"Don't come any closer!" Karolina stepped out of the office door, both hands glowing fiercely and a determined glint in her eye.
"Karolina! What are you doing – Nico?" Tina's gaze fell to her daughter as she stepped up behind Karolina, Alex flanking her other side.
"Alex!" Catherine called to her son, taking an involuntary step forward. Karolina aimed one of her glowing hands at Catherine.
"Where's Chase?" Janet's voice shook slightly.
"Gert? Molly?" Dale stood on his tiptoes, trying to see over the kid's shoulders.
"They aren't here." Nico said lowly. She held the Staff behind her back, ready for her mother to try and take it from her.
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick." Robert stepped up beside his wife, eyes only for his daughter. "Nico, we- "
"Save it, I don't want to hear it." Nico snapped at him. "We came here for one thing, and we've got it. We're leaving now."
"Wait," Janet stepped forward again, "please, we – there's things we need to talk to you kids about."
"We have nothing to say to you," Karolina's hands pulsed in warning. She shot Alex a look over her shoulder, the boy nodded and grabbed Nico's arm.
"Then just listen, please?" When the kids didn't move, Janet continued. "We don't have much time. Jonah's moving forward with his plans. He's going to knock California into the sea."
"We found out what's at the bottom of that hole." Stacey spoke up for the first time as she joined Janet. "It's the ship Jonah arrived in, centuries ago."
"But that's not all," Dale picked up where his wife left off. "Jonah, he wasn't alone when he came here. His family is on the ship, too."
"You're family, Karolina." Tina said, watching how the teenagers reacted. Karolina's eyes widened slightly, her lights flickering for a second. Nico pulled her arm out of Alex's grip to put her hand on Karolina's back.
"When is this happening?" Nico asked when it became apparent Karolina wasn't going to say anything.
"One month from tomorrow," Robert answered, "and you kids need to be as far away from here as possible when that happens."
"Why are you telling us this?" Karolina asked shakily, hating how weak she sounded.
"You're our children," Janet answered, "you've all been like family to us since you were born. That hasn't changed just because you ran away."
"We're trying to protect you," Robert said pleadingly. "We know you aren't safe here, not anymore. We'd do anything to keep you safe, you know that."
"Do we?" Alex spoke up for the first time. "All the kids you killed, everything you've done to cover it up. Turning us in for murder? That was all done in the name of keeping us safe?" Alex scoffed.
"Alex, you don't understand,"
"I understand perfectly." Alex interrupted his mother. "You guys have no idea what it really means to be a family. None of you do."
"We're your parents, Alex." Catherine shook her head, "we've only ever wanted the best for you."
"We love you."
"Don't lie to me, Mom." Nico glared at her mother. "You say you're protecting us, trying to provide for us, for me. But you and I both know we haven't been mother and daughter in a long time. It's time to stop pretending otherwise." Nico's eyes flickered over to her father, her hand gripping the fabric of Karolina's shirt tighter. "We're leaving."
Alex and Nico moved behind Karolina, heading for the door they entered through.
"I'm sorry Nico, but I can't let you leave with the Staff." Tina held her hand out.
"You don't have a choice." Nico refused to let go of the Staff as it jumped in her hand.
"Nico, let go." Tina ordered, following the three teenagers into the backyard. Robert followed her out, but gestured for Catherine, Janet, and the Yorkes to stay by the door instead of coming all the way out.
"We need to leave now," Alex said, looking over his shoulder at where he knew Agent Danvers sat in a suburban down the street. "Nico,"
"She's not going anywhere with that Staff." Before the Runaways could react, Tina rushed up the group, ducking under the beam Karolina sent at her and rising to her feet again. She released three quick strikes against Karolina, hitting her in the stomach, side, and throat. Karolina collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Tina moved to her daughter once Karolina was down, using Nico's distress over Karolina to physically rip the Staff from her hands. She swept the Staff to the side, knocking Nico to one side and Alex to the other.
"Karolina!" Nico called, ignoring the ache in her own shoulder from her fall and crawling to Karolina's side.
"FREEZE!" Tina's powerful voice called as she held her arm over the pool. Ice cracked across the top, loud thumps emanating from below it.
"Alex!" Catherine called but was kept from rushing into the yard by Dale and Janet.
"Get the Staff," Karolina croaked harshly, her throat protesting every movement. "I'll get Alex."
"Tina, release the spell!" Catherine demanded but it fell on deaf ears. Karolina moved to the edge of the pool, both hands lit and aiming a single, focused beam at the ice.
"Tina!" Robert called. "That's enough!"
"Nico, the ice is too thick!" Karolina yelled out, her voice cracking with the effort. The ice was melting but nowhere near fast enough. Karolina couldn't figure out how much power to put behind her beams. She wanted to melt the ice without melting Alex along with it. Alex's pounding on the ice grew weaker by the second.
Nico rushed at her mother, forcing her to use the Staff to block the furious blows Nico aimed at her body. Her concentration broken, Tina's ice spell dropped, and Karolina pulled a coughing Alex from the water. Nico continued her onslaught, grabbing the Staff with both hands. The Staff pulsed in her hands, and Tina looked nervous for the first time.
Using the Staff as a boost, Tina used Nico's grip on the tool to swing her in a large circle. She used the momentum the movement offered to throw Nico away from her, she crashed into her friends. An audible crunch sounded as Karolina let out a sharp scream.
