It took surprisingly little convincing for J'onn to agree to letting the rest of the kids join Karolina and Nico in the sun room. Kara and Alex had expected him to put up more of a fight. No matter how innocent they seemed, these kids were still wanted criminals after all, but J'onn had only nodded his assent before swiftly moving out of the room.
Truthfully, J'onn-while not actively reading the kids minds-did pick up on some passive thoughts. What he heard was enough to convince him that these kids weren't truly criminals. He didn't feel comfortable pushing further into their minds, and so left his team to solve the puzzle on their own while he waited for them to need his assistance. His one caveat was that he wanted the kids questioned individually before they were allowed to join Nico and Karolina.
With that order in mind, Agent Danvers had decided to talk to Chase first. He was the only other kid who looked like he might have been able to put up a fight if necessary, Karolina being the first, and Alex had noticed the way he had taken a defensive stance in front of the two girls he'd been standing with. He seemed to be a protector, like Karolina. Alex had a feeling he'd be more willing to chat if it meant he could make sure his friends were okay.
Chase had made a good effort at keeping quiet when Agent Danvers first walked in. He had started off trying to hold his tongue, honestly, he wanted too, but more than that he desperately wanted this whole ordeal to be over. These guys weren't like the L.A.P.D., Chase rationalized to himself, they weren't being paid off by his or his friend's parents. They were just cops, even better, an FBI agent. Surely, they could help where the local police couldn't? Chase hoped he wasn't wrong.
"So, your parents are framing you for murder." Agent Danvers spoke, bringing Chase out of his thoughts.
"Yes." Chase had just finished explaining, in as little words as possible, that it was Pride behind the killing of Destiny, not the kids. "They've been doing this for years, and they've always gotten away with it."
"Because the charity group is just a cover for a secret cult?" Agent Danvers questioned, wanting to make sure she had all the facts correct, at least as correct they could be from one kids' story. Chase seemed to take her questioning as disbelief.
"You don't believe me."
"I didn't say that," the agent was quick to reassure him. "But I need to make sure I have everything right. I can't start an investigation into this based on half-truths or a well-spun story."
"I am telling the truth," Chase insisted with a frown.
"And I believe you, I really do," Alex held up her hands in surrender. "I'm going to help you, Chase. I promise. So, I'm going to need you to tell me everything you can."
"There's some things that I can't tell you," Chase spoke softly, thinking about Molly's powers, Nico's staff, Karolina's lights…Amy. "Somethings that aren't my secrets to tell."
"Chase," Alex began, intending to insist that he give her all the information he can, but Chase interrupted her.
"But, if you let me see my friends," he looked Agent Danvers in the eye, "we'll tell you everything you want to know."
"You don't have to cut a deal, kid." Alex offered him a small smile, one he hesitantly returned. "You're going to see your friends as soon as we're done here."
"Really?"
"Really," the agent assured him. "In fact, I'll let you go to them right now and we can continue talking later. But, first I want to warn you. Karolina lost control of her powers and over extended herself. She isn't hurt and I have done what I can to help her. But she might not be awake when you see her."
"But she's okay?"
"She is. Nico is already with her."
Despite himself, Chase let a small smile grace his lips. Out of all of this craziness, he was glad that Nico and Karolina seemed to be finding their way to each other. He only hoped he and Gert could do the same.
"Can I see them?"
"Follow me."
Agent Danvers led Chase out of the interrogation room that he'd been sitting in for the last little while. He's glad that he has someone to follow and something else to focus on for the next few minutes. It let's him forget about the real reason that they are here, if only for a few seconds. The walk to the room where Karolina is resting is made in silence. Upon entering, he immediately stepped to the side of the bed opposite Nico. He took a moment to observe both girls, Karolina's dim glow somewhat reassuring. Nico's eyes shone with emotion, but he could see the bags beneath them, the exhaustion in her shoulders.
"What happened?" He addressed the shorter girl. It's not that he didn't believe what the agent said, but he doesn't exactly trust her yet. Dimly he noticed Supergirl, who he would freak about meeting later on when there wasn't as much going on, and a brunette woman quietly leaving the room.
