"I can't believe Supergirl is going to teach us to fight!" Molly cheered enthusiastically. The six teenagers were sitting in the backyard together, observing the equipment that Lena had ordered for them to train with. The day before, after testing Karolina's and Molly's strength, Kara and Alex D. had spent a good portion of the afternoon devising a kind of training plan for them. They focused mostly on building strength and stamina for now, and they'd been moving on to more combat focused workouts after Nico, Karolina, and Alex returned from their mission to L.A.
"Actually, Supergirl's sister is doing the training," Gert reminds her sister who grumbles in response. Gert is sitting next to Chase on the bench that will eventually rest beneath a bar for bench press and other arm workouts, but the rest of it hasn't been assembled yet. Chase would be doing that with Lena the next day, Molly and Gert helping a little bit, to keep their minds off of the other three while they were gone. Molly leans against Gert legs and pointedly doesn't comment on the way Chase and Gert's arms are slightly woven together.
"Still! An actual trained super-spy!"
"I'm just glad she's been teaching you how to fly," Chase adds, gesturing at Karolina. She sits on the ground as well, Nico perched in her lap and Alex sitting to their right.
"Me too," Karolina responds with a slight grimace, "it's way less scary than how we found out."
"What happened?" Alex asked, his voice filled with genuine curiosity. Karolina can feel Nico's shoulders shift as she moves in her lap.
"We found out on accident, Chase and I, at the last Pride party we went to. I had a bit too much to drink," Karolina starts off, "Chase and I were up on the roof with a bottle of cheap vodka, talking for a bit. Then, Chase had kissed me, and I had backed away, a little too far as when I took another step, I sort of, um, fell over the edge." Nico's eyes widen as her grip on Karolina's waist tightens, lifting her head to look at her girlfriend's face. "Chase grabbed for me and managed to knock my bracelet off. Next thing I know, I'm lit up like a rainbow and hovering above the roof."
"Giving me a fucking heart attack in the process."
"Chase, language."
"I should really get this clasp fixed, shouldn't I?" Karolina lifts the arm not wrapped around Nico, her silver bracelet catching the light of the setting sun.
"You fell off a roof?" Nico asks, struck by the casual way Karolina had told the story. As if it was fond memory instead of a really bad situation that could have ended with Karolina bloody and broken on the pavement.
"A little?" Karolina shrugged. "It was an accident, I'm fine, and it was kind of a rush, once I got my bearings."
"A rush? Karo, you fell off a building!" Nico's eyes are wide with worry, moving quickly as they look over Karolina's face, like the event had just happened. "How have I not heard this story before?"
"Nico, I'm fine," the arm Karolina has around Nico tightens, "it was weeks ago, I wasn't hurt. Relax, baby." Her words drop to a whisper, only for Nico to hear and she gently kisses her. Chase watches Alex for any kind of negative reaction but all he does is release a resigned sigh paired with a small, understanding smile. Nico steals another soft kiss before her eyes narrow and her gaze turns to Chase.
"You kissed my girlfriend?" Her tone is deadly. Chase visibly gulps, shrinking in on himself and trying to hide behind Gert.
"It was before you got together," Chase defends himself, "It was one kiss, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Chase holds his hands up, slightly thankful Nico doesn't have her staff, as Nico glares at him.
"Better not." Gert mumbles before she can stop herself and the group turns as one to look at her. "What? I said that on behalf of Karolina and Nico." Gert offers an explanation no one asked for, ignoring the way they continue to stare and swiftly changing the conversation topic back to their upcoming training. They remained talking in the backyard for a little while longer, until Kara came outside.
"I hate to break this up, but you guys should probably get to sleep if you want to get an early start in the morning," Kara says as she stands over the group. She's dressed down then in jeans and an old college t-shirt. Old Lace is trailing behind her happily, which explains the slightly wild hair Kara is sporting. She must have been keeping Old Lace entertained while the kids talked, something that the dinosaur clearly enjoyed.
"She's right," Nico agrees, though she doesn't look all that happy about getting up from her perch on Karolina's lap. "We've got a long day coming up."
