them were sure exactly how much time had passed when they were rudely brought back to the waking world by lights shining directly in their eyes and voices yelling through the windows.
"FBI! Put your hands in the air!"
Lena isn't sure if it is simple dumb luck or the universe playing some massive prank on her when she gets the alert on her phone. She's at Kara's apartment for a movie night, the first that they've had in awhile actually. Kara had been distant since the Daxamite invasion of National City, not that Lena blamed her. If Lena's partner had been sent away the way Mon-El had been, she would probably have wanted some space too. The invitation had come from Kara earlier that day and Lena had nearly tripped over herself in her haste to accept it. It was almost embarrassing the lengths she would go to spend time with Kara but Lena knew it was worth it. Every moment she spent with Kara was worth it, even if they could never be more than friends.
They'd been chatting over the movie when the alert came in, Lena pausing to look at her phone after it beeps from the coffee table. Her expression must shift in response to the alert because Kara is suddenly tense at her side, the hand that had been softly resting against Lena's arm now gently squeezing her bicep.
"What is it?"
"Someone broke into one of L-Corp's warehouses," Lena quickly reads over the brief report, two vehicles with at least 4 individuals and some kind of pet. They'd activated the motion sensors by the front gate and activated the cameras. Lena pulls up the feed.
"Wow," Kara says, voice ringing with concern as they watch what looks like a young girl break the chain lock off of the gate with one hand and toss it to the side. She holds the gate open and then pulls it closed again as a truck and an SUV drive through. "Should you call the police?"
"No, I mean, yes. I should report this but not to the police," Lena glances at Kara out of the corner of her eyes. She can see Kara tense, the crinkle in her brow forming as she waits for Lena to explain. Looking at her in the soft light of Kara's apartment, even though her glasses are still on and her hair is pulled up, Lena wonders how she was ever fooled by the simple disguise. "This warehouse was one of Lex's, one that I have no idea what he might have stored there."
"You've kept Lex's warehouses open?" There's almost an accusation in the question and Lena bristles in response, but whatever retort she has dies on her tongue. Kara isn't asking to be mean, Lena knows that. She's looking out for herself and for her secrets, the one that Lena will keep pretending that she doesn't know until Kara is ready to tell her about it.
"I've been going through them, slowly, but I don't even know where half of them are. The ones that I do know about are under constant surveillance and I am notified whenever someone breaches the premises, but he typically doesn't keep the strongest of his arsenal in those."
"But I take it that they are not well known."
"No, and I can't imagine that anyone would have stumbled across them by accident. I'm afraid that I might have to ask you for another favor."
Kara looks at her with a deep understanding, she knows what Lena is about to ask. Of course she does, Kara knows Lena better than anyone and can read her face no matter how impassive her expression is. They look at one another in silence for a long moment, Kara's eyes searching every inch of Lena's face. She's looking for something that Lena can't name but knows that she feels and Lena can't help but wonder if she finds it. A moment later, Kara sighs softly and her hands fall away from Lena's arm.
"You know."
It's not a question but it's not quite a statement either. It's more of a thought, one that comes out on a sigh and leaves Kara's shoulders dropping like she's just taken on the weight of the universe again.
"I do."
There's so much more that Lena wants to say but she can't bring herself to open her mouth again. She wants to tell Kara that she isn't angry about the secret she kept, that she understands why Kara didn't feel comfortable telling her and that she was fine with waiting until Kara was ready. She wants to say that it doesn't change anything between them but that's not true because it does change things. It makes all the times that Supergirl, that Kara dropped everything to rush to Lena's aid mean that much more. It makes the space between them feel like a chasm that can't be crossed no matter how much Lena wants to vault across it. So Lena clears her throat and says nothing as Kara rises from the couch. There's a short gust of wind and then a moment later, Supergirl is standing where Kara had been a moment ago.
"We can't go alone," Kara states, hands on her hips. "If Lex stored something dangerous there, it needs to be handed over. Can I fly you to the DEO?"
Lena nods silently, slipping her phone into her pocket and pulling on her shoes. She takes a moment to regret wearing jeans and a sweater to Kara's place since she knows she would have felt more comfortable going to the DEO if she was wearing her usual attire, but she shakes the thought from her head. They've spent too much time sitting around already, any more time they waste is more time that whoever broke into the warehouse can use to get away.
