Chapter Twelve

Kara's POV

Alex made sure the coast was clear before I made my way towards Red Daughter's hideout. As we entered the apartment, dread washed over me. This place looks exactly like my loft. Closing the door behind us, we began to look around. "She's been stalking me. No wonder she was able to get past L-Corp security and Jess."

"Yeah," Alex walked into the kitchen. "She even has your schedule."

Wandering into her bedroom, my stomach dropped seeing all of the books, clothes, and pictures. This is basically like the bunker room. She craves connection. She wants people. Ones who love and stand by her. Not use her as a weapon. "Yes!" Alex rushed into the bedroom. "Kara, we-oh…oh wow. This is…," She looked around the room.

"A lot, I know." Using my x-ray vision, I searched the room. Finding another book under her mattress, I retrieved it. Flipping it open, I realized it was another journal. "She started another one."

"Another journal?" Alex came to stand beside me.

Kara and Lena are wonderful together. They laugh over dinner at the restaurant Alex got me a job at. She visits Lena at her work and Lena does the same. They seem…happy. Alex says it's a weakness but I still crave it. No matter how hard I try to push the feelings away. I wish I would have taken Mikhail and left with him. I miss him so much. The Americans should pay for what they did to him but…not all of them are bad. I see that. Alex doesn't believe this. He thinks they're all bad. Even his own mother and sister.

Flipping a few more pages, I found an entry from yesterday.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see Lena in person. Visit her office as Kara. I'm not sure what to expect since I don't love her like Kara does. I don't want to make her uncomfortable but I need to know that she's not what Alex says she is. She seems like such a caring person. Or cares for her friends at least. I want to have a taste of what Kara has. Even for just a few minutes. If she is who Alex says she is, I'll help him. If not

"If not what?" Alex took the book from my hands. Flipping the page, she grumbled. "Damn it. She didn't finish."

"Maybe Lex came by and she couldn't finish. What did you find? You were excited before you came in here."

"Oh, right!" Pulling out her phone, Alex opened a message from Brainy. "We found the boy. Odis has been taking him food and water."

"Odis?" I questioned. "Lex's henchman, Odis?"

"Yeah, that Odis. J'onn went to find the boy and I sent a team to get Odis. We'll question him and protect Mikhail. Next time we find Red Daughter, we can show her who Lex really is. She'll probably be listening for you or Lena."

"Lena thinks she's safe. That Red Daughter doesn't want to hurt her or anyone else," I paused. "Well, she may want to hurt the people who she thinks killed Mikhail but that's it." Tapping my earpiece, I waited for Lena to answer.

"Any good news?"

"Yeah, Red Daughter's apartment is exactly like mine. You can actually see my loft from this one. We were right thinking that she's been watching all of us for a long time. She has a job at our favorite restaurant."

"And that's the good news?"

"Checkmate." Lena's smart enough to put the pieces together. Or piece in this case. Please know me well enough to decipher code.

"Fantastic." Lena was quiet for a moment. "I need to go. My last meeting is here. See you at home soon?"

"You call it in, I'll pick it up. See you soon." Ending the call, I noticed Alex snickering. "What?"

"The amount of disgustingly sweetness the two of you share," Alex smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I love it. I'm glad you found someone who loves every part of you. I know it was rough there for a bit but now the two of you are a force to be reckoned with." She paused, shrugging. "More so now than before everything."

"El Mayarah," I grinned.

"Oh God," Alex rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Lovebird."

Getting back to the D.E.O., Alex interrogated Odis while J'onn and I went to see Mikhail. His face lit up when he saw me. "Snowbird!" Wrapping his arms around me, he squeezed tight. "You found me!"

"Mikhail, I'm not…I'm not her." His brows creased. "Can you understand me?" He shook his head. Thank Roa, I know Russian. "I'm not Snowbird." His face fell. "But I've seen her." I knelt to be on his level. "She's okay."

"Can you take me to her?"

"That's the plan. I've been to your house in Kasnia. It's been rebuilt. Was it destroyed?"

"Yes, a big explosion. Man with a hat saved me. He brings me food and drinks when he can. He told me to play dead if I ever see a bald man."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Good advice. How do you know Snowbird?"

"She saved me from the men who tried to rob us." His face darkened. "My parents died. The robbers died too. She hurt them and they didn't move anymore. But she protected me. Visited me with Alex until hat man took me away. When can I see Snowbird?"