Nico climbs to her feet and then offers her hand to Karolina to help her up as well. Karolina accepts the help and then extends her hand to Alex once she's on her feet. Alex looks at her outstretched hand for a moment and then offers Karolina a small smile as he takes it and lets the taller girl pull him up. The three of them offer goodnights to their friends and Kara before heading into the house. Molly does the same a few minutes later, trailing behind Kara to ask her about when she'll be strong enough to spare with Supergirl, leaving Chase, Gert, and Old Lace in the backyard. Old Lace soon takes off into the maze-like garden, leaving the young -more-than-friends-but-not-exactly-a-couple along together.
"It looks like we're training for American Ninja Warrior or something," Chase remarks as he surveys the still packed up equipment that sits around them. Lena had gotten squat racks and a set up to do pull-ups, and several mats that they could use to spar on rather than fighting in the grass. "All we need now is a warped wall."
"A what?" Gert asked, surprised by his words. She wasn't expecting Chase to start talking about their upcoming workouts once they were alone.
"A warped wall. It's a tall wall with a curve at the top. You have to get a running start, grab the top of the wall, and haul yourself over." Chase explained.
"Sounds like too much work."
"I've never done it, but I always thought it would be pretty fun."
"You would." Gert rolls her eyes, but she smiles when Chase glances over at her. Silence falls over them again, broken only by the sound of Old Lace running through the gardens.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" He breaks the easy silence that had fallen over them, twisting his hands together. That's the question that Gert was expecting to hear earlier, but it still catches her just a bit of guard.
"What, working out?"
"No," this time it's Chase who rolls his eyes before turning serious again, "Going against our parents. Is fighting them the right thing?"
"I don't know." Gert answers, leaning her head on Chase's shoulder. It's a question she's been pondering since they first left L.A. "I know what they are doing is wrong, even if they don't think so."
"But maybe they do, know it's wrong, I mean," Chase corrects himself, shaking his head slightly. "Well, all of them but my dad. He's always been screwed up."
"But they're still doing it, even if they think it's wrong," Gert decides to leave his comment about his dad alone for the time being, not sure that either of them have the emotional strength to talk about their complicated relationships with their parents. "We owe it to ourselves, and to all the kids we couldn't save before."
"To Amy," Chase agrees. "I know. It just doesn't make it any easier."
"If it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it."
There's something that he wants to say, Gert can tell from the glint in his eyes when he looks at her again, but Chase stays quiet. He nods his head in agreement and then takes Gert's hand in his own. Their fingers laced together easily, like they were made to hold one another. Gert leans her head against his shoulder and they stay like that for a little while longer, content to pretend like it's just the two of them and the stars above for just a little while.
Neither of them would admit it just then, but both agreed that they could live in that moment forever and never want for anything else.
After assuring Molly that they'll get a change to spar together sometime soon, Kara retreated to the kitchen for a late snack. She could still hear Gert and Chase in the backyard but she thought it was best to leave them be for now. Kara has a fairly good grasp of the dynamics that the group of six runaways holds, and she knows that there's some unspoken thing happening between Gert and Chase. They have the same obvious attraction to each other that Nico and Karolina share, but unlike the girls, there's something holding Gert and Chase back. Kara is content to watch things develop among the teenagers and lend whatever kind of support they need when they ask for it.
She's not all that surprised that Karolina is the only one of the Runaways to have opened up to her so far. She's spent the most time with Karolina, and Molly to a lesser degree, working on controlling her powers and helping her learn how to fly. The rest of the teenagers are trusting to a degree. They'll talk about plans and training and watch movies with Kara and Lena, but personal things are off the table. Gert had only gone as far as asking for her anxiety medication, and even that she had done under duress.
Kara hopes that the kids will relax a little bit more once Karolina, Nico, and Alex return from L.A. with the Staff. It's a big weight resting on all of their shoulders. Kara can see them look around like they're expecting their parents to show up at any moment, or tense when Kara and Lena begin talking about the kids' parents. The trust isn't quite there yet but Kara thinks that's okay. It's better to let the kids decide to trust them on their own than to try and force the matter. It was one thing to let Supergirl help them learn how to fight, it was another to trust Kara and Lena with their deepest secrets.