"Karolina!" Nico clambered off her girlfriend and Alex, watching with wide, angry eyes as Karolina cradled her arm to her chest. Alex moved behind Karolina, supporting her weight with his own while he took off his jacket to wrap her arm.
Nico felt her spine stiffen as she rose to face her mother, red clouding her vision with each whimper that came from Karolina's mouth. She could feel the anger rushing through her veins, clouding her thoughts. Karolina was hurt. Her mother hurt Karolina, her Karolina, the person Nico was falling in love with. Nico could only see red. She felt like she was moving in slow motion, her hand rising on its own accord, open as if to grab something. Tina watched with wide eyes as the Staff jumped from her hand to her daughters. Refusing to let go, Tina moved to rush forward until she found herself stuck in place.
Nico held the Staff out in front of her, the halo glowing to signal an active spell, though no sound came out of her mouth. Tina had been on the receiving end of many glares from her daughter, but she'd never seen as much anger in her eyes as she did now. Tina turned her head towards her husband, silently telling him to do something. Robert tried to move forward and failed, stuck just as securely as Tina.
"Nico, we need to get Karolina out of here!" Alex yelled when Nico didn't move. "Nico!" His cries grew more desperate with each second that they remained in the backyard.
"Nico," Karolina's voice was no louder than a whisper, but it was enough to break Nico out of whatever spell had taken her over.
"Karolina," Nico turned, the red fading from her vision as she returned to her injured girlfriends' side. "I'm here, baby. It's okay. We're getting you out of here, now." Karolina nodded, her eyes falling closed as Nico pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Help me get her up," Alex said softly, "I'll carry her to the car." He kept his voice low so the adults watching them wouldn't know they had an escape plan.
"Karolina, I- "
"I think you've done enough, Tina." Janet's voice was harsher than Nico had ever heard, but she paid it no mind. Karolina released another soft whimper as Alex maneuvered her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, Karolina."
"It's okay, Alex." Karolina whispered back, "just keep moving. It's going to hurt no matter what."
Alex nodded, making sure Karolina was secure against his chest before making his way out of the Minoru backyard as quickly as he could without hurting Karolina more. Nico followed behind him, her eyes glued to Karolina, the shrunken Staff in her hand. They rushed down the driveway, every painfilled sound coming from Karolina breaking Nico's heart. She could see the DEO suburban in the distance, relief filling her being. They had stayed exactly where Agent Danvers said they would. Karolina wouldn't have to suffer for too much longer.
James, after some prompting from Alex, made his way down the street when he noticed the three teenagers rushing towards them. jumped out of the passenger seat before the car came to a halt, pulling open the back door for Alex. He didn't pause to ask questions he took in Alex's soaked clothes and the obviously in pain Karolina. Instead he scooped Karolina out of Alex's arms and ushered them back down the street.
"What the hell happened?" Agent Danvers asked as they approached the two vehicles at run, moving much faster than they had been when Alex was carrying Karolina.
"Our parents showed up," Alex answered the question. "Some of them anyway. Nico's mom wouldn't let us leave with the Staff. We had to fight her off." Alex ran a hand through his wet hair, splashing water onto the seat. His clothes were soaked and clinging to him, his glasses dotted with water, but he seemed to not notice.
"And Karolina?"
"I – I don't know. We heard something crack. I think it was her arm." Alex ran his hand through his hair again as he looked at his friends. Nico had one arm wrapped around her own waist, the other carding through Karolina's hair gently. Karolina looked pale, though her tears had slowed, and leaned her head heavily against James' shoulder.
"Karolina, I need you to look at me sweetie." Danvers requested gently as she pulled the suburban into an empty parking lot. She cut the engine and turned in her seat to look directly at the injured teenager. "Karolina, can you tell me where it hurts?"
"Arm," Karolina grunted out, "throat." Nico kissed her shoulder, the closest part of Karolina that she could reach.
"Okay, good job. You're doing great, Karolina. We're going to get you to the DEO, okay?" Alex pressed her hand to her ear piece. "Vasquez? We need a chopper, emergency medevac."
"Landing in three," Vasquez answered. Part of Alex hates that they had the chopper on standby but the other half of her is just relieved that they can get Karolina to the DEO quicker.
"What's going on?" Nico asked worriedly.
"We're bringing in a chopper. We'll get the three of you back to National City and the DEO that way." Alex reached out to squeeze Nico's arm gently. "We'll get her home, Nico. I promise."
A rhythmic beating reached their ears a few moments later and they all looked to the sky to see a black helicopter coming in for a landing in an empty grass lot half a block away.
"Karolina, James is going to carry you to the chopper, okay?" Karolina nodded her consent. James made sure he had a good grip on the young girl before moving in the direction of the chopper with the other two teenagers and Alex hot on his heels. Karolina was quickly situated in the helicopter and strapped in. Alex W. rushed around to the other side and climbed in as well, helping Karolina balance while Nico climbed up after her, securing the Staff of One on her belt loop and accepting the hand Alex offered her to help her into the chopper. She moved to Karolina's side again as soon as she was on board. Agent Danvers boarded the chopper, pulled the side door closed behind her and signaled to the pilot to take off.
Nico felt Karolina grow heavy in her arms, the blonde slumping even further against her. She was about to panic, her eyes growing wide and heart rate accelerating until Agent Danvers handed her a headset.