"She lost control of her lights," Nico answered, her eyes not straying from Karolina's face. "Agent Danvers said she probably over extended herself and getting some sunlight would help. That's what these are for," Nico indicated the lights producing a yellow glow. "She should wake up soon."
"Are you okay?" Nico looked up to meet Chase's eyes.
She nodded, "I'll be better when she opens her eyes."
Her gaze fell again, and Chase had the good grace to not push anymore. He didn't understand what was happening between Nico and Karolina, but he could see the connection between them. It was something about the way they looked at one another. Even now, with Karolina unconscious and Nico visibly exhausted, there was a softness in her eyes. A light that eclipsed all else. Gert would probably call it heart-eyes, but Chase knew it was something deeper. The emotion in Nico's eyes matched what Chase felt every time he looked at Gert. Luckily for Nico, Karolina returned the affection. Chase wasn't sure he could say the same about Gert.
The others joined them one by one, Alex trailing in last and looking slightly annoyed that everyone else had moved before himself. He shuffled over to the bed, taking the only open spot at the foot of the bed. Nico and Molly lined one side of the gurney, Chase and Gert the other. Nico filled everyone in on what happened with Karolina before they began to quietly discuss what had happened while they had been separated.
The quietly discussed the conversations that they had had with Agent Danvers while they waited for Karolina to wake up. Alex assured them that he didn't give up any information and he turned to Chase with accusing eyes when the taller boy admitted that he had.
"You told them?" Alex was incredulous.
"Only that it was our parents who killed Destiny!" Chase defended himself. "I told Agent Danvers that I wouldn't say anything else until we were all together."
"Why would you tell her anything?" Alex's voice rose slightly and Kara, who had been standing just outside the sun room, letting the kids speak without actively listening to them, frowned.
"She's a government agent Alex! Agent Danvers can help us."
"We don't know that! We don't know how far our parents reach is! We can't trust anybody." Alex demanded. The group had been so focused on the brewing argument, they failed to notice Karolina's eyes fluttering open.
"You really think our parents have a man inside the FBI?" Gert interjected. "Alex, that's ridiculous."
"This whole situation is fucking ridiculous!" Alex yelled, his fists clenched.
"Guys stop fighting." Karolina let the others know she was awake. Her lights brightened considerably as she sat up, her strength returned.
"Karolina!" Nico reached out, ready to steady Karolina in case she started to sway. "Karo, are you okay?"
"I'm okay," Karolina nodded, smiling as Nico placed her bracelet in her hand. Karolina clasped her bracelet in place, her lights fading as Alex and Chase resumed their argument.
"We can't make stupid mistakes guys." Alex insisted, glaring hard at Chase.
"And telling a federal agent that we're innocent is a stupid mistake?" Chase asked rhetorically. "No, Wilder. That's not how this is going to work."
"Then how is it going to work, huh?" Alex yelled at the group. Gert jumped, and Molly's eyes flashed yellow in response. "By spilling all our secrets and then putting on a light show?" He threw his hands up, pointing in Karolina's direction.
"That's not fair, Alex." Nico spoke up, her words low. She stood close to the bed Karolina still sat on, their hands not quit touching. "This was out of her control."
"Oh, I get it," Alex spat, "Karolina gets forgiven at the drop of a hat, but poor, pitiful Alex, has to wallow in his guilt for days. Even if she messed up just as bad as I did."
"This has nothing to do with that Alex." Nico shook her head, opening her mouth to continue speaking before Alex stopped her.
"Of course not. Karolina only exposed our biggest secret to the government and who knows what she told them before she passed out. But, no, Karolina, she's special. She doesn't get yelled at. She gets fucking rescued."
"Karolina didn't do anything wrong." Nico insisted, taking a step forward. "As for your betrayal, that's between you and me."
"Save it, Nico. I don't want to hear it." Alex waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't talk to her that way!" Karolina spoke up again, her shoulders tense. She rose from the bed, advancing on Alex. "You do not get to act like the saint here, Alex Wilder. You do not get to talk down to us, or yell at us, for thinking the FBI could help. We are all in this mess together and arguing isn't going to help anything. So, shut up, sit down and stop acting like an ass before I knock you out." Karolina ended her tirade with a harsh poke to Alex's chest.