Approaching footsteps pull Kara out of her thoughts and she focuses her hearing only to find Lena's familiar heartbeat moving closer to the kitchen where Kara is in the process of making a sandwich for herself. There was another dynamic that Kara had decided to take a wait and see approach on. After their almost kiss a few days ago, Kara found that she had no idea how to act around Lena anymore. She'd never thought about kissing Lena before, but now that it's almost happened she's found that it's all she can think about.
"Oh, Kara," Lena says as she walks into the kitchen. She's wearing leggings and a long sleeve shirt, clearly dressed for bed.
"Hey, I needed a snack," Kara holds up her sandwich as an explanation for why she's in the kitchen so late. "Want one?"
"No, I just came down for some water," Lena responds, pulling a refillable bottle from the fridge and taking a seat at the breakfast bar. Kara joins her a moment later, after she put up all the things she'd used to make her snack.
"Can't sleep?" Kara asks before taking a bite. Lena hums softly in response.
"Just going over some finances, L-Corp is looking into making a big purchase but I'm not sure how feasible it would be."
"Want to talk about it?"
"You want to hear about my company's financial standings?" Lena asked with a raised eyebrow. Kara shrugged her shoulders.
"I want to hear about the things that are important to you, and this clearly is." Kara explains lightly. Then, Lena's smiling at her with that gentle smile that Kara swears she's only ever seen directed at her and all Kara can think about is kissing that smile off Lena's lips. She takes another bite of her sandwich to keep herself from making any unwanted movies.
"It is, but it's also a distraction right now. I don't like thinking about Karolina, Nico, and Alex, having a run in with their parents again."
Kara nods, unsurprised by the admission. She's often wondered if Lena sees herself in any of the teenagers they've found themselves taking care of now. The black sheep of the family standing out because they want to do what is right rather than what their family wanted them to do. It didn't surprise Kara at all when Lena offered to help the kids.
"I always thought being a Luthor was some kind of curse, you know. Like I didn't belong with my family. If I could've escaped when I was a teenager like these kids have done, I would've."
"Is that why you decided to help them?" Kara asks curiously.
"No one was there to help me when I needed it. I guess I hoped I could break the cycle." Lena watches as Kara's her plate to the sink and washes it quickly. "What about you? You seemed eager to help Karolina and Molly with their powers."
"That's what I was supposed to do with Kal," Kara set the plate aside to dry and rejoined Lena at the breakfast bar. "He was just a baby when we left Krypton but because I got stuck in the Phantom Zone, he was already an adult by the time I arrived on earth. My whole reason for being here was to train Kal in the ways of Krytpon. Until I became Supergirl, I felt like I didn't have a purpose. Even after putting on the cape, I felt like something was missing."
"And that something is helping teenage superheroes?"
"No, I think it was helping people like me. People who feel like they don't belong here for one reason or another. I think that we're showing these kids that they can be more than whatever their family decides for them. The more time they spend with us, the more they see that we're more than a Super and Luther."
"Not that you can't help people with your stories, but if you feel this way about helping them directly, why did you become a reporter?"
"Oh, uh," curiously, Kara blushed slightly. Lena watched with a fond smile as Kara stumbled over her words with bright red cheeks. "I hadn't actually decided on that until you told me that you thought I'd be good at it."
"Really?" Lena feels her expression stretch into one of surprise. Kara offers a half-shrug and a blushing smile.
"Yeah, I mean, I knew it would be a good cover for how I could find all the bad things happening around town, but it wasn't something I had thought about doing before. It was always Clark's thing. But when you suggested that I give it a try…"
"I'm flattered that my opinion mattered that much to you when we'd only known each other for a few days." Lena spoke warmly, resting her hand on Kara's arm and squeezing gently.
"Your opinion has always mattered to me. From the second we met, I wanted to know you better. I knew you were different from the rest of your family."
"How were you so sure?" Lena leaned a little closer in her curiosity, her hand sliding up to Kara's shoulder.
"Your eyes," Kara said, blushing again. "Every time I've seen your brother or mom or anyone else, their eyes always looked so cold. But you, your eyes are bright and light and beautiful." Kara smiles at her, gaze flickering between the eyes she'd been describing and the coy smile painted across Lena's lips. "I didn't think that anyone with eyes like that could be a villain."
"And what do you think now?"