Once Lena is on her feet, Kara takes her hand and leads her closer to the window, which she had left open earlier.
"I know you don't like flying," Kara tells her softly, "so I'll be as quick as I can without hurting you. Just close your eyes and hang on to me."
"Okay," Lena's agreement comes softly.
Kara steps into Lena's space and wraps both arms around her, holding securely. Lena's arms rise to loop around Kara's neck and she presses her nose to the crook where the neck and shoulder meet, eyes already closed tightly. She feels Kara's shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath and then she feels weightless. Her feet are no longer on solid ground and she's being held up right by Kara's arms alone. The wind brushes across the parts of her back not covered by Kara's arms and Lena suppresses a shiver.
It's different, she thinks, being carried in this way. All the other times that Kara, Supergirl, has carried her, she'd been situated in her arms like a bride. That had been nice too, at least after Lena's heart had stopped racing due to whatever life-threatening event had led to them being in such a position, but this was nice too. Nice in a different way. Lena could feel all of Kara's body pressed against her own, the pure scent of Kara filling her nose and the warmth of her arms keeping her secure as they flew through the air. It's soft and intimate and Lena cherishes every second that spends in Kara's arms because she doesn't think she'll get this chance ever again.
"Supergirl?" A somewhat familiar voice questions, pulling Lena back into the present.
They've landed in the DEO now. Lena isn't sure how long they've been there but judging from the look Alex sends her as she lets go of Kara, it's been long enough for her hold on said superhero to seem odd.
"We have a situation," Kara says by way of greeting, gesturing for Lena to pull her phone out.
"One of my warehouses was broken into," Lena explains as she pulls up the alert and video. She hands her phone off to Alex with only a little bit of hesitation, fully aware of the amount of armed government agents in the room and just as aware that with the exception of Kara, none of them trust her. "One that Lex used to use. I don't know what's in it but if someone broke in, it can't be good."
"How can you not know what's in your own warehouse?" Alex questions, her voice not harsh but not kind either. Kara levels a short glare at her over Lena's shoulder.
"Lex had many storage units stored all over the world, I haven't been able to go through them all yet. I don't think there's anything dangerous in this one, but I thought you'd like to know just in case." Lena's expression hardens slightly at the clear distrust on Agent Danvers' face. "Of course, I can handle this on my own if you'd rather."
"That won't be necessary, Ms. Luthor," Director Henshaw steps in then, standing beside Alex and placing a hand on her shoulder. Alex sucks in a deep breath at the contact and Lena wonders what else is happening that has the Agent seeming so out of sorts. She's never seen Alex looking anything other than calm and collected. "Thank you for bringing this to us."
"Let's get a team ready, apprehend and detain the intruders, bring the Kryptonite scanners," Alex orders loudly, a group of agents moving quickly to do as she says. Lena feels a small pang of worry at the reminder of the possible danger Kara could be in and sees the worry reflected on Alex's face as she turns back to the hero. "Supergirl-"
"I'm going, Alex," Kara says immediately, cutting off whatever protest Alex was about to make. "I can stand back until the scan is done, but I'm going. And so is Lena."
"That's not your choice to make," Alex argues, just as Lena had expected. But Kara is standing firm, her hands on her hips as she stands tall beside Lena.
"It's her warehouse, it was her choice to bring this to the DEO. She deserves to be there." Kara states plainly, her posture not relaxing on waning under the look Alex sends her way. "Alex, I trust her. Otherwise I wouldn't have brought her here, or told her about me."
"You told her?" Alex's eyes have gone wide in surprise, looking back and forth between the two women standing before her like she can't believe what she's heard or what she's seeing. "She's-"
"Nothing like the rest of her family and doesn't deserve to be judged for what they did. Lena's the reason we were able to stop the Daxamite's and arrest Lillian Luthor. She's a good person and my friend. It was my choice to tell her."
"I won't tell anyone," Lena says after a tense moment of silence passes between the two sisters. "I'll sign whatever forms you need me to, but I wouldn't tell anyone regardless. Kara is important to me. I don't want to lose her." It feels like too emotional of an admission to be making to Alex rather than Kara herself but Lena can see the way Kara's shoulders relax at her words, the tension in her jaw lessening.