Alex looked like he wanted to fight back. Chase took a step forward, ready to help Karolina in controlling the angry teenager, but Supergirl swept into the room before anything else could be said, Agent Danvers and the brunette woman Chase had noticed earlier trailing behind her. It was clear they had heard some of what transpired before they came in, but none of the adults mentioned it.
"Karolina, good, you're awake." Agent Danvers calmly directed the agitated blonde back to the gurney she had vacated. "I'm going to run a few more tests, just to make sure you're not in danger of passing out again." Karolina nodded as the agent hooked her up to all manner of machines.
"Not that we don't appreciate everything you're doing for us," Gert spoke up suddenly after the silence stretched on too long for her to bear, "but is there any chance you guys could just, like, let us go?"
"Afraid not, kiddo," Supergirl replied, "we believe that you guys are innocent, and we want to help catch the real criminals here; and, if you guys stay in National City, we can protect you from them."
"Once Karolina is cleared, we're going to take you to a safe place in the city until we can get a safe house big enough for all of you set up." The brunette woman spoke up. Chase thought that she looked familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on when he had seen her before.
"Really?" Molly looked excited about the prospect of leaving the building. She felt caged in, especially with all the agents walking about.
"Really." Supergirl assured her. "But the dinosaur is going to have to stay here until we can get to the actual safehouse."
"That makes sense." Gert whispered to herself, though she didn't seem too happy about it. "Can I see her before we leave?"
"Make it quick," Agent Danvers said after a silent conversation with Supergirl. "I'm almost done with the tests, as soon as Karolina is ready we are loading out."
"Aye, aye captain." Gert gave her a mock salute and then waited patiently for a moment while another agent named Vasquez came in to take the purple haired girl to the dinosaur's holding cell.
"Where are we going to go?" Nico asked from her spot on the bed beside Karolina. Since the blonde didn't have to lay down anymore, Nico happily claimed the seat beside her.
"My place." The brunette woman answered. "It's secure and safe. Although it will be a bit of a tight squeeze with all of us there."
"All of us?" Molly asked, looking at Supergirl.
"I'll meet you guys there, with food. You guys like pizza, right?" Supergirl smiled when the kids nodded the affirmative.
"Oh my God, you're Lena Luthor," Chase said suddenly, looking at the woman he finally identified. Lena looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I am," she confirmed easily. "You know who I am?"
"Of course, you're one of the most brilliant scientists on the planet!" Chase's excitement made Karolina smile, the fond expression on Gert's face as she listened to Chase only making her smile grow. Nico's hand slipped into hers and squeezed softly. "Also, one of my dad's biggest annoyances. You're kind of like my idol."
"Thank you," Lena said, eyes wide in surprise. Supergirl grinned at her, her smile just a little brighter than normal.
"Can you help me with my Fistagons?"
"Your what?"
"The gloves one of the agents pulled from the SUV. They're-"
"Chase, shut up." Alex ordered swiftly, glaring at his friend. The other four teenagers turned to glare at him for a moment. Alex rolled his eyes and added, "Please."
"That's enough with the arguing," Agent Danvers interrupted before anything else could be said, though Chase still looked hurt as he looked at Alex. "Karolina is good to go. Let's head out."
As the teenagers followed Agent Danvers out of the sun room towards the underground parking garage, Kara fell into step beside Lena.
"Are you sure about bringing them to your place? We can hold them here until we have a safehouse."
"It's fine, Kara. Clearly being cooped up in here is driving them up the wall," Lena said calmly. "Besides, Winn told me that the DEO doesn't have any safehouses for large groups readily available. They've clearly been through a lot already, I can at least give them somewhere safe to stay." Lena paused for a moment. Kara could see her eyes light up with a new idea and ignored the way her heart gave a small flutter at the sight.
"What is it?"
"A safe place to stay," Lena said, somewhat unhelpfully. Kara looked at her expectantly. "There's a Luthor mansion outside almost every major city my family has ever lived in, National City is no exception. It'll take a few days to get it cleaned and stocked and update security, but I'm more than willing to let the DEO use it as a safe house for them."