"She's okay," her voice filtered through the muffs covering Nico's ears. "She's just exhausted and in pain. It's better for her to sleep now, she won't hurt as much."
"What about Lena's car?' Alex asked the agent and if Nico was feeling a little better about the whole situation they were in, she might have laughed at his worry.
"James is driving it back, and another agent is in the DEO car. I'm sure Lena will understand why we took the chopper instead."
"Right," Alex pushed his glasses up his nose and then seemed to realize that the lenses were still covered in drops of water so he took them off to clean them. Another agent in the chopper handed him a dry wipe silently and Alex took it without comment. He couldn't dry his glasses with a wet shirt.
With the conversation clearly over, Nico nodded and pulled the headset off before shifting Karolina into a more comfortable position, careful not to nudge her arm and ignoring the pain in her own shoulder that throbbed with each motion. They did it. They got the Staff, but Nico wouldn't consider it a victory. Not with Alex beside her, soaking wet from almost drowning, and Karolina, injured and exhausted in her arms. Nico's jaw clenched, and she pulled Karolina tighter against her chest.
This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
It feels like an eternity had passed by the time Nico was allowed to see Karolina again. Kara had greeted them at the DEO when they arrived, explaining that Lena would bring the rest of the Runaways over once the three of them had been checked over and cleared. Then, Kara had gently lifted Karolina out of Nico's arms and carried her off. Nico had tried to follow her, not wanting to leave Karolina's side, but Alex stopped her before she could move.
"Nico, I know you want to be with her," Alex gripped Nico's arm gently, noticing the wince she tried to conceal. "And you will be soon, okay, I promise. But I need to check you both over first. Make sure you aren't injured, too."
"Alex, I need to – "
"I know, Nico. I know." Alex nodded. "And you will. They're taking Karolina to a private room. I'll take you there myself as soon as I can. I promise. But you know Karolina would want you to look after yourself."
"I'm fine, Alex."
"No, you're not. Nico, please." Nico stiffened slightly when her friends touched her shoulder, Alex stepping up behind her. "Karolina's going to need you, and she's going to need you safe and taken care of."
"Fine," Nico conceded, letting the Agent lead her away while Alex went to change into the dry clothes Agent Schott brought him.
Nico moved robotically while Alex checked her over. She had some bruising on her back from impacting with both the ground and her friends, and her shoulder was sprained from both the fall and from Tina using her as a wrecking ball. Alex said it wasn't too bad an injury, but she did insist on putting Nico's arm in a sling. She was given a pair of black sweat pants and t-shirt to change into, she hadn't even noticed that her clothes were wet from the makeshift sling Alex had made with his hoodie. Then, she was left alone while Agent Danvers went to check over Karolina. Nico felt like hours had passed by the time Alex came into the room and asked Nico to follow her to Karolina's room.
Karolina was awake when Nico entered the room, talking softly with Kara.
"You've got a guest, Diamonds." Alex said as she entered the room with Nico in tow. Somehow hearing Alex use the increasingly familiar nickname for Karolina set Nico just a little more at ease, but she won't completely relax until she's checked Karolina for herself.
"Nico," Karolina smiled as her girlfriend came into view, her makeup smeared and hair that had been styled perfectly before reduced to a tangled mess. Karolina's throat aches and her arms throbbing but she discovers that she really doesn't care as Nico approaches the bed Karolina's resting in and throws her arm around Karolina's , who had been keeping Karolina company while they waited for Nico, smiled at the reunion that played out in front of her.
"Karo," Nico whispers her name against Karolina's neck before pressing a kiss in the same spot.
"I'm okay, Nico." Karolina says back, nodding slightly at Kara and Alex as they slowly move out of the room. Nico pulls back at the sound of the door falling closed and seems surprised to find herself alone with Karolina.
"Your arm?" Nico asks, fingers ghosting over the hard, black cast that covers the majority of Karolina's left forearm.
"It was a clean break," Karolina explains, "Alex said I've already made progress healing. Something about not suppressing my powers while it mends."
"And your throat?" Nico had noticed how rough Karolina's voice sounded.
"Just bruised." Karolina catches Nico's good hand in her own, bringing Nico's hand to her lips and placing a kiss against her knuckles. "And you? What happened to your arm?"
"Strained shoulder," Nico explains softly, "Alex is making we wear the sling as a precaution. I've got some bruises on my back, but nothing serious." Nico untangled their hands, so she could cup Karolina's cheek. Karolina leant into the touch.
"We're quite the pair, aren't we?" Karolina chuckles.
"Karolina, I – "
"I know," Karolina cut Nico off, anticipating the apology on her lips. "None of this is your fault, baby."
"I should have let her have the Staff."
"No, Nico, you did the right thing. We can't let Pride have something that powerful on their side."
"She hurt you, Karolina." Nico hated how her voice shook as she spoke. "She wouldn't have stopped. She's supposed to protect me and love me more than anyone else in the world. And I had to watch her hurt someone I love."
"Nico," Karolina reached for Nico, gripping her waist gently.
"I can't watch that again, I can't." Nico shakes her head, as if she's trying to forcibly remove the memory from her head. "I felt so powerless. I never want to feel that way again. Not if it means you get hurt."