"Good," Alex says the word like a threat. She makes eye contact with Lena and then walks away from them to suit up for their mission.
"Sorry about her," Kara says apologetically when it's back to just the two of them around. "She actually does like you. She's just going through a rough time."
"It's fine, I've learned not to take it personally." Lena waves off Kara's concerns. "Thank you for insisting I come with you."
"I only told the truth," Kara shrugged, fidgeting with her hands. Lena can see the echoes of her best friend hiding beneath the blue and red of her super suit. It's not difficult at all in that moment to reconcile that the strong hero she admires and the beautiful reporter she cherishes are one in the same. "I should have told you sooner."
"It's okay, Kara," Lena raises her hand and lets it fall onto Kara's arm, the contact gentle and warming.
"It's not. I trust you, I have trusted you."
"We can talk about it later. Right now we have bigger fish to fry." Lena lets her hand fall down so she's gripped Kara's hand in her own and squeezes gently, letting go a moment later. "But we will talk, I promise."
"Okay," Kara offers her a smile, smaller than the one she normally gives but no less warm. Lena smiles back and then takes a small step away as Alex approaches the two of them again. Alex is dressed out in her tactical gear now and she carries a vest in one of her hands.
"Put this on," Alex says as she hands the vest to Lena and nods in satisfaction as she puts it on. "You'll be riding with me. Supergirl, stay in the air until the scanners are done."
Kara and Lena both nodded their agreement, sharing one last look as Lena walked away following Alex and Kara took to the skies again to follow them to the warehouse.
It only takes a few moments for the kryptonite scanners to come back clean once they arrive at the warehouse so Kara has already landed next to the standard issue government vehicle that Alex drove by the time Lena is allowed to climb out. Kara has retrieved the broken lock from where it was thrown on the ground before and is looking at it curiously. Lena watches her fingers clench around the metal lock experimentally, judging the strength of it.
"What is it?" Lena asks, drawing Alex's attention to the lock as well.
"Whoever broke this had to be strong."
"Like super strong?" Alex asked. Lena rolled her eyes at the unintentional pun, thought the question was valid.
"No, probably not as strong as me, but still," Kara flexed her fingers around the lock again and Lena half expected it to crumble into pieces in her hand. "We should be careful."
"Noted. Move forward."
Lena followed slightly behind Alex and Kara as they entered the warehouse proper. Alex held up her fist to signal the group to stop as Kara analyzed the two vehicles with her x-ray vision.
"There's six of them, three in the SUV, driver, passenger, and backseat. One in the driver seat of the truck, two in the bed." Kara frowned. "I don't see any weapons or anything like that. They seem…"
"What?"
"Young."
"Alright, no immediate threat. Surround both cars and pull one of ours up, shine the lights through the windshield. Keep your weapons trained but do not fire without orders."
"Yes ma'am."
Moving with the quiet efficiency that Lena expected of a secret government agency, the team they had brought to the warehouse hastened to follow Alex's orders. They moved silently, leaving their vehicles idling until Alex gave the signal to turn on the lights. Kara shifted so she was standing haf in front of Lena rather than beside her, gripping her cape like she was ready to use it as a shield if necessary.
At Alex's signal, the warehouse was flooded with light from the DEO vehicles.
"FBI! Put your hands in the air!"
Surprisingly, the order was not met with the sight of hardened criminals mocking the command they'd been given, but with wide, surprised eyes. The figures in the SUV sit up quickly, sharing a frightened look between the three of them as they put their hands up, the boy in the front seat leading them. The driver door of the truck opens and a boy slides out, his glasses falling down his nose and throat bobbing with a hard swallow as he takes in the guns around them. He looks a little more reluctant but slowly raises his hands as well after Alex repeats the order.
Lastly, two girls stand up from the bed of the truck, looking like complete opposites in every way from their clothes to their heights. The taller one of the two takes an almost protective step forward and reaches for something on her wrist, only to be stopped by the shorter girl placing a hand on her arm. They look at one another for a moment and then down at the boy standing beside the truck before they raise their hands up as well.
Looking at the six frightened kids, Lena can already tell that this is going to end up being a very long night.