"That I was right about you, and that everything else about you is just as beautiful as your eyes."
"Kara," Lena could feel herself leaning closer to the woman beside her, her hand slipping up to the nape of Kara' neck and playing with her hair there. Kara's body shifted as she turned, facing Lena fully now. Her arm reached for Lena's waist and rested there gently.
"Lena," Kara returned, inclining her head so their foreheads pressed together. "I want this if you do."
"Really? Even after everything?" Lena couldn't help the doubt that clouded her voice. She could feel Kara's breath ghosting across her lips as the woman laughed softly.
"Yes, really. It's always been you, Lena." Kara shifts closer to her, nearly falling off her seat in her quest to get closer to Lena. "But only if you're ready."
"And if I'm not?"
"I'll wait. You are more than worth waiting for."
Kara speaks so surely that Lena has no choice but to believe the earnest words and no way to deny the effect they have on her. Lena had been called many things over the years, but she's never been told in such clear terms how much she matters to anyone. She's never wanted to kiss anyone more in her life and she can't think of a single reason why she shouldn't do just that.
So she does.
Their lips meet softly in the small space between them and it's everything and nothing like Lena ever imagined kissing Kara would be like. It's soft and easy and warm, but still sets Lena buzzing with anticipation of what it could lead to. Kara kisses her carefully, not like she's afraid of breaking Lena but like Lena is something to be treasured, to be held close in a show of love and care.
Lena doesn't realize that she's crying until Kara has pulled away and brushes the tears off Lena's cheeks with the bads of her thumbs.
"Lena?" Kara questions worriedly. Lena offers her a watery smile.
"I'm not upset, Kara."
"The tears make me question that statement." Kara replied quickly. Lena chuckled slightly and leaned in to kiss Kara again.
"Happy tears, darling," Lena promised as she pulled away. "I've never had anyone care about me the way you do. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Kara pressed a kiss to Lena's forehead. "And I'll keep doing that for as long as you'll let me. Just warn me the next time you cry from happiness, I thought I was just a terrible kisser."
"Definitely not," Lena laughed lightly, "but if you're worried about technique, we can always practice."
Kara quickly took Lena up on her offer.
Ideally, Alex would have liked to have more of a plan before they went back to L.A. for the Staff, but they'd all agreed that time wasn't really a luxury that they had.
They're on the road once again, but it's a little different this time around. For one, only three of them are in the car, Nico, Karolina, and Alex himself. The car itself is also smaller since they won't need to be hauling back loads of things from L.A., everything they need is at the Mansion in National City and, if all goes well, they'll be returning there late that evening. Funny how they had driven for days on end and yet ended up settling in a city just a few hours away from their parents. Alex is also driving a little more carefully this time, not looking over his shoulder every few minutes to check if they're being followed. He does this for two reasons.
Number 1, he knows that they're being followed but now that knowledge is kind of comforting to him. Alex Danvers is driving the SUV that follows them, with someone named James along for the ride. The six teenagers had met James Olsen briefly before they left that morning, and Alex could admit that he made a good first impression. It helped that he was on a first name basis with Supergirl, but it didn't help that there was some obvious tension between him and Lena. Not romantic tension, Alex knew. There was no way Lena would ever be into James given the way she looked at Kara, but a tension nonetheless. Agent Danvers had said that James was good in a fight and since this technically wasn't a mission for the DEO, they couldn't officially order agents to help the kids out if needed. Alex really hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The second reason why he was driving so carefully was actually very simple. He really really did not want to wreck Lena Luthor's car. Not only would he feel bad about that because it was Lena's car, but he also knew his friends would give him shit about it until the end of time. He'd never live it down. Alex would much rather they picked on him about video games than about ruining a car that probably cost more than anything Alex had ever touched, which was saying something considering the wealth he'd grown up with. He could handle the teasing that had arisen while they'd been training-if half-heartedly sparring one another in matches that usually became little more than playful wrestling could be called training-and he wasn't all too eager for that to change.
If he's driving a little slower than he probably should be, well, that's just because he isn't all that eager to return to L.A. The city is chock-full of bad memories for him, everything from losing Amy to losing his chance with Nico because of his own stupidity.