Karolina rose from her bed, pulling Nico fully into her embrace. Nico held her just as tightly, fighting against the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes. She took a deep breath, the scent of Karolina lingering in her nose. Karolina held Nico as close as she could with one arm in a cast, cradling Nico's head where it rested against her chest.
"We're safe, Nico." Karolina whispered into her hair. "We did what we had to do, and we made it through. We're safe, we're with people that care about us, and we're together." Karolina dropped a kiss onto Nico's forehead. "I'm here, baby. I'm not going anywhere."
Nico pulled back just enough to look Karolina in the eye. She's always found Karolina's eyes mesmerizing. They hold so much emotion buried in infinite shades of blue. Nico could spend hours navigating through the ocean before her and never get bored. Always open, never guarded, that's how Karolina's eyes are every time she looks at Nico. Nico can see all the feelings Karolina has for her, everything that Nico knows Karolina sees in Nico's own eyes. Everything that she's too scared to admit she feels.
Karolina leaned down, connecting her lips with Nico's softly. Nico leaned her forehead against Karolina's when they parted, breathing deep and feeling Karolina's breaths against her own lips.
"Come lay down with me." Karolina whispered when Nico opened her eyes again. "I'm supposed to be resting, but I always feel better with you close."
Nico agrees, pressing their lips together again before helping Karolina crawl back into her bed. Once she's settled, Nico joins her girlfriend and curls against her chest on her uninjured side. Karolina's hand slips beneath the back of Nico's top to rest against the soft skin of her back, stroking gently. Nico feels the last bits of adrenaline fading from her body, exhaustion slipping in. With Karolina's hand against her back and heartbeat beneath her ear, Nico lets the exhaustion in her bones take over and closes her eyes. The last thing she feels before she falls asleep is Karolina's lips against her forehead.
"Kara," Lena called as she entered the hallway leading to the private room Karolina had been given at the DEO with Chase, Gert, and Molly trailing behind her. They stopped outside Karolina's door, where Kara stood with her sister and Alex. "How are they?"
"They're okay," Kara met Lena's eyes before quickly moving her gaze to the three scared teenagers standing beside them. "They've got some injuries but it's nothing serious."
"What happened?" Gert's grip on Chase's arm was so tight her nails left indents on his skin.
"Our parents were there, some of them." Alex answered, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Nico's parents, and yours," he gestured to Gert and Molly, "your Mom, Chase, and mine, too."
"Nico's mom wouldn't give up the Staff without a fight, would she?" Gert already knew the answer, but she needed to hear the confirmation. "How bad was it?"
"Bad," Alex shook his head, "she tried to drown me, Karolina's got a broken arm, and Nico. She was – I've never seen her so angry before. It's like she wasn't in control of her body." He sighed heavily, the events of the day weighing on his shoulders. "But we got the Staff, and I copied all the files from Tina's computer that I could. Agent Schott's going over them now."
"Can we see them?" Chase directed his question to Agent Danvers.
"They may not be up for talking."
"I know," Chase corrected himself after Gert pinched his arm, "we know. That's fine. They're our family."
"Okay, go on in. Just try not to make too much noise." The four teenagers nodded and moved past Alex as she held the door open. Lena, Kara, and Alex caught a glimpse of Nico and Karolina curled together on the bed as Alex pulled the door closed.
Once out of sight of the teenagers, Lena's shoulders heaved and she all but collapsed against Kara.
"Lena, hey, let's go sit down." Kara caught her easily, directing her to a private room further down the hall and leaving Alex to watch over the kids. "Lena? Lena, please tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing, nothing," Lena sniffled as she sat down in an uncomfortable chair located near the corner of the room Kara had led her too. "I'm fine."
"I thought we agreed to not keep secrets from each other anymore." Kara crouched in front of Lena, her hands warm and soothing where they rested against Lena's knees. "Safe space, remember? You can tell me anything."
Lena nodded, swallowing against the emotion in her throat. She could really use a glass of wine, but she knows Kara won't go for that until they have everything sorted. "I was just worried about them."
It's just the tip of the iceberg of emotions Lena's dealing with, but it seems to be the most prevalent. She could barely function all day, knowing three kids that she was beginning to see as family were risking their lives in another city. It didn't matter that they had extra protection, that Alex would never have returned to National City without Nico, Karolina, and Alex with her. It didn't matter that Lena knew very well how good those kids were at dealing with whatever curve ball life threw at them. All that mattered was three teenagers, three children, facing the worst evil imaginable. It's bad enough to know there's evil in the world, and Lena knows how much it hurts to discover how close that evil is to home. Add that to Lena's other emotional turmoil that relates to the kiss, several kisses, she and Kara shared the night before and it's little surprise that she's an emotional wreck.
"They're okay, Lena. They're safe."
"They're hurt." Lena shook her head. "Alex almost drowned, Karolina broke her arm, and who knows what injuries Nico has, especially if her mother is the one responsible!" Tears fell from her eyes despite how hard Lena tried to keep them in. "I promised them that they would be safe if they stayed with us, with me. I broke my promise."
"Lena," Kara pulled her into an embrace, her heart breaking for the sobbing woman in her arms. Lena had such a big heart, she loved others more fiercely than anyone Kara had ever known, and she hurt the same way. "Lena, honey, I need you to listen to me." The pet name slipped out without Kara noticing, though Lena did, and she pulled back enough to look Kara in the eyes.