"Really? Lena, you don't have to do that."
"I want to," Lena assured her friend softly. "If these kids' parents are really as bad as Karolina and Chase said, then they deserve a safe place to land. No one understands trying to be better than your family than I do. I can help them in ways that there was no one around to help me."
"You don't have to justify yourself to me," Kara told her, letting their hands fall together for a moment and then letting go. "I just want you to know that you don't have to do this, if you don't want to."
"I know that. I'm sure the DEO can put together a safe house quick enough, but there's no guarantee that they'll be able to keep the kids together, not to mention the deinonychus."
"No, I mean. You're right, the DEO could possibly set them up with something but they'd likely have to separate. I just mean that, you don't have to keep proving that you're not like the rest of your family. I know that, and so does Alex and Winn and J'onn-Director Henshaw. I've known that for a long time. I should have trusted you with this sooner and I'm sorry about that."
"You don't have to apologize to me Kara, I understand wanting to keep your secret. Which is something else that we'll have to figure out with the kids." Lena looked to where the kids were waiting for two vehicles to be prepared for them. "If we're going to help them, we'll need them to trust us. After what they've been through, keeping secrets from them won't help."
"I know, I've been thinking about that too. I can't be Supergirl around them all the time and expect them to tell me all their secrets. But I don't want them to think that I'm using Supergirl as a tactic for something."
"What does Alex think?" Lena asked curiously. Kara shook her head.
"I haven't asked her yet. She's been going through a hard time lately, I don't want her to stress about this too."
"You said that earlier, that she's going through a hard time. What happened?"
"You remember Maggie? Detective Sawyer?" Kara waited for Lena's confirming nod before continuing. "After the Daxamite invasion, Alex proposed to her. Maggie didn't accept the proposal, she said that they were just getting started and she didn't want them to move so quickly in their relationship. Alex accepted that at first and they kept dating but started arguing about little things all the time. I'm not sure what really happened but it boiled down to the two of them expecting different things out of their relationship. So they broke up."
"Poor Alex," Lena said, looking over at the older Danvers. It was easy to see the pain behind her blank expression now that Lena knew to look for it and she silently hoped that Alex would overcome her broken heart sooner rather than later. Lena didn't know Alex as well as she knew Kara, but she considered the agent a friend nevertheless and Lena never liked seeing her friends in pain.
"Yeah, I feel really bad about it."
"It's not your fault, Kara. Things happen in relationships sometimes."
"I know that, but this one might actually be my fault." Kara shrugged, waving at Agent Vasquez as she began getting the kids into the two cars they would be using to take them to Lena's apartment. Vasquez came over a moment later to have Lena input the correct address into her navigation before nodding respectfully at both women and moving to the driver's seat of the second vehicle.
"Lena, are you going to ride with us?" Agent Danvers asked, stopping Molly from climbing into the front seat of the first car. Lena looked at Kara, the silent question in her eyes answered with a short nod. She turned back to Alex and shook her head, gesturing to Supergirl. "We'll meet you there."
"Why do you think Alex and Maggie's break up is your fault?" Lena asked curiously as she and Kara watched the two cars pull out of the underground garage.
"Something I told Alex after the invasion, about not letting the one you love go," Kara shrugged again, gently pulling Lena into her embrace so she could fly them to Lena's home.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, after watching Mon-El fly away and thinking that I was going to lose you to the Daxamites too, I guess I was feeling a little down. When Alex told me that it was okay, I asked her if she loved Maggie and made her promise to not let her go. She proposed right after that."
"You never would have lost me, Kara," Lean spoke softly, the words hidden in Kara's neck as they left the garage and Kara took to the air. Lena's arms wrapped around Kara's shoulders and held tightly. "And that doesn't make their break up your fault."
Kara didn't respond verbally, though she held Lena a little bit tighter for the duration of their short flight. Lena knew that Kara's guilt over the situation was far from gone, but she felt better knowing that she was able to provide at least a little bit of comfort for her best friend.
Once the six teenagers arrived, they spread out around Lena's loft. Nico and Karolina paired off, moving to the large windows in the dining room area of the loft while Chase, Molly, and Gert headed towards the couch. Only Alex remained by himself, standing close to the kitchen island.