Now that he's had a few days to get used to the idea of Karolina and Nico being Karolina and Nico, Alex can see that he never really had a chance in the first place. He knows Nico, they had been best friends before they lost Amy and even after, Alex still cared about her the same way. It just hurt to spend time with her because their trio was now a duo and neither of them knew how to deal with that. That's why he thinks that he and Nico probably wouldn't have worked out as well. They were both too prone to shutting up and shutting down when something went wrong. Nico needs Karolina to draw her out of her shell, to let her feel all the things she pretend that she didn't anymore.
It still stings, Alex thinks as he looks into the rearview mirror and sees his two friends sitting close together in the back seat. Karolina had originally intended to sit in the back alone, but Nico had climbed in after her. Alex hadn't commented on it because he could tell that Nico was nervous about what would happen when they got to L.A.. Instead, he drove in silence and let the last vestiges of acceptance fill his heart. Nico was obviously happy with Karolina, and Alex thought she deserved a little bit of happiness after everything she'd been through. Far be it for him to stand in her way or make her feel bad about being happy with Karolina. Making a mental note to talk to Nico once they got home, Alex fixed his gaze back on the road and continued to drive carefully.
The distraction of putting together the workout machines hadn't lasted all that long and now the Mansion feels empty with three of its inhabitants absent. Gert feels the absence of Nico, Karolina, and Alex more than she thought she would. Her fingers twist a loose thread on her sweater, she's bitten her nails down far enough that when she goes to bite them again, she's met with only skin. She's sitting near the bottom of the steps in the Mansion's foyer and her gaze alternating between the front door and her own chipped nail polish.
"They're going to be fine, Gert." Chase rubs a comforting hand down her back and Gert can't help but relax. He hasn't left her side since the others left with Alex. Even Molly had to move around, her feet bouncing and fingers tapping against her legs until she loudly proclaimed, she was going to go wrestle with Old Lace in the yard. Lena and Kara both had to leave, despite wanting to stay home. Keeping the Runaways safe involved the adults in their life acting like nothing was out of the ordinary, even when three of the kids they were caring for were off possibly risking their lives to get a magic staff.
"I know." Gert nods. "Rationally, I know that. They've got Danvers and that other dude with them, Karolina could probably take out anything that comes at them, and Nico and Alex are totally capable of defending themselves too, doubly so once Nico gets the staff. I know that, I do." Gert also knows she's over explaining everything, but she can't help it. "But my brain isn't always rational and I'm not going to actually believe they're fine until they get home again."
"What can I do to help?" Chase asks so sincerely, though Gert is surprised he asked at all. He's constantly surprising her; he's far more observant and insightful that she gives him credit for. She thought he couldn't surprise her any more, not after knowing each other their whole lives. This might be the only time in her life she's happy to have been wrong.
"I-I don't know."
Chase nodded. "Do you want to help me work on the Fistigons?" They'd been returned to him the previous week, after lots of pleading on Chase's part and several assurances from Kara that there wouldn't be any property damage.
"I wouldn't understand half of what you do." Gert pointed out.
"That doesn't matter," Chase stood, offering his hand to Gert, "it's not about the work. I just want to help you relax. I know there's not much I can do until the others get back, but I can at least try to help."
"You do help, Chase," Gert accepted his hand and let him lead her to the room who had claimed as his workshop. "It's not as hard to think when I'm around you. I don't feel like I have to analyze everything, I can just be. That helps more than you know."
"Good, I'm glad." Chase smiles at her and Gert is struck by how such a simple conversation can make her feel so extraordinary. Then, she supposes, Chase has always had that effect on her. Even when they were kids, Gert would put up significantly less of a fight to do something Chase wanted to do, even though most of it required athletic skills that Gert does not possess and has no desire too.
"So," Gert begins slowly after a few minutes of comfortable silence passes. She's had something on her mind for days now, something she desperately wants to clear up, but they're always surrounded by everyone else in the house. She and Chase don't have the advantage of sharing a bedroom like Karolina and Nico, who can actually keep their private conversations private. "I think there's something we should talk about."
"Okay?" Chase puts his tools down, turning in his seat to face Gert fully. "What's up?"
"Um, well, you see, the thing is-"Gert huffs slightly, "we had sex."