"Lena, there's nothing we could have done. We didn't know their parents would be there or attack them. Nico was determined to get that Staff from her mother, no one could have talked her out of it. Not even Karolina and we know she tried." Lena nodded slightly at Kara's words. "I know you hate knowing their parents treated them like this, I do too. And I know you want to be the good influence for them that you never had. I know."
"But," Kara cupped Lena's face gently, "we can't protect them from everything. We see them as children, but they aren't. Not anymore. They've been forced to grow up too soon. They're figuring out their place in this crazy, messed up world long before they should have too."
"You're not exactly making me feel better here, Kara."
"I'm not done yet." Kara rolled her eyes but smiled a second later. "My point is, they have the weight of the world on their shoulders, but they don't have to deal with it alone." Kara's thumb stroked Lena's cheek gently, her heart fluttering in her chest when Lena leaned into her touch. "They have each other, and us, and Alex. We can't protect them, as much as I wish we could, it's just not possible. But we can support them, comfort them when they let us, and we'll make sure they don't face their parents alone."
"I feel so silly right now." Lena said, chuckling slightly. She sniffled, wiping her nose on the sleeve of the hoodie she wore. Kara recognized it as one that she had worn around the Mansion a few days back but didn't comment on it. Something about Lena wearing her jacket warmed Kara's heart.
"Nothing you feel is silly, Lena." Kara stroked her cheek again. "You're incredible, Lena Luthor. And it's about time you realized that."
Lena's heart caught in her throat at the tender look in Kara's eyes, the conviction in her voice. Kara spoke as if Lena had never been anything but perfect in her eyes and it took Lena's breath away. No one had ever looked at her that way before, not with the same intensity that Kara did. Memories filtered through Lena's mind, times that Kara looked at her like she hung the moon and put the stars in the sky. Nights at the Kara's loft before they had met the teenage runaways, sitting on Kara's bed with a bottle of wine and talking about everything and nothing in the same conversation. Falling asleep leaning against Kara's shoulder and waking up feeling so much warmth and comfort. She remembered the feel of Kara's lips against hers the night before, the way Kara had held her like she was something precious and valuable.
She felt a rush of affection surge through her body for the woman still kneeling in front of her. She could feel her heart rate increase, and watched Kara's brow furrow as she heard the change in tempo. Lena's hands rose of their own accord, one touching Kara's shoulder gently and the other sliding to the back of her neck. Kara's skin was warm beneath her touch and Lena vaguely wondered if her hands were cold, or if that would bother Kara at all.
Their lips meet and the sensation is still new enough that it surprises Lena how soft Kara's lips are. The fabric of Kara's suit feels rough beneath Lena's hand, and it's a stark contrast to the smooth shirt she'd been wearing the night before, but her lips are soft, tantalizing. Lena's sure she's never felt so wonderful in her life.
They pull apart, chests heaving, and lips swollen from their kisses. Lena's lipstick is smeared across Kara's lips and the sight only makes Lena want to kiss her again. Kara's staring at her the way she stares at the stars, a mix of wonder and longing, like she can't believe something so breathtaking as what she's seeing actually exists.
"We should check on the kids." Lena says after a heavy beat of silence, reaching up to wipe the lipstick off of Kara's lips. Kara catches her hand and presses a kiss against her palm.
"Yeah, let's go." Kara rises out of her crouching position, offering her hand to Lena to help her out of her seat. Lena takes the offered hand, then, once she's on her feet, uses their joined hands to pull Kara into a hug. Kara's arms loop around her shoulders and Lena knows everything will be okay.
Kara and Lena are greeted with hushed voices when they enter the room Karolina and the other Runaways are resting in. Molly and Alex stand on one side of Karolina's bed, Gert and Chase on the other with the girl herself sitting awake on the bed with a sleeping Nico curled into her chest. The five friends glance in Lena and Kara's direction, noting their joined hands but not feeling cheerful enough to offer any comments of teases. They join Alex, leaning against the back wall of the room.
"That's all they said? They want us to run away?" Kara's ears picked up on Chase's distressed whisper.
"They're going to try and stop Jonah, but they don't want us there." Alex nodded. "They didn't say how, but it has something to do with Jonah's ship."
"The ship that's buried under the dig site." Gert felt Chase take her hand. "They're going to what? Destroy it?"
"I don't know, but we need to find out."
"Why?" Chase asked harshly, his voice rising slightly. "Why not let our parents deal with it? They think they can handle it, why should we get involved?"
"We're already involved." Karolina spoke up, brushing her fingers through Nico's hair, "and it's not just Jonah's ship at the bottom of that whole."
"What do you mean?" Molly asked.
"Jonah didn't come here alone, at least not according to our parents," Karolina sighed. "His family is still on that ship."
"Your family," Gert whispered softly, the hand not holding Chase's moving to rest comfortingly on Karolina's shoulder.
"Karolina, there's no guarantee the people down there are like you," Alex said, though he seemed disappointed in himself for even saying it. "They might not be good."
"There's no guarantee they're like Jonah either." Karolina's grip on Nico tightened, her hand moving to the small of Nico's back and pulling the small girl more firmly against her chest. She wished her other arm wasn't in a cast so she could properly hold Nico, but now wasn't the time to dwell on that. "Alex, they're innocent."