"Make yourselves comfortable, guys. Pizza should be here in a few minutes. You guys got here faster than I thought you would." Kara received non-committal grunts from the kids in response to her words, then turned to her sister and best friend. "Any trouble on the way over."
"None," Alex answered, "but that might be because Alex rode with Gert and Molly instead of Chase, Karolina and Nico. Whatever they were arguing about isn't over yet."
"I noticed," Kara looked over the group. Alex had joined Molly, Gert, and Chase in the living room, but he sat across from them in one of Lena's chairs instead of on the couch with the other three. Karolina and Nico remained by the window.
"You sure you're okay to watch all of them?" Alex inquired.
"Of course, Alex," Lena assured her, "we agreed this would be best until we could get them somewhere safer." Karolina and Nico drifted over to the others as the TV flickered on. "Which I may have a way to do as well. We'll keep you updated."
"Call me if you have any problems," Alex told them, giving both of them a quick hug-much to Lena's surprise-before heading towards the door. "And ask Gert if Old Lace has any food preferences."
"Old Lace?"
"The deinonychus, I'm assuming." Lena answered Kara's question as Alex left them to watch the runaways on their own. They moved over to the kitchen island to sit on the stools there while they waited for the pizza they'd ordered to arrive.
"How did you recognize the type of dinosaur on sight?"
"I was wondering that too, actually," Gert spoke up from the living room. "I didn't even know what species she was until my parents told me."
"The talons and teeth gave it away," Lena answered swiftly, waving off the idea that the identification was any kind of big moment. "Although I'm not sure how she was strong enough to tear up your suit."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Gert apologized to the superhero with a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
"Don't worry about it, my suit can be repaired. Also, that's why I have extras," Supergirl gestured to the untorn suit she was wearing now, absent any claw marks or tears.
"Is it comfy? Your suit, I mean," Karolina joined the conversation as she and Nico joined the group, both of them sitting on the back of the couch so they were facing Lena and Supergirl. Molly slid over to sit beside them while Gert and Chase moved to sit on their knees with the fronts of their torsos pressing into the couch cushions so they could all talk.
"It's not a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, but it's comfy enough I suppose." Kara answered the question easily.
"Do you get cold?"
"No, but that's because I don't feel the temperature's the same way you do. Every temperature is comfortable to me."
"Have you ever gotten stuck or like, wrapped up in your cape?" Molly asked, making Kara chuckle while the other kids looked embarrassed that Molly asked such a question.
"Not stuck, exactly, but it wasn't always easy to fly around with the cape. It took a little bit of practice to get the technique down."
"Did you crash a bunch?"
"I wouldn't say 'a bunch,' but probably more times than I'd like to admit. Having powers is no joke."
"No kidding," Molly agreed. "I picked up a car the first time I used mine."
"Oh?" Supergirl questioned lightly, watching with interest as Molly deflated slightly under the looks that her friends sent her way. Alex's gaze, even though Molly couldn't see his expression since he was sitting behind the rest of them, was the most piercing. Sensing the rising tension, Supergirl was quick to speak again. "You don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to, but I promise we're here to help you. We want you to feel safe with us."
"How can we not? You're Supergirl."
"But that's not all she is," Alex spoke up for the first time since they had arrived at Lena's loft. He was still sitting in the chair he'd originally chosen, arms crossed over his chest.
"What are you talking about, Alex?" Gert asked, probably the only one of their friend group able to talk to him without being immediately pissed off. They all loved Alex like a brother, but his attitude was really getting on their nerves.
"She can't be Supergirl all the time, right? She's gotta be someone else too."
"Why does that matter?" Karolina asked.
"Because why should we tell her our secrets when she isn't telling us hers?"
"She's fucking Supergirl, Alex," Chase retorted. "She doesn't have to tell us her secrets."
"Then how can we trust her?"
"Maybe because she's a literal superhero?"
"Guys, calm down," Supergirl's tone was commanding and made the brewing argument halt in its tracks. Lena rose swiftly to bring the pizza inside when the doorbell rang while Kara handled the teenagers. "It's alright for Alex to be wary of me and he's right. You might not trust me all the way since you don't know who I really am."