"Yeah, that's a thing that happened." Chase's Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. "Do you, I mean," Chase clears his throat and tears his eyes away from Gert's. "Did you not want to? I mean, I know you wanted too, at the time. But it doesn't have to happen again."
"It doesn't?"
"NO! I thought you wanted it to be a one-time thing." Chase shakes his head. "I've been trying not to pressure you or anything like that, even though I really want to do it again."
"You do?" Gert's expression is shocked, her eyes wide beneath her round glasses.
"Of course, I do." Chase takes Gert's hands in his own. "Gert, that moment we shared, it means everything to me. I meant every word I said that night. I see you, I've always seen you. I will always see you."
"Do you really mean that?" Gert's voice betrayed her emotions, shaking with affection, hope, and fear.
"Every word." Chase promised. "You mean the world to me Gert, and I'm always going to be here for you, however you need me to be."
"Chase, I – I don't know what to say." Chase shook his head, his dimpled smile making Gert's heart race.
"You don't have to say anything." Their eyes met, and Chase opened his mouth to say more but suddenly found his lips otherwise occupied.
Gert's lips were softer than he remembered, her body not as soft, a product of their constant workouts, but she tasted the same. Her lips moved over his slowly, like she was afraid if she pushed too hard, he'd pull away. Chase did the opposite, using his strong arms to pull Gert flush against him. The motion pulls Gert into Chase's lap, her legs wrapping around his waist as their lips connect again and again.
"I'm not ready," Gert says through panting breaths when their lips finally separate moments later, "to do it again. I'm not – Is it weird to want to go slow after I've already seen you naked?"
"No," Chase chuckles lightly, "it's great. We can do this however you want to."
"Promise?"
"Promise." Chase sealed the deal with a soft kiss to Gert's temple.
"Oh my god, FINALLY!" Molly's yell made Gert jump so hard she fell off Chase's lap and landed by his feet in a heap. "I've been waiting for you two to kiss and make up for forever."
"Molly! Knocking is a thing you know!" Chase rose from his seat to help Gert up.
"Yeah, when the door is closed. You guys left it wide open." Molly rolled her eyes as her sister glared at her. "Now, c'mon. I'm hungry and you're the best cook here since Lena's at work."
"Okay, okay, we're coming." Gert shooed her sister off with a wave of her hand. "Well. That was mortifying."
"At least it was just Molly," Chase offered as he wrapped his arm around Gert's shoulders. "Nico would tease us for years if she caught us like that."
"Yeah, but we could get Nico back. It's like we haven't seen her and Karolina in compromising positions." Gert knocked her head against Chase's shoulder. "Molly's too innocent to tease about that, yet."
"We'll get her back for it someday." Chase promised lightly. "For now, we should get to the kitchen before she tries to cook and sets something on fire. Again."
They've been on the road for a little under two hours and with each second, they get closer to LA, Nico can feel her nerves igniting. She knows they need to do this. They need to get the Staff away from Tina. She needs to have something that she can use to protect her friends, to protect Karolina. She knows the Staff is an advantage they can't afford to not have. Despite knowing that, the thought of returning to LA, to her childhood home, to all the memories it holds makes her sick to her stomach in a way she never expected.
She can't help but wonder what Amy would think of all this. Not just the truth about Pride but about them running away, about her and Karolina, about living with Lena Luthor who is without a doubt their parents' biggest adversary in the tech industry. Would Amy agree with everything they've done? Everything she's done? She always liked Karolina, but would she like her as Nico's girlfriend? Nico likes to think she would have, but she avoids thinking about it as much as possible. Wondering what Amy would think doesn't change the fact Amy isn't here. She'll never know what Amy thinks about anything, ever again. Knowing that now, with everything that's changed in her life, hurts more than it did when Amy first passed.
"Baby?" Karolina's soft voice brings Nico out of her thoughts and she focuses on their joined hands. Her knuckles are white, straining against her skin as she squeezes Karolina's hand too tightly.
"Oh, sorry," Nico relaxes her hold on Karolina's hand, watching as her fingers flex slightly before they move out of Nico's field of vision. A weight settles over her shoulders, the warmth of Karolina's hand rests on her outer arm as she's pulled close. Nico's head moves so she's tucked in the crook between Karolina's shoulder and neck. It's not the most comfortable position given their cramped seats in the back of the car, but Nico's too grateful for the contact to care. She inhales deeply through her nose, the scent and feel of Karolina easing her nerves if only for a moment.