"We don't know that." Chase protested. "We don't know why they came here in the first place."
"But we can't condemn them to death." The whole group started as Nico spoke up. She lifted her head from Karolina's chest and looked around at her friends' concerned faces. Karolina shifted next to her, sitting up fully and using her grip on Nico to pull her into a sitting position with their backs against the wall, shoulder to shoulder. Nico's good hand fell to Karolina's thigh. "We can't. We're no better than our parents if we do."
"So what do we do?" Gert questioned. "Are we going to face Pride and try to protect the ship at the same time?"
"Can we even do that? It was hard enough to fight off just Tina. Can we really face the whole group?"
"We don't have a choice." Nico gripped Karolina's thigh tighter, Karolina's thumb rubbing a soothing circle on her back in response. "We have time. To get stronger. To prepare. We know when Jonah's making his big move and that puts us one step ahead."
"And we've got the Staff, and Chase's Fistigons." Karolina joined in. "Molly gets stronger every day."
"And we still don't know what all you can do," Gert pointed at Karolina, "but your powers will help us a lot."
"Still, we can't do this by ourselves."
"You don't have to." Kara stepped up to the foot of the bed Karolina and Nico shared. "You don't have to do anything alone."
"Kara, this isn't your fight." Nico pointed out stoically, without meeting Kara's eyes.
"Yes, it is." Kara's stance softened, opening her shoulders and letting the six teenagers in front of her truly focus on the crest she wore on her chest. "Every day, I put on this suit and fight battles that aren't mine to fight. Every. Single. Day. Do you know why?"
The Runaways shook their heads no, waiting anxiously for Kara to continue speaking.
"When I was twelve, my mother loaded me into a spaceship and told me to be brave. I watched my whole world implode on itself, everything that I had ever known was gone in an instant." Kara watched the attentive teenagers closely. "I've watched planets die, I've lost family, gained them back and then lost them again." Behind Kara, Alex looked down sharply. "I've lost so much more than I ever thought possible."
"Then why keep fighting?" Nico questioned, feeling Kara's words resonate deep in her chest.
"Because I have infinitely more to lose." Nico looked up at her words, meeting Kara's gaze evenly. "I have family and friends that I would do anything to protect. I have someone I'm falling in love with who I don't want to lose. I have a job, a real one, and a future that doesn't revolve around a red cape and a symbol on my chest." Kara smiled slightly. "I've got a group of rag-tag teenagers that are determined to save the world and trust me to keep them safe while they do it." Gert snorts, the other Runaways smiling slightly at Kara's words.
"I made a promise, to you, to do anything I can to keep you safe. I make the same promise again and again whenever I put on this suit. I fight because I have something to fight for, something to remind me why I'm doing this. This is your fight, but it's not you against the world." Kara's words echo what she said earlier to Lena, when it was just the two of them alone down the hall. She speaks to them with the same conviction she did before, the same certainty.
"We can't ask you to do this, Kara. This isn't your responsibility." Karolina glanced at Nico out of the corner of her eye as she spoke. Nico met her gaze and nodded slightly. "We need to do this."
"You aren't asking me to do anything." Kara looked each of the Runaways in the eye in turn. "I'm keeping my promise. I won't interfere unless you need me, but I will be there. As backup and moral support." Kara smiled at them, "Besides, I know Molly's strong but even she can't stop me from going. Don't forget that I am an actual superhero."
The Runaways laugh, tension in their shoulders dissipating as Kara smiles warmly at them.
"We know, super is in the name," Karolina jokes before her words take a serious turn, "but you're more than that. To us, you're not just a superhero. You're Kara."
"You believed in us when our parents betrayed us. You accepted us."
"Quirks and all." Chase speaks after Gert, their hands linked together between them. Nico and Karolina zero in on their joined hands and the distinct lack of blush from either of them, sharing a surprised but happy look.
"All of you did." Molly points to where Alex, and Lena hang back against the wall and gestures for them to join the group around the bed. They do, stepping up on either side of Kara. If anyone notices Lena's hand moving slightly to grasp Kara's, they don't comment on it.
"We can never repay you for everything you've done for us." Alex's words surprise all three adults but they recover quickly.
"We don't want you to repay us," Lena smiles, "we want you to make it through this mess and be better off for it."
"And we'll help you however we can, now and after this is all over."
"Do you really mean that?" Molly's voice is as timid as they've ever heard before and it hits Lena in that moment how strong Molly is. How she's been putting on a brave face, determined to be just like her friends, but she's still a scared fourteen-year-old.
"Of course we do," Lena moves over to Molly, resting her hands on Molly's shoulders and looking into her eyes. "I know what it's like to be disillusioned by your family, by your parents. It's the worst, it makes you feel like everything in the world is a lie, and like you'll never have a happy family again. But you will, I promise."
"How do you know?" Alex rests his hand on Molly's shoulder, squeezing in a brotherly manner that makes her smile.
"Because I used to feel the same way." Lena glances around at the rest of the group to find them all listening attentively. "I used to think I'd never belong with anyone, never have a family. But I do."
"You have us." Karolina squeezes Nico's shoulders, holding her close. "We have each other. El mayarah, right?" She directs her question at Kara.
"That's right."
"El mayarah, what's that mean?" Nico asks, looking between her favorite blonde and the Kryptonian.