"I'm not sure yet. We're looking for her now. I saw her earlier today. For now, you need to stay here, okay? The bald man is out there and he is dangerous. I will keep Snowbird safe for you. I promise." He nodded. "Okay, I need to go. This man's name is J'onn. I know he can seem scary but he is a good man. He will protect you. Keep you safe. This place may look scary but it's safe here."

"Okay," he smiled. "Thank you." Hugging me, Mikhail, squeezed.

"You're welcome." Turning to J'onn, I continued. "If you need anything, let me know. If we find Red Daughter, I'll call you."

On my way out, I saw Alex. "Hey, done with Odis already?"

"For now. He told us a lot about Mikhail and that Lex wanted him to let the boy die in the bombing. Obviously, even Odis has enough humanity to not kill an innocent kid. How is he?"

"He seems to be in good spirits for now. He thought I was her when he first saw me."

Alex frowned. "Poor kid."

"I guess he trusts me since I look like her. I told him that J'onn was safe and he would take care of him until we could bring him to Snowbird." Alex's brows creased. "That's what he calls her."

"Ah. Well, I'll try to find Red Daughter. You go have dinner with your girlfriend. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Alex."

Making my way towards Lena's, I tapped my earpiece. "Hey, I'm on my way. Is the food ordered?"

"Yes, three pizzas and two orders of pot stickers. It's under my name. See you soon."

Tapping the door with my foot, I waited for Lena. Taking the to-go boxes, she stepped aside. "I have drinks and plates set out."

"Excellent." Setting the pizza boxes on the bar, I noticed three plates and cups. "Three?"

"Since you have a checkmate, I wanted to be prepared in case we had a guest. How is he?"

"Good spirits for now. I felt terrible since he thought I was her at first."

"Aww," Lena pouted. "I'm sure that was hard."

"It was. Let's eat though. I'm starving." Loading up my plate, I popped a pot sticker into my mouth before grabbing two more for my plate.

"Save some for me too!" Lena swatted my hand away. "Shoo."

Plopping down on the couch, I began to eat. "Ooooh, pizza! Whoever invented this was a genius."

"Smarter than me?" Lena smirked playfully.

"No one is smarter than you," I nudged Lena's shoulder. "So, do you think she's listening?"

"It's a possibility. Once she's here, I'll turn on a device that will give us full privacy to talk. Russian is one of the few languages I've not mastered so this is all you."

"That killed you a little to say, didn't it?" I grinned. Lena's scowl only made me laugh.

"Linda, Red Daughter, or Snowbird are you listening? We need to talk to you. This isn't a trap, I swear. I'm here with Lena. It's about Mikhail. Please, come." We both startled when boots landed on the balcony. Getting to my feet, I opened the glass door before she broke through it.

"How do you know that name?" She growled, taking a step forward.

"Mikhail called Kara that," Lena spoke quickly.

"What?" Red Daughter's eyes flashed behind me.

"Hold on." Pulling out a small device, Lena activated it. "Now we can speak privately. Earlier today, when he saw her. That's what Mikhail called Kara. He's alive. In a safe place." Motioning towards an armchair, she continued. "Sit down and we'll explain everything."

Glancing between us, Red Daughter gingerly stepped past me. "You found Mikhail? He…he's alive? But Alex…,"

"Like I said earlier, my brother lies." Lena held out a plate. "What would you like to be called?"

"Linda," she muttered.

"Linda it is. Before the cabin was destroyed, a man who works for Lex saved him. My brother wanted Mikhail to be in the cabin but the man thought otherwise."

Taking the plate, Linda eyed the pizza. "But why?" Her head tilted. "What is this?"

"The best food on this planet," I smiled. "It's called pizza."

"I guess even henchmen don't think innocent people should die." Setting a drink in front of the blonde, Lena came to sit beside me. "If you would like, we can help you start a life with Mikhail."

She's kryptonian. I wonder if they could live on Argo together. Or at least until Lex is dealt with. "Until Lex is no longer a threat, I wonder if they could stay on Argo."

"Do you think your mother and The Council would let them?" Lena's brow rose.

"Alex isn't a…" Linda looked down at her plate. "He tried to kill Mikhail."

"Where is she?" Lex growled.

The three of us startled and looked towards my side of town. "Lex knows she's going rogue," I muttered.

Shifting, Lena spoke softly. "Please, stay here. I know how loyal you feel towards my brother but he's using you. He hates all Kryptonians."

"If he hates Kryptonians, why is he nice to me?"

"Because he found you with a blank slate. All you remembered was the name "Alex." He used that to mold you into something he could use. I'm sorry," Lena paused. "Lex has had a vendetta against Kara's cousin for years. What has he told you?"