"It's okay," Karolina tells her after kissing her hair again, "I know you're nervous about going back there. I am, too." Karolina's voice is low, only for Nico to hear. "We can do this, and then we'll be back home with potstickers and Chase badly singing along to Moana." Nico laughs despite herself. They've taken to having movie nights for the past week at the Mansion, as a way for the teenagers to relax and feel normal for a little while, even if they can't really forget about everything going on around them. Chase had enjoyed the last movie they watched a few days ago, Moana, immensely and had been signing Maui's song dramatically every chance he got.
"Home," Nico whispers back, turning her face to kiss Karolina's neck gently.
"Home," Karolina repeats. She squeezes Nico to her side and presses a kiss against her hair as the streets around them become increasingly more familiar. All too soon, Alex is putting his foot on the break and Nico lifts her head from Karolina's shoulder.
Alex parked the suburban a block away from the Minoru household before turning in his seat to look at his two friends in the back seat.
"Are we sure about this?" He asks them quietly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Agent Danvers park the SUV she'd been driving a short distance away and watches as she climbs out.
"We're sure my mom can't keep the Staff," Nico answers, squeezing the hand she holds tightly in her own. "That's going to have to be enough for now."
"It is," Karolina returns the press on her hand. "We get in, grab the Staff, and get out."
"I'll grab whatever files I can while you do that." Alex agrees, meeting Karolina's gaze again. A silent understanding passes between them, Karolina knows that Nico won't be left alone for a moment even if something goes wrong. "We're doing this?"
Nico reaches over Karolina with her free hand and pushes the back door of the car open. "We're going this."
The three teenagers climbed out of the car and met Alex D. and James in the space between where the two vehicles are parked.
"Okay, we've got eyes on the house from here. Karolina, send up a flare if you need us. You remember how?" Karolina nodded. "Good. Remember it's not too late to go back. You don't have to do this."
Alex looked each of the teenagers in the eye, knowing they would do this no matter what.
"Keep the car running." Nico's voice sounded surer than she felt. "This won't take long."
They turned towards the street, Nico leading the way, and quickly began walking towards the Minoru home.
"You okay, Alex?" James asked, watching Alex watch the kids walk away. He's only seen her anxious like this a few times before, and only ever when Kara was in danger. It speaks to the care she has for these kids, even if she won't admit it. James knows she's been feeling down since Maggie left, and that these kids showing up had been the distraction she needed. He was glad his friend seemed to be doing better, even if he didn't know the whole story about these kids yet.
"Ask me again when they come back."
"You okay?" Karolina asks when they pause at the end of the driveway leading to Robert and Tina's garage. Her hand found the small of Nico's back, rubbing gently.
"No," Nico answers honestly, looking up at Karolina. "But I will be, once we get this over with."
"Okay," Karolina has a very strong urge to pull Nico into her, steer her away from her old home and say to hell with the mission. They don't need the Staff. But she knows they do, and that leaving now will delay the inevitable. "Let's do this."
"The blind spot's over here." Nico leads Karolina and Alex through a small whole in the bushes around the side of the house to the Wizard control panel. Alex uses a rock to break off the lock holding the door closed and Nico pulls it open.
"Light it up, Diamonds," Alex encourages her as he takes a step back from the console. The nickname reminds Karolina that they've not alone in all of this anymore. She hears Kara's voice in her head, instructing her on how to center herself and control her powers. Nico, on Karolina's other side, places a reassuring hand on her arm.
"You can do this, Karo," she whispers softly, her thumb rubbing a soothing pattern on the inside of Karolina's wrist. Karolina nods slightly, removes her bracelet, and concentrates her lights on her right hand. She takes a step forward, hand stretched out in front of her and directs the energy into a singular beam.
The beam connects with the console, sparks shooting out. Alex flinches back slightly but Nico steps closer to Karolina, ready to push her out of the way if things get out of hand. She hears the garage doors open, a slight buzzing in her ears indicating the rest of the house coming to life as Karolina fries the circuits.