"Stronger together. It's what this symbol means." Kara tapped a finger against her chest. "It's my family's motto, from Krypton."
"I hope you don't mind sharing," Gert said, leaning into Chase with a happy little grin. "Stronger together sounds like exactly the mindset we need to have."
"I think you're right," Karolina smiles and holds Nico just a little closer.
"So, we all agree? No one is fighting anyone on their own. We're a family, we stick together." Alex, Gert, Chase, Karolina, and Nice nodded at Kara's words, those coupled together squeezing their partner slightly in assurance. Molly pulled Lena into a tight hug, her eyes flashing orange for the briefest of seconds before she calmed herself down.
"Aw man," Molly groaned suddenly, pulling away from Lena and turning to her friends. "Does this mean I have three older sisters, and two brothers, now?"
"Yep." Alex smiled cheekily, pulling on the cat ears on Molly's beanie.
"Oh my god, I'm so screwed when I start dating." Molly's expression showed genuine annoyance and the teenagers laughed. Kara and Lena shared a smile as Lena moved back to her side, their hands joined but they remained silent.
"I'm going to go check on Winn, see if he found anything." Alex whispered to her sister, "but I expect to hear about this," she pointed to her and Lena's joined hands, "sooner rather than later."
"We haven't talked about it yet," Kara whispered back but her voice wasn't soft enough for Lena to not hear and she leaned closer.
"But you'll be the first to know after we do," Lena agreed, squeezing Kara's hand. Kara smiled back at her.
"I better be," Alex offered the new couple a smile, ignoring the pain that clouded her heart beat for a moment. She and Maggie separated for a reason, and even though it hurts, Alex has to have faith that it won't always feel like this. "Get the kids home, I know they don't like being in the city too long."
"What about Karolina? If her healing accelerates because of her powers, should she spend the night under a sun lamp?" Kara asked, now speaking loud enough that the teenagers could listen in as well.
"If that's something you feel comfortable with, Karolina, it would help." Alex directs the statement to the girl in question. "You might heal faster if you can be powered up without it draining you."
"I'll think about it."
"Okay, let me know. We'll get an extra car ready to take you back to the mansion."
With a parting smile and wave, Alex walked out of the room. Lena and Kara followed after her a few minutes later, letting the teenagers take the time they needed to recover from their trip to L.A. without them hovering around.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Of course I want you to stay, Nico," Karolina smiled at Nico's shy smile, "but you need to rest and heal just as much as I do. This bed isn't exactly big enough for two."
"Didn't seem to matter earlier." Nico grumbled, twisting her fingers around in Karolina's grasp. The couple had relocated to the sun room, Nico waiting for one of the others to come get her to head back to the Mansion. Karolina had decided that staying the night at the DEO, under the sun lamps, was the best thing she could do to heal quickly. She and Alex hoped that the solar radiation would speed up the healing process, especially if Karolina was powered up for most of the night, with the added bonus of restoring her energy. It seemed her powers were working overtime to heal the break in her arm, she looked more exhausted with each passing second. "What happened to feeling better when you're close to me?"
"Still true," Karolina maneuvered her fingers to wind through Nico's, stopping her nervous fiddling. Karolina sat on the edge of the bed she'd be spending the night in, legs dangling over the side and Nico standing in front of her. "You need to rest, in a real bed. A sprained shoulder is still a pretty serious injury."
"I know, you're right." Nico looked at her boot clad feet, "I just don't want to leave you. Not after everything that happened today."
"Hey," Karolina used her grip on Nico's hand to pull her closer. Nico stepped into the space between Karolina's thighs and wrapped her good arm around Karolina's waist after untangling their fingers. "I'm okay, Nico. You got me out of there, we're safe."
"Alex got you out of there." Nico's voice was slightly muffled from Karolina's shirt. "I don't even know what I did."
"You kept them from following us. Don't sell yourself short, Nico. We couldn't have gotten out of there without you."
"Maybe we shouldn't have been there in the first place."
"You don't mean that, Nico." Karolina rubbed Nico's back soothingly. "We had to get the Staff." Karolina's eyes glance to the chair sitting beside the bed, where Nico's clothes from earlier and the Staff are sitting along with Karolina's own outfit.
"I mean, maybe you shouldn't have been there. You or Alex."
"Nico, there's no way we would have let you go alone,"
"If you had, you wouldn't be here," Nico lifted her head from Karolina's chest, reaching for Karolina's cast covered hand, "You wouldn't need to stay here under a sunlamp to heal."
"We didn't know this would happen," Karolina's arm shifted beneath Nico's grasp, the fingers of her good hand sliding to Nico's hip. "There's nothing we could have done, and if we hadn't been there who knows what would have happened." Karolina watched Nico closely, gaging her reaction. "It was a fucked up situation we should never have been in, all of this is, but we have to deal with it."
Nico looked up sharply, partly because hearing Karolina cuss was as shocking as it was sexy, but also so she could read Karolina's eyes, see the truth in her words. "And we have to deal with it together, otherwise we might never get through this."
"El mayarah, right?" Nico's fingers twisted the fabric of Karolina's shirt, pulling her marginally closer.
"Right." Karolina kissed Nico's nose which made her face scrunch adorably and Karolina smiled. "So stop worrying about this," Karolina held up her broken arm, "go home, eat something, and get some rest. I'll be back before you can miss me." Nico highly doubted that, but she decided to simply pull Karolina into a kiss instead of voicing her disagreement. They parted when someone knocked on the door.