"You're not obligated to tell us anything." Nico said, her tone biting. Kara had a feeling that she was referencing something else, a theory that was confirmed by the way Alex was unable to meet Nico's gaze.
"No, but I want you to trust me. I want you to believe that I'm here to help you, that we're here to help you," Kara amended her statement as Lena walked back to the island with her arms laden with pizza boxes. Supergirl helped her set them down and spread them out.
"Does she know who you really are?" Alex asked pointedly, making a gesture in Lena's direction as the other woman pulled out enough plates for all of them.
"She does, as does Agent Danvers and Agent Vasquez, and a few other agents. Everyone who knows has accepted the fact that knowing my secret identity comes with risks."
"Risks?" Molly asked before anyone else could, accepting the plate Lena held out for her and reaching for the first box of pizza.
"Supergirl has a lot of enemies, and many of them wouldn't think twice before using someone else to get to her," Lena explained simply. "The more people who know about her identity, the more people who might be in danger because of it."
"We're already in danger," the words come out as more of a grumble than Kara had been expecting and it makes her heart clench for the six kids in front of her.
"I know, and I want you to know that I'm willing to tell you." She swallows and glances at Lena. "I've almost waited too long to tell people before, and nearly broke their trust by doing that. I don't want to do that to you guys."
"You don't owe us anything, Supergirl," Karolina says warmly. "You've already done more for us than we expected, you and Lena."
"Still, if you want to know, the offer is there. But you have to promise to keep it a secret, and you'll have to sign a lot of papers promising that once you're legal adults."
"We can keep a secret," Nico promised. "The only people we talk to are all standing in this room."
"That's a fair point, actually," Gert says with a slight laugh, the last in line before Alex to claim her pizza before returning to the living room. All six teenagers set their plates on Lena's coffee table and then sink to the floor to eat.
"Okay then," Kara turns towards Lena. "I'll have to run home to get some day clothes. You'll be alright with them?"
"Of course," Lena assures her. "Grab some clothes for tomorrow too, you can sleep with me tonight."
"Right." Curiously, a flush makes its way over Kara's cheeks. "I'll be back in a jiffy. Save me some pizza!" She calls and then she waves to the kids and makes her way out via the balcony just off the living room.
"Did Supergirl just say 'jiffy?'" Gert asks, her pizza held in place halfway to her mouth.
"I'm more curious about the way she blushed," Nico's voice had taken on a teasing quality, one that Lena pointedly ignored as she fixed her own plate and reclaimed her seat at the kitchen island. "I wasn't paying attention when we were, wherever we were earlier, but I'm definitely sensing a vibe there."
"There's definitely chemistry," Gert agrees, her grin widening. "Almost like the chemistry that's developed between the two of you." She gestures with the hand not holding her pizza to where Karolina and Nico are practically leaning against one another.
"Which is part of why Alex wanted to leave Karolina behind, right?" Chase's words are pointed and challenging. He sees both Alex and Nico stiffen at the implication.
"I wasn't aware of them being…" he trails off for a moment and then clears his throat. "At the time. And I was always going to come back for you, Karolina. I just wanted to get somewhere for us to go after that."
"It's okay, Alex. I get it." The easy acceptance that comes from Karolina doesn't surprise any of them, though what comes after does. "I'm sorry, too. About all of this. I never meant to hurt you."
"You can't help how you feel," Alex shrugs like it doesn't matter but all of them know him better than that. "I am glad we got you back, though. And I wish you both the best."
"Thanks, Alex," Nico offered him a small smile. They could all tell that Alex was still frustrated with their whole situation, that he didn't trust Lena or Supergirl, and they were all aware that he was probably planning a way for them to escape somehow. But that was okay. He was trying. He'd apologized and he clearly meant it. Nico felt like she was on the way to getting her best friend back, since that's what Alex had been before this mess started. It would be nice to get back to that easy camaraderie they used to have, before they lost Amy and their trio became a duo.
When Supergirl returned to Lena's loft a short time later, she was dressed in a pair of jeans and an old college t-shirt, a loose jacket over her shoulders and an overnight bag in her hands. She came in through the front door rather than the balcony that she had left from and reintroduced herself to the six teenagers.