"You've got it." Nico says a second after Karolina drops the beam. There's a bead of sweat on her forehead from the effort of keeping her lights focused, but she smiles proudly when Nico confirms she did her job. "Let's keep moving, we don't know how much time we have."
They enter the Minoru house from the back, the automated doors wide open thanks to Karolina's abilities. There's no sign of Nico's parents around the house, but they still move as quietly as they can across the bottom floor. Nico leads the way to her mother's office, her shoulders tense and hands clenched at her sides. Karolina wants to reach out to her, take her hand, kiss her head and remind her that she's not alone but she knows she can't. Nico's determined to get the Staff, and she knows Karolina and Alex are with her every step of the way, and they have the support of Molly, Chase and Gert back in National City. Nico's not alone, but she shoulders the burden of protecting her friends like she is.
"Alex, you can access her computer from there." Nico directs Alex to her mothers' desk as they enter the home office. Alex nods, pulling a nondescript flash drive from his pocket. Agent Danvers had supplied the drive, set up to copy all available information they find on Pride automatically and send it to a secure DEO server, just in case they have to make a speedy getaway and can't grab the drive on the way out.
Nico turned to the back wall after Alex moved to the desk and Karolina took up her position next to the door to the office, staring at the case that housed the Staff of One. She was half-way expecting to not find it in the case, and the fact that it was there made her uneasy.
"Nico?" Karolina questioned softly after glancing over her shoulder to see that Nico hadn't moved. She took a small step, intending to move to Nico's side but at the same time unwilling to leave them undefended if Robert or Tina walked in.
Nico shook her head, breaking her spiraling thoughts and turning her head to meet Karolina's eyes. She nodded once, her face a perfect mask but her eyes lit with apprehension. Karolina nodded back and sent what she hoped was a reassuring smile in Nico's direction before turning to look out the door again.
Nico stepped up to the case, reaching for the catch on the side her mom had shown her the one time they worked with the Staff together. She forced herself to breath evenly, her discomfort growing in the silence of the house. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, barely able to make out the sound of Alex typing at her mother's desk. The Staff warmed in her hand, as if it was happy to be held by Nico again. Nico released one quick, startled breath. They had the Staff, she did it.
"Alex, you got anything?" Karolina asked suddenly, drawing Nico and Alex's gaze to her. She held her silver bracelet in one hand, the other dimly glowing as she held it in front of her body.
"I'm not sure, but I copied all the files I could find."
"Good, because we need to leave. Now." Alex nodded, removing the flash drive and making sure the desk looked the same as it did when they entered.
"Karolina, what's going on?" Nico asked as she moved closer to her girlfriend. Karolina held a finger to her lips, signaling for Nico to be quiet. Karolina took a hesitant step forward, her body half-way out of the office and arm raised to defend herself if necessary, before taking a sudden step backwards.
She reached for Nico with one hand, Alex with the other, pulling both of them to the wall with her. She silently clipped her bracelet onto her jeans after ensuring Alex would stay put if she released him. Karolina kept her hold on Nico secure, half hiding her with her own body. Nico looked at her questioningly, opening her mouth to speak again but Karolina placed a finger over her lips.
"Karo, what's happening?" Nico asked as softly as she could, her voice shaking with fear and nerves.
"They're here." Karolina whispered back, her head turned so she could listen out the office door. She directed Alex stand on the other side of Nico, shielding her from both sides, as the voices finally reached Nico's ears.
"Are we sure this is happening then? We can't afford to be wrong about this." Nico sucked in a breath at the sound of her mother's voice.
"I'm sure," Janet Stein answered, "he's running out of time and Victor is refusing to help anymore."
"He's running out of options." Catherine Wilder added, "that means he's going to be even more dangerous."
"We have one shot at this." Dale said.
"We don't know if we'll ever be able to get more serum. We have to do this right."
"Um, Tina," Robert asked, Nico leaning heavily against Karolina at the sound of his father's voice, "did you tell Wizzy to open every automated door in the house?"
"Of course not," Tina scoffed, "why on earth would I do that?"
"Then why are they all open?" There was a beat of silence coming from the living room followed by a rush of footsteps, headed towards Tina's office.