"Alex told me about Krypton. About its destruction." Linda's eyes fell on me. "He said we were like sisters."

"He's right. Part of me broke off when I was trying to save this world from someone who wanted to destroy it. That part became you. The "Alex" you remember is-,"

"Your human sister," she finished. Linda's face fell. "The Danvers Sisters."

"Damn it! Eve! Where is she?"

"He's angry…" Linda muttered, trembling. "Will…will you help me?"

"Of course we will," Lena and I answered in unison.

"Can I introduce you to my Alex?" I asked, cautious. "She's helping take care of Mikhail. She can be trusted."

Nodding slowly, Linda continued to eat. "This is so much better than Chacos."

Laughing, Lena picked up the device. "Once this is off, don't speak. We won't be shielded until I turn it back on." Turning it off, she looked towards me. "You should be able to call out now."

Dialing Alex, I waited. "Hey, will you come to Lena's? Alone. All is well. We also need a toaster."

"There? How?"

"Long story. She also likes pizza."

"Of course she does. Be there soon. No backup."

"A toaster?" Lena smirked, brow raised. "You are definitely telling me the story later."

Ending the call, I turned back towards the two women. "Alex will be here soon. Once everything is settled, we can have a proper checkmate."

"Excellent." Turning the device back on, Lena waited. "Okay, we can speak freely." Going to her purse, the CEO retrieved something. "Linda, catch." She tossed a brown candy bar.

Catching it, the woman's face lit. "Chacos!"

"The way to any version of you is through your stomach," Lena chuckled.

"Apparently," I laughed.

The three of us continued to eat and chat until there was a knock at the door. Using my x-ray vision, I saw that it was Alex. "She's here." Opening the door, I stepped aside.

"Wow…" Alex's jaw slacked. "When you said she was a copy of you, you meant it."

I closed the door so the shield wouldn't be broken. "Linda, this is Alex. Alex, this is Linda."

"Linda?" Dark brows creased.

"It's what she chose to be called. She understands that Lex isn't who he says he is."

"You've also seen Mikhail?" She asked.

"Yes. He's with a good friend of ours." Alex motioned to the three of us. "He's in the safest place on this planet. You're part of Kara so you're my sister too."

Linda looked down to Alex's outstretched hand and back to her face. "Just like that?"

"You saved an innocent life and you've not attacked either of these two. You're good in my book." When Linda took her hand, Alex smiled. "We're here to help. Keep the two of you safe."

Over the next hour, we caught Alex up on everything. We filled in the blanks for each other and created a plan to reunite Linda and Mikhail. For the time being, the safest place to keep them both would be the D.E.O. but at least they would be together. It would take some time, but Linda was starting to see that America isn't the hellscape Lex told her it was.

"Shall we?" Alex stood. "There's a little boy who really wants to see you."

"R-Really?" She looked between the three of us.

"Mmhmm," Alex nodded. "I'm sorry but we'll need to blindfold you. If Lex found out where the two of you were being kept…," her voice trailed. Pulling out a red bandana, Alex rolled it. "There's lead in the material so you won't be able to see through it."

"I understand."

"You and Lena take Linda and I'll meet you there." In the blink of an eye, all of the uneaten food was put away.

"Glad I brought the car and not my bike." Alex tied the bandana around Linda's head. "Okay, try your x-ray vision."

"I can't see anything."

"Alright, I'll meet you there."

Arriving at the D.E.O., I was greeted by Brainy. "Alex, Lena, and Linda, Red Daughter, will be here soon."

"Can she be trusted?" Brainy asked.

"I think so. The turning point was that Lex tried to kill Mikhail. By reuniting them, I think she'll be on our side. She might even help us defeat Lex. Who knows."

"Alex is bringing them in via the docks?"

"Yeah. How's he doing?"

"Great. J'onn is playing catch with him in your special room since it's the most secure place here. He's also been fed. The boy loves cheeseburgers."

I snorted. "Linda loves pizza. They should be arriving soon. Let's meet them."

The car Alex drove pulled in shortly after Brainy and I got down to the loading docks. "Hey, guys." Lena helped Linda out of the backseat and took off the blindfold. "Linda, this is Brainy. Brainy, this is Linda."

"It's nice to meet you," he nodded. "Shall we?"

We followed Brainy back into the main part of the building and towards my room. I knocked three times to alert J'onn that we were coming in. When the door opened, Linda's face lit. "Mikhail!"

The ball dropped from the boy's hands. "Snowbird?" The two ran towards one another and Linda spun him in her arms. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too!"