"A pair of glasses and a different hairstyle?" Gert asked skeptically after Kara had taken her glasses off and pulled her hair out of the bun she'd thrown it into. "That's your disguise? How does that even work?"
"Apparently, not very well," Kara grumbled lightly. Lena shot her an amused smile. "But for the most part, that's it. There are a few other differences, Kara Danvers is a little more soft spoken and meek than Supergirl."
"Does Superman use the same disguise?" Chase questioned. Kara nodded.
"Mostly, though he doesn't have to fake being clumsy."
"You fake being clumsy?"
"Physically clumsy, yeah. No one suspects the bumbling reporter who always drops stuff to be the savior of the city."
"Although I had my suspicions when you told me you flew to L-Corp on a bus." Lena pointed out, making Karolina, Gert, and Molly laugh.
"I was nervous! It was my first interview!" Kara defended herself, flicking a stray bit of cheese in Lena's direction.
As the conversation carried on, Lena felt her eyelids beginning to grow heavy. It had been a long day, afterall. By the time the kids had been brought into the sun room at the DEO, National City had just been waking up for the day. Lena had called Jess to reschedule her day when it became apparent that she wouldn't be able to go to the office. The kids had arrived at her home just after three that afternoon and it was now nearing dark again. The fading sun was painting the skyline of National City in hues of pinks and oranges when Lena had to conceal a yawn.
She wasn't the only one who was feeling the exhaustion of the day. All six runaways were showing clear signs of exhaustion in their slumped shoulders and the bags under their eyes. They'd been on the road for at least 3 days when they'd broken into the warehouse. Lena didn't want to think about how long it had been since they'd had a good night's sleep.
Unfortunately, there were still a few questions that needed to be answered before they could get any rest.
"Will you tell us how you guys ended up here?" Kara asked softly after a lull in the conversation. The group had migrated back to the couch, all of them sitting together now that they'd cleared the air a bit from their earlier arguments. Lena moved to sit on the coffee table in front of the couch while Gert and Chase shared worried glances, as did Karolina and Nico.
"You don't have to," Lena was quick to reassure them
"We are going to keep you guys safe no matter what."
"It'll just be easier when we know what we need to keep you safe from."
"I still don't think we can trust you." Alex said, looking to his friends for backup.
"What other option do we have, Wilder?" Chase asked rhetorically.
"We'll tell you," Nico said, continuing after Karolina nodded encouragingly, "but it's a long story."
This time it was Kara and Lena who shared a glance. "We've got nowhere else to be." Lena spoke for the both of them. Kara moved to sit next to Lena on the coffee table.
"It started a few weeks ago, with our parents annual Pride meeting," Nico began their tale. "We stopped going when our parents had their meetings two years ago, but that night we decided to get together. We ended up in Alex's dad's study and found this secret passage to a room beneath the house. Our parents were down there, wearing these long red robes."
"We weren't sure what was happening, we couldn't hear them. There was this dome around them." Karolina continued. "Then they brought out this girl. I knew her from the Gibb church, I had talked to her earlier that day actually. She was sweet." Karolina looked down, obviously upset. Nico squeezed her hand. "They made her drink something out of this chalice and then laid her down in this big black box thing."
"Then there was a bright light and when it faded it was just our parents standing there." Molly picked up the story. "I couldn't really see, so I tried to take a picture of them. They saw the flash and almost caught us while we were running out, but we managed to get the door open."
"We didn't know for sure that our parents had killed her, but it was the only thing that made sense." Chase carried on. "After that, we did some digging into our parents' secrets and found out that they had pretty much been lying to us for our entire lives. Everything they had, they had because of this guy, Jonah."
"We don't know much about him, honestly. Only that he has some sort of fascination with Karolina." Karolina looked like she wanted to speak up but decided against it and let Nico keep speaking. "We found out that the school they said they were building was just a cover for a giant tunnel they were digging. We tried to fill it in while our parents thought we were at a dance. We tried to push a truck into the hole. Molly has incredible strength, but she falls asleep almost immediately after using it." Curiously, Nico, Karolina, Gert and Chase blushed at the mention of the dance.