"We're loading up, Nico." Lena poked her head into the room, surveying the young couple's positions before offering them a coy smirk. "Finish kissing Karolina good night so we can head out."
"I'll be right out," Nico rolled her eyes when Lena winked at them before ducking back out of the room. "I guess I'll see you in the morning?"
"Bright and early," Karolina promised with a wide smile and tired eyes.
Nico brushed a stray bit of hair behind Karolina's ear before cupping the back of her neck and pulling her in for another kiss. Karolina's hand held the small of Nico's back, pushing their bodies flush together. They separated slowly, Nico stepping back to grab her staff and both of their clothes from the chair.
"Good night, baby," she said, leaning up to steal one last kiss, okay two, before making her way to the door.
"Good night, babe." Karolina watched her leave, resettling on the bed and blowing Nico a kiss as she pulled the door closed. Karolina laid back after flipping the switch to turn the sun lamps on and removing her bracelet. Dimly glowing, she fell asleep only a few moments after Nico swept out of the room.
"Ready to go, Nico?" Alex D. asked as Nico approached the large group waiting in the main lobby of the DEO. Nico nodded, gratefully letting Alex take the bag with her and Karolina's clothes in it when he offered his hand. "Let's roll out then."
They split into two vehicles again for the drive back to the Mansion, Kara driving one and Lena the other since Alex stayed behind to work on paperwork, which was made in silence on Nico's part as she let Alex, Molly, and Lena carry a mindless conversation for the duration. Once at the Mansion, Nico dutifully ate the sandwich and chips given to her by Kara before excusing herself to shower and get ready for bed.
Nico was surprised to find Alex waiting for her in her bedroom after she emerged from the shower.
"I brought yours and Karo's clothes," Alex gestured to the bag sitting on the floor at his feet.
"Oh, right, thanks." Nico offered him a smile, using a towel to dry her hair while she moved to sit on the bed next to Alex. Alex took a moment to observe this side of Nico, one he was never privy to see. Her face was absent her usual dark makeup, her hair wet and hanging loosely around her shoulder. She wore black shorts and colorful t-shirt that was very obviously Karolina's, not just because of the colors but because it swamped Nico's small frame and hung almost to the hem of her shorts. "I, um, I wanted to say thank you. For getting Karolina out of there."
"You don't have to thank me, Nico." Alex smiled warmly at her, pushing his glasses up his nose when they slipped slightly. "I know you and I haven't been in the best place, and that's my fault, but I wouldn't have left her there. Not ever, but especially not when I know how much she means to you."
"I'm sorry," Nico threw her now wet towel into the basket in the corner. "I know it hasn't been easy for you to watch Karolina and me."
"Don't apologize." Alex shrugged as he continued, "I messed up and you were pissed at me, rightfully so. I know I should have told you what I knew about Amy, but I didn't, and I had to pay the price. It was natural for you to move on."
"Still, I know it must suck."
"It did, at least at first. But I've had some time to come around to it. I've watched you fall for Karolina every day. At first, I was hurt, and angry that you wouldn't give me a second chance. That's why I kept lashing out, especially our first night in National City." Nico nodded, remembering the argument the six of them had in the DEO after Karolina overworked her powers. "I felt like you were rubbing it in my face, seeing you guys holding hands and stealing kisses and generally being sickeningly cute. But, seeing how you are with her, how happy she makes you? I can't be mad about that."
"I guess it's safe to say you and I were always better off as friends." Nico nudged his shoulder with her own.
"You're my best friend, Nico. You always will be, and I'll always do what I can to make you happy, even carrying your injured girlfriend half a mile."
"Please it was like half a block, maybe." Nico smiled. "You're my best friend, too, and I'm glad we're finally back to that."
"Me too," Alex pulled Nico into a one-armed side-hug. "Now, it's getting late and Karolina will kill me if I keep you from resting any longer." Nico pinched his side with her good hand, adjusting her sling into a more comfortable position as Alex stood from the bed. "Maybe you can actually sleep without it looking like there's a rave going on down here."
"Shut up, asshole." Nico groaned, turning around so Alex couldn't see the blush coloring her cheeks. Alex's laugh carried down the hall as he walked out, pulling the door closed behind him.
"It does not look like a rave," Nico grumbled to herself as she pulled the duvet down and climbed beneath it on Karolina's side of the bed. Besides, Karolina's nightly light show wasn't entirely Nico's fault, at least that's what Nico told herself. Karolina wanted to practice controlling her lights while engaging in activities that normally left her heart racing or adrenaline pumping through her body. It just so happens that making out with Nico was a great way to practice that control in non-battle circumstances, and Nico was more than willing to help anyway she could. Karolina had actually gotten fairly good at keeping herself from lighting up when she and Nico kissed, it was only when hands started to wander beneath clothes that Karolina would slip up. Nico didn't mind. After all practice makes perfect, right?
Chuckling to herself, Nico curled into Karolina's pillow. The scent of Karolina's shampoo lingered on the pillowcase, mixed with something that Nico couldn't name but inherently reminded her of her girlfriend. That, paired with Karolina's shirt covering her torso, helped but Nico's mind at ease enough to catch a few hours of sleep, however fitful they might have been.