"They caught us. I tried to fight off Jonah, but he was so much stronger than I am." Karolina said.
"There was a blast, like an EMP went off and they took Karolina back to the Gibb church. We rescued her and were looking for a bus out of the city when our parents turned us in for kidnapping and murder. We stole a Gibb van and then the two cars you found us in and took off as soon as we could. We'd been driving for almost three days when Agent Danvers and the rest of you found us." Nico finished the bulk of the story.
"And they brought you to the DEO for questioning," Kara filled in the rest of the story.
"I thought Agent Danvers worked for the FBI?" Chase questioned.
"No, that's her cover. Technically, the branch she works for doesn't exist. The Department of Extranormal Operations."
"Ah, okay," said Gert, "the alien handling branch."
"Basically," Kara shrugged. Gert wasn't wrong after all.
"And that's everything?" Lena asked the group at large. Karolina looked up sharply.
"Not quite."
"Karo?" Nico asked curiously.
"There's one more thing we know, about Jonah." Karolina looked directly at Nico. "I wasn't sure how to tell you guys after everything that happened but," she took a deep breath, "he's my father."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Jonah," Karolina turned her gaze to Gert in response to her question, "he's my biological father."
"That's why he lights up, too." Nico whispered, more to herself than the others. Karolina nodded in response. Kara and Lena shared another look.
"Thank you for trusting us with this." Kara said. "We'll figure out what they were after, and we'll put a stop to it."
"You believe us?" Molly looked stunned and hopeful in equal measure.
"Completely," Lena assured her. "I promise." Molly smiled, a real smile that didn't seem strained and one that reached her eyes, for the first time since Kara had met her. "Kara?" Lena gestured for the blonde to move away from the group.
"I can't believe these kids have been through so much," Lena said once she and Kara were in the kitchen area and out of earshot of the kids, "no wonder they were so scared when we found them."
"Poor kids deserve a break." Kara agreed softly, watching the six teenagers as they silently digested the conversation they'd just had. "Do you think we'll be able to prove that they're innocent?"
"We'll find a way," Lena promised, laying her hand on Kara's arm and rubbing her thumb back and forth in a soothing manner. "But for now, we should let them sleep. Not all of us have Kryptonian stamina."
"Okay. Blankets and pillows?"
"I'll grab them."
Karolina rose from her seat to help Lena and Kara pass out blankets and pillows for the group when she noticed them carrying the large stacks back down the hall from where she assumed Lena's bedroom was. Molly and Gert shared the couch, each laying with their head on the arm of the couch and their feet in the middle. Chase laid on the floor in between the couch and coffee table, his upper body below Gert's side of the couch. Alex claimed the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Nico spread a blanket on the floor near the window, placing two pillows on the edge, one for her and one for Karolina. Karolina shot her smile and tossed another blanket to Nico for them to cover up with. Kara made sure they were all settled before following Lena down the hall to the master bedroom.
Lena had already changed into her sleep clothes as was in the process of pulling back the blankets when Kara entered the room, closing the door behind her. Lena smiled at her and gestured to the open door to the en suite, telling her that she was free to shower and change if she needed to. Kara did so quickly, towel drying her hair with a little super speed so she wouldn't drip water all over Lena's bed. Lena was laying down with her tablet in hand when Kara emerged from the bathroom.
"Thanks for letting me stay the night," Kara said as she climbed into the bed with Lena, carefully remaining on her own side as she settled in.
"Of course, it's been a while since we had a sleepover," Lena smiled at her and then set her tablet down and reached to turn off the lights. Kara hummed softly. Lena settled into the bed, laying on her side facing Kara, her hand stretched out in the space between them.
Kara mirrored her position, their fingertips barely brushing across the top of the duvet.
"Good night, Kara."
"Good night, Lena,"
Kara closed her eyes and focused her hearing. She listened as the kids settled down, soft voices reaching her ears that she made a point to not listen hard enough to tell what they were saying. The voices faded one by one as they drifted off and once Kara was sure that all six of them were asleep, she let her hearing focus on another sound nearby.
The steady rhythm of Lena's heart lulled Kara to sleep as well.